La Madre

La Madre was one of those places that you visit on vacation and wish you could wrap up and take home (because you know you’d go there once a week). I’m sure the locals who go there regularly are treated like family. After having a drink at the bar later on one evening I couldn’t help but drool while glancing at another patrons meal next to us. I whispered to my boyfriend, «I can’t eat anymore pork, rice, and beans, we are coming here tomorrow for lunch!» Return we did and let me just say the delicious Sangria had not clouded my judgement the night before.
We both ordered fish tacos and two madaillas (light local beer). The fish tacos were perfect– I mean melt in your mouth delicious. I get fish tacos in great restaurants in my hometown all the time, yet sadly after this, they never again will be as satisfying.
We enjoyed our meal and experience so much that later that evening, after grabbing drinks and perusing the menus of other recommended spots, we wound up right back at La Madre. Our bartender from the night before remembered us and we shared with him that it was our second visit today. He graciously got us drinks and we decided to try the carnitas tacos. Again, we could not been more satisfied with our meal and the great conversation with the staff.
We miss you already La Madre. Until we meet again!

Friendly and quick service. Cozy with modern and intimate setting 10 tables with a full bar service. Margarita and mojito was excellent and hand made. Monterey jack white wine fondue was outstanding and prime burrito was perfect for sharing.

We were told that La Madre was the best Mexican in Old San Juan, and while we didn’t try the others, we’re sure that La Madre deserves the title. After several nights of sampling various iterations of mofungo and tostones, my girlfriend and I were ready for something different. We arrived pretty late for dinner, about an hour before close, but the staff welcomed us in and were very friendly and enthusiastic. The margaritas were housemade, pretty cheap for the product, and not too sweet, and the fondue/​queso – true to recommendation – was more than enough to take home and eat the next day. I ordered a burrito, and my girlfriend got enchiladas (ask for the off-​menu cheese sauce), and I’m confident in saying it was one of the best, if not the best, sit down/​knife and fork Mexican I’ve ever eaten. I’d strongly recommend it.

It was the end of a long day of sightseeing and chilling on a few beautiful beaches in PR and I was exhausted and hungry. I was looking for some quick take out to take back to my room to enjoy and then crash. La Madre was bookmarked for me to check out and happened to be open because it was fairly later in the evening.
I went in dressed with my sundress and bikini underneath and sat at the bar. I was greeted immediately and the staff seemed cool. Even if I wanted to stay and eat I couldn’t because it I remember it was freezing in there so definitely take a light sweater. I loved the décor of the small restaurant. I remember watching something on the big screen while I waited about 15 minutes for my food to go. Thankfully, it wasn’t too crowded because I read that the wait could be long to get served but mine wasn’t.
I ordered the steak, corn on the cob and mashed potatoes and was in heaven as I ate my meal in my room. The steak had to be one of the best steaks I’ve ever ate. It was tender and wonderfully seasoned. I couldn’t believe how great the food tasted. The corn seemed like it was grilled and the mash potatoes were loaded with different vegetables and was very fulfilling. I was so happy I was eating in private so I could devour the food and lick my fingers the way I wanted. LOL. By far this was my favorite and best tasting meal while in San Juan and I regret not going back to try something else. However, there are just too many different restaurants that you can pick on where to eat.
Definitely check out this spot if you’re in the area, you won’t be disappointed especially if the majority of their dishes were anything like the meal I devoured.

The service is excellent, the ambiance is unique and, most importantly, the food is incomparable. I dare you to try everything in the menu. You won’t regret it. From the appetizers to the desserts and the special flavo margaritas, this place have a high quality food at accessible prices. One of my favorite restaurants. Period.

Excellent food, good service and good drinks.
Would absolutely recommend this for others.

