El Yunque and the Northeast Restaurants

Some restaurants carry the tourist board's meson gastronómico designation. Such establishments specialize in typical island food. The eastern region has both formal restaurants, where reservations are necessary, and casual beachside eateries, where you can walk in unannounced in beach attire and have a fine meal of fresh fish. Bills generally don't include service charges, so a 15% tip is customary and expected. Most restaurants are open for dinner from late afternoon until about 10 pm.

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  • 1. La Estación

    $$$

    This laid-back spot has elevated Puerto Rican street food to an art form, thanks to two New Yorkers (one Puerto Rican) with restaurant pedigrees who decided to leave the big city and open a new spot dedicated to barbecue in an old gas station outside the Conquistador Resort. Highlighting products obtained from local fishermen and farmers, and smoking their own meats in an outdoor kitchen, Idalia García and Kevin Roth's awesome joint is one of Puerto Rico's don't-miss culinary treats. Settle into one of the mismatched patio tables—be it teak, cedar, or concrete—order up a cocktail, and get ready to feast.

    Rte. 987, Km 4, Las Croabas, n/a Puerto Rico, 00738, Puerto Rico
    787-863–4481

    Known For

    • Locally sourced produce and meats
    • Delicious barbecue
    • Friendly service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed., Reservations essential
  • 2. Bocata by Campillo

    $$

    This Spanish-style tapas restaurant has a variety of menu items and daily specialties. They pride themselves on a robust wine menu and have a selection of decadent desserts. From serrano ham to gambas al ajillo, they have tasty and fresh dishes that will make you feel like you're in Madrid.

    PR-3 441 Ste. 1, Humacao, n/a Puerto Rico, 00791, Puerto Rico
    787-850–4429

    Known For

    • Wine selection
    • Paella
    • Jamon Iberico

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations recommended
  • 3. Brass Cactus

    $$

    This steak-and-chop eatery attracts so many English-speaking tourists that management doesn't bother printing a Spanish menu. Nearly every dish on the expansive menu is made to be washed down with beer. Televisions broadcast the latest sporting events, and bands often replace the jukebox on weekends. Free Wi-Fi is available.

    Off Rte. 3, Luquillo, n/a Puerto Rico, 00773, Puerto Rico
    787-980–9659

    Known For

    • Great steaks and burgers
    • Fun sports-bar atmosphere
    • Reasonably priced cocktails and beer

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
  • 4. Calizo

    $$$

    There's a string of seafood shacks in the village of Las Croabas, all serving delicious fried fish. This open-air eatery, with tables covered with straw umbrellas and anchored by a bustling square bar, takes things up a notch or two. It's almost across from the Balneario Seven Seas, making it a great place to refuel after a day at the beach. The only drawback is that it's pricey.

    Rte. 987, Km 4.6, Las Croabas, n/a Puerto Rico, 00738, Puerto Rico
    787-863–3664

    Known For

    • Good fresh seafood
    • Alfresco dining
    • Rather high prices

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues.–Thurs.
  • 5. Chez Daniel

    $$$$

    Chef Daniel Vasse's French country-style dishes are some of the island's best. The Marseille-style bouillabaisse is full of fresh fish and bursts with the flavor of a white garlic sauce. Something less French? Choose steak or fish simply prepared on the grill, and pair it with a bottle from the extensive wine cellar. A Sunday brunch buffet (including a brunch cocktail) offers a seemingly endless seafood bar, drawing people from all over the island.

    1 Country Club Dr., Humacao, n/a Puerto Rico, 00791, Puerto Rico
    787-850–3838

    Known For

    • French country cuisine
    • Extensive wine cellar
    • Upscale setting and experience

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch, Reservations essential
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  • 6. El Nuevo Acuario

    $$

    One among the ever-changing cast of restaurants along Route 187, the New Aquarium, like its neighbors, won't win any awards for decor and design. The setting here is decidedly laid-back, with plastic tables and chairs serving as the humble backdrop for some stellar seafood. Vegetarians should request the special meatless mofongo. The service is friendly and attentive, and the location—a literal stone's throw from the Atlantic—can't be beat.

    Punta Cangrejos, Piñones, n/a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
    787-662–8258

    Known For

    • Fresh seafood
    • Ultracasual setting
    • Good service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Sun.
  • 7. El Parrilla

    $$

    Like its neighbors along Route 187, which fronts the Atlantic, El Parrilla specializes in seafood. Trunkfish fritters and seafood empanadillas are tasty starters, while the hearty seafood stew called asopao is the main event, and flan with fresh coconut can't be missed.

