Restaurant Playa Norte

Location: Av. Del Mar, just north of where the fisherman park their boats.
GPS: 23 12.663N, 106 25.317W

Our first full day here in Mazatlan we dined at Playa Norte. We knew we wanted to eat on the beach, so we strolled down the Malecon and picked a likely spot. What a spot we chose!

The menu is posted outside so you can see what is offered and prices before you go in. Everything looked good. We walked down the steps into a spacious dining room with well spaced tables, an open kitchen and a palapa roof. A woman in the kitchen gestured for us to sit anywhere we liked.

We chose a table in the corner nearest the water and sat down. The views around us were incredible. We could see the ocean and the three islands in front of us, the beach to the north, and the malecon and some of the sculptures that dot the walk. Although the restaurant is not air conditioned, we enjoyed a wonderful, fresh breeze from the ocean that kept the temperature very comfortable, even in July. Toward the end of the meal, as the sun crept closer to us, our hostess opened an umbrella just outside to keep us in the shade.

I call her our hostess because she greeted us, served us, and I think she did the cooking as well, and I can't think of a better title. I'm pretty sure, but not positive, that she owns the place. I couldn't ask because I don't know enough Spanish to do so and she didn't speak English.

Our hostess took our drink orders. We decided on a limonada, $18 pesos (about $1.80 US) and a Pacifico, $12 pesos (about $1.20 us). We were both hot and thirsty and both wanted a beer, so we shared both. The Pacifico came in the bottle and was good and cold. The limonada came in a huge beer schooner and was delicious. Playa Norte makes the best limonada in town. It's a perfect balance of tart and sweet, rouded out with just a hint of salt to take the bitter edge off. Delicioso!

For an appetizer we ordered ceviche camaron (shrimp ceviche), tostada portion, $18 pesos (about $1.80 US). It was beautiful and fresh and had tremendous flavor. The ceviche was served with a bowl of sliced limones, sea salt, fresh made tortilla chips, and two salsas. It did have a kick to it because of the diced jalepenos, so after two bites, I let my better half have the rest.

For supper, Chuck ordered the camarones ajo (garlic shrimp), $70 pesos (about $7.00 US). The jumbo shrimp were bisected in the shell almost all the way to the tail, so they butterflied open, then cooked on a grill and basted with garlic butter. Yum. The shrimp were well cooked, white all the way through but not bouncy. The meat came out the shell easily. They were served with a cucumber salad, rice, and the best pappas fritas anywhere. It's a ton of food.

I ordered the tacos cameron (shrimp tacos), $45 pesos (about $4.50 US). I got three tacos in fresh tortillas. The tacos were filled with smaller shrimp that had been sauteed in garlic butter. They were drippy and yummy. They came topped with a fresh salad, pickled purple onions, sour cream, and tomato. I stuffed it all into the taco shells and enjoyed.

The meals were served with more fresh tortillas. All in all, we had enough food to stuff four people. We ate enough to make the walk home really difficult, but man was it worth it! We ordered 2 more pacificos before leaving and just sat and enjoyed the view. The grand total for this feast was $187 pesos. Including tip it cost us about $20 US.

You can see more pictures from this review in the photo album.