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San Germán.- When it comes to culinary creativity, Puerto Ricans spare no effort and create unimaginable works of art. Who would have thought of creating a plantain-based empanadilla? Thanks to the ingenuity of El Tablazo restaurant owners Ann Morales and José Irizarry, dozens of people now flock to San Germán in search of this unique fried treat.

Crispy on the outside, soft and filled from end to end on the inside; this is how the plantain empanadilla feels when you bite into it, tantalizing from the very first bite. But how did the idea of creating a plantain empanadilla come about?

“There was an annual festival called the Festival del Plátano y el Pastel at the place we were at (the kiosk). It was a one-day festival. It was a local thing, very small. But the organizers of the event asked all the vendors to come up with a dish related to plantains, but with a unique twist. That’s when my husband chimed in (and said), ‘hey, I’m going to try making an empanadilla,’” Morales recounted.

The handmade empanadilla, created by chef José Irizarry, went viral on social networks. “My mom shared it on the business’ Facebook page and it went viral. The next day at work, the line was incredibly long, everyone looking for the plantain empanadilla, and that’s how El Tablazo became known,” shared the 45-year-old owner, noting that they went from 3,000 to 30,000 followers on this social media platform in just two days.

Irizarry continued making the empanadillas and added fillings such as chicken with cheese, steak, shrimp, octopus, chorizo with cheese, and vegetables. Later came “La Patrona,” a 10-inch plantain empanadilla stuffed with rice and pigeon peas with chicken, steak, or fried meat.

“Actually the plantain empanadilla is completely handmade. It’s unique, it’s made on the spot. They’re not frozen, they’re not pre-prepared, and they’re not displayed in a showcase,” Morales emphasized.

“We’ve sold between 10,000 and 12,000 plantain empanadillas. The menu is awesome; it’s what we call glorified Puerto Rican cuisine,” she added.

The restaurant is also known for its variety of main dishes such as chuletas can-can (can-can porkchops), grouper fillet, eight-ounce Angus ranch steak, ropa vieja (meat stew), and masitas de pollo (breaded and fried chicken chunks), accompanied by various choices of rice, tostones, French fries, amarillos (fried ripe plantains), green salad, or platanutres (plantain chips).

And since plantains became their main ingredient, mofongo is an essential item on their menu. They also offer personal, supreme, and extra supreme platanutres with beef, chicken, or seafood; as well as plantain sandwiches and sliders.

Favorite house drinks include the “Ta’ Rico,” a shot, and the cocktail “La Abusadora.”

In terms of raw ingredients, the couple prioritizes local producers, particularly from the western region. “For example, the plantains come from Añasco. The parsley, onion, peppers, we buy all of those from someone at the market square,” Morales noted.

But how did the idea of starting a restaurant come about? In 2018, Morales found herself unemployed, but far from being discouraged, she decided she needed to start her own venture. Then one afternoon she inquired about a space that housed several food kiosks near her home. On that very day, she paid the rental deposit for the structure where El Tablazo was born.

“When my husband came home from work in the afternoon, I said, ‘I rented a space,’” she recalled with laughter. That is where they started with a tapas, traditional fried dishes, plantain soups, and pataconcitos (small fried plantains). However, the competition from the festival altered the trajectory of their 10′ x 10′ structure and compelled them to transition into a full-fledged restaurant.

On June 28, 2021, they inaugurated their new establishment located on Casto Pérez Avenue, Highway 362, km 1.0. Plans for El Tablazo’s future include opening its second locale in San Juan.

The restaurant is open Wednesday through Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. You can reach them by phone at 787-673-4230.