Restaurant La Union

[Seville]

I know some of you have gone to the little restaurant in La Union with or without me. I like the food there and it is inexpensive compared to Sosua restaurants. When I went to Puerto Plata today I actually took my moto instead of my car. While passing La Union on the way back I looked over and I saw a Extreme Restaurant Makeover.

On the left is where the entrance used to be along with that little gravel covered area.

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=74461&d=1366245141


The new name and, yes, that is Robert's Tauro Turbo mean machine featured prominently in the foreground.


http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=74462&d=1366245165


The new entrance and notice the word "Drink".


http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=74463&d=1366245185

[Seville]

The interior.


This is the owner, Raphael. Notice the upper coner of the room.

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=74464&d=1366245215


The new bar and seating area.


http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=74465&d=1366245239


Notice the top middle of the photo. I immediately knew this was trouble.


http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=74466&d=1366245261

[Seville]

I talked to the owner and he said he had remodeled last Friday and was just about finished. I told him I would come back tonight for dinner as I had not eaten there in a while but I knew this was not going to go well. I got there around 7 PM and, as I thought, the fucking music was blaring. I actually ate at the one table that was inside but it was hot and the music was still blasting away. 90% of his food business is before 6 PM and he is trying to attract bar customer at night.


Good for him and I really hope he succeeds. He has always seemed like a good guy and treated us well. But there is no way gringos are going there for dinner at night and I told him so. My meal was excellent as always but I told him that my friends and I like to hold a conversation over dinner and be able to hear ourselves think. He said if any of us came he would "lower" the music. I'm guessing that means I will only be deaf in one ear. :rofl:

[weyland]

It was good while it lasted. Guess you will be patronizing the worst German restaurant on the North Coast more now? No music there.

[Apos]

Which are you referring to? L_ C_s__a? :rolleyes:


It was good while it lasted. Guess you will be patronizing the worst German restuarant on the North Coast more now? No music there.

The last time I ate there it was terrible...so it's off my list.

[Seville]

It was good while it lasted. Guess you will be patronizing the worst German restuarant on the North Coast more now? No music there.

When in Puerto Plata I would rather eat Rhino dung.:lol:

[Apos]

That could be arranged!
When in Puerto Plata I would rather eat Rhino dung.:lol:There's a zoo not that far away...it may be "stale" though by the time it gets imported to you...:corky:

[JD426]

Which are you referring to? L_ C_s__a? :rolleyes:



The last time I ate there it was terrible...so it's off my list.

You have officially lost your Canadian Mind.. that place has NEVER served a bad meal yet.. Best little restaurant in Sosua, IMO.

Now the German one on the main road... thats a diff story, Nice guy , but I had 2 bad meals there back to back, hes not getting a 3rd chance..
Just god awful.. I would go for a beer maybe, but not anything more comlicated that Pomme Frites.


Robert,
Sorry to hear that the ambiance changed at La Union, those speakers definitely spell trouble, u right.
. I never made it there although I drove by many times & know you like the Comida there. Next time around maybe.
What is their specialty again , Fried Fish ?

[Apos]

Seriously...I used to eat dinner there often and had breakfast there with a friend who favors it a few times, but the last dinner I had was all but inedible. I posted about it last trip report.

I have thought for a few trips that the overall quality of the meals was decreasing but I would not have given my leftovers to a dog. I questioned the meal when it came, tried to eat it, left most of it and doubt that I will ever return.

There are too many other restaurants in town that I love and can depend on to risk another meal there...I like to eat too much!


You have officially lost your Canadian Mind.. that place has NEVER served a bad meal yet.. Best little restaurant in Sosua, IMO.

Now the German one on the main road... thats a diff story, Nice guy , but I had 2 bad meals there back to back, hes not getting a 3rd chance..
Just god awful.. I would go for a beer maybe, but not anything more comlicated that Pomme Frites.


