El Bajareque

This place is truly a hidden gem! It’s got that cozy, hole-in-the-wall charm but is also super clean. The food is absolutely delicious, full of flavor, and such a great value for the price. I’m a picky eater, and I love everything I’ve tried here. If you’re looking for authentic Puerto Rican food that hits the spot every time, this is the place to go!

El Bajareque is in the heart of little San Juan and everything a boriqua cafe/restó should be! I sat at the counter across from the espresso machine next to stacks of to go cups waiting for their moment and a can of florecitas. The Puerto Rico decor was on point and the whole ambiance really made me feel like I was in the heart of Puerto Rico. I got a cortadito, the bacalaitos (fire) the gandules (perfect flavor) and bistec jibarito. Would love to come back and try more!!

Great place for lunch. I came here while I was working in the area. The shrimp I had was delicious, very tasty, rice and plantains were good also. (Rice needed salt for my liking) The ambiance is very laid back and chill, service was good but no wow factor. In & out type of place, where you can enjoy traditional 🇵🇷 food at a decent price. I would recommend.

🪬 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷 Like eating in someone’s kitchen, this.relaxing proudly Puerto Rican spot feels like a clubhouse for people who crave a meal cooked with L💙VE! I like to eat vegetarian so I ordered Rice & Beans 🫘 with Avocado 🥑 and an egg 🍳 on top! With a bit of Pique/Hot Sauce, it’s all I need to fill my belly! But what makes this place special is the family that runs it…third generation, full of warmth and holding down the Puerto Rican presence in the Wynwood section of Miami which was historically 100% Puerto Rican in the 1950’s!!! That’s when a Puerto Rican woman bought this spot which was originally a Cuban restaurant. This is a great spot to come with family and friends or eat solo at the counter…you will be made to feel welcomed and with the sounds of Puerto Rican salsa music quietly humming in the background, it’s easy to say that “EL BAJAREQUE” is a wonderful spot to reconnect with the magic of Puerto Rico and it’s phenomenally good natured people! THIS is a must-do while visiting Wynwood but plan to come before sunset, they are not open too late. GO! Enjoy the vibe!!! You’ll soon be seeing them on TV as I filmed a segment here for One Caribbean which is found on TV on the island 🇵🇷 and on YouTube! ENJOY this spot, it’s a hidden gem.

If i could give this place a Zero star i would. Didn’t took long to make space for my family but we waited around 15 minutes to get our menu. i have a family of seven so i understand when it comes to the food it might take longer then expected but 15 minutes to just bring the menu is outrageous. When she finally brought the menu she also brought water for almost everyone.6 cups of water for 7 of us. Took 20 more minutes to come back to take our order. Never asked what we wanted to drink. When food finally arrived i had more plate then food. El Churrasco had no flavor,mofongo was dry but the rice and black beans were okay..The plates are too big for the portions they serve. Will not recommend

Excellent service and delicious food. I feel like I'm in my country. The last time we went (last Saturday), they even gave us a soup when they saw that we enjoyed the one they served us as part of the menu we ordered.

They have the best puerto rico food..... I live in Davenport fl. N when I go to Miami always go by the restaurant to awesome food...... people there are always nice..... keep the good work. My love to all.

Literally like my Grandmother's cooking. The flavors are 1000% Puertorican cuisine. Their Mofongo is perfectly moist and NOT slather with sauces. Their alcapurrias are Luquillo style, they even have Kola Champagne. True & authentic Boricua food.

Had a great experience and enjoyed my time at bajareque with a nice frozen lemonade. The waitress was very helpful and attentive. She brought us bread with garlic sauce. Then we ordered our food, which was well seasoned. The place was like a "cafeteria" nothing fancy, but they make it up with a well priced menu and good food. Tuve una gran experiencia y disfruté de mi tiempo en Bajareque con una rica limonada helada. La mesera fue muy servicial y atenta. Nos trajo pan con salsa de ajo. Luego pedimos nuestra comida, que estaba bien sazonada. El lugar era como una "cafetería", nada lujoso, pero lo compensan con un menú a buen precio y buena comida.

