Café Manolín Old San Juan

https://onthegrid.city/san-juan/old-san-juan/caf%C3%A9-manol%C3%ADn

On the Grid : Café Manolín

"For more than 70 years Café Manolín has been a local star where local food or “Comida Criolla” is concerned. Its old school “diner-esque” atmosphere is warm and welcoming. No pretentious dishes on its menu, just good old delicious and affordable Puerto Rican food. My favorite dish is “Bistec Encebollado”, or steak and onions with rice/ beans and tostones (fried green plantains). If you are in the mood for a real Puerto Rican place, Café Manolín is a must." - Ana Jovane Serrano

https://www.eater.com/maps/best-mofongo-san-juan-puerto-rico

@eater

The Best Mofongo in San Juan: 15 Spots to Try - Eater

"For more than 70 years, Café Manolín has been making exquisite, affordable, well-loved food on Old San Juan’s Calle Justo. Don Ernesto Ruíz opened the restaurant in 1942, before selling it to his brother Manolín Ruíz, who in turn passed it to current owners Annie Rivera and Tomás J. Molina. Loyal customers come for the traditional mofongo de camarones — with pieces of chicharron dotting the surface and bursting with shrimp in garlic sauce — often paired with other house specialties like medium-rare steak with chimichurri, or fried chicken straight out of the fryer. Get your order with a beer, and finish off your meal with a cafe con leche, or cortadito, made just the way Grandma likes it." - Gabriela Torres

"Café Manolín, San Juan by Ana Jovane Serrano. For more than 70 years Café Manolín has been a local star where local food or “Comida Criolla” is concerned. Its old school “diner-esque” atmosphere is warm and welcoming. No pretentious dishes on its menu, just good old delicious and affordable Puerto Rican food. My favorite dish is “Bistec Encebollado”, or steak and onions with rice/ beans and tostones (fried green plantains). If you are in the mood for a real Puerto Rican place, Café Manolín is a must."

San Juan, Puerto Rico

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-to-spend-72-hours-in-san-juan-puerto-rico

The Perfect Long Weekend in San Juan, Puerto Rico | Condé Nast Traveler

"Café Manolín, a 1950s institution serving simple Creole food to a mix of locals and visitors."

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/flight-deal-mainland-us-to-puerto-rico-from-dollar177-round-trip

Flight Deal: Mainland U.S. to Puerto Rico From $177 Round-Trip | Condé Nast Traveler

"Spend your days walking around the candy-colored historic district and tucking into classic and modern Puerto Rican cuisine at Café Manolin."

Erin Pinkston

Google

Café Manolín is a gem in Old San Juan! Super chill spot with classic Puerto Rican food that hits the spot. They serve up authentic island comfort food with fast service and generous portions. Don’t leave without drinks & dessert too; coffee with brown sugar, “china”(fresh orange juice), flan & a shot of local Rum made this a great way to kick off our adventure in PR.

TyLisa Johnson

Google

Absolutely in love with this quaint, cozy spot. The staff was incredible. The food was absolutely delicious and hit all the right notes. The mofongo was moist, the meat was juicy and so flavorful. Great portions and great prices. The drinks were also delicious and so well balanced. I will say it's suuuuper busy. I got lucky with seats at the bar but it was still elbow to elbow. Didn't take away from the experience but worth noting. Go here! 5🌟

kevin gross

Google

This was the absolute best food I had during my visit. The only thing I would say is they are a little tight on space. However the flavor of the food and the service there was incredible reasonably priced too an absolute must if your in old San Juan.

