Best Tacos in Cabo, MZ, and PV?

[klfhngr]

In Cabo, we usually go to Tacos Paisas or Gordo Lele's. Not familiar with any places in MZ or PV, any suggestions?

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, klfhngr said:

In Cabo, we usually go to Tacos Paisas or Gordo Lele's. Not familiar with any places in MZ or PV, any suggestions?

In PV you would get lots of different options, but many would give the crown to Tacos al Pastor from Pancho Tacos.  The problem, for cruisers, is that Pancho Tacos (located in the Romantic Zone on Basillio Badillo) does not open until 6pm (closed on Sunday).   Day time is much more difficult but the various seafood tacos served at El Barracuda are quite good.  And that is a real restaurant which has tables on the beach (or inside).   It is located along the water a few blocks north of the Malecon.

 

Hank

[klfhngr]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

In PV you would get lots of different options, but many would give the crown to Tacos al Pastor from Pancho Tacos.  The problem, for cruisers, is that Pancho Tacos (located in the Romantic Zone on Basillio Badillo) does not open until 6pm (closed on Sunday).   Day time is much more difficult but the various seafood tacos served at El Barracuda are quite good.  And that is a real restaurant which has tables on the beach (or inside).   It is located along the water a few blocks north of the Malecon.

 

Hank

Awesome,. thanks Hank!

[like2cruise]

2nd vote for Gordo Lele's in Cabo!!!

[SDPadreFan]

OK, so where is this mythical Gordo Lele's you ask. Well - here you go. If you can find Giggling Marlin - turn left and one block down is Hooliganz Corner. A little wiggle to the right and follow the street. Gordo Lele's will be a tiny place on the right. Right before the Los Milagros Hotel.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/KVk9yfoSdU6CXK8F9

 

A little back story on Gordo Lele's (aka the 5th Beatle). In the early 2000's, Javier (the owner) had a place that was little more than a crack in the sidewalk down by this church. The Church (owned that tiny spot) but the pastor told him he could stay there forever. It was an extremely popular lunch spot (always a line down the sidewalk). Just his cooking area and a couple of plastic chairs on the sidewalk, and Javier loved to serenade his customers with Beatles tunes while he cooked. And he was very good (at both). Well - the old pastor retired and the new younger pastor gave Javier the boot because he wanted to open a little bookstore right there. In come the Cabo Fanatics of the TripAdvisor Cabo Forum board. They collected donations and set him up in the little shop he has today. Over the years, they've helped him do repairs to both his business and his little house. Also helped pay for some substantial medical bills. He is a well loved person. So now you know. Here is the area of the old location.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/WAxCuFMR2cmbuTtw7

 

Edited September 12, 2022 by SDPadreFan

[tonit964]

On 9/9/2022 at 10:10 AM, Hlitner said:

In PV you would get lots of different options, but many would give the crown to Tacos al Pastor from Pancho Tacos.  The problem, for cruisers, is that Pancho Tacos (located in the Romantic Zone on Basillio Badillo) does not open until 6pm (closed on Sunday).   Day time is much more difficult but the various seafood tacos served at El Barracuda are quite good.  And that is a real restaurant which has tables on the beach (or inside).   It is located along the water a few blocks north of the Malecon.

 

Hank

Hi Hank

We are going to be in Puerto Vallarta at the end of the month and are going to take a cab to the Malecon. I've done this a few times before but my DB & SIL have not.

We were looking for a lunch spot on the beach. I've been to The Blue Shrimp a few times which was good but my brother is not a big fan of shrimp. I've also been to The Sea Monkey on the beach side, it was just OK.

Any recommendations?

TIA!!

[Hlitner]

13 minutes ago, tonit964 said:

Hi Hank

We are going to be in Puerto Vallarta at the end of the month and are going to take a cab to the Malecon. I've done this a few times before but my DB & SIL have not.

We were looking for a lunch spot on the beach. I've been to The Blue Shrimp a few times which was good but my brother is not a big fan of shrimp. I've also been to The Sea Monkey on the beach side, it was just OK.

Any recommendations?

TIA!!

