Willie Spinos: Where Plantains Become Everything in Orlando

“This might be my Puerto Rican brother from another mother,” Guy Fieri declared after experiencing the flavors at Willie Spinos in Orlando, Florida. When Guy rolled through back in 2017, this authentic Puerto Rican spot was operating out of a converted pizzeria with just six tables. The hot tip came from a buddy who knew Guy’s love for mofongo and funky joints—and the rumors were spot-on.

So spot-on, in fact, that after the episode aired, Willie Garcia had to double the size of his restaurant to accommodate all the fans. “After the show we got slammed,” Willie explained. “It was like 100 people, but they didn’t stop. It didn’t stop for like 10 hours.” The restaurant expanded from those original six tables to 40 chairs.

The Mofongo with Pork Fry

The most popular dish at Willie Spinos is the mofongo, and Willie showed Guy exactly how they make it. The process starts with green plantains that go into hot water first—”makes them easier to peel,” Willie explained. Guy’s response? “Nobody told me that. That’s what you’re learning here today.”

After peeling, they cut the plantains into chunks and fry them. Meanwhile, they prepare the house mojito sauce by taking garlic, salt, and pepper, mashing it all down together with vegetable oil. The boneless pork marinates overnight in this mixture before being fried off.

To assemble, Willie mashes two cloves of garlic with adobo, then adds the fried plantains and gives the onions “a little kiss” before molding it “like ice cream.” The pork goes on top, finished with cilantro sauce and mayo ketchup sauce. Guy noted he’d never seen mofongo with a cilantro aioli before. Willie’s philosophy? “We don’t play with the rules.”

Guy loved the texture contrast: “Mofongo has to be pureed, but we still have to have big pieces, so you get soft and then something almost crunchy like a pretzel nugget.”

The 911 Sampler and Mamposteao Rice

If you’re looking for variety, the 911 sampler delivers. This massive plate features fried chicken, shrimp, fried pork, and cube steak—everything seasoned with adobo and black seasoning, then fried for seven minutes. The cube steak gets cooked with onions and peppers on the flat top.

Underneath it all sits mamposteao rice, which Guy called “the Puerto Rican jambalaya or the Puerto Rican fried rice.” This dish contains green and red peppers, onions, cilantro, sweet plantains, rice, and beans—all made from leftover white rice. “This is a meal in itself,” the customer noted. Much like a MASSIVE Plate of BBQ Meatloaf, this is the kind of plate that leaves you completely satisfied.

The Jibarito: Plantain Bread Sandwich

Perhaps the most inventive dish is the jibarito—a sandwich where fried plantains replace the bread. Willie uses what Guy called “Willie Spino’s ping pong paddle” to mash down the plantains, then gives them a twist to make them bigger before frying again.

The filling features top round steak marinated for 24 hours in that house mojito. On the flat top, they add more mojito, Dijon mustard, and Swiss cheese melted on top. The sandwich gets assembled with mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, potato sticks, and cilantro sauce. Guy’s verdict: “The jibarito is a nice hit because you’re not expecting it. You’re going for these Latin flavors, the plantain has the bread, it’s really tasty. Fantastic.”

Red Snapper Caravan Style

The Caravan red snapper arrives whole, dramatically presented with a knife in it. Seasoned with adobo and black seasoning, it’s fried for 5-10 minutes until crispy on the outside and “super soft” inside. It’s served with a red creole sauce made from red and green peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, and tomato sauce cooked for 20 minutes. Similar to enjoying a Butter Burger at Crest Cafe, this dish represents pure comfort done right.

“If you want to leave here wiping your mouth and wiping your hands saying ‘man, I’m satisfied,’ you’re coming to Willie Spinos,” Guy concluded.

Find Willie Spinos and other Triple D favorites in our restaurant directory.