Jam Rum Bar & Bistro Moderne

Don’t come here if you are really hungry. The food is good but it’s so small. The price is too expansive for the quality of the food.

We walked in without reservation around 7:30pm, the place was a little dead. They sat us right away and I got the vibe, it was supposed to be a fancy place.
We spent a few minutes on the menu, and before our waiter came by to introduce himself, we have already decided on empanadas, yucatan ceviche, churrasso (or maybe snapper) and the pork dish. Waiter came by after 5−10minutes, and introduced himself and the menu. First thing he told us was, yucatan ceviche, snapper, pork dish, risotto, were not available, and the blind bartender and low carb piña colada were out as well. Totally disappointed!
So we then changed our order to empanadas, churrasso and chicken breast and lastly the piña colada «crème brûlée». I had the pomegranate sangria and bf had some cocktail. To be fair, even though we were a bit annoyed that so many items were not available, we thought the food was pretty good. the mofongo that came with both entrees was really good. The piña colada «crème brûlée» was interesting, but a little watery. Tasted good, not the texture.
Overall, i wished they had the dishes they advertised!

I promised I would write a review and I apologize for taking so long.
My partner and I came across Jam during Holy Week this March while on vacation. If there is one thing we found out while we were there is that it is virtually impossible to find anything opened on Good Friday in San Juan. To our surprise Jam was opened and we couldn’t have been happier!
We were originally going to just have a drink and head home. Well, once I tasted the Blind Bartender, met Dixie, Cynthia, and Christina I knew that we were there for the night.
The atmosphere is great. Amazing décor, great service, superb drinks, and amazing food. We eat out a lot and would classify ourselves as foodies. All of these things make a great a restaurant. However, the service at Jam is what makes me write this review.
The owner, Dixie, was the most wonderful lady we met while on the island. She talked with Brian and I for some time and found out that her former profession is my current profession. She talked to us about all the wonderful things Puerto Rico has to offer. I learned that she has family lives in our city of Chicago (we are still waiting for the sister restaurant to open). Cynthia was a great bartender who made amazing drinks and joked with us about Good Friday in San Juan. Christina the manager introduced herself and was consistently making sure that the restaurant was running in great form.
We would totally recommend this establishment to anyone visiting San Juan and find yourself in Condado. I can’t wait to come back. Thanks again!

We had dinner at Jam last week on a Monday evening, thanks a recommendation from a «foodie» couple we met in Chicago and comments we found here on Unilocal.
We had a Monday night reservation at 8 pm (Monday night the menu IS NOT half price as some Unilocal reviews mentioned.)
Despite the front dining room only have 5 other guests, our waiter ignored us for at least 10 minutes after we were seated — getting us off to rough start. Once he did acknowledge our existence, we ordered cocktails: a mojito made with coconut water and the Blind Bartender cocktail — a sweet and spicy ginger concoction garnished with a slice of fresh jalapeño. Both were tasty, light and delicious, without being overly sweet. Along with our cocktails, we ordered sparkling water, and were thrilled that it was reasonably priced for a glass with unlimited refills.
From the tapas menu we ordered two kinds of ceviche to share. Both were divine.
The tiger shrimp ceviche was served with plantain chips, a perfect mix of spice, starch and salt to accompany the shrimp The ahi tuna with sesame seeds was paired with light-​as-​a-​feather crackers.
Next, we each tried one of the soups. True to the reviews here on Unilocal,the white bean soup with truffle oil is decadent. The mofongo soup with toasted coconut is Jam’s version of the local specialty made from plantains. We found it bland, especially compared to the white bean soup.
We split the tiger shrimp risotto entrée, which our waiter graciously served as two smaller portions. It was creamy and delicious, with perfectly cooked shrimp. Despite being stuffed, we were lured by the chocolate mousse with chocolate cookie, which we paired with a glass of port.
The bottom line: the food and cocktails at Jam are delicious, if a bit pricey. See photos from our night at Jam at

It was a border-​line 5 until dessert. The chips and salsa dessert promised more than they delivered. The coconut crust on the chips fell off and the ice cream had ice shards and was low quality.

