Cafetería Mallorca — Restaurant in San Juan

it is a shame I have to write this review after so many good things I heard about this place. But this was the worst experience I’ve ever had at a restaurant. It all started from the beginning when my friend and I were waiting to be seated and quickly was told by the host that we can seat ourselves which was perfectly fine. No tables were clean so we sit at the bar and wait until a table is available. The waitress at the asks for our order, we tell her we plan to move to a table and she takes the table number and ask for our order. Everything up to this point is fine. We tell the floor waiter we plan on seating at this table when it’s ready, he says he still has to clean it. Understood. He cleans it, we move to the table. Instantly he catches an attitude and says we can’t sit at the table after ordering at the bar. We tell him we let the waitress at the bar know we were going to take our food to this table and she said it was fine. As we are at the table I get up to go to the bar so that when the food arrives I can get it for me and my friend. The waitress is kindly trying to take the food to the table and I ask if this is ours. She looks at me confused and goes back to the kitchen to confirm. Out comes the manager who scolds me and says I can’t move to a table bc the waitress can’t serve the bar and the table. I tell her I wasn’t expecting her too and that I planned on taking the food myself. She says I can’t do that. Well..why did she agree to it when I asked? At this point the bar has no seats, we’ve moved to a table and there’s nothing we can do. I ask her how should I proceed and she shoos me away and walks off. After this EVERY waiter is giving dirty looks, the waiter that cleaned the table decides he will have nothing to do with us, he’d look us down and not even ask if we are ok. The other waiters ask if we are at “THAT table” (no pointing in any direction) whenever we got up to ask for something (if we said yes they’re attitude changes completely) which is an obvious sign that the staff has been talking about us and blackballed our table. We did nothing wrong and we were treated so poorly for no reason. All we wanted was to sit at a table and...

I'm usually a fan of authentic, old-school establishments with character, but Cafetería Mallorca on Calle San Francisco takes "vintage" to all the wrong places. Let's be clear: there's a huge difference between charmingly retro and just plain neglected. This place falls firmly into the latter category. The entire establishment has a grimy, poorly maintained feel that made me uncomfortable from the moment I walked in. Authentic doesn't have to mean dirty. The staff appeared completely disinterested, offering neither warmth nor basic courtesy. The service was as lackluster as the cleanliness standards, with a general atmosphere of indifference permeating every interaction. Their signature "mallorca" is essentially just an ensaimada (the traditional Mallorcan pastry from Spain) filled with various ingredients - nothing special or unique despite what their reputation might suggest. And the coffee? Absolutely dreadful, served in a cheap styrofoam cup that somehow made it taste even worse. What's particularly frustrating is that the prices aren't even that reasonable given the poor quality and presentation. You're paying tourist-area prices for a subpar experience across the board. Even their payment system is outdated and cumbersome, adding a final layer of inconvenience to an already disappointing visit. I understand this place has a long history in San Juan and some might defend it as an "institution," but longevity alone doesn't excuse poor hygiene and customer service. There are plenty of genuine, character-filled eateries in Old San Juan that manage to preserve their authenticity without sacrificing cleanliness or courtesy. Save your money and your morning - there are far better options nearby for both coffee and pastries that will give you the authentic experience...

How wonderful to see this local bakery right next door to our apartment. That sentiment quickly evaporated. We went to grab the door as other patrons were leaving when the “hostess” pulled back the door telling us we have to wait, it is full to capacity. Very well, we’ll wait. Others lined up behind us when another woman came up an walked right in saying “I only have to grab something”. Others left the cafe, and others went in so we decided it must not be full. We sat at a small table and a waiter came. We exchanged pleasantries en Español and he produced menus and took our order. Very simple, scrambled eggs with cheese and coffee. We had time to observe this place is dirty, stained missing ceiling tiles, folks wandering in the rear door by the kitchen etc. our eggs arrived overcooked and browned with oily bread and shoestring French fries, the kind which come frozen in 50 pound bags from Walmart. Simply terrible. The locals may love it, but if so they must set a very low bar. After this waste of a meal, we approached the rude hostess to pay our bill. She sat behind a plexiglass barrier with the register draw opened and going through a pile of receipts and ignoring us. We wait patiently, but well beyond a reasonable wait with no acknowledgement on her part. Eventually the line grows before she takes our money without even looking up. I’m sorry but respect is a two way street so if you don’t want our business please tell me before you waste my time. Rude, dirty, disrespectful and lousy food. Save your time and money and walk two more blocks to the plaza and eat at the charming outdoor Kiosko 4...