Old San Juan Latin Restaurant

I Really Like their Food!!!
I’m born in Puerto Rico and raised w/​a mom that cooked all the traditional dishes. I was missing that home style cooking she made me, so I stopped here with my boys. We ordered Mofongo con chicharon and I ordered Pernil w/​Rice and black beans, which my 2 son’s shared and there was plenty left over.
Both dishes were tasty, the pernil was soft and full of flavor. The black beans are really, really yummy and the service was great! Wish they served alcohol, but it’s a BYOB.
Overall, I’ve been there on several occasions and never disappointed. I would recommend anyone to go there.

Really sucks that this place is closed. i came here a few times and always enjoyed the food. The place was nice and service was great. i did notice it wasn’t getting packed as usual. i hope they moved somewhere

Girl and I came here for dinner once. The Location is really easy to miss, we drove in circles passing this place several times. Once we finally made it, we noticed the place was pretty casual. Puerto Rican food was average.

If it wasn’t for the overall food and the ambiance, I would have most likely given it a lower rating. The place is nice and its BYOB. The food is very good. A little costly but definitely worth it. The staff at this restaurant are nice and friendly, however they need to seriously improve their customer service skills.
When you first enter the place, you can half the time expect to be waiting at the door 5 – 8 minutes literally before being seated, staff talking to one another at the bar in front of you and continuing to talk as if you weren’t hungry. I would maybe try to understand if it was busy and they are talking about what to do next, but the place would be empty, like only 2 tables occupied. (Happened more than 3 times) Usually at restaurants, waiter and waitresses make sure that you know they are around by asking you about the food or giving you updates on what you ordered. This doesnt really happen here and you would figure it being small-​medium size restaurant, it would happen a little more.
The food is really good overall! But when dealing with pork and chicken dishes, they need to be a little more self conscious of what is on the plate. Meaning, cut back on the amount of fat you serve and on the boneless chicken dishes such as the mofongo, make sure they don’t have bones in them. These small things make the biggest difference when deciding to dine at the place, especially when the food is a little pricey already.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food here. I bought a Groupon (one appetizer, two entrees) for $ 27 a while back and rush visited here before the Groupon expired. Arrived on a Tuesday around 7:30 and the place was dead. There were 2 tables occupied, which left about 18 others empty. To be fair, the Groupon was only valid Sunday-​Thursday, so perhaps they’re busier on Friday and Saturday nights. I would have to think so considering their location right on 46.
For the appetizer, we went with the tostones rellenos de pernil (stuffed plantain with pork), $ 10.95. The plantain was a little dry and a little bland, but the pulled pork was succulent.
For the main course, my guest went with the bistec saltado (pepper steak), $ 14.95. The steak had good flavor, but it was nowhere near as good as my churrasco (skirt steak), $ 21.95. I only ended up with the churrasco because they were out of the ropa vieja. Even though the churrasco came out medium well despite ordering it rare, it was packed with flavor and still very juicy. The rice and beans were also delicious and the rice was cooked perfectly.
For dessert, we were taken aback by the flan being topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Who does that? The whipped cream almost reminded me of a mountain and the chocolate syrup like a bunch of brown water valleys running down the sides. Weird. But underneath the mountain of whipped cream, about 80? of the flan was good. The other 20% had a hardening consistency around the edge, which tells me it probably should have been served at least the night before or else thrown out.
So, I’m going with 3 stars mainly because my steak was severely overcooked, even though I understand how easy it is to overcook skirt steak; and because the service started off really slowly considering there were only two other tables in the restaurant. Overall, however, we were very happy with the food, and the Groupon deal.

It’s all about the lunch specials here. For $ 6.50, you’re getting quite the spread. The menu changes daily but the amount of food is consistent. Presentation is above average for a Puerto Rican restaurant, and the ambiance is also nice.
My only gripe is that the mofongo tastes better at their Hackensack location. I was hoping that it would taste better here. My fiancée tried it was well, she’s half Puerto Rican, and said it was just ok. It’s still better than Benny’s in Miami though.
Please do not confuse Puerto Rican food for Cuban. While they may share a lot of similarities, they are still very different as far as preparation is concerned. Another thing you want to take note of is their small parking lot. Don’t be surprised to find it full on the busier nights. There are not many tables in the restaurant either, perhaps 80 covers max?
I like their second location better…

