Where do the locals eat?

We will be in San Juan this coming Saturday and Sunday, before our Liberty cruise.

Want to experience real good local Puerto rican cuisine.

Where do the locals eat? Prefer to go where tourists do not generally go.

DW wants to do Barrachina with the flamenco show. How is that?

What about Punta design Vista? Not sure about the rooftop, stair climbing may be an issue for DW.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

You can find places in town or even at isle verde along the beach. A short ride though to pinones will hook you up with all the food that THEY are eating . Outdoor stands along the water. Sat. may be crowded. Give it a shot brother. You only live once. PS Do this on every island you go to. Tell the cab driver take me to a place where you would eat. Buy him lunch. Happy travels. Joe

Once on the ship, ask crew members (bartenders, etc.)where they go.

They are always a good source of information for this sort of thing. :)

You can find places in town or even at isle verde along the beach. A short ride though to pinones will hook you up with all the food that THEY are eating . Outdoor stands along the water. Sat. may be crowded. Give it a shot brother. You only live once. PS Do this on every island you go to. Tell the cab driver take me to a place where you would eat. Buy him lunch. Happy travels. Joe

Thanks for the Isla verde suggestion. We are staying closeby in Ocean park. We'll check it out.

Once on the ship, ask crew members (bartenders, etc.)where they go.

They are always a good source of information for this sort of thing. :)

I know the crew is always a good source for free wifi spots. I will ask about local restaurants, but I would think that since they eat free on board the ship, why would they spend their hard earned money on restaurants?

Thanks for the Isla verde suggestion. We are staying closeby in Ocean park. We'll check it out.

I cannot make specific recommendations as I live in San Juan, but I do work a block south of Ocean Park and I can tell you about the general area.

The good news is, everything will be within walking distance of Ocean Park! That neighborhood is the least touristy of all the "tourist strip" from Isla Verde to Old San Juan. Just off the main entrance to Ocean Park, there are several eateries on McLeary street in close proximity to each other. All are quite good and you can tell by the crowds. At least one of them serves breakfast from 6:00 AM.

As for where locals go, other than the breakfast place I just mentioned, there's Calle Loiza (or Loiza Street), located just one block south and running parallel to McLeary street. Loiza street used to be a low rent, shady district which is now being transformed on its own into a hipster-type community with many trendy boutiques and budget gourmet restaurants. Most of the restaurants are very good. You will find criollo (creole) restaurants, seafood restaurants, immigrant restaurants (Dominican, Greek, etc.), creative cuisine, food trucks, hot dog carts, bars...you name it. All at much lower prices than Condado, Isla Verde or Old San Juan.

Again, be aware that this is not Disneyland. Calle Loiza is being transformed without any planning or government intervention - which is great, IMHO - and you will run into some eyesores and smellsores (the sewage system is ancient, for example). But it is a generally safe area, both day and evening. Think of it as a low-density bazaar.

To get there, from the Ocean Park main gate, turn your back towards the ocean and face south. You'll see a narrow street that runs north/south and ends up at the corner of a gas station and a Laundromat. That's Maria Moczo Street. Walk a block south along that street and you end up at Calle Loiza. To the left (east) there will be a U.S. Post Office and a major U.S. chain drugstore. You shouldn't go much further east than Santa Teresita Church. There's not much more beyond that. To the right (west) along Loiza street) is where you will find the majority of restaurants. About a mile that way Loiza turns into Wilson Street and the Condado district).

Check out this article which talks about various places to eat in the Calle Loiza area and also about places in other close by areas.

http://www.trailingrachel.com/more-eating-and-drinking-in-santurce-san-juan-puerto-rico/

I know the crew is always a good source for free wifi spots. I will ask about local restaurants, but I would think that since they eat free on board the ship, why would they spend their hard earned money on restaurants?

Many of the bartenders we've met over the years look forward to having free time at a port stop so they can go to their favorite restaurant. He do get very tired of the food they are served on the ship.

I stayed in the Calle Loiza neighborhood Aviator just mentioned last week. Boy, did we have a great time! We even were invited to a local's birthday party who was working with a film crew for an Amazon tv series, and enjoyed great live bands.

La Cueva del Mar is a great local place, and they have a website. You'll see families during the early evening and singles later. Very good local menu.

A great, cheap place for breakfast is Bebo's. I think eggs, bacon, toast, and potatoes are less than $5. Beverage extra.

The SuperMax is another great place for all kinds of food. I bought a big container of salmon salad for $5.49+, and brought the leftovers home. Will be eating it the rest of this week!

Believe it or not, but Israel Mini Market on Calle Loiza is a local place that caters to the old-timers in the neighborhood. Very cheap food and drinks. Very hospitable!

The locals eat at many of the same restaurants as the tourists. They don't usually eat at the resort/hotel restaurants, but you will see locals at almost every restaurant, because they like to socialize by going out to eat and drink.

Many of the bartenders we've met over the years look forward to having free time at a port stop so they can go to their favorite restaurant. He do get very tired of the food they are served on the ship.

I appreciate the help. Unfortunately we will be in San Juan prior to being on the ship.

Marmalade is amazing!!!! You won't be sorry it's my fave restaurant ever. If you go try the bean soup and the truffle pasta

We decided to just walk to Calle Loiza from our guest house the Tres Palmas Inn. We wanted to check out the grocery store "Plaza Loiza".

We came across a handful of choices for restaurants. The menu at "Inca Chicken" was very intriguing with their Peruvian flavor.

My wife order the quarter chicken dinner with fried plantain on the side.

My Brother in law and I chose the same quarter chicken with Mofongo on the side. My sister in law is a vegetarian, and she chose the Trifongo stuffed with vegetables. The flavor and portion sizes very very good. We shared a pitcher of Sangria, which was delicious. All around a great meal.

We decided to just walk to Calle Loiza from our guest house the Tres Palmas Inn. We wanted to check out the grocery store "Plaza Loiza".

We came across a handful of choices for restaurants. The menu at "Inca Chicken" was very intriguing with their Peruvian flavor.

My wife order the quarter chicken dinner with fried plantain on the side.

My Brother in law and I chose the same quarter chicken with Mofongo on the side. My sister in law is a vegetarian, and she chose the Trifongo stuffed with vegetables. The flavor and portion sizes very very good. We shared a pitcher of Sangria, which was delicious. All around a great meal.

Thanks t_car! Will check that out in March!!:cool:

Just a clarification, the OP did not actually stay in Ocean Park. Tres Palmas Inn is actually located in the Santa Rita neighborhood, which is to the east of Ocean Park. Potatoe Potato, but in walking distances, it makes a difference. So, if you're actually staying in Ocean Park, then the recommendations about the general area I mentioned before work better than if you're staying at Tres Palmas or further east. I'm talking about a mile+ difference here. So the places the OP trekked to from Tres Palmas make more sense. That might not be much to people who are used to walk a lot, but in the tropical heat or with limited mobility, it could be an issue.

Also, I am aware that many inns, guest houses, airbnbs, etc. that are located in the periphery of Ocean Park like to state that they are in Ocean Park for convenience, orientation or marketing purposes. But if you tell a taxi driver to take you to Ocean Park, and then specify the place you're staying at that is not actually there, he will have to backtrack some. You'd be better off stating the place's name and street and number.