Had a lovely meal here last night. The care and cleanliness during this Coronavirus scare is evident. The staff and management were wearing masks in the kitchen, cleaning menus after orders taken, wiping tables and offering hand sanitizer to each customer and table. The care that went into makIng sure all was immaculate. We enjoyed the house margarita which was hand squeezed and flavorful. The creviche was so yummy as well. My husband ordered the special pork ribs and he stated they were the best he has eaten. So tender and delicious. The side dIshes of potatoes and slaw were tasty and unique. It was a good meal comforting and definitely a winner of a dining experience. Thank You read more

El Arrayan - Artful and creative sinks! - Mexican Near Me - Puerto vallarta, JAL

This place is such a great find. Off the touristy spot which is great. My lovey and I were so excited to have found this place and super excited to try all the food. One of the owner's name is Claudia Victoria which I had the pleasure of meeting. The service was excellent. The food was DELISH! Love the arrachera, duck taquitos, their special poblano pepper stuffed with meat and coated with ricotta cheese and pomegranate seeds, pork pibil. Everything was very flavorful and tasted fresh! Their chips came in three different types with different salsas. It was soooo good, I had to stop eating it to make room for the other dishes. The server was surprised that we ate everything we ordered. Will definitely come back here every year!!!! TRUST! read more

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We come here every visit to Puerto Vallarta and the place never disappoints. Tucked away up the end of a side-street off the Malecon, this restaurant owned by two women and I think exclusively staffed by women, produces some of the most delicious elevated Mexican food I've ever had! The restaurant has a small menu of say 3-4 dishes in each category and 3-5 daily specials. I've had a number of dishes off the menu and never been disappointed. In top of the food, they have a list of maybe 8-10 specialty cocktails and an extensive tequila and liquor listing. Service is always quick and friendly. We had a gluten intolerance in our party and they were able to easily accommodate his needs. If you're looking for fantastically delicious elevated Mexican in PV - this place is a MUST VISIT!!!! read more

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Great food. Great atmosphere. So glad we remembered this place to return to each time in PV.

Paul R from San Francisco highly recommended that I try El Arrayán for dinner. Except for the airport rides, it was the only time we jumped in a taxi our entire stay and took us out of Zona Romantica. It was off the main road in a nice neighborhood. The ambience and food were wonderful. The tables are set around a courtyard with colorful tablecloths and Mexican artwork adorned the walls. The chili and mole sauces for the homemade chips were a nice variety. For appetizers, the cerviche was good, but the Jalapenõs Rellenos, seasoned tuna stuffed in a home-pickled pepper, was amazing and delicious, and my fav portion of the meal. We all ended up ordering the same house specialty entree, Duck 'Carnitas' which is 1/3 duck with Guajillo-Orange-Arrayán sauce. Authentic Mexican, not Tex-Mex, cuisine. The bottle of wine was reasonably priced. Service was professional and courteous. El Arrayán was definitely worth the effort getting there. read more

El Arrayan - Jalapeños Rellenos stuffed with tuna - Mexican Near Me - Puerto vallarta, JAL

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This is such a cute place for dinner. The special three course meal was 230 pesos (around $12.50)!! Food was delicious; especially the different sauces for the chips. The mole was complex and had a depth of flavor that kept us going back for more. We ordered all the different options on the set menu and loved the ceviche, which was fresh and flavorful with the avocados (it's not a typical ceviche but more like a salad). The salad was good with the highlight being the tomatillos. The fish was delicious with roasted garlic and shallots -- I would have liked rice instead of potatoes but that's just me being Asian. The shrimp and cactus oddly reminded me of Asian flavors -- specifically tiny dried shrimp Asians use in cooking, and tasted a little mushy. It's not something I'd order again, but glad I tried an unusual dish that I've never had. Dessert wise, flan was definitely better than the Mexican bread pudding with its simplicity. Bread pudding tasted like the holiday's though, with its nuts, raisins and spices. Absolutely a cute place to come with it's open courtyard and a see through kitchen. Decor is nicely done with beautiful art on the walls. It's also conveniently located close to the church in the main Centro part of town. read more

