El Flamboyan Restaurant & Bar

I am Latina and therefore extremely picky about Spanish food....I am also from Brooklyn, so I can appreciate the high class to the hole in the wall food spots.  This was ok....the food was relatively tasty, but they didn't have ANY food to choose from on a Sunday afternoon save chicken and pernil.  Wth?! It Sunday in the summer and you don't have rice?! What self respecting Spanish restaurant, repping any Spanish speaking country, doesn't have rice? The chick was scraping the bottom of the pan.  And I guess because I'm chocolatey she thought she could tell the other girl about her issue in spanish and I wouldn't know.  PSYCH!!! I understood you and I am not a happy camper :(

Besitos never again!

I've been here twice and I think it's just OK, but I'm no expert on PR food.

Last visit I went with a bunch of people so I got a bunch of bites. The stewed pork shoulder (pernil) was fatty and tasty, and it came with the skin. The red snapper was huge but also flavorful. However, the dish I most looked forward to both times was the pork mofongo and it's just OK. The pork is pretty dry. I'm not sure if it would be less dry if you get the pork cooked outside rather than inside, so maybe I'll check that out next time. Both sauces for the mofongo are good, but I'd recommend the garlic sauce over the red sauce.

I wasn't crazy about the appetizers. I didn't find the meat in the empanada or the canoa (a plantain stuffed with meat with cheese on top) to be especially flavorful. Also,  I know they're fried empanadas but I wasn't stoked when mine exploded with grease when I poked it with a fork

It was frustrating that they were missing a bunch of menu items on both visits. I'd like to be told that right away, so I don't ask for things that aren't there. I had to ask for three things before landing on something I could order.

Also, it helped my server out a lot that I speak Spanish.

Not bad but not great. I'll probably try El Cochinito down the street next time instead.

We were in town for the Vibes and decided to take a nice walk on Sunday morning, check out the 'real' Bridgeport.  We stumbled upon this place and ducked inside for an early lunch and a cocktail or two.

Being from the Reading, PA area, we're pretty familiar with Puerto Rican cuisine and we didn't hesitate to dive right in... an order of platanos with a pair of pina coladas to begin and already the staff was attentive and courteous.  We then set into a range of empanadas (lobster, crab and beef - all were insanely great) and a mountain of yellow rice and beans.  Everything was perfect and by the time we headed back into the sun, we felt like we were part of the family.

This will undoubtedly be our first food destination whenever we visit Bridgeport in the future.  Don't miss it!