Pizza in Puerto Rico:  It’s a Local Thing

Caption: Pirilo Pizza Rustica, with locations in Old San Juan, Ocean Park and Dorado, first brought artisan pizza to scale in the city.

The abundant variety and authentic deliciousness of pizza in Puerto Rico may surprise you, but it shouldn’t. Puerto Rico pizzaioli for decades have been serving up the real deal — whether it’s the gooey, golden scorched glory of a tomato and shredded cheese New York-style slice, or the velvety crunch of a Napoleantan wood-fired pie delicately balancing a symphony of fresh herbs and vegetables. 

If pizza’s your thing, San Juan’s got you covered. 

It’s unlikely you will find consistently better pizza anywhere in the Caribbean and large swaths of the U.S.; the best of San Juan’s pizza parlors can compete with any pizza capitals. San Juan’s pizza culture has been growing steadily over the years since first taking root in the 1970s, and a number of young chefs are behind a more recent wave of authentic and unique Neapolitan and wood-fired pizza spots flourishing in the city, and taking Puerto Rico pizza-making to new heights in the process. 

The island’s ties to New York date back longer than West Side Story, and this includes familiarity with the lush flavors of legendary Big Apple pizza emporiums. The frequent stateside sojourns taken by local chefs who often spread their wings out in the world before coming home to roost their prodigious talents, has also helped develop the sophistication and worldliness of island pizza-making.  

In addition to the U.S. East Coast influence, the city’s pizza culture owes a debt to the Argentine establishments that have opened up here over the last 30 years, which offer sturdy, wood-fired pizza along with traditional grilled churrasco and chicken and a few strategically selected Italian entrees. 

The city’s rising pizza culture also includes new culinary upstarts that are doing pizza on their own terms, and whose creative renditions measure up against the best of California pizza kitchens. 

Some of the new pizzaioli are part of a broader authentic, back-to-roots culinary movement by young city chefs that embrace both local flavors and varied techniques of global cuisine. Another strong influence, however, stems from the years-old establishments in San Juan, places like La Cueva del Chicken Inn or Faccios, whose unique takes on this Italian-American classic have defined pizza for generations of sanjuaneros, and helped forge the local standard, which embraces the familiar flavors of an East Coast slice with a bit more heft in the cheese and crust components.  

There are many measures of a city’s culinary chops, and I’ll submit that taking the temperature of the local pizza scene is among the best indicators for gauging the quality of the broader cuisine available. San Juan passes the test with flying colors, providing additional evidence of the city’s continued status as the Caribbean’s gastronomic capital because of the plethora of Americas, European, Asian and local comida criolla dining options. 

There’s great pizza at street stands and food trucks, stand-alone pizzerias, established restaurants and bars. Even out on the island, at music and artisan fairs, or during Patron Saint festivities, you’ll likely find thin carnival pizza slices, splattered with oily and herby bubbling cheese and tomato sauce on crispy, cracker-thin crust. Local pizzerias are as ubiquitous as local fondas serving comida criolla or Chinese and fast food restaurants across the island. 

Want evidence that pizza fever is not confined to San Juan? Take a drive through the northwest, from Quebradillas to Rincon, and see the steady stream of roadside pizza trucks and standalone pizzerias. Or you can enjoy a wood-fired brick oven pizza with a view at the dreamy Eclipse Restaurant at Villa Montana, Isabela or at some beachside pizza truck you will undoubtedly pass by en route. If you make it all the way to Mayaguez, try the authentic Napoleantan at Julio Cesar restaurant, right off the city’s historic main square. The restaurant will likely be the most beautiful you have visited in recent memory, and pizza lives up to the surroundings.  

So when you happen upon a slice in Puerto Rico, go ahead and take a bite. It’s sure to pass the “no flop” barstool pizza test, and you’re likely to find the pizza as flavorful as the locals do.

Nowhere is the pizza revolution more apparent than in downtown Santurce, where several pizzerias have opened up among traditional lunch spots serving Puerto Rican food to office and construction workers. 

La Santurcina is a friendly neighborhood spot that serves glorious Neapolitan-style sourdough pizza with farm fresh ingredients that will delight hard core pizza fans and veggie loving gormands alike. The kitchen crew is the same team that backs the amazing Vianda, a nearby farm to table bistro, and they bring the same expert work with herbs and vegetables, as well as a solid cocktail and wine menu, to the pizzeria. The Beeteroni, a beet pizza with the flavor of traditional Italian sausage, and the La Del Chef, a wonder of caramelized onion and pancetta, are among the signature pies here. La Santuricina also has a mix of Italian-American and Spanish appetizers, and an eggplant parmigiana that would have credibility in any Brooklyn dining room. 

Born in a food truck near Santurce’s Plaza del Mercado, Fidela’s move to a proper restaurant has not diminished the seductive flavor of its woodfired sourdough pizza, or the long lines of adoring fans who know what’s worth the wait. Don’t shy away from a basic pomodoro or margarita pie here because the char is always perfect and the really special thing is the balance between the dough and cheese. Other house favorites include the honey pepperoni and the cacio e pepe white pie. Start out with the marinated peppers and olives appetizer or the fresh country salad here, and by all means throw back a refreshing Aperol Spritz that will make you feel black shades and Vespa chic.   

Also nearby is Casa Pimenton, located in a restored residence near the Santurce marketplace. Here too you can feast on Neapolitan pizza that is baked in a traditional Italian brick oven at intense heat that seals the melange of flavors. Artisan beer is available through self-service taps along one wall, and there is an ample wine selection. Pizza is the specialty but traditional pasta and risotto dishes, along with Italian appetizers, round out the menu. 

Via Appia has been a fixture on Condado’s Ashford Avenue since the 1970s and still draws a crowd every day and night, with its classic East Coast style pizza and red sauce Italian classics. There’s a relaxed Jersey shore feel to the spot, with its huge outdoor terrace, no frills food market style seating and a more formal dining room, and the kitchen still rocks after all of these years. One of the most beloved pizzerias in San Juan, Via Appia also makes a killer clams posillipo and probably the best chicken parmigiana in the city. 

Pirilo Pizza Rustica, with locations in Old San Juan, Ocean Park and Dorado, first brought artisan pizza to scale in the city. Order one of the chef’s craft pizzas or build your own rustic pizza delight. The menu is chiseled from from Italian, South American and Spanish influences, with an awesome chicken milanesa, tapas like Spanish sausage in wine sauce or Puerto Rican rice croquettes, and a selection of homemade pastas.The Old San Juan location, which sprawls across two floors of a historic building and features upstairs and downstairs bars, is a great spot to hang out and grab a bite. 

Selena, over in Río Piedras by the University of Puerto Rico, serves New York City-style extra-large, grab and go slices, with a unique twist on traditional offerings. The namesake Selena slice blends pepperoni, bacon and maple syrup, while the Teresa combines three different types of onions and balsamic vinaigrette.  Selena’s magic is in the dough, which is made fresh daily through a unique fermentation process and results in a crunchy yet delicate thin crust that will enchant you. 

Puerto Rico’s pizza craze has also hit the popular Loiza Street area near Ocean Park, with several spots offering fine slices. Loiza 2050 is an area institution, however,  with its ultra thin, ultra crispy pizzas, as well as its craft whiskey and beer offerings, drawing a loyal following for more than two decades. Traditionalists will be satisfied with the meat lovers or regular pizza option, but the place is also known for its inventive twists like coconut and pumpkin crust. Combinations include pork with Colby cheese and bourbon sauce, toasted almond and pesto and a smoked salmon Brie cheese and caramelized onion pie.