Robert,
Sorry to hear that the ambiance changed at La Union, those speakers definitely spell trouble, u right.
. I never made it there although I drove by many times & know you like the Comida there. Next time around maybe.
What is their specialty again , Fried Fish ?

[TNT72]

Seriously...I used to eat dinner there often and had breakfast there with a friend who favors it a few times, but the last dinner I had was all but inedible. I posted about it last trip report.

I have thought for a few trips that the overall quality of the meals was decreasing but I would not have given my leftovers to a dog. I questioned the meal when it came, tried to eat it, left most of it and doubt that I will ever return.

There are too many other restaurants in town that I love and can depend on to risk another meal there...I like to eat too much!


I've been saying that for quite some time! Quality has dropped over the years. I've only been there once in my past 4 or 5 trips. It wasn't bad, but it was for breakfast.

[continentalmike]

It looks like any neighbourhood cafeteria... nothing special

Plenty of those with solid dominican food to be found.. and out in La fucking Union? Right across from the airport..

Thanks but no thanks, the Malecon in POP or the usual subjects in either Sosua or Cabarete are more appealing to me.

The only reason to go to La Union is to visit a favorita imo...

[weyland]

... the Malecon in POP ... more appealing to me.
Hey Mike, if you know of any place on the Malecon in Pto Pta ("POP" is an airport near Sosua and doesn't have a Malecon) which serves food as good as the place in La Union at not more than 25% increase (I will allow them that because of the location), please let me know. I have tried a few and they have all been poor. I haven't tried them all so maybe there is a good place you know about and I don't.

[Seville]

You have officially lost your Canadian Mind.. that place has NEVER served a bad meal yet.. Best little restaurant in Sosua, IMO.

Now the German one on the main road... thats a diff story, Nice guy , but I had 2 bad meals there back to back, hes not getting a 3rd chance..
Just god awful.. I would go for a beer maybe, but not anything more comlicated that Pomme Frites.


Robert,
Sorry to hear that the ambiance changed at La Union, those speakers definitely spell trouble, u right.
. I never made it there although I drove by many times & know you like the Comida there. Next time around maybe.
What is their specialty again , Fried Fish ?

He has a pretty full menu....chicken, pasta, pork, seafood but as with most small places here he doesn't always have everything on the menu. I enjoy his seafood pasta quite a bit and what you get depends on what he has. I have had it with shrimp, baby clams, calamari, and lambi in it all together. Other times in might be lambi pasta because that's all he has to put in it.

You pay your money and take your chances.:rofl:

[Seville]

Seriously...I used to eat dinner there often and had breakfast there with a friend who favors it a few times, but the last dinner I had was all but inedible. I posted about it last trip report.

I have thought for a few trips that the overall quality of the meals was decreasing but I would not have given my leftovers to a dog. I questioned the meal when it came, tried to eat it, left most of it and doubt that I will ever return.

There are too many other restaurants in town that I love and can depend on to risk another meal there...I like to eat too much!

They still have one of the best breakfasts for the money. I ate there yesterday morning after I got back from Puerto Plata.

[snoozer]

He has a pretty full menu....chicken, pasta, pork, seafood but as with most small places here he doesn't always have everything on the menu. I enjoy his seafood pasta quite a bit and what you get depends on what he has. I have had it with shrimp, baby clams, calamari, and lambi in it all together. Other times in might be lambi pasta because that's all he has to put in it.

You pay your money and take your chances.:rofl:
The seafood pasta was the only thing I ever eat in La Union. Does not get much better for me.

I agree about La Costera, the breakfast is still the best value for money in town. Usually enough to take with you for a light lunch. The last time we ate there in the evening I ordered the three fish special and it was terrible, the fish was so mushy it was barely edible.

[JD426]

the mixed Grill (3 meats) is their Signature Dish.. they have never messed that up.
He could back off on the spices though, just a tad.

[TNT72]

the mixed Grill (3 meats) is their Signature Dish.. they have never messed that up.
He could back off on the spices though, just a tad.

