Old Harbor Brewery Steak and Lobster House

Description:

• San Juan's only microbrewery also has top-drawer tavern fare in an upscale mariner setting. Brewmaster Brad Mortensen handcrafts five distinct house beers, as well as seven seasonal beers, on the premises in state-of-the-art brewing facilities. The restaurant specializes in top-quality steaks and fresh Puerto Rican spiny lobster. The cuts are served steakhouse-style with a choice of sauces (we recommend the mushroom and chimichurri) and a la carte sides (our favorites are the Lyonnise potatoes and asparagus with béarnaise). The hanging tender steak was as promised, and the New York Strip was flavorful and cooked to perfection. We've grown used to the taste of Caribbean lobster, which is lighter than Maine lobster, and the ones here are among the best we tried. Go with the citrus beurre blanc sauce rather than the coconut, almond-spiced rum. We always start with the rich French onion or lobster bisque soup, probably because both are so hard to find here. The crisp Santo Viejo pilsner and the flavorful Old Harbor pale ale are our favorites. The restaurant dates to the 1920s, when it housed the New York Federal Bank, and it was beautifully restored before opening in 2005. A classic tavern setup surrounds the elegant brew vats, but the place is formal, with fully dressed tables, classic black and white tiles, and metal and wooden finishings.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010