Chinchorreando: Roadtripping, Barhopping, and Snacking in Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, family is everything ,and so is food, so it’s natural for the whole crew to pile in the car and head to the countryside for a relaxing weekend day of eating and drinking. There’s a word for it: the verb “chinchorrear” means to eat and drink local specialties at multiple rustic roadside stops called chinchorros.

There are many popular self-guided routes that are easily accessible from all over the island, and every family group has their favorite. The most famous is probably Cayey’s “Ruta de Lechón,” also known as the “Pork Highway.” There are coastal routes featuring beach stops and seafood shacks, and a longaniza route in mountainous Orcovis that celebrates the island’s traditional spiced sausages tinged with annatto.

Our hosts chose the Ruta Gastronomica de Naranjito, which highlights the delicious, historic, and varied stops along PR-152, is super close to San Juan, and definitely offers plenty of pork.

Ruta Gastronomica de Naranjito

Our trip started at our hotel in Old San Juan, and after a 45-minute drive across the beautiful Puente Atirantado, a newly renovated cable stay bridge that spans the Río de la Plata, we found ourselves in the green foothills of central Puerto Rico. Once past the city of Naranjito, we turned onto Route 152, and our eating tour began. 

Epic Longaniza Sausages at El Rancho Don Nando

Our first stop was the furthest out, allowing us time on the road to build up our appetites for the afternoon ahead. After turning off of the main road and twisting and turning a bit more, we hit El Rancho de Don Nando, a classic, family-owned smokehouse with great views and incredible food. The family and staff welcomed us with bites of their renowned smoked chicken and pork longaniza, then we sat down at a picnic table for a meaty feast of arroz guisado (fried rice) con longaniza y carne, habichuelas (stewed beans with pumpkin), and carne ahumada (chunks of smoked pork) that left our chins gleaming with pork fat. This spot does not serve alcohol, so ice down a cooler full of Medallas, Puerto Rico’s favorite beer, to bring along. There’s a huge list of traditional homemade desserts on offer, including flan de queso and jiggly sweet coconut tembleque–I was glad I grabbed a cup to eat in the car later. 

Lots of folks line up to grab Don Nando’s outstanding smoked meats and sausages to go, and they also do a lot of business selling plants, like pascua (poinsettia) during Puerto Rico’s extended Navidad holiday season. 

Fine Dining with Puerto Rican Soul in Cedro Arriba de Naranjito

Tapas at Asador San Miguel

Next stop: Asador San Miguel, in Cedro Arriba, where Chef Rey Santo serves tasty, Spanish-style tapas and plates from the kitchen, the grill, and the smoker, like croquetas, steaks, and crunchy pork chicharrón with fresh ginger and guava sauce. The extensive wine cellar is a welcome bonus, and the spectacular vistas and gardens are worth the trip to this higher-end stop on your journey. There’s even a helicopter pad if you decide not to drive. 

A Rainbow of Mojitos at La Casita 152

After Asador, we wound our way downhill past dozens of other restaurants and landed at La Casita 152. Homar Ayala Hernández and his family took over this classic roadhouse in 2023 and updated the offerings. We enjoyed some fun traditional snacks (croquetas with pepper aioli, and queso frito, a typical dish of fried cheese, elevated with a bacon dulce de papaya on top).

We loved choosing from so many colorful mojitos–everyone in our group had a different favorite on the mojito flight, from coconut to acerola, a native Puerto Rican cherry. If there’s passionfruit on the list, I’m going to drink it, and my fresh parcha juice mojito was perfectly tart and tangy. 

The front of the restaurant is unpolished and charming, like an old school roadside bar, but when you head to the back, you’ll find a huge, shady wooden deck complete with a porch swing and a breezy view of Las Lágrimas waterfall and the mountainside beyond. 

A Traditional Chichorro with Sangría, Shots, and Fried Bocaditos

We had no room left for a stop at Caldosos, perhaps the most well-known destination on Route 152. Serving house sangría, rum punch, and a lengthy menu of frituras (fried snacks) like sorullos (corn fritters), empanditas, crispy plantain tostones, and bacalaitos (salt cod fritters) since the 1990’s, this spot would be an iconic place to take a shot of traditional chichaito, or “quickie,” the super strong combo of white rum and anise liqueur that often punctuates a chinchorreo and helps initiate the spontaneous salsa dancing that often takes place into the evening.

Naranjito Road Trip Tips:

Try the local drinks

Along with ubiquitous bottles of Medalla beer, colorful mojitos, and powerful shots of chichaito, in many spots you’ll find Jalda, a sweet creamy mountain liqueur in flavors like pistachio and coffee. Though it tastes like dessert, it packs a punch, so don’t be tempted to overindulge. Another local hooch served in shots, pitorro is a molasses-based moonshine rum infused with fruits and spices, often from a recipe passed down through generations. Our hosts at Don Nando placed a bottle on the table while we dined so we could try a nip of their family’s elixir–don’t be surprised when cups are passed around on your chinchorro visit. 

Schedule a side trip

Head to Hacienda Cacaotera Terruño for a reservation-only visit to a family-run cacao farm, and check out how cocoa beans are grown, harvested, roasted, and made into artisan chocolate bars. 

Turn your day trip into a weekend getaway

Choose a vacation rental or boutique villa. Search “Naranjito” on VRBO or click here for a variety of options vetted by the Naranjito office of tourism.

Anyone can have the chance to soak up mountain culture and hop from bar to bar like a local. Just choose a designated driver, roll down the windows, and go by car, or rent a party bus and make a scene. Either way, pack a cooler full of cold water, cue up a playlist of reggaeton, salsa, and some Bad Bunny, map out a route, and hit the road.