La Parrilla! Heaven in Luquillo…
Tonight we struck gold.
There is simply no other way to describe this evening’s meal at my new favorite restaurant, La Parrilla, located in the beachside town of Luquillo, Puerto Rico. Luquillo is about 30 minutes east of San Juan on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico and, as covered in a previous post, it is a very popular destination for natives and visitors alike.
My girlfriend Mary and I invited two of our colleagues, Deb and Eric, to join us for an evening out at La Parrilla. Pictured above is a lovely Red Snapper, de-boned, stuffed with shrimp, and grilled to perfection – just one of the perfectly prepared dishes that we sampled tonight.
Chef/owner Ricardo Alvaro greeted us soon after our arrival, and we immediately hit it off. All four in our group have been labeled ‘foodies’, with our own herb and vegetable gardens, well-used kitchens, and often-requested recipes, so it was a real pleasure to chat with a professional chef whose intense passion for great food really shows in everything he does.
On Chef Ricardo’s recommendation we selected a fresh lobster, which he then split and grilled, finishing with a 4 cheese fondue in the upper part of the shell. Simply amazing! Chef Ricardo is shown above with our prize shortly before we demolished it.
Here you can clearly see that delicious 4 cheese fondue inside of the lobster’s shell, which really put this dish over the top. Also noteworthy is the freshly prepared sangria, which is light and refreshing.
It seems like every dish at La Parrilla is a home run. This is a plate of Arroz con Pina, a specialty of the house, featuring Puerto Rican short-grained rice flavored with curry, fresh pineapple, and grilled shrimp. Yucca sticks added immensely to the palette of flavors presented by Chef Ricardo.
Eric and Deb pose for a quick snap before we start the meal.
You guys know that I rarely make recommendations or promote specific properties unless I truly believe that excellence is in the offering and, as such, it is truly a pleasure to recommend La Parrilla as a ‘must visit’ while you’re in Puerto Rico. Chef Ricardo Alvaro’s masterful culinary abilities and warm personality will make it a meal to remember, and trust me, you’ll be back to visit often. I know that I will!
La Parrilla is located in the Kiosk area of Luquillo in Kiosko #2, right on Highway 3. To contact the restaurant directly, call (787) 889-0590 or drop Chef Ricardo an email at laparrillapr@yahoo.com. I know that he’ll be delighted to hear from you!
The Map:
Windward Journey 
It’s one am. And now I’m starving!!! Seriously, your blog reminds me how little of the world i’m experiencing these days. You’ll have some amazing memories, not to mention the experience of doing these things now that you’re enjoying.
You’ll make it there soon, bud. And when you do, I promise, you won’t regret it.
Thank you for your frequent comments, here and elsewhere. More importantly, thank you for your continued friendship!
JG
We visited the other day and had the lobster,best we ever hard. I’m a clean freakand I can tell you the place is super clean and the service is warm and friendly. Truly a hidden treasure!
Patrick says : I absolutely agree with this !
Oh my god the food was so great. I had a the shrimp and lobster in a garlic sauce and it was to die for. I took me two days to eat the whole thing and Ricardo’s help with our group of people that visited was the best. One of the best resturants that we all ate at. In fact we went there twice.
I CAN’T WAIT TO GO THERE NEXT WEEK , AFTER READING YOUR REVIEW. YOU DO NOT MENTION PRICES, SO I’LL REPORT BACK WITH FULL DETAILS WHEN I RETURN FROM RIO GRANDE. 1
My family has been coming to PR my hole life (I am 33). My Grandparents live on the island. We love Grandma’s cooking, but when we are out in Fajardo and Luquillo it is hard to find a good spot to eat. We came across La Parrilla just this past week when we were visiting and My Oh My this place was great. Seafood, pork chops, and the Arroz con Pina is to die for. All of our food was perfect, had great flavor, and cooked fresh. Anything you have there will be authentic and some of the best food on the island. Food prices ranges in the teens up to the forties and more for lobster dishes. Well worth the drive and the money. I can’t wait to got back.
My daughter and I recently stayed at the Rio Mar Resort in Rio Grande. Their concierge hghly recommended La Parilla which is only about 10 minutes from the Resort. Wow, is all can say about La Parrilla! I had the Lobster dish with the 4 cheese fondue and my daughter had the Aroz con Pina. Both dishes were beyone wonderful and excellent. Don’t miss this restaurant if you’re in the vicinity!
We were recommended by our cap driver to visit La Parilla. The food was ….devine. We eat their everyday while we were staying at the Rio Mar Resort. Tried several dishes and they were all exeptional!!!!! Definately a must to taste the melange of flavors in the dishes! Also the staff was very friendly!
I had the pleasure of visiting Puerto Rico with 3 other girlfriends (away from our husbands) 2 years ago. ! All of us being “foodies” set out to discover all the yummie we could. We got this restaurant reccomendation from a hotel employee. All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!! We stayed in PR for 4 nights and spent the first and last meals at La Parrilla. I have NEVER gotten over the insane pleasure of devouring the Mahi in Garlic Sauce and have spent the better part of 2 years trying to find this restaurant again!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ENDING MY SEARCH!! I totally agree with you – this is sincerely one of the best meals I have ever eaten! Now I need to try and replicate their masterpiece in my own kitchen. I know it can’t be done, but I’ll do the best I can. I wish they had a website!
Thanks again ~
Senor Ricardo esta el restaurant aabierto ya. Gracias
OH MY!!!! This place is absoulty amazing. I stumbbled upon it when visiting the junke,and driving around the island. I crave there food its amazing!!!! Cant wait to go back!!!
My family and i traveled to puerto rico… let me just say as beautiful as the island was, La Parilla made it that much better! It was the greatest, freshest seafood i have eaten in a verrrrry long time. The homey feel, blended with the view of the sea… and phenominal taste of the different blends of spices in their food made for an incredible experience.