La Casona del Camba
La Casona del Camba celebrates eastern Bolivian culture from a converted colonial-style house on Calle Cristobal de Mendoza in Equipetrol. The name translates roughly to 'The Camba's House,' using the local term for people from the Santa Cruz lowlands. The interior keeps the house's original structure: multiple rooms with different atmospheres, a large central courtyard open to the sky, and a covered outdoor patio that's the most popular seating area. The kitchen serves traditional cruceno dishes including majadito (rice with dried meat), locro carretero (beef and rice stew), and masaco (mashed plantain with cheese). A full bar operates alongside the restaurant, and live music on weekends brings folk groups and contemporary cruceno musicians to a small stage near the courtyard. The crowd ranges from families at dinner to groups of friends staying for drinks after the food is cleared. It's one of the few Equipetrol venues where the food matters as much as the drinking.
What to Expect
Walking through the entrance feels like entering someone's large, welcoming home. The courtyard is open to the warm night air, strung with lights that give everything a golden glow. Families and couples eat at tables inside while groups gather on the patio with beers. When the live music starts, the atmosphere shifts from restaurant to social gathering. The food arrives in generous portions, the drinks are honest, and the whole place smells like grilled meat and tropical air.
Warm, cultural, and social. A venue that feels proudly cruceno rather than generically international.
Live cruceno folk music on weekends, background cumbia and tropical music on other nights
Casual to smart casual. This is a restaurant-bar hybrid, so everything from nice jeans to a sundress fits in. Less formal than the clubs.
Travelers wanting to experience cruceno culture through food and music. Groups who want dinner and drinks in the same venue. A solid early-evening spot before heading to the clubs.
Cash (Bolivianos) and cards accepted. Card machine reliable.
Price Range
Food 35-80 BOB, beer 12-20 BOB, cocktails 30-50 BOB, no cover, live music nights no additional charge
Food ~$5.07-11.60 USD / ~4.65-10.60 EUR, cocktails ~$4.35-7.25 USD / ~4-6.65 EUR
Hours
Daily 11 AM to midnight, Fri-Sat until 1 AM
Insider Tip
Arrive before 9 PM on weekends to get an outdoor patio table. The majadito is the signature dish; order it. Live music starts around 9:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. The courtyard seating is best for both atmosphere and catching the breeze.
Full Review
La Casona del Camba stands out in Equipetrol because it's not trying to be a club, a lounge, or a copy of something from another city. It's unambiguously cruceno, from the food to the music to the architectural style. The converted house creates a layout that other venues can't replicate: you move between rooms with different energy levels, settling in the courtyard for the live music or retreating to a quieter indoor table for conversation.
The food is the anchor. The majadito is the dish that defines eastern Bolivian cuisine, and La Casona's version is rich, well-seasoned, and arrives in portions that leave you full. The locro carretero is a hearty stew that's perfect before a night of drinking. Prices are reasonable even by Santa Cruz standards: a full meal runs 40-80 BOB per person.
The live music on weekends is genuinely good. Local folk groups perform songs that are sentimental, rhythmic, and distinctly regional. The audience knows the words and sings along during popular numbers. For foreign visitors, it's a window into a cultural identity that isn't well-known outside Bolivia.
The transition from restaurant to bar happens naturally. Around 10 PM the dinner tables clear, the drinks flow faster, and the courtyard becomes a social space. The crowd shifts younger as the night progresses. By 11 PM it functions more as a bar than a restaurant, though the kitchen keeps serving until close.
Compared to the club-oriented venues on Avenida San Martin, La Casona del Camba offers cultural depth. It's the place to start an evening in Equipetrol, combining a meal, live entertainment, and drinks before moving to the louder options.
The Neighborhood
La Casona del Camba sits on a side street off Avenida San Martin, within the Equipetrol entertainment zone. The main club strip is a five-minute walk. Several other restaurants line the same block, giving you options if La Casona is full. Hotels in Equipetrol are within easy taxi range.
Getting There
A radio taxi from the city center costs 20-35 BOB. Within Equipetrol, it's walkable from the main avenue during early evening hours. Look for the colonial-style facade on Calle Cristobal de Mendoza. The venue is popular enough that taxi drivers know it by name.
Address
Calle Cristobal de Mendoza, Equipetrol, Santa Cruz
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Jockey Club
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Clapton Blues Bar
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