San Juan's historic fortress overlooking the ocean is a common tourist spot for many US citizens each year. The island has gorgeous beaches, an impressive shopping scene in Carolina, and of course, amazing seafood and traditional Spanish dishes. Some of the island's best include mofongo, pasteles, pernil, and alcapurrias. With so many small family-owned restaurants, we chose just a couple of favorites that anyone can drive to in their rental and find something to feel like a Boriqua.
Gaby's Seafood
Gaby's is a local spot that Puerto Ricans stop at to have a quality, homeade mofongo. You can order your mofongo with shrimp, chicken, or pork and you'll always have some gravy served on the side. Being at the restaurant feels extremely casual but there is nothing normal about how flavorful the food is. This is a classic hole in the wall restaurant to a tourist but its popularity should not be over considered. Even Latin rapper and reggaetón artist, Ozuna, has been seen chowing down at Gaby's.
El Terruño
This spot in Luquillo is a favorite for so many people simply because of how fun it can be. El Terruno is nestled right beside the beach along a strip of other restaurants. Oftentimes the music and crowds of people at night make the area a nice hang out. El Terruno offers live music and a range of beautifully presented dishes. Some enjoy the convenience of grabbing the cheaper finger food and running back to the beach while others enjoy the full experience of eating from the vast choices on their menu. Some of their best dishes are the rabbit stew, churrasco, fried red snapper, and mofongo.
Raíces
Raíces was awarded as a Travelers' Choice for 2020 on Trip Advisor for being in the top 10% of most consistently positive rated places on the site. Despite a bit of a wait many agree the chuletas, mofongo and flan are well worth it. In Puerto Rico and in many Latin countries, pork is frequently used in dishes. The Chuletas Kan Kan pictured in the middle of the bottom row and the unique presentation of their mofongo in a wooden mug, pictured in the top right corner are the most frequently ordered dishes. This restaurant combines traditional cuisines with an upscale feel, and makes sure to do it in a fun environment.
Gaby Mini Donas
Although the obvious top dessert in Puerto Rico is a debate between flan and tres leches, Gaby's is a small little spot anyone has to try. Right outside of the Walmart in Plaza Escorial, this little shack frys mini donuts to perfection. They shake up your donuts in a little bag with powdered sugar and serve them up hot. The ice cream and donuts are very reasonably priced at under 1 dollar for a cone and 8 donuts for 2 dollars. A convenient location and sweet temptations make it tough for any shopper to resist these.