The "Hole-in-the-Wall" Meal Deal

Just around the corner from our apartment and down one block is a little Peruvian "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant called Donde Camilo. The decor is simple, but effective, showing landscapes from Peru and famous tourist attractions. The semi-outdoor seating faces our neighborhood plaza where businessmen on lunch break like to sit and little children play in and around the shade from the trees. Donde Camilo has quickly become a weekly lunch outing for our family. Here's why...

Reason #1 - Since we are without a vehicle yet, the close proximity is very convenient.
We walk down around 12:30 pm in order to beat the businessman's lunch rush that lasts from 1 pm - 3 pm.

Reason #2 - Each day they serve four or five meal options. Every day these options change slightly (for example: my favorite meal is the Aji Chicken, which is only served on Friday and Saturday). The cost is $2.50 per person.


Each meal comes with bread, a choice of side salad (above) or soup, a glass of juice, and a small dessert (some jello or a fresh fruit).

Reason #3 - Since they only serve four or five meal options, your meal is ready immediately after you order. It's hot and it's a well balanced meal. Above is the Pollo al Jugo con arroz that I ordered a couple of days ago (Chicken with broth over rice)

Reason #4 - The kids love and eat the food. We always order four meals, but divide two meals into three portions for the kids to share. Four meals x $2.50 (plus tip) = around $11.00 Now that's quite a meal deal if you ask me.

Reason #5 - No meal preparation. No clean up. No leftovers. Kristi's favorite reason! It gives Kristi a break from meal preparation once in a while.

To us, it's a no brainer. Going out to eat at Donde Camilo's just makes sense. The waitresses know who we are now. We are not some random blond tourist family, but a member of their community. It's no five star restaurant, but it's full of culture and more importantly it's so good. What we should do is eat there twice a week!!