Absolutely love love this place! This place has been around for a long long time and they definitely stand their ground for amazing Puerto Rican food at affordable delicious quality price everything from breakfast to lunch to dinner they have it all.

This place has excellent, authentic Puerto Rican food. Reminds me of the restaurants back in El Barrio in Spanish Harlem. So, so good. The menu isn't as big as other Puerto Rican restaurants, but what they do have on the menu, they mastered it. Can't wait to go back.

Amazing food. We had bacalaitos as an appetizer, Chuleta KanKan. We shared both and were stuffed. The chuleta was cooked to perfection as we're the gandules and mofongo. They'll be seeing a lot more of us very soon and very often.

Food: 5 Service: 2 Ambiance: 6 since it's near Wynwood there's def a lot to do while checking this restaurant out.

What a gem! It's very hard to find comforting food in the Midtown area lately. With everything including restaurants feeling like it lacks either quality, Portions or affordability, I get real happy when I find a spot near me that embodies what Miami was 10 years ago. This reminded me of the Miami I grew up in and is now a new favorite. It's a small hole in the wall and it was packed on a Friday afternoon for lunch but we got seated very quickly. They start you off with pan con ajo which was warm and left me satisfied. I got the Friday special of the day which was rabo encendido (stewed oxtail) with arroz con gandules (a must at any Puerto Rican spot) and maduros to cut the salt. My friend got the camarones enchílados which was also a Friday special with a side of Mofongo. I wish they had sweet mofongo which is my favorite. I tried my friends and it was just too dry for me and had big chunks of pork which is typical for salty mofongo. That being said, it was the best salty mofongo I've ever tried and it came with a side of garlic vinegar which moistens it a bit. It was the perfect side for the shrimp as it comes with a lot of sauce. I found the portions to be a little small compared to other Latin spots nearby but the flavors were out this world. Both our specials were $15.50 and I did not leave a single grain of rice on my plate. The ox tail was fall off the bone soft and the rice had on point seasoning. I enjoyed everything about it and we only Paid $36 after tip for two dishes. A steal in Miami now a days. My new favorite Puerto Rican spot in Miami!

Their food is great! Everything! But the empanadas babyyy - the best. These are authentic, delicious and good sizes. The shrimp is a must and the pizza is great and not found in other places usually. Definitely recommend.

Delicious Latin cooking and fantastic quality! Very affordable and nice service! You'll like it

This is such a great spot for breakfast or lunch. They have great specials and make the most perfect coffee. The service is really good. I stop in every chance I get. The ambiance is great too. If you have a chance I recommend trying them out.

Always the very best of everything!!!! Just read my previous reviews ‼If you want to try authentic Puerto Rican food that is not only going to satisfy your taste buds but also your soul then this is the place where you need to come and eat

Its got a good cozy local ambience. The staff was friendly and greeted us with bread which was delicious. Where this nice spot fell short was 1. They messed up both of our orders. We even had an english speaking man at our table while we were ordering. I had ordered the smoked pork chop and it was clearly fried. Bear ordered the crispy chicken sandwich which was grilled. Okay whatever not big deal. But my rice was bland, and frying a pork chop is just wrong. Her chicken sandwich was mostly lettuce but otherwise not that bad. I guess sometimes you get what you pay for but slap some seasoning on that shit!

Checked out this place a few times while visiting Miami since it was close to my accommodations. Each time I went I was enjoyed what I had more and more. Between two breakfast meals and a dinner, I had the chicken and waffles (delicious and you can choose a wing or strips), the Baja special (one meat, eggs, and toast, plus toast and coffee), the steak and eggs breakfast, roasted pork sandwich (so juicy!), and a papaya smoothie (refreshing). The staff were friendly and definitely speaking a bit of Spanish would have helped some with placing my orders, but that experience varied depending on the day/person. All in all, I'd definitely recommend for breakfast, lunch, or an early dinner.

Just ate my to go order of chicharron de pollo and tostones for $16. Received 5 pieces of battered bone and 5 thin Tostones.

