El Despecho — Restaurant in Rincón

I don’t say this lightly—El Despecho in Rincón is one of the best restaurants I’ve ever had the pleasure of dining at. It’s Puerto Rican soul food elevated to a divine experience, like stepping into a dream where every dish is made by the boricua mother we all wish cooked for us daily.

We started with the sorullito corn fritters, golden and stuffed with cheese, laid over a sweet guava sauce that made every bite pop. Then came the mahi mahi bites, tender, juicy, resting on tartar sauce, and disappearing way too fast. The side salad—a vibrant mix topped with grana padano and raspberry vinaigrette—was so fresh it felt unfair to every other salad I’ve ever had.

Our mains? Asopao de gandules con jamón with tostones and yuca frita, a bowl of balance—rich, flavorful, but never overwhelming. And then came the showstopper: BBQ ribs so tender they collapsed at the touch of my fork. I’m extremely picky with ribs—fatty cuts, dryness, lack of flavor—but these? Perfectly cooked, no waste, just clean bones left behind and zero regrets. The mamposteao de gandules on the side was delicately crafted with each grain holding its own—pure artistry. And don’t get me started on the rum and guava spicy BBQ sauce—a literal spoonful of heaven.

The service? Impeccable. The drinks? Dangerously delicious. This is a restaurant that doesn’t just serve food—it delivers an experience that will follow you long after you leave the island.

To anyone visiting Rincón: do not skip El Despecho. Just know that once you taste these flavors, you’ll never want to leave...

Great Food and very friendly staff!!

I visited this place during a Sunday afternoon (4.28.23) and it was not crowded at all. It was one of the few restaurants open before 5:00 PM in the area with Puerto Rican food.

We ordered an appetizer called Bolitas de Maiz rellenas de Queso. It is a fried dish and it comes with guava. The combination is really good. Then for main entree we had Salmon Salad and Chicken al Ajillo. The salmon salad had lettuce and some veggies with the sauté salmon shredded on top. It is good but small. If you are hungry, order something else to complement. The chicken perfectly cooked and comes with a side.

For drinks, we tried 2 cocktails, one margarita and a barrilito. Both good, but if I have to choose one, I’ll do the Margarita. But it is really spicy.

The staff is, as in general in Puerto Rico, really nice. Yani our waitress (I am assuming is her name because of the receipt), was extra friendly, always with a big smile, very helpful and attentive.

Prices are OK. In our case having drinks made the check close to $100 including tip. I would say it is about $20 - $30 per person with no drinks.

Good place to visit and eat...

Favorite place in Rincon so far (maybe even all of Puerto Rico). They were about to close (we didn't get there until 10:45pm) but Isabel was so sweet and let us in for drinks anyway, even though they'd started cleaning up for the night and we were the only customers there.

When her and Michael (the owners + workers) realized we were hungry they offered to make food, even after having closed the kitchen--which was absolutely delicious! Beautiful creative Puerto Rican dishes, tapas-style. The eggplant fritters were my favorite, although everything we tried tasted great.

We ended up chatting with them through the night. What a warm, cozy night at El Despecho! Good vibes radiate out of the place. We want to go there again for dinner...