Restaurante Casita Miramar
El Conflicto – Barrilito Run, Ginger Extract, Pineapple Juice, Coconut Cream, Coconut Water
Bean, Plantain and Pork Soup
Baccala Fritters
Bunuelos
Mahi Mahi Nuggets
Fried Local Cheese with Guava Cream
Loaded Yuquitas
Octopus, Fish, Shrimp and Mussel Mofongo
Mamposteao
Tres Leches Cake
Anise and Rum Digestif with 3 Coffee Beans for Love, Health & Money
Long known as one of San Juan’s most popular eateries, it required a global pandemic for Casita Miramar to finally begin accepting reservations, but unless you are a well-known local fluent in Spanish keep expectations low for outdoor seating or gracious service.
Open Wednesday through Monday in a largely residential area, the stately Spanish villa expanding across several rooms decorated in mixed furniture and holiday lights, it was minutes before a 6:30pm reservation that two guests arrived, a twenty minute wait as several local parties were seated followed by a lengthy walk to a dim, warm area clearly set aside for tourists.
Family operated with chalkboard menus, traditional comida Criolla the focus across roughly two dozen plates, it is as a welcome that each table is presented with Soup and Fried Cod – unless of course staff “forgets” the latter until the astute diner sees it served to every other table and requests an order, which then causes a subsequent *sixty* minute delay between Appetizers and Entrees.
Trying to set aside service gaffs, the aforementioned multiplied several-fold by plates arriving at the wrong table and empty Water glasses, Food consists of historic recipes such as Bunuelos with Taro, Cheese and Chorizo plus fried Fish and Casita Miramar’s famous local Cheese that eats like Indian Paneer atop Guava Puree.
Most impressed by modern “Loaded Yuquitas,” think Poutine with Yuca and Pork, it was following the inexplicable delay during which the server catered (incessantly) to a table with more dietary restrictions than common sense that Mofongo arrived, its texture only average though the Seafood was plentiful while traditional Rice called Mamposteao was admittedly quite delicious.
Attempting service recovery with complimentary Bunuelos, a dish already bought and paid for earlier, it was along with the check that Tres Leches and a shot of Anise-infused Rum arrived, both pleasant but not enough to justify dining in a place that clearly treats some guests far better than others.
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