Casa Borinqueña, which originally opened as California’s first vegan Puerto Rican restaurant years ago, has Philadelphia as the chosen city for its second location, writes Julia Binswanger for Billy Penn at WHYY.
The new East Kensington location opened its doors to customers last week.
Casa Borinqueña’s menu features a wide range of traditional Puerto Rican dishes like pasteles and alcupurrias, but with a vegan twist.
Chef Lourdes Marquez Nau (Chef Lulu) first opened Casa Borinqueña as a pop-up restaurant in 2018.
While it originally had meat options on the menu, the chef decided to pivot the menu after she herself took on a vegan diet for health and environmental reasons.
She opened the first all-vegan brick-and-mortar location in 2022.
Casa Borinqueña posted a recent Instagram post that highlights it mission in Philadelphia.
“Philly has always been a city that inspires,” the post reads. “From its deep-rooted food culture to its passionate people, it’s a place where flavors tell stories and meals bring people together. That’s exactly what we hope to contribute. We can’t wait to make you part of our growing family.”
To learn more about Casa Borinqueña and the many delicious vegan options available there at Billy Penn at WHYY.
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