My Favorite Places to Eat in The Zona Romantica in Puerto Vallarta for Breakfast, Lunch Dinner and Happy Hour

An Interview With Jose Rodriguez Owner of Vallarta’s Best Burger, Slice and Smash Burger PV

An Interview at a Favorite Vallarta Seafood Restaurant, Restaurant San Lucas

Whiskey Kitchen Moves to Zona Romantica

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Hello fellow travelers, welcome to this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler, and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, in fact my new home, and maybe even yours too and that’s Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

That music you were just listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are The Le Bistro Jazz Café, riverside on The Isla Cuale, and the La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta’s Oldest Restaurant on the famous

Los Muertos Beach, and The El Dorado Restaurant and Beach Club right next door so you can enjoy that fantastic view of the

Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors, or during the day in its grand splendor for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. Or riverside at Le Bistro, it’s so romantic, it’s so, Puerto Vallarta my friends.

This week we are going to be talking about my favorite restaurants in paradise and actually talking with a few of them. I have a lot of favorites but these are neighborhood favorites. I received a Facebook message from a listener friend, Jeff, from Kansas, and Jeff asked if I had ever compiled a top ten list of my favorite Vallarta restaurants. So, this week we are going to be talking about my top 25 restaurants in paradise and in the process we’ll be visiting a couple. One is a hamburger stand in the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood in Vallarta. It’s called Slice and Smash PV, and Jose and his crew make smashburgers and fries and pizza in

their small food cart situated right between taco carts on Calle Constitution in the heart of the Zona Romantica. It’s an award-winning burger stand as of a week or so ago and again, it’s called Slice and Smash PV. We’ll talk with the owner and creator Jose Rodriguez. In addition to Jose, I did some revisiting with my microphone.  I went to Restaurant San Lucas, not to interview a new guest like I have at least a dozen times or to have an open microphone meet and greet, although I need to do another one of those, but it was way back in August of 2019, 7 years since already since I’ve had my friend Daniel Lopez, my favorite waiter in

Puerto Vallarta talk about a favorite location of mine, Restaurant San Lucas. He’s coming up on the show.  Also, we’ll be talking with my good friend Gina Hendrix, owner of Whiskey Kitchen. Gina just moved her Southern Comfort Food bar and restaurant to a more convenient location from her now former location on Francisco Villa near Costco to the Romantic Zone, right in

Colonia Emilio Zapata. We’ll talk to her about her new space.  We have Vallarta news and more so let’s get to it and let’s see what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta the 22nd of April, 2026.

• There was a big marathon this past weekend. Many participants, like 3,000 people from all over the world. There was a very cute Event on the Isla Cuale this weekend as well, the Pata Salada Festival.
• This weekend is the Oyster Festival in Tehuamixtle, near Mayto.
• May is Pride Month
• BMX downhill racers are back in Vallarta

And if you are going to be in town on May 1^st and or the 2^nd,  the BMX Downhill racers are back. Here’s some excerpts from an article from Vallarta Online….

Vallarta Online / PUERTO VALLARTA, JALISCO – The 2026 Puerto Vallarta Downhill is gearing up to transform the steep streets of our city into a high-speed battleground. With the firm intention of solidifying the destination as a benchmark for adventure tourism, the Jalisco Ministry of Tourism and Sabino Producciones have announced the return of this spectacular competition on May 1st and 2nd, 2026.

What to expect from Downhill Puerto Vallarta 2026?

This event, considered the “Formula 1” of mountain biking (MTB), will attract approximately 20,000 spectators. It’s not just a race, but a display of technical skill where athletes descend rocky and urban terrain, overcoming natural and artificial obstacles in record time. The combination of speed and technical precision guarantees an unparalleled spectacle in the heart of Jalisco.

The setting is unbeatable. The vertical course begins on the slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains that embrace Puerto Vallarta, descending through narrow alleyways and historic staircases in the city center before culminating on the iconic Malecón . The design is the work of international experts such as Ollie Wilkins and Liam Mason, ensuring a world-class course that defies gravity overlooking the waters of Banderas Bay .

The level of competition will be extremely high, with 40 elite cyclists participating by invitation. Among the notable names are Rémy Métailler , Kilian Bron , and Mexican pride Jhony Salido .

• May 1st: Practice and track reconnaissance to adjust suspensions and track layouts.
• May 2nd: Main competition and the highly anticipated “Best Trick” on the final ramps.

And I have a link to that article from Vallarta Online, in the show notes.

Maybe find a spot along the course or head over to the Malecon where the end of the competition will be occurring and watch those daredevils slam into the bronze statues, or on the 2^nd, they will be doing tricks and I don’t know, maybe flipping over the statues…Find the information in the show notes. Thanks to Vallarta Online.

