Don Pedro’s Café and Bakery — Something For Everyone
36120 Emerald Coast Pkwy, Destin, 650-8900
By Bruce Collier November 21, 2002 Issue

I’m not sure when Don Pedro’s changed owners. I’ve eaten lunch there for a number of years, but this was my fi rst evening meal, and I was happy to see that the new owners have kept not only the name, but the same menu pretty much intact. Notably absent were the excellent fried plantains, but I didn’t ask for them specifi cally and they may be an off-themenu special item. So ask if you go. If they are ripe, and the former owners never served them unless they were, they are well worth your attention. As is the restaurant itself, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner six days of the week, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday.

The atmosphere at Don Pedro’s is pretty spare, saved from Chinese Takeout Joint Utilitarian by an abundance of bright and colorful paintings of Mexican life, and a discreet musical background that occasionally sounded like German music, but I have no ear at all. The service is casual but friendly, our young waiter’s favorite phrase being “no problem.” On the night we ate there, a large family had assembled for a birthday party. Following the family’s singing of “Happy Birthday,” several of the staffers favored the party with a Spanish song, the gist of which I think was in the same vein. This would be a good place to hold a large gathering, since the menu, though fi rmly Mexican-based, has enough variety to please just about anybody.

The waiter started us off with a basket of warm corn chips and a dish of mild salsa. We ordered Pedro’s Bullets, an appetizer otherwise known as Jalapeno Poppers, Armadillo Eggs, etc. Six jalapeno peppers stuffed with cheese are breaded, deep-fried, and served with ranch dressing.These are a good version of this popular snack, and would be good with beer, available at Don Pedro’s along with a modest selection of wines.

Other appetizer options include bean dip, guacamole, onion rings, nachos, chicken wings, fried green tomatoes, fried mushrooms, cheese sticks, and queso dip. I’ve tried many of these over the years, and am partial to the tomatoes and the mushrooms, which have always come out very hot and very crisp.

The bulk of the menu at Don Pedro’s is Mexican, in varying combinations. On tap are chimichangas, fajitas, tacos, tamales, chiles rellenos, enchiladas, quesadillas and so forth, made with beef or chicken. Seafood—fi sh and shrimp—is also available served with Mexican-style seasonings. My friend ordered cheese quesadillas with beans. The quesadillas were fi lled with yellow cheese, a mild disappointment if one is expecting the more traditional queso blanco, and served with a huge side order of refried beans. Also on the side was a small mound of lettuce and tomato “salsa,” criss-crossed with sour cream.

I ordered what I used to come here for on a regular basis—the Cuban sandwich. Don Pedro’s has always served an excellent version of this South Florida classic, and the new owners haven’t tampered with success. In case you aren’t familiar with Latin America’s answer to the po-boy, sliced garlic-roasted pork loin, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard, and sliced dill pickles are layered on chewy Cuban bread, then pressed and heated, sliced diagonally (because that’s how madre did it) and served with fries. The fries were those fat “steak fries” I’ve never particularly cared for because it’s pretty much impossible to make them crisp, and the ketchup was served in takeout packets (a puzzle), but the sandwich is the main event. It’s simple, homey and satisfying.

Also available are various sandwiches, hamburgers, and salads. You can eat light or heavy here, three meals a day.

This was a lot of carbs, as is the case with Mexican and Latino food, but we still ordered dessert. Don Pedro’s offers a number of items on the menu, and has a small selection of cakes, cookies, muffi ns, donuts, and other pastries in a display case by the cash register. The menu items were fl an, bread pudding, and a “three milk” cake. My friend ordered the cake and I chose a “fl ip” from the pastry case.

The flip was a cherry-fi lled turnover, the fl aky pastry crunchy with sugar. It’s good, and probably would be even better warmed, which I’m sure they’d do if you asked. We each took home an apple one. Strawberry is also offered, but I’d recommend the cherry.

The three-milk cake is a rich yellow cake, drenched in sweet milk, with a thick and creamy white icing. It’s moist—wet, actually—very sweet, and pairs well with strong coffee. I’ve tried the bread pudding on other occasions, and unless the new people have altered it, it too is a good bet for after dinner. We ate there on a Monday night, and the place was not terribly crowded. I know that at breakfast and lunch, however, it can get very full. On the theory that so many people can’t be all wrong, you should stop by Don Pedro’s. A glance at the menu will persuade you that they aim to please all of the people, all of the time. A Full Service Facility WE OFFER A SERVICE THAT ENHANCES YOUR LIFESTYLE Visitors Welcome 995 Airport Road destinfi tness.com 837-7300 DESTIN RACQUET & FITNESS CENTER Memberships Available