Vaca Brava in San Juan

Over priced for mediocre quality,waiter was clearly prejudiced towards us as tourists. When we asked for the bill he stated how much are you going to Tip me so I can add it to your bill.if it was up to me I wouldn’t have given him anything! My girlfriend felt obligated and put in such an awkward situation she said five dollars for the tip. The final insult was that he just Threw the credit card and the receipt on our table and walked away ! I have Never Been treated so disrespectful and rude by anyone who I truly had to control my actions to say or express my opinions about this person who has disrespected not only myself but my girlfriend who just wanted to enjoy our meal together.

Menu looked amazing it has the best meats we order piña colada and mojito for drinks and mofongo churrasco for main course as well as pork chop kankan, steak and shrimp thr best mofongo and steak no joke.

Great Place to enjoy Good food and Good drinks. Our server Andrea Paola was an amazing server very knowledgeable and fun.

On a cruise and this was a place we HAD to stop at! Food was amazing as well as the service! Try the porkchops! Deliciously seasoned to perfection. Meat dishes are huge portions so consider sharing. 😋

It was the worst experience I had I was visiting Puerto Rico and it was my last day let me just say I got so sick to my stomach service was great but it was awful food took long some of my friends food was salty flavor was ok n it gets better 2 cockroaches appeared on a table one was in the floor the other around the table and around the food I don’t tolerate such service but this hits the fan. I will no longer go there.

Service was extremely terrible, my order was wrong the first time, hard and uneatable when I got the correct order, food was bland and was cold when it was served, we had far better food in Luquillo.

While in Puerto Rico we ate at a secondary restaurant, Vaca Brava as the intended place had a long wait. The food was great,the ambiance was very inviting and the staff was very accommodating.

Service and food were very slow. Food flavor was below average. No consistency on any food item and they missed ingredients on our dinner. The crab tostones was imitation Krab meat and all different sizes. No plates or utensils to share and kan kan chop was not crispy. Manpostiao was missing sweet plantain and Mofongo was missing plantain chips. Server point the tips chart at the bottom and ask how was everything at the end.

Its almost always packed so expect to wait for a table to empty. The waiting time was pretty low which was impressive and the food was pretty good. One of the best mofongos I’ve tried. My only complain is that the servings were pretty small compared to the price

Now, if you consider the uniqueness of the food, the family ordering options, and the presentation of it, the restaurant is a five out of five.However, its not very flavorful. :-(I definitely wish there were more flavor to food that looks so good!!! 🤤🤤The service was not exceptional at all. Im not one to complain, but the service was about a 2 out of five. The bartender was not attentive and definitely did not pay attention to what we ordered. When he did pay attention, the drinks were great. After he left, the drinks came out quicker, which is relative. However, they tasted like nothing.The wait staff gave us very broad timing on when we could expect our meal. She did this repeatedly. We had to ask for our meal for a five times before she seemed to be a bit more urgent about it. Luckily, the food came out a bit warm. However, it was also bland.Again...The wait was long, which I guess is to be expected. However, from the time that we ordered to the time our food came out, the wait was over an hour. We ordered just before the kitchen was closing (925phoping that we would get our meal in. I suppose we did. However the food did not come out until an hour and 25 minutes later. 😖 We even allow them to bring the meals out separately so that we can just eat. The last meal arrived at 10:50p.Good thing I liked the strangers whom I asked to meet me for dinner after meeting them just a couple days ago. We enjoyed each other, and that was enough.

The food was excellent but the service was a bit lacking....we needed an extra plate and waited so long one of us had to go get it ourselves. The chicken wasnt done enough and the server never came to ask if everything was OK and we had to have the table runner to help us. But the price for the food and the flavor was outstanding

Amazing food, incredible service, will be back for sure

Amazing food, great service, and great ambiance. Definitely some of the best shredded beef Ive ever had. I will definitely be returning.

I will share my experience in this restaurant with my family on 7/1/22. We arrive at the restaurant at around 7 45 pm for dinner. We were told that there was a wait of about 45 m which we did. An hour later they seated us (8 of us). After we were seated, it took then over 20 minutes just to gets us a the drinks - poorly made and not satisfying . Another 15 minutes went by before they took our order. We waited over an hour an 10 minutes to received our food and was incomplete. By the time they brought the sides I had already eaten the meat b/c it took then another 10 to 15 minutes to bring the sides. All plates were missing something. Food had horrible presentation and tasted horrible. They left us long period of time unattended without even asking if we needed anything. Honestly it is not a good place to go or spend time - not worth it. There are many other places with much better service and food.. and on top of all they choose and claim their tip like it is mandatory. Look for other options!!

Absolutely delicious food and STRONG drinks. Well worth it. Portion sizes are insane.

Cute atmosphere. Food is barely okay. Not a fan of frozen veggies with no seasoning.

Need to improve on the Host Services, bad actitud at the time she took us to the table, great services and taste food.

Amazing food and service, just a little pricey for the area but not bad. If you are looking to save money, Id recommend going elsewhere... But if you dont mind spending maybe $15 extra, this is the place to go.

