SKIP THE FAST FOOD AND TRY THE STREET FOOD.

Yes you will find, Burger King, McDonalds, Pizza Hut etc. here in Puerto Rico, but you will also find: food stalls in Old San Juan, food kiosks at Luquillo, Lechoneras in Guavate and roadside food vendors all over the island, serving great inexpensive foods that you probably won’t find back home. I know which ones I would prefer to try…

Here in Puerto Rico there is an abundance of roadside stalls, carts and vans serving traditional Puerto Rican snack foods that are not only very tasty but also perfect for those on a budget. Whether you are sightseeing around Old San Juan, trekking through El Yunque Rainforest or discovering the island by car, you will find roadside vendors serving up mouth watering snack foods such as: empanadillas, alcapurrias, bacalaitos relleno de papa con carne, as well as more hearty dishes such as; lechon, arroz y habichuelas, mofongo, tostones, the list goes on.

You don’t have to just take my word for it, as Budget Travel just named Puerto Rico as the 5th best destination for street food in the world, citing Pinones as one of the best places on the island for frituras (fried snacks)

The roadside is not only place to find great reasonably priced foods, just head to one of the many Panadaria’s (bakery) for tasty sandwiches, snacks, pastries and Puerto Rican coffee. There are also plenty of locally run restaurants that are also reasonably priced serving traditional Puerto Rican dishes. Just ask at your hotel, check out our restaurant page, check salpr (a local restaurant listing website with reviews) or visit TripAdvisor for user recommendations

So remember, if you are on a budget here in Puerto Rico (and even if you are not), you know what to do; skip the fast foods and try the local foods, you won’t be disappointed

Here are just a few places we’ve found great cheap snacks around the island:

Old San Juan, vans and stalls selling traditional snack foods and local drinks such as; mavi, pina coladas and piraguas (flavored shaved ice)
Pinones, numerous roadside stalls and restaurants
Rd. 681 close to Arecibo Lighthouse Park, selling snack foods
Guavate, for Lechonera’s (local restaurants serving roast pig and traditional side dishes)
El Yunque, Isama Bakery
Luquillo kiosks, numerous small kiosks where you can grab a snack or a sit down meal
Rd. 901 near Yabucoa, road side stalls selling snack foods, fruits and drinks
Rd. 10 heading to Lago Dos Bocas and Utuado, road side stalls selling snack foods, fruits and drinks

You get the picture. Wherever you decide to explore you will find someone serving up great local foods.

Do you have favorite Puerto Rican street food (and location)? Share them in the comments below.

These are just some of the many food delights that await you here in Puerto Rico. If you have visited Puerto Rico then I am sure you have tried some if not all of the above. If you have not visited Puerto Rico yet, then when you do, make sure you sample plenty of the local dishes that can be found around the island.

For anyone interested in learning more about Puerto Rican cooking and its history, why not check out a workshop taught by a local chef. Thanks to Chef Tamara I found this site that offers a half/full day workshop in Puerto Rican Cookery. Chef Luly Bustillo runs CAPACH, the Vocational Training Center of Culinary Arts and Hospitality.

CAPACH offers the ‘Culinary Tourism: Cocina Criolla workshop (in English and Spanish)’. This workshop is intended for visitors to Puerto Rico who are willing to experience a culinary adventure in Caribbean Creole cuisine. ‘The goal of this workshop, offered by request, is to use your visit to learn about the local ingredients, learn the basic techniques in the preparation of local delicacies and learn to cook these criollo recipes like a native’. (translated from the CAPACH website)

Sample Class (can be customized) would include:
Tragos (drinks): champola y pina colada
entremes (appetizer): sorullitos y bacalaitos
plato principal (main course): mofongo relleno de pollo
postre (dessert): tres leches de coquito

There is a minimum of 5 people and price varies depending on the menu / activities, and can be a half day or full day including a visit to a local market.

Contact Information for CAPACH:
Chef Luly Bustillo
CAPACH
Campo Rico Ave Corner C/24
Urb Castellana Gardens
# R-5, Carolina
Puerto Rico

Email: capach@me.com
Tel: 787 477-5967
Website: CAPACH

You can locate CAPACH here on our interactive map

Thanks again to Chef Tamara for providing the information on the workshop

If you have taken a cooking workshop with CAPACH or know of any other cooking classes here in Puerto Rico, please share in the comments section below.

