El Camarón — Restaurant in San Juan

Read here for an honest, no-frills review. English - fluent Spanish speaking. I hate to review a Puerto Rican business like this, being Puerto Rican myself, but what an awful experience.

Ambiance/Setting: 1/5 • (street view / outside) You’ll notice that the place looks like something that reminds me of a NYC street restaurant. Unassuming and not special. Very busy though for our visit. (Christmas eve)

• Cluttered and stuffy: The location feels cramped, with tables too close to each other. Plastic chairs and basic tables would be fine for a fast-food place but not here. No booths at all and child seats were not available. • AC : The air conditioning worked , it was freezing where we were and the AC dripped onto our tables which we tried to maneuver around, it added to the discomfort. • Parking: There is a dedicated parking lot, which is convenient, but that’s the only convenience you’ll find other than it being open on Christmas Eve. The parking lot had an attendant and claimed to offer valet service the night we were there. • Restrooms: The restrooms were as unpleasant as you’d expect in a place like this—odd-smelling, dirty, and gross. When you see the spot you’ll see.

Speed/Attentiveness: 0/5

We spent 2 hours at this place, with 1.5 hours just waiting for food. It was busy, but I’ve been to restaurants with double the load and didn’t experience a wait like this. Completely unacceptable , had to convince the group numerous times not to pick up and leave. It was embarrassing.

Waitress: 1/5 • Rude, condescending, unfriendly, pushy, and short. She checked on the table only twice during our 2-hour visit. • When asked about the food, she dismissively said she had no idea in an annoyed tone. She seemed uninterested in her job and made every interaction feel like an inconvenience. • She rushed us to order and responded to questions with a condescending attitude. She even rushed an elderly man with a cane to move out of the way. It was so over the top that it almost felt like a joke, though we tried to laugh off the tension.

Food: 1.5/5

It was barely passable if you were starving and had no other options—which was the case here. • The fish plate was a 2/5—bland and cold and just flat out not as good as alternatives nearby. • Mofongo lacked seasoning and flavor same as above. • Chicharrones were hard, lukewarm, and tasted like dried-out, over-fried chicken tenders. They were edible but only because we were very hungry. The type of chicken tenders that hurt your gums / roof of your mouth to bite into and chew. Had to fight it , to eat it. • Fries were cold, soggy, and unsalted.(0/5) Despite asking for ketchup, we never received it. • The rice was embarrassingly bad (1/5). Not a single person at the table finished it. Overall couldn’t believe a place this busy was serving food this bad. I saw many many people return their dishes or leave with little off their plate in a to go container.

Drinks: 2/5 • Ordered piña coladas and sodas. The piña colada was decent in flavor but not worth the cost. • Sodas and water came bottled, served with a cup of ice, which is typical but unimpressive expect no refills.

Worth/Cost: 1.5/5 • Price: Food prices are on par with most places, ranging from $15–30 per dish, with seafood on the higher end. It’s fair meal to price wise if the meal was good quality. • Quality: Presentation is nothing special—rice comes in a typical compressed bowl shape, and beans are served on the side. The salad consisted of just lettuce and tomato, with no dressing. It felt like an amateur attempt at “fancier” dining. The appetizer looked appealing but lacked flavor.

Overall, the combination of an awful wait time and a miserable waitress resulted in a meal that was mediocre at best—not disgusting, but bland, overcooked, cold, and ultimately disappointing to the point of complete dissatisfaction. I cannot recommend this place to anyone. I was embarrassed to bring family here during Christmas Eve and now I have to make it up to all of them.

.5/5...

Finally made it in. Locals line up out the door to get into this place, and I finally was able to slip in on a Monday afternoon. The staff is super friendly and attentive. The food was out hot and fast. The menu is large and I wanted to try a few things, so I had some leftovers to carry out. They are open late. I tried the chicken chicharrones, the fried squid, breadfruit tostones, and the octopus cocktail. They were all excellent. The menu says squid 'crowns' but I only got rings, they were fried perfectly and tender. Speaking of tender, the octopus was the most tender I have ever had, it came with plenty of lime and was my favorite. The chicken skins were crispy and the perfect vehicle for the delicious table sauces they have. I understand why this place is a local favorite. I didn't have the mofongo, but it is clearly a favorite, I saw many different ones coming out and they all looked terrific. Full bar and a great...

Newly renovated more space seating. Highly recommend. You wont be disappointed. Parking in the back.

We visited again feb 2024 amazing food. I took bunch of my coworkers from New York and they loved it. Great service. A little wait on food since it was 5 of us. Food Always fresh and delicious.

We have mofongo with seafood 100/100 Mofongo with skirt steak Stuffed avocado w chicken Mofongo w carne frita

The food is not expensive.. our bill was $150 w 5!meals and drinks.

The food was amazing and the servers were very helpful and friendly. I highly recommend this place if you are looking to experience authentic Puerto Rican food and culture.

we had quite a bit of food shrimp mofongo in butter sauce (to die for) Chicken finger w fries ( kids loved it) platter for two ( picadera. WOW DELICIOUS) Consume soup ( My father enjoyed it.)

Highly recommendded. Need covid vaccine...