Over 135.4 million viewers tuned in to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime show last night, officially making it the most-watched halftime performance in history–and we New Yorkers caught a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tribute to a beloved Brooklyn institution.
As Bad Bunny moved through his vibrant staging, he stopped at a replica of Williamsburg’s legendary Caribbean Social Club, where Maria Antonia Cay–better known as Toñita–served Benito a celebratory shot. The cameo instantly sent NYC fans into a frenzy. The bar later celebrated the moment on Instagram, asking followers to share their reactions to seeing Toñita on the world’s biggest stage.
For many Latinos in New York, the appearance wasn’t just a fun Easter egg–it was a global spotlight on one of the city’s last surviving Puerto Rican social clubs.
Caribbean Social Club has resisted developer displacement since 1974 and remains a rare cultural anchor in Southside Williamsburg, historically known as “Los Sures” for its deep Puerto Rican roots.
Inside, the tiny, colorful space feels frozen in time: Puerto Rican flags line the walls, salsa blasts from the speakers, dominoes slam on tables, and neighbors gather over plates of arroz con gandules and $3 Medallas. Food is often shared freely. Conversation flows even more freely.
What is Caribbean Social Club?
Maria Antonia Cay opened the club in the 1970s as a members-only hangout for a neighborhood baseball team. In 2000, she secured a liquor license and transformed it into a community hub open to everyone. Toñita still cooks Puerto Rican meals upstairs in her apartment, serving guests like extended family rather than customers.
The club has quietly become a pilgrimage site for artists and cultural icons. Madonna, J Balvin, Nicky Jam, and Bad Bunny himself have all visited over the year– and in 2022, Bad Bunny celebrated the release of Un Verano Sin Ti inside its walls.
Despite multimillion dollar offers from developers, Toñita has repeatedly refused to sell. As she told The New York Times:
I’m staying here with my people as long as I can. This isn’t for me to make money or a fortune. It’s to maintain a space for all of us to be together.
Why social clubs like Toñita’s matter
Social clubs were once lifelines for Latino immigrants arriving in New York in the early 20th century. They offered mutual aid, job connections, language support, and a place to preserve culture far from home. While many have disappeared as neighborhoods gentrified, Toñita’s endures as a living archive of Puerto Rican and Latino New York.
“It’s almost like a pilgrimage,” Djali Brown-Cepeda, of the archival project NuevaYorkinos, told NPR. “Everyone finds a home in Toñita’s.”
Younger generations now carry that legacy forward, turning the space into a bridge between past and present–elders sharing stories, newcomers building community, and artists finding inspiration in a room that has held five decades of history.
Where can you visit Caribbean Social Club?
- 📍 244 Grand St, Brooklyn
- ⏰ Thursday (3pm – 1am), Friday (3pm – 3am), Saturday (3pm – 3am), Sunday (3pm – 1am)
For regulars, Toñita’s isn’t just a bar. It’s a home away from home–and after Bad Bunny’s halftime tribute, the rest of the world just got a glimpse inside.
If you’re interested, a GoFundMe has been created to help honor Toñita’s life’s work with Toñita Fest. Donations will go towards cultural programming and live performances, staging, sound, and logistics, and more. Donate here.