Grubbin' in SJDS

When we were feeling adventurous we'd leave the comforts of the casa and venture into San Juan del Sur. The city has a reputation of being a party town, but it was pretty laid back. Maybe life in Las Vegas has skewed my perception? I felt it was pretty comparable to Ocean Beach, CA. Small eateries, bars, board shops, but overall it's very chill with surfers, hippies and a fair share of tourists. I'm sure when the booze cruises return to dock it can get a little crazy, but we were mostly out and about in the afternoon or evening before nine o'clock. We found it pretty quiet during the day, I imagine because everyone is at the beach. The nights were definitely more lively.





When we first got into town we grabbed a quick bite at Don Monchi's Pizza. The next day, we had a better lunch at The Cerveceria. We stumbled on it purely by accident; leave it to us to find the only place in Nicaragua with craft beer. It was such a joy to have an IPA after days of light beer. We chatted up the bartender from KY, and he suggested the pulled pork sliders and we opted for an order of nachos, despite being warned of their size. They were good, but the sliders was where it was at! Good eats. Better drinks. They offer a porter too. I initially thought " blech" because of the heat. But much to my surprise, they kept it light and refreshing.







The next day, I had to satisfy my craving for seafood. Tripadvisor declared El Timon was the place to get it. We were seated at a table closest to the beach. Which gave hawkers ample opportunity to showcase their wares. They were polite and accepted our "no gracias" so it wouldn't have been bad if it wasn't one after another after another. It grew awfully tiresome. I was beginning to regret my choice, but we were won over by the octopus ceviche served with yucca and plaintain chips. It was so tender and had great flavor. My fish with garlic sauce was less impressive, but still enjoyable.







On our last night, we dined at G & G Gourmet. It was a quaint space so it's best to secure a reservation. We did not have one; however, they were able to squeeze us in. We were seated at the table nearest the kitchen, which was quite warm, but it was fun to see the beautiful dishes on parade. The menu had only a few options, but they're sure to please anyone. It is indeed gourmet at a fraction of the cost at home. We're talking about a fantastic meal, complete with a bottle of wine, tax and tip for $45. We started with carpaccio, followed by entrees of the catch of the day paired with risotto and linguine with clams and shrimp. We were much too full to power through dessert, but I'm sure that would've been delicious as well. This place is a must!









Next up, the beaches!