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Ay Bonito Grill
Category: Restaurants Latin American Latin American [Edit]
PR-3, Luquillo BeachKiosko 21
Luquillo, PR 00773
- Hours:
Wed-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sun 5 pm - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Ay Bonito Grill
Review Highlights
-
"...the deep fried local cheese with a guava dipping sauce." In 3 reviews -
"The thai spring rolls and mahi mahi are delectable." In 7 reviews -
"Chef Paul and his wife are good people and great fun." In 8 reviews
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22 reviews in English
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Review from Janet G.
North Bergen, NJ
12/12/2011
The food was delicious!!! Four of us went two nights in a row. The owners are wonderful. Can't say enough great things about the food. Everything we had was unbelievable! So glad we read the reviews here. Looking forward to our next trip just so we can eat there again. On the second night we called our order in so we could save time (the guys had to watch a football game). We sat down and the food just kept coming. It's a small menu. Can't go wrong with anything on it. YUM!
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Review from John N.
Los Angeles, CA
The hospitality is spectacular and food was amazing. Decent prices for the caliber of food here.
I had a mojito that was excellent and crispy local cheese cubes in guava dipping sauce. As a puertorican, this brought me back to my childhood eating cheese and guava on crackers...very similar flavor but many knotches better.
The main course was the grilled mahi mahi with tropical sauce (mango maybe) and malanga mash which was crazy delicious. -
Review from Chris C.
Syracuse, NY
1/26/2012
I have to say I was impressed by the quality and the consistency of the food at the many Luquillo kiosks that I ate at during my stay in PR.
Ay Bonita was no exception.
We started with the cod fritters, per recommendations here on Yelp. They were delicious. I had no idea what guava sauce was and was actually surprised when it turned out to have a good amount of sweetness. I know now it's a tropical fruit. It was very tasty with the fritters, which were very light. We also tried the spring rolls, which kind of seemed out of place here. They were good and seemed fresh, but next time I would probably try something else.
My entree was awesome - pan-seared halibut wrapped in prosciutto. God, that was good. It was served with mashed malanga, which was also my first taste of malanga. I'd compare it to sweet potatoes, but not quite as sweet. Regardless, it was delicious.
Ay Bonita is just a fun place to eat. Good food and the owners coming out to talk about the menu and anything else is a nice touch. Yolay was very friendly and took the time to explain all of the things on the menu that we hadn't heard of before. We had that experience a few times in PR, especially in the kioskos. -
Review from Mary Kay S.
Washington, DC
7/26/2011
Mmm, cod fritters! The fritters they served us here were so light and delectable, and the guava sauce such a perfect offset for the fish. Can't say enough how much we loved the cod fritters! Then, on top of that, the most tender, perfectly cooked churrasco for me, and the halibut for Martin. We cleaned our plates.
So you know now that we really liked the food. But I also have to say we really liked the people. I have to assume they were Paul and Yolay, mentioned in other reviews. They were so friendly, and we bantered back and forth with ease. I would not hesitate for a moment to return to Ay Bonito for more food next time I'm in PR!Listed in: Puerto Rican Tour
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Review from Martin B.
College Park, MD
This is what it's all about. We walked in to Ay Bonito not really knowing what to expect but we left incredibly happy that we did. Ay Bonito offers a variety of foods that should appeal to any tongue, with reasonable prices considering the quality. The service is very friendly and it feels like you're eating at someone's house rather than a restaurant. It did take a while for each dish to come out but hey, it's vacation, we were not in any rush.
To start I got the rum punch, a very fruity drink that kind of snuck up on me. Pretty good. We also ordered the fried cod balls and the spring rolls. The fried cod balls tasted fantastic especially with the guava dipping sauce, and the spring rolls were also great. Crisp dough surrounding flavorful veggies.
For my entree I ordered the salmon special. It is a grilled salmon served with a fruity sauce that I unfortunately cannot remember the contents of, with your choice of sides (I got the tostones, fried plaintains). The presentation was great, the photos I took really don't do it justice. The salmon itself was a bit dry in all honesty, but the flavors completely negated that one issue. The garnish had a strong fruit flavor that complemented the taste of the fish and there was a slightly salty char that balanced it out. The tostones were also fried perfectly if a little bit greasy and had that great plantain flavor. Other dishes ordered included the shrimp kebabs, the grilled chicken and the mahi mahi. Everybody loved their dishes and said they tasted great.
