7 Best Restaurants in Ponce and the Porta Caribe, Puerto Rico

An institution since it opened in 1964, King's Cream Helados, across from Plaza de las Delicias, is the place for ice cream in Ponce. It serves 12 varieties—from tamarind, peanut, and passion fruit to classics like chocolate and vanilla. A bench in the tiny storefront seats three, but most folks take their cups and cones across the street and stake out shady benches around the fountain. King's is open daily 9 am–midnight. If you're feeling adventurous, try the local favorite of corn ice cream sprinkled with cinnamon; it sounds weird, but it's great!

This mesón gastronómico, hidden among a string of oceanfront restaurants south of the center in the Playa de Salinas area, is one of the most popular on Puerto Rico's southern coast. Sit in either the open-air patio or air-conditioned dining room and bar and sample specialties like mofongo relleno de mariscos (seafood-stuffed plantains) or the many preparations of mahimahi, red snapper, arrayao (mahogany snapper), octopus, lobster, or conch. The seafood paella is a house specialty.

Here you can get a table on the terrace at the edge of the Caribbean. You'll find good Puerto Rican cuisine and lots of seafood, including lobster, red snapper, and mofongo. Be sure to sample one of the restaurant's daiquiris—there's a huge list from which to choose.

As the name of the restaurant hints, the menu's protagonist is a Puerto Rican favorite; plantains. This is your chance to try island staples such as arañitas, mofongo, and more. Less common applications of the plantain are also found here, including a plantain-flavored flan. The unassuming restaurant sits high up on a hill, surrounded by—what else?—a field of plantain trees.

In operation since 1961, this restaurant is still considered one of the best in town. Don't be surprised to see flapping fish delivered straight off the boats and into the kitchen, where chefs prepare dishes like grouper fillet stuffed with seafood. The red snapper is delicious, and like all the fish on the menu it can be prepared fried, buttered, breaded, or with a vinaigrette. There's also a children's menu and a large selection of wines. Be prepared for the collection of fish mounted on the walls.

This restaurant along La Parguera's main street has the biggest variety of beer on tap in the entire area. Food is a great mix of Puerto Rican classics, along with a make-your-own burger menu that appeals to all visitors. The staff is incredibly friendly, and there's no shortage of great vibes and amazing eating. 

The highway leading to Coamo is lined by dozens of fast-food restaurants. Luckily, there are a few worthwhile family-owned eateries, one of the best of which is this open-air cantina. You'll find the usual mofongo with chicken or beef, as well as some other typical Puerto Rican dishes like fried pork or red snapper stuffed with seafood. The menu features a variety of fish as well as lobster, shrimp, and octopus. If you are a fan of cheesecake, the chef makes eight different flavors (the pistachio is delicious). World-class margaritas are served at the bar.