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Restaurant Raices – Old San Juan, Puerto Rico – Good Food Hunting

Upon arriving in San Juan for Ray & Evelyn’s wedding over Memorial Day, we checked in to the hotel. And while I longed for a nap, Chris forced me to go down to the casino and have a drink first. I was a little hungry too so we ordered some jerk chicken wings.  Incredibly hot and somebody ate all the celery up before I got more than one stick. I couldn’t eat more than 3 1/2 wings since I was sure my mouth was about to catch on fire.  The mojito I ordered (made with raspberry rum- highly recommended!) was too expensive to order another, flaming lips or not.

So, we adjourned to the casino proper where Chris headed to the roulette table. I don’t really get the draw of roulette. Instead, I took $20 and sat down at a video poker machine. I have somehow convinced myself that there is just a smidgen of skill required in this game as compared to slots.  Within 10 minutes of playing, I pulled 4 Aces on some triple triple bonus round. I won $318.  And I was done. I cashed out, showed Chris my slip and got the dinero from the cage then went upstairs. After that, I deserved a nap (side note: we left Detroit at 6:45 AM on Friday morning. I did not sleep the night before and I don’t sleep well on planes. We arrived in PR about 1:30).

Post nap, I, alas, had to do a little homework. Then, we made plans to meet up with the rest of the mainland crew and the bridal party for a post-rehearsal dinner. As it turned out, our hotel has 2 locations and we were staying in the one by the airport whereas most everyone else was staying in Old San Juan.  This meant we were going to end up taking a lot of cab rides, making that casino win all the more appreciated!

Someone, I’m not sure who, had chosen Restaurant Raíces as the place for dinner that night. Sam had arranged the “reservation” but the rule was they would not seat us until the whole party was there.  While we waited for stragglers, a few of us periodically peaked inside to mentally coerce a few slowpokes to finish eating so our table would be ready ASAP.  Sam mentioned that he and his wife had come down this street the night before and there was quite a line out the door then. The staff was obviously used to large groups and touristas because our waiter (whom I’m going to call Fred since I can’t remember but it was something like that) talked loud enough for the whole table to hear while he explained the basics of the menu and their specialties.

We ordered drinks first. Most everyone ordered a mojito or variation of mojito that included fruit juice (mango, passion fruit, etc). There was something called a beso tropical (Tropical Kiss) which was excessively sweet according to the one taster. There were also a few pina coladas on the table. While our mojitos were served in tall cocktail glasses, the coladas and non-alcoholic beverages came in tin cups. I had a mango mojito which was not as good as the raspberry one earlier.

As a table, we had two orders of Festival Típico, like a sampler platter, which included bacalaítos, alcapurrias, piononos, taquitos de jueyes and mofongo de yuca.In other words:  cod fish fritters, root vegetable fritters stuffed with meat, ripe fried plaintains stuffed with meat, crab meat turnovers and mashed cassava. We also had a couple orders of carne frita (fried pork bits) to split.  Of all that stuff, you may notice a theme: fried, fried and more fried.

For dinner, many of the group went with the recommended specialties which included

Tornado- Skirt Steak stuffed with mashed root vegetables, crowned with 5 shrimps and covered in a mushroom gravy

Mike models the house special

Chuleta Kan Kan – Kan Kan Pork Chop

Colin prepares to eat the biggest pork chop ever

Dorado a la Criolla Relleno de Camarjones al Ajillo – Mahi Mahi Creole Style stuffed with Garlic Shrimp 

This is what I got. And I forgot to take a picture! It was good and garlicky.  We were impressed that the menu (in Spanish) called the fish by its real name: Dorado is also know as dolphin (fish). The name was changed to Mahi Mahi because idiots uninformed consumers thought they were actually offering up dolphin (mammals) on the menus of seafood restaurants. Anyhow, the fish itself was okay but as I said, lots of garlic.

Mofongo Relleno de churrasco al chimichurri y camarones al ajillo- Mashed plaintains stuffed with Chimichurre skirt steak and shrimp 

Mofongo

A lot of people ordered Mofongo, which is available a number of different ways. I’m not sure which variety this picture is.  Mofongo is a huge thing in Puerto Rico. Its basically the starch on your plate instead of potatoes or rice. Although rice and beans as a side is pretty commonplace too.

Lomillo empenado – breaded beefsteak, served either plain, or Nydia style (green pepper, tomato and onion sauce) or Erick Style (mushrooms, onions, peas and red wine). Nydia and Erick are the owners, I believe. Chris ordered this Erick Style. With rice and beans on teh side. He said it was good but not what he was expecting. He had confused empenado with empanada, the meat-stuffed pastry. Empenado, as far as I can tell, is like schnitzel: breaded meat covered in a gravy. Think Weiner Schnitzel or Country-Fried Steak.

Because we’d eaten so many appetizers and the meals all came with salads plus a hearty serving of starchy sides (rice or mofongo), we skipped dessert. Instead, we had a serenade by the staff to wrap up our evening (which followed two separate renditions of Happy Birthday, in Spanish, to other tables).