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Great for special events. We organized a double baptism dinner during July 2019z Owners were very professional and diligent with their catering services. We had a family style Mexican dinner, very good prices on licor/food. We added Mariachi & were able to book the entire restaurant for our event. Unfortunately they closed due to the pandemia.... but now the same owners re-opened the same location under the name OCULTO, which does private events, dinners & cooking classes read more

What an incredibly delicious and authentic dining experience. Felt like I was visiting someone's home, eating a home cooked meal with a gourmet touch. Nestled on a quant side street right off the main malecon downtown Our waitress, Regina, made our experience even more enjoyable. She was attentive, welcoming and gave great recommendations! Our favorite dish was the prawn with peanut mole sauce ... to die for! Tortillas were warm and fresh. Desserts also beautiful... all made in house. Even the ice cream! I personally don't recommend the empanadas but it all depends on your taste. For me was too sweet. Don't miss this gem for an authentic meal in Puerto Vallarta read more

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Long story short: I could barely walk when I left this place because I ate everything that was placed in front of me. A friend of mine that had lived in Puerto Vallarta recommended this place. And because I trust him, I had to try it. We arrived right on time for our 7:30pm reservation and took a table close to the window. The place is very open and set up around a central patio. Small colorful tables and Huichol art hanging from the walls. There was a singer in the back corner playing the guitar and he had a great voice! It definitely added to the enjoyment of our meal. We ordered two mezcalitos - cocktails made with fruit and mezcal, a liquor that is produced in Mexico and is the cousin of Tequila. We were also presented with two small tostadas that were compliments from the house/chef and they were so full of flavor! The table also received chips and three different types of salsas. For appetizers we ordered the sopers with chorizo, and the cricket tacos! The sopes were so soft and delicious, with plenty of chorizo on top, shredded lettuce, crema, and queso fresco. I loved them so much I ate them immediately. The cricket tacos were also really good! They were served with a small side of avocado and tomatillo salsa and fresh cut limes. The tacos were made with soft house-made tortillas, black beans, queso fresco, and the crunchy and flavorful crickets. The flavor is hard to describe because I've never had them before but I do recommend them. For our entrees we had the duck carnitas and the grilled steak. The duck was deliciously tender and served on top of a sauce and a side of potatoes. The steak was grilled and served with black beans, grilled onions, and tortillas. By now I was already getting full, but we still had dessert to try, and once I saw they had capirotada (a type of bread pudding) it was settled. I needed one! The capirotada came served with a small side of vanilla ice cream that perfectly complimented the bread pudding. It was crunchy, yet soft, and just thinking about it now my mouth begins to water. We also met one of the owners who was amazing. She came to the table and introduced herself and checked in to see how everything was at our table. Go eat here! The food is authentic and delicious, and the service is attentive yet not intrusive. I want to go back! read more

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Came here for xmas dinner. I was really looking forward to it, but, honestly, we weren't that impressed. First off, we were seated right next to the bathroom (major pet peeve). The chips and salsas (along with a mole they served) tasted stale. The mole they served with the chips tasted burnt. Def the worst mole we had while we were in Mexico. Baby scallop ceviche was not very good. It was texturally boring. Not enough going on. The scallops also didn't taste very fresh, and, overall, the dish tasted a bit bland. Could have used more acid and more heat. Prob the worst ceviche we had in Mexico. Duck carnitas were interesting and different. Not bad but something was a bit off in the flavors. We also ordered another entree, but I can't remember what it was. All I remember was that I was not that impressed. I was kind of surprised at how disappointed I was in this meal. The reviews were excellent, and the place was recommended to us by friends. I feel we must have been there on an off night. It was xmas, so it is entirely possible the best of their staff was away. Oh well, it was nice to be out on xmas and the atmosphere and service was nice enough. read more

This is a wonderful place which was recommended to us by the Marriott Hotel concierge. We took the bus and arrived at 5:00. They didn't open until 5:30 so we wandered around that part of PV until it was time to eat. These people take their cuisine very seriously and the place is meticulously clean. The staff is extremely professional and our waitress spoke excellent English. Food was top knot notch but the star of the show was the cricket tacos. If we ever come back to PV, we will come here again. They do close for a month every year and I believe that the waitress say that this year, it'll be in September ('19). read more