Downhill Puerto Vallarta 2026: El regreso de la adrenalina a la ciudad

Vallarta Calendar

There are tons of events happening in Vallarta it seems, like every day. You need a scorecard to keep track of it all. Hey, does anybody even know how to use a scorecard these days? Well, one way to keep track of, I’d say at least one third of all the events in town is by using The Vallarta Calendar. Just navigate your google search to www.vallartacalendar.com , bookmark it, sign up for their newsletter and keep on top of the shows, special events, meet-ups, just tons and tons of great information, at least a third of what you need to know about what’s happening in this town, that’s legal that is you will find at the Vallarta Calendar…that’s vallartacalendar.com .

Safety and Return to Normal in Puerto Vallarta

The last time we spoke we spent the whole episode talking about Vallarta’s bad day, El Dia Feo in Spanish, translated to the “The Ugly Day” in English. Black Sunday the 22^nd of February where cartel violence, a response to the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel being killed in a government run operation nearby, up in the Sierra Nevadas 60 miles south of Guadalajara.

As I noted the last time we talked, if it weren’t for the sheer number of fire damaged convenience stores, namely the OXXOs and the Kioskos all over town that most of the violence was aimed at, everything seemed normal as you walk through, and drive through the city. And today, almost 2 months following the event, it’s the same. Everything feels normal here on the ground, with the exception of the lack of tourists. It’s been reported that even after the expected influx of visitors during Easter break, that foreign tourism in Vallarta took a hit of about a 33% downturn, and basically, the uncertainty caused by the event shortened the tourist season for 2026 by about 3 months.

They have been pulling out the burnt remains of the insides of these OXXO’s and Kioskos all around town as the rebuilding process moves forward. Some of these buildings were total losses. The Kioskos especially which many of them were built with bricks, a brick veneer or red bricks themselves. The fireplace red brick kind of red. If you look at the Kiosko logo, it’s a red brick

framed sign, and like I said, lots of the buildings were built with brick walls that just crumbled from the heat of the fires. So, lots of them, and there were lots, might not end up being rebuilt. Now some of the OXXO’s that were torched were also built from

this red brick, but a bunch of them were built inside cement shells, and I’d like to think they are planning to save most of those stores. They are working on them as fast as they can as we speak.

Also the last time we talked I said I could pick up the smell of smoke at the Fit Club, the gym where I work out. Well, they solved that issue thank goodness. No smokey smell at the Fit Club. It now has my stamp of approval.

The central Farmacia Guadalajara in The Zona Romantica next to all our favorite taco stands. The big one that got torched on the 22^nd of February is being rebuilt. The roof of the building collapsed during the fire and the heat from the fire actually caused

them to have to tear down large sections of the cinderblock walls of the building which were just too compromised and crumbling from all that heat. They did manage to preserve the entire front of the building so in the end it will most likely look just the same as it did before when they do finish it in I’m guessing, 6 months from now.

The taco stands survived and they are up and running as if nothing happened even with all that construction going on behind them.

The OXXO on the corner of Insurgentes and Lazaro Cardenas, opposite the Farmacia was torched as well, and they finally have gotten to work clearing out all the burnt wreckage from the inside, and cleaning it up and working hard every day to rebuild it to proper standards. It’s a very busy corner right next to one of Vallarta’s busiest bus stops. I’ll get to buses in a minute but just so I don’t forget, the bus fares are now 11 pesos, up from 10 pesos now for the Vallarta city buses as well as the Mismaloya Boca Bus. 11 pesitos. That’s about 60 cents US.

And speaking of rebuilding the Farmacia Guadalajara I got an email from Lori who didn’t say where she was from, but she wasn’t happy with me regarding my coverage of the events of the 22^nd of February, the day they call Black Sunday or El Dia Feo, when the cartel came to town. Here’s her email….

Just read your blog….my husband (who has parkinson’s) and I were in the middle of this war…we stay in the bldg right beside the Guadalajara Farmacia…we had to evacuate with the clothes we had on, meds, passports and run to safety as the Farmacia went up in smoke. There were 22 of us…not too mention pple from tropicus. People who poo poo this as nothing makes me angry…we were in survival mode…it was like a war zone…if you really want to know what happened with pics…let me know

Well, I wrote Lori back and invited her to write to me about her story so I could read it to you and so far, I haven’t heard back from her, but I do see her point. That pharmacy fire was a biggie. And the Hotel Tropicus that she is referring to is right above that OXXO that I was just talking about on the corner of Insurgentes and Lazaro Cardenas. It must have been very frightening for them. We’ll see if I hear back from Lori.

Mirador de la Cruz, Painted

Speaking of the BMX Races coming back to Puerto Vallarta, last month the city sponsored a big clean up job where that big event will be starting, up at the Cross on the hill above downtown Puerto Vallarta. The city arranged a painting party. The scraping of old chipping paint and graffiti and then a coat of white paint. The location is called La Mirador de La Cruz, and it was a

big project. If you’ve done the walk to the cross since they built the stairway up from the street and the observation tower at the top, you know how big that structure is. We used lots of white paint. And the result looks awesome. The painting party that Saturday lasted most of the day. I got up there at the break of dawn, 7 In the morning and worked for about 5 hours before I threw in the towel. I put some before and after photos of that job well done in the show notes.