For you maybe. When we first went there, we were told he imported his beef. Then a few trips later, after I got some real tough meat (2 out of the 3) they told me that they are at the whim of the people that they buy their beef from in the DR.

I was so disappointed in the 3 steak combo, the last time I ate their, I ordered a burger. Why the fuck would I order a burger in the DR? I can get an awesome fucking burger in the States!!!!

[weyland]

... as with most small places here he doesn't always have everything on the menu.
That's a good sign for me. There is some hope that what he does have is fresh. I would be suspicious of a small place with a large choice. It either means some of the less used ingredients have been hanging around for weeks or months or that they are outsourcing the demand. I remember on my first DR visit ordering ice-cream in a pasta place in Costambar. After waiting at least 45 minutes it eventually arrived in liquid form because they had sent a motoconcho into Pto Pta city centre for it on a very warm evening.

Newbies taking a chica out to dine at a gringo restaurant should be especially suspicious of chivo (goat). Dominicans love it and it is a luxury for Haitians which they invariably home in on. But gringo places don't get enough turnover for it to be fresh. After buying it five or six times over the years in as many different establishments, and chicas pushing it away in disappointment, I will no longer order it.


I have had it with shrimp, baby clams, calamari, and lambi in it all together. Other times in might be lambi pasta because that's all he has to put in it.
First two visits, the former, and excellent. Third visit the latter and very disappointing. Still well worth his modest charge but not worth the return trip from Pto Pta. Still, sitting down to dine with Robert and suffering his crude colonial insults for an hour made it all worthwhile.

Anyway, it's all academic now because there is no way I am going back to get the wax blasted out of my eardrums for free.

[JD426]

You guys might want to caution people about the LAMBI though.... Its the only thing that has made me violently SICK in the DR, got me 2x. and got a friend of mine as well on one of the 2 occasions. Both time at Highly reputable Places, in Santo Domingo...
Lambi (conch) are filter feeders, and some people will get violently sick from the Bacteria, no matter how its prepared, I think in the USA they put them in Tanks and allow time to clean themselves out ? or maybe they clean them differently here, because I've had Scungilli at Italian Restaurants in NY with NO problems .
So Unless you know for sure you are immune to it dont ever chance it with Dominican Conch(Lambi) . Its a very painful 24-30 hours, I dont want to even get graphic about it, use your imagination.
The strage thing is I recently ate it in a Seafood combo, and didnt know it til I swallowed a mouthfull , and did NOT get sick, so either I have developed an Immunity to it now, OR its hit or miss. just an FYI.

[Seville]

You guys might want to caution people about the LAMBI though.... Its the only thing that has made me violently SICK in the DR, got me 2x. and got a friend of mine as well on one of the 2 occasions. Both time at Highly reputable Places, in Santo Domingo...
Lambi (conch) are filter feeders, and some people will get violently sick from the Bacteria, no matter how its prepared, I think in the USA they put them in Tanks and allow time to clean themselves out ? or maybe they clean them differently here, because I've had Scungilli at Italian Restaurants in NY with NO problems .
So Unless you know for sure you are immune to it dont ever chance it with Dominican Conch(Lambi) . Its a very painful 24-30 hours, I dont want to even get graphic about it, use your imagination.
The strage thing is I recently ate it in a Seafood combo, and didnt know it til I swallowed a mouthfull , and did NOT get sick, so either I have developed an Immunity to it now, OR its hit or miss. just an FYI.

I eat it all the time on beach with lime and hot sauce. How do you know you are immune or not unless you try it?:confused::smile:

[JD426]

I eat it all the time on beach with lime and hot sauce. How do you know you are immune or not unless you try it?:confused::smile:

Well yes,, and as I said I still eat it (in the usa).. but there, if someone get sick right after eating it, then it helps that person to know where its probably from, and they dont need to blame the innocent Salad, or the Pussy they just ate (thank you Sir Weyland for that one)...