    Rte. 187, Loíza, n/a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
    787-876–3191

    Known For

    • The freshest seafood
    • Traditional Puerto Rican–style asopao
    • Cash only

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed.
  • 8. La Parrilla

    $$$

    There are dozens of kioskos, or food stands, along Route 3 on the way to Luquillo Beach, most offering humble local fare, much of it fried. This full-service restaurant raises the bar for its culinary counterparts. Open every day, usually satisfying at least one rowdy tourist bus, the open-air spot delivers sizzling seafood in generous portions. There are even a couple of steaks on the menu that are guaranteed to satisfy the most ravenous carnivores. Like its neighbors, La Parrilla faces the street, but there's a comfortable patio in the rear where you can kick back with an ice-cold beer or sangria and escape the traffic noise.

    Rte. 3, Luquillo, n/a Puerto Rico, 00773, Puerto Rico

    Known For

    • Good grilled seafood
    • Alfresco dining
    • Steaks for the non-fish eaters
  • 9. Las Picuas 123 Seafood

    $$$

    This seafood restaurant serves fresh-caught fish and is recommended during lobster season for a larger-than-life stuffed Caribbean spiny lobster. They have outdoor seating available with scenic swinging seats, as well as a bar on-site making popular concoctions from sangria to mojitos. 

    PR-968 s/n, Río Grande, n/a Puerto Rico, 00745, Puerto Rico
    787-953–4200

    Known For

    • Whole Caribbean lobster
    • Mofongo
    • Sangria
  • 10. Lolita's

    $$

    When it comes to Mexican food, this place is the real deal. For lunch, grab a few tacos (soft or crispy), or try one of the classic Mexican entrées. There's a reason devoted travelers return regularly. Wash down the generous portions with oversize margaritas to match, or choose from a large selection of Mexican beers. The pleasant dining room, decorated with slightly kitschy paintings of simple village life, is on the second floor of a building just east of Luquillo. Parking is limited.

    Rte. 3, Km 41.3, Luquillo, n/a Puerto Rico, 00773, Puerto Rico

    Known For

    • Authentic Mexican cuisine
    • Generous portions
    • Good (and large) margaritas
  • 11. Palio

    $$$$

    Northern Italian dishes—such as veal marsala or fillet of beef with a caramelized shallot Barolo reduction—are the star attractions at this top-notch restaurant, where the staff is attentive and amiable. The dining room, with its black-and-white checkerboard floor and dark-wood paneling, is elegant and refined. Before sunset, you can catch a glimpse of the sea through dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows. After dinner, specialty coffees are served in mugs engulfed in blue flames, a showstopper that has people at neighboring tables applauding.

    6000 Río Mar Blvd., Río Grande, n/a Puerto Rico, 00745, Puerto Rico
    787-888–6000

    Known For

    • Caesar salad prepared tableside
    • Great ocean views, particularly at sunset
    • Attentive service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations essential
  • 12. Pasión por el Fogón

    $$$

    At this beloved Fajardo restaurant, chef Myrta Pérez Toledo transforms traditional dishes into something special. Succulent cuts of meat and fish are presented in unexpected ways. A perfectly cooked flank steak rolled into a cylinder served on end has a slightly sweet tamarind sauce that brings out the meat's earthy flavors. If you're a seafood lover, start with the lime-infused red snapper ceviche and move on to lobster medallions broiled in butter. For dessert, order the Caribbean Sun, an ice cream sundae that blends caramel, cinnamon, and chocolate toppings.

    Rte. 987, Km 2.3, Fajardo, n/a Puerto Rico, 00735, Puerto Rico
    787-863–3502

    Known For

    • Contemporary Caribbean cuisine
    • Fresh seafood
    • Great desserts

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues., Reservations essential
  • 13. Richie's Café

    $$$

    Perched on a mountaintop, this restaurant—a convenient option for Wyndham Grand Río Mar guests who don't want to dine on-site but are willing to pay resort prices—has a pair of open-air dining rooms with views to Vieques on a clear day. The atmosphere is festive; there's often a game playing on one of the big screens or a local band jamming on the weekend. Seafood is the specialty here—try the fried plantain appetizer, filled with shrimp, conch, octopus, or lobster, then move on to the whole red snapper or the pineapple rice with shrimp served on the pineapple itself.

    Rte. 968, Km 2.0, Río Grande, n/a Puerto Rico, 00745, Puerto Rico
    787-887–1435

    Known For

    • Fresh seafood, especially whole red snapper
    • Fried plantains stuffed with seafood
    • Ocean views

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