Unassuming on the outside, small and loud on the inside; but totally worth a stop. I walked in and sat at the counter, was greeted quick enough and they asked if it was for here or to go. I was offered a menu and had the choice to communicate in English or Spanish, or both. My first meal in Miami after landing today, (and first Puerto Rican food experience ever) and it did not disappoint. Big portions, had to take half of it home with me for later. The food was piping hot, fresh and delicious. Even an unexpected bread basket with the most garlicky sauce I've ever tasted (and I live on garlic pretty much). The only thing that could have been better were the maduros. I visited mid-afternoon and they tasted like they'd been cooked in old oil and were sitting out for awhile. Decent prices though and it was quick too. They do a lot of takeout orders as well. Give 'em a try!

Great food clean and friendly good service been there since the beginning of time my grandpa & father use to go there in the 70's

Food is amazing....Authentic and fresh!!! Staff was friendly and establishment was clean. Please check them out!

My favorite go to!! This place is the definition of that whole in the wall experience! This is the spot you go when you want amazing food for a great price & it's just not found easily... in other words, this place is a gem! Every dish is made with love & if it isn't they never hesitate to make it right for you! It tends to be busy often so please be patient because you'll leave happy! My all time favorite is the bacalaito!! The mofongo, tamale & alcapurria is always a hit! Any of their meats & seafood will be enjoyable because they bring that Caribbean flavor every time!! I've been coming here since 2018 and I can't believe I've just now written a review! Although this is the place you want to gate-keep!

This a little restaurant (a hole in the wall as they say) but the food is delicious no matter what dish I have asked for never disappointed and service is excellent. Everyone friendly. I recommend for everyone to try it.

This was my first time at this restaurant and It met my expectations. The food is delicious and inexpensive. I got shrimp with rice and beans and chuleta frita with gandules. Both meals were delicious! I also got a passion fruit smoothie that was very refreshing. The place is small but it's perfect for breakfast and lunch. I highly recommend it

I get a coffee here every morning. So Good!!! & great service every-time!! All the servers are mad nice and the food is top tier!! Just like Wela use to make!!

I wasn't impressed. The place doesn't make me feel like I'm in PR at all except for the music. The decor is blah. The ambience is average. The host/server/bud girl was overworked...need another worker. I ordered the steak with eggs thinking it would be in a sandwich but I got served a roll of bread. It was warm then came my steak & eggs minutes later. I waited to eat my bread but it was hard. No one thought to make a steak & egg sandwich???? They do back home in Chicago. Here it seems like they have the right ingredients but no concept. The coffee con leche was good and the velvet cake was superb. I'll stick to my spot in Humboldt Park that knows how to make a steak & egg sandwich.

This restaurant is a jewel! I am so happy that I found this treasure! The staff is super attentive and delightful and the food is absolutely exquisite. We tried the alcapurrias, croquetas, pastel, bacalaito and each of these items were beyond delicious. The flan for dessert was perfect! I can't wait to go back.

Food is always great. I have had them a few times and I'm always happy. We always do take out but always good amount of food for the price. Good old PR food.

Hoy por primera vez, decidí ordenar de éste lugar, usando el servicio de Uber. Mi orden consistía en DOS pollos a la plancha. Pues vean la foto y juzguen por su cuenta. No solo mandaron uno, sino, solo fijense en la presentación. Intenté probarlo, pero es simplemente incomestible!!! Al llamar y hacer el reclamo, entendí todo. La mujer que atendió, no me permitió explicarle, y aparte de insultarme, colgó el teléfono. Asi que, sí usted, desea ser maltratado, humillado, ofendido y perder su dinero, entonces, éste es el lugar. Por mi parte, más nunca!!!! En Miami existen, restaurantes latinos de muchiiiiiiiiisima mejor calidad, atencion y servicio.

An interesting hole-in-the-wall spot for homemade Puerto Rican food! Worth a try if you're in the area. Overall our experience here was good. My boyfriend and I loved the friendly, homey energy in the place and the staff was very pleasant. It was our first times trying Puerto Rican food. The Food: Roasted Pork - 4/5 The portion is BIG! It's very meaty, comes with a ton of pork. The pork is cooked well and my boyfriend liked it. The plantains were delicious. Mofongo with Shrimp - 3/5 Admittedly I'm not sure what mofongo is supposed to be like, but mine was quite dry and therefore not super pleasant to eat. But it was still an interesting concept and I'm glad I tried it. The shrimp was definitely very overcooked. Perhaps they just had an inconsistent day that day we went.

