The 7 best cheap eats in Catano

The staff were amazing and the inside of the restaurant is super fun. The food though was lacking for most of our group (mofongo was the winning meal). Everything was lacking flavor and the salads were just some clumps of lettuce with a tomato chunk with no dressing. No one in our group was happy with the food and we just ate because we were hungry but we didn't bring anything back with us. Steaks were thin, chicken had no flavor, the shrimp were sad, and the rice was so-so. The drinks were good and the restaurant is located in a popular location and was packed on our visit. Maybe their food will work for you but we'd recommend looking around because there are lots of restaurants nearby. Good luck 👍

Hands down some of the best Puerto Rican food on the island. Every bite tasted authentic — perfectly seasoned, cooked with love, and full of flavor that reminded me of true homemade comida criolla. Located right in the heart of Old San Juan, this spot captures the essence of Puerto Rico both in taste and atmosphere. If you’re looking for real Puerto Rican cuisine, this is the place

This was my first experience with Puerto Rican food and this was really good. I had the red snapper with mofongo and it was so good! Everything was awesome! Great service. No wait time. Loved it! Will be back!!

We had dinner here, and had to wait a bit for the table but we were fine with that. We saw that people who came after us were seated before us though. Once we finally got seated, no one brought us any menus, so that was inconvenient. We had to grab them ourselves from the front. We had the baked filet and baked salmon, the filet was better than the salmon. The green plantain and trifongo were pretty good.

This is one of the most recommended places in Old San Juan. Of course you have to wait because the place is not huge and the service is not that fast, but once the food arrives, you understand why it took so long. I had the Plato Navideño (Christmas dish), which has a bit of everything. The food has a homey taste that you’ll love. Definitely would come back!

When I was a kid my mom made cube steaks regularly. Haven’t had one since visiting this restaurant over 50 years later. It was so tasty. The yellow rice was good and even better with garlic sauce on it. My husband had the garlic chicken that he said was great. Sorry no food pics. We were so hungry we forgot. But definitely authentic PR food. Don’t miss this place.

This place was very good. We had a large party so had to wait a bit. It’s a little cramped inside overall but worth it for the good food and drinks. Our waitress made recommendations to our party. Some had salmon, shrimp dishes, steak and onions and I had a fabulous roasted pork - so tender, expertly cooked and seasoned. I had mofongo as my side, also the white rice with beans was very good. We had margaritas, rum punch and mojitos. The rum punch was lit! I should have gotten one to go. But the glasses are pretty small - but it’s only 8 bucks which isn’t bad. The food came quickly despite how busy they were. The salad that comes with the meal is small and no dressing - will need to use oil and vinegar. It can feel noisy but it’s because it’s so small. Feel very family style. Loved it. I don’t think they accept cash payments at all. Also the menu is QR code to a Google Drive which can be a pain to pull up. Attaching it here hopefully helps! I would definitely eat here again. And it is on a tiny street that is hard to navigate for drivers - but we took an uber and it was fine. We did walk to the walking area after which was mostly downhill.

Café Manolín is a gem in Old San Juan! Super chill spot with classic Puerto Rican food that hits the spot. They serve up authentic island comfort food with fast service and generous portions. Don’t leave without drinks & dessert too; coffee with brown sugar, “china”(fresh orange juice), flan & a shot of local Rum made this a great way to kick off our adventure in PR.

Our food was out of this world and the wine pairing elevated our experience to the next level. The service was exceptional, thank you Anna! This was a special treat but way worth the cost.

We were on the hunt for affordable Puerto Rican food in Old San Juan—and we found a hidden gem! This place is absolutely amazing. There’s no big sign out front, and while GPS said it was on the right, it’s actually on the left. Just look for a purple building with a small sign—that’s your spot. The vibe inside is warm and cozy, like a mix between a café and a diner. The prices are super reasonable, and the menu has a great variety of Puerto Rican favorites. We ordered the 10 oz churrasco and wow—it was cooked to perfection. I’d read that this spot has the best churrasco on the island, and I have to agree. If you’re in Old San Juan and craving authentic, affordable Puerto Rican food, this place is a must-visit. Highly recommend!