Hydi Ng

Google

As Asian tourists from Canada we tried local diner and loved the experience. The menu has a long options and must try is the fresh orange juice! It might not be for everyone but always pick your favourite ingredients if you are not as adventurous as your travel companion. Spicy 🌶️ sauce was nice too!!

elizabeth rico

Google

We ordered the fried pork it was pretty good the fries are delicious. I am a picky eater and I got the chicken milanesa it was pretty good it does have some red sauce on top taste like tomato sauce it was great with the hot sauce which is super spicy, the beans were also great. Try the coffee almond iced it’s 10/10

Katherine Rhead

Google

We were looking for an authentic no frills spot for local food. This place hit the spot! It is a diner that serves local plates in addition to chicken tenders etc. I had wanted the pernil which was a daily special. Unfortunately we came too late on the day and they were out. Our waiter Jerry was so kind and nice. He said he'd check if there was any left. What was left was mostly dry and wouldn't be good. I appreciated his honesty. I ended up getting the garlic shrimp, camarones al ajillo. It was pretty good! It came with beans and rice in addition to plantains. The move is to dump the beans into the rice to combine. Jerry came out with a small bowl of pernil meat. He said he wanted us to at least try some. It was so good. Delicious flavor and very succulent tasting pork. I understood immediately why it was sold out. The vanilla flan was also good. It had a rich dense consistency and excellent flavor. The food was really good and a great melting of flavors.

David Bull

Google

Café Manolín is an absolute must-visit for anyone looking to experience authentic and amazing Puerto Rican food. From the moment we walked in, the owner greeted us with such warmth and hospitality—you could truly feel his passion for sharing the flavors and culture of Puerto Rico with every guest. The food was incredible, full of rich, traditional flavors that made every bite unforgettable. From the mofongo to the perfectly seasoned meats, everything was cooked with care. The welcoming atmosphere and genuine kindness made this an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend for an authentic taste of Puerto Rico!

Emel Ipek

Google

Muy recomendada! Amazing amazing place!! Ileana’s energy and hospitality is unbeatable!! 🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺🥰🥰🥰 our first stop was here so happy to be here for my birthday 🎈 delicious foods and I loved plantains 🤩

Mike S.

Yelp

We came here while we were on vacation and wanted authentic Puerto Rican food. Some of the locals while we were in San Juan highly recommended this place. I'm glad we walked a little bit further to get here. We had a really good experience and I felt like this was authentic. Besides the food, I really love the salsa that we were able to put on our dishes. Very good Amazing customer service, food came pretty quick for being a busy Saturday

Grace L.

Yelp

We got off the cruise and walked around the Old San Juan area. Got hungry and yelped this place. We sat at the counter. Accessibility- for most of the Old San Juan area, it is cobblestone streets and narrow side walks. I would not say it is wheelchair accessible. There are taxis and we used Uber. Diner style- service is friendly and server spoke enough English. -Mofongo Relleno de Carne Frita- the mofongo is very good. The fried pork is a little dry but if you dip it in the side of beans, it's good. The pork is dry because it's pork loin not much fat. Some parts of the rice wasn't fully cooked. The fried plantains were good. -Biffice de Lomillo- the steak was good topped with grilled onions. It's a nice place to get a bite to eat that's close to Old San Juan area.

Jack T.

Yelp

This restaurant caught my eye because it was more like a diner rather than a tourist trap. I was not disappointed as I got to see some local people watching and had some good mofongo. I enjoy a bustling cafe atmosphere and it was cool to see the legacy workers and soak in all the culture of the establishment. Ordered the 3 meat mofongo to try out and it was pretty good! Never had it before but it still captured my palette and made me understand how it worked. It's kind of like a mashed plaintain but you eat it with rice and beans in a way that is very comforting. It was good but it was not so good that I can say it was 5 stars. The chicken was a bit dry and I thought it was a bit pricey at like $30 a plate. I think a 4 star rating for a tourist-type expectation is fair. I would go back.

Alexis R.

Yelp

I was searching for good mofongo near San Juan's cruise port and, based on other Yelp reviews, came across Café Manolín. The was a fun lunch spot with U shaped counters and a back area with booths and tables. My mother and I sat at the U shaped counter and were immediately helped. We ordered piña coladas and mofongo. The reviews didn't lie, this was some great mofongo. The flavors were great and it was everything I dreamed of. The only slight complaint was that the pork was a little dry. Other than that, amazing meal. Highly recommend if you're visiting and wanting some local flavors :)

Stella W.

