La Bombonera Reviews and Photos, San Juan

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Our Favorite Waiter in Puerto Rico

August 10, 2008
Rated 4 of 5 by food crawlers from New York, New York

We were looking for an authentic place to grab a mid-day snack at. La Bombonera was just the place, its got a nice diner feel to it. We ordered the vegetarian omelette and the chicken salad sandwich.They also have freshly squeezed orange juice. Our waiter was really nice, he kept giving us these sweet donuts thingys with powdered sugar. He also gave us a postcard which said Rachel Ray recommended the place for her $40 a day show.

heres the link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ad/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9947_38875,00.html

From journal Puerto Rico Trip

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La Bombonera

February 26, 2002
Rated 4 of 5 by thedrifter from Nashville, Tennessee

I often like to treat myself to breakfast out on the weekends, so I made a point of finding a place in Old San Juan where I could do just that. Not only did La Bombonera suit my purposes, but if I lived in San Juan I would become a regular.

I'm sure there are other places to get a decent meal to start your day, but after my first morning in town I kept with the addage,"if it ain't broke don't fix it." In addition, I couldn't tell you what they serve at any other time of day. They are open from 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM and reportedly provide more than eggs and toast during the day.

Back to the breakfast, though. On the weekend you can expect a line. This seemed to be a popular place with the local middle class crowd, but a few apparent tourists were sprinkled about. The turnover is pretty quick, so you shouldn't wait too long.

The menu itself is nothing fancy really. You have the usual egg options, as well as bacon, sausage and ham. The meat pastries are quite good and not necessarily something you would get at home. Your meal will come with narrow wedges of toasted Italian bread, which may have been what sealed the deal with me. Sopping in butter, I could have eaten a double order each morning and been happy. Ah, the simple decadence. Don't miss the opportunity to swig down some real fruit juice, either. They squeeze the oranges at a frantic pace to keep up with demand and it is well worth it. You can get "freshly squeezed" anywhere, but it's the freshly picked that makes the difference.

La Bombonera is supposed to be known for its pastries, as well. I actually exercised enough self control to forego such temptation, but the treats on exhibit in the front room looked and smelled like they would be worth whatever they were charging.

The restaurant is dominated by a long formica top counter, though there are several booths. The staff wears old style diner attire, reminiscent of the 40's and 50's, including those spiffy little soda jerk hats. In fact, the appealing essence of this place is largely the throwback era atmosphere. The physical appearance, along with the efficient and friendly service, harken to times gone by. Specifically, times when going out for a meal was more pleasant than buying McAnything from a surly teenager in a drive thru window.

I definitely recommend La Bombonera, even if to just grab a cup of coffee. Incidentally, you must make a point to check out the coffee/espresso machine. It is the largest coffee making monstrosity I've ever seen and looks like it may have been there for the hundred plus years the restaurant has been in business.

From journal On the Cheap in Old San Juan