Located across the street from the gorgeous cathedral, this restaurant is definitely touristy, but it caters to all nationalities, not just an American and Canadian rip-off place. When we were there, we saw a couple of tables of Mexican tourists as well.
Due to its location, the prices are pretty high. However, you get great service, good food, and large portions. Expect to drop around $125 on a dinner for two people if you get booze (less if you don't have drinks).
One of the must-order items here is the table made guacamole and salsa. The salsa here is one of my favorite things in the world to eat. It's filled with grilled peppers and tomatoes, and it's smoky and sweet and absolutely delicious. Fresh veggies are mashed right in front of you, and it's delightful. The salsa is served warm, which takes some getting used to, but it's so tasty.
The guacamole is the same: as fresh as can be. They even give you a small bowl of salt so you can salt to taste, which I appreciate since I'm very sensitive to salt. The corn chips are a bit oily, but they are fresh.
For lunch, hubby opted for beef barbacoa and I got the al pastor shrimp. We thought both were "just okay." I think our final opinion was "good, but not great."
The best thing about my shrimp dish was the grilled pineapple slice - smoky, sweet, and oh-so-yummy. My dish had a good amount of shrimp, but I was disappointed that the peppers weren't grilled at all and were just mostly raw chunks (on the menu, it said "grilled"). It came with a small dish of fluffy, buttery rice, and a small pot of beans that were perfectly cooked. Hubby's barbacoa was a bit sad, and came with nothing but a side of corn tortillas.
The table next to us had ordered fajitas, and I would get those next time! It's not that they looked particularly good, but there is a SHOW from the staff when you order them. Trust me: if you have kids, order the fajitas!
Our lunch was pricey (about $80 U.S. with tip), but reasonable. The atmosphere was fun, with open air windows and a mariachi band that happily took "no" for an answer if you aren't looking to offer tips for music.
The restaurant is very clean, the staff spoke just enough English (the menus are in English which is nice), and the service was prompt and friendly. I can see why this restaurant comes so highly recommended. read more