Puerta Del Mar

Food was good, but think they took advantage of me and my wife…
Charged us $ 25.00 for reg size red fish…
And $ 20.00 for a small…
Food was good but NOT THAT GOOD…
Market Value today was only $ 16.00…
Also hard to find… make the turn at marina sign

Delicious authentic Puerto Rican food! Huge portions and the staff was very helpful and friendly for our large group.

So surprise by some of the bad reviews here. I have seen this place go from a little shack house 10 years ago to a huge place now serving the best Red Snapper (Chillo), Seafood and Mofongo in the area. Besides a restaurant a few blocks away by the name of Donde Olga, there are really no other places serving quality seafood, Mofongo or conch (carrucho).
Anyway, this is my go to place as soon as I land in PR, the recipe has not changed; great, tasty, fresh and cheap food. We ordered the red snapper with tostones, a Mofongo filled with grouper in red sauce and another one with grouper in butter. What can I say, simply outstanding. The appetizer was equally good; conch and the local alcapurria with a few extreme cold beers. Outstanding service.
I’ll be back no doubt!

Pinchos de pollo (chicken skewers) are cooked right up front and are delicious. And you can order them in the ‘restaurant’ area so the pescatarian can also get a meal. And the mofongo is the most tender, moist and tastiest by far! Had the pescado mofongo rellonos and it was huge — but had to eat it all because it was ‘estaba delicioso’! Ended up walking here from Isla Verde as the #45 was on some Sunday/​holiday schedule of virtual non existent service! Oh well needed to walk back as well to burn off the lunch! Pinones and Puerta del Mar are a must do on a trip to San Juan… Such a great local vibe and comidas… Felt a million miles from the Condado strip!

Will NOT be back. Los bacalaitos… que horrible. Everything was so greasy and old.

This place was bumpin even on a Monday night! Chicken kebabs had a nice crisp grilled flavor which was sweet.

i just had Lunch with the family, this place was suggested by my brother in-​law but it wasn’t good, the Chicharones de Pollo were not good, the breaded Chicken breast was very dry and the Carne Frita was also dry and it seamed that the meat was fried very old oil it tasked like fish was fried on it. the only good plate was the «steamed Chillo» i am giving them one start because of the Chillo fish.

Mofongo. .. el mojo verde. .. ¡Me encanta!
Best Mofongo in PR always go here with my family when I visit. Brought my friends here they demanded to visit again before we left.
Get the Mofongo on the side! Get the chillo, they must be fishing it out from the side of the building SO fresh. Delicious yum wish I had some now.

This restaurant has the best mofongo!!!
I had the Mofongo with «Camarones al Ajillo» and the chicken kabobs and it was delicious!!! I highly recommend this restaurant.

I have been coming here to the same 2 brothers for going on 20 years to get the best «pinchos de pollo» (chicken kabobs) on the island. I promise you will never find a meatier, juicier, and tastier pincho on the island for a better price. These guys definitely know how to do it better!

My brother asked for mofongo with octopus, instead they served him octopus salad. It was still good. I ordered the Salmorejo de Jueyes, umm, that was really good. The sea view was incredible.

As real and as «island» as PR gets is what you’ll experience at this SIMPLE open-​air Rubbermaid Chair casual spot that’s one step up from a picnic kind of place. I LOVE their Chicken «Pincho’s» (kebabs) made with the FRESHEST Chicken (chicken tastes so much better in PR because it lacks hormones, etc). Wash it down with the local Medalla Light beer and enjoy the 100% local scene, best weekends before sunset. Just a great local no-​frills good people vibe here. Also visit the adjacent Clam Man with his big cooler of clams and his nice son. he’s not cheap but boy oh boy, his stuff is FRESH! I left my bag there by mistake and he tracked me down to return it. I love this place, take a left at the big «LOIZA» sign after you cross the small Isla Verde Bridge… give the cute chubby Pincho guy a kiss for me.