Food is great. Bring your appetite, place has the foods.

What a disappointment. I was exited to dive into some local goodies, and instead ended up leaving everything almost untouched. First, someone needs to tell the chef that bigger doesnt necessarily means better. The massive portions of things that you are supposed to enjoy in small bites simply made the food lose its flavor and appeal. Not going back any time soon...more like never!

Beautiful presentation of Morongo but a bit dry, I mean its plantain, its dry but I expected better and more flavourfulDrinks were meh

Its hot inside the drink was very good the wings were very good but they were half gone before the waiter came back so I could ask for hot sauce. The stake was un chewable I spat most of it out, the service was very slow. I would have given the chicken wings 5 stars by them selves. But the skirt steak took me down to one. My husband said his ribs were good but he left half behind. The chairs are very poor in comfort my but hurts.

A meat lover’s paradise! Vaca Brava offers many delicious appetizers to choose from and meaty main course plates. The mofongo tasted great and comparable to mofongo from other restaurants in San Juan. Portions are on the larger side, especially the pork but make great leftovers. Service was great and would definitely come here again.

The Chicken Mofongo was phenomenal and a local favorite. Also, tried Piña Coladas in all the islands I went to and in Puerto Rico hands down best Colada.

Food was good, waiters were really nice. Seating and order arrangements as well as greeters can improve.

Waited 45 minutes for our food after a 45 minute wait to be seated. Food was ok, but did not find out until the end that they dont split checks for our party of only 6.

If I could rate this place a zero, I would, and that would be generous. Two locals recommended it, so we thought ok, let’s give it a shot. Service was AWFUL, and the food was even worse. Steak was so tough and chewy it was inedible, fish was over cooked, and my chicken Monterrey was so dried out and the bacon on top was not even real bacon… it was initiation bacon bits. We waited over an hour for our food, meanwhile a huge party walked in after we ordered and had their food in like 10 minutes. When we asked for the manager to tell about our experience, she said “ok, I’ll be right back”. 10 minutes later she sent the waiter back to tell us we’d get a gift card. We’re not local so that wasn’t acceptable. I told the waiter we’d pay for the 2 meals that were edible and the 3 alcoholic drinks. We waited 15 minutes and he never came back, so we left $60 on the table and left. Shorty after, the waiter and manager came outside while we were waiting for our Uber and tried to tell us we owed more money. After explaining that we paid for what was actually edible, the manager and the server beg an to cuss at us and said we owed $25 more dollars… apparently for bottled waters (which we didn’t ask for by the way, we just wanted tap water). We gave another $20 and left, and the manager walked away and flipped us off! What a terrible way to run a business!! I would never go there again, or recommend this to anyone! A total tourist trap!!!!

This seems like a popular spot in the area as the inside was full. We were able to get a table outside without a long wait but this was the only thing that was quick.We waited a while for the table to get cleaned off although the previous guests had left at least 10 minutes prior. The food took extremely long to come out of the kitchen and it was difficult to flag down anyone to request anything.They charged for Pico de gallo on my vaca fries although on their social media it shows it coming with it plus guacamole, which also wasnt present when the dish came. It was just cheese and meat which was underwhelming.My friend seemed to enjoy his whole fried fish but dont think this a spot Id try again.

Vaca Brava is pretty consistent with quality of food and service in the area and on the island in general. Although this isn’t what would be considered “authentic” Puerto Rico cuisine and leans on the side of a sports bar, it is usually an available and reliable option. Sometimes they have live music or games on to add to the casual relaxed ambience. We’ve visited about 5 different times while living here, mainly when friends or family were visiting, and we know what to expect when we take people here. The ribs are usually moist and flavorful, servers are friendly and quick, and the drinks are pretty tasty. The kan kan has been a mixed experience, really good once and really dry the other time we’ve had it. Warning though, the portion sizes are pretty big. The half rack of ribs can easily feed a party of 2-3 and a full rack will feed about 4-6. My friend got the steak and shrimp a couple of days ago and it could definitely feed 2 people. Overall, this is a great place for a big group or for a casual meal.

So far the best Can can fried pork chops in old San Juan. Mofungo with Carne frita is delicious. The restaurant is big, lots of table inside and they have outdoor sitting too.

This restaurant requires you to have a reservation, Im not sure why but it does. The atmosphere seemed like it was a good hang out place of nothing else is open. With that being said, we were over dressed.My food was horrible. I ordered something with a grilled chicken breast with some type of sausage and mashed potatoes. After I removed the sausage from the chicken breast, it was ok. The mashed potatoes looked good (with a quick glance). They were very loose and tasted like they had been scraped from the bottom of a burned pot. I asked for another order, they tasted just as bad.They sodas were strong and our waitress was nice.

