La Lechonera

My family visited me and had a craving for Puerto Rican food. Let me just start off by saying La Lechonera did not disappoint! They have a large selection of traditional dishes, appetizers, and desserts. The portions are huge and the prices are just right. I also came here to order rice for a wedding. I paid a little over $100 for enough rice to feed 80 people possibly more. They are so friendly and helpful too!

The only good thing I can say is that the portion was really good for the price. We ordered the vaca frita , and it felt like I ordered a plate of green peppers with a little bit of vaca frita. It wasn't seasoned well either. The yuca was completely unseasoned as well. The order of chicharrones de puerco came and they were stale , no crunch in them whatsoever. Really sad cause they were really close to our house! Can't speak on the service or ambiance because we ordered on Uber eats but flavor wise it didn't hit the mark. We're still on our search of some good vaca frita in Tampa.

La Lechonera is my go-to for Puerto Rican food in Tampa. It's a cafeteria-style restaurant and they have serve dishes that are exclusive to Puerto Rico. They even serve Medalla and Coco Rico. During lunch, the line can get pretty long, but they always have a few people behind the counter working so it does move fast.

I've been eating at La Lechonera for at least 15, possibly 20+ years and it was always a reliably tasty Puerto Rican casual restaurant. Mi Pueblo (RIP) and Casona were my 2 favorites and then came La Lechonera. But, lately, me and a few other loyal followers have found the food to have declined and not be the same type of consistently good PR food. The Rabo (oxtail), overly salty. The pernil lacking in that tasty garlicky / mojo goodness. The chicken stew...meh at best. I hope they return to their former level of very tasty dishes. A meal last week at Oasis Rotisserie and yesterday at Tropical Cuisine on Adamo & 301 confirmed to me how much La Lechonera has declined. Hope they find their way back to that home cooked goodness and PR flavors.

I walked here as my husband was having an out patient procedure a few blocks down and I'm so glad I did. It was just as they opened so it wasn't busy. The decor is so cute and they were playing all the old songs I grew up listening to while cleaning the house on Saturdays with my grandmother. The hostess was so friendly and sweet and the food was amazing! Reminded me of grandmas home cooking.

First time and had a wonderful meal! We had a lechon plate and oxtail plate with plantains. Everything was delicious! Great price and portions. What a gem! Can't wait to go back and try some other options.

I love this place. It's nothing fancy but it's a vibe. Great employees, great atmosphere. And let me tell you for the food you get, it's worth every penny. It's extremely affordable. Every time I go, I have left overs for the next day. I never been able to eat the entire plate. They serve a lot for the price. I been here several times and would come every day if I was able.

I absolutely love this place! Everything is always so good, and fresh! Service is always a pleasure. The ladies there are so nice every time I come there.

Thank u so much the amount of food was good the service was nice and the ambiance pretty good I love puertorican food

This is another hidden gem that I can't be selfish with anymore. I believe this is my second visit to this establishment. OMG!! It seems they cook with love and flavor. It feels like you are back in Puerto Rico with someone's grandmother who is cooking for you. We started with the traditional Coco Rico sodas. As for the entree the oxtail which was more fat them meat as you can see in the pictures. A side of Maduros, and dirty rice and peas. The flavors when combined are delicious. We also ordered a shrimp Mofongo which was also very delicious but ordered 1 because it is made for 2 people. The only real problem is the line wait if the help isn't there you will be online a bit. But I promise you it's worth it. These are the mom-and-pop shops we should be raving about. That old traditional cooking with flavor and love that these cooks are using. The ambiance is like an old lunchroom when you would go to school back in the 80s. The decor, old history of Puerto Rico. If you love some real authentic Puerto Rican food this is the establishment to be.Kudos to LA Lechonera for giving the community some flavorful dishes. I wish nothing but success for this establishment and may they continue to be an establishment to be reckoned with. Till next time and hopefully, my fellow Elites will stop by as well.