Rincon, Puerto Rico 2006

Eating and Dining

Dining in Rincon

The view was one of the things I most enjoyed about eating out in Rincon. We tried almost two dozen restaurants (which is a pretty good sampling)  and all but one had at the least a good view and many a great view of the sea. 

Variety was another thing I liked. Restaurants range from simple menu cafes for tight budgets to quite elegant dining in more upscale restaurants such as the Lazy Parrot and the Horned Dorset Primavera with more complex menus.

Unsurprisingly, most tended toward sea food, which I also liked because I like sea food..

The Tamboo Tavern & Seaside Grill

Overall, the Tamboo, a combination bar, restaurant, and inn, is one of the two most popular bar-restaurants in the area. Sitting between Pools and Sandy beaches, it shares the building is a surfing shop, which draws more people.

The dining room is the ocean-facing porch, which is also where most of the cooking is done. The menu runs toward hamburgers and other fast foot.

We met several times at the Tamboo when I got back from beach hiking.

The Tamboo Tavern & Seaside Grill

Casa Islena

The Casa Islena restaurant was our favorite for beauty in the Barrio Puntas area of Rincon.

While it is primarily a very nice, small inn, and the restaurant is advertised as a tapas bar, the Casa Islena offers a full and very nice menu. 

One problem all small hotels and restaurants have is staff turnover. The good chef today may be gone tomorrow. I enjoyed the tuna ceviche, which was something new for me, and found the service very attentive and gracious. 

The Spot Restaurant

Located near the police station, the Spot at Black Eagle gets my vote for the best sunset dining views. It also has a huge parking lot.

We happened on it for lunch and liked the view so much that we came back two nights later for dinner.

The menu is definitely upscale for Rincon (about $100.00 for two). I remember having rack of lamb and Brian had the pork tenderloin. I remember thinking that they were overpriced for the quality but worth it for the view. I would go back again.

The Sunset Grill at the Spot Restaurant in Rincon

Calypso Cafe at Maria's Beach

Think 1960's, hippies, surfers, tropical beach because, according to what I've been told, that is the beginning of what is now the Calypso Cafe. According to the story, a group of hippies set up tents behind the home of Dona Maria (for whom the beach is named).

Today, it is one of the two most popular hang-outs in Barrio Puntas for surfers, old hippies, new wave hippies, winter whale watching, and sunset watching and people-watchers year around. It has a totally relaxed atmosphere and, on weekend evening, live music.