Yelp

Uber driver tipped us on this local place so we had to go. Cheaper than other places in the area, but food was just ok imo...I like how thin and crisp the bread is for the Cuban sandwich but the meat is super salty. The shrimp monfugo was good. If you have not had monfugo, I would recommend this place since it's literally half of what other places in the area would charge you.

Sonnet L.

Yelp

Glad there is a local restaurant in walking distance to our hotel. The U shaped diner setup is pretty efficient for a waiter to serve 8-10 people around him/her. We enjoyed the food. The Morongo with shrimp were delicious, but the accompanying salad was a total loss. Hubby's skirt steak was overcooked. How does the chef keep track when the place was overrun by tourists? I would like to find authentic local restaurants in the old town but I'm afraid that they will suffer from tourist fatigue. Poor San Juan!

Rebecca T.

Yelp

Ay yai yai Oo la la this place had some amazing mofongo! When in Puerto Rico, this is the dish to have. I was gonna go to the super popular spot but there was a huge wait for our big party, so we just ended up splitting up and doing our own thing... then I found this place online with good rating, so, why not? So glad I went there! Got their Cameron mofongo. So much garlicky buttery flavor in the fried (unripe) plantains! They basically tasted like potatoes but with more depth and an added umami to it. Love it! There was a bit of a wait without anywhere to sit and barely to stand (single file along the wall behind the counter stools) but at least the AC was blasting. The bathrooms were at the back. Maybe 15 mins later we were seated at the counter. Our waitress was friendly and efficient. She also spoke decent English. The prices were affordable, along with great food and service, this is a place that I would come back for if I were in PR again. Thank you for a great meal in a country that I never visited before until then!

Stefan H.

Yelp

First stop on a 14 day cruise! A friend wanted to try authentic Puerto Rican food, and thank you Yelp for guiding us to the right place! Ample lunch specials were $10.95 and authentic! Restaurant was filled with locals. Unfortunately for me, there was a stone in the beans and I broke 1/4 off of a molar! Now I need a crown! Glad the food was good and inexpensive! Would definitely return but eat more carefully!

Morris N.

Yelp

This restaurant was very busy on a Friday for lunch. We were able to grab some counter seating. The server took our order right away and the food was prepared fairly quickly. The Kan Kan with a side of rice and beans was delicious especially with the hot sauce they have. They serve breakfast until 10:45. The prices seem more modest compared to other touristy restaurants in the area.

Fiona N.

Yelp

This spot was recommended by a native Uber driver. I went there in my last day of vacation. It was a Monday therefore it wasn't super packed. The spot has appropriate dose of AC and it has a very chill vibe. The waitress was very friendly and understanding. Coffee was great even I ordered decaf! It was definitely the best decaf I have had in my life thus far. For food I ordered fried pork (came with sweet fried plantain and rice and beans) and fried pana. Their rice and beans were very tasty. It has a warm "homemade" vibe to it and I cherish it very much. Their pink sauce and hot sauce goes great with the fried pork. Their fried sweet plantain has a caramelized edge which I adore. Notably, some of their tostone pana are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside! Whereas others has a nice crunch on it. I really appreciate the combination and they were all very delicious. From this spot, I met the most approachable, and friendly waitress in my 6 days stay in San Juan and I had the best tasting while affordable food. My check was under $19 excluding tips. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone and I will surely come back when I visit this city.

David M.

Yelp

I had just heard of Cafe Manolin today and wanted to eat breakfast there. The place had an old diner feel and plenty of seats available, so our party of four sat quickly. The waitress was amiable, quick, and helpful. The breakfast was as simple as I wanted, arrived fast, and tasted great.

Yamila D.

