La Alcapurria Quemá
Puerto Rican restaurant · San Juan
251 C. Duffaut, San Juan, 00907, Puerto Rico
Highlights
Authentic Puerto Rican fritters, mofongo, and fried pork chops
Authentic Puerto Rican fritters, mofongo, and fried pork chops
"Alcapurrias are a Puerto Rican national treasure. So a restaurant that’s dedicated to them is a historic (and delicious) museum of sorts. This casual walk-in spot offers seven different kinds of alcapurrias stuffed with beef (our favorite), crab, morcilla, and more. In case you forgot where you were, consider the Puerto Rican flag painted on the ceiling, the one dangling from the bar, and the other likely behind you, a kind of friendly reminder. Beyond alcapurrias, they also make bubbly pastelillos and larger plates like juicy carne frita with tostones on the side. On Fridays and Saturdays, they’re open until 1:30am so consider it a restaurant refuge after a night of one too many lethal vodka parchas from La Placita across the street. When it’s still daylight, big lunch crowds clink their Medallas and order a never-ending stream of alcapurrias." - adriana silva, tiffany yannetta, mariana trabanino
"Alcapurrias are a Puerto Rican national treasure. So a restaurant that’s dedicated to them is a historic (and delicious) museum of sorts. This casual walk-in spot offers seven different kinds of alcapurrias stuffed with beef (our favorite), crab, morcilla, and more. In case you forgot where you were, consider the Puerto Rican flag painted on the ceiling, the one dangling from the bar, and the other likely behind you, a kind of friendly reminder. Beyond alcapurrias, they also make bubbly pastelillos and larger plates like juicy carne frita with tostones on the side. On Fridays and Saturdays, they’re open until 1:30am so consider it a restaurant refuge after a night of one too many lethal vodka parchas from La Placita across the street. When it’s still daylight, big lunch crowds clink their Medallas and order a never-ending stream of alcapurrias. Food Rundown Corned Beef Pastelillo There’s no space between the crispy dough and the delicious corned beef filling. Alternate between mayoketchup and their housemade hot sauce for each bite. Order three more and repeat the process. PlayMute video credit: Mariana Trabanino Ground Beef Alcapurria Whoever said all beef alcapurrias taste the same clearly hasn’t had the ones from here. This ground beef filling is so flavorful it almost doesn’t need a dollop of mayoketchup. Use it anyway. PlayMute video credit: Mariana Trabanino Carne Frita With Tostones After exceeding your 20,000-step goal, the road leads to this plate of carne frita and a side of tostones. The fried pork chunks are tossed with grilled onions and taste great when plopped on top of these fried plantain discs. photo credit: Mariana Trabanino Coconut Arepas There’s no filling in these coconut arepas. They’re just hollowed-out puffs of coconut bread, and they’re great for snacking with a cold Medalla. PlayMute video credit: Mariana Trabanino" - Mariana Trabanino
"A decades-old, concrete-block kitchen in La Placita where Sonia Escudero and her husband Rafi hand-make traditional alcapurrias, gently folding plantain dough over local crab; the experience feels deeply familial and rooted in long-standing street-food tradition." - Carrie Honaker
"A casual street-food stall celebrated for traditional fried snacks—specifically fried alcapurrias and pastelillos—frequently recommended as fuel for late-night dancing and market-side revelry." - Carley Rojas Avila Carley Rojas Avila Carley Rojas Avila is a bilingual travel writer, editor, and content marketer. She is an expert on Latin America, the Caribbean, and Cuba, as she lived and worked in four different countries in that region. Carley founded the digital travel publications Loosely Local and Home to Havana. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Don’t let the name fool you; this place makes good alcapurrias (fritters), but plenty of customers come for the mofongo, which is big and flavorful like everything else they serve. The corner spot is hip and lively, but the homestyle cooking is just like at a chinchorro in the countryside. There are multiple varieties of mofongo on offer made from plantain or fried yuca, and they might come filled with hefty entrees or with dishes paired alongside. The carne frita encebollada (fried pork chops with caramelized onion) and serenata de bacalao (cold, salty cod salad) are particularly great, especially paired with your beer of choice." - Gabriela Torres
