El Coqui Restuarant

I did not like it much. The salad was warm and only one dressing was available on the side, the dressing was warm as well. The buffets I’m used to are usually set up as self serve. This was set up more like a cafeteria with a lunch lady serving the food. Not much of a variety at all. Inside, the place looks like a hole in the wall. The food was plain and tasteless. Not going back. Over priced for what it was.

As a Puerto Rican growing up in a P.R. Household eating Puerto Rican food, I know the food in this place is legit. The food tastes great and authentic. The restaurant is clean and the service is friendly and nice. This restaurant has a good amount of traditional dishes, drinks, and deserts. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to eat this amazing food.

I just made my third visit to this quaint restaurant and it’s been great every time. My first visit was the buffet that was delicious and filling for a great price. Two different rice options and beans, along with baked chicken, roasted pork, yucca, veggies, and plantain. The dessert options change occasionally and are tasty.
My second visit I had the Mofongo con Carne Frita which is slightly sweet with onions and garlic. When combined with the fried pork, you get a sweet, garlicky, treat of a meal which is really filling. Today’s visit was the Tri Fongo with shrimp and mussels. This version is more savory and equally delicious. I took home half because again it’s a very filling serving.
The best part is the extremely helpful and polite staff that help customers like me who look to experience new and different menu items. I appreciate their service very much. El Coqui has become a new favorite lunch spot for me!

Awesome restaurant I really enjoyed the alcapurrias. Very moderate prices and very friendly staff.

This is the same great owners and food as when it was La Marginal, just a new name. The owners said they will be serving breakfast soon and opening a market next door!
Try the bistec, it’s delish! Next time I will ask for double onions, they were so good.

Very delicious, total dive location though.

My husband is Puerto Rician and we love this place. Good food wonderful owners. Come on out and try it for yourself.

I LOVE this hole in the wall location! Great friendly service everytime! The food is absolutely amazing!!! So flavorful and great tasting and in generous portions. The buffet is always a perfect setup with everything from roast pork yellow and white rice black beans ans red beans and roasted chicken. Dessert is flan and tembleque. Ect ect ect… Don’t take my word for it … Come see for yourself!

I went today with my family, the owner is really friendly and made feel like family. The food is awesome, everything we ate there was a 100% puertorrican. I recommend that people go there, I give them a five stars rating.

What a treat it was to eat at La Marginal Lackland today. Delicious Puertorican food so far away from home. I grew up in a town with tons of Puertoricans and being Dominican myself I can appreciate some good mofongo, pernil and yuca frita. We loved our meals and were extremely happy with the service. A bit out of the way if you a tourist, but way worth it if you looking for that PR flavor.

hit this spot driving through san antonio, and it was no good. we had a colombian waiter, who didnt know anything about the food. asked if he had this or that and said he didnt know, then when our food came it was terrible, and the table next to us actually had the plate we asked for. food tastes refrigerated not worth the try…

The buffet was really good. I like the fact that they have coca cola from Puerto Rico and other authentic sodas. The service was ok but that’s not my focus for lunch.

Great place to eat, beats any reasutrant in the area hands down. The service is great along with the food. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants a GREAT meal for a more than reasonable price!

I give this five stars for quality of food, cleanliness and service provided. The mofongo is amazing. I had the one with chicken in criolle sauce. It takes a little time to make, but hey you can’t rush perfection. Will be coming back to try everything on the menu since we stay around the corner.

Solid food and value here!!! I took the owners recomendation and got the roasted pork, rice, plantains and some salad… It was delicious. The garlic bread was also really good, so I want to go back and try a sandwich or try the buffet out!!!

Pure excellence! I had the mofongo with pernil and it was to die for! The place looks very nondescript and straight to the point but don’t let that fool you… the food is excellent. The food is as good as back home and I will definitely be going back for more!

Haven’t tried the dinner menu yet but the lunch buffet was awesome with yuca, beans, rice, pork, chicken. The chicken gizzards were amazing!

Decided to come here after my cousin who just graduated from Airforce bootcamp decided he wanted to eat some spanish food (not mexican food) i found this place on Unilocal and I must say we were not dissapointed. The food was authentic and really good especially the red beans. everything was on point. The décor inside may throw you off but its all about the food. The owner was very friendly and attentive. We couldnt ask for better service. All in all if your looking for something out of the norm and want really good cooked homefood this is definitely the place to go if your at lackland. The only reason i didnt give it a 5 was because at this location they didnt have any alcohol.

This is a gem that is close to Lackland AFB. This is good Boricuan comfort food. I originally visited the flag ship restaurant on San Pedros and was put off by the distance from the base and I lucked up and came across this spot. The manager for this location is particularly friendly and goes the distance to make for a pleasurable experience. I went during lunch for the buffet and everything offered was cooked very good. The roasted pork, in particular, was really tender. The plantains are fried perfectly and are sweet and not too mushy, if a bit greasy. The rice is the right texture and quite flavorful; it goes well with the two types of beans offered, red beans and black beans. The fried tilapia was not really seasoned but was fried perfectly and went well with a homemade hot sauce that they provide to each patron. The trembleque is really good and warrants a visit on its own.

This friendly little buffet just outside Lackland AFB provides an interesting alternative to the myriad Mexican places in the neighborhood. The prices are reasonable, and the food is pretty good. I especially enjoyed the pork roast.
No fountain drinks are available, and even the water comes in a bottle. I’m no cheapskate, but I don’t think it’s too much to expect free water. Nevertheless, I would return to La Marginal if the office lunch crowd so desires.