Now, the city stayed on the project for almost a week after that Saturday, they were sanding and painting the corroding handrails, along the stairway and doing all the white paint touch-up.

If you can, this would be a good time to hike up there and see the great job before some knuckle head messes it up. The weather is still cool enough to make the climb bearable.

Vallarta International Friendship Club Home Tour

We went on a home tour put on by the Vallarta International Friendship Club. This was the second time Debbie, and I had taken the tour, and it was a lot of fun. We invited a couple of friends, listeners of the show Eric and Amy from Minnesota to come along. Well, they took us to breakfast at Le Bistro and we reciprocated with the tour. The tours are guided, bus transportation provided, the guides are friendly, really sweet, they are International Friendship Club members, and they volunteer to be tour guides and give these home tours to those who sign up and pay to take the tours. Most of the proceeds, all except for the rental of the tour bus go directly to fund many of the Friendship Club’s projects, but their main thrust is the money they raise to perform cleft palate surgery for those in need in Puerto Vallarta. They have a number of these cleft palate clinics every year and

they treat dozens of these youngsters. They really are an amazing group. There’s lots of benefits to joining the Friendship Club. You don’t have to be a member to go on one of these home tours, but you do get a little discount if you are. Look into it, I’ll have a link in the show notes to the interview I had with David Lightstone and Peggy Nelson, the club president of the International Friendship Club in Puerto Vallarta in the show notes, and they will fill you in on all the things the Friendship Club does for the good people of Puerto Vallarta.

Now this was the last of their tours for the season, but I want to urge you to make plans to take this home tour the next time you are in Vallarta. They begin again in December and end in March. There’s a lot of walking and just as many stairs in these lovely villas, so comfortable clothes, and shoes are a must. And if you have any mobility issues, this is not the tour for you with all that walking and climbing. Just a heads up. Oh, and I met a really nice guy on the tour who came up to me and said he was a listener to the show, and I’d love to say hi to him, but I can’t for the love of Vallarta I can’t remember his name or where he said he was from. But I’d really like to hear from you, listener dude. Send an email to  puertovallartatravelshow@gmail.com, and remind me, so I can thank you personally the right way on the next show. Thanks for telling me you were a listener. It means a lot to me, my friend.

Act2PV Summer Series

We went to Act 2 for two shows they were putting on during the low season, and it was free entrance to their late afternoon performances, meaning 5ish. Right now they have The Greatest Show on Earth and a Broadway Musical Tribute Show called The Best of Broadway. It’s free entry meaning a two-drink minimum. Drinks were very reasonably priced, and both were almost sold out. You need to follow Act 2 PV on Facebook to be alerted and make reservations online for sure. Both, as I said, were sold out. It’s free, it’s entertaining and it’s air conditioned. What more could you ask for?

We have lost a couple of friends of the show over the last few months. One was Jorge from Jorges Hideaway and Shrimp Shack. Jorje passed away suddenly back in December, and it was a great shock. His whole family has picked up the reins and continues his legacy in his honor. Make sure to support them and put them on your list of must visit restaurants when you return to Vallarta, or if you live here, get back and enjoy their delicious menu. I’ll put a link to my interview with Jorge I did back in March of 2019 as well as contact information for Jorge’s Hideaway and Shrimp Shack in the show notes.

Also, I was sad to see that Leo, a long-time bartender at Gringo Loco passed away. He had gone home to Holland in February for treatment for cancer, and he passed away surrounded by his family end of March. I don’t know how old he was but seemed like a young guy. Eff cancer.

Speaking of getting out and doing things, we took the Daytime tour on the Pirate Ship the Marigalante II. I’ll give you my opinion and my wife’s opinion, next week. Stay tuned.

Right now, we need to get to those interviews and restaurants.

My Favorite Go-to Restaurants and Taco Stands in my Neighborhood Zona Romantica in Puerto Vallarta

I received a message from my Facebook friend and listener to the podcast, Jeff from Mound Valley Kansas, and he asked me if I have a Top 10 list of go-to restaurants I could share, and of course I never put one together because there are so many restaurants that we just love. And there’s more than 10. There’s like almost 30. Now you will notice that most of our favorite places are either in the Zona Romantica, Downtown Vallarta, El Centro, or Cinco de Diciembre. And that’s because we have no car. So, we walk almost everywhere. From our apartment to the famous church, the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe it’s about a kilometer. To Cinco de Diciembre it’s about a mile and a half. So, we are a little biased just because of our geographic situation. I mean we take taxis and Ubers and occasionally a public bus, but the reason these are our favorites has a lot to do with their location, they are within walking distance from our home. And while you are in Puerto Vallarta, if you are staying anywhere close to these eateries, you can’t go wrong trying any one of these places.

