Absurdly Huge, Undeniably Good: Santiago's Diners and Dive Bars with Pancho Solís

Pancho Solis
Pancho Solis

Absurdly Huge, Undeniably Good: Santiago's Diners and Dive Bars with Pancho Solís

Pancho
Francisco Solís Monroy

A Chilean diner—fuente de soda—can resemble anything between a dive bar with a jukebox or a restaurant with formal service and pressed napkins. In Santiago, these institutions are woven into the city's DNA, accessible to all and enjoyed across the complex social divisions that define Chilean society.

In this guide, podcast host and cultural expert Pancho Solís takes us through a variety of the city's classics, and explains the culinary highs of the a city staple: the completo.

"Think of it as a hot dog with everything on it—but with toppings you might not normally associate with a hot dog. Avocado, tomato, and mayonnaise, and then there’s usually something else—mustard," he explains. "There are different schools of thought, but basically, it’s a hot dog with avocado, tomato, mayo and then more toppings get added until it becomes this absurdly huge thing."

"It can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, a late-night snack, a pre-party meal, a first date food, or comfort food after a bad day. In that sense, the completo italiano is what the average Chilean will order at any time of the day, any time of year."

Costa Bright

It has neon lights and a bohemian vibe. The completos and beer are ok, but the atmosphere makes it worth it. It always has nu-wave music.

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Torremolinos

    Torremolinos

    It’s here in Lastarria — very traditional. One time I had a completo and a beer there with a lady who was nearly 100 years old! She’d been going there her whole life. It serves you in an old school way, with waiters.

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    terraza

      La Terraza

      A traditional place known for its lomito sandwich: a very prestigious option on the diner route.

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      Fuente Rica Rica

        Fuente Rica Rica

        This a known as the first vegan fuente de soda. Very famous for its completos.

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        Fuente Suiza

          Fuente Suiza

          A historic, emblematic option in the suburbs which sells a very tasty churrasco— another local speciality sandwich.

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          Ciros Santiago

            Ciros

            A very old one, you’ll just find elderly ladies and gentlemen. This is one for tradition.

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            Papy Pizza

              Papy Pizza

              This isn’t really a diner, it is more of a snack place that sells churrasco, pizza, empanadas, completos—everything you need for a late night post-party craving. There’s no tables, people just sit outside to eat.

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              Pio nono

                Pikachu Food Cart

                This is spot was called Pikachu, which was a single food cart. Now, there are a bunch of carts where you can buy completos with non-traditional options, like garlic and bbq sauces.

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