Puerto Rican Street Cuisine

Tried the newly reopened Puerto Rican 🇵🇷Street Cuisine restaurant in Oakland. Their chef/owner, Eric ‘E’ Rivera, has a colorful background. In 2015, his take-out gig in an Oakland liquor store was featured by Guy Fieri in Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and the rest was viral history. His take on PR cuisine was soul food for the homesick Rican and their kindred folks. It disappeared after 2017 for interesting reasons. It’s back. This is my honest take on their food I was able to enjoy today. Taste: 3.5 stars out of 5. The tostones is good but best enjoyed when fresh. Ask for more dipping sauce. It’s onion chicken dish was tasty and tender and pairs very well with the yellow rice. Portion good enough for 2. My fave was the rum cake. Finally an honest-to-goodness rum cake in the bay! Service: 2.5 out of 5. It’s a takeout. The meal took longer to prep than the 15 minutes promised. Price: 2.5 out of 5. It was more expensive than expected. I had a bit of a sticker shock, though the meal is probably good enough for 2. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by $7 empanadas in the bay. Quality: 3.5 out of 5. The food was served hot and freshly made. The immediate environment seemed clean. My meal set was prepped complete and neat in individual reusable plastic containers. Location: 2 out of 5. You can DoorDash. #puertoricanfood #bayareafoodscene #oaklandfoodie #latinfood #bestcuisine #diversityandinclusion

You do have to wait outside, which at night feel the safest, but the food is so amazing that it certainly doesn’t matter. Delicious, tender pork, sweet and crispy plantains, and delicious Puerto Rican rice. Incredible! I’d go back

Incredible food and experience! The shrimp mofongo was so flavorful and the best I've had in the bay. The pork combo, tostones, and chicken empanada were also delicious and everything was super filling. We couldn't finish our food between 3 people. We had the pleasure of meeting Chef Rivera who is super kind and welcoming. The vibes are great! FYI There is not a ton of seating, especially for groups bigger than 3. Takeout may be preferable for large groups. I'm definitely coming back to try more and get more shrimp mofongo 😍

Stopped by during Puerto Rican Street Food’s soft opening week and despite a few expected hiccups, I left full and happy. The flavors are on point—rich, savory, and full of promise. You can tell the kitchen knows what they’re doing and is still dialing things in. The menu was limited, and a few things are still in the testing phase (looking at you, empanadas), but the team handled it with grace. My order was missing an empanada at first, then the one I got was falling apart—but Crystal (shout out!) and the staff were kind, transparent, and quick to offer a fresh batch with a sincere apology. The chicharrón de pollo could’ve used more crisp, but the seasoning was delicious enough to make up for it. Can’t wait to come back once they’re fully up and running. If this is the baseline, I’m excited to see them hit their stride. Definitely worth checking out now—and again once the full menu is live! Lots of gluten-free options. Right now you can order from the window only, while inside is still being hooked up so not an inviting atmosphere to eat there just yet but hopefully SOON.

Absolutely amazing - no notes! We had the pollo plate and the carne guisa, both were seasoned to perfection, so delicious. The beef especially was so tender, melt in your mouth, and the sauce with the chicken just perfect. The owner/chef, Eric, was so kind and welcoming! He came out and spoke to us about the different rices and gave us a free plate of the arroz blanco and it was insane. Definitely come try it out!

Had a big order for my birthday today. All guests including myself loved every bite! We got to try every entree and everything was so flavorful and cooked to perfection! Chef Eric puts so much care in every dish and it shows! The flavors of the pernil, pollo encebollado, and carne guisa brought me back to mami’s cooking and I’m glad I got to share my culture with my guests! Definitely coming back again!

