Street Food in Puerto Rico

Food is an important aspect in all areas of the world. Puerto Rico is no exception. Since I came to Puerto Rico, I’ve learned one important thing: Puerto Ricans take their food seriously. The food is never fried and always healthy. (That is a joke by the way. Go on, you can laugh 🙂 ) Well, alright, it might be both fried and unhealthy, but it is still delicious as most ‘unhealthy’ things tend to be. It took me a while to learn the names of the different street food in Puerto Rico, but now that I finally have I thought that I’d share them with you.  Puerto Rican street food can be found in many places around the island, but a few places are known specifically for their abundance of street food. Piñones, Luquillo beach, and even the San Sebastian festival are but a few. Many of these pictures were taken at the San Sebastian festival, or Sanse 2014; however, I took a few at other locations. The Sanse festival is known for its food. See my Sanse 2014 video here on YouTube. So I came up with this list of foods, which is not all inclusive, but does list many of the most popular street foods that one could expect to find in a kiosk in Puerto Rico.

A quick note on the word frituras: it’s the collective name for all those fried snacks, bacalaítos, alcapurrias, sorullitos, and the rest, sold under the heat lamps. The stand itself is what Puerto Ricans call a kiosko (quiosco). Hopping from one kiosko or chinchorro to the next, snacking and drinking as you go, is a beloved island pastime called a chinchorreo or chinchorreando. This cultural experience is commonly associated with the street food scene.

Bacalaíto

It would be rare for you to visit a kiosk in Puerto Rico and not find bacalaíto. Bacalaíto is a flat fritter made from a seasoned flour batter with shredded salt cod. It is usually seasoned with salt, ground black pepper, and garlic. It is deep-fried to a crisp, then served. It is very much like a crispy chip with a fishy flavor. Bacalaíto is very thin so it is more of  a snack than big meal.

Alcapurría

Alcapurría is a Puerto Rican staple that you will find many street vendors selling. It is traditionally made with a doughy exterior filled with a seasoned meat. The dough, called masa, is usually either yuca (cassava) or green plantains, possibly a mixture of both. The flavor is nice as the sweetness of the dough complements the seasoned meat. It definitely isn’t spicy, but the meat has a unique flavor.

Tacos

Yes, that’s right. Puerto Rico has tacos too. Although if you are walking around looking for Tex-Mex style tacos with white flour or corn tortillas, you won’t find them. Puerto Rican tacos, as one might imagine, are fried. They are typically made in a similar fashion to normal tacos except they are sealed with dough and then deep fried. Typically in the streets of Puerto Rico, one can find a variety of tacos ranging from beef, chicken, pork, and even the occasional fish.

Empanadillas

Empanadillas are, for lack of a better definition, what most would call an empanada. They are really the same thing. The root of the word is even the same. Empanadillas is just Puerto Rico’s way of saying something in bread. Empanadillas are stuffed dough that can be filled with anything from meet, vegetables, fruits, seafood, and other mixtures. They are deep-fried. Do you see a trend yet?

Sorullitos (sorullos)

At first glances sorullos appear to be fried mozzarella sticks. They aren’t though. Well, not exactly. They are typically just fried corn sticks frequently complimented with some cheese. They are a very basic and straight forward street food. You can find them in smaller sizes as well as larger sizes. Some kiosks might have both, while others would only sell one or the other.

Pionono

Pionono is probably my favorite of the different street foods in Puerto Rico that I have tried. To me it is a nice balance between sweet and hearty meat. A pionono is essentially meat wrapped with sweet plantains. It has a crunchy texture and starts to fall apart as you eat it. Therefore, it is best eaten while sitting down unlike many of the other street foods on the Enchanted Island.

Relleno de papa

Relleno de papa are potato balls filled with something. Typically you will find meat of some sort. The most common would likely be beef. However, it wouldn’t be a stretch to find pork or chicken. These range in size, but can be found as big as an average fist.

Arroz con habichuelas

A Puerto Rican, and Caribbean, hallmark is arroz con habichuelas, or rice with beans. I’d be surprised if you can find any restaurant in Puerto Rico that doesn’t serve rice and beans. It is everywhere, and often sold by the street vendors as well. Black beans are sometimes used, although it is more of a Cuban dish. Puerto Ricans usually make their rice and beans with large red beans. Just a heads up if you have learned Spanish elsewhere, habichuelas means frijoles. They use habichuelas instead of frijoles in Puerto Rico for beans.

