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Written by: -
Jerry Azevedo
California, USA
Dates: - Winter 1997
Email: - jwazevedo@aol.com
Comments: - What Do You Expect for Two and a Half Bucks? A Personal
Guide to Fast-Food Lunch Options in Santiago It used to be fun to eat lunch in Chile.
When I first traveled there in 1991, you could walk into any restaurant, ask for the
colocación or the menú or simply the almuerzo, and get the daily lunch platter: a
balanced meal of meat, vegetable, and maybe a salad or even a little dessert. You came out
with a full belly, for a couple of bucks. The only thing you had to watch out for was the
tendency for economy-minded chefs to prefer mondongo (tripe), in its various forms, as the
main dish, but a simple question up front would allay any concerns--or send you to the
restaurant next door. You can still find Chilean restaurants that serve a set lunch,
especially in the small towns, but in the major cities you'll see more people flocking to
the fast-food chains, either one of the Chilean labels or a global franchise. Cultural
homogenization has spilled onto Chile's lunch platter. While living in Santiago during the
austral summer of 1997, I spent many of my days at the National Library or the Library of
Congress, both right downtown on opposite sides of the city center. For lunch I'd wander
towards Paseo Ahumada and join the thousands of Santiagueños with thoughts of food on the
mind. The Paseo, the main pedestrian thoroughfare of the city, is lined with cafes,
fast-food restaurants, and ice cream shops all the way from the subway at O'Higgins to the
Plaza de Armas. A the restaurants the stiff competition for the lunch dollar kept the
prices to a uniform 990 pesos (about $2.50), announced in foot-high numerals on a colorful
banner strung across the front of each. For that, you got a drink, French fries, and,
depending on the focus of the cuisine, either a piece of fried chicken, a dog, or a burger
of some sort. That summer, in the interest of cultural awareness, I steeled my stomach and
tested Santiago's fast-food options.
Mr. Chip's Location: On Paseo Ahumada at the SW corner of the Plaza de Armas. What you get: A churrasco (or lomito), with fries and soft drink. A churrasco is a single slab of chip beef on a bun, with tomatoes and lettuce. A lomito is the same idea but in pork. The sesame seed bun is larger than average (or the meat is skimpier). Presentation: The meal is delivered on the standard plastic tray with a paper protector advertising their sandwiches. I find the paper reassuring, whatever the ads are promoting. I don't have to worry about whether some kid spit up on the tray earlier or whether an employee wiped the tray in a rag soaked in baby spit. Service: The animated staff behind the counter were efficient, but they could use more workers out bussing the tables. Ambiance: Mr. Chip's signature teal color accents the imitation granite tables and black plastic chairs. Illuminated picture boxes on the walls idealize their sandwiches, which all have more meat and tomatoes than mine; the fries are all the same length, standing up in their teal carton. The upstairs has a TV and a picture window with a good view out over the lunchtime crowd on Ahumada, but the misguided managers have designated this prime dining spot as a smoking area. Bathrooms: Up on the third floor, the bathrooms are larger than most, but they could be cleaner.
Lomitón Location: Portal Fernandez (south gallery of the Plaza de Armas). The most extensive fast-food chain in Chile, Lomitón restaurants show up in every shopping mall and all but the smaller towns. What you get: A decidedly dry lomito (pork slices on a bun), with tomato and mayo, a small fries and a small drink. Perhaps looking to capture the cheap end of the market, Lomitón lowered their price to 890 pesos in late March of 1997. In some cities in the south of Chile, Lomitón meals were going for 790 pesos. Presentation: The lomito, wrapped, and fries come on small red plastic tray, which joins the drink on a larger red plastic Coca-Cola tray with a red paper liner. Maybe the idea is to appeal to Chinese tourists. If you want little containers of condiments, ask at the counter. Service: The staff are friendly and perky in their red baseball caps, though they're not overly zealous in cleaning. Ambiance: The theme is primary colors here. Although dated, the tables and chairs in red, white, yellow, green, and blue make an attempt at "festive" in a low-ceilinged dining room cluttered with promotional banners and exposed heating ducts. Bathrooms: On the second level, the cramped bathrooms are rudimentary, with no toilet paper or toilet seat, and not especially clean.
McDonald's Location: Augustinas 1115 near Banderas. What you get: The universal fast-food standard: a Big Mac (or McPollo) with a small drink and fries. Presentation: The Big Mac, with the double patty and the slathering of special sauce, comes in a decorative cardboard container, which effectively hides how small it is until you get away from the counter, and then it's too late to complain. The generous portion of fries spilled onto the (reassuring) paper protector with the Mickey Mouse motif. A kid could fill out Mickey's ears and deposit them for a drawing to win school supplies. Service: The restaurant is well staffed for fast service. One employee is dedicated to mopping the floors, so they're always spotless and usually wet. Ambiance: Located just blocks from Santiago's courts, this McDonald's presents a classic professional decor, with a forest green and sand color scheme and cordovan Naugahyde on the chairs. Architectural renderings adorn the walls. The tables are packed tightly. The smoking section near the front door forces the diners to walk a burning gauntlet to get to the service counter. Bathrooms: In the basement the restrooms are larger than average and quite clean.