Give thanks to E & the rest of the Puerto Rican Street Cuisine family. I've had everything on the menu & have been very satisfied everytime. Can taste the sofrito in the food like my Grandparents & Mom make when I go visit them. Vibe is always right with the music & people working there as well. Definitely pull up if you've never been

we've come back a few times to try more of the menu, and everything has been delicious and well portioned. highly appreciate the inclusion of a couple vegetarian options

My daughter loves plantains. We're always on the lookout for a new place to try them. Tonight we ordered take out from Puerto Rican Street Cuisine and were not disappointed. The plantains were too notch. Other highlights were the beef empeñada and the rice and beans with squash. This is one of the restaurants offering meals to families whose benefits are on hold due to the government shutdown. Please patronize this business to support them supporting our Oakland community.

They cook with canola oil. Walked up and it looked like a take out spot with 3 tables out front. After ordering & paying & our food was ready we got invited in to the back patio which is a sweet spot with lights and nice & quiet hidden space. I appreciate any restaurant that let's you walk through their kitchen - nothing to hide. I am an empanada fan - these were some of the best I've ever had. The exterior is light & flakey - not thick & dry like some, and the filling is tasty with lots of spices & full of meat, and the sauce was a lightly hot crema. We also had the pollo & rice with plantains which were perfectly caramelized, and the rice was really good even though I'm not usually big on rice. Parking is tough in this area, but please support this hidden gem. A food delivery person did stop and park in front (they have a reserved spot with cones) so guessing they do various delivery services.

Puerto Rican Street Cuisine opened where Black Food Collective & The Town Kitchen once was. Outside seating only. Inside seating may be available only for special events. Chef Eric has been featured on Guy Fieri's DDD Season 28, Episode 17. A pic on window shows this. Offerings: (Puerto Rican): combos, ala carte, drinks Order 10 minutes after they opened. Food came 10ish minutes later. Street meter parking only. Bites: Carna Guisa combo (18) many options for sides. -Maduros (pan fried plantains-banana like) 7 oval moist melty pieces sweet tasty blobs of goodness. Previously pan fried. all oil removed. No hint of oilness. Arroz con gandules (puerto Rican fried yellow rice with pigeon peas. -complex mix of sofrito (green peppers, onions, garlic), sweet Caribbean peppers, recao, Sazon seasoning, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaves creates nuanced flava. (Google). YUM! Guisa beef is a slowed cooked stew with beef cubes, onions, garlic, capers, potatoes, peppers. Beef semi-chewy. Not sure if more tenderness is an option. Flavorful, tasty, wish there was more. :) 4.5 stars Worthy:YMMV, Quality: Very Good. Quantity: prefer more Beef, less arroz(rice). *bites immensely enjoyable. Maduros & Arroz the star. Sadly, Guisa beef was only an afterthought.

Apparently, their soft grand opening was July 15. I'm glad I stumbled upon this on Yelp while searching for Puerto Rican food. The Jamaican spot I enjoy is closed every Monday and Tuesday, but I still wanted to keep the theme of deliciousness without dairy. This is a walk up spot. I don't know if they have plans to open the inside, but walking up and ordering works for me. Parking is trash. I got lucky, but there really isn't a lot of parking. They have a few seats outside as well for waiting I suppose, and I was told my food would take about ten minutes, which it did. I get to my office, open up my box of carne guisa and could taste the flavor through my nose. I also have to comment on the arroz con gandules. I love rice and beans from damn near anywhere, but I've been a few places where they just don't get the pigeon peas right. I don't know if it's a matter of undercooking them or not soaking them overnight, but this place got it right! Perfection. I don't have any complaints, just greed. I wish there were more carne guisa on my plate. So, they deliver if you're worried about parking, but I hope this review gets y'all to try em because man it was good. I sent my friend a picture of my food and she ended up ordering food herself. Also said she'll be back.

I am giving this place a 5 out of 5 based solely on the Canoa (stuffed fried plantain). It was FIRE !! I tried the Pernil and the beef stew and they were mediocre. I was tempted to get another order of the Canoa so I could take it home!!