I’m putting these restaurants and taco carts in no special order. I’m also going to sprinkle in those interviews I mentioned at the beginning of the podcast while I go through these favorites of mine.

Whiskey Kitchen in Zona Romantica Puerto Vallarta

I want to bring in our first interview. I’ve had Gina Hendrix from Whiskey Kitchen on the podcast on several occasions. The last time we visited with her she had moved from her Conchas Chinas location, to her location on the outskirts of Colonia Versalles on Francisco Villa. Well as I mentioned, she has moved again and this time to the Zona Romantica right on the Rio Cuale. Now

that she is so close I can add her to my locations for my open microphone meet and greets during her happy hours. That can be dangerous, she makes a mean margarita and whiskey sour and for a good price but it’s a family show. She has an air-conditioned

space now too which makes it super comfortable for meet and greeters. We’ll see. Let’s go right now to Insurgentes 108 inside The Joint Botique Hotel, and chat with Gina Hendrix about the move and her new location in Zona Romantica it’s Whiskey Kitchen, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

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Thank you Gina. I have all the links and maps and even pictures of the inside and outside of the new Whiskey Kitchen inside the Joint Boutique Hotel riverside in Zona Romantica, in the show notes.

Contact Information For Whiskey Kitchen Puerto Vallarta in The Joint Botique Hotel

• Address: 108 Calle Insurgentes (inside the Joint Boutique Hotel), Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• Phone: +52 1 322 152 1444
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/whiskeykitchenversalles

Pig Out Groceries Puerto Vallarta Contact Information

Website For Pig Out Groceries Puerto Vallarta

 

Before I get to my list of go-to-spots I want to put in a disclaimer. I’ve done over 265 episodes of the podcast and I’ve probably interviewed at least 100 restaurateurs. And I recommend each and every one of them. That’s why I did the interview in the first place. So you can go back through 10 years of podcasts of mine, and if that restaurant is still open, because running a restaurant, especially in Mexico, but anywhere is hard and not all restaurants survive. Restaurants like the Ocean Grill, Chenandos, Azul Bistro, Bario Bistro, Kaiser Maximillian, Café des Artistes, Archies Wok, Andale’s, Barcelona Tapas, Cuates y Cuetes, Gina’s Whiskey Kitchen. Seems like there’s hundreds. All these restaurants are favorites of mine.  If I’ve been there, I’d eat there, and highly recommend it.

This list should be called My Favorite Munchies Mexican Style Restaurants, Taco Carts, two Breweries, and Wok and a Burger Stand in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. In fact, I’m going to do just that because it really does go like that. You’ll see what I’m talking about.

I’ll be giving you the names of the places, the address, and why I like the restaurant so much. I’ll even throw in a few of my favorite dishes if we have time. I’ll put in link to our interview if we did one in the past in the show notes as well, so let’s go.

By the way, if any of you want this list you can go to the show notes for this episode or send me an email to PVtravelshow@gmail.com and I’ll send it to you.

Happy Hour Restaurants

Los Muertos Brewing

El Granero

First of all, I want to share our two favorite Happy Hour Restaurants and they are related. One is Los Muertos Brewery, and the other is El Granero, also a brewery. They are built and run by Conner and Stefanie Watts. He and his wife Stefanie are from Colorado.

Los Muertos Brewing is located at Lazaro Cardenas 302 at Constitution, and El Granero is literally just around the corner at Francisco I. Madero 333.

Speaking of award winners, Gina Congratulations on your We Are Puerto Vallarta Award for Best Restaurant in Versalles, Los Muertos Pizza won first place in the best pizza in Vallarta in the latest We Are Puerto Vallarta Awards. So congratulations are in

order for the crew. Both locations have pizza and beer although only at Los Muertos do they serve the pizza by the slice.  Both Los Muertos Brewing and El Granero only serve the beers they brew. Artisanal beers, IPA’s, Stouts, ales, lagers. They have all the brewing production for both restaurants, over at El Granero.

They both have happy hours every day, but they are staggered. El Granero has their happy hour from 1 in the afternoon till 5. Los Muertos has their happy hour from 4 till 6 in the afternoon. During happy hour they offer any of their beers, a pint, not a 12 ounce beer, but a 16-ounce beer. A pint of artisanal beer for 45 pesos. That’s about $3 US. A 12 ounce Pacifico, Modelo, Corona will cost you that much at most Vallarta restaurants and bars. It’s a great deal.

The menus differ between El Granero and Los Muertos, but the pizzas are the same. Los Muertos has great sandwiches and salads. Wings, typical bar food. Our favorite pizza is their La Petrona with bacon, goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes and spinach. Delish.  El Granero has birria which they use in several dishes where Los Muertos doesn’t. I really like their pork belly tacos at

Granero. Both places have TV’s that play sports of all sorts. El Granero is air conditioned and Los Muertos is open air and not air conditioned. Los Muertos has a lunch special from 1 till 5, a slice of pizza, a side salad or fries and a pint of beer for 115 pesos or about $6.75 US. They also have a branch out where Gina used to be on Francisco Villa where they have the happy hour special, same hours, 4-6 as the Lazaro Cardenas Branch in the Zona Romantica.

