El Meson Sandwiches

One of my go-​to places in Old San Juan. Quick, cheap and filling. Perfect for when you want a break from the fried local fare, but don’t have the time for waiter service. It’s not fast food the way you would normally think about it, but the sandwiches are large, made to order, and they’re delicious!
I have ordered so many things here over the years (I can’t believe that I have not posted a review for this place already!) and everything has been great. During my last trip, my boyfriend ordered a sandwich with pork and shredded cabbage slaw (I cannot remember the name of it) and an order of sorullos, while I ordered one with beef loin (The Boricua, I think), fries and an acai berry iced tea. The beef loin was tender and flavorful, and boyfriend devoured his pork sandwich. The sorullos were not as good at the ones you can find at some of the local kiosks a few blocks away, so don’t let those be the first ones you ever try. Try a «real» one first, before ordering these. The acai berry tea was a refreshing alternative to the usual soft drinks you find at most fast food restaurants.

Awesome Puerto Rican fast food place if you’re looking for a quick and inexpensive meal while walking around Old San Juan. My family got the turkey, montecristo, Caribbean style pork, and corned beef sandwiches along with a side of large fries. The portions were huge and filling and delicious! Only reason for 4 stars is because it’s not very comfortable inside/​décor and furnishings feel cheap but then again it’s a fast food restaurant.

This was a delicious and fast place to eat for lunch! I loved that most of the people were local Puerto Ricans, young and old. There’s something for everyone, although the prices are a bit more than other places. Would love to eat here again!

Awesome, tasty sandwiches! Very economical. Coffee was great too. If I stayed in San Juan, I would go here for lunch every day!

We grabbed an Argentino on the way to a walking tour. Very good option for on-​the-​go eats.

Man, someone franchise this place on the mainland and do us all a flavor (intentional misspelling). We found this place while the wife was shopping in Old San Juan and while she enjoyed her hobby, I was lucky and got to eat here. I am a gluten addict and love the smell and taste of warm fresh bread. The El Meson sandwiches are all founded on the tastiness and softness of the bread. I ordered the Casa Blanca and became a fan. Warm toasty bread with thinly sliced tender beef accompanied by Swiss cheese and for an extra cost mushrooms. Please, add the mushrooms, you won’t be sorry, unless you are allergic, in which case you should pass. My wife ordered the plain ham, turkey and cheese. She liked the sandwich, but muttered she should have upgraded to a specialty sandwich after taking a bite of the Casa Blanca. Wonder if my bank will front me the money to open my own franchise, but then I think Puerto Rico is deliberately keeping this franchise to themselves forcing you to return to eat at El Meson. Oh, did I mention it is really inexpensive to eat here, which I appreciated, especially after the wife finished with her hobby.

Why don’t we have this chain in New York? Awesome menu selection!

Good guayaba chicken salad. Good option for a sandwich shop when you need a quick lunch or something light. The menu is large with a variety of sandwiches, salads, and breads. Definitely a place worthy of return.

I ate here at least once a week for 3 years, while I worked at the Nuyorican Café (Great live Salsa bands WEDNESDAY-​SUNDAY!!!).
Great staff. Try the Plantain or Pumpkin soups!!!

This gets an extra star for having Sunday morning hours. It is one rare find in OSJ on Sunday. Other places list times and may not even be open… anyway safe bet. Bacon, egg and ham sandwhich was a decent as was the coffee and pancakes. Blueberry muffins was a bit over cooked. Popular with the locals, but I’m not sure if that is because it was the only thing open.

Simply delicious and affordable! Great place to spot in when you’re on the go waking around Old San Juan or heading back to the hotel or ship! Don’t forget to try the delicioso and bbq cheddar sandwiches (sooo yummy)! We will be back!

This place is amazing! Super cheap and super yummy. I got the White House roast beef sandwich, it’s filled with beef, cheese and mushrooms. Juicy and greatly grilled.

Excellent breakfast — plenty of food for the money.
Small space, very crowed and noisy, but that gets your day going right?
We will be back on the next trip to San Juan.

Ok, there isn’t anything I looked forward to more than eating at El Meson while in Puerto Rico. I got the signature El Meson sandwich and it was amazing.
These sandwiches are some of the best I’ve ever had. There is so much flavor. Definitely a great place for people who eat meat.

Best Puerto Rican sandwich shop hands down. The best sandwiches are Montecristo, Cubano and Pastrami. Last time I was there I ordered Pavochon sandwich and it was delicious. Good coffee, almost great for coffee drinkers. Some of the pastries are good, some are not that good like quesitos.

I had a Cuban sandwich that was beyond delicious and the French fries that came with the order were thick and delicious.
Everyone should stop here and try something different. Not your typical sandwich place.

I learned today that barely anything is open on an early Sunday morning in Old San Juan. Not even the coffee shops were open, which is how I ended up here.
When I came inside, I noticed right away that this is a fast food restaurant. They have a variety of things on the menu and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a dedicated vegetarian menu.
Even though it was 7:30 a.m. when I arrived, I decided to order a sandwich off the vegetarian menu in order to try it out. I ended up getting the Turkey Veggie Pita, which was a hot sandwich filled with veggie turkey crumbles, onions, green peppers, tomato, and mayonnaise. It ended up costing me $ 7.37 after taxes and was unfortunately not something I cared for too much.
However, I did really like the airy and spacious building and found a comfortable place to sit by the window and overlooking the plaza below.
Overall, this was a 3.5 star experience for me, but I’ll round down because I didn’t like my sandwich all that much. I would come back though to try their breakfast menu though.

Mmmmmm, a Majjorca (sweet roll) with Egg Whites and Swiss Cheese, with a cup of Decaf Coffee… that’s how I like to start my day in Old San Juan. Beautiful and tranquil upstairs area.
Support Local Businesses!

Really good, cheap fast food. I hate fast food normally and never eat at McDonalds but the quality at El Meson is definitely superior. Lots of vegetarian options, a full coffee bar, baked potatoes with toppings. I wish we had El Meson in California!

Yummy yummy food at cheap prices. We are visiting PR from LA and got a little bored of mofongos and wanted to try authentic PR fast food. I saw this one on san jose and san Francisco and though t will give it a try. the Meson special with Pollo was awesome. .wife is vegetarian and found many veggie choices. daughter had grilled cheese. we all loved it. highly recommended..