Dessert is not regularly offered, but we were lucky enough to have come in on a night when the owner had baked up a cheesecake. Unlike most cheesecakes it had a very fluffy, light custard. This was a positive in my opinion because after eating so well we did not want to burden our stomachs with a dessert bomb. It was overall quite good and I'd definitely order it again if it became a regular item on the menu. After our meal the owner came out and told us a bit about the restaurant and the menu (a lot of the ingredients are local and the sauces are made in-house). Super swell guy, we could tell that this is his passion and it really shines through in the food. Eat here! -
Review from Sudipto G.
Champaign, IL
8/17/2011
Amazing food. The thai spring rolls and mahi mahi are delectable. Mojitos are
amazing as well. Must stop place if you visit san juan. -
Review from Jillian R.
Hermosa Beach, CA
6/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Overall, good food. Seems this place is only open later in the week, we had been to the Luquillo kiosks mon & tues but on those days Ay Bonito was one of the closed ones, we finally got to try it on Thurs. The waitress who tended to the entire place by herself was so incredibly sweet.
We had the sausage appetizer special, which was very good. Since I had already reached my pregnancy FDA advised seafood limit this week, I opted for the chicken platter. It was good, tasted a little like fajitas, with a great plantain mash on the side. My husband had the salmon, he said it was a little fishy, but still ate the whole thing. The salmon came with a citrus risotto on the side, which was pretty awesome. The whole meal was very reasonably priced.
I liked the food at La Parilla better, but I liked the prices and atmosphere at Ay Bonito more. -
Review from Alberto C.
Candler, NC
3/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great food, lovely people,... Did I say great food? It would be closer to awesome...
This is by far the best Kiosco in Playa Fortuna. Others may be good as well. We had had some drinks at La Parrilla the night before, but the quality of the mojitos doesn't even come close. Yoli, the owner, prepares them herself and she takes the time to make sure that the drink she makes is up to her standards. And the standards are pretty darn high.
Now the food. I had the churrasco with onions and mushrooms and tostones as a side. The meat was prepared to perfection, and the onions and mushrooms were sautéed with (I think) some sort of mojo criollo sauce, because they had a bit of a tangy citrus-y flavour that complemented the meat beautifully. Lastly, the tostones were perfect: light, crispy, not greasy at all and utterly satisfying. Paul, the chef, is really passionate about what he does, and one can tell.
If you are staying in Luquillo or Fajardo, this is the place to eat. Even if you stay in San Juan, I would say that the food in this place is totally worth the drive (about 40 minutes). The only "problem" is that they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays - but hey, everybody needs their rest, so I guess I'm cool with that :) -
Review from Amanda L.
3/3/2011
Just returned from Puerto Rico, and Ay Bonito was one of the best meals I had while there (even better than La Parilla, kiosk #2). We stayed at the Wyndham Rio Mar and were grateful that the Luquillo kiosks were so close to allow us to escape ridiculously high prices and to eat more authentic Puerto Rican meals.
The fried local cheese with guava dipping sauce was excellent. Both the bf and I had the mahi mahi with fruit sauce (I think it was guava again), and it was amazing. The fish was fresh and the sauce contributed a nice tangy-ness. Entrees also come with a salad was balsamic vinagrette and crushed hazelnuts. The bf got the mofongo made out of plaintans and it was amazing - so perfectly sweet to counter the savoriness of the fish.
The only complaint was that service was slow, but that seems to be the case of all the restaurants we went to, so it might just be a Puerto Rican thing.
Definitely recommend! After eating here the first night, I desperately wanted to go back and eat again. I'm not too sure what days they're open, but we ate there one a saturday night, and saw it open on sunday night. However, when we tried to go back on monday and tuesday night, they were closed. It might just be open on weekends? -
Review from Annamarie M.
