What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
El Manjar Criollo
Review
About
Features
CUISINES
Caribbean, Latin, International, Puerto Rican
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
American Express
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Gift Cards Available
Highchairs Available
Mastercard
Parking Available
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Takeout
Television
Visa
Wheelchair Accessible
Location
Parking Available
Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Open until 11:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Contribute
4.2
121 reviews
Excellent
70
Very good
25
Average
10
Poor
9
Terrible
7
Ray Fox
San Juan19 contributions
Sep 2024 • family
Repeat customer and every time the food had been delicious and superb service. This time our group was five seniors (three sister, my wife and me), got seated on a table at the end of their side bar and was perfect since had plenty of space and our conversation laughter and jokes didn’t bother other people
Our entrees where:
2 chicken breast a la Milanesa, usually this plate it’s very tender and quite moist but today it was on the overcooked side since was a bit dry and not so tender as other times, but was well seasoned and eatable.
1 beef sirloin a la Milanesa this meat it’s very tender and quite moist but today it was on the overcooked side since was a bit dry and not so tender as other times, but was well seasoned and eatable.
1 Mofongo with tenderloin beef cuts with creole sauce on the side. The texture of the mofongo was just right and the beef was delicious. The creole sauce was delicious and a hit, we all used some on our smash green Plantain and breadfruit fritters.
Pork Baby Back Ribs.
First time ordering them and was a bit skeptical of what would receive. In a few words “Oh Boy What a Delicious Rack!!!
The served rack was of a generous size
with plenty of meat on top and between each rib. The meat was perfectly cooked, without any fat and seasoning was just right.
The meat had the right moisture and tenderness. Needless to say it was cooked and seasoned just right for a wonderful and tasty surprise. The served rack was Humongous in comparison to the flimsy small one’s that the big names franchised restaurants offer locally (have eaten on all), those restaurants serve a quite small rack which 99.9999 of the times the meat it’s over cooked and dried out with barely any meat on top or between ribs. They compensate this by slapping over cooked dried
Bacon strips on top and plenty of poorly taste sauce.
From now on, this is the place for me to enjoy a rack of pork ribs.
The service was top notch, our waiter was Christian, ask for him and won’t be disappointed!!!
Remember to tip 15% to 20% if the food and service was good. My bill came to about
$350- with all the drinks, appetizers, food, side dishes, dessert and tip for a party of five and we spent three hours on our dinner!!!
Written September 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ray Fox
San Juan19 contributions
Oct 2022 • family
Preface:
A few weeks back had an impromptu business meeting and the other part recommended this place to meet. It’s on a small food court/plaza. Was warmly greeted and decor was adequate. Since was at 4:00pm weekday the restaurant wasn’t too busy. We just had the sampler plate to share during our conversation and it’s was delicious. The hostesses advised that had wonderful mojitos and entrees, so took her advise and today visited the place with my wife and my three sister since one was visiting from Madrid, Spain and one had a birthday coming soon.
Dinning experience:
Being on a Saturday afternoon, 4:00pm the restaurant was busy. Our party of five was promptly greeted and seated right away.
For drinks ordered four of their award winning four flavor mojito and be warned it’s delicious a tad sweet but in a good way. Can’t tell you more since would ruin your taste experience.
For appetizers ordered the “Surtido Criollo” platter which it’s a sampler of numerous of their appetizers (queso frito/fried white cheese slightly salted, bolitas de queso/ fried cheese ball, croquetas de mamposteao/ fried breaded rice and beans balls, chicharrones de pollo/fried chicken bits, mini alcapurrias/ground beef stuffed plantain mini-fritters and pastelillos criollos/creoles turnovers stuffed with cheese, or guava. Boy they where insanely delicious!!!!.
For entree we ordered five different dishes.
1. Pechuga al manjar. Pechuga empanada con ruedas de chorizo y amarillo, queso gratinado y salsa de guayaba. Breaded chicken breast with slices of chorizo and ripe plantain, au gratin cheese and guava sauce. with side of fried smashed breadfruit and mashed malanga/eddo, eddoe.
2. Churrasco al Manjar.
Churrasco de 8oz con Trifongo en Salsa de Queso. 8oz beef skirt with mashed green and ripe plantain and cassava on a cheese sauce.
The above and the three other entrees ordered where masterpieces and out of this world delicious. The portions where generous so be warned that you could be carrying out a “doggy bag”.
I took the opportunity and asked the hostess to surprise my younger sister with a happy
birthday song with dessert and that was that special touch to our family outing, my sister was moved by such unexpected birthday celebration.
Disclaimer: I’m not a regular poster on this site, nor have any affiliation with the restaurant or this site, so this review it’s as straight and honest as you can get.
Also, restaurants can have a bad
Day, so it’s thing aren’t as you expected on this one, just talk to the manager and I’m certain they will try to do their best to rectify whatever isn’t correct.