The food was in fact very 😋 tasty, and the restaurant itself was also nice.Beware the service made it a less than great experience. Very Poor service 😔

We went to Vaca Brava and we had a good time. Our drinks were the La Vaca Mojito and I highly recommend it. For appetizer, we had the stuffed tostones with ropa vieja, great flavors. For my entree, I chose the mofongo de carne frita (fried pork). The thing is HUGE! It is delicious and can easily be shared with 2 people. The restaurant is great for big crowds and if you want to watch sports. Our waitress was Johanny Fernandez, who was fantastic. She was very kind and helpful. When you go there, make sure you look for her. :)

Michelle was amazing we had a party of 15 people and she didnt miss a thing service was on point as well as delicious

OMG!!!!!The menu offers a wide variety of delicious and mouthwatering starters and main courses that you will love regardless the age. I had the Chuleta Kan-kan with arroz manposteao.The mojitos of the 📈 great taste and you can taste the rum! To wrap this up, Awesome environment, great Puerto Rican food menu, Wide alcohol variety, beautiful restaurant, very clean, Great staff, service and security. Try it out you will not regret it.

Juiciest porkchop. So delicious 10/10.Had the same meal at a restaurant down the street and disliked it. Met a native and she took us here and it was sooo good.

Way too expensive. Meat was very very, but very hard to eat. The steak has no flavor and no sauce available to disguise it.The amount of rice was basically for 2 people even it is a $95 dish. Only 5 tostones and 1.5 service of fries.My first and last time in this place.

We are residents of old San Juan that have eaten here many times. On thus occasion we were charged tourist prices, $100, for a medium sized fish. Outrageous. The Kan Kan was priced norma as were the drinks. Never going back.

The food was good, but in my opinion you can have more authentic food elsewhere in San Juan. I got the half rack of ribs and a side salad, ribs were tough. Many items seemed overpriced compared to the same dishes elsewhere (ie - this place is priced for the tourists, so if youre okay with that go for it). Decent food, but not really worth the hype.

Portions are good. Steak mofongo is really good and tasty but very little steak pieces in it. Mojitos comes with a limited mint. I guess there is a mint shortage in the island. $28 for a half rack ribs is way too expensive but worthy. Definitely try the tres leches as a dessert you wont be disappointed. Bathrooms has no paper as usual on entire island.

As far as ambiance its a nice place. Food is good. The meat is tender as they promoteHowever the service is okay. It might be because of covid, the service is slow. The ladies room was not so clean. There are two stalls-- one was functional but out of paper, and the second had paper but was clogged.

The food was solid, but the plates were huge. The wait staff must tell customers what the size of the platter really looks like. Would recommend for a large party.

People kept talking about this place, and I just thought it was an overhyped tourist trap until I finally took a chance to visit them and wow! The food was so well presented and tasted fabulous! Ill have to post some photos, but the Brava fries were bomb! And I also had the steak Mofongo with side of maduros, all great and beautifully presented.

The food, service, and atmosphere were ALL excellent! The ribs were HUGE and falling off the bone! We arrived close to closing time and they were still able to accommodate a large group. Not one complaint! And theres a bull outside the door that makes for great photo ops! Highly recommended!

FANTASTIC! We tried this only by chance, and what a chance it was!!!Delicious!Seasoning 10!!!Presentation 10!!!Service 9!!!!Cleanliness of the restaurant 9!!! Of the bathroom 6 🤷🏻‍♀️Outdoor eating space 10!!!Pricing 8!!! It is a bit expensive, BUT it is so good, you almost son’t mind 😄We shared a “Tendedor de la Vaca” $89.00 feeds 6 people, we were only 3 adults, 1 preteen and 1 toddler... we had plenty of leftovers.The app sampler was delicious as well.The drinks were average price and taste; very interesting drink menu though; surely some very tasty drink options.

This was another amazing experience here in Puerto Rico. Our server Leif was a great guy who was very professional and offered great service. Now as far as the food goes everything was beyond our expectations. 1st our drinks were delicious and not watered down. Once our food arrived we were impressed visually as well as being impressed with our nose. Special notice the "skirt steak " was so tender it deserves a 5 by itself. I had the pleasure to enjoy whole red snapper with monfungo and skirt steak. Hands down a 5 star meal.

Im torn between the ridiculous wait time, subpar service and the amazing food.....I wouldnt go back though. There are plenty of alternatives in San Juan that can provide food of the same quality or better, while offering a better price point, better customer service and with less of a wait. Stars go to the food, -2 for the shortcomings.

This stop was part of our food tour. We were hoping to have some if the ribs like we saw so many other tables eating. We had beans and rice and then something else with a plantain in it. It was very good. Good food all around.

Their motto is Best Ribs... Well I am a southern boy from Oklahoma, i know a thing or two about ribs! Omg... This place can definitely use the aforementioned tag line anytime they wish! This place has amazing food, cold beer, and friendly staff. Dinner for two can be a little pricey by Puerto Rico standards. But if you have a few extra bucks laying around this place is just great. Off the charts good! I cant wait to go back!

Delicious food with a wide variety of dishes to choose from. Their three cheese flan was really good as were the mini alcapurrias. But what really took the prize was the main course. The main course (such a wise pick from the waitresswas a a towering beast of sweet tender chicken breast and pulled steak wrapped in a crispy layer of bacon atop a layer of fries. Two thumbs up and highly recommend visiting!