Those are my two happy hour picks. I’ll hunt down Conner to tell us about their menus and their secret specials really soon.

Los Muertos Brewing Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Lazaro Cardenas 302, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• Phone: 322 222 0308
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/losmuertosbrewing
• Website: https://losmuertosbrewing.com/

El Granero Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Francisco I. Madero 333, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• Phone: 322 274 9959
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/elgraneropv
• Website: https://granero.com.mx/

Breakfast Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta

Breakfast is still the most economical meal of the day in Puerto Vallarta, as long as you stay away from the firewater. If you can wait till lunch for your first pour, you’re golden. Now as far as breakfast spots in paradise, there’s just so many great ones to choose from but quickly there’s

Mi Café

Located at Francisco I Madero 505 Zona Romantica

Mi Café has been one of my favorites for years. Their French toast is the best in town, bar none. They make it from a cinnamon

roll recipe. Everything, everything on their menu is delicious. For lunch they have a killer hamburger on a bagel bun. Mind-blowing. It’s air conditioned too.

Conatct Information for Mi Cafe Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Francisco I Madero 505 , Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• Phone: 323 450 4931
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DeliMiCafe

Soco’s Place

Soco’s Place is just down the street from Mi Café at Fco. I. Madero #453.

Everything on Soco’s menu is delicious. They specialize in authentic Mexican dishes. I love their enfrioladas, their pancakes and their chilaquiles. They serve breakfast and lunch. I’d say a great value as well.

Contact Information For Soco’s Place Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Fco. I. Madero #453 Col. Emiliano Zapata. , Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• Phone: 322 352 6038
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/socosplace

La Palapa

La Palapa is located right on Los Muertos Beach at Púlpito 103 Col. Emiliano Zapata.

La Palapa is just a classy spot. Get a table with your feet in the sand or up in their lovely restaurant. Tablecloths and fine

stemware. A view of the Los Muertos Pier. The waves crashing. The bathng beauties, the whole nine yards. Their breakfasts are extremely reasonable as long as you keep away from the booze. My favorite dish is their crab cake eggs benedict. So good.  It’s so

romantic, it’s so Puerto Vallarta, my friends.

Contact Information For La Palapa Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Púlpito 103 Col. Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48390
• Phone: 322 222 5225
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/lapalapapv
• Website: https://www.lapalapapv.com/

Sticking with oceanside dining we have…

Vitea Oceanfront Bistro

Vitea Oceanfront Bistro is located at Malecon y Libertad 2

As the address suggests it’s right on the Malecon, the newly refurbished Malecon Extension. You can dine on the Malecon in front of the restaurant or inside their air-conditioned space. Their breakfast menu is chock full of great dishes but my favorite is their Huevos Borracho’s.

Contact Information For Vitea Oceanfront Bistro in Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Malecon y Libertad 2, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48300
• Phone: 442 748 7497
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ViteaVallarta

Heading Riverside I really enjoy

Le Bistro Restaurant Isla Cuale

Le Bistro Restaurant Isla Cuale is located at Isla Rio Cuale 16-16A in Puerto Vallarta.

Le Bistro is a very beautiful restaurant located on the Isla Cuale which looks beautiful by the way. Classy setting and upscale dining experience without breaking the budget. Just remember to stay clear of the alcoholic beverages. Open air, not air conditioned.

Contact Information For Le Bistro Restaurant Isla Cuale in Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Isla Rio Cuale 16-16A, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• Phone: 322 223 4598
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556660520540

Casa Nicole

Casa Nicole is a sweet little restaurant located at Pino Suárez 203, Col. Emiliano Zapata

They have outdoor seating in a lovely courtyard, or indoor air-conditioned seating as well. Great staff and really good food. I’ve not had a bad meal there.

Contact Information for Casa Nicole in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: Pino Suárez 203, Col. Emiliano Zapata , Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• Phone: 322 223 2444
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CasaNicoleRestaurante
• Website: https://hotelcasanicole.com/restaurant/

Meno’s Place

Menos Place serves Traditional Mexican Food with a view in Cinco de Diciembre. We love their breakfasts. Their pancakes are the best.

 

Contact Information For Menos Place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: Calle Honduras 348 Col. 5 de diciembre Puerto Vallarta Jalisco Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48350
• Phone: 322 222 7549
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/menosplace

Fredy’s Tucan

There are 2 locations…one in Zona Romantica at Basilio Badillo 245, and the other in Colonia Fluvial at Av. Los Tules 250.

What can I say about Fredy’s but he’s been doing great breakfasts in Vallarta for over 30 years. The original Zona Romantica location was recently remodeled and it looks great. Both locations are air conditioned, both open for breakfast and lunch.