Yelp

We spotted for a bite before heading out to the airport because we were starving. It was not full when we arrived so we were sat quickly. The server came right away and placed our order well we did tell him we were tight on time. As we waited for our food it start get to get full and there was even a line of people waiting to be seated. The food was okay. I expected more because it is in Old San Juan and you have some competition. I have had better.

Harry A.

Yelp

Phenomenal meal and experience Our cruise ship ported in San Juan for the day and after a morning of exploring town on foot, we stopped in Cafe Manolín for lunch. **NOTE** read the menu carefully and ask questions if you're unsure! We witnessed fellow travelers ordering and being disappointed when what they received did not match what they expected. (I.e. there is a difference between a Mexican empanada and a Puerto Rican empanada). The menu clearly stated what they were ordering, but they didn't read the description. I had the skirt steak with onions, rice, beans, and fried plantains. The skirt steak was ridiculously tender and well seasoned. The rice and beans are a classic comfort food that was elevated to a whole new level by their house "hot sauce"! This house hot sauce is both delicious and spicy, so go easy at first until you have what you can handle. I would take a bottle of this home with me if they had it for sale! My wife enjoyed the chicken Mofongo - and I stole quite a bit as well from her plate. Simple, Savory, and delicious! This is one of the best meals we've had while traveling in the Caribbean and cannot wait to come back. Added bonus - their AC was fantastic and a refreshing reprieve from walking around town on a 90 degree day (32 C). A huge shout out to our server - Nilca! She was extremely attentive, helpful, patient, and funny! She took the time to answer our questions and make suggestions, while also joking with us! She was a delight!

Samra S.

Yelp

Perhaps their food was good but I don't really know because I didn't get to eat my food. Horrible packaging. All the juice got absorbed by the paper and the paper was moshed up and made the food inedible! What a waste of money and time!!

Kristin G.

Yelp

Recommended by a cruise ship employee to stop here while at this cruise stop. So SO good! The wait was long but we'll worth the wait. There was 14 of us and I honestly couldn't tell you what we ordered but every single dish was amazing. The waiter had us laughing away and we are dreaming of Puerto Rico food forever. Thank you for a wonderful experience

K C.

Yelp

Loved the food! Easy and fast service. Very good price. Mofongo was very tasty. Would recommend!

George S.

Yelp

Perfect old town diner w/ a lot of counter seating! Not fancy, just good food, friendly service...get in & out at a very fair price! Great if you want a simple breakfast before a day of walking the shops with your family.

Yash T.

Yelp

TLDR : Great food, quick and wonderful service! We tried Cafe Maolin during our visit to Old San Juan. The place is only open during the day so visited it for lunch. We ordered their Mofango chicken and the pepper chicken with rice. It was really good. Their regular puerto rico coffee blend was nice and strong! Loved it!

Stephanie C.

Yelp

I heard that this was a local favorite and decided to try it out. I can't speak on behalf of the food, but I did love their iced coffee which is mixed with brown sugar. However, they don't know how to do an espresso (it's just an americano to them). A little run down and old diner style, but it is a decent second choice if you don't know where to go.

Ray N.

Yelp

Authentic PR food Nothing fancy just great food , the mofongos are top notch and the passion fruit mojito was awesome

Nelson R.

Yelp

Food is very good (Criollo) and price is economical. Service is good. Ambiance is dinner style but very clean. A jewel of a restaurant often patronized by local Puerto Ricans. Enjoy!

Veronica S.

Yelp

Busy! But worth the wait , good food reasonable prices and service is a bit island slow so you need to catch their attention! You'll love the old school cafe vibe!!

Rachel T.