Excellent alcapurrias, pasteles y bacalaitos are our favorites, however everything on their menu is great. PR food is my favorite food and this is definitely the place to go if you want authentic home cooking. The place is a little small, so I usually order it to take out, especially during the holidays; they are definitely always my to go place for Thanksgiving & Christmas.

Great authentic Puerto Rican food! Had the rice and beans with grilled chicken (great flavor). Walked here from Wynwood Walls

I visited this restaurant a while ago.... This small casual restaurant is located near midtown just a few blocks away from the Shops at Midtown. I was delighted to find a Puerto Rican restaurant near Brickell and not all the way in Kendall. Although they have some other Latin dishes from other Caribbean islands, the menu is pretty good offering many traditional Puerto Rican dishes. They have pasteles, arroz con gandules, guineitos, bacalaitos, chuletas, alcapurrias, and Medalla beer!!!! I was surprised that I didn't see sorullitos de maíz (corn meal sticks) on the menu, which I was expecting since they are very traditional. Their lunch specials are definitely great deals. First of all, I loved the gesture of serving complimentary toasted bread with sauces for the table. Bread with butter and strong garlic sauce is very commonly served in restaurants in the island. For Puerto Ricans, this gesture of offering bread is a way of saying welcome to our humble establishment. The roasted pork with rice (lechon y arroz con gandules) was the stellar dish of this visit. Pork was perfectly cooked with a moist texture and dressed with some grilled onions. Unfortunately, the mofongo with skirt steak was not the best dish because my steak was burnt and the mofongo was a bit dry. I like my meat medium rare and juicy and the mofongo soft and moist inside. I didn't get that. However, the food was well seasoned with a true boricua flavor. Unfortunately, they are not opened on Sundays but there weekly lunch specials look like a very good deal.

Worst customer service ever. You can call all day 10 times in a row just to be put on hold and then hung up on. Then in the restaurant they take ur order and never come back. The FOOD IS AMAZING THOUGH so I sometimes very rarely Put up with it. Until I get tired of it I was calling 20 min in a row no answer legit called 12 times was placed on hold and hung up on after 6 min

The dishes here are a hit or miss. The lechon, for example, was juicy and flavorful, the pastel was delicious as well, and the platano maduros were on point. The arroz con gandules was overcooked, the grilled chicken was very dry, and the boiled yuca was a bit bland. Am not sure that I will be back. The service was good and the employees are friendly.

Went to try this little spot and it was pretty good. The alcapurrias were good. I had the chuleta and arroz con gandules and it was on point with some tostones. My significant other had the white rice, beans & fried chicken. We thought the beans were a little watered down and could've used some more flavor. Other than that we would be back if we ever in the area.

Love this local spot for Puerto Rican meals. Friendly and fast service. You can count on good service and home cooked flavors.

Another Puerto Rican hole in the wall north of Wynwood in NW 36th st. Food is very delicious. Had the flat iron grilled chicken which was on point along with rice, beans and sweet plantains. Couldn't ask for better than that. Service was punctual and the restaurant very clean.

The spot is small yet there is enough space in between each table. They have great customer service and delicious food. The portion sizes are great worth every penny. You can't complain about the prices as well. The atmosphere is great. They have meat and seafood options. I'm a pescatarian and they had a variety of options for me. Love it

It is the second time I visit this place and (ESPAÑOL ABAJO) the food is spectacular. If you love Latin food and you are in the mood to eat something "homemade" without spending much, this is the place. The only thing that would improve is the service which is a bit slow. I ordered: Grilled chicken with rice, maduros and gandules. Palomillo with salad and Palomillo with rice, black and gandules. Food: It was delicious and we ate it all! ---- ESPAÑOL: Es la segunda vez que visito este lugar y la comida es espectacular. Si amas la comida latina y te provoca comer algo "casero" sin gastar mucho, este es el lugar. Lo único que mejoraría es el servicio que es un poco lento. Ordené: Pollo a la plancha con arroz, gandules colorados y maduros. Palomillo con ensalada y Palomillo con arroz, gandules negros y maduros. Comida: Estuvo deliciosa y nos la comimos toda!

