About La Costa Café Borikén
Formerly known as La Costa Café & Lounge, La Costa Café Borikén is the next chapter in our journey of sharing Puerto Rican flavor and family warmth with our community. Founded by Ely and Vanessa Hernandez, our small family business has always been about more than just food — it’s about culture, passion, and bringing people together.
If you're looking for a taste of Puerto Rico, you’ve come to the right place. From the rich aroma of café con leche to the irresistible flakiness of quesitos and the savory crunch of our pastelillos de guayaba, every item on our menu is crafted to transport you straight to the island. And yes — every meal comes with chips, because we believe in going the extra mile.
Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite or taking time to sit, savor, and connect, La Costa Café Borikén is your go-to spot for comfort, community, and Caribbean flavor. The name may have changed, but the love and sabor are stronger than ever.
Puerto Rico Coffee History
Coffee was introduced to the "New World" in 1723 to the Caribbean Island of Martinique by a Frenchman. It is said, to be the primary source of most if not all of today's Arabica bean coffee trees in the New World. Shortly thereafter, in 1736, it was brought into the island of Puerto Rico, because of the ideal geographical location, soil conditions, mountainous terrain and unique soil conditions favorable for growing coffee. It soon became a major export produce to Europe, and one of the most important cash crops on the island.
Eventually, Puerto Rico developed into one of the worlds most important producers of fine coffee, a status which it lost, after the devastation of its coffee crop by several major hurricanes. Nonetheless, coffee cultivation and production has survived and is heavily treasured by many. It has been said, that the word coffee, "café", in Spanish, derived from the word "qahwa", which means wine. But it has also been said that the word originated from Caffa, a province of Abyssinia. However, when coffee reached Europe in the beginning of the 17th century, it was called the "Wine of Arabia", for the exhilarating sensation that it produced in whomever consumed it.
It has several medicinal attributes, among these, the suppression of asthma attacks, treatment of heart disease, ascites, pleuritic disorders, it is a powerful diuretic, a mild laxative and popularly used today, for inebriety. The leaves of the coffee trees contain the most caffeine and has been used for infusions.
The amount of caffeine in coffee is dependent of the amount of roast it has been subjected to. The darker the roast the less caffeine it will have. In the Caribbean islands of Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti & the Dominican Republic, coffee is typically grown at altitudes ranging from 1000 to 3500 ft. and higher. It is processed by the traditional 24 hr wet fermentation, wash & 5 to 7 day sun drying method. It possesses a characteristic gentle flavor of the region in which they are grown, is softly or agreeably acidic and typically medium to dark roasted to enhance its hint of cocoa like flavor & pleasant palatable after taste, making it a favorite morning and after dinner coffee.
Some coffee beans, particularly the peaberry or "Caracolillo" taken from the Spanish word "Caracol", which translates into seashell (the shape of the the single lobed coffee bean), is dark roasted to bring out its inner secrets. Jamaica and Puerto Rico have the rich bauxite soil and geographical location suited for coffee growing. This makes Jamaican Blue Mountain & Puerto Rican coffee very similar, in terms of texture, taste & quality. In terms of costs, however Puerto Rico is the best deal. In the early 20th Century, Puerto Rican Coffee, was served in official state dinners at the White House, by the devout coffee lover, USA President, Theodore Roosevelt, who termed it as "Grand", and The Coffee of Popes & Kings by the Roman Catholic Vatican Church.