Yelp

OMG this food was so good! After too many pina coladas, we stumbled in this diner for lunch. We were looking for sandwiches, but realized the sandwiches were only on the breakfast menu. This was much heavier food than we were expecting for lunch, but we needed it to soak up the alcohol anyways lol! It took a while for our very busy server to come over to us. We ordered 2 waters and browsed the menu. I was back and forth between a few shrimp dishes, but decided to go with the shrimp mofongo. Can't get enough mofongo when in Puerto Rico, and I have to say that this was the VERY best of the whole trip. This one was very moist and garlicky. Delicious. The shrimp were tender and juicy. I got it with a side of salad and french fries. I really didn't want fries, but I did want salad and that's how it came. My boyfriend got the egg battered chicken, which we expected to be like breaded chicken. It quite literally was a chicken breast dipped in egg and cooked. Kind of like a chicken omelet lol. It wasn't what we were expecting, but he really liked it. He also got the side of salad and french fries. The salad was like coleslaw mix, but with no dressing. I used the mix of mayo, ketchup, and garlic as dressing and made it really taste like coleslaw. The house sauce was great on the mofongo as well, but the homemade hot sauce was way too hot for me. Service was not great, but the food, portion sizes, and prices were amazing. Get the mofongo here!

Lynda C.

Yelp

I can't choose a 3.5, but that would be a more accurate rating. I had the fried shrimp; my husband essentially a cuban sandwich. Nothing special (or bad) about either, although the sandwich was better. My salad was delivered with no dressing; I had to ask for it and was given oil and vinegar. It was a shredded lettuce mix, the kind you get from a bag. My husband had asked for a Coke and never received it. The place was full and so the staff was very busy but certainly not enthusiastic. Not sure how the 4.4 rating was achieved.

Dutch S.

Yelp

No! No! NO! Super disappointed in CAFE MANOLIN for its offensive "policy" on the music they now play...it used to be calm music, kind of old-fashioned music but today, in a complete 360 degree change, they are playing trance music...TRANCE/TRAP music does not speak to what once was a place of Puerto Rican pride...the Manager on duty, when asked if he would be willing to play Puerto Rican Music SAID: "NO"!!! In a time when most Puerto Rican's are hoping to hold onto their roots, this particular individual is not only playing with his good fortune, he's totally not the least bit concerned with showing the least bit of Puerto Rican pride. Bye Bye, Manolin . Better to give your hard earned money to someone who supports Puerto Rican creativity. HERE are some alternatives; support places like Café Majjorca (closed Sunday's,), El Mesón in Plaza de Armas, Cafe Cuatro Sombras,Caficultura near Plaza Colón...use your money with intention and in support of those who are committed to keeping traditions...with JOY!!!

Kandyce V.

Yelp

We were in town just for the day on our cruise. We were recommended this place for lunch. We were told that mini locals come here so we had to give it a try. I ordered the stuffed Mofongo with shrimp. It was delicious. The food came out my dish also had white rice and red beans all of which were so delicious. The restaurant is small, but when we got there it was packed we decided to sit at the counter service which was pretty quick.

Ted R.

Yelp

I'm a fan of Café Manolin. I feel fortunate that a co-worker from the island included it on the list he made for me. I had a shrimp omelette that was absolutely excellent. Large shrimp, we'll-prepared and served with delicious rice & a bowl of beans. The fresh orange juice wasn't amazing, just very good. But my cafe con leche was so delicious that I had two. Mil gracias to the kind staff who spoke to me in fluent English in one case, and in Spanish in another. The Spanish was probably very fluent, but how would I know. At least the one in Spanish was forgiving of mi español muy malo and even helped me say a few things. You could debate whether should be a 4-star restaurant, sure. But the prices are so inexpensive for such good food served quickly that 5 stars is the only option for me.

Marni M.

Yelp

Between three people, an order of their Empanada res con amarillos, Sandwich cubano, Mofongo rell camrones con ensalada and a side of fries was more than enough. We were excited when they brought out four different sauces: Chimichurri, hot sauce, mayo/ketchup, and ketchup with the chimichurri being my favorite. The fried steak was a little dry so the sauces came in handy. I personally prefer my sweet plaintains to be a little more caramelized but they were certainly sugary. Similarly, the cubano is also dry but was decently prepared. I really liked the flavor of the mofongo which was literally stuffed with more shrimps until I found a hair in the center. The salad was simply prepared which suited the very salty meal. Overall, food was okay compared to the other Puerto Rican places we had tried by that point. As a result, its definitely a good bang for your buck but not sure if I would come back based on my experience.

