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Naranjito.- Serving and willing to please their customers’ demands has been the main goal for Las Cataratas Restaurant, a family restaurant with a history of more than 40 years. It is located at the Ruta Gastronomica de Naranjitowhich is the town’s culinary capital, on PR-152 Highway.
“What sets our restaurant apart is our willingness to please customers. We’ll always aim to please demands. If you’re looking for fried eggs and Spam, we’ll find the Spam and make it for you. We’re known for our service and the way we aim to please customers,” said Ana Rivera, the second generation in charge of the iconic restaurant, which also offers a unique view of Chorro Las Lágrimas.
The restaurant’s culinary offerings are varied. They serve simple dishes, like hamburger and chicken breast prepared in different ways, whether it’s grilled, a la criolla (a tomato-based sauce with onions, pepper, garlic, etc.), in butter, breaded, parmigiana, or milanesa (breaded , topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese).
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Beef cuts such as churrasco (skirt steak), ribeye, and filet mignon are the most popular, as well as seafood, such as traditional conch salads, octopus, or lobster dishes. “One of our house dishes is our seafood-stuffed flounder. It is a whole flounder that is baked, and then filled with seafood. It can be served in salsa criolla or al ajillo (garlic and oil),” mentioned the owner, who took over the reins of the business in 2011.
Likewise, the house drink, “Sangría de Victor Cataratas,” is prepared in the restaurant.
Regarding breakfasts, Rivera explained that they have innovated with hot, made-to-order meals, pleasing the customers’ demands. “Our specialty is the pancake burrito stuffed with scrambled eggs, French toast, and waffles,” he said.
Las Cataratas Restaurant opened during the 1980s in response to the needs of the residents of Naranjito, who were in need for a place that offered Puerto Rican lunch dishes at a fair price, with fast service.
This is how David Rivera and his wife Julia Torres started the business with an essential dish for many people on the island: white rice, beans, and baked or stewed chicken, as well as bistec encebollado (cube steak with onions).
“There was nowhere for people to eat, so my parents started cooking. Mami made rice, beans, and the stewed chicken or beef. Papa made the seafood. He started with the octopus and the conch, he made it himself over firewood; people then started asking for other dishes, so they incorporated them gradually,” Ana explained, mentioning that her mother, a worker in the private sector, left the stews ready before leaving for work.
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With many sacrifices, Ana said, Don David —who is known in Naranjito as “Víctor Cataratas”— included bar areas and an activity hall in the iconic restaurant, until he decided to transfer the family business to his daughter, who has made changes in the menu, such as breakfasts and a table service menu.
“I started in 2011. After Hurricane María, I added breakfast. We focused on lunch and I added table service dishes, although we left our traditional dishes because we sold a lot of bistec encebollado. “We transformed, but we haven’t lost the essence or flavor of Las Cataratas,” said Ana, who since her childhood has been alongside her parents in the business.
The restaurant is open Monday through Friday. It features breakfast, lunch, and table service from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm and on Saturdays, from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.
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