Vegan pop-up Casa Borinqueña is opening a brick-and-mortar in north Oakland at 6211 Shattuck Ave., San Francisco Chronicle reports. The 750 square-foot restaurant will feature indoor seating and sidewalk tables. Owner Lourdes Marquez-Nau tells the Chron that she plans to open late June.
Specializing in Puerto Rican cuisine, all of Casa Borinqueña’s offerings are plant-based, which is a rarity being that many Puerto Rican dishes are centered around pork. Despite backlash from the Puerto Rican community, Casa Borinqueña found a following among the burgeoning vegan scene in the East Bay.
Using substitutes such as Impossible meat and OmniPork, Casa Borinqueña serves up flavorful Puerto Rican dishes such as an empanada-type dish called patelillos and stuffed deep-fried plantains. The restaurant will feature an expanded menu with new items such as a layered Impossible meat and plantain dish called pastelón, plus a soft roll called mallorca.
Until the opening this June, the space is sure to undergo some major remodeling to accommodate its new tenants. Check out @casaborinquena on Instagram for more information.
