El Manjar Tropical

There are tons of stops for food along this strip so do not get overwhelmed at first. We had walked around and surveyed the available items at each shop and we ended up at this one as our final choice.
The food was excellent and the service was even better. We ordered the traditional bacaloitto, accapurias, and all kinds of dishes. It was all prepared fresh and it couldn’t get any better. The staff was very friendly and gave us recommendations on places to see before we left the island.
My favorite part, is I mentioned how I wanted a fresh coconut. The woman behind the counter, chopped one fresh for me, poured the rum in and gave it to me on the house. I dropped a $ 20 in the tip jar because I was so impressed.
We came back all day to grab random dishes.

This is what I wished I’d experienced at Puerta del Mar. This was my fresh food/​seafood on/​by the beach. Ah well, better late than never. After spending a good chunk of the afternoon lounging on Luquillo Beach and daydreaming of doing such 24/​7, I needed food. Sunning and running around in the water builds up an appetite. Just as the babes from Baywatch. Oh wait. They never ate. Well, just ask me. It’s true.
Since I was at the far end of the beach, I put my street clothes on and hoofed it towards all the kiosks/​food stands/​beach vendors to see what’s what. Here’s something of importance: don’t stop at the first one. Although many places look to serve the same/​similar food, prices and quality varies. These are all open air venues, so walk in, examine the selection, look for prices (don’t be surprised) and make the best decision for you.
After passing up stand after stand like my name was Goldilocks, I finally settled on one that was ‘just right.’ I settled on Grape (holla!) Fanta (don’t chu wanna?) and three pastelillos. A Pastelillo is like an empanada except the dough is a bit different… and more delicious. Since I was right by the water, I had to order a lobster past and a shrimp past. Two wouldn’t be enough, so I ordered a chicken just to round things out. They each came with a green chunky hot sauce. The woman behind the counter (owner?) was cool as ice (in a good way). She chatted me up, was full of smiles and made me feel very comfortable. I imagine these vendors get their fill of annoying tourists. I appreciated her treating me like a customer and not just an opportunity to make some cash. Plus, her prices were open and notorious. No surprises here! As I expected, the pastelillos were all outstanding. They were filled to the brim with meat. The sauce was delectable. But, it’s the dough that’s the real star… and when you’re eating fresh-​from-​the-​ocean lobster and you’re still raving about the dough… that’s GOOD dough!