Discover Exclusive Offers and Special Deals on MSC Cruise Deals
Find a cruise and book cruises direct - no booking fee!
pina colada
pina colada

Top Things to Eat in San Juan

Don't forget to satisfy your taste buds during your next visit to San Juan by indulging in these top things to eat in San Juan.

By Cruise Booking Team

Book Cruises to San Juan

Whether you are a beach lover, nature lover, night owl, or foodie, San Juan has something to offer to everyone. It has multiple cultural and outdoor activities, mesmerizing sea beaches, and extravagant nightlife.

Apart from that, San Juan offers amazing food, which has a blend of French, African, and Spanish cuisine and is a delight for food lovers across the globe. While you enjoy the rich heritage, colonial architecture, and sandy beaches of Puerto Rico's capital, here are the top things to eat in San Juanthat you must try.

Top Things to Eat in San Juan

Here are the top 5 must-try foods in San Juan. These dishes are available in almost all restaurants in San Juan.

1. Tripleta

Tripleta lives up to its name because it is a sandwich with three fillings. It is a popular sandwich from Puerto Rico and has three types of meat fillings — Lechon pork, grilled steak, and ham. To prepare this sandwich, one needs to place the meat in a fresh loaf of bread and top it up with fries, mayonnaise, cheese, ketchup, and vegetables like cabbage, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes. This sandwich is usually so large that it can easily fill the tummy of two adults. According to personal preferences, one can consume this sandwich as it is or grill it.

2. Mofongo

Mofongo is one of the most popular dishes in Puerto Rico and is easily available in San Juan. To prepare this dish, San Juans mash the plain unripe plantains. They also add ingredients such as prawns, lobsters, chicken, or bacon to enhance the taste. The plantains are picked green and then they are cut into pieces, and Puerto Ricans generally fry them and mash them with salt, broth, or garlic.

San Juan cuisine is a mixture of different cuisines, and so this dish has flavors of Africa in it. This dish was initially brought to Puerto Rico by slaves of Central and Western Africa.

3. Arroz Con Gandules

This is one of the best things to eat in San Juan that you must put on your list. Arroz con gandules is the national dish of Puerto Rico. It is a one-pot dish consisting of pigeon peas, rice, and sofrito. The aromatic flavoring base of every Puerto Rican dish is “Sofrito”, and every family and restaurant in Puerto Rico has its own recipe for making it. To prepare the Sofrito, one can add fried bacon to it to enhance the smoky flavor of this dish. Other spices and garnishes that one can add to this dish are bay leaves, oregano, cumin, olives, tomato paste, lime juice, and sour cream. It is flavorful in its vegetarian version itself; however, individuals can add sausages or bacon to make it tastier.

4. Pernil

While visiting San Juan, do not forget to try out Pernil, if you are a meat lover. This is one of the most popular dishes in the country. A succulent roasted pork shoulder is seasoned with a marinade known as adobo mojado to make this dish. This marinade consists of salt, paprika, garlic, vinegar, and oregano. This dish derives its name from the Spanish word “Pierna”, which means leg. However, pork shoulders are easily available and cheaper than ham or leg of pernil. Thus, it is an integral part of this dish.

5. Pina Colada

Pina Colada has been the national drink of Puerto Rico since 1978 and was invented by a bartender in San Juan. This popular drink is a mixture of rum, coconut milk, pineapple juice, and coconut cream. To prepare this drinkish, one needs to shake or blend it with ice. You will get it served chilled, with a piece of cherry or pineapple on top.

San Juan is home to pretty sand beaches and is a city rich in culture and history. The best time to visit this city is from mid-April to June, right after the winter season and before rainy weather. The capital of Puerto Rico is home to the world's longest zipline, El Monstruo, and also offers adventure sports at El Yunque National Forest. So, if you visit San Juan, take part in the adventure, explore the city and treat yourself to the top things to eat in San Juan.

What’s more?

Besides offering amazing delicacies and beautiful sandy beaches, Puerto Rico is also the rum capital of the world. While you visit San Juan, don’t forget to visit the largest rum distillery in the world. You can get to taste pina colada, different mojitos, and also a few other dishes you can try here are Arañitas, Chillo Frito, and Sorullitos de Maiz.

You can check CruiseBooking.com if you are considering planning any cruise trip in the near future to San Juan.

Header Image by etorres69 at Depositphotos

Ultimate Guide to Cruising with Kids

Book A Cruise When cruising with kids, the destinations you'll visit and the experiences you'll have are boundless. It's the perfect family formula: plenty of food, entertainment, and [...]

November 08, 2022

The Best Beaches in Auckland

Book Cruises from Auckland Beach holidays are the perfect choice to get away from the regular, monotonous chores of life. These little pieces of heaven on earth provide solace and comfort and [...]

December 29, 2023

All about the Best Beaches in Tenerife

Book Cruises From Tenerife Tenerife is a Spanish coastal town that is blessed with numerous beaches. The majority of the beaches have distinct black sand on their shore as a result of the once [...]

December 28, 2022

Top Things To Do Onboard Norwegian Jewel

Book Norwegian Jewel Cruise Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ships have everything from its cabins to suit every style to a wide range of dining options, lively pubs, and nightclubs. It is the [...]

March 22, 2024

Our cruise experts will help you to plan your perfect cruise vacation!
phone number with country code (hyphen allowed)
0 / 500

Cruise Inquiry