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A spectacular view of the mountains and a cool countryside breeze are the perfect companions to enjoy the exquisite cuisine at La Curvita de Pío in San Lorenzo.

This two-story restaurant, located on Highway 916, in Barrio Cerro Gordo in the City of Samaritans, offers a family-friendly atmosphere and a diverse menu with a special criollo seasoning that invites you to try each of its delicacies.

According to its owner, José A. García González, the house specialty is criollo food, featuring two very popular dishes among diners. “Our specialty is the churrasco-stuffed chicken breast with the chef’s seasoning (Germán Pérez); it comes with mozzarella cheese, wrapped in bacon with a white sauce, and served with mamposteao rice,” said the Samaritan merchant.

Another crowd-pleaser is the massive and crispy chuleta can-can. “The chuleta can-can is one of our top sellers, it flies off the shelves, and it comes with a side of tostones,” mentioned García González. Customers can also choose from grilled churrasco in their preferred sauce, churrasco strips, red snapper, shrimp prepared in various styles, octopus, fried meat, and chicken wings. These are served with their choice of accompaniment, ranging from mofongo, mamposteao rice, cilantro rice, white rice with beans, plantain tostones, breadfruit tostones, or mofongo balls.

The menu also includes montaditos, which despite being an appetizer, could easily become the main course. It consists of several tostones topped with a protein of choice, including: shrimp in butter, garlic, or criolla sauce, octopus, spicy crab, chicken, or churrasco.

Additionally, they offer their version of fried cheese with guava sauce and rellenos de papa (potato ball stuffed with meat) as appetizers, which are unique to the establishment. “Our rellenos are homemade; they’re made with ground beef and corned beef, and they sell really well. I bring them in every Friday, and they’re available as long as they last because they’re fresh, not frozen,” detailed the owner, who started the establishment in 2013 after spending three years trying to purchase the space that was also his favorite spot for entertainment.

“I’m from here, from Barrio Cerro Gordo; I live nearby and I always used to come here to play billiards and all that. I always wanted to have this business because I worked at a gas station, where I knew how to manage everything, so I decided to have my own,” said the entrepreneur. In the beginning, the merchant kept the original formula of just serving drinks in a small roadside establishment, until he was able to give his business idea an upgrade by adding food to the equation. That is how La Curvita de Pío transformed into a family restaurant.

“At first, it was just a tiny roadside bar with a billiards table. I spent about two years serving only drinks before I introduced food. Now we have two floors with a super family-friendly atmosphere, fresh countryside air, and a spectacular view. Plus, billiards are free; I don’t charge anything for it so people can enjoy themselves and have a good time,” emphasized García González, who invites everyone to “come to La Curvita de Pío, taste the chef’s food, and have an outdoor countryside experience.”

The establishment is open from Thursday to Sunday. Kitchen hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit their Facebook page at: The Curvita de Pio or call 787-585-9955.