This place is really cool looking, definitely «moderne». We tried coming on a Monday because we heard everything was half price but it was closed (I think because of a power outage). So on our last night here we decided to try it out for full price anyway and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Our waitress was extremely nice and helpful in choosing what to eat and drink. This is what we had:
Yucatan ceviche with corvina, mango and avocado — I LOVE ceviche so I’m biased but this was very good. A little bit small so you couldn’t really share it between more than two people.
Beef carpaccio — realllly good. We were a little hesitant to order it because of the «peppered lettuce» but the waitress swore by it so we tried it and it was excellent.
Seared tuna — Seared and raw inside is the best way to do it and this was cooker perfectly. It was ontop of what they called «fondue» which was sort of pureed root veggies inside of a little chip bowl.
Ribeye — We got the smaller one so they said they couldn’t really make it medium rare but it was cooked perfectly. It also came with garlic mofongo that had bacon bits on it and it was as good as the steak itself.
Ratatouille — It has sweet plantains in it! And so much delicious cheese on top. It’s also a really great portion, and the cheapest thing on the menu.
To drink I had a blind bartender which was a spicy sweet ginger drink. It came with a jalepeno in it! I liked it, but it’s definitely a particular flavor.
The only reason I’m giving it 4 instead of 5 stars is because it was just a bit overpriced for some of the portions, and they sneakily gave us $ 3 a bottle Fiji water. 4 of them, without even asking if we wanted water refills…

Jam Rum Bar was recommended to me by a friend who traveled to San Juan and stayed in the Condado neighborhood… and now I’m recommending it to you, my friends. Paying it forward, if you will. Of my almost-​week spent in San Juan, Jam Rum Bar was one of my favorite stops! From what I’ve read on here, they have great deals on Mondays, but we weren’t there on a Monday :(Regardless, we had a fantastic time here.
The ambiance is great. Very colorful and modern. The service is wonderful. The owner actually wandered around a bit and chit-​chatted with us, recommended his favorite drink to us (the Blind Bartender), which we all loved. We ordered several appetizers to start, and enjoyed them all. It would be hard to pick a favorite, but I really loved the beef tripleta empanada and the plantain crusted calamari.
My entrée was the pastelon de pernil dish which involved Puerto Rican roast pork, mashed potatoes, cheese, and Puerto Rican sausage. Holla! Seriously, this was extraordinary. No lie, one of my favorite meals of the trip, and we even dined at Jose Andres’ new restaurant and this pork dish was equally as memorable to some of my dishes there!
Definitely hit up Jam Rum Bar if you are in San Juan. Our entire group of diners was impressed and we were all in San Juan for a press trip having to do with food and drinks! I would definitely trust our opinion on the matter :) Simply delicious!

We called to make a reservation for 8, no can do. We arrive in PR, hotel calls for us, sure anytime! Huh? We go to dinner, the place is EMPTY, but for three other tables. Interesting.
So we sit down and order cocktails. Some are better than others, I loved my mojito. Apps come and the bread with guava butter and tuna tartare are outta this world. The rest were delish too, but those two stood out.
Next we wait. So long i could’ve taken a solid half hour nap. Annoying, but worth the wait was my risotto. Then we ordered a bunch of coffees and mousse. Mousse is never made to order, why it took another half hour to deliver when were the last table left, I’ll never know. Again it was chocolatey perfection though.
Overall, the waiting was off putting but the food made it a place I’d still recommend.

Jam Rum Bar is so much more than a bar. And if I was not worried about the mercury levels in Tuna, I would eat this sesame encrusted raw tuna every, single, day. And the beef carpaccio. Jam Rum Bar really knows how to serve their not-​at-​all cooked food.
Great service, great wine list, great food. Super modern– note that it’s all white, so I’d suggest not wearing all white or you will blend in with your table and chair, and maybe feel a little bit awkward.

Nice ambiance with a touch of swanky. Overall tasty food, both appetizers and entrees, but dessert just average.
+ Yucatan ceviche had local fresh fish with sweet and spicy salsa, avocado, and mango with crispy malanga chips (4 stars)
+ Plantain crusted calamari was lightly fried and came in strips, which is always my favorite, along with a mild anchovy-​cilantro dipping sauce (5 stars)
+ Grilled churrasco with chimichurri on top of yautia, malanga, batata, and name was delicious (5 stars)
+ Pastelon de pernil was also excellent (5 stars). Puerto Rican pork mixed in mashed potatoes with longaniza and topped with a gratin of cheese.
+ The chips and salsa dessert, which was fresh berries and coconut crusted tortilla chips, along with vanilla ice cream was 3 stars because it lacked depth of flavor. Also, the chocolate cookie and ice cream was similar at 3 stars.

