Loja's central market is a lively and unpretentious place to eat. The ground floor is the food section — women behind steaming pots of caldo de gallina (chicken broth) and seco de carne (braised beef with rice) serve breakfast and lunch to a mostly local crowd. The market also stocks excellent tropical fruit from the lower valleys and potatoes and grains from the highlands above.
Go early for breakfast — from around 7am the food stalls are at their liveliest and the market is full of people coming from or going to work. Prices are very low and the food is genuine home cooking. The upper floor sells clothing, household goods, and local handicrafts.