Ecuarican Bar Restaurant — Restaurant in Maunabo

Ecuarican is a hidden gem that every food enthusiast and adventurer will enjoy. Perched along the mountains of Maunabo with a 180-degree view of the Caribbean Sea, this cook-to-order restaurant on PR-901 is a favorite of locals and tourists alike. I highly recommend Ecuarican to all as one of Maunabo’s very best and most exciting restaurants of 2023.

Featuring a menu of Ecuadorian and Puerto Rican cuisine, Ecuarican pays homage to the marriage of two cultures with fresh ingredients, authentic flavors, and food cooked with passion. The house specialties (platos ecuatorianos) are always enjoyable and the ceviché is excellent. If you are in a rush, the pastellilos de juey (crab empanada) and carné (beef) are some of the best in the area.

Ecuarican makes all of its food from scratch, so visitors should expect lunch and dinner to require adequate time, especially during night and weekend rushes or reservations. Parking is also limited due to the unique location of this cliff-side establishment.

The owners of Ecuarican are amazing and hard-working people who genuinely want each customer to have a wonderful dining and service experience. The atmosphere and vibe is welcoming for tourists, locals, and people of all ages. There is also a new billiards table ($0.50 per game) and karaoke for entertainment.

This restaurant is perfect for those who have 1-2 hours to enjoy awe-inspiring outdoor patio views of the Caribbean and lush mountain landscape with a beverage of choice as your lunch or dinner is being prepared. I was recently treated to a special menu tasting featuring grilled octopus with chimichurri as Ecuarican recently invited a visiting chef from Canada into their kitchen....

We stayed in Maunabo for a week and tried the food at a number of nearby restaurants, and this place was our favorite. Specifically, we tried the pastelillos at every restaurant we visited, and this place had the best pastelillos of every place we tried. The meat was really well seasoned, and the pastry was perfect. Everyone loved the chicken pastelillos here.

I also found it harder than expected to find ceviche at the restaurants around here. But Ecuarican had ceciche, and it was delicious - get it with the tostones. One in our group got the fish tacos, and they looked like the best fish tacos I've ever seen. Loads of huge chunks of deep fried buttery fish with tons of red onion and other veg. He said they were they best he's ever had, but he didn't like the sauce on them, so maybe ask for the sauce on the side.

They had some of the best margs we had while visiting. And they had a pool table we enjoyed playing on while waiting for our food. The view off the back patio is also incredible. And the staff was so kind and welcoming. Chelly (spelling?) was our waitress the second time we went (it was so good, we had to go back!), and she was so sweet and attentive and spoke very good English. 10/10 service,...

Wow, what an experience! This family-owned restaurant in Puerto Rico is hands down one of the highlights of our trip. The drive up the mountain is a little twisty, but honestly that just adds to the adventure and once you get to the top, the view is absolutely worth it.

The food was amazing! Everything tasted so fresh and homemade, and the presentation was beautiful (you can tell they put a lot of love into every plate). It’s the kind of place where you feel like you’re eating at someone’s home but with restaurant-quality dishes.

On top of that, the owner is so welcoming and friendly, which made the whole experience even better. Sitting there, enjoying delicious food with that gorgeous mountain view, felt like something out of a postcard. Also while we ate in a separate room there was a pool table where 2 locals came in to play it was so nice to see!

Highly recommend making the drive—it’s...