El Bajareque Bar

• Cuisine(s): Latin, Puerto Rican
  Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 8am-6pm
  Price: $ $
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards, cash
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Delivery, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly, Vegetarian Friendly
  Serving: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snack Food
  Alcohol: Beer/Wine
• Reservations: Recommended for Large Parties, Not Necessary
  Parking: Meters, Street

Description

El Bajareque is a diamond in the rough. This family-run restaurant offers huge portions of freshly made Puerto Rican cuisine - including appetizers, soups, and desserts as authentic as they come - at seriously low prices. Try the authentic Borinquen appetizers, such as alcapurrias ($1.50), which consist of ground beef stuffed in dough made from plantains and starchy tubers and then deep-fried. Or check out the pasteles ($2): pork chunks wrapped in plantain dough. And you cannot visit without trying the empanadas ($1), available with choice of beef, pork, shrimp, or chicken. The shrimp empanadas are so good you might want to order a dozen to go. Entrées include bistec encebollado - a zesty steak smothered in cooked onions - and the extremely popular pollo a la plancha, an enormous flattened chicken breast that oozes a lime-rich marinade with every bite. Both dishes cost a measly $6.50 each, as do most of the other dinner entrées and daily specials. The stuffed and savory sandwiches (pork, steak, chicken, midnight, and Cuban) run between $3 and $4. But the best part of eating at El Bajareque is the service. From the kitchen to the table, the Palenzuela-Fernandez family treats you as one of its own. Don't be surprised if you end up on a first-name basis with the entire clan before it's time to order the delectable arroz con leche ($1.50), a perfect incarnation of rice pudding.