Arroz con Gandules

If any single dish is the heart of the Puerto Rican table, it’s arroz con gandules: rice with pigeon peas, cooked down with sofrito and achiote (annatto) and usually a bit of pork. It’s the island’s unofficial national rice and the mandatory companion to a holiday plate of pernil. A reader rightly pointed out that I’d left it off my original list, so here it is, and it deserves the top spot among the rice dishes. You’ll find it at kiosks, parties, and especially everywhere during the Christmas season.

Arroz Guisado

Arroz guisado generally refers to Puerto Rican-style tomato rice, which is rice cooked in a seasoned tomato sauce base. It is traditionally served alongside sauced dishes like pollo guisado (braised chicken) or carne guisada. Known as stewed rice in English, the is a dish made by cooking rice in a seasoned broth or sauce. It is a versatile side dish and can be found in similar styles around the Caribbean and transforms to achiote which is the Argentine version with vegetables and meat.

Pernil asado or lechon asado

This is a dish that has made Puerto Rico famous with many of the food network channels around. Back in Louisiana, we call this dish a Cochon du lait.  Pork is cook to a crisp, but yet still juicy on the inside.

Chicharrones

Chicharrones are usually fried or well baked bits of pork rind or chicken. They are also in beef and tuna at times, but pork and chicken are the most popular. For chicken, the batter starts with flour and then includes many different spices and seasonings, sometimes it can be marinated. Then it is fried.

Tostones

Typically served as a side dish, or complemento in Puerto Rico, Tostones are a widely popular food. Tostones are made with either green plantains or bread fruit (pana) that are fried then mashed together. They are typically not sold as a stand alone food. Additionally, they don’t have much flavor without salt or dipping sauce. Personally, I think that they taste good with mayoketchup, which is the local’s blend of ketchup, mayonnaise, and spices.

Amarillos (sometimes called maduros)

Another popular dish that is made with plantains is amarillos; however they are more common in restaurants. Amarillos are made with yellow plantains and have a sweet taste to them.

Pinchos

If you have spent any time in Spain or consequently eaten Spanish cuisine before, then you have likely heard of pinchos before. Pinchos in Puerto Rico are not the same as those in Spain though. Puerto Rican pinchos are more like kebabs. Meat is put on wooden sticks and cooked over a barbeque pit. (Random fact: the word barbeque, comes from a Taíno indian word. They were the original inhabitants of the island.) Pinchos are sold in a variety of ways ranging from the type of meat to what is cooked with them. Pinchos can be of beef, chicken, pork, or even shark. They can also be served with plantains, mashed dried plantains (tostones), or peppers and vegetables.

Tripleta

There is no sandwich that I would rather share with you than a tripleta. Meaning triplet in Spanish, a tripleta is a unique blend of meat, cheese, onions, spices, and sauces.  If you find the right chef, you’ll be raving about this sandwich forever. I found a back alley chef near where I live. Life-changing, no kidding. It is by far the richest and most hearty sandwich that I have eaten in my life, and I have eaten my fair share of sandwiches. The ingredients for tripletas are cooked up over a skillet grill where they are mixed and mashed together. Once ready the cook will stuff as much as possible into a sandwich loaf top it with some special sauces, then wrap it up for you to enjoy. This one is a definite pork-eaters only sandwich. This is like pork on top of pork mixed with a little pork.

The Jibarito (sandwich)

Born among the Puerto Rican community in Chicago but beloved on the island too, the jibarito is a sandwich that swaps the bread for two large fried green plantains pressed flat. Between them goes meat (classically steak or shredded chicken), cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and onion. It’s a brilliant, naturally gluten-free invention and a must-try for anyone who loves the flavors of tostones in sandwich form.

Batida

By the time you have gotten through these dishes you must be working up a thirst. Head for a batida. Batidas are a common breakfast drink or afternoon refreshment in Puerto Rico. Batidas are fruit smoothies topped with a tad of natural sugar and fruit punch. You can order batidas in a variety of forms such as mango, strawberry, banana, kiwi, berry, coconut, orange, or any mixture within. They make for a refreshing treat.

Bonus food: Mofongo

Mofongo is probably the most famous of all the Puerto Rican cuisine. I wasn’t going to include it in this post because it is not a typical ‘street food’ in Puerto Rico. The main reason is because it takes some time to prepare; therefore, it wouldn’t be something that could be easily made in a kiosk. There is a process involved. It would be much more easily found in a restaurant.

