Casual Family Lunch and Dinner in OSJ

We are in Old San Juan for only 24 hours before hopping on our cruise ship. I'm looking for authentic Puerto Rican eats during that window. We've got a group of 8 including my in-laws, my dad, and our 3 teenagers. Since we're footing the bill for this entire adventure, we're looking to keep the costs low. No more than $20 per person including tax and tip. Are there options that will meet our needs?

Thanks!

Try Cafe Manolin

Try Cafe Manolin

Thanks! It's going to make our list...hopefully, we can check it out at lunch or in the morning.

You can also check out La Bomerena or Café Mallorca (Both on Calle San Francisco, for a breakfast or quick inexpensive lunch. A lot of people like sitting in the courtyard of Barrachina, also on Calle San Francisco; but then they're there first and foremost for the pina coladas although the food is very good. Punto de Vista on Calle Fortaleza has rooftop seating for dinner. Really nice atmosphere if weather is good and not too steamy.

Thanks so much, @crewsweeper!

We ended up a few places in Old San Juan.

When traveling with my in-laws, I have to dumb down my ambitions for things they like to eat...much to my chagrin. We had a waterfront meal by the port at some gastropub-like joint called Urbancrave or something like that. They make fusion food...some over priced tacos, sandwiches, and salads. I wasn't terribly impressed because I wanted Puerto Rican food...which would have been cheaper...hell, it would have been cheaper to take the lot of them to Subway or Burger King...which is what we did for dinner so we could ditch them.

Dinner was at the recommendation of our host (we airbnb-ed it) at El Jibarito. It's a local neighborhood joint that's kept alive by the folks who live around it. Our waitress left much to be desired as she disappeared a lot and didn't offer hospitable service. We tried the beef empanadas, which were good and not greasy, but sorely missing a lot of filling. We tried the cube steak and onions with red rice and beans, tostones, and mofongo. It was pretty carb heavy. Everything seemed to be tamely seasoned or not seasoned at all. I needed the house hot sauce or garlic butter to make things better. However, the beans were seasoned very well. Their fruit smoothies with rum (an extra $2 pack a wallop). Our neighbors got the fried fish, which seemed to be the way to go, but my husband wasn't feeling fish.

We ended the night at the Rooftop Bar at La Terraza hotel down the street. It's 4 floors up (stairs and elevator available). The streets of Old San Juan are hot and humid, but 4 floors up, you get an amazing breeze and view. The bartender makes a solid rum punch. It was nice to escape our family and just relax with a couple of cocktails. We'd spent all day traveling and exploring...it was a nice respite.

I had a quick morning breakfast at Cafeteria Mallorca. Just a cafe con leche and a regular buttered mallorca. It tasted like a buttery doughnut with powdered sugar. It was Sunday, so there was a jazz musician. Great ambiance with families or regular folk starting their Sundays in quiet tradition. It was $5 for 2 cafe con leches and a mallorca...that's a steal.

Thanks for coming back with the report. Sorry you had some unpleasant dining experiences. Urban crave sounds like a place to avoid--pseudo-foodie place. Poor service at El Jibaritos is a surprise to me. But then I've only eaten lunch there. Might have been the waitress. Glad you liked Café Mallorca. Hope your cruise was good too.

Thanks for coming back with the report. Sorry you had some unpleasant dining experiences. Urban crave sounds like a place to avoid--pseudo-foodie place. Poor service at El Jibaritos is a surprise to me. But then I've only eaten lunch there. Might have been the waitress. Glad you liked Café Mallorca. Hope your cruise was good too.

We still had a great time exploring OSJ. We can't wait to come back...without the extra family. Our cruise was fantastic! Thanks for your tips and help.

We always enjoy the food & drinks at The Parrot Club...reasonably priced.

We had two great, low-key meals at El Jibarito--cost and casual-wise, it would seem to be what you're looking for.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147320-d904703-Reviews-El_Jibarito-San_Juan_Puerto_Rico.html

We always enjoy the food & drinks at The Parrot Club...reasonably priced.

It is good but with pries such as $14 for a hamburger, it is doubtful that they can eat a dinner for under $20 per person.

It is good but with pries such as $14 for a hamburger, it is doubtful that they can eat a dinner for under $20 per person.

They had a very late happy hour when we were there...drinks...and a couple of appetizers were plenty filling...loved the plantain nacho's. Why eat a hamburger :confused:

Barrachina is definitely a spot we always go for a drink or two. The ambiance is lovely... we usually sit in the courtyard with the parrots. I have never eaten here, so I can't speak to the food or prices. It is ideally located near some great little shops. You can get a perfectly sized panama hat across the road. They will measure your head and let you pick your favorite ribbon.

My all time fav restaurant though is Rosa de Trianna for tapas. Some entrees do go into the 20 dollar range but most tapas are around $9-12. They will serve bread to everyone at the table. It's located near the cathedral and el Morro on an adorable street. Inside is quite unique as it dates back many centuries. Apparently it use to be a jail?! I'd recommend the eggplant with honey (idk price), the chorizo in wine sauce ($9.50), the fried plantains ($4.50), ham/cheese/sausage plate ($18.00). and of course the mofongo with chicken ($9.75). When in PR, you must get churrasco! I've never eaten it at this restaurant but it's also on the tapas menu ($12). They do have a kids menu with chicken fingers if any of your teens are picky eaters. We like to order lots of choices and share. I know this will bust you budget.... but their sangria is amazing too.