Contact Information for Fredy’s Tucan in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: Basilio Badillo 245, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380 and the other in Colonia Fluvial at Av. Los Tules 250, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48312
• Facebook Page for Fredy’s Tucan Zona Romantica: https://www.facebook.com/fredystucanzonaromantica
• Facebook Page for Fredy’s Tucan Fluvial: https://www.facebook.com/fredystucanfluvial

Restaurant San Lucas

Moving from breakfast let’s talk lunch and dinner and that brings me to Restaurant San Lucas. Located at 355  Calle Lázaro Cárdenas, Puerto Vallarta

Restaurant San Lucas is a great space right in the middle of town. On the second floor with an open-air view overlooking one of the busiest intersections in the Romantic Zone you can dine on the freshest seafood and drink some of the tastiest punch

packing margaritas in town. As I said at the beginning of the podcast it’s been since August of 2019 since I interviewed Daniel

about Restaurant San Lucas, and since that time I’ve interviewed lots of my guests on that second floor over the years because it’s such a great space and the acoustics are perfect for this show. Real Vallarta, you know? So, let’s go back and talk with Daniel

Lopez for a reminder of what to expect when you come to one of my favorites for lunch or dinner. So let’s go right now to 355 Calle Lázaro Cárdenas and visit with Daniel Lopez and a new face you’ll see when you visit next, Franco. It’s Restaurant San Lucas, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Listen to the Podcast

Thank you so much Daniel and Franco. The food is absolutely puro Vallarta. I have all their links and contact information in the show notes.

Contact Information For Restaurant San Lucas in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: 355  Calle Lázaro Cárdenas, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• Phone: 322 418 0547
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/restaurantsanlucas

Let’s go to my favorite Tacos stands and Traditional Mexican Food

Don Chava Taqueria Cantina

Don Chava just moved to this new location at Venustiano Carranza 212 from their original place on Lazaro Cardenas. Upscale

taqueria with pastor tacos, alambres, Volcans, quesadillas, queso fondido, guacamole, nachos, great salsas, in my opinion. My wife loves their stuffed potato. Full bar, it’s a lovely new restaurant. And I’ll be interviewing  Natalie and Channan about the

move they made of their two restaurants Don Chava and Tre Piatti, next week.

Contact Information For Don Chava Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Venustiano Carranza 212, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/donchavapuertovallarta
• Don Chava Website

Sonorita Tacos Al Pastor

Sonorita Tacos Al Pastor is located at  Pino Suarez #232 in Olas Altas. This place is Don Chava on steroids. Always busy, noisy and smokey from all the grilling of meats they do. Tacos, quesadillas, alambres, baked stuffed potatos, more Mexican favorites. They serve breakfast and dinner at Sonarita. Full bar. My favorite dish here is their Prime Rib Tacos. So good!

Contact Information For Sonorita Tacos Al Pastor Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: Pino Suarez #232, Col. Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48351
• Phone: 322 159 3478
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SonoritaOA

Tacos de Birria Alex

Tacos de Birria Alex is a taco stand located at C. Matamoros 845, in el Cerro. It’s a contender for the best birria tacos in Vallarta. Their specialty is tacos de birria and their consume rivals the best as well. You can eat outside on the curb or if you’re lucky you will find a seat inside the small restaurant.

Contact Information For Tacos de Birria Alex in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: 48304, C. Matamoros 845, Cerro, 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Jal
• Phone: +523222230844

Tacos de Birria El Banquito

Tacos de Birria El Banquito is located on libertad 187 centro Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta Centro and as the name suggests, it’s is also a great birria place. They have everything Mexican. Tacos, burritos, quesadilla, tortas, gorditas, sopes. Tino makes a

great consume and some really spicy salsas too. Very economical. Sit in his dining area or take out. Fans, no aire.

Contact Information For Tacos de Birria El Banquito Puerto Vallarta

• Address: libertad 187 centro Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta Centro, Mexico, 48300
• WhatsApp: +52 1 322 141 2301
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054633181315

Tacos de Mariscos Garlapago

My favorite mariscos or seafood taco stand is Tacos de Mariscos Garlapago located on the corner of Jacarandas and Venustiano Carranza in Zona Romantica. The chef there is a brujo. They don’t do English very well, but they’ll work with you. The dishes are gourmet. Cheap but awesome. He even has bacon. Trust me, go there. I take home tacos de pescado y camaron capiados at least once a week if I don’t have time to sit at the cart and watch the chef work his magic.

Contact Information for Tacos De Mariscos Garlapago Tacolini

• Address: C. Jacarandas 325, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal.
• Phone: +523222945460

I love a good burger and I mean, who doesn’t. After all that Mexican food you need a break and there’s an award winning smash burger stand sitting between a couple of taco stands in Zona Romantica called

Slice and Smash PV.