I recently went to Puerto Rico to celebrate my birthday with friends. While there, we went to Jam Rum Bar. From the moment we walked in, the reception was wonderful. We were greeted with smiles. We felt very welcome. The décor is fabulous! Very modern and pretty. Upon being seated, our waiter (Ricardo) greeted us. When we asked him questions about the area and the menu he very graciously answered all of our questions. He was very patient with us (we were a rowdy bunch. lol…) He was very very knowledgeable about the wine list and his recommendations were spot on. The whole staff gets an A+ from me (That is hard to come by).
Food: It was delicious! I ordered the plantain soup for an appetizer and, as my entrée’, the red snapper mofongo. I loved every bite. My fellow diners loved their food just as much as I. The dessert, we did family style and it was to die for.
I can’t say enough good things about Jam Rum Bar. Just go!

Went here for dinner on my last night in Puerto Rico with a group of girlfriends. The reviews on both Unilocal and trip advisor were great so I thought I’d give it a try. I called to make a reservation and was greeted by an incredibly sweet hostess. We arrived a few hours later and the exceptional service continued. We were greeted by the restaurant manager, wait staff and others as we waited in the bar area for a friend. They were very attentive to all of our needs.
I was told the mojito was amazing. It was pretty good, but I would stick with the traditional mojito and not the flavored option listed on the menu.
The food was also delish. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. I had the free range chicken, which was perfectly cooked and moist with an interesting foamy sauce.
I agree with the other reviewers. This was definitely the best dinner during my trip to Puerto Rico.
I honestly expected a cool, laid back rum bar, slightly tikki styled, but was pleasantly surprised (and slightly disappointed) to find a more upscale and modern restaurant. It was super cute and perfect for a final night out with the girls.
I am only giving the restaurant 4 stars because they charged us for a little slice of birthday cake they brought out our friend. We were all shocked. Although it was not a big deal since it was Monday and all food was 50% off (yea, that’s right), it should have been complimentary.
Overall, lovely place and a great dinner in Puerto Rico. Will definitely be back during my next trip. Maybe with my boyfriend as it is also a perfect date night spot.

Oh Jam. You were the first and last place we went in PR. I had done some research ahead of time and knew that they had a 50% off food on Mondays, so once we got into PR, I was like yep… We are going here. So glad we did. Jam definitely set our expectations high for the rest of our stay in PR.
We didn’t have reservations so we sat at the bar for a little bit and had mojitos while we waited on a table. AMAZING. Probably the best mojitos I had in PR, and I had mojitos practically everywhere I went.
We were seated in the back room. The décor and lighting really gives a nice intimate and trendy feel to this place. Our waitress gave us some menus and recommendations on appetizers. We went with the beef empanada and truffle fries (I am a sucker for truffle fries) both were fantastic. We then ordered the big boy sized ribeye and shared it. It came out on two plates, which I thought was really nice of them to split the meal for us. It was just heaven. Meat perfectly cooked and seasoned. Mofongo that just… blew away all other mofongo that I would try on this trip.
On our next visit, which was on a Sunday, it was half off drinks night. We ordered a pitcher of the pomegranate sangria. Yeah you should order that, it is fantastic. For dinner I had the white bean soup and beef tartare. My husband got the ribeye again. Another meal I was very happy with. We also had amazing service.
Thanks for two great nights Jam. Hope to see you again!

Wow! Jam Rum Bar was the best restaurant that we visited during our stay in Puerto Rico — everything was spot on; from the moment we walked in to the moment we walked out the door. Our waiter was extremely friendly and knew just what dishes to recommend — amazing mojito with coconut water — props to the bartender! Food was fantastic — I loved the Chicken with Chorizo Scalloped Potatoes. Yum!
A must visit for those looking for great drinks and food & and wonderful atmosphere!

I went to Jam on a Monday night when they have 50% off. My husband, my friend and I did enjoy the meal and the service is unparallel but I can’t say it is the best fine dining meal I’ve had here in San Juan. The food was tasty, specially the tuna tartar that we got as appetizer and the tuna dish I got for my main meal was exquisite. However, both of my companions felt that their side dish, some sort of of purée, was just not very good. I also had a sangria which was lovely. The ambiance is made mor for a group of friends than for a romantic dinner but I don’t agree with other reviewers fhat it’s unappeling. I thought it was fun, modern yet felt intimate. I have to point out that the day after I had severe stomach cramps and nausea. I can’t be sure that it was the tuna but I was the only one that had it and the only one that felt ill.
Overall, I would go back in spite of everything and give it another try, especially on a Monday!

