El Jibarito's Puerto Rican specialties

The walls were once on the outside, hence the pastel colors and balconies. The single room is large, airy and has a real tropical laid-back atmosphere.

The place is simple - the tables Formica, the menus handwritten.

The appetizers, while traditional, are pretty much exclusively small and fried.

The trifongo is a specialty at El Jibarito: a cup-shaped shell of mashed fried plantains and yucca, set within a larger cup and then filled with shrimp, onions and peppers.

The pernil al horno (roasted pork flavored with garlic) is juicy and excellent, as are the amarillos (sweet plantains) served as a side dish.

The hot sauce (right) is quite hot - be careful - while the garlic sauce is quite flavorful.