El Arrayan - Mexican Near Me - Puerto vallarta, JAL

Closed. Unfortunately it closed during the pandemic. I loved going here but it's closed now. The space was fantastic, but it closed. The fog was orgasmic, but it closed. read more

12/28/16 One finite life, but a life of infinity. One year, 365 days, 1095 meals. 196 countries, but an infinite number of personalities... 2016 has ended. Welcome 2017. Welcome all the foods of the world, and all those I have yet to even imagine. We Will Welcome Wonders. Let us eat forever. El Arrayan, and all of Mexico, cheers to your culture, to your people, to your food. Cheers to the Chinese, the French, the Russians, the Aztec, the Peruvians, the Japanese, the Thai, the Filipinos, the Vietnamese, the Africans, the Brazilians, the Spanish, the Swedish, the Germans, the Greek, the Persians, the Iranians, the Arabians, the Turks, the Columbians, the Salvadorians, the Romanians, the Czechs, the Italians, the Americans, the Janians... and everything else we ate last year... Can't wait to try Martian! 4/5 #mexico #puertovallarta #jalisco #mexican #star read more

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This restaurant is my favorite place to eat in all of Puerto Vallarta! My only wish is that it was open for lunch too as I am never really all that hungry for dinner to have a big meal. Besides that this place is very cozy and lovely the food is just sooo incredibly delicious and well made I haven't tried anything better in during the 2 week stay in Puerto Vallarta. I don't like to eat out, I make all my food myself (including bread and butter) fresh and with lots of love. We tried tacos de chapulines (crickets), hibiscus flower quesadillas, lamb stew, cochinita pibil, goat flan and of course their incredible freshly made agua frescas and salsa starters with totopos and tostadas. Everything was so delicious! I am already dreaming about going back to Puerto Vallarta just to visit this place! Big thank you to the chef and entire restaurant crew for being kind, helpful and for a great service! Gracias! read more

What an amazing experience at El Arrayan last week! My Brother and Sister in law were in town and had 4 of their friends who wanted to join them for a dinner in town, in total we were ten people. My wife and I have been to El Arrayan dozens of times, my in-laws had been there once or twice before and for their 6 friends it was their first time. The food was amazing, I had the steak, medium rare and the sauce they paired it with is delicious. Everyone raved about the food but the atmosphere was what really sold our guests. When you enter the restaurant, you are standing in front of a beautiful Arrayan tree in an open air courtyard. the restaurant wraps around the courtyard with incredible, large examples of Huichol yarn art on the walls. The tables are decorated with brightly colored traditional tablecloths and the three (fantastic) salsas were brought to the table in matching ceramic boats. We had drinks, dinner and dessert in a beautiful atmosphere and everyone loved it. I cannot recommend El Arrayan, their owners and staff enough. read more

Bottom Line - The food was fantastic enough that we came for the remainder of our meals in PVR; however, it was too bad that we only found this place with 2 days to go on our trip. Call and make reservations. Everything we had was good! NIGHT 1: Carpaccio de Pescado (90p) - Mmmm!!! Ceviche Buerrero (95p) - Yum!!! Guacamole (80p) - A little too creamy for us as we like chunks of avocado, but still good. Birria Cordero (290p) - Yes!!! Conchinta Pibil (205p) - More, please!!! Bola de Helados (60p) - Refreshing!!! Flan Cajeta (55p) - Nice and sweet!!! Margarita (75p) - Who can argue??? Agua de Piedra (75p x2) - Keep it flowing! Our total came to 1,100 pesos for our table of 3, and we were stuffed!!! NIGHT 2: Ceviche Guerrero (95p) - Had to order this again, for sure! Carnitas de Pato (260p) - The duck was really really good. I want more! Chuleta Premium (255p) - This pork chop was only okay; my friend said he wished he'd ordered something else Camaron Encacahuate (220p) - My other friend had these shrimps and he absolutely loved them. Along with 2 sprites (50p), our total came to 955p for our table of 3. We were stuffed yet again! The service was also amazing. Carmen remembered us from the previous night, as well as the wait staff. They were so friendly and the food was fantastic. This is easily the best food we had our entire visit to PVR. read more