Areeba Z.

Yelp

Great breakfast option for Old San Juan. I got their classic bread and butter with ice coffee. I also got a freshly squeezed orange juice to go (not pictured). It's bar styled and you can sit where you like. The service is very fast.

Keith E.

Yelp

Stopped in here for a late lunch after walking around Old San Juan. Service and food were both spectacular. Restaurant was busy so we ended up sitting at the bar with the kids and the atmosphere was great, reminded me of busy diners back home. Hoping to come back for breakfast before we fly home.

Jeffrey W.

Yelp

Everything was great! Even the kids enjoyed trying mofungo for the first time. Service was superior. Would visit again the next time we are in P.R.

Yomaris G.

Yelp

The ambience was vibrant, the food divine and our server was a great. The place was packed. We had to wait around 5 minutes even though they said it would be 20 minutes! I highly recommend this establishment

Chris S.

Yelp

The food was fantastic. This was our first trip to Puerto Rico and this was the first place we ate while we were there. The food was fresh, well prepared and extremely tasty. Everyone loved their dishes and we sampled each other's food a bit. the space was cramped but that's OK. The service wasn't super friendly and the prices were OK for what we ordered. We'd definitely eat there again but it was good that we had a Spanish speaker with us to help us order.

Julie P.

Yelp

Lots of eggs and sandwiches. If you're a vegetarian, not exactly the spot for you but most Puerto Rican restaurants aren't. Causal dining experience.

Phylicia H.

Yelp

Hands down the best restaurant my boyfriend and I dined at during our trip to San Juan. Came here for lunch and was incredibly satisfied with both the food and service. Old school style restaurant with nothing fancy. Sat at the counter and was taken care by a nice waiter. We ordered the mofongo with Camarones, Puerto Rican onion steak, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Apparently, there's no plantain on the island because of the hurricane so the Mofongo was made with sweet potato, yuca and potato. Outstanding! The steak was simple yet tender and delicious. Both dishes came with a side dish. The orange juice was very refreshing and fresh! We were so full from lunch that we shared one entree for dinner and didn't eat till 9pm because lunch was that filling. Highly recommend!!

Elena K.

Yelp

Old San Juan has many options for local food. We chose based on of Yelp or Trip Advisor. I felt like this place was only mediocre although if you're looking for inexpensive dining, this will fit the bill. We ordered a fish entree - red snapper - recommended as a preferred fish on the menu. Loved the rice and beans and single small slice of plantain that comes with the entree. The order came out wrong - I received salmon instead of red snapper and then a seared red snapper was pan seared as a correction. A topping option is offered - I heard garlic sauce and thought that sounded nice. There wasn't a mention of a bed of sautéed onions but that is what the topping is - so maybe it's an Onion and Garlic sauté topping (not a sauce). They serve breakfast as well. I imagine other dishes must get the better reviews. To pay - you have to wait in a long line at the front to pay at the register.

Melisa A.

Yelp

Loved this spot in old San Juan. It's no wonder that this place is constantly busy. Of course I had to get the mofongo while my husband got the steak and onions. We were both very happy with our choices. The portions are super generous and we left the restaurant feeling very stuffed. Price-wise, Cafe Manolín is pretty affordable for a spot that attracts a lot of tourists. This is definitely a must visit spot for anyone visiting Old San Juan.

Jenna D.

Yelp

The location is accessible and the food is average. Restaurant has a very niche diner feel. Could use a good cleaning.

Joy R.

Yelp

Uff! Terrible! La comida deja mucho que desear y el servicio aún más' Tantos años en el negocio de la comida y parece que perdieron su norte! Lamentable por demás!

Maitrayee D.

