Raices Urbano — Restaurant in San Juan

Well, it’s kind of hard to begin.

I went there 2 days ago. I ordered a. Paella for 2 people and a couple of mojitos. Mojitos were watery and I could not feel any alcohol on it. It took them about 35 mins to just bring the mojitos. Then an additional hour for the paella. I thought it was small for 2 people. They did not bring extra plates we had to eat from the same (small) plate. When I was going to pay the bill, the waitress told me that my plate was actually a paella for 1.

I went back today since I normally try my luck more than once. It was a waste of time. There was a waitlist, then I ordered 2 piñas coladas and 2 smoked pork mofongos. 23 mins later we still were waiting and the waiter came and said they actually did not have smoked pork for the mofongos. Then I told him to change it for bistec, 20 mins later he came back and said they did not have bistec. I thought it was a joke, but no. I left the restaurant. It is absurd that they don’t know what they have in less than 5 minutes. I lost an hour or my life waiting for nothing.

The problem is the extreme lack of organization and professionalism. People (waitresses and waiters) are lovely and kind, however for running a business like a restaurant they need a person that know how to deal with customers. A good manager and someone to be able to make thinks efficient.

Better stay away until they learn how to properly run...

We went for lunch. It’s a Saturday. We order bacalaoitos - nice and crispy on one side uncooked on the other - makes for crunchy mush. We had to use our napkins for appetizer plates The piña colada was ok.

Ordered chicken breast and a fried chicken thigh. - Chicken breast had sautéed cherry tomatoes onion and bell pepper strips In thickened chicken broth, that, and the fried chicken lacked flavor. Arroz con gandules should never be so tasteless.

I did not have the patience to send the food back. We decided to not eat the food and go elsewhere. We asked for the check, the waiter saw that we were leaving and saw that both our plates were full, he did not ask why or say a word. I really wished I could have had a different experience as I was very very hungry.

Total bill? $81.00 after the waiter pointed out that a tip amount needed to be filled in before the charge could be completed.

Needless to say, we won’t go there ever again. I love recommending good places to friends to try. That won’t be happening for Raices Urbana in Old San Juan. If you get the opportunity to visit beautiful Old San Juan - your dollars will be better spent elsewhere for a more authentic experience with food...

⭐️ 1 star (only because zero isn’t an option)

We had a terrible experience at Raices Urbano. We came with a large group with a reservation, expecting at least decent service—and got the exact opposite.

It took 30 minutes just to get water, and over an hour for our appetizers and drinks to arrive. When they finally did, we were given plastic utensils—like we were taking food to go, not dining in.

To make matters worse, we literally watched kitchen staff eat from customers’ plates. Let that sink in.

We placed our food order, but after nearly two hours of waiting—and seeing food just sitting on the kitchen line for over 25 minutes with no warmers—we asked for the order to be canceled. We had repeatedly asked our waiter for updates or to just bring the food out as it was ready, but nothing. No one communicated, no one checked in, not a single apology, and no manager ever came by. We couldn’t even get a water or drink refill.

This was hands-down one of the worst dining experiences we’ve ever had. We won’t be returning, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone looking for good food or...