For more Food related articles click on the links below:
Puerto Rico Food the Basics
Guavate the home of Lechon
Local Restaurants around Puerto Rico

Condado Culinary Festival Schedule:
Thursday 21 and Friday 22 starts at 7:00 pm
Saturday 23 starts at 5:00 pm
Sunday May 24 starts at 3:00 pm

If you are looking to sample some great food then this is your opportunity. As usual here in Puerto Rico, where there is food, there will be great local music. Some of the restaurants taking part in the 2009 Condado Culinary Festival include:

Ajili Mojili (Puerto Rican) 1052 Ashford Ave, Condado, 787-725-9195
Ambassador Grill (International) Hotel Radisson Ambassador, 1369 Ashford Ave, Condado, 787-721-7300
Antonio (International), 1406 Magdalena Ave, Condado, 787-721-2139
Bangkok & Bombay (Asian) 58 Caribe, Condado, 787-721-1470
Café del Angel (Puerto Rican) 1106 Ashford Ave, Condado, 787-643-7594
Dannys International Café (Pizzeria) 1351 Ashford Ave, Condado 787-724-0501
Di Parma (Mediterranean) Ventana del Mar, 1049 Ave Ashford, Condado, 787-721-7132
Jam (International), 1400 Magdalena Ave 1400, Edificio Casabella, Condado 787-721-5991
Kali (fusion), 1407 Ashford Ave, Condado, 787-721-5104
Miro (Seafood) The Chart House, 1214 Ashford Ave, Condado, 787-723-9593
Tijuana (Mexican) 1350 Ashford Ave, Condado, 787-723-3939
Ummo (Argentinian) Ashford 1351, Condado 787-722-1700
Waikiki Seafood & Oyster Bar (Seafood) 1025 Ave Ashford, Condado, 787-977-2266
Wasabi (Asian), 1372 Ashford Ave, Condado, 787-724-6411
Yerba Buena (Caribbean) 1372 Ave Ashford, Condado 787-721-5700

What: Condado Culinary Festival
Where: Ashford Avenue, La Ventana al Mar and la Plaza del Ancla in Condado, San Juan
When: May 21 – 24, 2009

Related Articles:
Puerto Rico Food Basics
Lechon in Guavate
Ideas for the San Juan Metro Area

Learning some of these (if not all) will help you enjoy your trip here, even more.

The above list is just a sample of what you can eat and drink here in Puerto Rico. If you think that one of the translations may not be correct, please add to the comments section below. Also, if there is anything that I have missed off that you think should be there, again, please add to the comments below.

Photo resource: booleansplit, cocola88, nikonvscanon, bigberto, nataliemaynor, heydrienne, sophiea and rajuvaidyazuiq

Related Articles:
Lechon in Guavate
Mofongo
Restaurants around Puerto Rico

Mofongo is a mixture of fried green plantains or fried yuca, mashed together with garlic, olive oil and usually pork cracklings. It can be served as a side dish or as a main dish, where it can be filled with chicken, beef, or seafood. It will either be served directly on the plate (as in the picture) or depending on the restaurant it may be served in it’s own wooden bowl.

Mofongo is just one of the many Puerto Rican foods that you need to try, the next time you are here. So if you see mofongo on the menu whether as an entrée or side dish, make sure to give it a try

photo resource: wiki

Related Articles:
Metropol
Puerto Rican foods
Guavate

Piragua’s are usually sold by roadside vendors from colorful carts and can be found throughout the island. If you wander around Old San Juan, then a piragua might just be the treat to try, to quench that thirst. Typical flavors include:

Anis (Anise)
Cereza (Cherry)
China (Orange)
Coco (Coconut)
Fresa (Strawberry)
Limon (Lemon)
Melao (syrup from the Sugar Cane)
Melon (Watermelon)
Piña (Pineapple)
Uva (Grape)

And many others.

So next time you are here, stop by one of the piragua carts and give one a try.

Photo resource: daquellamanera wikipedia

More articles:
Lechon (roast pork)
Lighthouses of Puerto Rico
Check out Ponce

The area is inundated with lechoneras (roadside cafeterias) whose specialty is seasoned slow roasted whole pig. Traditionally the pig is roasted over an open flame mounted on on a wooden spit called a varita, but now must use a steel spit. The pig is usually roasted for about 6 – 8 hours which ensures that the pork is pact with flavor, moist and tender. The roast pig is not the only delicacy on the menu; as you will find roast chicken, turkey, morcella (blood sausage) and numerous side dishes, including: rice and beans, rice with pigeon peas, tostones, mofungo, sweet potato and many more. If you happen to be there during the Christmas period you will also see pasteles, arroz con dulce and Puerto Rico’s very own egg nog ‘coquito’.

The main road up and through Guavate is lined with lechoneras, so you will have plenty of choices. Look for one that is busy and lively and then try to find parking at the side of the road close by.

Note: The road which is known locally as ‘La Ruta del Lechon’ is fairly winding and can become busy on weekends, so drive carefully.

The lechoneras in the area are cafeteria style with indoor and outdoor seating, where you line up and select what you would like from the counters. Once you have chosen your food, find a table and dig in.

Weekends are the best time to go if you really want to savor the atmosphere of the area, but even during the week you will find some of the lechoneras open.