I really and truly wish that I had the experience the other reviewers (75% of whom are my friends) had at PdM. Sadly, I was not to have the best mofongo of my life. Truly, I was lucky to get anything at all!
When you travel to San Juan, you have to spend a day or two walking around Pinones. The beach, sky and local flavor can’t be beat. As I passed by hut after hut of folks grilling out, drinking and enjoying life, I felt the twinge to ‘forget’ that I needed to return to a busy life in Chicago and make my new home on the shore, absorbing the night sky and fresh seafood. Since my buddy was taking me to all things local, he thought that spending the night here drinking and eating was a good idea. He was right. In theory.
I don’t know who [redacted] in my waitresses’ corn flakes that morning but whoever did so inspired her to a reign of terror the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the Grinch stole Christmas. She was mean, grumpy, rude, and entirely unhelpful. I was excited to come in and enjoy an on-​the-​beach evening and she did everything she could to make sure that didn’t happen. How? To begin with, she refused to wait on me and my party. There were three of us and no amount of sitting (and doing nothing), waving, raising our hands, or GETTING UP would cajole her into service. Only after I went to the bar (after watching an entire episode of The Simpsons with nada for ol’ chica) to buy a piña colada (it’s always about the rum) did she come to ‘help’ us – and that required the folks behind the bar yelling at her to do so.
My appetite was gone. I was already having a difficult time swallowing the tourist food prices at a local hangout ($ 19 for mofongo con camerones? Really?) but having to work for my food was not what was up. My friends decided to go around the feisty waitress by buying some pinchos from the guys grilling up front. As incredible as it sounds, grilled meat on a stick doesn’t do much for me. Thus, I have never been a big fan of pinchos. At least give me some bbq sauce or chimichurri or something. Nah. Not for me. For what it’s worth, they LOVED the pinchos… and my Unilocal friends loved the food. I would have LOVED to have had a similar experience. How do you say «le sad» in Spanish?

Anyone who has an afternoon to kill while in San Juan really ought to head out to Pinones. This ex-​slave refuge, turned food stall haven tucked around a gorgeous combination of rocky cliff lines and beautiful beaches is an awesome get-​away without really getting all that far away from San Juan. In fact, a city bus from Viejo San Juan for approximately $ 0.75 (I say that because I think I paid $ 0.50 on the way back without a second look from the bus driver) will basically take you out far enough to have a short little walk to make it the rest of the way.
When bombarded with a ton of choices for food, it can be tough to figure out what to have, or which stall to choose from. In the end– you go with your instincts and most likely a little voice in your head will be saying «go over there where all the people are, dummy!»
Which is where my lovely travel companion and I found ourselves (but also a big thank you goes out to Carla B. for pointing us in the right direction). Puerta Del Mar offers up a pretty hefty menu of traditional comida boricua, and let me tell you– they do it right.
That damned fried chicken was awesome. A bit different from what I am used to– it is super-​crisp and chewy– but very flavorful and delicious.
The star of the show though (other than the experience of drinking with locals) is that mofongo. If you look through the posted pictures– you’ll see it. It is that tan colored dome sitting on the plates.
If you try it out and see those pictures, like me right now, you’ll surely get very hungry for it. Perfect balance between starch, texture/​chew, and a creaminess that comes from the oil it is cooked in– this stuff is amazing.
You can’t go wrong with $ 1.25 Medallas (Puerto Rico’s version of a Corona/​Old Style/Stroh’s, but actually really refreshing on a warm/​hot day), and the roofed dining area is a good refuge from the sun and any sudden Caribbean storms that burst forth.
Get your but out to Pinones, and look for this place. It is well-​worth the trip!

Carla B:
***THE BEST MOFONGO I’VE EVER HAD.****
Well I was obviously NOT born and raised in Puerto Rico and my experience of mofongo was somewhat limited before making it to La Isla del Encanto but man… that was a mighty tasty mound of mashed plaintains if there was ever one!
And yes — that was the best of my trip.
Hands down.
It’s difficult to really explain what set it apart from all the other ones… maybe a lack of dryness? a little extra flavor? a perfect consistence? Who cares??? When it’s good — you just eat, shut up and don’t think too much.
It’s exactly what I did with much delight.
I chose the shrimp option (but there are like, 12 of them); a good half dozen of huge butterflied shrimp (served cold), slightly marinated and served with strips of pepper ($ 14) Wonderful. Cold Medallas, of course ($ 1.50).
Perfection.
It’s not fancy: plastic chairs, tables, forks and knives. But forget about luxury: it has tons of charm. Listen to the salsa (you won’t have any choice!), watch the kids dance and flirt, play pool, kick back and relax.
Then head to the beach, and come back for more!: D

The above review by the local is good. I thought the food was above average, and the prices were decent, compared to what I saw elsewhere in PR. Overall, I found food, in general, to be pretty expensive. I don’t have a lot to compare it to, but I was happy with my lunch.
I had a land crab gumbo, and the other in my party had a shrimp mofongo. Both were really solid.

