Coconuts for Sale

The beaches in Puerto Vallarta are filled with vendors of every type of merchandise and food you could imagine: jewelry, blankets, artwork, fish on a stick, shrimp on a stick, even coconut milk.

To get the coconut milk the vendor whacks the top of the coconut off with a machete. He then pours the milk into a plastic bag and puts a straw into it so that the customer can drink it. They were charging $40 pesos for fresh coconut milk that day.

We took these pictures out in Nuevo Vallarta during Spring Break.

Here is the map to the beach.

Great Gorditas to Fill Your Stomach

Every time we go to the Soriana shopping center near Pitillal we always stop to order gorditas at Gorditas Dona Tota.

If you are not familiar with gorditas, they are thick disks made from corn meal that are split open and filled with an infinite variety of stews and shredded meats. You can find them throughout Mexico.

Gorditas Dona Tota is a franchised chain that was founded in Ciudad Victoria in the state of Taumalipas. The chain operates in almost every state in Mexico and has recently begun expansion into the U.S. Currently, they have six locations in Texas. Puerto Vallarta has only one location.

My three favorite gorditas from Dona Tota: picadillo (ground beef), carnitas en salsa verde (pork in green salsa), and rajas con queso (Poblano chile and cheese). I’m stuffed after just three.

Prices are very reasonable. Each gordita costs between $7.00 and $8.00 pesos which is about $.55 US at the current exchange rate.

The mall, where you will find Gorditas Dona Tota, is located just south of Pitillal on Francisco Villa. The mall is also home to Cinepolis, a great multiplex movie theatre that plays first-run movies in English.

View Larger Map

More Mexican Fast Food You Might Like:

Best Tacos in Puerto Vallarta

Good Street Tacos

Famous Tamales

Good Barbacoa Tacos

We had some good barbacoa tacos from the “Aqui es Tlaxcala” taco stand located on the corner of Calle Brasilia and Calle Ecuador. The stand is on the back side of the Municipal Stadium two blocks from the 8 Tostadas Restaurant. The stand is also located directly in front of my favorite tortilleria in Puerto Vallarta.

Good stuff! Makes you hungry just looking at them. Use the map below to make your way to the taco stand. You might also want to read about my favorite tacos in all of Puerto Vallarta.


View Larger Map

Free Taco Tours for VallartaBlog Readers

A good friend of mine Joel, who is my source for great taco stands, is putting together a specialty tour company to take people to see the real Puerto Vallarta.

One of the tours he is working on right now is a taco stand tour to visit some of the great taco stands around town that a visitor wouldn’t normally have the chance to try. Tacos are the heart and soul of Mexican cuisine.

To get feedback on the new tour, he is offering a free tour to two groups of VallartaBlog readers. On the tour, you will visit 4 different taco stands to try a variety of tacos. The tour lasts about 2 ½ hours.

To get an idea of the types of places you will visit, take a look at some previous posts: Tacos El Carboncito, Tacos Willie, Tacos El Grano de Oro. These aren’t necessarily the places you will visit but it gives you an idea about what to expect.

Joel is offering the free tours until February 21 to the first two groups of people who reply. If you are interested in the free tour, get in contact. Tell us when you are available and if you have any special preferences. Transportation is provided from your hotel or condo. The group limit is 4 people per tour and participants will pay for their own tacos and sodas. Everything else is included. Just to give you an idea of cost, tacos and sodas typically cost less than one dollar apiece.

The taco tour is a really cool way to see another side of Puerto Vallarta. Buen provecho!

Family Style Restaurant – Downtown Puerto Vallarta

The other day while waiting to get a haircut, I found a great little restaurant downtown, two blocks from the main plaza, called Rincon de Tlaquepaque. The sound of the sizzling grill and the amazing smell of meat and chiles pulled me right in.