I have no recollection of the bill but it seemed like a reasonable amount of money at the time. This place is obviously very popular with tourists but there are locals who frequent the place regularly too. They were not really appreciative of our loitering outside while we waited for our table.

The restaurant is located in Old San Juan, the “old part” of the capital. We didn’t get to walk around too much but much of the hotels and shopping are nearby as well. Any cabdriver can get you to this place, even if you mangle the name. Trust me.

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RAICES RESTAURANT — Caribbean restaurant in San Juan

171 Hints and reviews

Filter:

• For special events
• for groups
• Authentic 9000
• for a night out
• informally
• good prices
• mojito
• piña colada
• chuletas de cerdo
• bistec
• mofongo
• sangría
• churrasco
• camarones
• flan
• (15 more)

900 good50

• was. 90 very5go52 We had one with skirt steak with chumichurri, one with Carne Fritas and one with chicken. They were all good, but the Carne Fritas were a bit tough. Overall, a very good meal.

• Best food I had in PR! The place looks like a huge tourist trap, the decor is the worst. We came in anyway based on the photos of the food posted in 4sq. The food is actually amazing! Pork is a must.

• The Kan Kan was the BEST pork chop I’ve ever had in my life!! It was amazing!!! The flavors and let’s not forget about the white rice & beans was the deal breaker!! Great food and ambiance

• Order the «Festival Tipico» appetizer! It’s delicious and you get to try a variety of typical Puerto Rican foods. Also, get the red Sangria. It’s so good! The service here is excellent, too!

• Great, thought it was a tourist trap for years but decided to try it and it was fantastic, will definitely go again! A most try when in Puerto Rico!

• This is a great spot to try mofongo, which is mashed green plantains stuffed with fish or meat and served in a traditional wooden mortar and pestle. \nMore

• Pork can-can (or is it kan-kan?). Either way, like a juicy pork chop plus ribs- Outstanding! Also the Mofongo with skirt steak was tender, juicy with a terrific flavor. Can’t lose with those.

• The best place in Old San Juan! Please, try the meat mofongo, their arroz con abichuelas, and their house specialty drinks. Amazing. The sangria. Sit at the bar! Is great, ask for juan.

• Really wonderful. Top notch service, delicious food, great ambiance as well. Also very close to all the action happening in Old San Juan. Make it a mission to go here!

• The paella is amazing!!! Tastes like the ocean…it’s THAT fresh. And the Mojitos are great! Try the Parcha (Passion Fruit) mojito!

• We really enjoyed our meal! Service was very good. We ordered sangria and the shrimp app and both came very quickly. Salad too. Waited for the entree but nothing too much. Come and relax

• Excellent! It is a must in PR. Try the MOFONGO DE CHURRASCO! It is the best mofongo ever!

• Carne grits o encebollada with yellow rice was so savory, and the mofongo churassco was great! The passion fruit mojito was good but a tad on the sweeter side.

• Prueben los camarones con coco y queso, las chuletas con arroz y el mofongo de camarones. Las piñas coladas son divinas!

• You can order a mofongo mix of two seafood: try octopus + shrimp with local sauce! Delicious!!

• Went for the lunch special so the price was right! A little «cheesy» with the decor….but super friendly waitstaff and delish food will make me go back!

• Only come in groups! Since foods are ginormous. The vaca brava is our favorite. The staff is very attentive and the place is really cool!

• Mientras esperas mesa ve a donde Juan para q te de un mojito! Acá puedes probar un delicioso mofongo de carne — muy rico!

• I waa told to try Raices before coming to Old San Juan, even the park rangers at the fort and a cop on the street said it was the best. I was not disappointed! This is a must stop in Old San Juan!

• Traditional Puerto rican cuisine in its true form. This is LIFE. Food and atmosphere is what makes this place a one of a kind gem.

• Wow! I have eaten skit stake from many places but this one in the better i have tasted! (i have been here before and it hast tasted as good as this one today)

• Aunque siempre esta lleno, el servicio es excelente, los tragos buenísimos, la comida exquisita y los postres espectaculares. Si hay fila y tienes hambre vale la pena esperar.

• Great authentic puertorican food. But DO NOT go on Sunday’s!!!!! This is when cruises arrive to Puerto Rico. So imagine the chaos! Waited 2 hours for a table.

• Mufongo with shrimp and mahi-mahi garlic flavored was excellent as well as the guava mohito!!

• I recommend the «Mashed Green Plantains stuffed with garlic Shrimp». Yummy!

• A must visit in San Juan, really authentic,the best MOFONGO in town,and the friendly staff is a big plus,try the mojitos

• The ceviche was yummy! I couldn’t eat after days of meat-filled Puerto Rican meals. This, plus rice and beans did the trick.

• De las mejores piñas coladas de Puerto Rico. El mofongo muy bueno

• The best pina colada!! 🍹Try the mofongo! It’s delicious!

• Great service, very friendly, good food! CFL Fluorescent lighting is annoying.

• De lo mejor, recomendable, parada obligada para comer comida Puertorriqueña, pero… cómo es posible que no tengan en el menú arañitas?