Well, what can I say about this place, I love everything about it… My bf and I moved from ny to nj about 3 years ago and he is off the boat puerto rican, I on the other hand am Italian with no prior knowledge of good spanish food before meeting him 6 years ago.
We found this spot by accident when we first moved to lodi a while back and have been gong there ever since! Lately Groupon has been posting a $ 27 deal for them which is awesome and we get it every time its posted…
Their pernil is awesome my bf says it reminds him of home (puerto rico) and he orders it every time we go there with a big side or bolied yucca, they make it so good there with a delicious combo of both sautéed onion, garlic and lemon juice I now make my yucca the same way bc of it! There food always seems very fresh and everything I have ever tried there has been more then delicious!
when I was pregnant we went there often because I literally drooled when I would think of their pernil and we became regulars there. The wait staff is extremely friendly and kind and always play with my now 15 month old daughter who comes in with us, I love that they remeber us and treat us with special care every time we come in…
The décor is interesting they have huge lit up fake trees inside with a beautiful bar with a tiled backdrop behind it. There are several souveners there from the motherland (PR) which is always interesting to see… They also always have on spanish music which is cool too. I know some nights they have live bands there as well and they are defienty fun to watch.
They catered a party for us once (my surprise birthday party) and every one raved about the food! It was definitely a great birthday party and we had so much food leftover that we ate it for weeks after lol! You gotta try this place it will not disappoint!
PS its a BYOB

Best Puertorican food I’ve had outside of Puerto Rico. Try the Mofongo with pork and Churrasco with rice and beans.
A side of bacalaitos and platanos maduros.
The food is delicious!

We planned a cousins dinner here being in the mood for some Spanish food. My bf had called the week of to make a reservation since we were a large group and he didn’t have any problems. The parking lot is small and tight so make sure to carpool if you’re coming with a group.
The place was already busy when we got there and our large table was ready and waiting which was nice. The décor in here is weird. Doesn’t really look like «Old San Juan», it actually looked like an Asian/​Chinese place. The food was ok. We ordered a number of dishes and everyone seemed satisfied. Service was so so, some of the waitresses were nice while others had a stank face the whole time. One weird thing is that they charged us for sauce, which I haven’t seen too often.

YOUR STOMACH BETTER BE STRONGER THAN LA FORTALEZA IF YOU GO TO OLD SAN JUAN!
Some friends of ours have been trying to get to meet up with them for dinner at Old San Juan for years. They swore up and down that the food there was authentic Puerto Rican cooking and because the place was BYOB, you could stock up on liquor at the liquor store across the street. This sounds like the best Puerto Rican marriage made in heaven since Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony. On second thought, that didn’t end up so well… and neither did our dinner!
I’ve been trying to get my wife to enjoy Puerto Rican food as much as I do and it’s always been an uphill battle. But buying the Groupon to Old San Juan Restaurant may have bee the final nail in the coffin. We purchased the Groupon back in December 2012 and for one reason or another we procrastinated from going there until the day it was about to expire. Maybe I would have been better off taking it on the chin and eating the $ 27 I spent on the Groupon after all.
The deal went like this: $ 27 for an upscale Latin dinner for two, valid Sunday-​Thursday (up to a $ 59.85 total value). The dinner includes one appetizer (up to an $ 11.95 value) and two entrees (up to a $ 47.90 value). Now for the exclusions: Not valid for the Filet Mignon, Mar y Terra, Seafood Paella or Paella Valencia. Sounds like they decided to leave the best entrees off the Groupon menu even if they were less than $ 47.90 limit. But I won’t begrudge them anymore than anyone else who slips in a few Groupon restrictions hidden in the fine print.
Appetizer:
Camarones al Ajillo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce) $ 7.95
A handful of boiled shrimp floating in a sickly pink garlic sauce. It tasted as if they had precooked the shrimp and served the same ones cold when they were serving up Ceviche. The garlic sauce was watered down and had little to no flavor.
Entrees:
Mofongo de Camarones (Mash Plantain with Shrimp) $ 14.95
I asked the waitress which was the best mofongo (fried green plantains mashed together in a pilón) they have on the menu. She recommended the Mofongo with Shrimp. I wished that I had tasted the appetizer first, because they were the same shrimp swimming in the same watered down garlic broth. I didn’t care for it as an appetizer and I certainly did not care for it as an entrée. I would have complained to my waitress, but the last time that I saw were was after she took our order.
Churrasco (Skirt Steak) $ 21.95
Grilled Skirt Steak served cremated well-​done despite our ordering it to be prepared Medium. The Chimichurri had plenty of parsley and olive oil, but was light on the garlic. I’m starting to see a theme here. Maybe the food really would have been better if they decided to go to the supermarket and pick up some garlic as it was noticeably missing from every single dish!
Looks like the Groupon curse has struck again! If you absolutely must go here, then do yourself a favor and pick up the Groupon. Especially considering that no sooner does one expire before they run the same offer again. Maybe you lost a bet to a friend and now have to bring him there against your better judgment. Or maybe you lost all of your taste buds in some freak accident and don’t mind eating tasteless food. If you want this to be a special place, then bring someone here when you want to break up with them and give them indigestion afterwards too.

