San Juan Cafe

recenty, San Juan has started having brunch the 1^st Sunday of the month. the wife and I went last week and tried it out. we have had brunch at probably 95% of the places that serve it around town this one is the best. fresh, authentic flavors. plain and simple. just try it, you will thank me. except you don’t know how to find me. so just start thanking people and eventually you might thank me.

My husband and I were actually on our way somewhere else. But, being new to the city, we took a wrong turn. I happened to see this little café and suggested that we stop.
The place is small, but charming. The din from other diners was present, but we were able to carry on a conversation.
We were given chips that appeared to be homemade. They were crispy and a bit puffy. The salsa was bright red. Not hot, but nicely flavored.
We both ordered a glass of the house red. It was on special that night for five dollars a glass. It was good and a nice pour arrived.
We both ordered the chili rellenos. It was battered and fried, but not at all greasy. Stuffed with queso and goat cheese, the dish was slap yourself silly good. It was accompanied by buttery avocado slices and black beans.
The service was outstanding. Not just ordinary good, but personable and caring. Our server even offered us free dessert because she thought we had to wait too long. I thought for sure that my husband and his sweet tooth would accept her offer of flan, but he politely declined. I think that even he had had his fill of holiday desserts.
This café offers brunch the first Sunday of every month. Except for February, when brunch will be the second Sunday for Valenrtine’s Day. I am going to suggest that our Unilocal Brunch club go there this year!

Disappointed with bland pork, rice & beans.

We loved this restaurant. Everything was superb, from the chips, the drinks, main course, to dessert!

I love this place! Very nice bartender and chef! The Tostones app was my favorite and I catch myself craving it! They make great cocktails too. I can’t wait to try their brunch.

Was in town for work and very disappointed I found this joint on my last two days. Came here two nights in a row.
Ordered the quail the first night and it was über tasty. The flavor was great and the texture in the rice had a nice chew to it.
Night two, ordered the Cornish hen (pic). Don’t know why I was all bird for this restaurant. Big Bird was deep fried on top of mixed veggies, topped with grilled onions and stuffed with rice and black beans. Skin was crispy and the meat was moist. screaming flavor. Highly recommend this dish. Price was right too, I think $ 17…sizable portion.
The homemade complimentary chip was addicting… wished I held back on the addiction to save room for the main course.
Service was top notch… attentive and polite. Food came out promptly but not sure how it would be if they were busy.
Definitely an underrated restaurant, will be back when I’m in town.

The best cheeseburger you will find. Also Danny and Billy do magic with fresh seafood!
Check this place out!

I love it here. My wife and I Even did a cooking class here. Food always has the freshest ingredients. Service top notch. Shrimp with plantains and mofongob among our favorites along with the salads. Chips fresh and crunchy homemade salsa. It’s just amazing

I usually get either Lechon Asado or Mofongo when the kids and I hit San Juan. I love both dishes when they are cooked well. The Lechon Asado is a pork dish, slow-​roasted for 2 days, and 9 times out of 10, it really seems true. Once it was obviously not slow roasted for 2 days– was too tough. It’s served with red beans/​rice, and plantains– all of which are always delicious! Occasionally, I will see too much fat on the pork, but I deal with it by not coming back for a few weeks. The Mofongo with shrimp is always delicious! It is my favorite dish in all of Wilmington!
The service is usually terribly slow, though the waitstaff is very nice. Many times I have been the only one in the restaurant, and it still took over 10 minutes for my drink and chips/​salsa. I timed it once, and I waited 32 minutes for my entrée, and I was the only one there.
The décor is decent. The cloth on the benches need replacing– as they look very dirty. Everything else is pretty standard looking, laid-​back.

My boyfriend and I probably visit this restaurant about once every couple of months… It’s in walking distance from our house, so we’ll usually just take a stroll there and back, which is nice and convenient. The food is really amazing. They have this one salad with roasted vegetables and goat cheese — one of the best salads I’ve ever had. And the entrees (I usually get the tacos) are just as delicious and more than enough to make you full. I don’t think we’ve ever left without leftovers.
I’m giving them 4 stars for a couple of reasons… Their beer selection is very minimal and, I think their alcohol across the board is just a little over-​priced compared to other places. Also, I don’t know why, but I’ve never had a «great» experience with the staff. It feels like every time we go, we feel like we’re not welcome or the staff can’t be bothered by us. Like one of those experiences where the server checks up and asks if you need anything because they have to, but are REALLY hoping you don’t and start running away before you can swallow your food and answer. The first time we went, we did actually get to meet the owner and chef, who was actually a great, cool guy — it’s always nice for the chef/​owner to come out and check on guests. But every visit after that, we never really felt like appreciated guests by the rest of the staff.
We’ll go back, because the food is always so good. If the service was better, we’d go back more often.

The Mojito was excellent. To die for. One of the best that I’ve had.
Ordered the «bifstek encebollado». Excellent tasting. Steak was a little tough, but good. Also ordered amarillos. Very tasty.

Fantastic menu and staff. A must try if in Wilmington. Collard and White Bean soup perfect balance and coconut cake was the perfect ending to a great meal

Cubano was OK and my partner said the Chile Relleno was pretty good. Staff was good and I thought the prices were less than the $$ would have indicated to me.

