Not long ago (like two weeks back, really), I wrote the article How to Plan the Perfect Galentine’s Day Brunch. I pointed out that one of the most important things to have the perfect brunch is to pick the perfect place. Galentine’s Day may have passed, but there’s no reason why going out your with your babes (or alone) has to end too. The best thing about brunch is that it has no limitations or a specific day for it.
1. Abracadabra Counter Cafe, San Juan
Location: 1661 Ave. Ponce de Leon 00979 San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Price Range: $-$$
Abracadabra Counter Cafe is well known for its theater activities and events, and what better thing to do that eating while watching a play? This place also has a variety of options to eat, from croissant to omelets and pancakes (you have the option to order them gluten-free!). There are options for the vegans (for example the falafels). To drink you can choose from a wide variety of different types of coffees and juices to wine and craft beer. If you want to feel fancy there is mimosa too! Another thing is about Abracadabra is that they get their products from the local commercials, so when you eat here, indirectly you are supporting them too.
2. Tía, Guaynabo
Location: 3009 Avenida Alejandrino Guaynabo, Puerto Rico 00969
Price Range: $$-$$$
Tía has the mission of making the customer feeling “like you are on the house of your favorite aunt”. While it serves any type of food, the weekends are focused on our beloved brunch! For the menu, they have a little bit of everything. Fruits, yogurt, any kind of toast (they have Strawberries & Cream Toast and Avocado Toast you all!), chicken and waffles, pancakes (you have the option of good old plain pancakes and then you can have something like the Lemon Meringue Pancakes), French toast, burgers, and whatnot! It has vegan options (those salads sound amazing!). Also we stan any place where you can add avocado to its foods! For drinks, you are given a list full of options: teas, coffees, cocktails, beers, wine, and juices. Like Abracadabra, they try to buy their products locally. (Did I mention that you can add avocados?!)
3. Bistro Cafe, Carolina
This photo of Bistro Cafe is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Location: Ave. Isla Verde Esq. Júpiter #29 00913 Carolina
Price Range: $$-$$$
If you ask a person for a place to eat brunch, Bistro Café will probably be one of the names that pop out. This place is probably one of the more recommended places and half of it has to do with how good their food looks. Their menu includes sandwiches, quesadillas, croissant, waffles, gyros, omelets, and pancakes. They also have stuffed avocados! (yes, I’m a little obsessed with avocados, I know). If you are a Nutella lover, you must go to this place! They have a lot of foods with Nutella in it, I think most of their waffles and pancakes have it. For drinks, there’s a variety of coffee, sodas, and mimosas. If you feel like drinking harder liquors, there are some too. (Another quick thing that we may or not have proof of is that San Benito ate here!)
4. Le’ Café, Caguas
Location: Carretera Rafael Cordero, Plaza del Mercado de Caguas, Puerto Rico 00725
Price Range: $-$$
Le’ Café, like the others, has a big variety of food. In their menu, they have different types of sandwiches, pancakes, oatmeal, mallorcas, Spanish tortilla and omelets. Another thing they have are soups. But I think that is their drinks where they are truly the best. They do frappés and smoothies with natural fruits (I don’t know about you, but I’d kill for a good strawberry-banana frappé). They also have coffee (as every brunch place should!). The new magic word is gelato and you can find it their menu!
5. Chocobar Cortés, San Juan
Location: 210 Calle San Francisco 00901 San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Price Range: $$-$$$
Yes, that’s right, Cortés is not only the brand that you buy to make good hot cocoa! Chocobar Cortés is a cafe in the Old San Juan, so when you are done eating, you can go for a walk around. Obviously, a big part of their menu revolves around chocolate (Chocolate Waffles and the Chocobar Pancakes, I see you!). There is other stuff like the Choco-Burger (no, it doesn’t have chocolate, but you can add avocados to it!), Estrellados de Mangú (they are gluten-free) or the Chef’s Churrasco Benedicts. Like the other locals, they have food like soup, croquettes, sandwiches, and mallorcas. There are options for vegan people like the Bolognesa Sin “Esa”. For the beverages, they have different types of hot chocolate (duh!), cold chocolate, coffee, cocktails, juices, and beer.