I feel obligated to start this review by saying we only came to this place because my legit Puerto Rican friend's beloved Benny's Seafood had unexpectedly permanently closed, and we were determined to have mofongo. She had been going to Benny's for years and after consoling her from the grief from this tremendous loss, we checked out Yelp reviews and settled on this place. We arrived around 4:00 on Saturday and the first thing we noticed was that the service was ultra slow. By that time in the day they had run out of pasteles and pionono which my friend says are staples. They did have the alcapurria which was alright at best. It was missing flavor, seasoning perhaps? The bacalaito was quite large in size and was probably the best thing we had. It was on the greasy side though. I had read from other reviewers that they give complimentary bread with garlic sauce. It took forever for that to come out. My friend had to go up to the counter and ask about it. The bread was pressed with some butter inside already and the garlic sauce was quite pungent with a slightly acidic taste. Not great. The mofongo with churrasco. Sigh. Very underwhelming. I'm not sure what it was supposed to taste like but whatever this was, was not something I would want to eat again. My friend was disgusted. It was served with what can only be described as chicken noodle soup. She said the broth that is supposed to accompany the mofongo should not have noodles or really anything else in it. You could see the grease at the top. The churrasco itself was alright. But the rest was inedible. The waitress came by and asked if we liked it. We said no and she apologized and asked if we wanted something else. We asked for rice con gandules. Now THIS I have had before at another Puerto Rican friend's place and I have to say this was not nearly as good. Sigh again. They charged us for the mofongo though took 20% off the bill without us having to ask or say anything. So I guess that's admirable. If you take the time to read through the reviews on here it seems like people either love or hate this place. There were two large groups inside when we arrived and a steady stream of Puerto Rican's picking up to-go orders. This just wasn't for us, unfortunately!

La mejor comida Bor, I love the mofongo.

Food was authentic , tasty, delicious. Only wish they opened late , other than that I highly recommend

Best mofongo in town at a great price. The place is not fancy but the service and the food is outstanding

This food is absolutely positively outstanding !The Steak was amazing ,the habichuelas was FIRE ,the empanadas were amazing the bread is amazing, the coffee was amazing !!!This place is worth every cent and then some !!!

After reading all the Yelp reviews, I was guarded regarding this restaurant and initially planned to just get take out as we only had 45 minutes before we had to leave. I tried to call them several times and their phone was out of order. When I got there, I said I wanted to place a to-go order but asked if it would be long if we sat down. The waitress told me that everyone had food so shouldn't be long. I ordered beef empanadas, pork and arroz con gandules. The empanadas were at the table within 10 min of ordering but I had to ask for bread. The entree took another 10-15 min and was very good. The pork was very juicy and flavorful. The rice was nothing out of this world but was good. The waitress didn't really check in on us and I had to track her down to get a to go box and the check. She also didn't know if there were any desserts and had to go ask (I was craving flan). I would come back during down times as I can definitely tell that they are either understaffed or just poorly organized.

Meh? The servers are really nice and they really care about helping you figure out what to order, getting you the correct order, and about your entire experience for sure, but the food was so darn dry. And by dry I'm talking about Middle Eastern climate dry where they ain't got no water for 40 days and 40 nights, not like oh this wine is a tad bit dry .(of course that's the analogy I would give, bu here we go). I had the lechon asado, mofongo, and the grilled chicken, along with the pan that my nice server packed for me to-go. The lechon asado was juicy, with delicate notes of citrus and powerful savory bites, and it was probably my favorite thing that I ate. I also loved the pan, but hey who doesn't. Everything else was meh or just waaaaay too dry. The rice with grandules was okay, still dry, but the maduros were so sadly dry (*cries internally*) that I took one bite and couldn't do anymore. The tostones were stale (probably old) and even drier, and the chicken tasted like a solid piece of rubber. The mofongo was good in terms of flavor, but again, dry dry dry. Given that so many people rave about this place, maybe I came on a bad or off day? The service was so nice that I'll go back and give it another go, but ya'll should just stick to that lechon and the pan.