Pearland, TX
Love it! The owners are the nicest people I have ever met and the food is simply fantastic! We went here pretty much everyday during our trip to Puerto Rico and became friends with the owners. Paul and Jolie talk to you like they have known you for years and really make you feel so welcomed in their restaurant. They really have an excellent thing going for them with Ay Bonito! I can't wait to return and finish trying the menu.
My fiance and I pretty much ended up trying as much on the menu as we could while we were there and EVERYTHING was delicious! Paul is pretty much a culinary God!
P.S. Shout out to the bartender David! He wanted me to note how sexy he is. Hehe!
I will miss them all and will always remember the good times we had! Hello from Texas! -
Review from Thomas C.
Bronx, NY
12/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Love the food in the "kioskos' in Luquillo. Couldn't wait to check this place out due to the great reviews. Sorry to say I was a little disappointed. Started with the spring rolls which seemed like they were left in the oil too long. I had the salmon special which was good. My friend had the halibut wrapped in pancetta which was very dry and the pancetta was burnt. Service was fine. Overall I just expected better.
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Review from Mike W.
Boston, MA
2/23/2012
Ordered the Mahi dinner, asked for sweet plantains and I got tostones. The food was good but not enough for my large appetite. If you have time to wait for dinner you might want to try. Gave three stars for the wait time and the incorrect order.
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Review from Kat C.
West Covina, CA
This place was great! Just spectacular. The food was delicious and the service was delightful. The two ladies that work there were so friendly that it makes your night an meal so much more enjoyable. Their cats are friendly and does not even bother you while you eat.
The food was great. We ordered mahi mahi bites, which were moist and flavorful. The mini empanadas were a fun find. Since they all looked alike, we ordered different ones and ate them in halves, trying each one. The cod fish balls, omg,.... They were soft, chewy, moist, and perfect. And lastly we had the chicken platter. That was by far the best flavored, seasoned, and moist chicken I have ever had. I would return here again and again if I were to visit puerto Rico and recommend this place to anyone.
Though the place is hard to find...the address is placed incorrectly and the owners are trying to fix it. You can see it off the I-3 freeway so as soon as you see it, make the next u-turn and exit right. There is another yelper who gave a better description of the direction, mine is just a crude version. -
Review from Diana Lyn M.
Vallejo, CA
9/27/2010
Mmm mmm mmm! My boyfriend and I went to eat here for dinner two nights in a row, and like many other reviews (on TripAdvisor), we regretted not making our way here earlier.
We were staying at the Rio Mar Beach Resort in Rio Grande, which is 2 stoplights away from the Luquillo kioskos. The map/address on Yelp is inaccurate, and the restaurant owners are trying to fix it.
So, the easiest directions I can give are when you head east towards Fajardo from San Juan, you'll see a sign on the left for Rio Mar Beach Resort at the intersection of PR-3 and PR-968. AFTER this intersection, the next light won't be for a while, so pass that one as well and at the 2nd light, make a left onto Calle 14. All of the kioskos will be lined up parallel to PR-3 and the beach.
The first night, we ordered the chicken platter and the grilled mahi mahi. We were having a hard time deciding on what to get because everything looked really great. The chicken platter, which I ordered, came with amarillo mash (mashed plantains) and a green salad. The green salad was just a plain salad, but the unique touch were the hazelnuts. Who would have thunk to put hazelnuts as a salad topper?! Chef Paul! We felt a lot of the dishes here played with sweet and savory flavors. The chicken was perfectly grilled and went extremely well with the amarillo mash. I don't even like bananas/plantains, but the dish was sooo good and addicting. Very, very delicious.
My boyfriend ordered the mahi mahi, which was lightly glazed with a homemade sauce and topped with prosciutto. It came with a side of malanga mash and the same garden salad. So, malanga mash was a mystery to us. Chef Paul described that it sometimes came our purple or brown. I was very curious, did some research and found out that malanga was the Puerto Rican name of taro root! So, if you've ever been to Hawaii and tried poi, they're made from the same thing...taro root! The malanga mash was definitely a great side to go with this dish. The mash is the consistency of mashed potatoes, but not as starchy. It's a bit sweeter than mashed potatoes and definitely healthier! The mahi mahi was extremely fresh and the prosciutto added just the right amount of saltiness that the fish needed.