We visited Old San Juan September 2015. Puerto Rico is a foodie’s heaven, and this restaurant is a great addition. If you are in the area, make an appearance at this restaurant!
The location itself is right in Old San Juan. The place is a little small, busy and often times a wait for a table. If you have the patience to wait to get a table, you will not only enjoy the food, but also their delicious drinks.
We ordered a few plates at this location: mini Ahi Tuna Tacos, Queso Dip, and a burrito. All were fantastic.
The mini Ahi Tuna tacos were easily my favorite that we tried, and probably my favorite that I have ever had. Our first visit, the couple next to us said it was a must order. I’m glad we took their advice. So much flavor it makes me want to go back to Puerto Rico just for these!
The queso dip is not what I had expected. It is A LOT of cheese for two people. We didnt even come close to finishing. Imagine the dip being more of pure melted cheese rather than with cream. It is delicious, and you really do get a lot.
The burrito is really good as well. So much flavor packed into these little burritos. They are small but compact. Don’t be fooled, they really are a lot of food.
The drinks are fantastic. We went back and had a few. My favorite was a blended mango mojito. The mango flavor was delicious! We also had some regular mojitos and margarita’s.
The staff there were friendly enough, but I wouldn’t say they really went out of their way to make the experience enjoyable. It felt more as if they took your order, didn’t give any good suggestions, and felt like they were just trying to seat the next guests. For the lack of customer service, I deducted one star.
Needless to say, next time I am back in Puerto Rico, I will return!

Nice place with some excellent dishes and cheap margaritas.
Highly recommend the Frenched rack of lamb… it’s superb particularly with the bit of chocolate sauce drizzled on it, and the garlic cassava mash is to die for.
The Jumbo shrimp is also great… the sauce is very different, sort of sweet tasting and the parmesan rice is delicious.
They also do a really great sweet potatoe fries.
The coconut and the mocha frozen margarita flavors are really good and much more interesting than the typical flavors (the mango was pretty tasteless, and the guava was just okay). I especially like that the coconut and the mocha flavors disguise the taste of the tequila very well.
Then end the night with a FRIED BROWNIE!!!

Fantastic food and margaritas! Very clean restaurant and great service. In a cute area as well.

Please don’t miss this restaurant. You’ll love this one-​of-​a-​kind modern Mexican cantina. Sweet, wonderful artistic décor complements this family-​owned (cute young couple with a darling little girl) restaurant.
The service is quaint and friendly, and the food and drink is outstanding. Try a fresh lime margarita and fish tacos for sure. Perfectly seasoned fried fish with light breading. Light and tender, not heavy or greasy.
And say hi to Sofia!

Oh La Madre, mi madre! I’m a born and raise puertorrican living in the US. Every time I visit my island I Como to this little gem. The Mexican-​puertorrican fusion is delightful. I have not tasted anything in the menu that I don’t like. From the starters to the entrées and dessert and everything in between, all of it makes you discover new taste buds that you didn’t know you have. Great moody ambiance, good music, sexy lighting and surrounded by one of the most beautiful places on earth, La Madre never disappoints. But there’s a but… as nice and cool the staff is, the service is not in the menu, terrible not, but almost inexistent.
That said, let’s talk about the bar… wow…wow…wow…all drinks are delicious but my favorite and everyone should try is the coconut margarita, it’s a piece of heaven, motherly love… the holidays in a drink! I might be exaggerating but I can’t leave Puerto Rico without drinking one. Everyone should taste La Madre!

Asked for help and recommendations and got it with the right attitude. Guac, cheese fondue, corn and bean soup, pork chop… all way better than I anticipated. Served just in time and with the right involvement from the staff. Lime margaritas on the rocks were good. Mango margaritas ok but a bit short on flavor.
I recommend la madre to all who want a low key, local flavor, reasonable priced dinner.
Well done and a «go back to» place in old town.

Great frozen margaritas! Ask them to add chocolate to the coconut margarita and it tastes like an almond joy!

3era vez aquí y no me quejo, muy buena experiencia otra vez. Aperitivos ricos, tacos de tuna sellados con ajonjolí estaban riquísimos. La comida estaba buena aunque el churrasco un poco sobre la sal pero el majado exquisito. Si quieres tomar Margaritas ricas y diferentes pues este es el lugar. Lo recomiendo para ir con amigos o pareja, no para niños. Precios módicos.

