Inside la Isla

22

Aug
2022

You have to ‘Chinchorrear’ to taste the best of Puerto Rico

By Peter Martin 6322 0
2022

If there’s one thing that’s true beyond a shadow of a doubt about Puerto Ricans, is that we love to party and eat.

And not only do we love to eat, but we will trek across the island looking for restaurants, food trucks, or holes-in-the-wall to find the best dishes. On the weekends, that tradition is known as chinchorreo, when friends and family get together to hit laid-back or off the beaten path spots, usually outside the San Juan metropolitan area, for a cold beer, pool, dance with a jukebox or live music and savor some of our best typical cuisine.

There are countless chinchorros and many fabulous scenic routes –mountain and coastal alike – but Bienvenidos found some notable coastal places that are worth including in your road trip whether going on your own with a rental car or booking a private bus with driver to take you to a predefined route when you’re on the island.

Over on the eastern side of the island are the iconic Luquillo kiosks, a strip of about 60 restaurants featuring everything from Puerto Rico’s basic dishes to a variety of international options, creative cocktails and, of course, souvenirs.

The kiosks, located on Route 3, down the road from El Yunque Rainforest, are a magnet for locals and tourists on the weekends, when the crowd is a mix of bikers, families and vacationers. Some of the kiosks face the road, and others face the gorgeous Luquillo beach. Most feature a glass-encased display of traditional fritters, meat and seafood turnovers, stuffed potato balls and corn sticks, known as sorullitos de maiz.

While the list of possibilities is long, there are several restaurants there that are worth checking out. Prices depend on how fancy or laid back the menu is.

Kiosk 50, A Fuego Bar & Restaurant offers a unique fusion of savory Colombian and Puerto Rican fare. Its menu combines both Caribbean cuisines with an assortment of food like fruits, root vegetables, as well as fresh fish and seafood. This lively restaurant has a fire station theme, which originated in honor of 9/11. As its attraction, A Fuego has a fire cabin where guests can sit and take selfies, turn on lights, sound the siren and even take a virtual ride.

Kiosk 38, Ceviche Hut, offers Peruvian fare, including ceviche, seafood paella, and chaufa rice. You may want to wash everything down with a Pisco sour, Peru’s most famous cocktail.

One of the most popular sit-down restaurants on the row is El Brindis, Kiosk 43. The fish tacos and the variety of stuffed mofongo and seafood salad options are among the most-ordered dishes, while the cocktail menu is also appealing.

On the more typical Puerto Rican side of the list is La Parrilla, the tenant at Kiosk 2. Although on the pricier side of the scale, this self-proclaimed “king of lobsters” has them in all sizes and preparations. Whether thermidor, or stuffed with seafood, all are paired with a side of typical rice and beans, or other options such as the house specialty, rice with sweet plantains.

Tucked away in a stunning enclave where the Rio Grande de Manati river meets the Atlantic Ocean in the northern town of Barceloneta, is a sector known as “La Boca.” There, you will find a cluster of some of the most relaxed — and colorful — restaurants, each offering their own delicious specialty.

Getting there is easy, as it’s a virtual straight shot heading west on highway PR22, about 45 minutes from San Juan. The point of reference is the picturesque Puerto Rico Premium Outlets, where you will hang a left once you get off the exit, onto Route 684 and follow the signs that will take you through the Barceloneta town square and miles of lush green flatlands.

After crossing the bridge over the river, the first spot you’ll see to your left is El Bohio del Gran Pescador, whose menu features fresh-caught fish, pickled root vegetables, octopus salad and a Puerto Rican staple — the mofongo — a fried green plantain dish that can be paired as a side dish, or stuffed with just about any tasty protein.

Down the road is an oceanfront restaurant that’s truly hard to miss because of the yacht sitting on the roof emblazoned with its Pura Pesca name. The casual sit-down eatery is open air and faces the Atlantic, so the ocean breeze will cool you off on a hot tropical day.

Pura Pesca features a bilingual menu and is run by a trio of young guys who serve a full range of options — anchored by the “Constant,” an oversized serving of crab with rice, red beans, Mahi-Mahi filet with tostones, or twice-fried green plantains. Not to be missed is their hefty alcapurria, a fritter that combines a mixture of starchy vegetables such as green plantains and yautia, and is stuffed with ground beef or seafood.

As a final note, it’s always a good idea to check the operating hours for each of these locations on their social media pages, as some open differently depending on the time of the year.

Let’s get this chinchorreo roadtrip started!