Yelp

Superb food . Very inexpensive . We had the soup with pork snd rice . Very mild yet the meat melts in your mouth. Full of flavor and tasty. My husband ordered Mahi Nahi with rice and beans . Fish is fresh and also moist and tasty. My husband got the lime cocktail With rum . Very refreshing .I had the Pins Colada. Did not disappoint me . It's a must visit place for those who are visiting San Juan. Very friendly staff too.

Eric H.

Yelp

Best place in town for early birds to get some breakfast. Such a lovely atmosphere and the bread is amazing. It puts to shame what we call bread here in the contiguous US.

Quandra T.

Yelp

Dropping one star ONLY due to the portion size of my protein. I got the garlic shrimp lunch dish. Delicious? Yes. Skimpy on the shrimp? YES. I counted 4 in total, and I don't think I missed one. The garlicky sauce it comes served in is GREAT. I even poured some of it on my rice and beans. The rice and beans portion is hearty and delicious as well. I know you might thinking "It's just rice and beans" but NO, it's not just rice and beans. I'm a fan of rice and beans and know when it's done right. If you're dining alone, I love that they have loads of counter space. This place might be made for dining alone the way the counter loops around granting more seats than the table option. AC was blasting in here. The waitress was also a doll and very attentive, though I'm starting to sense a theme with Puerto Rican restaurants. When they see you're close to finishing, they will continually ask if you're done, so if you're a slow eater like me, and you're just taking your time and enjoying the ambience, just something to be aware of. The majority of the places I've ate at on my trip, the wait staff has asked me at least 3 times if I was done, when I was just taking my time to get to the finish line. Also, I googled "Cheap eats in San Juan" and, being from NYC, I'd still call the prices here average. My meal was delicious though, so I do still recommend coming here!

Michele B.

Yelp

This is hands down one of my least favorite places in all of San Juan. When we entered, we were sat promptly and there wasn't a ton of people around. The wait staff was inside the kitchen laughing and chatting while we waited for someone to serve us. What bothered me about this was the staff could clearly see we were there. They would walk out, look at us and then head back inside. After about 10 minutes, someone came to our table and asked if we had been served. We hadn't, so they proceeded to ask what we wanted to drink. I got a hot tea. We received the tea after another 10 minutes or so went by. Nothing special about it. Since it was a tea bag, there is not much to say here. I ordered the two egg breakfast sandwich with bacon. I think what I hated about this was how much it lacked. It was an extremely think sandwich and even though I got my eggs scrambled... the sandwich was still... flat? They used a cuban style type of bread, very flaky and very flat. In my opinion not the best to use on this type of sandwich. Also, NO flavor. I had to add a TON of salsa just to get the right flavor out of this thing which was a little frustrating. However, it did accomplish the goal- we were fed and CHEAPPPP (I think the bill was like $14 for a coffee, tea and two sandwiches) which in my opinion is a STEAL. Also, food took forever, but I have learned that this is just an expectation in PR along with subpar waiter experiences. I personally wouldn't come back here and also do not recommend it for anyone. Butttt, if you are in a pinch and need something cheap to get you by, then this is a good place for you.

Aldwin A.

Yelp

I had the red snapper fillet with rice, beans, and maduros. My food only came with two small pieces of maduros. Although the maduros was ripe and soft as I like it, it needed sugar. You're better off buying frozen maduros from SuperMax. The red snapper was not fried thoroughly. I hope I don't get any parasitic infection. The red snapper fillet was also bland despite the onions on top and the hot sauce. It lacked salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. I really don't like the short grain rice that they use in Puerto Rican cuisine. I tried but as an Asian, jasmine rice is the best and second to none. It was not worth paying $18+. The only saving grace was the parcha (passion fruit) juice.

Alex S.

