With the temperature continuing to rise, (89.6°F in the house with 78% humidity,) I find myself less and less inclined to cook. But eating out all the time is expensive – or is it? We have found several places that serve up a superb meal for less than $8.00 US – for both of us combined, including drinks. Here's my list:
Gabino's Pizza - Located on Mirimar, near Betancourt (this is close to Najera and Juan Carrasco). Tel 983-9767 (Spanish only) 11:00 am to 9:30 pm. Closed Wednesdays.
A Pizza Familiar (large) w/ 2 toppings (in addition to the cheese and sauce) is only $69. You can also get a Medium Pizza w/ 2 toppings for $59 or a Rectangular Giant Pizza w/ 2 toppings for $99. Extra toppings are $6 each.Toppings: jamon (ham), salchicha (hot dog), tocino (bacon), pepperoni, salami, chorizo, chilorio, champinones (mushrooms - canned), atun (tuna), carne molida (ground beef), pina (pineapple), platano (banana), cereza (cherry), morron (bell pepper), jalapeno, cebolla (onion)
We always order a bacon and bell pepper pizza and it is really good. The bacon is thick cut bacon, and there is plenty of it. The crust is homemade and more substantial than the cardboard crust that I have found at most pizza places here. You can add a 2 liter soda to your pizza order for $11, or spaghetti for $10. They always deliver the pizza very quickly and it arrives too hot to even touch. We have to let it sit for 10 minutes. If you drive by during the day, you can get a large slice and a small drink for $10.
La Casita del Sabor de Don Victor - Located at the corner of Melchor Ocampo and Carvajal, across from the downtown Ley. They sell carne asada by the kilo, huge tortas, and lots of tasty things, but they are known for their quesadillas gigantes, and they aren't lying. They start with a 12 inch flour tortilla which they fold and grill with Chihuahua cheese until the tortilla is golden and the cheese is gooey. Then they open it up and add diced carne asada, whole beans (not refried), sliced tomatoes (not diced), real lettuce (not cabbage), and onions. You can choose to add salsa Mexicana and a homemade roasted chili salsa. I have no idea how much a quesadilla actually costs, but we got three giant quesadillas (for us) and two tacos (for the dogs) for $53. I had to ask twice to make sure the total was correct. This place comes close to filling the void in my life left by the closing of Burrito Loco, and as a bonus its closer.
La Cueva del León - Located on Olas Altas between the Fonda Santa Clara and the Belmar Hotel. This is one of the few actual sit-down restaurants to make the list. I love this place. The service is top notch. The interior is understated, funky-elegant and air-conditioned in the summer. The bathrooms are clean. The food is delicious. And best of all, it's cheap. It's a great place to sit and enjoy the ocean and watch tourists.
The best thing on the menu, as far as I am concerned, is the sopes de pollo. Sopes and gorditas are the same thing, so I am glad to have a worthy replacement since my favorite gordita place went out of business. The sopes are hand made from blue corn and topped with beans, stewed chicken, lettuce, carrots, onion, and crema. They are served with a mild sauce that really hits the spot when I am having a Tex-Mex craving. A serving of 4 is only $40.
A close runner up for favorite food from La Cueva del León is the Tortas Ahogadas. It's a large, pulled-pork sandwich on a delightful roll. The whole sandwich is dunked in a tomato based sauce. Sounds wierd, I know. I had my doubts the first time, but it is great. And only $35. There are plenty of cheap options on the menu, but if you are willing to go into the $60-$70 range, you can choose from Arrachera, Shrimp Chile Rellenos, Fajitas, Mole Chicken, and more. They also have vegetarian sandwiches and salads. A must visit
Update - La Cueva has introduced a new bargain menu, and it is super cheap. There are items on it like pork chops, $40, shrimp any way you like it $45, flautas $5 each, and enfrijoladas (three quesadillas made from hand made blue corn tortillas and covered in yummy beans and pico de gallo) for $25. Beer is still only $15. Check it out.
Food Cart at Zaragosa and Virgilio Uribe - I've written about this place before but they are worth the double mention. The best food in a wide array of choices and always less than $60 pesos for the two of us. They don't usually appear until about 7:00 pm and not at all on Mondays. Update - they now have a name: Taqueria Raymundo.
