PHOTOS: J. MICHAEL SHORT | 210SA CONTRIBUTOR

The buffet features a wide variety of dishes popular in Latin America including, black beans, burritos, plantains and ropa vieja. Cuban sandwiches and fried yucca are standouts.

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Where can you eat Puerto Rican, Cuban and other Latin American cuisine, drink superb mojitos, salsa your night away, and then start all over again with the eating? The Old San Juan, that's where. Take a trip to old Havana on your lunch break; you won't want to leave.

WHAT: The Old San Juan Restaurant & Discotek

WHERE: 4429 Walzem Road at Austin Highway; www.osjsa.com; (210) 599-9990

HOURS: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; noon-2 a.m. Sundays. Buffet: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday mornings after all the dancing

TASTE SENSATION: No one in our party is Puerto Rican, Cuban or of any other Latin American persuasion than Mex, so perhaps we're not fully qualified to judge authentic food from those areas. Whatwas clear is that all six of us thought our meals were damned tasty. The buffet featured an array of entrees, including pernil (roasted pork), baked chicken, black beans, plantains, ropa vieja (a beef dish) and other interesting options. The Cuban sandwich was a hit, with thick hunks of ham and pork cutlet on French bread accompanied by tostones (fried plantains). The real star of the lunch hour, however, was the fried yucca. It was perfectly crisp on the outside, mealy on the inside and served with a side of out-of-this-world melted garlic butter. This has got to be the best fried yucca in the city.

TUMS-WORTHY: Though there are vegetarian choices (burrito, stuffed chile, rice) and some salads, the really good stuff is greasy, topped with cheese, fried or all three. If you're trying the place for lunch, it might be best to plan a less-busy afternoon because you might want to steal away for a nap.

THE 210 TAKE: The Old San Juan doesn't stop with fabulous food. It's also a full-service bar and dancehall. We tried a mojito at lunch (hope our editors don't read this!), and it rivaled our fave mojito from Azúca. The dance floor and bandstand evoke images from movies featuring pre-revolution Cuban nightclubs, where you might imagine Desi Arnaz or Nat King Cole singing and stylish men and women shaking it on the floor. The club plays salsa, merengue, bachata and other Latin American sounds and features a DJ as well as live bands. A very big name in salsa, Oscar D'Leon, made a stop there in April.

In addition, with a $5 cover on Fridays and Saturdays, patrons can enjoy a free buffet at 2 a.m. What's better than drinkin', dancin' and eatin', all in the space of a few hours?

Julie Ann Vera | 210SA