I was impressed from beginning to end. My husband and I were greeted at the door with a smile and a handshake from the manager. I immediately felt welcome and everyone we encountered was so nice.
The ambiance is really cool. The décor is modern-​ish, but not stuffy. Movies are projected onto the large wall adjacent to the bar.
Call me a nerd but I’m a sucker for menu design and I absolutely loved this menu. The layout and font were unique, yet easy to read. But what’s the point of a great menu design if the food and drink are lacking … am I right? Well, I’m happy to report that both the cocktails and the food were fantastic and on point.
The margaritas were great! I ordered the mango and it was sweet while still managing to be alcohol forward. So refreshing.
I had a hard time deciding what to order, as everything sounded delicious. We decided to go with the Duck Quesadillas and the Fish Tacos as appetizers and then gauge our hunger to see if we wanted to order entrees as well. We never made it to the entrees because the appetizer servings were huge and so delicious that we cleaned our plates. The duck quesadilla was tender and vaguely sweet and quite possibly the best quesadilla I’ve ever eaten. The fish tacos were lightly battered and fried and then wrapped with crisp lettuce and topped with sweet cabbage slaw. Again, probably one of the best lettuce wrapped dishes that I’ve ever had.
We didn’t leave too much room for dessert, but I saw the words «fried» and «cheesecake» so I had to do it. A fried tortilla stuffed with guava cheesecake filling and then topped with ice cream was the perfect way to end the night. Yum!
Next time we’re in town, this is the first restaurant I’m visiting.

This is the place to be if you want great ambiance, service and drinks. We had a mango mojito and a coconut margarita. Both were great and the place was quiet with the perfect music playing in the background so you could have a conversation…

The food is good. Their agua de Jamaica was delicious. The chicken soup was good too. The agua de Jamaica came in a small glass and it was ¾ filled with ice. The soup came in containers and they were not filled at all. I get the impression that they are very, very cheap with their portions. I was disappointed.
Their servers are attentive but they are cheap with the food.

Came in pretty late on a Tuesday evening. We had never explored the old San Juan area and it was very simple to find. We were greeted almost immediately and we ordered the cheese fondue and duck quesadillas. My BF had the sangria and it came with shaved almonds and was very nice looking. I had the cucumber margarita with a spicy rim, VERY good!
I had the fish tacos & they were very good. My BF had some chicken dish that I forgot but he demolished it & sang its praises for the remainder of our trip.
Very cute & intimate inside, def recommend.

No sirven platos de 4 a 5 por cambio de turno. Si esperas comer tacos, tienes que esperar hasta las 5… El nombre va con el restaurante… En la madre. No ATH no American Express.
They don’t serve tacos until 5, from 4 to 5 they don’t serve main plates, due to the shift change. No ATM or American Express.

One of the few places that have it all ! Great ambiance, delicious food and good customer service !
We were group of 10 and ordered a variety of dishes, and were pleased to see every dish had a unique flavor and handcrafted .
Not only the service is good but also the prices are very reasonable. Definitely a must try for a foodie in town !

La Madre… I fell hard for this place. Owners take tremendous pride running this restaurant and their efforts are clear the moment you walk in.
To start, the passion fruit margaritas were awesome at an amazing price. The ingredients were fresh and even saw the bartender juicing some fresh watermelon and cucumbers while we waited.
The food was simply unforgettable and had a nice healthy feel to it. Had the fish taco (with lettuce wrap, which I thought was unique) and lamb as a main dish and my boyfriend had the seared tuna. One word sums it up: Wow! Service was excellent and only a 5 minute from the bus station (we took the 21 from the Condado area).
This place is a must. You will certainly have a truly amazing dining experience.

So glad I took the advice of a friend and read the positive reviews for this place. While it was a small room, it had the range and amenities of a larger place.
The margaritas were incredibly delicious and we tried the duck quesadilla, which was amazing. They had traditional Mexican food like burritos and enchiladas, but we opted for the signature dishes in their entrée section-​shrimp and pork chop. Both dishes were incredible and I ate very slowly so as to savor each bite. We topped it off with a caramel crêpe that finished things off beautifully.
This restaurant is a gem and any time I come back to San Juan, I will make it a point to eat here again.