Tío Papo Restaurant — Restaurant in Carolina

Tío Papo is a small cozy place. I went in because of the ratings I saw on a Google search, and it was so close to my mother's house that I decided to give it a try. It was a nice breezy, mid-afternoon Thursday, so I sat at their porch-terrace. There was only one other customer on the terrace. The waitress came out, and handed me a flyer with the day's specials. I am a fan of 'carne frita' (chunks of fried pork), and although it's a simple concept, not everyone does it right. So, because of my proclivity, I was immediately drawn to a plate called 'mofongo de yuca a la criolla con carne frita'. Man, was I in for a surprise! The day's specials also included Tito's vodka at $4, with whatever mix you desired. I went simple again and ordered mine with tonic. For those of you who do not know what 'yuca' or 'mofongo' are, I'll give a brief. 'Yuca a root vegetable , also known as cassava or manioc, and has been a staple since indigenous times in the Caribbean and continental Latin America. 'Mofongo' is typically mashed plantains and seasoned in a variety of ways, and in the last ten to twenty years, the concept has been transferred to root vegetables, like 'yuca'. When I was served my plate, the serving of fried pork was generous, but to my surprise it was cooked to perfection: crisp on the outside and soft on the inside! Great! But that was not the only surprise. The 'mofongo' was topped with a salsa a la criolla (Creole sauce) that was to die for. Needless to say, the experience with my 'Mofongo de yuca a la criolla con carne frita' with my vodka tonic and the breezy afternoon was PERFECT. THANK...

This place has been in my backyard for quite some time and I kept putting it off because to be honest, of its location. It's a bit off from where I'm used to going but WOW did it NOT disappoint! I was told that the restaurant started out as just a small chinchorro (small dive bar) to what it is today. Humbly designed and filled with local culture. I could fill numerous pages about the food we had but I will save you the time and just say that if you leave the island without tasting the churrasco, the decadent stuffed mofongo or the many numerous pasta dishes they offer you'd be doing yourself a great disservice. I found the paella a bit dry for my taste but the many desserts and mixed after dinner drinks they also offer more than made up for it! They even have pizza for the kids! Don't pass this up. Also, don't forget to try the plantain soup with authentic Puertorican hot sauce (optional) made on premises. It is just like mi abuelo and his father before him made it. Yum. Buen...

I told the waitress I wanted chicken and my boyfriend who is born and raised Puerto Rican also told her. The waitress asked me if I wanted “carne frita” and I said yes thinking she was asking me if I wanted my chicken fried. They then brought out pork which I don’t eat and refused to fix it bc the kitchen was closed. Management then proceeded to blame me for the misunderstanding and didn’t even offer us a discount for the mistake. My bf and I both speak Spanish very well so that wasn’t the issue. The fault was clearly on the waitress and they didn’t make it right. My bf paid bc he’s a sweetheart but I left hungry and clearly upset. We will never go there again. A few bucks is worth more than customer satisfaction here so I do not recommend...