FANTASTIC! This place was a very pleasant surprise and I will be back!
Chips were fresh and the guacamole was fantastic. The salsa was okay, a bit watery for my taste, but had okay flavor.
I ordered the Ropa Vieja which tasted similar to a crock pot Braised short ribs that melts in your mouth… the most amazing part was the meat tasted as if it were grilled!!! How the heck to you make something that melts in your mouth but tastes like it just came off the grill??? Fantastic. I am not sure what is in the «tostones,» but they tasted like plantains… I wasn’t too happy with these and thought it did not pair well with the meal. This is why I dropped them a star :(
I also tried the Suffed Mofongo… man that was good too! The green plantains mashed went perfect with the steak (you can pick shrimp or vegetarian).
The price is what you would expect for a good dinner entrée, about $ 15 a plate, but well worth it!!!
I will definitely be back… thanks!

Best meal in Wilmington. Period. Check my reviews. See where we eat. Awesome staff. Eat here often. Great lunch and dinner. Lots of gluten free options.
You’ve never had a chili relleno like this one.
They offer really cool cooking classes.

We just had an amazing dinner there tonight. Everyone was so nice to us, and it was great seeing the staff all working together. The chef came out to make sure our dinners were done to our liking, which they actually far surpassed what we were expecting! And the salsa? I could’ve drank it! Best salsa around! We got a Chocolate Coma Cake for dessert & I freakin died and went to heaven! Definitely lived up to its name! We will be back FOR SURE! This place is a hidden gem!

Came back and tried the Cuban Sandwich. Awesome. They use the perfect bread and the pickles and meats are wonderful. The homemade fries that accompany the sandwich are awesome too. Guacamole, chips and salsa were excellent as well. Service is always amazing and you can’t beat their lunch prices… under $ 10.

We had a nice evening here. Seemed there were too few waiters. The lights in the main dining area were a bit bright for my taste. the bar was full and happening.
My date had reviewed this place ahead of time and picked out our food, the rellano and the mofongo. The rellano was very well prepared and flavorful. Not too deep fried and all the topping and ingredients were obviously fresh. Next time I would ask for less or no sour cream, it’s just not appealing to me. The mofongo was very savory. Lots of garlic. We tried steak and shrimp, I preferred the steak.

Gathered with a group of friends here last night as the lot of us were interested in trying something a little exotic for dinner, and San Juan did not disappoint.
The atmosphere is bright and packed with character, from the artwork hung on salmon-​colored textured walls, to the tiny parrot sitting on the back of the toilet in the tropical mural bathrooms (which was either cute or creepy, but we all agreed we were just glad it didn’t talk when you sat down). The bar is always packed, and the dining room became more lively as the night wore on. Romantic enough for date night, festive enough for friends night. Parfait.
Drinks were a tiny bit of a hassle (both rounds). I felt for our server, as it was obvious the single bartender for the entire restaurant (who already had a bar full of customers) seemed to be the origin of the hold-​up. Also, if you’ve read enough of my reviews, you know I’m a mojito hound — I’m admittedly finicky when it comes to the proper way to prepare and serve this traditional cocktail. Thankfully, there was no shortage of mint here (or rum, for that matter — this puppy was strong), but I had to ask for a little simple syrup and ended up squirting the lemon from my water in to get enough citrus. If I’m going to pay $ 9 for a mojito, it should be the real deal.
Fortunately, after the food arrived, any qualms I’d had with my drink were quickly forgotten. The steak mofongo was heavenly — I’d take those savory green mashed plantains over potatoes any day. And the duck entrée was filled with so many flavors — sweet and savory bbq duck, sweet winter squash, vinegary pickled something (yep — I can taste it in my mouth as we speak, but I can’t remember what it was), and grilled green beans with just a touch of smokey char to them. The entrees aren’t large, but never fear. With that much flavor packed into each dish, they’re really just saving you from hurting yourself :)
If, per chance, you are left with some room, the flan and coconut cake are both incredible. The flan was nicely set, firm and flavorful without being overly sweet, and topped with the traditional caramelized sauce, which was also nicely balanced. The coconut cake was, firstly, enormous, but also wonderfully moist (I know — I hate that word, too, apologies), and the frosting was dense and just sweet enough to balance the cake.
Everyone was so impressed with the cuisine being served in this is unassuming little strip-​mall venue. Definitely something to get you out of your food rut (should you find yourself in one), and explore yet another «hidden» treasure in ILM.
But really, San Juan Café, you had me at judgmental bathroom parrot.

I kept getting recommendations to try this place, and finally got a chance to come for dinner. It was really delicious!
I got the Lechon Asado (pork dish). It came with beans, plantains, and rice. The plantains were definitely the best I ever had. The pork was flavorful, as was everything else on my plate.
The atmosphere was really lovely — an assortment of decorations on the wall as well as some interesting music playing that reminded me of salsa dancing. Our waiter was very nice and never left an unfilled glass.
It is awesome that such an authentic and unique place is right here in Wilmington. Highly recommended!