The ‘frita cubana’ arrives in Hato Rey at El Mercadito de Luly
With more than 36 years of experience in the food industry, chef Luly Bustillo has reopened her restaurant, El Mercadito de Luly, now located in the Golden Mile in Hato Rey. The new space expands her culinary offerings beyond burgers and her signature frita cubana — a Cuban-born street food classic — to include breakfasts, pizzas, pastas, cocktails and a wide selection of desserts and pastries — all made from scratch.
“What I enjoy most is serving my customers well, so they leave satisfied and eager to come back,” said Luly, who has led kitchen teams in several restaurants and inns in Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland.
“Sometimes people come alone, and we chat. One table talks to another, and we all end up having a nice time, as if we were in my home dining room,” she said.
The restaurant’s new 1,300-square-foot space at 268 Muñoz Rivera Ave. seats 40 patrons and represents a $150,000 investment. The reopening has created 11 direct and nine indirect jobs.
The addition of morning service is among the biggest changes in this new phase. Breakfast options include soups, fritters, pastries, sandwiches, wraps and open-faced toasts, paired with coffee, tea, lemonade and fresh juices.
For lunch and dinner, the house specialty remains the frita cubana, along with a variety of burgers, some named after Luly’s family members, served with crispy fries seasoned with a Creole touch.
The expanded menu also features appetizers, charcuterie boards, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas and entrées with meat, poultry and fish. Vegan and keto dishes are available as well.
The restaurant’s pastry section is led by master pastry chef Zuleika Reices, who has more than 15 years of experience in hospitality and cruise dining. Her selection includes quesitos, guava sponge cake, muffins, tres leches de coquito, carrot brazo gitano, cheese flan, papaya dessert, and chocolate mousse. Depending on the season, she adds new creations to the menu.
In addition to juices and soft drinks, El Mercadito de Luly now serves beer, wine and cocktails — including coffee with rum — and offers corkage service.
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The club sandwich. -
The Ensalada Edna with chicken features a lettuce base with diced tomatoes, colorful peppers, bacon bits, egg, tri-colored cheese, walnuts, avocado and house dressing. -
Flavored avocado open-faced toast is one of the options on the breakfast menu. -
House empanadas feature a variety of fillings, including Cuban picadillo with queso de bola, spicy crab with flavored cheese and blood sausage. -
Pasta with pesto sauce, Serrano ham and tomato. -
Beef and pork burger with blue cheese and crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles on a Kaiser bun, accompanied by crispy house-made fries. -
Brazo Gitano dessert. -
The variety of cocktails includes coffee with rum.
