If you haven’t eaten at the lechoneras of Guavate, you haven’t really been to Puerto Rico. The casual roadside eateries line Route 184, about an hour outside San Juan, each roasting its own whole pig till the meat is juicy and tender and the skin blisteringly crisp. The 140-pound beauty from Guayaba above is on fire at El Rancho Original, one of the largest lechoneras on the mountainside. Typical sides include rice with pigeon peas, cassava, breadfruit, plantains, alcapurrias, empanadillas, and frosty bottles of local Medalla beer. El Rancho is backed up on a creek and edged by lush forest, making it popular with families. Weekends get especially rowdy, with blaring music and a dance floor packed with salsa-ing couples.

PR-184 (Km. 27.5), Bo. Guavate, Cayey, Puerto Rico; 787-747-7296.