Lote 23

A shiny Airstream caught my eye as I drove past. There was a row of buildings cheek-by-jowl in a blighted area of Santurce — and then there was an open space with this silvery sausage of a trailer set at one side. There were people milling around it, but from my car window I couldn’t make out what was going on.

Then one day I went to a movie, and while suffering through the pre-show commercials, I saw this Diet Coke ad.

The image of the attractive Puerto Rican woman buying a Diet Coke from an Airstream food truck clicked with me. I knew where that trailer was. But I didn’t yet know what it was.

A few weeks later, I was looking for a place to meet up with a high school classmate who was visiting Puerto Rico. I asked my colleagues for a casual restaurant recommendation. They told me about Lote 23, a vacant lot on Avenida Juan Ponce de León that had been given over to small food stalls. Two of them operated from Airstream trailers.

At that point it all came together for me.

Lote 23 is an outdoor food court comprised of more than a dozen food shacks and a couple of trailers. It celebrates local cuisine, chefs, and culinary entrepreneurs; Starbucks and Subway need not apply. The space manages the neat trick of being simultaneously hip and down home, chic and welcoming to all, creative and grounded. You eat sitting at picnic tables — who knows who might sit down next to you?

Travel vlogger David Hoffman did a video segment about Lote 23 that shows and explains more about it.

One of the wonderful things about Lote 23 is that you can go out to eat with friends and sample a variety of foods and cuisines. You can get Cuban sandwiches, poke bowls, chicken fingers, stir fry, mac and cheese, and cocktails all from different vendors.

If you go by day, you’ll be kept cool outdoors by the “Big Ass” fans (yes, that’s an actual brand name) that create a strong breeze and by a system of water atomizers that produce a cooling mist.

And if you go by night — my favorite time — you might catch some live music or even a movie. The place is lit with little Italian lights overhead, giving it a warm, romantic glow.

Almost anytime there is a good time for people-watching.

Since I discovered Lote 23 a couple months ago, it’s become one of my go-tos for dining out. Both the concept and the execution are wonderful. This is an idea that other cities could copy with minimal investment. I hope they do.

So as we say in Puerto Rico, buen provecho!