Tough for me since several of my favorite restaurants, on the beach, have gone out of business in the past 2 years!  The Blue Shrimp (not our hang out) has a pretty expansive menu so one does not need to eat shrimp to enjoy that place.  Daquiri Dicks (close to the Blue Shrimp) has recently reopened with a new owner and chef.  This used to be a decent place for lunch but with new ownership we cannot vouch for the place.  Online indications are pretty good.  If you walk further down the beach (to near the pier) La Palapa has a decent reputation but, like many of the beach front restaurants is somewhat expensive.  

 

As to the Sea Monkey (we live above that place) it is what it is...which is a lower priced beachfront alternative.  The Sea Monkey has decent drink prices and OK (not great) food.  It is owned by the same guy who founded the well known Cheeky Monkey (now out of business) and he believes in providing good value and fun.  Fine for nachos, tacos, etc....but not gourmet.

 

A reasonably priced beach front place with very typical Mexican cuisine is Cuates y Cuates.  Not known for gourmet food, but it would fall between the Sea Monkey and more expensive places (like the Blue Shrimp and Daiquiri Dicks) in terms of price and quality.

 

I would emphasize that PV is a real "foodie paradise" with terrific cuisine in every price category.  When you limit yourself to beachfront and lunch, the number of options quickly diminish.

 

Hank

[tonit964]

37 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Tough for me since several of my favorite restaurants, on the beach, have gone out of business in the past 2 years!  The Blue Shrimp (not our hang out) has a pretty expansive menu so one does not need to eat shrimp to enjoy that place.  Daquiri Dicks (close to the Blue Shrimp) has recently reopened with a new owner and chef.  This used to be a decent place for lunch but with new ownership we cannot vouch for the place.  Online indications are pretty good.  If you walk further down the beach (to near the pier) La Palapa has a decent reputation but, like many of the beach front restaurants is somewhat expensive.  

 

As to the Sea Monkey (we live above that place) it is what it is...which is a lower priced beachfront alternative.  The Sea Monkey has decent drink prices and OK (not great) food.  It is owned by the same guy who founded the well known Cheeky Monkey (now out of business) and he believes in providing good value and fun.  Fine for nachos, tacos, etc....but not gourmet.

 

A reasonably priced beach front place with very typical Mexican cuisine is Cuates y Cuates.  Not known for gourmet food, but it would fall between the Sea Monkey and more expensive places (like the Blue Shrimp and Daiquiri Dicks) in terms of price and quality.

 

I would emphasize that PV is a real "foodie paradise" with terrific cuisine in every price category.  When you limit yourself to beachfront and lunch, the number of options quickly diminish.

 

Hank

Thank you so much for that information, very helpful. Sad to hear Cheeky Monkey is gone. 
 

Yeah, we’re going to do the ‘ touristy’ thing and hang out at the beach. Maybe we’ll give Sea Monkey another shot. 
Thanks again for taking the time to extensively answer.

 

[Hlitner]

6 minutes ago, tonit964 said:

Thank you so much for that information, very helpful. Sad to hear Cheeky Monkey is gone. 
 

Yeah, we’re going to do the ‘ touristy’ thing and hang out at the beach. Maybe we’ll give Sea Monkey another shot. 
Thanks again for taking the time to extensively answer.

 

LOL.  Usually when we first arrive in PV (early afternoon) we get all of our stuff into our condo and then head downstairs to the Sea Monkey for some beer and nachos.  The longtime manager, Rafael, has always done a good job and we like seeing him and knowing that PV is best defined by the wonderful Mexicans that take good care of us during our too short winters.  A decent snack at the Sea Monkey gets us through until dinner time :).

 

DW has this weird hobby of sitting on our balcony, looking down at the Malecon, and picking out the cruise ship passengers by how they dress, their fanny packs. bottles of water (ridiculous in PV), etc.  It is tongue in cheek since we are also avid cruisers, but the truth is that many cruisers stand out like a dark insect on white paper!   It is a lesson we try to remember when we are cruising.

 

Hank

[tonit964]

11 hours ago, Hlitner said:

LOL.  Usually when we first arrive in PV (early afternoon) we get all of our stuff into our condo and then head downstairs to the Sea Monkey for some beer and nachos.  The longtime manager, Rafael, has always done a good job and we like seeing him and knowing that PV is best defined by the wonderful Mexicans that take good care of us during our too short winters.  A decent snack at the Sea Monkey gets us through until dinner time :).