We sat at the counter which was tight. The waitress didn’t tell me switching rice and beans for mofongo was up priced. The mofongo dry and hard. The waitress forgot to upgrade my husband’s rice and beans which was a good thing because the rice and beans were better. His king fish and plantains were good.

Manolín Café was the perfect taste of San Juan during our cruise stop. The place was buzzing with locals, the line moved quickly, and the energy felt authentic. I had the mofongo with fried pork—crispy, garlicky, and packed with flavor. It was exactly the kind of local experience you hope to find between ports.

Food might be good if it were served hot. Looks good. Atmosphere is perfect for what you would expect for local counter restaurant has a few tables in the back.

Wifey and I had a late lunch at this location. It was highly recommended and we absolutely loved it. We were on a cruise celebrating 10 years of marriage, and we very much wanted something local and authentic. From the warm welcome, the great service from our server Jerry, to the drinks and the excellent food. It was worth every penny and every minute. We will definitely plan to return on our next visit to Puerto Rico

We enjoyed our food! The calamari is missing because it was eaten quickly. Be prepared to wait, but it is worth the wait. We arrived at 6p and within 30 minutes of our arrival they were full and busy! Subtracted one star for the saltiness of the fried pork.

We visited this local casual spot here in Puerto Rico and enjoyed another delicious meal. The place was packed, which gave it a lively atmosphere. Our server was just okay at first, but after a while she warmed up and service improved. I ordered the shrimp mofongo—it was good, though not quite as flavorful as the one I had yesterday. The empanadas were tasty, and I appreciated that the oil used was fresh and clean, without any leftover flavors from other foods. Overall, it was a good experience and worth the visit.

The food here is delicious and the prices were great. The service was just okay but I gave them the benefit of the doubt because it was overly crowded when we went. I got over it once I tasted that delicious food. I had the crab and lobster empanadas as a appetizer and it was so tasty. I tried the stuffed Avocado and it was amazing and the portions were huge. The beans and rice were delicious.

I had Casuela de mariscos with tostones and had to ask for an additional arroz mamposteado it was delicious. Food is really good, portion matches price. Their "sason" is unique and the service we got from Edward was good, his genuine kindness made us feel welcomed.

The service was nice and pleasant and after all the great reviews on social media I had to check this place out. The soup was flavored nicely it was just room temperature. I’m not sure if that’s how you’re supposed to serve it. The chicken by far was awful. Fried way too long and sucked out all the juices from it and was bone dry. Just a chalky taste. My tacos were ok. Nothing amazing but they could have been better. A lot better. I’m sad that I didn’t get the amazing flavors everyone on social media had. A lot of better places around the area in my opinion.

I came here at the recommendations of many people and honestly it was a decent suggestion. They were busy when I got there at 5pm on Mother’s Day (Sunday) and we had to wait in a line. I was eventually seated at a table by the window and was looking over my virtual menu for quite some time when the owner (?) came by and asked if I was by myself. I said yes so he asked me to get up for a second while he moved my table and took some of the chairs. No big deal…they are busy. Another 10ish minutes go by, I see a lot of tables around me getting served and I was getting a little disappointed by this time bc I thought maybe I was being overlooked. Finally after about 10-15m later from being at, a very sweet waitress greeted me and asked if I wanted to drink something. I declined and asked for recommendations on 1 appetizer, 1 entree and then dessert. I got the coquetas de pollo (6/10), monfongo with the garlic chicken (monfongo was kind of dry 4.5/10. Chicken was decent but could have used more of the gravy stuff 6/10) and a side of yellow rice with beans mixed into it (8/10). Everything was good. I wouldn’t say the best and I felt like it was lacking a little bit of flavor 🤷🏻‍♀️. The star of the show was their tres leche cake. I WISH I would have ordered 2!! It had a dense and moist cake with the 3 milks soaked in it and a whipped creamy brulee style topping and had a hint of coconut. It was 11/10!! Also, keep in mind the parking is crazy and I believe $15 so if you are traveling, highly suggest an uber as the area is very busy and populated