El Arrayan - Table of 3 - Mexican Near Me - Puerto vallarta, JAL

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Best meal we had in PV. Better than La Palapa and Cafe de Artistes. We love this place and highly recommend it as a must-try for authentic, amazing and reasonably priced Mexican cuisine. Chips & Salsa - Served w/ three different varieties: *Verde - Super mild, no heat at all. Cool and refreshing. *Roasted tomato - Medium heat. Very flavorful. I think it was roasted, if not, it was still delicious! *Chipotle & Garlic - More of a tapenade-like texture, or a paste. Not as spicy as you'd think, and not too garlicky. Almost had an earthy chocolate flavor to it. Spread a bit of this on your chip and top with the roasted tomato salsa. 1st Course *Duck Tostadas* Excellent flavor! Lots of shredded duck, not spicy at all, but deep, rich flavor. Topped with avocado, tomato and cream. *Shrimp Aguachile* Like ceviche, but not as acidic. The shrimp was lightly "cooked" by the acid/lime juice, basically raw, with raw onion, cucumber, cilantro and jalapeño/serrano. 2nd Course *Green Pork Posolé* If you love Posolé, you'll really enjoy this dish! Delicious and complex broth with shredded pork, then you top it with diced onions, oregano, cabbage and radish. Yum!! *Duck "Carnitas" w/ mole & potatoes* We got a duck thigh and leg, but I saw other people get breast. Our duck was well cooked - not dry at all or overly chewy. It had a nice flavor and the mole was amazing. The potatoes were OK alone, but when wrapped in a tortilla with the duck, everything just worked. Dessert *Carrot Cake w/ cinnamon & vanilla ice cream* This wow'd us. Great cinnamon flavor with a sinful layer of icing. Lots of chopped walnuts gave the cake a hearty texture. The vanilla ice cream was a cool complement. read more

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This is a great hidden gem in Vallarta! I call it a hidden gem because you will need to walk a bit into the hills to find it - It's not right on the Malecon or in any of the high-traffic tourist areas. We found it on our Yelp app (of course!) and we were so happy that we did! We were greeted by our server, who spoke perfect English and explained the menu to us. We could tell that she was proud of where she worked when she started off by saying something to the effect of "this isn't like other restaurants here." Her reason behind that statement is that their menu features authentic Mexican dishes from a variety of areas in the country. After some debate (because the menu looked so good!) we ordered their specialty margarita (made with Arrayan fruit), the plantain empanadas, the sopes with chorizo, the duck tostadas, and the duck carnitas (the house specialty).\ We were served a basket of chips and three different sauces while we waited. A green sauce with great flavor, a red sauce that had a little more spice, and a third which was kind of pasty and a little sweet like mole. I liked all three! First came the plantain empanadas filled with beans and cheese. Our waitress recommended using the 3rd salsa with this dish (the pasty one). She was right! A fantastic combination! Next came the other three dishes. The sopes are nice and small and thinner than I'm used to, which was appreciated. Sometimes they are so thick all you can taste is the sope. The duck tostadas were large with a good amount of duck meat - and perfectly seasoned and cooked. The duck carnitas were also perfectly cooked. They are served as a duck breast with sauce and tortillas. The meat was tender and the skin was amazing. All in all, great food, great service - worth the trip off the Malecon! read more

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Recently on vacation in the PV and staying at a resort. Love all inclusive, but the wife and I really wanted to get into town for some authentic, quality food. On a referral from her manager, we stopped by this quaint little restaurant on an unapologetically small street, to have some dinner. It was around 6pm on a Monday, so it was slow. They open at 5:30 so we were the first to arrive. The decor is what you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant in a tourist town. Bright colors and artwork depicting various Mexican themes. The finding area is located under a tin roof, so there is an open air flow. On this day, it rained. What an atmosphere it set. The sound of drizzle atop the roof, and the tiny lizards that made their way from hiding to seek shelter was worth an admission. For an appetizer, we ordered ceviche and it looks small but was more than enough for us both. It was fresh and the flavors of onion and lime and sea salt and capers exploded like the 4th of July, or Cinco de Mayo. Our very attentive and kind server suggested a few hot sauces that did not disappoint. Jacky and I also sipped on the best margaritas we'd had since we landed. Not sure if that's a compliment to the place itself or an insult to our resort, but they were very good. Our entrees were next and they were just as pleasurable. I had chicken mole with some sauteed veggies. The mole was extremely flavorful and the chicken, though a tad overcooked, was very good. My wife had the pork cochinita, and wow! So much flavor and spice and tenderness. But the piece de resistance, were the homemade corn tortillas. I wiped up the mole with the extras. If my wife had her purse, we'd have taken a dozen to go. Our new was finished as most my meals there were, with a shot of tequila. Our server made an outstanding selection and we felt stuffed, but very happy. If you want a clean, well kept, quality serviced, restaurant with flavorful authentic food, I highly recommend you venture away from the resorts and grab a meal here. Also, very reasonably priced so go nuts!! read more