Slice and Smash is located at Calle Constitution and I Madero. It’s become my favorite hamburger spot since I moved to Paradise a year and a half ago so I was so happy to get an opportunity to catch Jose Rodriguez, the owner and creator of Slice and Smash

PV in a quiet moment at the hamburger stand after they won their We Are Puerto Vallarta first place award for best hamburger in Vallarta. Let’s find out more about him and about his stand where he makes his smash burgers and pizza too. Let’s go to Calle

Constitution and I. Madero in Zona Romantica, and meet Jose de Jesus Rodriguez Orozco, Jose, at Slice and Smash PV in Puerto Vallarta Mexico.

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Thank you so much Jose. Your food is off the hook my friend. A very talented chef indeed. Great staff.

I have all his information in the show notes.

Contact Information For Slice and Smash PV

• Address: Calle Constitucion s/n Col. Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• WhatsApp: +52 1 322 263 8819
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559059764193

Okay, let’s round off my list. I’ll make this quick but if you want this list emailed to you just send me an email to pvtravelshow@gmail.com, and I’ll happily get this list off to you right away.

Martini En Fuego

Martini En Fuego is located at Francisco I. Madero 260 ,right around the corner from Slice and Smash as a matter of fact.

Lovely sit-down restaurant. Tablecloths. Very attentive staff. Seafood, steaks, imaginative Mexican dishes. Tell the owner

Roberto that I sent you and he will take good care of you. A tip, don’t order a salad, get an appetizer instead. They’ll be serving you a complimentary Cesar salad before your meal.

Contact Information for Martini en Fuego Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: Francisco I. Madero 260, Col. Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MartinienFuego

Next, our favorite Take Out restaurants in Vallarta are..

The Romantic Wok

The Romantic Wok is located at Jacarandas 322 in Zona Romantica

They have a few tables to sit at, but we prefer to bring this deliciousness home or to Pinocchio Bar where they have no food, but encourage you to bring your own food, as long as you are drinking, and why not? They have sports and music videos on TV to eat and drink to. We order two dishes to share and we have enough left over for lunch the next day.

Contact Information For The Romantic Wok in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: Calle Jacarandas 322, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48380
• WhatsApp: +52 1 322 262 7418
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555193754125

Ricas Tostadas y Baratas, Recomendadas or Mr. Barracuda

On Google maps this place is called Ricas Tostadas y Baratas, Recomendadas. I call it Mr. Barracuda a name I learned from a gal I interviewed at a meet and greet.  They are always busy You’ll see it before you get there because of the people waiting and eating on the street.

It’s on the corner of Matamoros and Gurrero.  Mr. Barracuda makes tostadas de Ceviche de pescado, camarones and pulpo tostadas and cocktails.

We buy a liter of their ceviche de pescado to go and they pack it all up with tostadas, and salsas, a bag of salsa cruda with fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, serrano and habanero chilis and cilantro, an avocado and limes. Easily a meal for 4 for about 350 pesos. So fresh, because they sell a lot of it. You’ll see it’s so good. Eat it fast. You will, but that stuff don’t hang around longer than 2 days. It’s so good and good for you. You can always eat on the street with la gente for about 20 or 25 pesos a tostada. It’s always crowded for a reason. Go.

Contact Information for Ricas Tostadas y Baratas, Recomendadas or Mr. Barracuda

• Matamoros and Guerrero in Centro Puerto Vallarta

Last on our take home meal list is

El Pechugon

El Pechugon is our rotisserie chicken take home spot. Not to be confused with the Pollo Feliz right down the street were they grill their chicken El Pechugon is cheap and tasty. It’s not your big pumped-up hormone-injected Costco super chicken. It’s more like your typical driveway chicken, but large enough for two meals for 2. The trick is to get there late in the day when all the

chickens have been cooked to a crisp. No newly attached skewer of raw chicken dripping on the fully cooked chickens below. No. Wait till they’re all nice and dark. I ask for the chicken whole. Entero in Espanol. That way I get the whole bird and he’s not using his knives and scissors he’s used all day to cut up the bird which may be dirty. They have delicious baby potatoes that have been dripped on and cooking all day. Those too are best at the end of the day. My wife loves their macaroni salad and I love their tacos. More like taquitos filled with chicken and I think, refried beans. 6 for 60 pesos. So Good.

Pitillal Favorite Restaurants

We spend a lot of time in Colonia El Pitillal because our best friends Ray and Deb from Canadia live in Piti City, and at the moment, we are house watching for them while they do the grandparenting thingy with their two sweet grand daughters in Alberta. We water plants and open the house up, make sure nobody has moved in while they are out of town. You know. And we have become very fond of several restaurants if you ever venture that way. One is called

Volver al Taco

Volver Al Taco is located near the church at Independencia 252, Centro Pitillal, 48290 Puerto Vallarta, Jal.

My favorite dish there is the Torta Ahogada. Debbie loves their enchiladas Suissas. Economical and every dish is delicious. There’s space on the upper floor if it’s crowded on the street level.