Rincon de Tlaquepaque specializes in birria (stewed goat’s meat) and tortas ahogadas (drowned sandwiches). They call them drowned sandwiches because the sandwiches are smothered in salsa. Tortas ahogadas is a popular dish from Guadalajara.

I ordered the tacos de birria which were really good. Dishes made from goat’s meat are dishes that that I have to be in the mood to eat. I find the flavor can be too strong for my taste. This time the flavor was very mild.

The restaurant is not much to look at from the outside, but inside it is brightly colored and cheerful. A very typical small family style restaurant. The restaurant was spotlessly clean which is a major plus in my book.

Tacos de birria. Next time I visit, I will try the tortas ahogadas because they looked fantastic. After I finished my tacos, I nearly ordered one just to try it out, but better judgement prevailed.

Prices were reasonable. I paid $40 pesos for 3 tacos and a diet Coke.

The restaurant is easy to find. Just head South 2 blocks from the main plaza and it’s located almost on the corner of Morelos and Libertad streets.

 
View Larger Map

Another good taco place downtown.
More good tacos here.

Taqueria El Grano de Oro – Downtown Puerto Vallarta

I decided to try the Taqueria Grano de Oro, a taco stand that I had noticed a few times in passing.  It is located just behind the Mercado 5 de Diciembre downtown. Every time I passed by, it was always busy which is an excellent sign.

Picking a good taco stand really is simple. Look for a place that is consistently busy and your chances of finding good food is almost guaranteed. My technique didn’t fail me finding Taqueria El Oro Grande.

The staff was very friendly as was the owner. I was curious as to how carnitas are made and the owner graciously explained the process to me. In the photos below, you’ll see the large vats where the carnitas and chicharrones are made.

Their specialty is tacos de carnitas, which are tacos made from pork that has been deep fried in lard until the meat starts to fall apart. Carnitas tacos might not sound very good but they sure taste good.

The tacos they serve at Taqueria Grano de Oro are quite large. I ordered three tacos. I was full by the time I finished the second taco.

They make fresh tortillas on site which adds greatly to the flavor. To spice up your tacos they offer four salsas: three red salsas of varying heat, and a mild green guacamole salsa. You also get onion, cilantro, limes, and jalapenos.

Prices are very reasonable. I paid $40 pesos for three large tacos and a Diet Coke.

The owner, Antonio shows me how chicharrones are made. Pork skins are deep fried in lard and allowed to cool. The same pork skins are placed in the lard a second time which causes them to expand, blister, and become crunchy.

Freshly made chicharrones. To eat them you just grab a piece, put hot sauce on it, and take a bite.

Taqueria Grano de Oro is located on the corner of Guatemala street and Belice street in downtown Puerto Vallarta. They are open daily until 4:00pm.

View Larger Map

Starbucks Puerto Vallarta

Starbucks opened in Puerto Vallarta about two years ago with the first shop opening in the airport. Since then they have opened four more coffee shops around town. The other Starbucks are located on the main plaza downtown, Plaza Peninsula, and Galerias Vallarta – Liverpool, and the new terminal at the airport.

All of the Starbuck’s locations are popular. I would say they are even more popular with the locals than tourists.

This is the Starbucks coffee shop located on the main plaza downtown. It located in front of Los Arcos and the boardwalk and is a good place to people watch.

In case you were wondering, Starbucks serves all of the same drinks and foods that it does back home. If you have a particular favorite, you won’t be dissapointed.

Free Wi-Fi is available at all locations so that you are able to keep in touch.

Starbucks is one of the many coffee shops in Puerto Vallarta with Wi-Fi.

Charred Tomatillo Salsa

I love making salsa and one of my favorites is a charred tomatillo salsa that is really simple to make. It’s a perfect match for chips and beer on a hot humid Puerto Vallarta afternoon.