Carne Asada Don Alfredo - They are located on Ejercito Mexicano diagonally across from the Purina feed store. There is a big grill always set up out front. They are lucky enough to be at a bus stop. Many people on their way home stop and get a kilo of carne asada to take home while waiting for the bus. You can get a papa con carne for 35 pesos – a large baked potato removed from its jacket, mashed, placed in foil, then covered with butter and Chihuahua cheese. The foil is then closed and the whole shebang is put on the grill until good and hot, then opened and covered with carne asada. You can have a roasted jalapeño if you choose (I will never do that again). Or you can get an order of carne asada for 30 pesos, which is almost a pound of grilled beef served with tortillas, so you can make your own tacos. Either choice is plenty to feed two people. You can add a can of Fanta orange soda for 5 pesos. The best part is you can get a kilo of carne asada to take with you for 80 pesos. We usually eat it cold with caper mayonnaise or saffron dipping sauce. Pair that with an artichoke or salad and that's dinner. A kilo of beef will last several meals.
El Bigotes - Located on Avenida Insurgentes. They have a wonderful outdoor dining room where you eat under a canopy of trees, blooming bouganvilla, and hibiscus. All they do is pork, and they do it well. Yummy, succulent, roasted pork is available three ways. You can have a sandwich on a bolillo roll for 18 pesos. You can have tacos for 9 pesos each. You can get the platter, which is pork by the kilo with tortillas and condiments including limes, onions, spicy onions, really spicy onions, and quartered jalepenos. The really nice lady who works there (and speaks English well) knows Americans and Canadians well enough that she doesn't put the chicharrones and tripa on the plate for NOB types. 1/4 kilo costs 45 pesos and will easily feed 2 people. Drinks are 10 pesos each. All meals come with a delicious salsa that goes very well with the pork.
Cenaduria La Copita - Located at the corner of Belisario Dominguez and Luis Zuniga and open in the evenings. The cenaduria offers an array of "snacks": tacos, taquitos, flautas, gorditas, and enchiladas. I really recommend ordering anything with chicken. Their chicken is so tender and flavorful, it would be a shame to miss it. You order everything a la carte, 9 pesos each. Each item is served with a small cup of yummy broth for dipping and comes topped with plentiful salad, which helps balance some of the fried items. This is a neighborhood place and they don't get many tourists, so bring your pocket dictionary if you need it. Also, the seating is family style, so you may be sharing a table. Don't miss this place, you'll regret it.
Rosticeria Tirado - Yummy, succulent roasted chicken. They flatten each chicken out and put it in a cage that goes around the fire. As first I was turned off, because it looked like they cooked with a gas flame, which just isn't as good. They do have a gas flame, but right above it is a basket with wood and charcoal, so they are only kind of cooking with gas. It's $60 for 1 chicken, $80 for 1 1/2 chickens, and $100 for 2 chickens. You get a small stack of tortillas and a bag of salsa. Sides are available too - homemade potato chips, macaroni and cheese, frijoles puerco, mashed potatoes, sopa seca (Spanish rice) - for prices ranging from $7 - $12. They are located on Najera (the road that runs from the Fisherman's Monument) across from the Juan Carrasco Market. They also deliver. 669-988-6087 or 119-5080.
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|207.118.31.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s ppattee - Good stuffThanks for this great information, several of these places are withing a few blocks of our new house. We will try them out.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jennifer - Good stuffPlease keep us posted on your thoughts when you try these places!
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|200.52.168.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s heliosmazmiguel - CARNITAS EL CAMINO = El Bigotes... The little pigEl Bigotes... The little pig with big mustache (bigote)
Also known as "CARNITAS EL CAMINO"
excellent Mexican Fast Food... Ideal for pic-nicks
Carnitas is what "El Bigotes" serves... it is an entire pork cooked in its juice.
It is a Sinaloan and Mexican Speciality.Carnitas del Caminois also Known for its SALSA CRIMINAL...
