PR 3
Luquillo, Puerto Rico
1st Kiosk: Roca Taino Kiosk #60
We ate - Alcapurria stuffed with crab
Beef Taco
2nd Kiosk: Tito's Oysters and Clams
3rd Kiosk: El Jefe Burger Shack #12
We ate - Fried Cheese with Guava Sauce
4th Kiosk: Ceviche Hut (Peruvian Cuisine) #42
In her opinion:
I had read a lot about these kiosks in my preparation for our trip to Puerto Rico. They were described as "a much loved part of Puerto Rico" or "a must do". On our fifth day in Puerto Rico, we headed to Luquillo Beach to enjoy this beautiful, pristine beach and of course check out the famous kiosks.
We really didn't have a game plan...basically just sample a few items from a few kiosks. We would stop when we were full.
We started at Roca Taino or #60. This kiosk is famous for Puerto Rican cuisine. I had been dying to try some of the fried goodies that Puerto Rico is famous for and Roca Taino provided that opportunity. We ordered an alcapurria stuffed with crab. This was so so good. The filling was flavourful and delicious. The papas rellenas were a must try since I had read about them in many travel guides. I can describe them as a deep fried meatball covered in potato that tastes exactly like Sheppard's pie. The taco was really good as well. This is not a "Mexican style" taco. It is a deep fried cigar shaped morsel of deliciousness. Very very good.
Our next stop was Tito's Oysters and Clams. It sit in the parking lot right in front of Roca Taino...it doesn't have a number like the other kiosks. Let's start by saying that this would probably not have been my first pick to have any type of seafood but the recommendations for Tito's place online were many. Quite a few people had suggested how good these oysters were. The fact that Tito had quite a few proper food handling certificates hanging on the back of his open van doors only help reassure me. We ordered 6 oysters on the half shell. Tito (a super nice friendly guy by the way) opens them up right in front of you and serves them on a plate with lemon. He also placed his house made cocktail sauce in front of us. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the cocktail sauce but it was really really good with a lot of heat from the chili peppers tossed into the sauce. The oysters themselves were sweet and delicious tasting of the sea. Some of the best oyster I have eaten anywhere!
We drove down the strip and stop at El Jefe Burger next or #12 and #13. Again this place was highly recommended by the foodie online community. We decided on "the Fried Cheese with Guava Sauce" and "the Three Sliders". The fried cheese was salty and delicious and was perfectly complimented by the sweetness of the guava sauce. What a burst of flavour with every bite. In Brazil, a cheese and guava jam sandwich is called a Romeo and Juilette and I can totally see why...a match made in heaven! The sliders were each filled with three different fillings as described above. My favourite was the chorizo. I really liked the flavour combo of the beef burger, port chorizo and the American cheese on top. Really really good. Our experience at El Jefe was excellent...Carlos, our Panamanian/Italian waiter help make it even better.
Our final kiosk visit was to Ceviche Hut - it was a play on Pizza Hut and the logo is actually are reminicient of the Pizza Hut logo. But that's where the similarities stop. Ceviche Hut is a Peruvian restaurant serving Peruvian cuisine. Our attentive waitress started our experience by taking our drink orders and bringing us some Peruvian Fried Corn. Now this was something unusual that I had never had before. Since this was our fourth stop...we were a little full. We opted for the mussel ceviche since neither of us had ever had it before. It was served as a meal with sweet corn, sweet potatoes and a salad. The ceviche itself was cut up mussel pieces with onions and peppers in a acidic ceviche dressing which was placed on top of the salad. It was really fresh and delicious and a perfect ending to our kiosk experiences.
If you are ever in Puerto Rico for longer then a day, drive to Luquillo Beach and experience one of the finest beaches in Puerto Rico and some really amazing food at the Kiosks...after all, it's described as "a right of passage" and any foodie has to partake of this amazing experience!