 

DW has this weird hobby of sitting on our balcony, looking down at the Malecon, and picking out the cruise ship passengers by how they dress, their fanny packs. bottles of water (ridiculous in PV), etc.  It is tongue in cheek since we are also avid cruisers, but the truth is that many cruisers stand out like a dark insect on white paper!   It is a lesson we try to remember when we are cruising.

 

Hank

That’s funny but very accurate. We’ll be arriving via a cruise ship. We’ll try not to look too touristy. 😁

[Mike45LC]

"A reasonably priced beach front place with very typical Mexican cuisine is Cuates y Cuates. "

 

I second the recommendation for C y C. 

1.  Food and drinks are OK. 

2.  Prices are OK. 

3.  Service is OK.

4.  People watching is good. 

5.  I like the pier next to C y C. 

6.  I support C y C in gratitude because they provide the webcam!

 

[klfhngr]

Great answers and comments, thank all! So many suggestions! Wish we could try them all!

[seagunthera]

On 9/11/2022 at 4:56 PM, SDPadreFan said:

OK, so where is this mythical Gordo Lele's you ask. Well - here you go. If you can find Giggling Marlin - turn left and one block down is Hooliganz Corner. A little wiggle to the right and follow the street. Gordo Lele's will be a tiny place on the right. Right before the Los Milagros Hotel.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/KVk9yfoSdU6CXK8F9

 

A little back story on Gordo Lele's (aka the 5th Beatle). In the early 2000's, Javier (the owner) had a place that was little more than a crack in the sidewalk down by this church. The Church (owned that tiny spot) but the pastor told him he could stay there forever. It was an extremely popular lunch spot (always a line down the sidewalk). Just his cooking area and a couple of plastic chairs on the sidewalk, and Javier loved to serenade his customers with Beatles tunes while he cooked. And he was very good (at both). Well - the old pastor retired and the new younger pastor gave Javier the boot because he wanted to open a little bookstore right there. In come the Cabo Fanatics of the TripAdvisor Cabo Forum board. They collected donations and set him up in the little shop he has today. Over the years, they've helped him do repairs to both his business and his little house. Also helped pay for some substantial medical bills. He is a well loved person. So now you know. Here is the area of the old location.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/WAxCuFMR2cmbuTtw7

 

What a great story, thanks for sharing!  I just clicked on the link and according to Google, Gordo Lele's is "permanently closed"...I sure hope this is not the case. 

[SDPadreFan]

5 hours ago, seagunthera said:

What a great story, thanks for sharing!  I just clicked on the link and according to Google, Gordo Lele's is "permanently closed"...I sure hope this is not the case. 

It's possible, Javier did have some serious heart issues a few years ago that required surgery. The Cabo Fanatics from Trip Advisor helped with that too. I've been watching the Cabo forum to see if there has been any mention his status, but nothing yet.

[Lorabelle]

In PV, we like Cuates y Cuetes or Langostino's, which is right next door.  Good food, good prices.  Nothing gourmet, but solid food and the service is friendly.  Both are just a short walk to the pier, if you want to take a little stroll.  As long as you are ordering beverages throughout the afternoon, they are fine with you camping out at a table.  We usually have chilaquiles in the morning when we get there.  We have beverages throughout our stay and by lunch time we are ready to split a plate of nachos, coconut shrimp, or some tacos or something.  Note that most of the restaurants on the beach are cash only.  You can do US or Pesos.  You will typically get a better exchange by using pesos, but if you have to pay to purchase them, it may not be worthwhile, depending on how much you plan to spend in ports.

 

In Mazatlan, we like to go to Stone Island and hang on the beach mostly.  We like Lety's there, but we've hung out at many of the beachfront places there.  You have to take a ferry over, you can search this board and find the instructions.   Or if you want to follow the blue line to old town Mazatlan, there are some good places there.  If you get down there during breakfast hours, and you'd like some delicious chilaquiles head to Raices de Mar.  It's located in the Old Town Square, Plaza Machado.  They are the best I've ever had.  Delicious margaritas as well.  I've eaten at a few other places on the square that were also very good.