El Arrayan - Mexican Near Me - Puerto vallarta, JAL

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I am in love!!! The food, the owners, the decor. I will be back. They have a truly Mexican menu without any gringo-izing. They even offer Chile en Nogada, which is a labor intensive and delightful dish. The appetizers were delightful... a quesadilla with huitlocoche, and a smoked marlin mini-tostada. For a main course, I had duck carnitas. Superb! I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough! Bring your food to Los Angeles, CA! read more

Arrayan is very clean. The drinks are good, had a margarita. Food is delicious, I had the cactus salad and fish. Service is very good! Everyone speaks English! Menu is in English too! It's very close to malecon area. read more

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We were pretty disappointed in this place. I don't think any of the dishes in our party of eight actually stood out and I tried every single one of them myself. I don't know, maybe it was because we came during a very slow period. We usually get really lucky in picking restaurants in PV but sadly this was a bust. There are too many other great restaurants in PV for us to return here. read more

My favorite meal in PV. Fantastic service and food! Lamb, duck and fish! Fantastic all around! read more

El Arrayan - Mexican Near Me - Puerto vallarta, JAL

After having checked out yelp reviews when we arrived in Puerto Vallarta , our first dinner was at El Arrayan. We could not have made a better choice. The service, the food, the welcoming, was all five star. Everyone was friendly, the atmosphere was just what you hope for and love in Mexico. We could actually hear ourselves talk. We went back to our hotel the next day passing out their business cards. We will definitely be back next year! read more

Regina was a super host. Made us feel welcome as we walked in a bit soaked from the thunder storm. Our dinner began with chips and 3 different salsas. All were delicious and refreshing. Cricket tacos and plantain empanadas were good starters. House salad had a light citrus dressing that complemented the food nicely. Star of the dinner was the stuffed peppers filled with nuts and sauce. Really yummy. read more

El Arrayan - Mexican Near Me - Puerto vallarta, JAL

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Had dinner here for our last night as a family in Puerto Vallarta. We had looked for a really authentic Mexican restaurant and El Arrayan had gotten great reviews. The servers immediately brought out crunchy homemade chips and three different types of salsa. We also ordered bean and cheese empanadas and ceviche to start off our meal. The green sauce on the shrimp ceviche was light and tangy. Absolutely delicious! My brother-in-law was even brave enough to try the cricket tacos! With there being 8 of us, we got to try a nice variety of food including the grilled fish, shrimp mole, beef barbacoa, and a fish special similar to a stew served with crusty round pieces of bread. My niece and nephew also enjoyed their virgin daiquiris and the live music. read more

Very good, authentic food. The best corn tortillas we have ever had. The special menu was very special. read more

El Arrayan - Mexican Near Me - Puerto vallarta, JAL

First time visit last night. Our server did an excellent job hosting our large party of nine. To begin we had the outstanding rajas con crema and the equally divine quesadillas with hibiscus and chorizo. The empanadas were just OK. We adventured into the cricket tacos, but no one was impressed by these. For our main course, the winners were the duck carnitas, cochinita Pibil, beef barbacoa and the lamb barria, which was especially good. The fish filet pastor was terrible. read more

Food as always was amazing / but service was actually kind of scary. The others at my table were well served but I was ignored - wine 15 minutes after everyone, no eye contact, others asked and recd second round. After asking twice no response but several mean glares. Bad karma. Bad vibe. Yes very busy but all i needed was an 'I'm sorry' and it would have been ok If all you want is good food go. Do not go if you'd like a relaxed evening or if you'd like to be treated as you'd treat others. Thanks. read more