In his opinion:
This is probably the worst kept secret in all of Puerto Rico and for the travelling foodies, a place to indulge in some great diverse and cheap food, all in one place. Luquillo is predominantly known for its beautiful beaches, some of the nicest ones in all the island, but the Kiosks are also a major attraction for this little town.
Roughly 50+ little restaurant gems make up this stretch of road with a little for everyone. You can find true Puerto Rican food, burgers, pizza, empanadas...you name it and they have it. It's the perfect place for a self induced food coma.
We picked a few places to try knowing very well that we couldn't last through too many of them. All in all we tried 5 kiosks out of the 20+ that were open when we arrived. By the time we left many more were open and of course that means much more choice.
The highlights for me are:
Titos Oysters...you couldn't have fresher oysters unless you are in the boat that picked them and you are eating them on the way back to land. Tito is world famous for his Oysters and Clams and he knows his seafood. He proudly displays his certificates and they serve as a positive testament that you are indeed having fresh, good seafood...from the back of a truck! We had 6 oysters on the half shell. Large oysters with a dribble of Tito's famous cocktail hot sauce. Top notch oysters and a must at the Kiosks.
El Jefe burger was my second favourite of the day. The feel of the place is definitely familiar to many seaside places I have visited worldwide. Wall full of testaments and comments from people that have traveled from all corners of the globe to try their food. It's an eclectic scene that also displays varied business cards above the bar, again from the many visitors that go through their doors. The 3 sliders that we had were extremely tasty. Great tasting patties, simply cooked and assembled burgers but with a punch of flavour.
The Roca Taino kiosk was my 3rd favourite. This is where the slice of Puerto Rico comes in. They serve all kinds local food and anything from Alcapurrias, Puerto Rican "Tacos", papas rellenas and rice salads but you wouldn't know that from reading the menu's since there isn't one. Point at what you want and it shall be served to you, simple and tasty. We had the crab alcapurrias, papas rellenas and the beef tacos. All very good fried goodness and very inexpensive as well.
When in Puerto Rico, this is a must for any lover of food or any adventurer that is willing to leave San Juan for a couple of hours. Go, check out as many as you can and make sure that you try the local fare. Truly a gem...
I had read a lot about these kiosks in my preparation for our trip to Puerto Rico. They were described as "a much loved part of Puerto Rico" or "a must do". On our fifth day in Puerto Rico, we headed to Luquillo Beach to enjoy this beautiful, pristine beach and of course check out the famous kiosks.
We really didn't have a game plan...basically just sample a few items from a few kiosks. We would stop when we were full.
We started at Roca Taino or #60. This kiosk is famous for Puerto Rican cuisine. I had been dying to try some of the fried goodies that Puerto Rico is famous for and Roca Taino provided that opportunity. We ordered an alcapurria stuffed with crab. This was so so good. The filling was flavourful and delicious. The papas rellenas were a must try since I had read about them in many travel guides. I can describe them as a deep fried meatball covered in potato that tastes exactly like Sheppard's pie. The taco was really good as well. This is not a "Mexican style" taco. It is a deep fried cigar shaped morsel of deliciousness. Very very good.
Our next stop was Tito's Oysters and Clams. It sit in the parking lot right in front of Roca Taino...it doesn't have a number like the other kiosks. Let's start by saying that this would probably not have been my first pick to have any type of seafood but the recommendations for Tito's place online were many. Quite a few people had suggested how good these oysters were. The fact that Tito had quite a few proper food handling certificates hanging on the back of his open van doors only help reassure me. We ordered 6 oysters on the half shell. Tito (a super nice friendly guy by the way) opens them up right in front of you and serves them on a plate with lemon. He also placed his house made cocktail sauce in front of us. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the cocktail sauce but it was really really good with a lot of heat from the chili peppers tossed into the sauce. The oysters themselves were sweet and delicious tasting of the sea. Some of the best oyster I have eaten anywhere!