What: Lechon (roast pig)
Where: Lechoneras in Guavate
When: Weekends are best before 12pm (but some are open during the week)
Map It

Directions from San Juan:
Take Highway 52) south and take exit 32 (Guavate). Make a left and head up Rd 184. You will find lechonaras all along the route with some of the most popular around km. 27.

Enjoy!!!

Related Articles:
Restaurants around Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Kiosk Food

Friday 15th August to Sunday 17th August at the Puerto Rico Convention Center.

Just like last years event, chefs from the Food Network as well as international and renowned local chefs will be taking part in demonstrations during the festival.

Headlining this years event are:

Guy Fieri
Winner of the 2006 ‘Next Food Network Star’ program on the Food Network, Guy is now a regular contributor with his ‘Diners Drive-ins and Dives’ and ‘Guys Big Bites’ programs. Guy is the owner of Johnny Garlic’s and Tex Wasabi located in Northern California.

Marcella Valladolid
Hosts the ‘Relatos Con Sabor’ (Stories with Flavor) program on the Discvery Channel en Espanol. She is a graduate of the Los Angeles Culinary Institute as well as the Ritz-Escoffier cooking school in Paris

Harold Dieterle
Winner of Bravo’s 2005 ‘Top Chef’ program, Harold has opened his own restaurant Perilla in the heart of Greenwich Village, New York

George Duran
Is the man behind ‘Ham on the Streets’ on the Food Network channel. Born in Venezuela he now lives in Brooklyn, New York. His culinary influences are French, Armenian and South American

Wilo Benet
Really needs no introduction for the local of Puerto Rico. In 1988 he was the Chef de Cuisine at the Governors Mansion and in 1990 he opened Pikayo restaurant, now currently located in the Museum de Arte, Puerto Rico in San Juan

Roberto Trevino
Has participated in the Food Networks ‘Iron Chef’ show has been chef at the El Conquistador resort and is now running his latest venture ‘Budutai’, a 5000 sq ft restaurant in Condado over looking the Ventana Del Mar.

If you would like to be part of the 2008 Puerto Rico Wine and Food Festival tickets are available at Ticket Center Puerto Rico priced at $85 per day.

Related Information:
Puerto Rico Local Food
Kiosk Food in Puerto Rico
Restaurants around Puerto Rico

Here in Puerto Rico there are many traditional foods and drinks that appear over the Christmas Holiday Season and Coquito is one of my favorites.

Coquito is Puerto Rico’s Christmas eggnog and it is delicious. If you are here in Puerto Rico over the Christmas period, more than likely you will be offered a glass or two during your stay. If you are unfortunate, to be elsewhere, you can always make your own.

The following recipe is taken from ‘A Taste of Puerto Rico’ by Yvonne Ortiz (one of my favorite Puerto Rican Cook Books).

Coquito Ingredients (makes 5 cups):
1 cup of coconut milk
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup white rum
1 cup of water
3 cinnamon sticks
4 egg yolks, well beaten
Ground cinnamon for decoration

Recipe:
In a blender or food processor combine the milks and the rum.
Boil the water and the cinnamon sticks, then allow to cool to room temperature (don’t forget to remove cinnamon sticks),
Combine all of the ingredients (except ground cinnamon) and beat well using a blender or food processor.
Pour the Coquito into glass bottles and refrigerate until you are ready to drink.

Serve the chilled Coquito and add cinnamon to decorate

Enjoy…

Related Posts:
Local Puerto Rican food
Ropa Vieja Grill for Puerto Rican and Cuban cuisine

We thought it would be a great idea to provide a summary of some of the posts that we have featured on our blog (especially if you are new to Visit the Coqui). So here are a few posts that you might have missed.

Do I need a passport for Puerto Rico: as the title suggests; just some basic information on passport requirements for traveling to Puerto Rico

Renting a car in Puerto Rico: having a car is the best way to see what Puerto Rico has to offer and we have a few tips at this post, that will hopefully help you out.

Navigating around Puerto Rico: Puerto is not the biggest place in the world, but it is one of the biggest islands in the Caribbean; so finding your way around can be a challenge. This post provides a few ideas on getting around the island.

El Yunque where to walk: This post gives information on one of the best places to visit when you are here; El Yunque rainforest

5 things to do in Ponce: Ponce is the major city in the south of the island, and this posts provides a few suggestions on what to see there.

Puerto Rico the local food: This post gives a brief summary of some of the great local food that you have to try when you are here in Puerto Rico

Ropa Vieja Grill: This is one of my favorite restaurants located in the Condado area of San Juan

A Mexican Treat… Margarita’s: Look no further than Margarita’s if you are looking for great Mexican food

Images of Puerto Rico: This is a slideshow of some of the images that I have captured while being here in Puerto Rico

Chirangas at El Morro: Chirangas, are kites and area just in front of El Morro on a Sunday afternoon is the place to be to see families flying chirangas.

have fun here in Puerto Rico.