Old San Juan Restaurant — Restaurant in Camden

I went here to get some soup because I felt sick 🤒 and everything was okay, a girl ask me did I want to order and I said I just want some soup with rice and she looked at me with the only face of disappointment like if I did something wrong to her mind you I’m coming down with some type of Covid and I feel it and I’m trying to get out of there really fast before it’s starts hitting me my back and my throat started to hurt. And she said well if you want soup with rice, a large soup comes free with rice and I said OK give me that. Then she whispered something to someone else and another waiter said to me Is someone taking your order because the other girl had whisper something in Spanish about me she felt some type of way I don’t know why??people feel some type of way when a person is just ordering soup they’re still going to spend money Why the face for some soup? Looks like she didn’t want do it and if she didn’t want to do it then she should’ve let the next waiter grab me. And the next waiter I guess noticed that she was talking shishh that she was like is someone taking your order and that’s when the first girl that I began with started moving and I was like yeah she is. I’m Puerto Rican I do understand Spanish that is so freaking rude, She works in a Puerto Rican restaurant understand that!!!! she may not be a of Puerto Rican heritage, but she doesn’t have to give the face like that and whisper in Spanish like if I’m white when I’m Puerto Rican and I understand Spanish The restaurant is in the hood! There’s a lot of Puerto Ricans in East Camden Way before Camden started getting filled with Mexicans and different cultures. There was First Puerto Ricans in that area so to act different like that and not know that you’re in a Puerto Rican establishment and then you’re treating someone of Puerto Rican heritage like that thinking that they can’t pick up on stuff like that that’s rude that’s an insult. I went there because I wanted Puerto Rican food! And all the other places, they’re Dominican and Mexican and I was in the mood for Puerto Rican food! So I went to a Puerto Rican restaurant with a Puerto Rican banner in the front of it that says San Juan showing a Puerto Rican flag. I understand the majority of their other foods are Dominican in an a Puerto Rican establishment Which is frustrating Because when you want Puerto Rican food, you don’t expect to see that!!!!! especially in a Puerto Rican restaurant with a Puerto Rican name on it and a banner of the old San Juan de Puerto Rico. This is false advertisement having a banner like that!

Then she gave me a face again and I’m like oh my God I’m falling with something here. I am sick. I just want her to get the ball rolling with this soup. She looking around for someone that’s not busy to talk ish about me too I am dead watching her noticing all of this and everyone else is taking orders like girl we don’t got time for this. So I ordered a pastello de poyo to make her feel better meanwhile, I’m sick. I’m like money is not the issue I’m only ordering soup because I feel like I’m coming down with something. I need the soup because I’m sick, Then she told me it’ll be $15 and then charge me 16 which I said is fine. Whatever she said one thing did another at this point, I want to get out of there! Then she handed me the receipt and says sign and I have to tell her how I don’t have a pen? 🖊️ And I was like just for her being that way! I’m going to show her don’t judge a book by its cover and I tipped her five dollars, Her mood drastically changed when she seen that receipt. And was like oh have a great day and I was like exactly how I should’ve been treated to begin with. Never again Camden needs to start opening up real Puerto Rican restaurants because this is a disgrace. If you want some soup, you should still be treated with kindness, even if it’s not ordering much. People do realize that people are going to order soup when they’re feeling sick they don’t need someone to make them feel 10 times worse while taking...

Name of Restaurant: Old San Juan Type of Restaurant: Spanish

Pros: Staff was Friendly Cons: Needed One More Employee for the Dining Area

Time, Date: 5:00pm dinner on Tuesday, April 25th 2017 Specific Information: My boyfriend and I went to Old San Juan on a Tuesday, for dinner. When we walked in we were told to sit wherever we would like and she would be right with us. She immediately brought us menus and then gave us a few minutes to order. When she came back over I ordered, and she made fun of me for what I ordered. I explained to her I have never been there before and I did not know what else to get. So, being that I have a good sense of humor, I laughed and told her to bring me what she thought I should get. She asked me what kind of meet I liked and if I liked yellow or white rice and then she just said ok and wrote something down. The menu was separated by week days and then by types of food such as seafood, meat, etc. The menu was rather large, but not detailed. After ordering, the waitress brought us a complimentary cup of soup while we waited for our main meals. The food came in a timely manner, extremely presentable, and delicious. I ended up getting grilled chicken breast with Spanish yellow rice with beans and my boyfriend got a hamburger and French fries. Both meals were perfect portions, not too much and not too little. My grilled chicken was extremely tasteful and my boyfriend really enjoyed his burger, and I ate all his fries, which were really delicious as well. Old San Juan was extremely clean and tidy and the host/waitress was super friendly, as well as very outgoing, which was a huge plus for me.

Food Description: Although I did not see much Spanish food on the menu (maybe I just did not recognize what was Spanish since I’m not familiar), but my Spanish rice was really delicious. I am not sure what my grilled chicken was seasoned with but it was really good and not too much. My grilled chicken was cooked to perfection (I am super picky about how my meat is cooked) and very juicy. My dish was also served with a side of lettuce, tomatoes, and red peppers. My boyfriend’s burger was served with lettuce, tomato, fries and a sauce (I am not sure what it was) on the side. Nothing came with our meals that was out of the ordinary or anything you need to be worried about if you have food allergies. The portions were perfect even though I did not finish my entire meal, but my boyfriend took it home for lunch the next day. My boyfriend finished his meal completely. Even though the condiments were supplied on the table, I did not need to use any being that the food was already so tasteful and enjoyable.

Would you recommend the restaurant: YES! Even though I only got grilled chicken and rice, it was extremely delicious and the portions were perfect, which I loved. The food was delicious, the portions are great, and the staff is friendly and outgoing. They also have a to go side of the restaurant where you can come in and get food that is premade to go. That side was quite busy while we were there. As we were getting ready to leave, the restaurant side started to get busy as well, and the waitress was running back and forth to the to go side and to the restaurant side. I had to get to class and it was taking her a little long to get back to us to pay, but it was not a huge deal to us. The atmosphere wasn’t the most creative and entertaining, but the music was very nice to listen to and it was a quiet atmosphere so it was a peaceful dinner. The restaurant side is a decent size and comfortable. Old San Juan is a really nice place to go grab dinner, somewhere clean with enjoyable staff and delicious food. I would definitely recommend this to people and next time I go I will definitely just have the waitress recommend my meal again.

Overall Rating: I would say Old San Juan is a...

I had the beef cube stew w rice and chickpeas. This meal includes a soup for $12 I also ordered sweet plantains on the side for $2 more and a bottle of water for $. Total w tax was $15.90 apprx. The portions were very generous. The food itself was prepared excellently and taste spot on. I used the men's rest room which was clean and well supplied. My observations was that this restaurant recieved a lot of business and that it was well maintained. I would've liked better service. The waitress was very nice however I didn't like waiting so long to receive my plantains halfway into my meal. I liked being served my soup first. Then the main course came but lacked plantains. She didn't ask me how my food was. She addressed me in passing. For example I think she told me that my plantains were coming as she was swiftly walking by so I asked about it then and she said they were on there way. I would've preferred her to at least stop to address me even if it was brief. Overall a very good experience and I intend on trying out other dishes. Oh and I parked across the street in a shuttle bus i drove there no problem there's a huge lot connected to the supermarket. I doubt that the supermarket will have issue so long as people have consideration and park further away from the store allowing their customers to have the spots...