Mofongo is made with green plantains. The plantains are mashed into tostones, then the process for making mofongo continues with some mixing and forming into balls. I haven’t made a mofongo yet, but I have a way of making it into a big meal. First, I go to a local restaurant and pick up a side of mofongo, which is basically one big ball of mofongo. I bring it to the house where I cook black beans, mix with some shredded beef, add some sauces, then pour it over the mofongo ball. I usually eat it with a side of avocado. Delicious!

I will likely make a post eventually on Puerto Rican food where I will go more in-depth with the process of making mofongo. I’d really like to find a local chef who would be willing to cook it with me.

Drinks worth seeking out

You can’t eat all those fritters without something to wash them down. Beyond the batida (fresh fruit smoothie), look for these island drinks. the piña colada, which was invented in Puerto Rico; maví (or mabí), a fermented drink made from tree bark with a flavor unlike anything else; and coquito, the rich coconut “Puerto Rican eggnog” that appears everywhere around Christmas, sometimes spiked with rum or pitorro (the island’s homemade moonshine rum). For a cool treat on a hot day, grab a piragua, shaved ice drenched in fruit syrup, from a piragüero’s colorful pushcart, or a limber, a frozen juice or cream cup that’s a staple of every Puerto Rican childhood.

Piña Colada

The piña colada was born in Puerto Rico. The island claims it proudly, and you’ll find the blend of rum, coconut cream, and pineapple everywhere from San Juan hotel bars to beach kiosks. Order one within sight of the water and you’ll understand why it became the national drink. Want it without the rum? Ask for it virgin, and it’s just as good in the heat.

Maví (Mabí)

Maví is the island drink most visitors have never heard of, and the one I most want you to try. It’s made by fermenting the bark of the mabí tree into a slightly sweet, slightly tangy, lightly funky beverage that tastes like nothing else, somewhere between a root beer and a cider, with its own earthy edge. It’s an acquired taste for some and an instant love for others. Either way, it’s about as old-school Puerto Rican as a drink gets.

Coquito

If you visit around the holidays, you cannot leave without a cup of coquito. Think of it as Puerto Rico’s coconut answer to eggnog: rich, creamy, sweet, and spiced with cinnamon, served cold in small pours because it is not shy. Every family swears their recipe is the best, and many spike it with rum or pitorro (the island’s homemade moonshine). It’s Christmas in a glass, and locals start making it weeks ahead.

Pitorro

Pitorro is Puerto Rico’s homemade rum, the island’s moonshine, and it carries a wink every time it’s mentioned. Distilled stronger and rawer than the commercial stuff, it’s the spirit abuelos hide in a back cabinet and bring out at Christmas, often “cured” for months with fruit, spices, or candy in the bottle (that version is called pitorro curado). You’ll most famously meet it spiking a cup of coquito, where it turns a sweet holiday drink into something with real backbone. A word of honest warning: pitorro is potent and the homemade batches vary wildly in strength, so sip slowly and respect it. It’s less a drink you order at a bar than one you’re offered by a Puerto Rican family that has decided they like you.

Piragua and Limber

When the heat wins, these two frozen treats are the cure. A piragua is shaved ice packed into a paper cup and drowned in bright fruit syrup, tamarindo, china (orange), guava, raspberry, sold from the colorful pushcart of a piragüero who’s been scraping that ice block by hand all day. A limber is its frozen cousin: juice or sweet cream frozen solid in a little cup, eaten by pushing it up from the bottom. Both cost next to nothing, both taste like a Puerto Rican childhood, and both will save your afternoon.

 How to order street food in Puerto Rico!

I am going to teach you some phrases in Spanish as well as give you an insight into what you might be asked while ordering Puerto Rican street food.  First, I will get started with a quick vocabulary lesson, then move on to a few quick phrases that will leave you sounding like a boricua!

A few Puerto Rican food words that trip people up

If you’ve learned Spanish elsewhere, a Puerto Rican menu has a few surprises.

• China is a sweet orange (so juice is jugo de china, not jugo de naranja).
• Chapín, or pez tronco, is a trunkfish which can be commonly found in street food.
• Habichuelas are beans (not frijoles).
• Juey, which typically refers to the blue land crab (Cardisoma guanhumi), is an alternate word for cangrejo.
• Guineo is a banana, while plátano refers to the larger cooking plantain.
• Bizcocho is cake (and a pastel, confusingly, is a savory Christmas dish, not dessert).
• And an encuentro is a chicken leg-and-thigh quarter. Even if you thought it was something else :).