Great food the taste is correct. The flavors are correct and the service was quick. They were very helpful and definitely coming back. The Pollo guisa pernil arroz con gandules and pasteles were off the hook

I was just gonna eat a few bites when I got in the car, and ended up eating like half, it was that good! Fresh ingredients, on point flavors - the maduros were cooked perfectly with a nice crisp (not greasy), the gandules rice was seasoned well, and I was excited that the salad was a mix of cucumbers, tomatos, avocados, mango & red onion and not just some greens. The coconut pastry was also delicious! Perfect walk up window for those of us with dogs, took about 10-15 minutes for the vegan platter. It's so good to have a yummy Puerto Rican restaurant in town again!

Eric, congrats and welcome back! It's about time brotha! I know my wife Dacia turned us on from the Borrequan Soul truck back at Kaiser, to La Perla, to Wepa! And now you're back with Puerto Rican Street Cuisine!!! Based in da Town! Parking's bit of a pain, but mah boy is BACK! That empanada is OFF DA HOOK!!! Can't wait to see what else comes on the menu! That sauce is everything! It's currently just a walk up window, so can't wait for the whole restaurant to open! The front of shop is dolled up really nice, and they have a few nice cafe type seating outside, which is great in the summer. Can't wait to get back there! Good luck Eric! You da ONLY Puerto Rican spot in da Town now!!!

OH MY GOODNESS! This is an absolute must go and try everything. We had an amazing experience here last night. There were six of us and when I tell you we were treated like family it felt like home. Chef Eric, his wife and staff were amazingly kind and delightful. I truly felt like I was in Mami's house. We literally had most of the menu, the carne guisada, el pollo encebollado, and the pernil. First, let's start with how tender ALL the meats were and the flavor took me back home. I was so happy to have had pernil I didn't have to cook. LOL. The white rice and beans. Uh let's just say there was nothing left of that by the end of the night. The arroz con gandules was equally as delicious. Empanadas y el canoe are def. Must haves. If you want authentic Puerto Rican food and the warm culture that comes with it you have to visit Chef Eric and the Puerto Rican Street Cuisine family.

Me and my husband first time here and the food was perfect. Service was excellent. The owner even came out to greet us. The atmosphere was so nice. Love the music. We will definitely be back. I will recommend this place to anyone.

I came here on opening day and my mouth is still thinking about the beans! And the chicken. It was well seasoned a little on the salty side but with the beans it had a great flavor. I really like that they had a vegan option as well. We came to support after hearing the chefs story on instagram and decided to try it out around 5pm on opening day. They were out of drinks which was unfortunate. I asked for water they said they ask but there was no real care for any customers. The set up is a little unique- it is a restaurant but, they are only serving from the window, but open the door to give you food. The lady working the window had no idea how long the food was going to take and couldn't really answer any questions we had about the food which was unfortunate as we were excited to be there. Also I was extremely disappointed with the food portions considering I paid $20 for this food and waited 35 min and they forgot the beans! So they were going to give me a plate with a side of chicken, just white rice with two plantains idk it just wasn't cutting it for me. Thankfully I checked before I left. And someone came out apologizing for the slow wait time apparently it was a really hard day for them. Which is understandable! However, I know plenty of places that give you so much food for the price and treat you so well. So I just don't know that I'll be back here but if I'm in the area I'd definitely bring my friends here.

This spot has amazing food, and if you're as obsessed with Puerto Rican chicken dishes and habichuelas guisadas as me, you won't be sorry you tried it! The beans have the perfect texture- creamy and rich- and they are stewed with calabaza that somehow makes the dish even better. The chicken is juicy, tender, and melts in your mouth. The chef was working and came by to say hi, which was cool, too. Can't wait to go back!

OMG! I used to be a customer at a previous iteration of this restaurant called "Borinquen Soul" inside a liquor store in Oakland. I remember it being good but not great. Well, this time the ball has been hit out of the ballpark. I have never tasted pernil or maduros like this except in Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican rice that came with it was extraordinary. You know when you are eating something that no recipe can duplicate, it has to come from home cooks that just knew what to do for flavor and eventually passed along their culinary secrets to the next generation. And if you are lucky enough to be invited back to the patio with the salsa music blasting (usually only open on the weekends but you never know), you will feel like you are in another planet called Puerto Rico. Nothing like it in the Bay Area. You must absolutely try this place.

