Need lunch or dinner on the way to/from Santiago to Valpo/Vina? This is the spot! Get the seafood…read moreempanadas. You'll thank me later.

Agua de Piedra is a huge restaurant and cafe and restaurant on the side of a major highway that…read moreruns between the beach and Santiago. It has multiple dining rooms with huge windows that look outside, a dining patio, an 'express' cafe side, a specialty dessert/bakery area inside and a small fenced-in playground adjacent to the building. We dined in a corner of the first dining room, where my antsy children had enough room to fiddle around in the corner behind the table without bothering too many people. The corner was comprised of completely glass windows looking out on abundant plants and greenery. Service was quick, and everyone at my table ordered pretty different items from the large menu, which they offered in English as well as Spanish. My empanada pino casera was very good. It came in a pretty large pouch that was baked with a lovely crunch on the outside. The 2 cheese empanadas were fried to a non-greasy perfection with cheese that melted wonderfully on the inside. The Suspiro Agua De Pedra con frambuesas was thick and delicious. The dessert trio was not amazing, but it was still a nice treat to be able to try multiple items at once. This restaurant is gorgeous! Whimsical, intricate, colorful chalk-like drawings decorate the entire space, everywhere you turn. This made me smile! The space looks recently updated and very modern, but not in an obnoxious way. The bathrooms were notable in that they were the nicest I've ever seen in my life. Individual windows at the top of each stall, stall walls made of stone, and the whimsical drawings continuing even into the bathrooms. The playground is every parent's dream for a road trip!

*** 3.5 stars ***…read more Driving back from Vina del Mar on a Sunday night, we found that most of the restaurants in Casablanca were closed. It was nearing 8 pm, and we were too hungry to drive all the way back to Santaigo before eating, so were happy to spot Agua de Piedra just off the freeway, packed with cars, and open. The interior struck us as similar to a Cracker Barrel. The menu, though, was much different, offering Chilean specialties as well as food from the grill (parilla). I opted for a traditional Chilean dish that was just called Chicken & Peas, and asked for it to be served with rice instead of fries. The dish tasted like a home cooked meal. There was a very generous amount of chicken (I chose white meat rather than dark) and the peas were larger than those that we have in the US. A good dish, and I was satisfied. To drink, I had the mango juice, which was expensive (~$4) but very large. It was very sweet; not sure if they added sugar or the mangos there are really that sweet. All in all it was a good meal. Nothing extraordinary and I wouldn't say that you should rush out of your way to eat here, but if you are, like us, stranded and looking for somewhere to eat, this is a fine choice.

Great find right by hotel Food was great…read moreService was accommodating And the house cab was perfect

Really liked Chipe Libre! Our first lunch at this spot was delicious. We went with the daily lunch…read morespecial (chicken curry or fish and salad). For a very reasonable price, you also get a pisco sour, water/soda/wine, an appetizer (fried cauliflower with beets), and coffee. The pisco sour was very refreshing and tart. Food was a good sized portion as well and tasted light and not too heavy. The lunch special isn't listed in the menu so don't forget to ask about it! Ambiance is really cute inside and they have nice outdoor seating as well.

If your travels take you to Pomaire, I definitely recommend La Fuente for your meal. Make no…read moremistake, it definitely caters to tourists of all types--however, all of Pomaire is a tourist attraction. So, when in Rome... Our group enjoyed a selection of empanadas (theirs are very large), cazuelas (de vaca and de pollo/ave), roasted chicken with rice or fries, pastel de choclo, vegetarian plates, and fruit juices (frutilla, pineapple, and maracuya). The presentation and flavors were quite good all around--though, those who had the pastel commented that it was sweeter than they'd had elsewhere. So, your mileage may vary. The staff is friendly and accommodating and the restaurant is clean and well set up for groups.

This place like many in Chile is one of those "my grandfather use to eat here". I stopped with my…read morestepdad - he use to come here with his father so the place really hasn't changed much in forever. We got there as the first customers of the day, ample parking outside, tons of space inside, nice fireplace in the corner. Ordered lomo a lo pobre is a sure thing - steak, 2 fried eggs, fries, onions all served on a huge plate. The meat was tender and juicy, fries (were commercially made not house made), eggs felt like from the country. The place was cold when we got there - they lit the fireplace and the place was perfect. Dessert; pancakes with manjar (a Chilean dulce de leche). Food was good, service was great, somewhat pricey to be in the middle of nowhere and a small town.