I purchased a Groupon deal for this restaurant and was a bit worried due to the mixed reviews. However, I had a pretty good experience. My partner and I ordered the following:
— bacalaito (salted-​cod fritter), which was pretty fresh and awesome
— tostones rellenos con ropa vieja (fried green banana stuffed with shredded beef) which was our favorite
— pernil with arroz con guandules (roasted pulled pork with rice and pigeon peas) which was pretty good. It had the crunchy skin, which I LOVE!
— tilapia marinera (fried tilapia filet sauteed in a red sauce with mussels, clams and shrimp). This dish was Ehhhhhh… I don’t really recommend it
— tres leches cakes, which was PRETTY DAMN GOOD!
Others had bad experiences with the staff and the food and the wait. My food and service was very good, but then again, I went on a Tuesday evening at 8:15 pm.

This is a nice small restaurant. I come specifically for the empanadas. They are fantastic, definitely worth getting if you visit!

I love this place. The service is not the fastest but it’s friendly. BYO. Food is very good. Have been here many times and never disappointed. If the service is a bit slow, imagine yourself in San Juan, you will not be sorry… lol

We went to this restaurant with a Groupon. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly the service was and the amazing food! I’m very glad I found the Groupon because I would have never noticed this place with it’s location on 46. It’s almost hidden on the side of the highway. Once inside, we were seated immediately. The restaurant was not crowded at all, so perhaps that had an impact on why our service was so speedy compared to other reviewers. The food came out quickly and was exceptional! We had the calamari appetizer, two steak entrees that came with rice and beans. The amount of food was decent.
Prices are a little steep, but we’ll definitely be returning to this great restaurant!

Honestly, this was one of the places that made me feel the need to write reviews. When I went here about two months ago, I had the worst service I have ever experienced. I waited nearly an hour before I went up to the counter and told the staff I wanted my food TO GO. I had brought my boyfriend with me, and no one once came to our table to at least apologize for the extremely long wait. On top of that, we watched as they served several customers before us. Mind you, our order was not large, and there were not that many people in the already quite small restaurant.
They told me that the food was on its way out, and then it took another 15 – 20 minutes to be packed. Their excuse was that it was homemade food! Many restaurants have the same stake to that claim, but I have never gotten that excuse before from a business that I know should be doing prep work.
It was a shame because I had come back from vacay in Puerto Rico a few months prior, and I was seriously craving mofongo! My sister and I had always talked about coming here and when I finally did, I can only wish I had a better experience.
The food was not bad, which keeps me from only giving the place 1 star. It was too bad I was almost too heated to enjoy it.

The food is very good here, however, prepare to wait upwards of 30 minutes for your meal. Service is slow and the servers are just average.
This used to be a Japanese fusion restaurant and the interior was never changed so prepare for more Asian than Carribean on the inside lol.

I want to start by saying that I am by no means an expert in Latin cuisine. Still, I am blown away by some of the negative reviews. I honestly had the best meal (at a new place) that I have had in a long time at Old San Juan last night.
The interior is still the same as it was when the place was Japasia, which is good since the owners then had put a ton of work into the look. There are stone walls, waterfalls, beautiful slate flooring and artificial, floor-​to-​ceiling trees that act as room dividers. I like it a lot.
Service was amazing, start to finish. We were greeted at the door by a woman who seemed genuinely glad to see us. Our wine was open and glasses poured before we could think to ask. Our server was friendly, knowledgable, and efficient. There was a tiny bit of a language barrier, but she just worked through it, handling any communications issues with patience and a good deal of grace.
The food was simply outstanding. The portions were extremely generous, the prices very reasonable.
Our groupon entitled us to a free appetizer. The waitress suggested the «Tostones Rellenos» (stuffed plantain) with either shrimp or beef. We hesitated a bit, Dan wanted the shrimp, I wanted the beef. Our server quickly ran off to the kitchen and returned, glowing that they would gladly do one of each for the app. Fantastic! We also decided to get Garlic Fried Bread & Sausage. Everything that came back was mind blowing, and I was full at the end of the appetizers.
For entrees, I had the Churrasco (Skirt Steak) with chimichurri sauce and yucca fries. The steak was seasoned and grilled to perfection, the sauce was perfectly balanced and flavorful, without overpowering. And the yucca fries.. .where have you been all my life?
Dan decided to have the «Special Platter» which has: pan seared steak with rice, beans, sweet Plantains, eggs & a pork Strip. Generous portion is an understatement. His only issue was he thought the steak was more done than he liked, but he also didnt specify how he wanted it.
Though we were both stuffed, and had a bag of leftovers, we decided on dessert. We got the coconut flan, and it was the best flan I have ever had – even without the addition of the coconut. So creamy, so rich, and the coconut complimented the flavor perfectly.
There were some small downsides, but since they were décor based, I wont deduct a star. 1) The chairs need reupholstering. The gold velvet material is starting to fray and pull away at the seams. 2) Dust your artificial tree leaves! There were some old cobwebs back in the leafy areas. Everything else was spotlessly clean though. 3) The music was a touch on the loud side, but then, it is a Latin place, so that might just be a cultural thing.
Great experience, and a place I will definitely add to our rotation.
BYOB
EDIT: In partnership with Groupon Rewards. When you spend a cumulative $ 300 here with any linked credit card, you earn a $ 30 gift certificate.