Contact Information For Volver Al Taco in Colonia El Pitillal Puerto Vallarta

• Address: Independecia 252,centro Pitillal, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48290
• Phone: 322 320 1637
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057067345342

Menudoria y Birria Manolo

Also, a few blocks from the church in Pitillal. A lovely big open air restaurant where they sell birria, but also asada, mushrooms, cicharones. Tacos, quesadillas sopes. Great salsas. Attentive staff. No alcohol. Economical.

Contact Information for Menudoria y Birria Manolo

• Address: Av. Revolución #619 Colonia Coapinole , entre Juárez y guerrero , Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48290
• Phone: 322 403 7923
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/p/Birrieria-Manolo-100057768395172/

Birriería Robles “El Lic” in Pitillal

Birreria Robles has a restaurant right behind the big church in Pitillal. The food is delicious but a bit more expensive that the first two Pitillal restaurants, but you pay for the atmosphere here. They have both goat and beef birria you can choose from with all the Mexican favorites. I have links and maps and contact information for all of these restaurants in the show notes.

Contact Information for Birriería Robles “El Lic” in Pitillal

• Address: Hidalgo 200-Local A, Centro Pitillal, 48290 Puerto Vallarta, Jal.
• Phone: 322 171 7957
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/p/Birrieria-Robles-100064545412441/

 

Date Night Restaurants

Speaking of atmosphere here’s a short list of Date Night restaurants. This will be quick. These are all my wife’s favorites

Tony’s Please

Tony’s Please is located at Lazaro Cardenas 440 Col. Emiliano Zapata 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Mexico

Tony has tablecloths, linen napkins, chips and salsa, my wife loves the pepper steak and linguini and loves Tony. Nice Mexican Style cooking. Full Bar. Air-conditioned.

Contact Information for Tony’s Please in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: Lazaro Cardenas 440 Col. Emiliano Zapata 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Mexico
• Phone: 322 109 4644
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100034193817094
• Website: https://restaurantwebexperts.com/tonysrestaurant/

Café des Artistes

Cafe des Artistes is located at Guadalupe Sánchez 740, Centro, 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Jal.

Although the indoor part of this restaurant is beautiful and comfortable my wife will only go to Café des Artistes during the cooler months when the garden is open. The space is breathtaking. She loves the roaming violinist who syncs up with a pianist inside the restaurant as the violinist stops and plays at each table. Such beautiful romantic music.

The food is out of this world. The dishes are works of art and need to be photographed before you dig in. The deserts are special as well and if you have a birthday or anniversary to celebrate, you might do well to let them know so they can do something special for you.

Contact Information For Cafe Des Artistes Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: Guadalupe Sánchez 740, Centro, 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Jal.
• Phone: 322 226 7200
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cafedesartistes
• Website: https://www.cafedesartistes.com/

My last date-night restaurant is

Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar Puerto Vallarta

Old style Vallarta décor, right next to the famous church, a menu packed full of traditional Mexican Cuisine and attentive service by their well-trained staff Gaby’s won’t disappoint and won’t break the bank. They have a full bar, and Chef Julio does a great

cooking class you should sign up for during the day. Dependably good traditional Mexican food. And it’s romantic.

Contact Information For Gaby’s Restaurant and Bar in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: Mina 252, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 48300
• Phone: 322 222 0480
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/gabysrestaurantpv

Calmate Cafe Puerto Vallarta

I want to round off my favorite quick munchie reviews with a favorite restaurant of the guy who is responsible for this topic, listener Jeff who’s favorite Vallarta eatery is Calmate Cafe, in Cinco de Diciembre.

Calmate Cafe has an imaginative menu with twists on chilaquiles, they do wraps and bowls and omelets and tacos and pancakes. They’re open 8 to 4 and Debbie and I agree with you Jeff. Great spot and I’ve added Calmate Café to our list. Thank you for the question and the suggestion, Jeff.

Contact Information For Calmate Cafe in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Address: Honduras 218, 5 de Diciembre, 48350 Puerto Vallarta, Jal.
• Phone: 322 365 1557
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/somoscalmate

I have all these suggestions in the show notes, the contact information and links to their social media.

Ok, that should do it for this week, next week, stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more.  Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message.

And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and follow share with a lover of Puerto Vallarta or give me a good review wherever or however you happen to be listening. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven’t been to my website, you really need to have a look there.  I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blogposts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven’t already all-right? All right.

Thanks to Gina Hendrix from Whiskey Kitchen PV now in their new location inside the Joint Boutique Hotel in Zona Romantica. Great food and drinks, Thanks to Daniel Lopez and Franco at Restaurant San Lucas, my little oasis in Puerto Vallarta. And thanks to Jose Rodriguez from Slice and Smash PV, the award winning burger stand nestled between taco stands on the streets of Puerto Vallarta. Smashburgers, fries and pizza sitting on a stool around the burger stand in paradise. You can’t get better than that.

And thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos.

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