This was honestly the first restaurant/kiosko where we cleaned our plates. The portion sizes were perfect and even though we ate everything, we did not feel bloated one bit. Everything is made to order, so be prepared to wait. They have cats you can play with, or just as for a drink from the bar.
We went last week and it was extremely slow because of the season (hurricane season, that is). So we basically had the restaurant to ourselves both nights. Typically this is a bad sign, but trust me, going here when it's slow is very nice, especially since you'll get a chance to talk to Chef Paul. We were able to talk to him and his philosophy is great.
The next night (and our last night in PR), we went all out, almost! We ordered the deep fried local cheese with a guava dipping sauce. Oh...my...goodness. It was sooo delicious. I thought that the cheese would be ooey and gooey, but it's not! It was firm and not oily at all. Chef Paul uses soy to fry his fried foods (which almost all of the appetizers are fried) and the guava dipping sauce went so well with the cheese. Again, the sweet and savory flavors coming together here. We also ordered the mini empadillas, which consisted of 3 traditional pork and 3 guava and cheese, however, because we asked for dessert, Chef Paul suggested we save the guava and cheese empadillas for dessert, which we did. The pork ones were well-flavored and delicious. Very fresh and delicious!
For the main course, we ordered the special, which was halibut that came with a side of the delicious malanga mash and a cucumber, tomato, basil salad in a vinegar-based dressing. It was suggested that we split the halibut since it was fairly big, which is the reason why we ordered appetizers.
The halibut was amazing!!! Perfectly cooked, moist, flaky. We ate it so fast! The malanga mash went perfectly with it and I loved the freshness of the salad.
As said before, we had the guava and cheese empadillas for dessert.
Again, we were able to talk to Chef Paul because it's the quiet season. He told us about their ultimate dream to open up a PR restaurant in Southern Italy. Chef Paul, count us in! We'll be there when it happens! :)
I was very, very, very sad to leave Puerto Rico, and on our last night there, I was sad to leave Ay, Bonito! Grill to go back to our hotel. I wanted to stay and eat there forever. lol.
So, just a summary of my tips: 1) Be patient as the food is made to order 2) Ask about specials and try everything! 3) Make sure you get here EARLY in your trip or else you'll regret it like we did! And lastly 4) Take the time to talk with Chef Paul if you can. :)
ENJOY!
OH! Last thing, the prices are EXTREMELY reasonable. Compared to the other kioskos, everything here is very nicely priced. -
Review from Armando Z.
Livermore, CA
10/21/2010
Chef Paul and his wife are good people and great fun. But the five stars is for the all around experience: Service, Food, and Value for Money.
Read Diana Lyn M's review for the details. I can tell you that everything is made fresh, ingredients are locally sourced, and the recipes are combinations of Chef Paul's family recipes and local dishes with culinary twists.
Be sure to ask for any additions or changes to the menu; while they have regular items, the menu changes depending on season and what is available at the market that day.
If you love fish and you're lucky enough to have it on the menu, try the grilled mahi mahi. It was cooked perfectly (moist, light, and flaky)...wrapped in proscuitto with a sauce that wasn't overpowering. The malanga mash (taro root) complimented it perfectly. Also, the salads and vegetables were delicious!
We liked Ay Bonito so much that we came back our last night in PR. I'm really looking forward to our next trip so we can eat here again. -
Review from Jennifer T.
Mill River, MA
3/3/2011
No- 10 stars! So amazing on so many levels. Paul and Jolie are incredible people and we we lucky to find their restaurant- we would have eaten there every night if we weren't travelling around the island (and they gave us tips and suggestions that made the rest of our trip unforgetable). The crabcakes were out of this world, and, although they don't serve dessert, they concocted a special shot for me with Fra Angelico that tasted exactly like german chocolate cake (it was my birthday). So fun. A special place. Don't miss it. We miss them!
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Review from Erin Y.
Norman, OK
8/13/2010
I'm not a huge fan of fried food, so I was a bit nervous about eating at the kiosks on the beach in Luquillo... until we found this gem. It was recommended to us by our surfing instructor and proved to be one of the best meals we had on our Puerto Rico vacation.
A good, healthy variety of food and wonderful owners/staff. Everyone was so friendly and the food was just wonderful. Not too greasy, not too fried and a very good variety. -
Review from Hunter Z.
