Ok, trust me on this one. I know, I know... You were planning on eating at one of the super exclusive little restaurants where they ferry you by boat to the middle of the lake but you arrived too late and missed the last ferry and now you're stuck and the only place you see is this little local dive bar. Go. Eat here.
Don't look for a big blue "A" outside the doors; you won't find it. What you will find is an actual local spot owned by a husband and wife (they are the only two employees) who cook up AMAZING food at pretty cheap prices. Entrees run $15, appetizers around $3, beer at $1. Bottled water only, no free tap water.
Now: there will be no English going on here, so brush up on a "I want" and "my wife / friend / kid would like" before you go. The menu is 50% translated into English (lots of dishes with "chiken," -- no "c") but if you have an AT&T phone you'll be in luck and you can Google everything faster than your phone works in the states.
Empanadas... Great.
Arañas... So yummy (not actual spiders)
Steak Mufungo... Best on the Island.
Creole Chicken... Light and bursting with flavor.
Tostones... Theirs beat the crap out of every other plantain served in the commonwealth.
Corona... Freezing cold little 7oz bottles that go down like the nectar of life.
Live guitar music and dancing on Sundays in the evening. Super-nice owner (he'll shake your hand and introduce himself as he apologetically says "no English"). Crazy-good "Mom made this" food.
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