My girl friends and I arrived to the restaurant walked in and saw how busy it was. From that moment I knew the food had to be really good. There’s a long line once you get inside that starts from the back of the restaurant and may even start out side the back door. That’s how good the food is. People are willing to wait half hour need be to get a table. I ordered the Aguacate relleno de crab. It was delicious, I will say I wish it was a little warmer when it arrived to the table. It was cooked in a red sauce which I didn’t mind, just assumed it was just the crab meat alone. Each one of us ordered an Aguacate relleno with different proteins. They were all delicious. As an appetizer we ordered tostones relleno, add a little hot sauce and thank me later. For desert the Flan de Coco it was amazing.

WOW! All I have to say. This place was all over my page online so I decided to give it a try. Everything was so fresh I was blown away. The bread was to die for highly recommend. One last thing to add our server was great.

Don’t even have the words to describe this place. I have been thinking about my Mallorca with eggs and swiss ever since I walked out the door after paying. I immediately searched where I can get mallorcas in the city I live in once I’m back. Our waiter was the best part of this restaurant he was so edgy and hilarious but still kind and tended to our needs before we even asked. The pastries were incredible, the drinks were great, and the vibe was 10/10. It’s such a shame there are no local PR restaurants like this in my city, I’m craving my order again 😭

Loved it, service is a little slower but it seems like an very older gentleman takes orders & serves the food by himself. Seating is limited and my advice is if you see an open table go ahead and seat yourself, even if the table is not cleaned, the older gentleman will clean it. It seems like he knows who has recently sat down. The food was delicious, my wife & I each got a ham, egg, & cheese mallorca and we both loved them. I also had French fries which were very fresh & hot (so hot I had to wait a little bit for them to cool down). My wife got a papaya shake which she couldn't stop telling me about how good it was and kept offering me some. I recommend this place but get there early because again Seating is limited. The price was very generous, for 2 ham, egg, & cheese mallorca, French fries, a papaya shake, a 12 oz sprite, 2 16 oz dasani bottle water and tax came to a little over $20 . The decor needs some work but the food is so delicious you barely notice, this is a very mom & pop establishment. If you're in Old San Juan or San Juan or heck in Puerto Rico I definitely suggest you go here.

Mallorca ham, egg, cheese was very tasty. The pork with rice and beans was a good value at 13.95. The service was slow but it is island time, take your time and enjoy. Practice your Spanish before coming, our waiter and person checking us out only spoke Spanish.

If you're looking to visit Cafeteria Mallorca, the key is to get their early. Seating is limited, and it can be tough to find a place. That said, it is worth planning and making it work. We arrived at around 8:30 AM and got one of few tables left for our family of four. A cruise ship had arrived that day and we watched a pretty steady stream of cruisers wander in from that point forward. Because of the busyness, service was a bit slow. Not really the fault of any of the servers, just the nature of place. But when the food arrived, there was little "happy dances" around our table as everyone tasted what we ordered. We kept it pretty basic by ordering two different sandwiches: Mallorca w/ ham and cheese & Mallorca w/bacon and cheese. They weren't much to look at, but they were some of the tastiest little things. So tasty, in fact, we attempted to remake them in our AirBnB for the next two mornings. An important thing to note - if you're looking for a place to hide from the heat, this won't be the place. Food was great, but it was a bit stuffy sitting there. You acclimate and it doesn't detract from the food, but it isn't the cold blast that you find in other places.

Great food, quick service, fair price! Loved the Mallorca and fresh squeezed orange juice. Coffee was delicious and strong (made in a very cool old machine). Would love to go back for pastries! Get there early if you don’t want to wait

This place was not worth the wait at all!! Definitely over hyped from tik tok. Staff was nice but this place was so cringe it looked almost abandoned inside. I’m scared to know what the kitchen looked like if the front was that falling apart. Food was ok and cheap and hope they remodel from all the extra customers.