Ithaca, NY
3/23/2011 1 photo
So good. So, so, so good.
The owners, Paul, the chef and, Yolay, the hostess/waitress are incredible people. Yolay gives great recommendations, genuinely cares about how you like the food and is super vivacious. Paul runs an immaculate kitchen and is an amiable, intelligent guy. He's worked his family's restaurant and then as executive chef, in various restaurants in the US before moving to PR. A great couple running a great restaurant.
And, on to the food. To start we had the crabcakes and the fried cheese with guava sauce. The crab cakes were universally acclaimed as delicious - moist, good amount of crab, flavorful. Really, only second to crabcakes I've had on the Delaware coast. I really enjoyed how the guava complemented the cheese, though my companions were less enthralled. For main courses we had the strip steak - churrasco - and fries, the mahi mahi and malanga and the shrimp kebob and sweet plantain mash. The malanga was melt in your mouth delicious. What mashed potatoes dream of being. Mmm... so good. The shoestring fries were crisp, fresh cut and well spiced. No exaggeration, the skirt steak was one of the best I ever had. I think I make a damn good skirt steak, cooked in it's own fat withbsalt and pepper, but Paul's steak had me beat, wishing for the recipe. The mahi mahi had a crisp skin and the fish itself was flaky and moist. The shrimp were fine, well cooked, though I think my companion wish he chose one of the other dishes, like the halibut, the waiter recommended. The plantain purée, however, was a sweet, buttery crowd pleaser. Too bad there was no dessert to round it out, though I have a feeling it may be in the works.
I wish Yolay and Paul much luck in Ay Bonito and will be returning definitely next time I find myself in Puerto Rico. Until then, my mouth will be watering thinking of it... -
Review from Jordan B.
Mid-Cambridge, MA
12/25/2010
The food was good but the service was TERRIBLE. It took well over an hour and a half for them to bring our food...two salads. They waitress also forgot to place one of our orders. They were also out of many ingredients so couldn't offer several dishes on the menu.
Could be a good restaurant if they can get their act together. -
Review from Robert D.
Huntsville, AL
10/15/2011
My wife and I just got back from our honeymoon in Puerto Rico. We stayed at the St. Regis resort up the road and wanted to get out to get some local food. I did some research before we got there and chose Ay Bonito due to the top reviews on yelp and trip advisor. Wow, this place did impress. We started off with the fried cheese and the carne frita (fried pork) which was amazing. Wife got the chicken special and I ordered the churrasco. Definitely get those mentioned, it was top notch and try the mojito's! The owner and bar tender were very friendly and helped with suggestions on local stores...etc. If we ever come back we are going there the first night! Good job! - Robert
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Review from Michael F.
Houston, TX
7/4/2011
HOT DAMN this place is excellent! My wife and I are on our last night here in puerto rico and having dinner at Ay Bonita Grill chosen based on others Yelp reviews. Greeted warmly. Sat promptly. And given the specials of the day via Jolie our waitress/owner. She is sweet as pie. Ordered the crab cakes- Delicious. You'd be remiss not to try them. My wife and I fought over them. Oh. The bathrooms very very clean and creatively decorated. Salads just came... Green crisp and fresh lettuce with carrots tomato and red onion with a balsamic vinaigrette - very nice. My wife ordered the mahi magi filet with sweet plantains. The presentation was beautiful and tasted wonderful. I ordered the signature dish - halibut in a prosciutto and herb sauce mostly sage. And it was I swear to God EDIBLE ART! It was divine! Get the halibut and you will leave happy fat and full! It was the best dish we've had in our 6 days on the island. The chef/owner Paul came out to greet us and share some stories about the inspiration for his creations. The pride of ownership and attention to detail shows in every facet of this quaint eatery. Order the Rum Punch from David the bartender. They sneak up on uou Get here and support this restaurant.
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Review from Sergei L.
MA
11/7/2010
This place is not easy to find but it is well worth the search. Hidden in a long stream of awfully looking "kioskos", they serve surprisingly sophisticated and healthy food. Prices are very fair especially considering Coronas are only $3 a pop. Definitely worth a visit.
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