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Cabo Rojo.- Gato Negro restaurant, located in the well-known area of Joyuda, in Cabo Rojo, has captivated locals’ palates with a varied Puerto Rican menu that includes delicious seafood-stuffed mofongo (fried plantain mash), which is the house specialty.

“Seafood-stuffed mofongo is the guests’ favorite dish. We also stuff them with churrasco (skirt steak), chicken, and other meats. We have meats like churrasco, carne frita (fried pork chunks), fried chicken, stuffed mofongo,” explained Waleska Yanira Berenguer Rodríguez, owner of the restaurant located on PR-102 kilometer 13.5 in Joyuda, a traditional fishermen community.

The restaurant, which opened in the 1960s, belonged to her grandfather Noé Berenger Álvarez, and specialized in fish broth and seafood salad cups. “Both my parents and my grandparents sold caldo de pescao (fish broth), conch or octopus-filled cups, and sorullos (corn fritters). When I took over the restaurant, I started selling meals and I have been running it for 15 years, always keeping the same service and expanding the menu for our guests. I added more dishes,” said Berenguer Rodríguez.

In fact, the owner —who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science— assures that the passion instilled in her by her parents Elvin Berenguer and Milagros Rodríguez for culinary service has kept her at the helm of the business, even during the pandemic and economic recession. “I’ve sacrificed a lot to run this business for so many years. Restaurant work is very taxing, but we’ve been learning from my parents since I was young. In the summertime, everyone went to the plant and we went to the restaurant,” said Berenguer Rodríguez, who also pointed out that her father also opened “El Gatito,” another restaurant in Cabo Rojo.

The name “Gato Negro” (black cat) referenced her grandfather’s eyes. It was a name given to him by the townspeople. “He grew up in downtown Cabo Rojo and then his family later moved to the coast. People used to call him “el gato” (the cat) because of his (light-colored) eyes, and his eyelashes; people then used to call my father, his son, “el gatito” (the kitten),” explained Berenguer.

The restaurant features a spacious dining hall for guests and, on Saturdays, local bands such as Magallanes, La Octava, La Brújula, and others, play their music. “The structure has changed a bit now, it’s somewhat different. It used to be just gates and bars. I opened a bar called “Black Cat Bar,” where we offer local bands a space to play their music live. I used to do it every weekend; since the pandemic, I do it only on Saturdays. It attracts a lot of different customers. My business used to belong to my grandfather and it’s been here for many years; we don’t just cater to the crowd that comes to eat early, but also the people who drop by to have a drink after the older crowd has gone home,” said Berenguer Rodriguez.

The good music and family atmosphere are complemented by the restaurant’s menu, which has included new dishes, such as fish tacos, calamari, tempura shrimp, and others.

“We’ve strived to keep the family atmosphere to not alienate the clientele we’ve had since my grandfather owned the place. I think that’s what’s kept the business afloat for so long, as well as our customer base, which is mainly local. On long weekends, people come looking for the restaurant that has been around for many years, but the local clientele has always supported us,” the owner concluded.

Gato Negro is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11 am to 9 pm. On Fridays and Saturdays, it is open until 11 pm. For additional information, please call 939-228-8610.