Yelp

Was a little dicey whether we would be able to get breakfast here. Apparently you have to be seated by 10:45 in order to be able to order breakfast, and we got in just under the wire. My wife and I both ordered medianoche sandwiches. There was some problem with running out of bread, and the manager asking us if we still wanted the sandwiches. But somehow apparently they did find some of the right special sweet bread that they use for these sandwiches. They were delicious, and the manager brought us some homemade chimichurri to go with them, as well as their homemade hot sauce and mayoketchup. Daughter ordered a club sandwich, which was fine. Service from the manager was awesome, and he was very friendly and accommodating. The passion fruit juice was really good and refreshing. After polishing off the juice, he asked whether he could get us anything else to drink, like maybe a cup of water. And he did bring us big cups of iced tap water, which I appreciated a lot. Seems like most places here, when you ask for water, they bring you a small plastic bottle of it, and charge you for it, whereas we are used to being able to get free iced tap water with restaurant meals. I'd love to come back here again.

Kevin Y.

Yelp

While visiting we wanted to"local" food experience and this place delivered! Not a lot of tables (a line/wait to get a table) but there are a LOT of counter seats. The server did not speak English so we did our best with Spanglish and pointing at the menu. I got a thin fried steak with great sides and it was awesome! For some reason the Coke (fountain) drinks tasted better than most places. Maybe a better syrup mix? Service was sporadic and not very responsive but very nice. Pay at the front cashier.

Cheyenne C.

Yelp

This cafe was such a little gem for breakfast. Cute and quaint with great food and coffee. Loved my bacon egg and cheese, and they had this amazing hot sauce that seemed to be fresh on each table. Prices were very reasonable as well!

Andrea M.

Yelp

It's a really causal place. The food had good portions with quality being pretty okay. Overall, cheap food with super friendly service. Iced coffee: Nothing spectacular about this. Melocoton: Since they didn't have one full sized can, they brought out two of the miniature ones. It's just all the same peach nectar from Goya. Chicharrones de pollo w/ arroz, habichuelas y amarillos: The fried chicken were super crispy. There were more bones and end pieces than actual meat, but it was good nonetheless. There was more rice than anything; I ended up dumping the beans on top of the rice for more flavor. The sweet plantains were delectably amazing. Carne frita: This was a sizable fried pork cutlet that sat on top a bed of white rice. The pork was juicy inside with a flavorful breading on the exterior. No complaints here. For $1 more, the hubs got the mofongo y ensalada. The mashed green plantains were interesting. This was a decent size serving. Adding additional sauces really ups the flavor. My review sits right at 3.5 stars, but since service was great with the food being cheap, 4 stars it is.

Tina J.

Yelp

Everyone talks about this place as a must-go when in Old San Juan. Definitely worth the hype! We came in (no reservations), got seated at the bar. The bartender/waiter was so cool! He gave us the menu and the specials, made really good drinks, and was just super sweet overall. We got the salmon platter with rice/beans/sweet plantains, and the steak mofongo with mixed rice/sweet plantains. I loved everything except the mofongo. I liked the steak, I'm just not into the texture of mofongo. The bar has all sorts of liquor if you want cocktails- including many diff types/flavors of Bacardi. Recommend? Yes, authentic as it gets in OSJ Return? Yes

https://onthegrid.city/san-juan/old-san-juan/caf%C3%A9-manol%C3%ADn

On the Grid : Café Manolín

https://www.eater.com/maps/best-mofongo-san-juan-puerto-rico

@eater

The Best Mofongo in San Juan: 15 Spots to Try - Eater

San Juan, Puerto Rico

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-to-spend-72-hours-in-san-juan-puerto-rico

The Perfect Long Weekend in San Juan, Puerto Rico | Condé Nast Traveler

"Café Manolín, a 1950s institution serving simple Creole food to a mix of locals and visitors."

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/flight-deal-mainland-us-to-puerto-rico-from-dollar177-round-trip

Flight Deal: Mainland U.S. to Puerto Rico From $177 Round-Trip | Condé Nast Traveler

"Spend your days walking around the candy-colored historic district and tucking into classic and modern Puerto Rican cuisine at Café Manolin."