Trip advisor best 2011. Im surprised its not trip advisor best 2012. This was definitely one of the best meals I’ve had in puerto Rico probably because I’ve had a really bad first experience somewhere else.
Pretty empty inside when we got there but it started to get busy. Service was good! Attentive. Very proper and respectful. There’s a full bar. Street parking. Décor is really nice and modern.
We ordered the calamari, shrimp cerviche that cane with chip plantains, filet mignon, beef empanadas, and a beef churassco. No one had any complaints. Everything was delicious. The filet could be more flavorful but it was cooked perfectly medium rare. It was so very tender. Beef churassco flavorful and moderately well portioned. Shrimp cerviche was small but it was packed with shrimps. It was Limey and definitely tasty. Calamari was long and not the typical circles. They were ok. I think I’ve had better else where. beef empanadas were good. Especially if you ask for extra sauce that it came with!
I would definitely come back. A little on the expensive side but was well worth it!

Service is EXCELLENT. Food is excellent. Our waiter was super attentive. He cleaned off every crumb on the table and filled out water without us even noticing! When we got our entrees, he even explained to us what certain things on our plates were. Right before we left, he gave us recipes to the delicious, white bean soup. Boyfriend tipped him 30%+

Best meal in PR during my 1 week stay. I really thought this would be some sort of Jamaican dive bar with Bob Marley everywhere but I guess I didn’t research that well. It’s actually a pretty upscale restaurant.
On Mondays, they have half off entrees so you have the extra $ to splurge on their cocktails. I made a reservation just to ensure I could take advantage of this Monday deal.
Our waiter was super friendly & used his knowledge of the menu to help with recommendations or make useful adjustments to our order.
I loved their cocktails. They were out of their Bob Marleys so I tried their sangria. What you really need to order is their mojito made with coconut water. I usually hate mojitos and their overbearing minty taste. However this mojito was light & refreshing. The coco water gave it a sweet touch & the mint was a nice compliment rather than making it taste like a breathsaver.
We had the shrimp cerviche and tuna tartar. They were DELICIOUS! The shrimp came in a cup with spicy tortillas. The tuna tartar was large & cut into pretty large chunks. All of it tasted so fresh & filling but not too heavy. I quickly ate them so I could hog as much away from my bf as possible =)
For the entrees I ordered the grouper while the bf had the snapper. Jam did a very good job making them into unique dishes with great sauces. nom nom — I finished all of it but sadly no room for dessert.
I don’t know how Jamaican the food is but dizzam their food and cocktails are good.

I don’t think I loved JAM as much as many others seem to, but the food was very good. Moderately priced — aka, not over priced, but not cheap either. The paella nuggets were good, but I’d pick another appetizer over them — they’re more creative than they are delicious. The Halibut and Snapper dishes were both excellent, however. Good portions, absolutely delicious. The key lime pie was so-​so — it came with an almond topping that I didn’t love.
The service was decent but the atmosphere was… well, weird. It was relatively empty (on a Saturday night??), and the tables are spaced pretty close together so you really don’t have any privacy. The décor is quite confused (orange shag carpeting on the wall? really?) and the music. God the music. TERRIBLE. Why would you want to go to dinner in San Juan, Puerto Rico and listen to late 90s early 2000s alternative/​soft rock all night? When that «everybody needs a bosom for a pillow» song came on I wanted to bash my head against the table. One of the main reasons we came here was for live music, and they don’t have live music anymore. Sigh.
Bottom line, if you can’t spend enough to go to Marmalade or Niche but you want a really delicious meal and don’t care about atmosphere or music, you will enjoy it here!
And, it would be a SUPER good deal on ½ price Monday. If we had been in SJ on a Monday I would have gone back.

I cannot say enough good things about Jam Bistro in San Juan. The experience began with simply entering the space– it’s bright, fun, and inviting with a lot of whites, reds, and a touch of neon to the décor. If IKEA had an affair with a sexy Puertoriqueno, Jam is what the love child would look like.
Then there came the food. Ingredients were super fresh and the dishes super inventive. For my appetizer– I had a spicy shrimp ceviche with plaintains on the side. Ceviche is traditionally served in a bowl. Jam placed it in a glass and loaded it with juicy, succulent shrimp.
For the main course, I had a Pan– seared Halibut with a Coconut Yucca Patty in a sea of Black Bean purée. WOW. 5 stars for this dish. It was a new addition and I sincerely hope they keep it. Would love to experience it again.
What took the night over the top however was the 50% off all food on Monday night special. This allowed me to have an extra glass of wine. I highly recommend the Argentinean Pinot Noir on the menu. (Camino de Los 7 Lagos)