A taste of the Caribbean: Puerto Rican restaurant brings authentic flavors to Shallotte

Allison Ballard, Wilmington StarNews
·2 min read
El Coqui’s Restaurant at 5211 Main St. in Shallotte, N.C. ALLISON BALLARD/STARNEWS
El Coqui’s Restaurant at 5211 Main St. in Shallotte, N.C. ALLISON BALLARD/STARNEWS

Coquis are common frogs in Puerto Rico and their chirps are well known to both visitors and residents. One of those frogs is now the mascot of a newly opened restaurant in Shallotte. It peers out over the logo for El Coqui’s at 5211 Main St.

Owners Ryu and Rachel Wong and Angel Ortega have a Puerto Rican heritage in common and an interest in bringing this Brunswick County town authentic food. Ortega said he learned many of the traditional recipes from his father's catering business. The restaurant opened New Year’s Eve after more than two years of renovating the space, he said.

The empanada trio is on the appetizer menu at El Coqui’s restaurant at 5211 Main St. in Shallotte, N.C. ALLISON BALLARD/STARNEWS
The empanada trio is on the appetizer menu at El Coqui’s restaurant at 5211 Main St. in Shallotte, N.C. ALLISON BALLARD/STARNEWS

They expanded the existing deck for a large outdoor dining area and have a streamlined menu that includes dishes like empanadas and pernil.

“We really felt like people wanted something different,” Ortega said. “This is a growing area, and more restaurants are on the way. There isn’t anything like this anywhere close by.”

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The menu includes appetizers like the empanada trio with three different fillings encased in the flaky pastry and desserts such as flan and Tres Leches Cake. For entrees, look for chuleta de cerdo (or pork chop), costilla y cebolla (ribeye with onions) and a Puerto Rican take on spaghetti with red sauce. Another favorite, especially among the local Puerto Rican population, is the pernil, or slow-roasted marinated pork shoulder. It’s a common holiday dish served with rice and beans. It comes that way at El Coqui, too.

Ray's Cuban is one of the sandwiches available at El Coqui’s restaurant at 5211 Main St. in Shallotte, N.C. ALLISON BALLARD/STARNEWS
Ray's Cuban is one of the sandwiches available at El Coqui’s restaurant at 5211 Main St. in Shallotte, N.C. ALLISON BALLARD/STARNEWS

The pork is also the basis of two sandwiches, The Sloppy Rican adds a house-made barbecue sauce. And Ray’s Cuban, named for Ortega’s brother, is his take on the classic sandwich with mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and Swiss cheese.

In addition to the regular menu, El Coqui’s also has daily specials like chicken and pork pasteles, maduros and mofongo. Eventually, some of these might be included in an expanded menu, Ortega said. Soon, they hope to begin offering beer and wine, as well, and add more events like karaoke and live music.

Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New Shallotte restaurant offers a taste of Puerto Rico