Playa Papaya - Carolina

Great customer service and allergen accommodation, but not so many vegan options. hummus veggie wrap is the only solid food option, but it was delicious and also an excellent smoothie. will be back.

This is the third or fourth time I’ve been to this restaurant and they’ve always had great vibes. There were a few times where I would stay there for hours and they would let me chill and use their wifi. WiFi is easy to find there, but mostly at fast food chains and restaurants nearby that obviously serve meat. It’s the only clean, calm place with healthy ingredients. It’s not a vegan place, it’s a wrap and bowl place, but it’s Great to take your friends and family who may not be vegan. You as a vegan only get really one wrap as a vegan option called “el vegano.” Very delicious, but no vegan substitute meats, it’s just loaded with veggies, so not very exciting other than the surface level feeling you get for it having a vegan name. You can drink almost any of the smoothies or shakes or juices there obviously vegan, but there is a vegan protein option as well. I’m giving it the stars mostly because of its cleanliness and good vibes, not because of its menu.

2/18 and 2/20, 2020 were the dates of my visits. Both times at 0900 when they open. Huge chair in the front yard so they don’t take themselves too seriously : The non vegan food looks very good. Would be nice if they offered more hearty breakfast options for vegans instead of the wrap or açaí bowl. Maybe they do? I got very short answers from the servers (both visits and didn’t feel like asking them to make me something using all plant based ingredients. Good visit all around though. I’m giving 3 stars because I felt like my options were limited

The night before leaving for a cruise out of San Juan, my family rented an Airbnb at the Coral Beach Condos on Avenida Isla Verde, and right next door was Playa Papaya, a lovely little spot for breakfast! I'm vegan and I was excited to see that there was a spot with plant-based options so near by. We arrived just after the place opened on Saturday morning, around 8:15. Only a few tables were occupied. Service seemed a little discombobulated- there were about four people working at the counter/in the dining room taking orders and it seemed like they were all sort of working together versus having one specific member of the waitstaff assigned to our table. I ordered the Warrior Bowl with vegan protein (it's Orgain brand), my mom got a Papayadise smoothie, and my stepdad ordered the Guava pancakes (vegetarian but not vegan). Turns out they were out of guava, the waitress let him know, so he ordered the Tropical pancakes instead. The Warrior Bowl was served in a cute turtle shaped dish! It was a really delicious açaí bowl. The only thing I didn't love is that the protein powder was added to the bowl as a topping rather then blended into the açaí smoothie base. I just stirred it in myself but would have preferred it be served mixed in! Still I liked the bowl, the fruit and granola was really tasty. I also drank an americano, which was nice and smooth. My parents liked their orders as well. Despite service being a little iffy, it's a very cute place with a nice ambiance and the food was good and displayed on the plates really nicely. It was also pretty affordable. I'd definitely recommend this spot to anyone in the area particularly if you are looking for some vegan and/or healthier options. I'd probably just go before it gets busier to avoid any other issues with the service, which I saw mentioned in some other reviews on Yelp.

This place is decent for healthy options. it is very small with seating in the interior and exterior. the food is fresh and high quality. the menu has a good vegan and vegetarian option, which is both breakfast and lunchtime.