About the Mal y Tierra
Mar y Tierra translates to “sea and land” — surf and turf, the Boricua way. El Punto griddles thinly sliced bistec alongside garlic-buttered shrimp, layers them with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayoketchup, and presses the whole thing warm on Italian bread.
The El Punto wordmark spells it Mal y Tierra. That’s a stylized house spelling that’s become part of the brand. The dish itself is straight surf and turf, and it sits at $14.99 — the second-priciest sandwich on the menu and a Grubhub Best Seller.
What's in it
- Steak · Bistec
- Shrimp · Camarón
- Cheese
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- MayoKetchup
- Italian bread
Origin & story
Surf-and-turf — sea and land — is universal across cuisines. The Puerto Rican sandwichera version stacks shrimp with bistec instead of plating them, building a complete meal between two slices of Italian bread. Mar y Tierra began appearing on PR sandwich menus in the 2000s alongside the rise of the tripleta.
Mal y Tierra questions.
What does Mar y Tierra mean?
Mar y Tierra translates to “sea and land” — Spanish for surf and turf. El Punto stylizes the spelling as Mal y Tierra on the menu and signage.
Is the shrimp peeled?
Yes — peeled, deveined, and griddled with garlic before going into the sandwich.
How spicy is the Mal y Tierra?
Not spicy by default. Add Abuela Sauce on the side if you want heat.