***THE BEST MOFONGO I’VE EVER HAD.***
And I’m a born-​and-​raised-​in-​the-​Island Puerto Rican.
Disclaimer: Please remember Puerto Rico is not big on Unilocal yet, since it’s small enough for any local to find restaurants, therefore the majority of business owners don’t advertise a lot and locals have no real need for it.
Order that mofongo as a side dish for the fried snapper. And don’t be shy about using their green dressing garlic «mojito» on the mofongo.
Btw, a little PR101 for the tourists:
***kiosko = food stand.
***mojito = an olive oil, white vinegar & garlic dressing; the Puerto Rican version of the Italian vinaigrette. ;-) No, it has no rum. I really don’t know why they named a cocktail with the same name. [scratches head…]
***mofongo = a mashed plantain (sometimes yucca) dish, that comes either as a side dish or as a main entrée stuffed with chicken, beef, pork or seafood. When made stuffed, it usually has a sauce. As a side it doesn’t have sauce.
***chillo = (‘chee-​yo’) snapper; and funny enough this term is also slang when referring to an illegitimate lover or mistress [chillo (masc.) /​chilla (fem.)]
Back to the restaurant subject! I’ll be very specific: there’s no A/​C and it’s VERY casual. Only locals here. You eat and drink cheap and there’s pool tables so you can shoot some while you wait for your food. One thing I don’t love is that the music is quite unnecessarily loud. BUUUUT! If you really want to experience GREAT mofongo, just have a beer (local brand is Medalla) and live a little — have a stroll out of your element for once! :-)
The deep fried typical alcapurrias and bacalaos are great. You’ll need to intensify your cardio for 2 days, but it’s worth it!
The place has plenty of free parking. If you’re a tourist staying in Isla Verde and not driving, you can take a 10 minute cab, or the C45 bus straight to the Piñones area. If you’re in Condado, it would be the A5 bus to Isla Verde, and then the C45. If you’re driving, just know if you make it to the Isla Verde Avenue where the El San Juan Hotel is (driver’s left), you just need to keep driving straight ahead until you see the little shacks with all the smoke blowing.
***¡Buen provecho! = Enjoy! :-)
— — — — — — — — — — — –En Puertorro, ahora — — — — — — — — — — — -
Mucho de esto no necesita traducción.
Soy nacida y criada en la Isla, y viví ahí hasta el otro día. Realmente este es el mejor mofongo que me he comido, incluyendo el de Mami, quien es excelente cocinera… (¡Que no lea esto, porque me mata!)
El mojito de ajo es hecho por ellos y excelente. El mofongo no es seco para nada, y el pescado de chillo frito como que se deshace en tu boca. Y aparte del sabor, es súper barato.
El sitio en sí NO es elegante en lo absoluto — por el contrario, si vas, prepárate pa’ espantar las moscas con la mano, y tener que bregar con música en volumen alto, en fin, tipo Piñones. Pero con decir que cuando voy a ver a mi familia, DONDE PRIMERO PARO después de salir del aeropuerto es en este lugar, lo digo todo. Las frituras, claro está, no pueden faltar, y las arañitas son riquísimas también.
¡Cuando se inventen una autopista de acá pa’llá, sufriré menos!!! :’-(
Por cierto, ¡no sean so-​vagos y hagan aunque sea una reseña corta si van, a ver si nos ponemos en el mapa cibernético de Unilocal,que hay muy poco escrito por los locales sobre restaurantes o negocios! ¡Y con lo buena que es la comida en Puerto Rico, es una real pena que no escriba nadie na’! ¡He dicho! ;-D