Is La Vaca Brava Still Open? Man v. Food Update (San Juan, PR)
Man v. Food, Season 3 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Current status
As of October 2026, La Vaca Brava is open — confirmed via OpenTable, September 7, 2026.
What the source shows: An OpenTable listing checked 2026-09-07 shows Vaca Brava actively taking reservations under a shortened name, and Google Places lists the same Old San Juan address as operational. How we decide a status →
- Episode Season 3, Episode 7
- Aired
- Address Local 2-2, #29 C. del Recinto Sur, San Juan, PR 00901
- Now called Vaca Brava
- Website Facebook
- Show map
© OpenStreetMap contributors © CARTO
What happened after Man v. Food?
The episode featured La Vaca Brava, a casual Puerto Rican restaurant in Old San Juan known for large shared platters — sizzling steaks, mofongo, tostones, and chuletas — served in a cattle-ranch-themed dining room near Plaza Colón and a few blocks from the Pier 3 cruise terminal. The restaurant operates today under the shortened name Vaca Brava at 29 Calle Recinto Sur. According to an OpenTable listing checked on 2026-09-07, Vaca Brava - Old San Juan was actively taking reservations and held a 3.8-star rating from 175 diners, with takeout available by phone.
Google Places recorded the same Old San Juan location's business status as operational on 2026-09-08. Together the two listings indicate the restaurant has continued operating in Old San Juan under a shortened version of the name used when the episode aired in 2010.
The episode
Also in Season 3
Season 3: 33 of 58 still open · 6 renamed, moved or under new owners
All 20 Season 3 episodes →Nearest restaurants
-
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Open -
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Closed -
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Open -
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Open -
Shibō (Yumbootik International Cuisine)
Bar Rescue
Renamed -
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Open
Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources we checked
- OpenTable https://www.opentable.com/r/vaca-brava-old-san-juan
- sanjuaninsider.com https://www.sanjuaninsider.com/vaca-brava-old-san-juan/
- Google https://www.google.com/maps/@18.464678,-66.1128290,18z
We work hard to keep every status accurate and dated, but restaurants change fast and our sources aren't perfect. If something here is wrong — a status, a name, an address, anything — tell us what you're seeing and where you saw it, and we'll check it.
Record mvf-158 · checked by Cal Marchetti.