We drove down the strip and stop at El Jefe Burger next or #12 and #13. Again this place was highly recommended by the foodie online community. We decided on "the Fried Cheese with Guava Sauce" and "the Three Sliders". The fried cheese was salty and delicious and was perfectly complimented by the sweetness of the guava sauce. What a burst of flavour with every bite. In Brazil, a cheese and guava jam sandwich is called a Romeo and Juilette and I can totally see why...a match made in heaven! The sliders were each filled with three different fillings as described above. My favourite was the chorizo. I really liked the flavour combo of the beef burger, port chorizo and the American cheese on top. Really really good. Our experience at El Jefe was excellent...Carlos, our Panamanian/Italian waiter help make it even better.
Our final kiosk visit was to Ceviche Hut - it was a play on Pizza Hut and the logo is actually are reminicient of the Pizza Hut logo. But that's where the similarities stop. Ceviche Hut is a Peruvian restaurant serving Peruvian cuisine. Our attentive waitress started our experience by taking our drink orders and bringing us some Peruvian Fried Corn. Now this was something unusual that I had never had before. Since this was our fourth stop...we were a little full. We opted for the mussel ceviche since neither of us had ever had it before. It was served as a meal with sweet corn, sweet potatoes and a salad. The ceviche itself was cut up mussel pieces with onions and peppers in a acidic ceviche dressing which was placed on top of the salad. It was really fresh and delicious and a perfect ending to our kiosk experiences.
If you are ever in Puerto Rico for longer then a day, drive to Luquillo Beach and experience one of the finest beaches in Puerto Rico and some really amazing food at the Kiosks...after all, it's described as "a right of passage" and any foodie has to partake of this amazing experience!
In his opinion:
This is probably the worst kept secret in all of Puerto Rico and for the travelling foodies, a place to indulge in some great diverse and cheap food, all in one place. Luquillo is predominantly known for its beautiful beaches, some of the nicest ones in all the island, but the Kiosks are also a major attraction for this little town.
Roughly 50+ little restaurant gems make up this stretch of road with a little for everyone. You can find true Puerto Rican food, burgers, pizza, empanadas...you name it and they have it. It's the perfect place for a self induced food coma.
We picked a few places to try knowing very well that we couldn't last through too many of them. All in all we tried 5 kiosks out of the 20+ that were open when we arrived. By the time we left many more were open and of course that means much more choice.
The highlights for me are:
Titos Oysters...you couldn't have fresher oysters unless you are in the boat that picked them and you are eating them on the way back to land. Tito is world famous for his Oysters and Clams and he knows his seafood. He proudly displays his certificates and they serve as a positive testament that you are indeed having fresh, good seafood...from the back of a truck! We had 6 oysters on the half shell. Large oysters with a dribble of Tito's famous cocktail hot sauce. Top notch oysters and a must at the Kiosks.
El Jefe burger was my second favourite of the day. The feel of the place is definitely familiar to many seaside places I have visited worldwide. Wall full of testaments and comments from people that have traveled from all corners of the globe to try their food. It's an eclectic scene that also displays varied business cards above the bar, again from the many visitors that go through their doors. The 3 sliders that we had were extremely tasty. Great tasting patties, simply cooked and assembled burgers but with a punch of flavour.
The Roca Taino kiosk was my 3rd favourite. This is where the slice of Puerto Rico comes in. They serve all kinds local food and anything from Alcapurrias, Puerto Rican "Tacos", papas rellenas and rice salads but you wouldn't know that from reading the menu's since there isn't one. Point at what you want and it shall be served to you, simple and tasty. We had the crab alcapurrias, papas rellenas and the beef tacos. All very good fried goodness and very inexpensive as well.
When in Puerto Rico, this is a must for any lover of food or any adventurer that is willing to leave San Juan for a couple of hours. Go, check out as many as you can and make sure that you try the local fare. Truly a gem...
I'll look here for reference the next time I go on a luquillo beach vacation. Great blog.
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Thanks Seaside Grill!
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