Café Viejo San Juan
1428 La Salle Ave
Waco, Texas 76706
# 254-235-2227
CafeViejo_SanJuan@yahoo.com
Ive really never had Puerto Rican food before and really don’t know much about it; so when I read about this little joint on The Waco Fork I decided I had to give them a try. So me and my dad decided to stop by earlier this week. My dad knew exactly where the place was, apparently he used to deliver mail to this place when he was still at the USPS, and that this place has been several different restaurants including Waco’s Papa Walton’s BBQ.
It’s a small little joint, decorated very vibrantly on the outside with paintings, signs and such. When we got out of the car we were hit with Puerto Rican Reggaeton; like Wisin y Yandle… which is one of my Favorite Reggaeton groups).
When you walk in you are greated by the family and hit with the smell of fried foods. We were seated (they have chairs with wheals… AWESOME) and given our menus to look over while she got our drinks. The menu was simple- apps, salads, soups, main dishes, and desserts… and only a few items in each category expect for the main dishes. I wasn’t extremely hungry so I decided to just get a main course. I decided to get something simple and something I knew, so I ordered the Arroz Blanco, Con Carne Frita—White Rice with fried meat. My dad got something similar, but the meat wasn’t fried, and I don’t remember the name.
So not too long passes and our food comes out hot and fresh. At first I’m surprised about the quantity of food, for the price, but I reminded myself that its quality not quantity. At first look the fried pork bits look over cooked and dry… but looks can be deceiving and they definitely were this time. The pork was nicely crispy on the outside, sweet and juicy on the inside with great flavor, none of the seasonings on them were overpowering the others… was excellent. Next I tried the white rice. Now anyone who cooks knows rice can be a pain to cook; It is very easy to overcook and even under cook, and it is one thing we had to nail to pass in culinary school. This rice was cooked perfectly, he nailed it. Last but not least I tried the fried plantains. For those of you who don’t know what plantains are: They are the fruit of a banana plant and are known as the “cooking banana”, since they are best eaten cooked not raw. They are also not as sweet as your dessert banana and are quite firmer. Now back to the fried plantains… they were awesome. Nice crispy crust from the frying, very fresh, and great flavor. I’ve never been a big fan of bananas and such, but these were really good and plan on adding them to my “menu” at home.
So over all I really enjoyed the food, and will be going back to try more items on their menu. There are a few things I would like to see changed; while eating there was a really odd TV show on, and it was a little loud. I know they are trying to target more of the Latin and Puerto Rican community, but the TV doesn’t need to be so loud for that. Second, I wouldn’t mind seeing little more items on the menu; it seems really limited to plantains and 5 meats. I know it’s a small joint, so for now the smaller menu works best to their advantage. Besides those 2 very minor details, I had a great experience.
To conclude I really recommend giving this new joint a try. Id love to see them stay and grow. Waco needs more places like this; diverse, fresh and that focuses on quality. Next time Im going to get the shrimp, and appetizer and dessert to expand on my experience.
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