Sidewalk Expansion Project

Downtown Puerto Vallarta is undergoing a major beautification project. The sidewalk on the shop side of the boardwalk is being doubled in width and planter boxes are being added.

The sidewalk has always been too narrow for the number of people visiting downtown. Now, instead of bumping into every other person you pass you will be able to stroll comfortably while window shopping.

It will look great when it’s finished. I’d say it will all be done in about three weeks.

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.

 
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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.

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El Colera Mariscos y Micheladas, this week’s restaurant under review was a pick by Gary Beck who publishes Beck’s Best – Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Guide.

If you haven’t seen his guide before, it’s worth checking out. He has reviewed more than 360 restaurants in the Puerto Vallarta area.

The day we went to El Colera they were have their grand re-opening. The restaurant had just completed a move to a larger space and for one day they were offering everything on the menu at half-off. Word travels fast in Vallarta when there is a half-off special. The place was packed.

El Colera Mariscos y Micheladas
Type of Food: Mexican Style Seafood
Price: Inexpensive
Location: South Side on Lazaro Cardenas cross street Camichin – See map on next page

What we ate:
1 Mixed shrimp plate al ajo (garlic shrimp) and a la diabla (spicy shrimp) $90
1 Seafood salad $75

What we drank:
A couple glasses of water

Service: The service was slow and disorganized. In their defense, it was the first day in a new location and they we packed because of their half-off special. By the time you read this they should have everything sorted out.

Total cost: $165 Pesos – although we only paid $82.50 since they were having the half-off special.

Would I go back? Definitely. The food is good and prices reasonable. It has a pleasant, funky, local seafood joint atmosphere.

I ordered the shrimp plate spicy shrimp and garlic shrimp. In the picture, the portion looks modest but it’s really much larger than it looks.

If you have read some of the other seafood restaurant reviews you will see that I tend to order the same shrimp combination every time. Maybe it’s lack of imagination. Maybe it’s just a great combination.

Pickled red onions with chiles. Good stuff. You don’t get these at too many restaurants in Puerto Vallarta.

Gary’s seafood salad. A good meal if you want something that is light and fresh on a hot day. It has shrimp, octopus, scallops, tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers in a light sauce.

Watching the big game.

The El Colera Mariscos y Micheladas menu. A very typical Vallarta style seafood restaurant menu.

You can zoom in or out on the map below to find your way to the restaurant.
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Other seafood restaurants you might like:

8 Tostadas Seafood Restaurant

El Brujo Restaurant Bucerias

VallarTita Seafood Restaurant

Mauricio’s Shrimp Restaurant

Saturday night on the boardwalk, “malecon” in Spanish, is a great time to people watch and get something to eat. We went for an “elote”, grilled corn smothered in mayonnaise, cheese, lime, and chili sauce.