Glad to see Eric back in business! As always, the food is excellent! Made me wanna double back the next day! Both the Pernil and the Pollo Encebollado is fire!! Can't wait for my next paycheck!

I've been wanting to try this restaurant since it opened and finally had a chance to do it last weekend, they did not disappoint. The food was definitely authentic with great flavor. The portions were also large also moderately priced. I will definitely go there again. If you like Puerto Rican food, give them a try. You're definitely won't be disappointed.

I took it to go but maybe if u eat in we can get that pernil skin. What a great surprise, Puerto Rican food on west coast. Let's give them some accupuurias, bacalittos, pinchos! We would love it

Omg!!! Finally a real Puerto Rican restaurant in the Bay Area!!! The service was intimate, and attentive the food was like I was at home with mom and my Tia's making it. It Hit my soul hard with every bit, Eric came out greeted the family was great. We talked about the food and the process on how he prepares the meal. Hands down the best in the Bay

I used their catering service for my dad's celebration of life and the food was amazing. The customer service was amazing, went above and beyond. Couple of months later went to their restaurant and got to enjoy the food again. I will definitely go back soon.

Incredible food and experience! The shrimp mofongo was so flavorful and the best I've had in the bay. The pork combo, tostones, and chicken empanada were also delicious and everything was super filling. We couldn't finish our food between 3 people. We had the pleasure of meeting Chef Rivera who is super kind and welcoming. The vibes are great! FYI There is not a ton of seating, especially for groups bigger than 3. Takeout may be preferable for large groups. I'm definitely coming back to try more and get more shrimp mofongo

Best PR street food Ive had in a while. Delicious and happy to support businesses like this!

Since the official opening, I've been trying to visit the spot in Oakland. Today, I finally got to the restaurant, and it did not disappoint. It was everything I remembered from Fruitvale and more. The favor gives me flashbacks to trips to Puerto Rico. I ordered online, but ordered more at the window. The empanadas did not make it home; we ate them in the car.

The foods is delicious I got both empanada chicken & beef was full of favor that was my favorite Customers served was on point super friendly & great attitude. You gotta try it

I'm from NY and PR so I am pickier than most but I can only give this 3 stars because the food was good not great with the exception of the empanadas, which were top notch delish! The other reason I can only give this 3 stars is because they got my order wrong twice for the same order. They labeled one of my dishes incorrectly and shorted us another dish. When I went back to have it fixed they gave me the wrong dish again. We have people who cannot eat beef or pork and paid for chicken but they gave us two beef stews. 2 people from our party had nothing to eat because of this. Oh well. I'll wait until I go back to NY or cook it myself next time.

Excellent food! So glad you're back, E!! Definitely coming back and wishing you all the best!

Food was delicious. Price was good excellent customer service 10000/10000 Fresh ingredients, on point flavors - the maduros were cooked perfectly with a nice crisp (not greasy), the gandules rice was seasoned well

Food was Excellent Service was on point Highly recommended for those craving the Authentic PR dining experience!

Ordered beef empanadas, arroz con Gandules, the pernil and the canoa. Will definitely order from there again.

I'm from the East Coast and I grew up eating PR food and this what I've been missing since moving here 5 years ago. WEPA!

Overall it was good. Kind of expensive for the quality. I've had better empanadas but they were still pretty good.

I recently visited with high hopes, expecting an authentic Puerto Rican dining experience. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. The menu was filled with dishes that had no connection to Puerto Rican cuisine, and the flavors were bland and unremarkable. It's clear that the restaurant missed the mark on authenticity. Service was lackluster, and the ambiance did not reflect the vibrant culture I was expecting. To top it off, there's no indoor seating, so you have to eat outside, which makes for an uncomfortable experience. Overall, I left feeling let down and would not recommend it to anyone seeking genuine Puerto Rican food.

Great place for take out! Chicken was tender and the rice and beans were super flavorful.

One of my favorite spots in Oakland so far! The pernil was amazing and Chef Eric brought my food out to me. Will definybe coming back regularly!