El Mesón Sandwiches (Viejo San Juan) — Restaurant in San Juan

This place should be marked in the “$” range NOT “$$”, it’s the biggest bargain and their breakfast 🍳 menu is available all the time!

El Mesón is a popular local healthy-ish fast food restaurant serving food you might see on a diner menu with a focus on breakfast and lunch foods. It features counter service only. The Staff is welcoming and polite.

While others might go there for their many sandwiches (including vegetarian and vegan 🌱 ones) all served on delicious flattened crusty bread, I go there for their fresh warm Mallorca’s - which I can request with melted cheese and scrambled eggs.

Other breakfast items they serve include Pancakes, Muffins, Crema de Maiz (very sweet cream of rice hot cereal), Avena (very sweet Puerto Rican Oatmeal) and strong coffee...even their decaf is strong! ☕️ They also sell unusual teas.

And in typical fast-food fashion, they sell sodas and fries too. Everything is very affordable and fairly priced. They’re centrally located in Old San Juan by the Plaza de Armas across the street from Marshalls department store. Most days they’re open by 6 AM and close by 6PM, with hours somewhat extended during the weekends. I don’t know about you, but I love breakfast at anytime of day.

There are many locations of El Mesón throughout Puerto Rico (there’s another very nice one in Santurce across from the Museo del Arte de Puerto Rico open everyday from 6AM-9PM!) all locations are impeccably clean, this one has a nice quiet additional upstairs dining area. I think they have a space where you could hold a private event, that would be a lot of fun with a big group!

There’s one cashier in particular who I often interact with when ordering, her English isn’t perfect and neither is my Spanish but she’s very patient and kind and somehow we’d get my order straight.

This location is very well managed, the entire facility including the bathrooms, are always very clean. I do wish that they’d remain open later like they used to be. But I’m glad that after everything that’s gone on between the pandemic and the hurricanes, that El Mesón in Old. San Juan is still thriving! The locals know it well but, it seems like travelers from out of town have yet to discover it.

¡Buen...

Hangry for some bfast.. short line, moved quickly.. the register lady didn't speak English but another lady who did stepped in quickly to help interpret. I asked for recommendations & that confused both of them so ordered a bfast Jamon, Huevo & Queso (picked cheddar) sammich $2.99 🥪 & Cordato (with regular sugar) 0.99c ☕. Food & drink came out quickly - went upstairs with my goodies & found a seat overlooking the Plaza de Armas water fountain.. air conditioning was full blast & frosty. So delish.. hot, melty cheese 🤤 & the coffee was on point.

My sister ordered same sammich 🥪.. she was a very happy customer & took a snooze 😴 while I did some work emails.

My hubby met us there a little later (he had an urgent conference call he needed to attend) & ordered same sammich & another Cordata for me.. again very happy customers ❤. He plugged up his laptop so we charge some of our mobiles & fitness watches. We finished up some more work emails then left.

Highly recommend this place...

I consume here at least 3x per week, and will not go back bc no matter the circumstance (full or empty) they are SLOW. Trust me when I tell you not even ordering online will save you, it will delay the order. Take your time and wait 3hrs if you want to, they will still not have your order ready and will prepare it when you arrive. Their staff will make sure to make fun of you for requesting your food and make you feel uncomfortable even though you are the client and you are paying for a food/service, and even though their job is to serve the damn food. Their staff (Emely and Jazmin) is extremely sarcastic and will not even try to help you, even if you have been patiently waiting for an hour in their face. This place is also always packed with school fieldtrips and tourists groups and is impossible to order/eat. Do yourself a favor and order food at a local shop elsewhere, better quality,...