Cafe El Meson — Restaurant in Lake Township

I recently discovered this place on TikTok. It's located blocks from where I live, and I never knew it was there. I decided to try it out. I first walk in and thought it was a book store. I walked to the back of the establishment to realize the cafe was in the back. The owner and his lovely wife were there together. They were delightful. Great sense of humor, wonderful customer service. 10 out of 10 for me. They told me they'd been at that location for 15 years. I've been living in the area 9 years and now that I know they are there, I'll be going more often. I had a jibarito sandwich with arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas), a café con leche (coffee with boiled milk), a quesito (Flaky cheese pastry) and a jugo de parcha (passion fruit juice). The jibarito and the rice was so very good. I'd give it a 9.5 out of 10. They even added avocado. Which is the first time I've seen a restaurant do that. The coffee went perfect with the quesito. Chef's kiss 💋. I really enjoyed every bit of my meal, as well as my time there....

I was in the area during a weekday around lunchtime. This cute ex residential building with a cafe seemed like the neighborhood place to try. I didn't research this location, so I was surprised the business is also a christian bookstore. Weird; but okay.

The service was friendly enough though slow with periods of four employees chatting. No big deal, though my order was placed incorrectly. I was the only patron there at the time.

The jibarito was delivered about 10-15 minutes later, but it had chicken. Chicken! I don't know why that's even an option, but steak is a jibarito requirement. I confirmed with my receipt, but didn't have time to request a replacement. The sandwich lacked the garlicky pungency of a jibarito, and it had a sweet salsa rosada sauce. Overall the sandwich was okay, but lacked jibarito-ness. The arroz con gandules were somehow bitter. The savior of the experience was the chicken empanada. It was juicy andwell balanced.

If in the area again, I might pick up a few of those chicken...

I discovered this place several years ago when I was looking for a coffeeshop near my house. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they not only have great coffee drinks but also yummy smoothies, sandwiches, quesitos (Puerto Rican pastries), empanadas, and more (including books/gifts). Everything that I've tried on the menu is delicious. The owner, Juan, is absolutely wonderful. You can tell that he really cares for people and the community (his tagline for the shop is "un lugar para ti" which means a place/refuge for you). And if you're lucky enough to go during the summer, you'll most likely be served by one of his kids, all who take after their dad in terms of kindness and generosity. They've got an upstairs room which is great for studying and/or small group gatherings and an outdoor patio too. I hear that you can also rent the space for private events. Great place for a drink, snack, and/or meal while having a great conversation. Definitely a place worth...