El Rastro — Restaurant in Ponce

If you’re in Ponce to visit or just driving by, make sure to stop by “El Rastro”. If you’re lucky the owners of the restaurant, María Isabel and Luce will greet and host you, as soon as you walk in. The ambience is beautifully decorated and there’s a welcoming vibe all over the place. I ordered the “vegigante” drink and it was refreshing and delicious. As an appetizer, I had the “montaditos” of dates and the other was the smoked salmon. The ingredients were fresh and tasty. You’ll enjoy the combination of sweet and salty in both options. They have an amazing waffle version of the “patatas bravas”. Make sure you try them, as the flavor will surprise you in a delicious way. As a main dish I had the pulled pork mac and cheese and the “paella”risotto. The pulled pork is so soft and yummy that in almost melts in your fork. The “paella” risotto is creamy and decadent. I can’t tell you which one is better because when I visit again, I’m sure I’ll order both. For dessert I had the carrot-pumpkin cake. If you could choose only one dessert before you die, this would be it. You’ll feel that you’re on your way to heaven when you realize that your final bite will have the crisp, crust of crème brulée at the top....

Extraordinarily overpriced for what it is. It’s not that you shouldn’t charge $32 for a Gnocci bowl, it’s that it should be almost perfect if you do (theirs was way more chewy than pillowy and used a bizarre horseradish sauce). I feel absurd writing that a restaurant’s brisket wasn’t tender or warm enough, but if it’s on half your appetizers and a $30 risotto, it can’t be just ok. If you get a drink order wrong, you should replace it or comp it. No one’s avocado is good enough to charge $1 per quarter-inch slice. Why is there ramen on the menu?! There is no way they have any idea how to execute great ramen!

The food wasn’t bad - it seemed like they used good ingredients and cooked them in a decently healthy way. The service was good - when we mentioned something was wrong they did their best to fix it. But at $45+ per person the menu should be a short list of things they are exceptional at cooking. I wish they would pick 1 page of their 5+ page menu and just get...

The food is really tasty, I had the croquetas (amazing!) and the mac and cheese with chicken. THE VEGAN OPTION WAS INCREDIBLE GOOD! Service was friendly and on point. My only observation (and knowing how expensive is everything these days): the concept for the restaurant is very casual, but the prices are not. I would consider some things like the table presentation to upgrade a little more the experience (we received a stack of plates, napkins and cutlery, when we paid $400 for 4 and a child).

Overall a great restaurant!...