Went here to get my Puerto Rican food holiday fix and I wasn't disappointed. Ordered arroz con gadulez, pastel, pernil, yuca con ajo, and amarillos. Though the food wasn't as good as mom's cooking, the restaurant captured the feel of being in Puerto Rico really well. The tables, seats, and just general feel had me feeling like I was in my lovely island. I thought the rice was dry but the pastel and pernil was really tasty. I will be going back!

If there was an award for the best cafeteria food in Miami it will definitely go to El Bajareque. The food is cheap, the food is good. But before I talk about food, one thing needs to be said. If you are coming to El Bajareque, you probably want to seat at a table instead of the counter, specially if you have company. Why? Well, this cafeteria caters to the businesses around the area, which are countless body shops and auto mechanics. Also, this place caters to many characters, like bums and drug addicts. The policy at El Bajareque is simple, if you have money, you're getting service ..... at the counter. So, if you don't want to rub elbows with sweaty mechanics covered in grease or the area's characters, I recommend that you seat at a table. From your table you can safely wish for a take-out window. As intimidating as it may seem, everyone knows each other in this cafeteria. I arrived and found a table quickly, and minutes later the place was full with elderly couples, families, and groups of mechanics and gear heads. Most of the patrons knew each other, as well as the staff. Unfortunately, the characters mentioned before showed up too. If you are not disturbed by them, you are good. If they may annoy you, skip El Bajareque altogether or order take-out. The food. The food here is delicious. I am starting to think that Puerto Ricans have made a culinary art form out of chuletas fritas (fried pork chops). I don't care what nationality you are from, when it comes to pork chops you are at a disadvantage and the competition is not fair. Puerto Rican seasoning on chuletas is that good. With my chuletas I got a side of rice, red beans and tostones. The sides were pretty good, which was a relief, but they were not amazing. My companion had the special of the day, which was steak on a peppers and wine sauce, with arroz con gandules. The steak was really soft and the sauce was very tasty, and had wine. The rice and peas was fragrant and very well cooked. We also had bacalaitos, which are cod fish fritters, and they came out looking like a thin steak. They were also very flavorful and soft, or pretty amazing if I must say. In simple words, El Bajareque has made me a fan. The place is clean and has a fresh coat of paint. The seats are cushioned and everything is pretty new and clean. Service is also good, although our waitress seemed a little cold, maybe because we were not regulars, or maybe because everybody flirts with her and she is fed up. This place opens early in the morning, and closes late at night. I wouldn't call the area a dangerous area, but it is part of an industrial park, so most nearby residents are low income, meaning that they sell drugs in the park at night. And those are not my words, I am only quoting one of the characters. Finally, let me reiterate that the food here is amazing. Additionally, the prices are ridiculously cheap. I didn't get a gourmet experience, neither did I get the best location or ambiance, but I did get the best cafeteria food in town. The dish I enjoyed is double the price at my other favorite Puerto Rican restaurant near Coral Gables. Of course, that other restaurant IS a restaurant, with better beans, better cuts of meat, and better everything. But for a quick lunch, packed with flavor, El Bajareque rules in Miami.

This place is delicious, it taste like real real Puerto Rican food. The food is amazing, I highly recommend. Best of all it is very affordable.

Considering making a move to Miami so spent the day checking out the city. Look forward to seeing the artsy vibe st Wynwood. I looked to Yelp for suggestions and saw that El Bajareque served Puerto Rican food. Being Boricua, I had to check it out. The place is small but open. Big enough for groups though. The staff is friendly and they have wifi. Wow! The food was on point!! I had lechon asado con arroz y gandules with tostones. Hate to say it, but it was better than mom makes it. I definitely plan on stopping by if I make Miami my home. Sooo good!

Not much parking here restaurant is located 36th street with only two parking meters in front of it, there's parking across the street but it's busy and difficult to cross due to traffic. The wait was long food excellent Arroz con gandules with steak. Tender seasoned just right this place definetly did not disappoint. I will visit again.

Really nice place, gets super packed for a reason. Service is good. Food is very good and tasty. Worth the wait.

Food is ok. Last time I ordered chicken and waffles the chicken was good I love who is the little Over cooked.