Be sure to check out the menu del dìa, offering a main, two sides, and a shake for less than $15. The milkshakes made from fresh coconut milk are memorable as well. The black bean burger slider on pumpkin tumeric bread, for example, is one of the most divine creations around. Even the greatest hamburger lovers will be tempted to convert. It’s not coincidental that this fresh vegan restaurant stands proudly across the street from McDonald’s. President Obama ate here when he visited in 2011, as indicated by the many photos on the wall (and the “Presidential Special” on the menu-a yellow bread sub with ham, sliced pork, pickles, and mustard pressed and served hot). The bistec slider-beefsteak and sautéed onions on a sourdough roll-also is amazing, as is, well, everything else. This is the place to try pan de mallorca-sweet spiral buns, popularly stuffed with ham and cheese. McLeary in the Ocean Park residential enclave, reigns as Puerto Rico’s “hit” café and restaurant.

Tip: Spoon Food Tours offers custom-designed tours for those wishing more insight.Īn iconic destination for Spanish classic cuisine, Kasalta, located on Av. In between forays to the beach, check out these hipster eateries along Calle Loíza’s 1.5-mile stretch of scrumptious road. dollar the official currency, this easy-to-reach Caribbean island is the idyllic antidote to the winter blues. Here you’ll find more than 25 eating venues, shoulder-to-shoulder with indie boutiques, pawn shops, and fast-food joints, and a thriving mural art as well.Īnd what better time to wing here than in the heart of winter? With the sun shining, no passports required, and the U.S. See the effervescence in action on and around Calle Loíza, the hub of the revival, located between Condado and Isla Verde east of Old San Juan.

Local ingredients are being reinvented to create culinary wonders far surpassing traditional Puerto Rican fare (as good as Puerto Rican fare is), and chefs are gaining national and international accolades for their creativity. Granted, the dining scene already was starting to boom even before the deadly storm, but from the ruins is arising what locals call an “effervescence.” It’s as if the devastation gave chefs permission to scratch the past and start completely anew. Hurricane Maria may have devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, but the island has come back with a vengeance-with a foodie twist.

Highbrow menu