[Apos]

Unless you're having an, anaphylactic?, allergic reaction (or something similar) it is unusual to get violently sick right away unless the "food" is noticeably rotten. Chances are good you wouldn't eat it so wouldn't get sick. According to the Mayo Clinic "only" about 2000 people in the US and Canada combined die per year do to anaphylaxis. If you have this type of allergy you probably know it, not always though, and have an epi-pen.

I'm not a Doctor but I did ask one...but do your own research.

[continentalmike]

You guys might want to caution people about the LAMBI though.... Its the only thing that has made me violently SICK in the DR, got me 2x. and got a friend of mine as well on one of the 2 occasions. Both time at Highly reputable Places, in Santo Domingo...
Lambi (conch) are filter feeders, and some people will get violently sick from the Bacteria, no matter how its prepared, I think in the USA they put them in Tanks and allow time to clean themselves out ? or maybe they clean them differently here, because I've had Scungilli at Italian Restaurants in NY with NO problems .
So Unless you know for sure you are immune to it dont ever chance it with Dominican Conch(Lambi) . Its a very painful 24-30 hours, I dont want to even get graphic about it, use your imagination.
The strage thing is I recently ate it in a Seafood combo, and didnt know it til I swallowed a mouthfull , and did NOT get sick, so either I have developed an Immunity to it now, OR its hit or miss. just an FYI.

We eat it regularly on the beach as well, no problem as yet, provided it's fresh... maybe the restaurants served not-so fresh batches?

[continentalmike]

Hey Mike, if you know of any place on the Malecon in Pto Pta ("POP" is an airport near Sosua and doesn't have a Malecon) which serves food as good as the place in La Union at not more than 25% increase (I will allow them that because of the location), please let me know. I have tried a few and they have all been poor. I haven't tried them all so maybe there is a good place you know about and I don't.


Weyland, you got me there, since I don't usually look at prices when I', out for dinner... in POP we usually head for Aguacero at the Malecon and have some nice grilled meat or fish..

The points I'm making is that the comedor at La Union wouldn't make it on my radarscreen for two reasons:

1. I can get very good homecooked Dominican food where I stay; I just teell them what I like and it gets done - so a Dominican comedor doesn't have much appeal to me regardless of price
2. Related to this, if I do go out to eat, I like the occasion to be more upscale; hence I mostly visit places like the Sea Horse Ranch, La Parrilda, El Cortecito, Pez Dorada and Otra Cosa, where you shouldn't go if you have a fixed budget

Having made these points I can appreciate that others who don't have considerations 1 and 2 look for a good comedor.

It just amazes me that people can call this type of food 'the best' or 'great stuff' when in reality from what I've heard and seen it's a simple Dominican comedor (which is fine if that's what you look for)..

[psriches]

The seafood pasta was the only thing I ever eat in La Union. Does not get much better for me.

I agree about La Costera, the breakfast is still the best value for money in town. Usually enough to take with you for a light lunch. The last time we ate there in the evening I ordered the three fish special and it was terrible, the fish was so mushy it was barely edible.Where is this place located exactly???

[snoozer]

Where is this place located exactly???
Segundo entrada, La Union. On left hand side at corner of street. Across from a pool hall/bar.

[Kevy]

Segundo entrada, La Union. On left hand side at corner of street. Across from a pool hall/bar.

He is asking about La Costera, not this place

http://www.sosuanews.com/restaurant_guide.php?ID=13&article=3

[snoozer]

He is asking about La Costera, not this place

http://www.sosuanews.com/restaurant_guide.php?ID=13&article=3

Sorry, I was going by the name of the thread. Forgot there was two restaurant reviews in this thread. La Costera is almost directly across from CMP

[psriches]

Sorry, I was going by the name of the thread. Forgot there was two restaurant reviews in this thread. La Costera is almost directly across from CMPI thought their breakfast was just average at best. And not large portions.

But they had an excellant Fried Fish lunch special for 200 pesos. OUTSTANDING!!!!