6. CoffeeHouse Bistro & Protein Shakes
Location: PR-2 Bypass Valle Real Shopping Center, Ponce 00716 Puerto Rico
Price Range: $-$$
People in the south don’t worry, I got you! CoffeeHouse Bistro & Protein Shakes also has a great variety of food. From açaí to paninis and sandwiches. In their menu they also have something called the Bistro Boxes, that is actually stuff like grilled cheese, bagels, toasts, croissants, mallorcas, and fruit salads. They also have waffles, pancakes, omelets, and salads. Like you can imagine by the name they make proteins shakes, smoothies and milkshakes. (They sell mimosas too!).
7. Playa Papaya
Location: Ave. Isla Verde #5757 Ocean Tower Condo, Isla Verde
Price Range: $$-$$$
Playa Papaya is a small place in Isla Verde where they sell some awesome food! Like the other brunch places, they have omelets, wraps, salads, avocado toast, and croissants. However, the most delicious thing in here are the pancakes and waffles (at least for me!). There are pancakes made with pistachio and Oreo Waffles! The Koko Pancakes, (prepared with coconut milk and some strawberries, banana, and coco in it) are the best! (I personally recommend them, they taste like heaven). They also make smoothies and cold pressed juices.
8. Vino Pa’ Quedarse Coffee Shop, Toa Baja
Location: Urb. Levittown 600 Ave. 167 00949 Levittown
Price Range: $-$$
You are looking for a change of scenery? Vino Pa’ Quedarse Coffee Shop may be just what you’re looking for! This Coffee Shop has the layout of a food truck, but is not a conventional one! You can actually sit inside the truck on a small but cozy area. Their menu is full of coffee options (there’s iced coffee too), some juices, water, sodas and maltas (and who doesn’t like a good malta?). They have a great variety of sandwiches (I’m especially interested in the Pulled Pork Sliders one), omelettes, french toast, pancakes and waffles (all of them include eggs, bacon, Nutella, fruits and whipped cream). Two members of Her Campus UPRRP took the time of interviewing the owners and they also reviewed the place, so if you wanna learn more about this place go check their articles!
9. Cabra Tostá Coffee House, Mayagüez
Location: Calle Dr. Basora 68N Mayagüez
Price Range: $-$$
I haven’t forgotten any of you on the West Coast! Cabra Tostá Coffee House is a place where you can study while eating and drinking all the coffee you need to stay focused. Their menu consists of a bunch of funny named wraps and paninis (the Boludo and Los Pollos Hermanos, sound particularly good), the typical Desayuno Completo, pancakes, French toast, bagels, and croissants. They also have the Sweet and Salty, that is basically a little bit of everything and the French Toast Sandwich. Add to that the daily soup, the salads, and a veggie wrap. You can have a side dish with your wraps and paninis; you can choose French fries, sweet potato fries or a side salad.
Bonus Place: El Grifo
Location: 97 Calle Betances, Caguas, 00725
Price Range: $$-$$$
As you may have noticed, there are some of the places that have vegan options in it. I always intend to search for places like those, because while I’m not vegan, I have friends that are and when I am with them, I like to go places where they can have a big variety of foods to choose from and not be forced to eat salad every time. So I asked my friend for a completely vegan place to have brunch, and here it is. El Grifo is an all-vegan restaurant and bar that also offers some gluten-free and organic food. They have tacos, burgers, vegan loaf and quinoa. They also have hummus, falafels and boneless buffalo wings (made with cauliflower, how cool is that?). El Grifo is giving some workshops in vegan food, so if you are interested in learning recipes and learning about vegan life don’t be afraid to go.
I hope you like these places and get to taste some new foods! Buen Provecho and have an awesome Brunch!