Reviewer Rating:

Review: High Price Pretension, Mediocre Service, Low Quality Food
We visited the Yerba Buena Cafe, April 16, 2006 around 7 pm, while vacationing in Puerto Rico. We found the ambiance to be a thin veneer of class and as pretentious as a New York night club with prices to match. I'm guessing the owners were trying for upscale Latin Fusion or what do I have in the frig, it was hard to tell. The wait staff were as slimy as used cars salesmen, constantly trying to upgrade our selections. Our waiter descended upon us as soon as we were seated, but took as long as 15 minutes to bring our drinks. Once our food was ordered, it to over thirty minutes to get out appetizer, (fish paste and fried plantain) and an additional 15 minute for the entree, even though there only 5 other tables seated. While the presentation was pleasant, fried plantain slivers poking out of the instant rice, the food was quite ordinary and bland. The entrees ranged in price from $17 to $28 with all additional items ala carte. The vegetable medley was $6. I thought the price was outrageous, but our waiter insisted the price was high due to the high cost of bringing these items into the country. The vegetables, carrot, cauliflower and broccoli were actually the brand Fresh Like. When I pointed out to the waiter that these were frozen vegetables, he got quite defensive and told me he never told us they were actually fresh vegetables. Touché! I will admit that the beans and (Minute) rice was quite tasty. All in all we quite disappointed and broke by the end of the meal. While this type of dining experience may be okay with some, I don't think we'll be dining at Yerba Buena Cafe on future visits to Puerto Rico.

Price:
US$21-30

Favorite Dish:
The beans and rice side dish was quite tasty.

Directions/Location:
One block east of the Marriott Hotel & Resort on Ashford Ave