What better way to spend your time in a small Dominican beach town than walking the streets alongside locals, grabbing a café con leche to-go and heading to a new beach for the day? One of the many take-aways from growing up in a small town is that you tend to gravitate towards the “hole in the wall” or mom and pop restaurants and shops that allow you to truly experience and support local authenticity. Supporting local is a common thing in small towns, and so is knowing almost everyone who walks in the door. This was the constant vibe flourishing through this town.
When you visit Juan Dolio, you’ll have a completely different experience in the Dominican Republic than, say, visiting Punta Cana or another popular resort town–but in the best way, of course!
El Concón Pizzeria
After almost an entire day of traveling, we didn’t have to look very far before finding the perfect spot to end our first night in DR—El Concón Pizzeria. This place had such an open and inviting atmosphere, which was just what we needed. And lucky for us, it was literally right across the street from where we were staying. Although this place is located in a small town, it seemed to be a local hotspot for mostly out-of-towners who own or rent condos just down street.
Although mostly known for their awesome pizza, they do have a diverse menu with a ton of dishes to choose from—burgers, pastas, locally sourced meats, and seafood.
Cafe Bistro
Only about a mile down the street from our place was this lively little strip of cafés and home to our favorite daily coffee.
Cafe Bistro is a great spot for literally any meal of the day. You can stop there for a relaxing tropical brunch setting during the day and then return later that night for reasonably priced cocktails and karaoke!
Honestly though… did you really have a coffee if you didn’t take a picture of it first? 😉
Dominican Street Food
Right across the street from Guayacanes Beach, is home to the tastiest sandwich I’ve ever eaten. Seriously. After a long day at the beach and a long walk ahead of us to the bus stop, we couldn’t resist stopping to check this place out since its aroma filled the whole street and people kept walking away with the yummiest looking plates of food. Now this… was authentic homemade Caribbean food.
And yes I know, out of all the delicious options, I ordered a simple chicken sandwich “all the way” (I didn’t know what that meant for a chicken sandwich but went along with it anyway, because why not?) for only 90 pesos, which is less than $2 USD. *insert lame excuse here*
That day I only brought enough money for transportation + a few coins (90 pesos), without thinking about food, so a chicken sandwich was what I got and I wasn’t mad about it—AT ALL. Moral of the story: don’t be fooled by a simple sounding dish, especially when you’re in a foreign country.
Pekara Bake Shop & Cafe
As if the town couldn’t get any better, we found this gem—Pekara Bake Shop & Cafe— tucked just off the main street serving the best breakfast, pastries, and coffee. Although a little on the expensive side, the sweets were well worth it!