Written October 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carmelo S
Puerto Rico183 contributions
Jul 2020 • solo
The restaurant is located at the end of Road #1, at the entrance of downtown, Caguas, inside a small shopping center.
They have a good variation of foods; seafood, salads and meats and all kind of drinks. Free parking.
The food was excellent. Good environment with TV's for entertainment, excellent service and very good price.
I highly recommend this place.
Written July 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ward E
3 contributions
Feb 2025 • family
We started eating there since they were located in Degetau St. Small place but great food. They moved to another location and expanded their business. Have they changed the chef or cooks? Food was great until last year or so. We had dinner there in Dec for my bday. Food was not very good. I decided to try again for lunch Feb 5. Mofongo with veggies lacked flavor. The veggies were frozen (I expected so) and it appeared they defrosted then in Microwave and added to the mofongo. We had to ask for extra criolla sauce to make it taste better. Amarillos appeared to be frozen, dark as if overcooked. Chicken stuffed with plantains (one of my favorites) did not look appealing and lacked taste. Mero nuggets were overfried. Mero tasted good. Plantain and calabaza soup were very good. Flan de coco was very good too.
Written February 6, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Edna B
San Juan46 contributions
Dec 2024 • business
Excelent food, first reason dir a vist to the restaurant. I ordered lobster perfectly cooked. Side if vegetables and fried sweet patatoes, sorry no. Pictures I was really hungry. Will definetly go and recomend to any one.
Written December 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
surf_golf
294 contributions
Jun 2021 • family
We really enjoyed our visit El Manjar Criollo. Everything we ordered was great and the staff offered great service. Their menu provides plenty of options to choose from. Highly recommended!
Written November 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Glaisi
Puerto Rico28 contributions
Dec 2023 • family
Service was slow and the good was overcooked. I ordered salmon with onions, the portion was small, thin and overcooked.
Written December 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Surgeon M
Portland5 contributions
May 2022 • none
AliAli companySecond, consider the logic. For ordinary investors, when the stock market price drops to a certain extent, especially after reaching their own stop loss line, they will resolutely sell. However, this may cause a negative effect, that is, the stock will stop losing and expand its losses instead. The stock stop loss is right. The wrong thing is to open a stop loss line. Since no one can predict where the price will reach, and it is impossible to understand the established decline, it is unreasonable to open a stop loss line. However, if the price rises again, it will also lead to the abandonment of its position.
Written February 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Miguel P
Caguas35 contributions
May 2022 • family
Service was ok.
Plantain soup was good.
Calamar y was good.
Risotto ordered was extremely dry and chicken on top was dry and overcooked
Written May 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alejandro V
1 contribution
Jul 2021 • family
called to place order at 8:28pm. ask for status at 9:45 and was told order is ready... 45 min after still waiting
Written July 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Camarona2009
Humacao3 contributions
Oct 2019 • family
The pork chop was without salt and I asked for a salty Can Can, they took the Can Can (pork chop) to the chef, he put some adobo on top of the Can Can and send it back to my table. I told the manager that I don’t want the Can Can like that and she told me that they can give me another one just like the first one I that I have to put the salt my self. Can you believe that?
Next time I order a desert probably they will give me the sugar separate to put it on top.
Written October 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Francisco T
3 contributions
Oct 2019 • couples
It’s a good place for dinner and share some drinks. Today lobster bisque was cold. We order today two modalities of chicken breast and was very cold, bacon that’s wrap them around was cold. I had been recommend this place previously but today I was disappointed.
Written October 3, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Naomi R
11 contributions
Sep 2019 • family
Amazing rice, bean chicken breast a la plancha, next day Mofongo con camarones al ajillo and the burger toston we love this place like the Frape de strawberry. Will come again
Written September 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lizzettef2014
Puerto Rico70 contributions
Aug 2019 • family
I went with my family, we were a group of 15! Service was excellent such as the food. Good prices...somehow cold (air conditioning was out of control!)
Written August 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Manuelq57
San Juan438 contributions
Jul 2019 • friends
I did not know this place existed nor would I have been able to find it because it is not in a main thoroughfare. It was a nice surprise.
The restaurant was packed on a Saturday afternoon, and it never emptied during my meal, which confirms its popularity. The menu was ample, with selections for everybody. I ordered smoke fried pork and was not in the least disappointed by the dish. The meat was tender and juicy, qualities that elude most restaurants when they cook "carne frita".
Service was usually quick and courteous. At times my waitress played a disappearing act on me but then I found out that you can place your order with anybody, which really helps. I stayed there for drinks and never felt rushed to leave.
I will definitively come back to this restaurant to try other delicacies from their ample menu.
Written July 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Showing results 1-15 of 58
Best moderately priced restaurants
See all
Best nearby
We rank these hotels, restaurants, and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Best nearby hotels
See all 
Best nearby restaurants
See all 
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing