Pal De Tragos Restaurant & Bar.

Av. Lopez de Vega.

Santo Domingo, Hispaniola.

Better known as the Dominican Republic Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and the region’s second largest in area with a population base of 22 million souls after the island of Cuba. It was actually Christopher Columbus who named the island Española (Hispaniola) meaning “little Spain” on December 5, 1492.

Hispaniola is separated from the large island of Cuba in the northwest by the 80 km-wide Windward Passage. The 190 km-wide Jamaica Channel separates Hispaniola from the island nation of Jamaica in the southwest, while the 130 km-wide Mona Passage in the east separates the island from Puerto Rico. The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the British Overseas Territory of Turks and Caicos is located to the north of the island of Hispaniola.

I share this with readers to think about the various cultures & cuisine that has been brewing in the Greater Antilles for hundreds of years.

Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and now Pal De Tragos…

No need to dress up in your Sunday best clothing. The restaurant is simple and dedicated to feeding the hungry or quenching your thirst day or night.

The restaurant & bar is connected to the island’s history and makes the ideal space to enjoy a meal and cocktail in an outdoor environment. I will get to the food later but if you’re thinking of drinking the pricing here is great and these people are never shy about pouring copious amounts of the Dominicans pride & Joy RUM. No visit is complete without drinking the bar’s famous Fireball. A good place to play or watch dominos or just hang out with friends meet somebody new and hear local stories.

People come here for the simplicity and balance of always fresh and locally sourced ingredients. We are talking about awesome burgers, a Dominican twist on empanadas, platters of cheesy fries and nachos, some of the favorites.

Most gringos don’t know this but the Dominican people have the hardest Spanish in Center and South America. They speak fast, without stops, without taking a breath and you think is this Spanish? Don’t worry as slang and their dropping vowels & letter’s from words is what makes them unique.

Like many Caribbean islands there’s a ton of history dripping on the streets of Santo Domingo and you should make the hike to the center of the city and see 1st hand how the island was settled and once you’re done head over to Pal De Tragos Restaurant & Bar.

You won’t be disappointed. Trust me because I spent a lot of time and always look forward to returning.