There are many many food options to choose from, with varying qualities. One perk of the lower cost of living is, you can experiment with different restaurants and dishes without breaking the bank. FYI, most of these restaurants will automatically add the gratuity into the bill. This “assumption of tips” kinda grinds my gears, but I never got bad service at these restaurants, so I just paid the bill as listed.

Restaurants, eateries, and cafes generally don’t automatically provide lots of napkins or condiments like us Westerners are accustomed to – you have to ask for them. For those who like spicy food, you have to ask for hot sauce, and there’s only a 50% chance that they’ll have some available. This semi-scarcity is probably due to the economics of it all. I’m sure if you mostly drink and dine at restaurants and bars that cater to expats and tourists, and you’re willing to pay close to USA prices, then you’re more likely to get the same level of perks as the joints back in North America or Europe.

One of my favorite dishes – salchipapa ☝🏾 It’s basically a pile of fries, yuca, a sampling of meats, some salad, and some cheese. I found myself enjoying this dish a few times, at various restaurants.

Food Delivery

The major food delivery services iFood and Rappi work well, and the delivery fees are reasonable. The deliveries were almost always on-time, the food was almost always as expected, and I always tipped 50%-100% separately depending on the price of the food. In Barranquilla, tipping is not “a thing” unless you go to upscale restaurants or mall restaurants. I actually had a delivery driver refuse the tip, saying that I already paid. But maybe he didn’t realize I was trying to tip him. On that particular day I didn’t have the mental presence to remember “Un poca propina para ti, amigo”. But I left him a glowing review!

At minimum, the apps allow payment by Bancolombia, Nequi, and cash. I have to say, having a Bancolombia account really makes food ordering via apps much more convenient, even if not all restaurants accept all payment methods. Also, as of mid-2022, the favorable U$D-COP exchange rate really lowers the bar re: sampling different foods from different joints, so I recommend you go nuts! 😁