Located in the middle of town, Sam's Bar and Grill seems to be the Puerto Plata version of Cheers. This homey hangout is run by expats and attracts gringos from around the world. There is a rectangular bar area where you can sit right down, order a Presidente beer (the most popular local brew), and swap stories about traveling in the Dominican Republic. I happened upon a chap from Glasgow who was sporting the Rough Guide to the Dominican Republic (no foolin') and was off to search for good places for diving. I read the section about the Pico Isabel de Torres with keen interest, as I wanted to visit it the next day. The walls are filled with photos, posters and amusing caricatures of various famous and not-as famous people. There is a large world map pierced by hundreds of pins, representing the homelands of the backpacking clientele.
Sam's has a fair-sized menu of American-style food like burgers, sandwiches, pancakes, meat loaf, burritos. I wanted to show some local patriotism by ordering "la bandera", one of the national dishes of the Dominican Republic. The tasty and tender beef is marinated with green peppers and onions, and accompanied by white rice, beans, and a salad with cucumber, lettuce and tomato. The beans came in a small bowl and were very mild. There are also a few daily specials chalked upon a wallboard.
Promptly at 6 o'clock, Sam comes out and starts barking at passersby from the front door. Sam is a basset hound and the mascot of this place; there is even a small selection of souvenirs depicting the canine. Sam sat attentively next to me for awhile, hoping for a few scraps. Sam liked the rice better than the cucumber. Sam's feline friend (not credited in the name of the establishment) wandered out but did not bark or meow.
Sam's is apparently connected to the Hotel Castilla, but I unfortunately cannot make any recommendation for or against it. For what it is worth, the menu mentions that the Hotel Castilla was the first hotel in Puerto Plata when it opened in 1906. If you do stay there, at least you will have a built-in bar lounge with a smoky but friendly atmosphere.