Good vocabulary to know:

Tomar (verb) – to take/drink

Comer (verb) – to eat

Llevar (verb) – order to go

Aquí – here

Algo – some

Con todo – with everything

Sin – without

Gracias – Thanks/Thank you

*Not to mention the names of all the foods above.

Helpful phrases and sentence structure:

May I have a plate of ____ please?  –  ¿Podría tener un plato de ___ por favor?

I would like __ please? – Me gustaría ___ por favor.

Give me a __ please. – Dame un(a) ___ por favor.

Can I try that? – Puedo probar eso?

What is this/that? – Que es este(a)/eso(a)?

I want a __ please. – Yo quiero un/una ___ por favor.

Without ___ please. – Sin ___ por favor.

What you can expect:

Puerto Rican street language can be quite informal at times. When ordering food you can expect simple, straight, and to the point. That is if you can get their attention. Customer service is not spectacular in Puerto Rico. Street vendors are usually pretty quick though.

You can expect to be asked “Díme”, which means tell me. It is a very informal way of asking what you want. There are many ways that you may be asked though. Another way could be, “Que querrías?” What would you like? Literally, there are tons of ways. You could be just simple greeted with a buen día or buenas tardes.

You may also be asked something like “Algo pa’ tomar” which means “Something to drink?”

You may be asked something like, “Pa’ aquí o pa’ llevar?”, which is a way of asking “For here or to go?”

Definitely expect random people walking by you to tell you “Buen Provecho”, which means “Enjoy your meal” or French “Bon Appetit”. This takes some getting used to, but it happens everywhere.

Good to know: 

I will eventually write a post on the Puerto Rican dialect in Spanish, but I’ll keep it short for the moment. There are a few sounds and patterns of speech that are distinctly Puerto Rican. To sound like a Puerto Rican when ordering you’ll want to change your R’s to L’s and not annunciate the endings of words. For example:

Por favor is pronounced more like pol favol in Puerto Rico.

A word like chicarrones would be said more like chicharrone without a strong “s” sound at the end. However, the double r would still be annunciated and rolled properly. It is only the single R’s that are typically changed.

More pictures of street food in Puerto Rico:

Which food would you like to try the most?

After reading all about the street food scene in Puerto Rico, are you eager to try any one specific food? If you are or even have a favorite already, share it with us below. We’d love to hear about what our readers love best about to-go items in PR!

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Frequently Asked Questions about Puerto Rican Street Food

What is the most popular Puerto Rican street food?

Alcapurrias, bacalaítos, pinchos, and the tripleta sandwich are among the most beloved. In informal polls around Piñones, the alcapurria often comes out as the crowd favorite.

Where can I find the best street food in Puerto Rico?

Piñones in Loíza is the legendary stretch of beachfront kioskos, and Luquillo Beach has its famous row of food kiosks. For roast pork (lechón), head to the Ruta del Lechón (Pork Highway) in Guavate, Cayey, on a weekend. A good rule anywhere: the kiosk with the longest line of locals is usually the best bet.

How much does street food cost in Puerto Rico?

It’s some of the most affordable eating on the island. A single fritter like an alcapurria or bacalaíto runs just a few dollars, and a pincho is similar; a loaded tripleta costs more. Bring small bills, since many beachside and festival kiosks are cash-only.

When is the best time to find Puerto Rican street food?

Fritters are available year-round, but weekends are when the Piñones and beach kiosks come alive, and the Christmas season (November to January) brings out lechón, pasteles, coquito, and arroz con gandules everywhere. Festivals like the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián in January are the year’s best street-food showcase.

Are there vegetarian Puerto Rican street foods?

It takes some care, since much of the menu is meat-based, but tostones, cheese sorullitos, amarillos (sweet plantains), and some cheese or vegetable empanadillas and alcapurrias work. Ask first, since even meat-free-looking items may be seasoned with a pork base. Pork is the root of many Puerto Rican dishes in some way or another.

Is street food in Puerto Rico safe to eat?

Generally yes. Established, busy kiosks have high turnover, so fritters come out fresh and hot. Follow the universal street-food rule, pick the spot full of locals, and if you have a nut or sesame allergy, ask, since fritters are fried in shared oil.

Last updated June 10th, 2026.