DINE IN: La Isla brings authentic Puerto Rican flavors and family tradition to Wildwood
Photo by Rebecca Acevedo
BY REBECCA ACEVEDO | Front Runner New Jersey.com Dine-In
WILDWOOD — Walking into La Isla feels less like entering a restaurant and more like stepping into another place entirely.
From the outside, the restaurant feels warm and inviting, with tropical touches and vibrant colors that stand out along New Jersey Avenue. The colorful exterior blends naturally into the Wildwood neighborhood while creating an atmosphere that immediately feels transportive and welcoming.
Inside, Puerto Rican music fills the dining room as colorful décor brings energy to the space, creating the feeling that somewhere between the boardwalk and the front door you stepped onto the island (la isla).
La Isla, which opened in December 2025 in Wildwood, was born from the shared vision of owners Kelvin Mercado and Jose Jimenez, who is also the executive chef.
Mercado, who was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, moved to Wildwood when he was 9 years old. He started working in restaurants at an early age first making coffee before gradually taking on larger roles in the kitchen and dining room.
He later attended Rutgers University–Camden to study graphic design before moving into restaurant management and eventually becoming a general manager. After college, Mercado landed his first management role at Regis Cafe at the Oceanfront Resort in Wildwood Crest before eventually leasing and operating the restaurant himself for three years.
Mercado later spent time teaching art and Spanish before returning fully to the restaurant industry, including helping open Sugar Factory at Hard Rock Atlantic City as one of the venue’s opening managers before trying a hand at his own business again.
“We wanted to do something Puerto Rican, more traditional,” Mercado said. “There’s nothing around the area that’s full service.”
The restaurant’s culinary direction is led by Jimenez, Mercado’s brother-in-law and business partner, who was also born in Puerto Rico. Jimenez studied at the Institute of Banking and Commercial in Manatí and previously worked as chef at SOL Restaurant before opening La Isla with Mercado.
Mercado said the chef’s Puerto Rican training and family recipes shape much of the menu.
“A lot of the mofongo and stuff like that, it’s all traditional from me and Jose,” Mercado said. “Jose has a lot of his own recipes.”
Now, with La Isla, the pair are building something that feels deeply personal.
The restaurant seats about 40 guests indoors, though expansion is already underway. Mercado said outdoor seating for an additional 36 guests is being added as the restaurant continues to grow.
Along the Jersey Shore, where pizza slices, burgers, hot dogs, and boardwalk staples dominate much of the dining scene, La Isla offers something different. Puerto Rican restaurants are still relatively limited in the area, making the restaurant a notable addition for both locals and visitors looking for authentic island flavors beyond the usual shore fare.
From the fresh juices and alcapurrias to the appetizers, entrees, and desserts, every dish feels intentional and deeply connected to Puerto Rican tradition. The menu also features traditional dishes including pernil, churrasco, mofongo, fried chicken criollo, red snapper, arroz con dulce, tembleque, and tres leches cake.
Mercado said the goal is to make guests feel connected to Puerto Rican culture through the food and atmosphere.
“They just need to experience real traditional food, homemade, grandma style,” Mercado said.
La Isla also serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mercado said the breakfast sandwiches have quickly become one of the restaurant’s standout menu items among regular customers.
During our visit, the service was attentive and warm, with staff eager to guide guests through the menu and offer recommendations, a welcome gesture given the number of savory options available.
We started with the chicken mofongo, one of Puerto Rico’s most recognizable dishes and one that immediately stood out.
Made from mashed green plantains blended with garlic, broth, and savory ingredients, the dish arrived packed with flavor and balanced perfectly between the richness of the broth and the tenderness of the chicken. Served in a rustic-style dish, it carried a sense of comfort and familiarity that reminded me of childhood meals shared around the table.
The texture was soft without losing structure, allowing the broth to soak into the plantains without overpowering them.
For his entrée, my husband ordered the Cubano, a pressed sandwich layered with slow-roasted pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread.
We have tried countless Cubanos across New Jersey, but few have matched the versions we remember from visiting Puerto Rico several years ago. This one immediately stood apart.
Like a cheesesteak in Philadelphia, the bread can make or break the sandwich, and La Isla gets it right. The roll arrived crisp, flaky, buttery, and deeply golden from the press while still sturdy enough to hold the generous portions of meat inside.
Mercado said the restaurant’s churrasco and alcapurrias have become some of the restaurant’s signature items.
“Our churrasco, it’s our main dish,” Mercado said. “The alcapurrias, too. That’s what we’re really known for right now.”
As meals moved through the dining room, it became clear that presentation matters here as much as flavor. Plates arrived carefully assembled, with traditional touches throughout the restaurant, including rice served in miniature rice pots reminiscent of the cookware found in many Puerto Rican family kitchens.
Mercado moved easily between tables throughout the meal, checking on guests, making sure patrons were satisfied, and speaking proudly about the restaurant.
Dessert capped off the meal with what may have been the table’s most indulgent moment: the Death by Chocolate brownie.
Made with a brownie base, chocolate ice cream, chocolate whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, the dessert leaned fully into richness without becoming overwhelming. Mercado said the brownie comes from a local bakery, adding another local connection to the restaurant’s offerings.
The chocolate melted smoothly with each bite, balancing sweetness and texture in a dessert designed clearly for sharing, though difficult to stop eating.
Our meal, which included two entrées and dessert, came to about $49, including the restaurant’s 3% credit card fee.
At La Isla, the food is central, but so is the feeling behind it. Between the music, hospitality, and deeply traditional dishes, the restaurant offers more than dinner. It creates an experience rooted in culture, memory, and pride.
La Isla is located at 4100 New Jersey Ave. in Wildwood, and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant offers dine-in and takeout service.
Rebecca Acevedo is CEO and cofounder of Shell Ace Coaching and Consulting, where she provides coaching and communications leadership to businesses and nonprofits. With more than 20 years of experience in public relations, crisis management, and storytelling, she has worked with organizations including WHYY and J.P. Morgan Chase. She can be reached at rebecca@shellaceco.com.
Note from AC JosepH Media: If you like this story and others posted on Front Runner New Jersey.com, lend us a hand so we can keep producing articles like these for New Jersey and the world to see. Click on SUPPORT FRNJ and make a contribution that will go directly in making more stories like this available. You can reach Editor Clyde Hughes at chughes@acjosephmedia.com. Thank you for reading!
About Author
