Mostly we had breakfast at home, or above the grocery store (try bolon con queso – plantain ball with local cheese) by the docks. Lunch we scrounged on snacks we bought from the store and some fruit. Dinner is what we looked forward to all day saving our appetites. We longed for it when we were on other islands than Santa Cruz. The Kiosks on Chalres Binford Ave have some of the best street food I have ever encountered – if you are a seafood lover you can’t miss this experience! Every night around 6PM the street closes down to traffic and replaced with tables and chairs.
It’s so packed you can barely walk down the road, especially with the hawkers at every restaurant trying to win your wallet. Our favorite of them all was Restaurant Sol Y Luna, closest to the Baltra Ave end of the street.
Their grill is always going in front, and as all the rest in the Galapagos, they use an industrial hairdryer to get it hot. Admiring the gigantic lobster, many hungry souls are lured in.
For fish, I would highly recommend getting the whole brujo. You do have to pick the meat off the bone, but there is so much of it – regardless of whether you pick the large or small ($20 or $15). On different nights we tried the encocado which is a specialty of the islands – a coconut sauce
and the grilled to taste the fresh flavor the fish more.
We tried both large and small, they cut the fish in half for you to share (so you each get an eyeball and cheek!) and the meal comes with rice, salad, and plantains. Either way you get it, this dish is a must for fish lovers – so incredibly tasty. Even though this would have been more than enough food – we were excited to indulge. The cazuela – or casserole – is an amazingly hot and flavorful stew which can be filled with your choice of seafood (octopus, snail, shrimp, or…. We tried it with just fish one night and it was epically delicious.
Not big lobster fans, but since we were seeing them fresh everywhere, decided to give it a go in the stew.
It came out with a beautiful presentation, and we were happy having tried it. You can get a small or large pot ($10 or $15) and it comes with rice and beans. If you want water, you have to buy bottled and request ‘sin gas’ if you want no bubbles, or ‘con gas’ if you like seltzer. Most of the restaurants offer ‘meriendas’ ia dinner option for $5 including a soup, entrée, and drink.
One night we got fried fish soup chocked with veggies
and a garlic brujo with rice,
along with fruit juice to drink. Another night we had, you guessed it, more fish! A fish stew to start, and a blackened fish filet which came with rice, beans, and a juice.
What a bargain! Across the way from our favorite restaurant, and owned by them, is a milkshake stand. There are so many crazy good fruit flavors, simply mixed with vanilla ice cream make a perfect tropical snack.
Guanabana (aka soursop) was a favorite. They are so big and for just $4 it’s a steal to split one with a friend.