Mr. Rax Location: Paseo Ahumada, a block off the Plaza. What you get: The Bandeja Nuggets, consisting of 6 small boneless chicken parts, dipped in a salty batter and fried, comes with a small Pepsi and a heaping portion of fries for the cutthroat price of 980 pesos. As an option, you can get a single piece of chicken, along with the rest, for the standard 990 pesos. Presentation: Like in a school cafeteria, the food comes on a compartmentalized yellow naked plastic tray, which is emblazoned with the "Super Pollo" label. ("Super Pollo" is brand of one of the two major chicken growers in Chile, and their products show up in most supermarkets.) Along with the food on the tray, you get two packs of salt (a silly redundancy), a plastic fork, and one napkin. Condiments in bottles are available at the table. Service: Besides the standard service, some employees will offer to carry your food up to your table, for which a tip is expected. Ambiance: Mr. Rax is dingy, with a vaguely disturbing 70s look. Formica tables and green plastic chairs fill the space. The dirty yellow walls with teal and orange trim feature lots of mirrors and some neon. The floor tiles are terra-cotta and black. Bathrooms: The small, low-ceiled bathrooms on the third level are dirty, but Mr. Rax offers honest-to-god paper towels.
Burger Inn Location: Apumanque Mall (Corner of Apoquindo and Manquehue). Most malls in Chile have a food court with a representation of the fast-food chains. What you get: "Rover" (burger, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, mayo, and a red sauce of some sort on a sesame seed bun), with a small fries and a small drink. The beef patty is chewier than most. Burger Inn has the best selection of fountain drinks. For example, they offer both Coke and Pepsi. If you buy a large drink, you get a Burger Inn Frisbee. Presentation: The meal comes on a plain plastic tray, without the reassuring paper. Service: The employees are friendly and efficient. Ambiance: Shopping mall food court. Tables are Formica, with white metal chairs. Bathrooms: Part of the mall.
KFC Location: Paseo Ahumada near Agustinas. What you get: One piece of the Colonel's oddly built chicken, three small cheese empanadas, a small fries, and a small drink. Presentation: The meal comes on a dingy gray plastic tray with a plastic plate to hold the chicken, empanadas, and thin paper bag of fries. Condiments are available from dispensers. Service: Staffing is sufficient for all but the heaviest lunch crowds. All of the employees dress in hot pink blouses and sun visors. Ambiance: The color scheme is pink, purple, and teal. Light boxes on the walls display retouched photos of the Colonel's tempting meals. You can sit on plastic benches or padded chairs. Upstairs there's a nice picture-window view over the Ahumada foot traffic. Bathrooms: Up two flights of steep stairs, the bathrooms are small, cramped, and dirty, but there's toilet paper.
Burger King Location: Av. Estado, just north of Alameda. What you get: Your standard Whopper--have it your way-- with a small drink and small fries. Burger King was the last of the chains to buckle to the competition, dropping their prices to the magic 990 pesos only in late March of 1997. The paper Burger King crown is available for anyone who wants one. Presentation: The meal comes on the standard plastic tray with a paper protector showing the "Anatomy of a Whopper", in English. Service: There are plenty of employees to keep things moving and clean. The Burger King orange-and-red jumpers for the women clash with the Yuppie pastels of the rest of the restaurant. Ambiance: The two spacious floors are decorated in lilac and teal, with sea-green and white tile floors. On the walls, framed photos show Burger King establishments from the early halcyon days of fast food. The upstairs picture window offers a view over Estado. Bathrooms: On the second floor the large, tiled bathrooms featured soap and toilet paper, but when I was there, they hadn't been cleaned in a few hours.
Max Beef Location: Cousiño at Cruchuga, off Estado. What you get: "Hamburguesa Maxi" (a burger with lettuce, tomato, cheese), four small cheese empanadas, and a small drink. Presentation: The meal comes on a small green naked tray. Ketchup and mustard are available in bottles on the tables. Service: They get the job done, in their lilac and teal blouses. Ambiance: The restaurant resembles a seedy hotel lobby, with yellow-and-brown plastic furniture, Spanish tiles, and "watercolors" on the walls. Bathrooms: I didn't look.
Monserrat Location: Phillips, off the east side of the Plaza de Armas. What you get: One piece of their "broasted" (fried) chicken, an order of fries, and a tiny Coke. The fries are thicker than usual. Well-known in Santiago for their take-out chicken, Monserrat recently got into the fast-food business at their Phillips location. Presentation: The meal comes on an orange compartmentalized plastic tray without the paper. Fries are loose. A plastic knife and fork are standard, and bottles of condiments are available on the tables. Service: Employees are natty in their blue trousers, white shirts, blue-striped bow ties, and blue hats that look vaguely French. They could work harder on the cleanliness. Ambiance: Faced with a rather bland, beige interior, with tables and chairs set up like a cafeteria, Monserrat tried to liven things up with promotional banners. There's a few tables outside, where the smiling Monserrat logo chicken (before broasting) watches over the dissection of his fellows. Bathrooms: I didn't look.
Embers Location: Santiago Airport, second level of the International terminal. What you get: Churrasco Palta (roast beef sandwich with an avocado spread), four small empanadas, and a small Coke (or, for those who are a bit nervous about their flight, a draft beer). Presentation: Embers uses a standard plastic tray but opts not to provide the reassuring paper. Condiments are dispensed in small paper cups. Service: The restaurant is well staffed with young women in pinstripe blouses and navy blue heraldic caps. Ambiance: Embers shares a food court, with tables topped with imitation marble and porch chairs in sea-foam green. Walls are mirrored above green ironwork wainscoting. On the dark mirror tiles on the suspended ceiling cutouts of stars give a whimsical facsimile of the night sky. Hanging halogen fixtures provide the lighting. Bathrooms: The airport bathrooms are large and clean, the best in Chile.
Other Options For those with a stomach for hot dogs, the most familiar fast-food chain is Doggi's, where you can get a dog, empanadas, fries, and drink for the standard 990 pesos. I couldn't bring myself to try them, even for the sake of research. The chain Submarine offers a lomito, fries, and drink for 890 pesos. And then, die-hard traditionalists can still find the almuerzo. It'll cost a bit more than two and a half bucks, and the food and decor will be idiosyncratic, and don't look for paper protectors on the plastic trays; you'll be eating off real plates.
Interests: - Fast food
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