I was really looking forward to creating this blog because that’s how much I love Caribbean cuisine. I have to be honest, at the beginning of my trip, there were definitely a lot of bad places we went as there were a lot of tourists-trapped restaurants in the city. For example, one of the most popular and traditional dishes of Puerto Rico is Mofongo; which is an unripe plantain that is mashed and served with your choice of meat alongside sauces such as creamy garlic or sweet criolla sauce. Because it is so popular, there were many restaurants that sell them just to attract tourists. And no, not all of them are great. The dish is absolutely divine and I had a lot of them during my trip to Puerto Rico because I knew I had to try as many as I can in order to find the best one. Locals say that the best Mofongo should be moist and not dry, so there’s already tip #1 when you want to know if you’re having a good or bad Mofongo.
I’ve accumulated my favorite restaurants and places in Puerto Rico (mostly San Juan) that I got to test and try. Most of these spots were actually recommended by the locals because I asked a lot of Uber drivers and some locals I met during the trip.
Bebo’s Cafe
Rating: 5/5
Location: 1600 Calle Loíza, San Juan, 00911, Puerto Rico
What To Try: Lechón Asado (roasted pork)
Bebo’s Cafe made my list because firstly, it’s super affordable; second, it’s super authentic and delicious. There was a long line-up just to get tables and you can see all the locals eating at the restaurant. I probably waited around 30-40 minutes for seats, but it was very worth the wait. They have a big menu list for people to try all the traditional Puerto Rican dishes you can think of such as Lechón Asado, Mofongo, Arroz con Gandules, and Barcalaito.
Punto de Vista Rooftop Restaurant
Rating: 4/5
Location: 307 Calle de la Fortaleza, San Juan, 00901, Puerto Rico
What To Try: Shrimp Mofongo with sweet criolla sauce
At first, I thought this place was overhyped because the review was screaming “Best Mofongo in San Juan”, but I have to agree. Not only do they have delicious Mofongo, but they also got a rooftop where you can enjoy your food and customer service was excellent. But be warned, they get super busy and full. There are no reservations and waiting for a table can take more than 4 hours during busy times. I had many days of attempts to get seats here but only managed to get in on the last day of my trip! The best time to go is when they just open. I went at around 5PM and was lucky to get seats!
Cafetería Mallorca
Rating: 5/5
Location: 300 Calle San Francisco, San Juan, 00901, Puerto Rico
What To Try: Mallorca
Mallorca, pronounced Ma-yor-ka, is a traditional bread of Puerto Rico, which is a sweet fluffy buttery egg bread with the same texture as a croissant sprinkled with sugar powder on the top. You can have Mallorca just as it is or you can also have it as a breakfast sandwich with cheese, ham, and egg. At this cafe, they served delicious and cheap Mallorca and I could probably eat them forever.
Kasalta
Rating: 4/5
Location: 1966 Calle McLeary, San Juan, 00911, Puerto Rico
What To Try: Tembleque
On the topic of bread, there’s a popular bakery in San Juan called Kalsata that’s near to Bebo’s Cafe. Kasalta serves different varieties of Puerto Rican pastries and sweets from Mallorca, to Tembleque, to Arroz con Dulce.
El Platanal Cupey
Rating: 4/5
Location: 1596 Cll Bori, San Juan, 00927, Puerto Rico
What To Try: Asopao de Pollo
Another local recommendation. I didn’t find their Mofongo to be the best one here, but I thought that the rest of the dishes on their menus were pretty great. The Asopao de Pollo, or chicken and rice soup, was so delicious and brought so much comfort. We paired the soup with deep-fried plantains and Pina Colada.
Barrachina
Rating: 3/5
Location: 104 Calle de la Fortaleza, San Juan, 00901, Puerto Rico
What To Try: Pina Colada
Speaking of Pina Colada, legends has it that Pina Colada was first originated here at Barrachina. The restaurant is beautiful, but a bit overpriced. I didn’t personally try the food but I came here to see the hype of the Pina Colada. It was a very expensive one, but I must say they do taste pretty darn good.
Luquillo Kiosks
Rating: 5/5
Location: Calle Marginal, Luquillo 00773, Puerto Rico
What To Try: Wepa Arepa
There’s nothing that can beat street food when it comes to trying local cuisines. On the east coast of Puerto Rico, there is an area called Luquillo where there is a popular area near Luquillo Beach with over ten kiosks of restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops. You can try so many different things here, from Alcapurrias to Arepas. I was personally craving Arepas and came across the Wepa Area kiosk. Although not a traditional Puerto Rican cuisine, Wepa Arepa made a fusion between a Venezuelan dish with a Puerto Rican twist by adding Mofongo as the stuffing. It was genius and delicious. I got the Shrimp & Steak Arepas ($8) with a lemonade. It was cheap and fast and I remember telling my boyfriend I wanted another one right after I just finished the last bite. To this day, I’m still dreaming about it.
Restaurante Borikén
Rating: 5/5
Location: 208 Calle de O’Donnell, San Juan, 00901, Puerto Rico
What To Try: Trifongo with Skirt Steaks
Another way to have Mofongo is to try the Trifongo. Which is the same as a Mofongo, except it is a combination of equal parts of fried pieces of green plantains, yellow plantains, and Yucca tubers. At Boriken, I tried the Trifongo with Skirt Steaks and I remember how impressed I was with how tender the beef was. A great atmosphere in the heart of the city center.
El Varadero Seaside Grill
Rating: 4/5
Location: Villa Marina Yacht Harbour, Avenida Marina View, Fajardo, 00738, Puerto Rico
What To Try: Seafood!!
When you’re in Puerto Rico, you can’t forget to try seafood. When I was in Fajardo, which is on the east coast of the island, I had lunch at El Varadero and tried their salmon filet with risotto. I know it doesn’t sound very Puerto Rican, but I went there to try their seafood. The dishes came out spectacular and I enjoyed every single bite. Side note, they also make their cocktails pretty strong, this is just a fair warning 😜 The view is also gorgeous here as it is sitting on top of the water.
Waffler Avenue
Rating: 4/5
Location: 1054 Ashford Ave, San Juan, 00907, Puerto Rico
What To Try: Waffles
This is an honorable mention spot. If you’re having a sweet tooth or want to find a little cafe to chill near the beach, try Waffler Avenue. It’s a little cafe in Condado that serves a large portion of built your own waffle at such an affordable price. I think we paid just under $15 for 2 waffles with drinks.
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