Dominican Restaurant Opening North Stonington, Pawcatuck Locations

STONINGTON, CT — New Dominican restaurant 809 Cafe is now open in North Stonington. A second location will be opening in Pawcatuck.

"The amount of love and passion that you can taste in the food is a testament to the devotion that Ari and Jason have for their business and very evident support by their entire family and community," The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce wrote.

Ari Smith said the Pawcatuck location will be open in about five weeks. The North Stonington restaurant at 273 Clarks Falls Road is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. 7 p.m.

Dishes on the menu include honey jerk wings, pollo guisao (chicken stew), and bistec encebollao (thin steak with onions and peppers).

"809 Cafe is the only Dominican restaurant in the area," Smith said. "The name stems from the original area code of Dominican Republic. We are a family-owned business and we all consider ourselves 'foodies.'"

He said the food is cooked fresh daily with high-quality ingredients.

"We understand the importance of excellent customer service and we want everyone to feel welcomed when they enter our restaurant," Smith said. "Our hope is that everyone leaves satisfied not only with their meal but also feeling like they are a part of our family."

He added that the North Stonington location "allows us the opportunity to cater to not only the locals but also the truckers and those travelling on 95," as they're near the first exit sign when entering Connecticut.

The Pawcatuck restaurant is also close to the Welcome to Connecticut sign.

"This location is right on the river and allows us to provide a more formal dining experience," Smith said. "While the area has some amazing restaurants, we felt there was a need for Latin cuisine and we are excited for the opportunity to provide fresh Dominican food to the community."

Check out 809 Cafe on Instagram.