• OMG! You have to try the mofungo stuffed with beef steak! It was so good!

• If you are vegetarian, you can eat a *little* bit here…& long wait on weekends. good service

• Mofongos are exquisite and the juices are natural. Puertorrica food at its best!

• Steak mofongo ($19) w white an beans (4.50/side) was amazing. Waited over an hour but it was worth it for us since we weren’t in a huge rush

• Mofongo with churrasco is to die for!!! Pina colada was perfect.

• If there’s a long wait, go next door to Inarú. The price is comparable, personal service and food that tastes as if abuela made it!

• Comida MUY buena. Mofongo super sabroso asi como la piña colada. Muy buena atención.

• the chimichurri skirt steak mofongo is out of this world!

• Regarding anything that requires a sufficient amount of mastication, little can be said. As in most cases, the water was nothing to write home about.

• 1 or 2 people and there is a wait, go sit at the bar (back and to the right).

• Try the infamous chuleta kan-kan (as seen in man vs. food). Dragonberry mojito & and mofongo are a can’t-miss.

• Uno de los platos más populares de este restaurante, «Chuleta Kan Kan», apareció en un programa de televisión. ¡Pruébalo y cuéntanos en Aprendí si verdaderamente mereció sus 15 minutes de fama! \nRead More

• You really go here for the name or for the kick back taxi + hotel employees get… service sucks and food is ok but overpriced… go 2 doors down to Inarú or Al Dente… bit expensive but food is amazing

• The fish tacos were delicious! Definitely with the order.

• Excellent Place, nice puertorican food. Very tasty food and good drinks.

• Their mofongo is delicious!!!

• La comida es muy rica el servicio rápido y el lugar casual muy bueno para una cena familiar

• Great place to get drinks in Old San Juan.

• If you order the chuleta kan kan make sure you don’t have any heart conditions the pork chop has about 6oz of fat still on it, good but very greasy

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hotels in San Juan del Cesar, — Booking.com

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HOTEL SAN JUAN PLAZA

Hotel in San Juan del Cesar

HOTEL SAN JUAN PLAZA is located in San Juan del Cesar. It offers a shared lounge, a garden and a terrace. It offers a 24-hour front desk and room service.

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8.1

Very good

19 reviews

Price from

€11

per night

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Casa Murillo Hotel

3 stars

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Hotel in San Juan del Cesar

The San Juan del Cesar offers comfortable rooms with balconies and free Wi-Fi. The hotel is located just 300 meters from the commercial area. Breakfast is served daily.
Check in process was easy and fast. Staff was amazing. Breakfast was delicious.

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8.8

Fantastic

32 reviews

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€ 19

per night

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HOTEL PROVINCIA PLAZA

5 stars

Hotel in San Juan del Cesar

Located in San Juan del Cesar, 3.9 km from Zambrano, HOTEL PROVINCIA PLAZA features accommodation with a restaurant, free private parking, a bar and a terrace.

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8.8

Fantastic

5 reviews

Price from

€ 18

per night

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Villa Molino

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Villanueva (Near San Juan del Cesar)

Villa molino, a property with an outdoor swimming pool, a bar and a terrace, is set in Villanueva, 700 meters from El Molino, 2.2 km from Los Placeres, as well as 3.4 km from El Corral.

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1

Review score

1 reviews

Price from

€ 88

per night

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Hospedaje Tuuma

Hotel in Fonseca

Hospedaje Tuuma is located in Fonseca. It offers air-conditioned rooms. The hotel’s front desk is open 24 hours a day. Room service is available.

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8.5

Very good

13 reviews

Price from

€ 12

per night

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Hotel Guajira Real

4 stars

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Hotel in Fonseca

Hotel Guajira Real is located in Fonseca. It features a restaurant, bar, shared lounge and free WiFi throughout the property.
The staff was very friendly, the best one was the kitchen lady… she made sure our food was different and tasty.
The rooms were very clean
Beds were comfortable

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6.8

Review score

8 reviews

Price from

€24

per night

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Hotel Daniels

Hotel in Fonseca

Located in Fonseca, within 1.7 km of Las Marías and 2 km of Costa Rica, Hotel Daniels features accommodation with a shared lounge and free WiFi throughout the property as well as free private parking…

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9.1

Excellent

7 reviews

Price from

€12

per night

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POLO HOTEL

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Hotel in Villanueva

Located in Villanueva, within 1.1 km of Urumita and 3.4 km of Manicongo, POLO HOTEL offers accommodation with a terrace and as well as free private parking for guests who drive.

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€ 10

per night

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Hostal Casa Susana

Villanueva (Near San Juan del Cesar)

Set in Villanueva, within 1.7 km of Urumita and 4 km of Manicongo, Hostal Casa Susana offers accommodation with a garden and as well as free private parking for guests who drive.

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€ 23

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Casa Campo Mi Valle Km9

Valledupar (Near San Juan del Cesar)

Located in Valledupar, within 2.8 km of Los Corazones and 6 km of Las Raíces, Casa Campo Mi Valle Km9 offers accommodation with free WiFi, air conditioning, an outdoor swimming pool and a shared.