There is plenty of pork early in the Morning
and practically nothing left by 4
0PM
Another place for Carnitas is:
Carnitas Rosales on Zaragoza next to the basket ball stadium "German Ever"
Not as pretty as Carnitas del Camino but just as good...
and lower price.
The parents use to have their shop inside the Pacifico brewery some 40 years ago...
There is also a Carnitas place on the Malecon accross from Playa Norte...
If you do not like pig's guts and feets
make sure you order
LOMO , or PIERNA, filet of porlk or leg of pork (ham)
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|71.176.151.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s mattssandy - Cenaduria LaCopitaYou did not mention the wonderful poloze they have at LaCopita - 25Pfor a Chico and 30Pfor a Grande. A chico is really enough unless you are very hungry. The vegatables they serve with the poloze are very fresh and the tortilla crispy fried. It is very good - maybe the best we have had in Mazatlan. SM
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jennifer - Cenaduria LaCopitaYou are right. I did not mention the pazole. Only because if you order 2 portions of pozole with two drinks, it goes slightly above the eat cheap level. But you are right. It is the best. And totally worth it. Everyone should try it. Really.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jennifer - Cenaduria LaCopitaOh yeah, and I just recently raised the Eat Cheap value from $6 US to $8 US, so it does fit in the category now. I don't think La Copita has raised their prices in years.
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|71.176.151.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s mattssandy - Cenaduria La CopitaPozole- POZOLE - I must learn to spell that word - thanks for figuring out what I meant - wonderful on a cooll evening.
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|71.176.151.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s mattssandy - Cenaduria La CopitaCan't even spell cool - too late....sorry
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jennifer - Cenaduria La Copitalol - it's okay, really. I have made some of the most embarrassing, and possibly Freudian, misspellings in comments. And in comments you can never go back and edit, so it just stays there for the whole world to see. Oh well.
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|96.51.84.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s AngelLa Carreta (not really a carreta, just called that) on Gutierrez Najera about 3 blocks east of the Monument del Pescador, north side of the street on the corner after about 7 pm, a Mazatleco tradition.
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|96.51.84.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s AngelHmm, some really great eateries don't even have a name. Example; the palapa on the south side of the airport road and Isla de la Piedra road intersection. It's been there for at least 25 years, gets all of the Federal de Caminos, Taxista and Immigration traffic and has the best breakfasts in Mazatlan for great prices. Quidado con los banos though.
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|200.66.10.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s mazjimmy
How could you miss ANNA's in Golden Zone, where boca del mar meets the low street, to the left is Anna's. Food that's great, inexpensive to boot! While bigote is good, compared to other the price is high. open 12 to 4, not Sunday, you should consider Anna's if you like good chow!
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|200.66.10.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s mazjimmy: sadly the BARON is gone! try the SISTERS on constitution and one block to port of ROSALES for great cabeza tacos and other delights, CHEAP! for POZOLE a new place on Dominguez, to blocks off malecon, or next to MIRNA"S massage on A.Serdan$35md for big bowl!
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|200.92.83.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s mazjimmylet's add the ASIA cafe for cheap chow! $40 pesos gets meal of the day with drink, great food. On aleman two blocks from port. Also CHAYITOS comida corner behind the playground/bb court on Malecon, always good and cheap! At Dunia's bring your shrimp prepared there for 30peso a kilo, Banda music. loud and heavy, in afternoon; for FREE FOOD Golden anchor by shrimp ladies, must buy beer some strange stuff!, also PAUPAU best botana in town! starts at 2pm.others are Amistad,and across street to Edgar's, botana some good, some bad, all downtown,
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|72.11.241.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s PB Blog - Alex - Excellent post on dining in Mazatlan!Great post! Cheap eats in Mazatlan is definitely something people can use when they travel there. I had some time to look through the rest of your site and I really like the way everything is organized. It's rare to find a blog with so much useful travel information from your insider insights to recipes
you've really done a wonderful job. Also, thank you so much for including Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan in your links section.
We actually have a travel blog where we talk about Mazatlan travel and I wanted to know if it would be okay to link to this article on our blog? Let me know. Thank you!
Alex
Pueblo Bonito Blogger
http://www.mypueblobonito.com
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