We Tried The Ultimate Puerto Rico Food Bucket List

Mofongo, piña coladas, and SO MUCH MORE.

Getty / Kirby Beaton

Hola from San Juan, Puerto Rico!

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When headed to a new place, the Bring Me! team always wants to taste test the local cuisine, so on our recent trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico we asked a local foodie to take us on the ultimate food and drink tour of her city!

Myriam of Puerto Rico Eats took us on a culinary journey to try the must-have dishes while on the island, from classic mofongo to fresh-off-the-spit roasted pork. Now, we want to share them with you. Let's go!

Grab a plate of mofongo from El Guateque.

Kirby Beaton

Mofongo is a Puerto Rican staple found almost everywhere on the island. Made with mashed fried plantains, chicharrones (fried pork skin), and lots of garlic, it usually comes with a protein, like the pork ribs above. Sometimes you'll find it double fried, but Myriam notes that El Guateque keeps it classic; the base remains soft so the crunchy pork really stands out. They also serve an extra cup of broth on the side to keep your mofongo extra moist.

Fuel your morning with some coffee from Café Marquesa.

Kirby Beaton

Puerto Rico is known for its coffee, and it's easy to see (or taste) why when you have a sip of the smooth and sweet blends. Unfortunately a huge portion of the island's coffee crops were destroyed in Hurricane Maria, but a regrowth effort is already underway. Although you'll find great coffee throughout the city, Café Marquesa is an excellent spot to get your caffeine fix.

Get a late-night (or early morning!) tripleta from Moncho Pan.

Kirby Beaton

The tripleta sandwich is a Puerto Rican must-eat! It usually features three types of meat: chicken, ham, and beef. It's something you'd crave after having one too many drinks. For that reason, you usually find tripletas at late-night food trucks or bakeries like Moncho Pan. Their version actually features way more than three meats; beefsteak, turkey, pastrami, chorizo, ham, and smoked ham are sandwiched between soft, chewy bread. So I guess you could call this a sexleta!

Begin your night out with piña coladas from Jungle Bird.

Tiffany Lo

This beloved pineapple and coconut beverage was actually created in Puerto Rico, and although its origins are still a bit mysterious, you'll find it at every bar. Jungle Bird, sister bar to La Factoría (aka where "Despacito" was filmed!), serves up a tasty and modern take on the national drink. Their recipe uses tepache (a fermented pineapple beverage) giving it a bold flavor that you'll want to taste twice...or five times. We don't judge.

Try world-renowned lechón from El Rancho de Apa.

Kirby Beaton

This is the place for pork! Meat from a whole roasted pig (often cooked for 5+ hours!) is paired with pigeon pea rice and plantains. The long roasting process makes the skin extra crispy, almost like a chip! It's so good that Myriam recommends making a reservation and even requesting your favorite cut of meat ahead of time — they sell out fast! El Rancho de Apa is unassuming from the outside, but trust us (and Anthony Bourdain) when we say it's one of the best meals we've ever had.

Start your morning with quesitos from Bien Dulce.

Kirby Beaton

Traditionally, quesitos are a cream cheese pastry eaten for breakfast with a warm mug of coffee. However, despite their name, quesitos aren't always filled with cheese. We saw guava, dulce de leche, salted caramel, and even bacon, for example, at Bien Dulce. This bakery is a delight of millennial-pink walls and colorful desserts and pastries. Grab a latte and a quesito (or two) to start the perfect day in San Juan!

Hit the beach, and then snack on alcapurrias from Kiosko La Comay.

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Alcapurrias take everything delicious about Puerto Rican cuisine and then fry it! Mashed plantains are formed around ground meat (usually pork or beef), and then fried until crispy and golden. You can find these delightful snacks at Kiosko La Comay, a small food shack just off of the beach in Loíza. Kioskos (or kiosks) are all over Puerto Rico, often dotting the roads with their colorful exteriors and long lines.

While you're there, try the bacalaítos from Kiosko La Comay too.

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Kiosko La Comay also serves bacalaítos, perfectly fried salt cod fritters. It's a bit greasy (in a good way) and pairs perfectly with a cold local beer, like a Medalla. Myriam also made sure to hook us up with their homemade hot sauce. It's sweet and vinegary, but with a distinct spicy kick that offsets the saltiness of the cod. It also comes to your table in a recycled rum bottle, and what's more Puerto Rican than that?

Eat like a Puerto Rican with chuletas de cerdo and tostones from El Guayabo.

Kirby Beaton

Myriam said that eating chuletas de cerdo (fried pork chops) and tostones (fried plantains) at El Guayabo would be like eating at a Puerto Rican grandma's house – probably because the restaurant is literally attached to the home of a Puerto Rican grandma! This meal is total comfort food, from the juicy pork chops to the crispy plantains dipped in Mayochup sauce. Not pictured but definitely a must-have: a glass of their sangria to wash it all down.

That wraps up our San Juan food and drink guide! Which dish made you drool the most?