La Doctora: Classic Paisa Food in Sabaneta
Remember when I took a day trip to explore Sabaneta earlier this year?
When I’d asked for suggestions on where to eat, several readers recommended La Doctora.
Located a ten minute walk from the main plaza along a little stream, La Doctora is an old school parilla housed in a semi-open space.
Here, they serve up classic paisa food all day, every day, including Sundays and holidays.
Despite our arrival mid-Saturday afternoon, I thought it was a nice touch that they had wax candles burning on the tables.
Once we took a table, a small plate of chips was brought out with several variations of fresh salsa.
The menu at La Doctora is extensive.
Breakfast is served from 9 AM to 11:30 AM, and features the basics like arepas with cheese, arepas de chocolo, and heavier breakfasts that include eggs, beans and chorizo.
The appetizer list hits on all the familiar items too: empanadas, arepas, patacones, soups, beans, fried mozzarella, buffalo wings, and shrimp ceviche. There’s even a salad on there for the healthy folks out there!
The star of the menu is the meat section, from which you can order any number of steaks or ribs, priced between 25,000 to 30,000 pesos ($13 – $15).
Moving on to the fish, you can choose from trout or robalo prepared several different ways. The seafood dishes are priced between 21,000 to 33,000 pesos ($11 – $17).
To kick things off, I ordered avena juice for the first time. Avena means oats in English, and this creamy drink is a mix of them, plus, sugar, milk, and water.
Apparently it’s a typical Colombian drink because Viviana was familiar with it, but I’d never seen it before.
We both ordered the barbecued ribs (26,500 pesos or $14), a specialty of the house.
And we were both overwhelmed by the serving sizes, which included French Fries, patacones, and arepas on the side.
We both dug in, and I quickly began making a mess with the homemade BBQ sauce spreading everywhere. The ribs were tasty, but there were simply too many, so we packed up the remainder to go.
The bill for our two-person lunch, including tip, totaled 70,000 pesos ($36), and it was well worth it.
La Doctora is the perfect option for anyone wanting to taste authentic paisa food, along with other restaurants like Hato Viejo.
If you’re planning to go out partying in Sabaneta on a Friday or Saturday night, stop here for a big pre-game dinner. Or take a more relaxed approach and head over on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon for a relaxing lunch.
