El Viejo John, Colombian restaurant in Sabaneta, Colombia
El Viejo John is a restaurant in Sabaneta, a town just south of Medellín in Colombia, specializing in traditional cooking from the Antioquia region. The menu covers fish and meat dishes, bandejas, and sancochos, served from early morning through the evening.
The restaurant was founded with the aim of keeping Paisa cooking alive and has drawn local families ever since it opened. Over the years, it has changed little and still follows the same approach it had from the start.
The menu centers on dishes rooted in Paisa cooking, such as Bandeja Paisa and sancocho, prepared the way they have been in local homes for decades. Sitting here, visitors notice that nothing is adapted for outside tastes, and the food reflects how people in this part of Antioquia actually eat.
The place opens early in the morning and stays open late, with longer hours on weekends, so it fits most meal times. Only cash is accepted, so it is worth stopping at an ATM before arriving.
Despite the large portions the place is known for, the prices stay at a level closer to a neighborhood canteen than a sit-down restaurant. This combination makes it a spot where locals come on weekdays as often as families do on Sundays.
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