El Bajareque
Puerto Rican restaurant · Wynwood
278 NW 36th St, Miami, FL 33127, USA
Highlights
Authentic Puerto Rican eats, art-filled, with daily specials
Authentic Puerto Rican eats, art-filled, with daily specials
"El Bajareque has a consistent stream of regulars who drop in for lunch to devour the largest slabs of bacalaitos we’ve encountered in this city. They also come for delicious alcapurias de carne and shrimp jibaritos. You should do the same. They stick to classic Puerto Rican dishes here, and there is no wrong order on the menu, which is about 75% plantain. This place has been around for more than 40 years—back when Wynwood was Little San Juan—and it feels like not much has changed since then. We hope they stick around for another 40 years." - mariana trabanino
"Before Wynwood was Wynwood, it was a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood known as Little San Juan, and El Bajareque is one of the last remaining reminders of that. This place has been around for more than 40 years and it feels like little has changed since then (this is a good thing). It’s a small spot with some tables and countertop seating. The food is mostly familiar classics like mofongo, chicharrones de pollo, and alcapurrias—order all three if you have a hungry eating partner or just want a ton of leftovers." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino
"El Bajareque is the only original Puerto Rican restaurant left in Wynwood, which used to be known as Little San Juan. But it’s also still a great restaurant. The place is decorated with vejigantes, placemats of Viejo San Juan, and a painting of a girl in low-rise jeans and a belly-button piercing. Everything about this 50-year-old restaurant feels stuck in time in the best way. During lunch, the dining room fills up with construction workers, dainty women carrying dachshunds in their purse, and every Miamian in between. They’re all here for alcapurrias, copious amounts of mayoketchup, and a dining room that’s living proof of what Wynwood used to feel like." - virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino, mariana trabanino, virginia otazo, virginia otazo
"Before Wynwood was Wynwood, it was a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood known as Little San Juan, and El Bajareque is one of the last reminders of that. This place has been around for more than 40 years and it feels like little has changed since then. It’s a small spot with some tables and countertop seating. You might hear laughter coming from the kitchen and the staff will probably address at least three customers by name while you’re there. The food is mostly familiar Puerto Rican classics like mofongo, chicharrones de pollo, and alcapurrias - order all three if you have a hungry eating partner or just want a ton of leftovers. Food Rundown Bacalaito This flat sheet of fried cod is more fritter than fish, but still very enjoyable—especially when you squeeze some mayoketchup on it. PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer Alcapurria De Carne It’s meaty, thick, and should also be devoured with a heavy squeeze of mayoketchup. PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer Jibarito De Camarones This is Puerto Rico’s version of a toston sandwich. Don’t even think about eating this with your hands. Instead use your knife and fork to make sure you get breaded shrimp, toston, and potato sticks in every bite. Oh, and, in case you haven’t sensed the pattern here, squeeze some mayoketchup on it too. PlayMute video credit: Mariana Trabanino Mofongo Con Masitas de Cerdo The pork chunks are a little dry but the broth is there to moisten each piece and give it new life. It’s a large dish so you’ll definitely have leftovers (this is good news). PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer" - Ryan Pfeffer & Mariana Trabanino
"As Wynwood continues to change, this old school restaurant remains a reminder of the neighborhood’s Puerto Rican roots. Wynwood dates back to the 1930s when New Yorkers moved to Miami during the city’s building boom, relocating their manufacturing businesses here. With a mass influx of immigrants in the 1960s, Miami’s Fashion District became ground zero for jobs. A large portion of those immigrants were Puerto Ricans who settled in Wynwood, creating a small enclave. Bajareque is sadly the only brick and mortar Puerto Rican restaurant to survive the neighborhood’s rapid development and gentrification, and it’s absolutely worth a visit. Whether you grab a seat at a table or the counter, come here to taste a diverse array of Puerto Rican cuisine with a plate of lechon, mofongo, arroz con gandules, and tostones." - mandy baca