I have been here before and would’ve given it 4 stars for that but I’m basing this review on my most recent visit. Went with a Groupon offer that was good for dinner for 2 that included an app and 2 entrees, up to a $ 55.65 total value, no other specifications.
We went early on Sun eve (5:30 pm) where it was pretty empty and it took the server a bit longer than usual to come over to our table. Since it’s a BYO she took our bottles to open and didn’t come for about 10 mins and there was a $ 3 corkage fee to boot! ok, fine. We ordered our app, the mofongo with shrimp, and were told that was not part of the offer. That was never stated anywhere, fine… again. We got the mofongo with pork. It came shortly and it was a very large portion only it came with small pieces of pork chunks on the side of it. It’s moister and doesn’t have the pieces of rind like you find at most places but it is very good.
For entrees I ordered the spicy shrimp with white rice and red beans (on the side) and my Mom got the churrasco, med well unfortunately, with a side of tostones. Mine arrived and there were about 8 – 10 large shrimp in a sauce that was really good but anything but spicy. I asked the waitress for tabasco to spice it up. The beans were also good but I didn’t want them with the shrimp. Mom’s churrasco was huge and came with lots of tostones which I promptly helped myself to. She said her steak was very good but I found it to be tough but it’s prob cause I can’t eat it that cooked.
Dessert I got the coconut flan that tasted NOTHING of coconut and like something that is not homemade. It didn’t have much flavor or a rich custardy consistancy I look for in flan. My mom got the bread pudding and she said it was very good but I didn’t try it cause I don’t like the texture of bread pudding the way they make it.
I may come back but with so many other restaurants in the area that are much better and the fact I can cook Latin food myself, I don’t see it happening anytime soon.

This is my second time at Old San Juan and I realized how much I love the vibe in here. The décor is almost spa like. You walk in and are confronted with a gorgeous river rock wall with water trickling down. The dining room walls of OSJ have beautiful exposed travertine tile. And there are faux trees with their giant trunks that go right through the ceiling. They also have large flat screen TVs (that they use for karaōke on Saturdays) where they were playing music videos of Spanish/​Latin pop stars
Ambience: 5
Food was excellent quality authentic puerto rican. I highly recommend the mofongo: smashed plantains & garlic, we had the shrimp. Next time willI try the chicharron: crispy pork skin. The pastellitos or puerto rico’s version of the empanada were delicious: the chicken inside was moist and seasoned perfectly with cilantro. Pernil was moist and my husband’s entrée of churrasco= skirt steak was cooked perfectly medium rare and charred lightly. I barely got a taste he loved it so much. Flan for dessert was very heavy and dense; maybe an off night as I know there have been favorable reviews on the flan
Food:5
Service: the waiter recommended the churrasco to my husband as ‘his favorite dish’ and his recommendation was great. However, he was kind of overwhelmed at the end of our meal. We must have waited over 30 minutes!!! for our check after asking him several times. My 12 year old son even pleaded ‘why is it taking so long’! I never take off a review for poor service but maybe he just had too many tables???
Service: 3
Overall, I would give OSJ a 4.5. I will definitely be back for some muy bien cuisine!

This was my second time dining at Old San Juan. This time around I had a groupon… it was a pretty good deal.
The restaurant is nice inside. I believe it was previously an Asian restaurant and they kept some of the décor such as the large waterfall display on one of the walls.
Pros: Our appetizers, the beef pastelito (empanada) was good as was the mofongo de pollo. The mofongo was a ball of plaintain bathed in a light tomato broth with very tender pieces of chicken… terrific!
I had the lechon (roast pork. It was very moist, tender and flavorful… I loved it.
Cons: My wifes steak (steak with onions) was a little tough… it wasnt terrible, just a bit too chewy. Its hard finding good steak, I’ve ordered this dish in a few Cuban restaurants and have encountered the same problem with the steak.
The appetizers took long to come out and just as we starting eating them the waiter came with our entrees. The waiter was very apologetic.
Other than the appetizer/​entrée issue, our waiter, Raul, was very efficient and friendly.
Its a pretty good spot and I definitely would go back. I’d just avoid the steak.