When you’re invited to someone’s Casa, they welcome you into their home. A lot of restaurants aspire to capture that feeling but few really transmit the essence of that experience. We could try in a few words to describe what happens when you encounter Casa Emilio in San Juan but we would fall marvelously short in our aspirations. The reality is when you walk into Casa Emilio you are literally going into the owner’s home. As with many old world restaurants, the owners live upstairs and have lived there for 30+years.
A family calling
Casa Emilio is much more than a business venture. Restaurants and hosting are in the family’s blood and have been for the last three generations starting back in Madrid. As with many restaurants and bars from Spain, music plays an important part of Casa Emilio’s offerings.
A house of music
One of the co-owners, Emilio Ruiz came from Spain with his guitar and later partnered/married Luz Iris to open the restaurant. He has been the musical inspiration at the restaurant. It is one of the few places in San Juan that offers live music every night.
They also host a special, reservation only, Flamenco show for lunch on Sundays. Other nights feature Spanish “Bohemia” or acoustic music, Brazilian music, Flamenco and popular Spanish and Puerto Rican music.
Spanish taste and Puerto Rican sazón
You arrive at Casa Emilio as a visitor where you’ll probably meet one of the owners, Luz Iris. You are then entertained with live music and a great ambiance and finally the food arrives to top off a perfect night or even afternoon.
The menu is a reflection of what Puerto Rico tastes like. It ranges from tapas or Spanish traditional small plates with a criollo twist, to Puerto Rican favorites like bistec encebollado. Since the family is originally from Spain you’ll find plenty of sherry sauced meats along with their specialty the San Jacobo. In this dish a beef filet is stuffed with ham and cheese and topped with a mushroom mozzarella sauce.
See the full menu here: www.casaemiliorest.com/
Even more goodies
They have a great wine list with bottles starting at a modest $24. And if you like to start you evening early, they offer a happy hour every day from 4 to 7pm. For group activities you can reserve one of three private areas including the pet friendly outdoor terrace or even the entire restaurant if needed. They also offer very beautifully arranged and detailed catering services for any event.
3,000+ reviews, 4.9 stars
With experienced hosting instincts, truly friendly, almost family service, great food, music and sometimes even dancing you can rest assured that if Casa Emilio does anything, they’re going to do it right. For some reason they are one of the highest reviewed restaurants in the metro area.
Reserve a table today: casaemiliorest.com
(787) 754-8481
https://goo.gl/maps/MwdsrGibRtzvTMnV7
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