Absolutely fantastic Steak, perfectly cooked, simple delicious flavors! Everything was wonderful. The sign out front says "grandma" or "abuelas" kitchen, they're not lying. Very friendly staff. I will be back! Thank you :)

Adam was amazing and attentive. We wanted to swap out the Hummus for the 3 appetizer sampler including - Hummus, Imad Bayildi and the Sigara Boregi (Feta Cheese) rolls. Everything was super tasty, really liked the hummus and the mixed Ottoman Casserole

Ate here while in port on a cruise. Many restaurants were packed so we took a chance since we love foods from all over the world. This was absolutely perfect. Highly recommend. This is a sleeper for sure. We ate the sampler platter with hummus, tzatziki, and falafel. This came with warm pita. We also had the doner kebab. Hands down the best I’ve ever had.

I came to PR on a cruise. I was looking for something authentic and of high quality. I stumbled upon this lovely little restaurant. I order Skirt Stake Mofongo, and a pina colata and they did not disappoint. I felt like I had a authentic experience. The staff was kind, helpful and patient. If I ever come back to PR Im coming here.

This a must try! CHEF is well trained and knows the Turkish culinary as if it were brought from home country!

Their chicken casserole is amazing! So flavorful! So yummy! Just like a wow! Just note they add the gratuity already on the final bill.

PLEASE READ...Reason for the 2 stars. Double check your bill!! A $25 dinner suddenly turned into $41. The math just wasn't adding up. Along with crazy taxes here, the server conveniently added an 18% gratuity to the bill (just 2 of us) AND THEN there was still a section to add a tip. She said the tip was only a suggestion, yet it was added to our bill total. All I'm saying is Look over that bill before you pay.

I'm sorry I have to laugh because why did was the bill 100 dollars when it was 4 personal pizzas that looked like they were from chilis. First of all, you gotta park on the side which GOOD LUCK!! Next, we ordered 4 pizzas and 3 were "familiar" and 1 was a personal for my niece. The sizes must be adjectives for fun or pronouns because it was exactly the same size. It was a cheese pizza and the other was pepperoni. 2 other pizzas were green pepper, onions, and some type of meat and according to my family it was good but the price is ridiculous. I don't know if they milked and killed a cow they kept in the back, if the tomatoes are grown behind the no paper towel and soap restrooms, if the wheat is grown in between the dumpsters but it was absolutely baffling. Overall, the pizza was good I guess but it's just better to go to Kim's NY pizza or something to get a lot better food for half the price.

Pizza is amazing. Fresh out of the oven and so good. I grabbed a personal while I was waiting for the ferry back to San Juan.

Great attention, tables clean as the bathroom. The galls need more soap and water. The pizza had good amount of toppings. Their family pizza will be the size of a large in any other pizzeria. Drink over price. Family of three one alcoholic drink . Simple appetizer, price $72$74.

Great service from the staff. Food was great and tasty. We chose the colliflower pizza, and it was delicious as well as the samplers. Might be a little bit pricey, but I did enjoy it.

Nice pizzeria in front of Frente Marítimo de Cataño with parking. Fast service from the staff. Good pizza. Bahia pizza was delicious!

Food was delicious but service was pretty slow. It would take more than an hour to eat here. Excellent music and very cozy. Theres no parking available close to the restaurant.

Small restaurant, but nice atmosphere and great service!! My Boys and Daughter- inlaw loves this place ❤️ 💙 💕 💖 ♥️

Unfortunately the music was very loud making it difficult to communicate placing the order.They should have neutral music also.Not everyone likes Bachata music...

Nice

One of the best subway i had visit. Super clean. Customer Service awesome.

Fast service. Didn't have all the ingredients they offerend. Same old.

NO free refills and many other extra charges for the combos just to get you pay more 🤔

New & approve; great service thank you

La shk place good