The recipe requires few ingredients and it should take you about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Salsa Ingredients:

• 1 pound of tomatillos
• 2 Serrano or jalapeno chiles with the seeds removed cut into strips
• 1 cup of coarsely chopped onions
• 1 cup of loosely packed cilantro
• 1 lime for juice
• Salt to taste
• Variation: add 2 charred cloves of garlic

The measurements are not really set in stone. You can add more chiles or onions to taste. Some extra lime juice will give the salsa a brighter sharper taste.

To make the salsa:

Place the tomatillos, chopped onions, chile strips in a preheated oiled pan to char the vegetables. Keep the heat medium high and turn the vegetables continually until they are blackened all over. Charring the vegetables really adds to the flavor.

After you have charred the vegetables, add them to the blender with the cilantro, lime juice, and salt to taste.

Blend the salsa coarsely. The salsa should have some body. You want to be able to see flecks of cilantro and bits of onion.

The finished salsa. Great stuff. I usually just make the salsa to eat with a big bowl of chips. When I am feeling more ambitious I put the salsa over a sauteed fish filet.

Two tomatillo salsa recipes you might like:

My Mexican Table Salsa Recipe

Chicken Breasts With Tomatillo Salsa Recipe Provided by Mexican Foodie

Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

Save Money on Travel to Puerto Vallarta! Learn Airfare Secrets Now!

Fajita Republic Restaurant – Old Town Puerto Vallarta

One of the restaurants we go to when we are in the mood for fajitas is Fajita Republic located on Basilio Badillo street in Old Town.

Our favorite dish is the Molcajitas – strips of beef and cheese, onion, pineapple and salsa heated in a stone molcajete. They give you a stack of flour tortillas, plus guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, rice and beans to make your own tacos. We are not real big eaters so one order is enough to feed the two of us.

This visit we decided to try something new and we ordered the Shrimp Tacos Pastor. The shrimp are covered in an adobo sauce which is a red tomato based sauce made with chipotle. Adobo can be on the spicy side but the version at Fajita Republic is tasty and mild.

Something new that they are doing is giving you a plate of nachos on the house. They have always started you off with a ton of tortilla chips and homemade salsa plus a plate of jicama sprinkled with chile powder. And, they still do, with a plate of nachos to boot.

Last March, they relocated the restaurant to the other side of the street. They kept the same menu and decor. So if you have been to Fajita Republic before and enjoyed it, you will still find it to your liking.

Service this visit was really quick and friendly, much better than our previous visits. The waitstaff puts on a good show at the tables when they serve the fajita plates flamed in tequila. I kept trying to get a picture of them in action but I was never quite quick enough.

Prices are mid-range and include chips and homemade salsa, a plate of nachos, and a plate of jicama. The Molcajitas cost $134 pesos and the Shrimp Tacos Pastor cost $128 pesos.

Fajita Republic is located at Basilio Badillo #188 in Old Town. Their telephone number is 222-3131. They Also have a location in Nuevo Vallarta at Embarcadero Centro, Paseo Cocoteros Lote 8 Villa 8. The phone number in Nuevo Vallarta is 297-2277.

View Larger Map

Another place you might enjoy in Old Town Puerto Vallarta – El Querreque Restaurant

Tamales and Atole for Breakfast

On our recent trip to San Miguel de Allende for Mexican Independence Day we stayed in a great little house in the Colonia San Antonio.

One of the best parts of our day was to pick up tamales and atole for breakfast from a family who sells them from their home just around the corner from where we stayed.

Atole is a thickened drink made with cornmeal and flavored with chocolate or fruit. We loved the guayaba flavored atole. Our favorite tamales were the rajas con queso (Poblano chile and cheese).

Both tamales and atole are good stick-to-your-ribs kind of foods perfect for the chilly San Miguel de Allende mornings.

Best Tamales in Puerto Vallarta

The absolute best tamales in Puerto Vallarta come from Tamales Maria Candelaria in Centro. If you are a fan of chef Rick Bayless you will want to try them. Tamales Maria Candelaria was one of his Puerto Vallarta picks.