La Pasiva is a Montevideo institution — a no-frills parrilla chain that has been serving grilled beef to the city's residents since 1917. There are branches throughout the city but the one on Plaza Independencia is the most central and perhaps the most characterful. The menu is simple: chivito (the loaded steak sandwich that is Uruguay's national dish), beef cuts, sausages, and fried potatoes.
Order the chivito al pan — steak, ham, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo in a bread roll — and a large cold Pilsen beer. The food is consistent and affordable, the service is brisk, and the atmosphere is resolutely local. It's not the best restaurant in Montevideo, but it might be the most genuinely Uruguayan.