Nothing wrong with this place. Clean. Great service.. in fact these women got you handled. It's a team here. A mixture of locals/tourists/gringos. We enjoyed many menu items, superb. Nothing spicy, but tasty. The three condiments of sauces were great that are provided with your meal. Smoky, fresh, wholesome. A team of mostly men in the kitchen, interacting with the front side. This is an A Team tucked away in a residential hood, worth the off beaten track. Only disappointment is we didn't find it earlier. read more

Take reviews from people who think this is an exotic international vacation... You know, the guys in Hawaiian shirts and cargo pants who come here to ball on a budget. After realizing the "hot spots" in this tourist trap (hacienda San Angel, trio) are here to dupe the naive, we were skeptical of this place. This was solid... If this existed in my home town i would eat here all the time. All the dishes we had were an A, the fish was my least favorite but still good (missing the oomph of the amazing empanada, the oddly light and refreshing duck concoction, and biting fish carpaccio). The roasted pepper salsa paste was unique and stellar. This town needs more of this place, but I understand not putting forth the effort these guys have to satisfy unknowing clientle who can't tell the difference anyway. Shame. read more

Dear Yelp, the atmosphere was muy romantico! The lights, open air, garden layout. The wait staff were super nice and helpful, they spoke English very well. We had the Cricket Tacos (worthy a try!), Shrimp with Peanut Mole, and the Duck Carnitas, both of which were AMAZING! Love this place. So glad we found it! read more

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We come here every year. The food is amazing & the staff is top notch. This is authentic Mexican food - not Tex/mex. The food is so delicious I yern for it now. If you want real food and great cocktails go here. The restaurant is beautiful - with an open roof in the middle. This is not to be missed if your are looking for an amazing dinner. Chef Carmen will be famous. read more

A lovely local find in the part of PV that has great galleries. (Be sure and check out the "Art Walk" which runs Weds from 6-10p from October to May). Food and drinks were delicious, staff could not be any more friendly and helpful. Try the cricket tacos...if you dare. Cute, quiet, delightful dining experience, off the beaten trail of the Malecon, where there are mostly touristy restaurants. read more

Ate there with my wife today for the first time... OMG..... AMAZING does it no justice.. I don't eat meat so my wife was a little bummed at first cuz she felt bad that I might not find anything to eat but..... Regina was amazing and made our experience perfect. I left beyond full. Thank u for the amazing experience we will definitely be back.. read more

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Restaurant is a few blocks from Malecon, it holds a AAA diamond rating. I arrived few minutes before the reservation and had to wait until the table was ready. Place is cozy with beautiful paintings. Kitchen was quite slow, salsas were okay. Very few dessert options. read more

El Arrayan - Bar area/waiting area - Mexican Near Me - Puerto vallarta, JAL

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Best Mexican food our family (from California) has ever had. The moles, the salsas, the pork chop (made with pigs originally bred in japan), the incredible duck - all expertly prepared by chefs that know what they are doing and care about execution - and served by the friendliest staff. If you are in PV and want an authentic, fun, comfortable and truly delicious "Mexican" experience, do yourself a favor and eat here. read more

It's a cute place that does a terrific job of making traditional dishes from the local area and beyond, including great renditions of chicken mole and cochinita pibil. The entire menu shows signifcant attention to detail - as it notes, they use filtered water to make ice, everything is gluten free (like it should be, since traditional dishes don't generally include gluten), etc. read more

We really wanted to love this place! It came highly recommend and regarded, but the wow factor just didn't materialize. The food was good, well prepared, service was good and the server had answers to all of our questions, always a plus! But I really expected some special preparations- the Prune Pasilla chili sauce on the daily special pork chop was good, it sounded like it should be a "10", but it was just ok, nothing special!? The best thing we tried was Creamed poblano appetizer with tortillas, it was truly unique and quite tasty. Cute little place with amazing Huichol art on the walls, a bit out of the way so sorry to say we probably won't be back! read more

Incredible food and ambiance - came here with my cousins years ago and they really had the best combo of service and food that we had on that trip read more