Isabela's Ocean Front Restaurant Has Right Blend of Seafood and Beach Views
As a returning traveler to Puerto Rico, I was thrilled to discover a new gem, Ocean Front Hotel & Restaurant in Isabela in the northwest part of the island.
This establishment is a hotel and restaurant, although my father, boyfriend, and I did not stay the night. However, we did enjoy the restaurant.
Upon entering through the side door, owner Carlos Torres warmly greeted us. Unfortunately, it was raining in the afternoon, as it tends to do in Puerto Rico this time of year, so we took a table indoors. But that didn’t stop us from feeling the comfort of the cool ocean breeze coming from Jobos Beach.
With the restaurant’s windows all wide open, there was the natural setting to enjoy and the background noise to soothe our ears. In addition to the open air, the establishment has a modern feel to it with blue and white walls resembling the ocean waves crashing on the sand. It has modern art mounted on the walls and a visually appealing jellyfish mural that frames the eatery’s name.
Shortly after settling in, Torres highly recommended a local beer called Mambo, a refreshing and slightly sour passion fruit wheat ale, a perfect mood setter.
Read Real Puerto Rico’s profile of Ocean Front restaurant owner Carlos Torres here.
We started off our lunch by ordering a few fitting seafood appetizers.
The restaurant elegantly presented Octopus leg. It had a crunchy light char that did not overpower the soft white interior, and it was plated on a fresh creamy white sauce with a bright red reduction that was smeared deliberately on the dish.
We tried a plate of fresh chewy mussels drowning in acidic juices that would have been perfect for dipping bread into.
Between the appetizers and entrees, we decided to take a peek outside on the balcony when the rain halted to check out the broad view of Jobos Beach. In the distance, we could see a sharp and rocky cliff overhanging the beach, which was our next stop after the restaurant.
From the balcony, though, we could view stunning pelicans soaring overhead and across the horizon into some shrubs, and that entertained us while we prepared to enjoy our additional selections of main courses.
Back at the table, when it came to entrees, Ocean Front’s juicy lobster tail was deconstructed in a bowl with a side of tostones accompanied by a spicy mayonnaise dip. The chef fried the golden brown tostones on the softer side. They were not too greasy, which was just how I liked them.
The wait staff served us chicken asopao, carne frita, rice and beans, and plenty more tostones on the side. The warm aromatics alone were enough to make me smile.
Asopao is Puerto Rico's national soup, technically a stew, and I can now see why. It was well-balanced comfort food that took me back to visiting my Puerto Rican mother’s relatives when I was a child, and eating their homemade food.
The morsels of chicken were extremely tender, and the rice and vegetables were soaked with flavor from the stock, which was also not too acidic given how bright red it was.
The carne frita, or fried pork, had a lovely reddish-brown sear and a very tender interior, almost like a meat gusher that pops in your mouth. It came topped with lightly caramelized onions.
The rice tasted as though the kitchen boiled it in chicken stock, which really enhanced the flavor and texture of the short grains. It came with a dish of drenched beans on the side to complement it.
Although we were stuffed nearing the end of our visit to Ocean Front, we gladly took our leftovers home to enjoy one more time.
The overall experience of Ocean Front was highly positive, with great customer service, a laid back atmosphere, an awesome view, and of course, delicious comfort food. About the only negative thing I can say is that the bathroom wasn’t particularly appealing, and the water pressure was low.
With our stomachs satisfied, we ventured over to nearby Jobos Beach for a gorgeous view of the bright blue ocean with waves periodically crashing into the tall rocky walls.