If I'm not mistaken, this restaurant is now called Margarita on the Hill, and we just ate there a couple of nights ago. Hector, thank you for hosting our group of 30 people on short notice and with such amazing attention, enthusiasm and consideration. We will not forget the staff, food, drink and experience, and I highly recommend this restaurant to any discerning, hungry, fun-seeking visitors to Nayarit.
Here's the backstory. I invited 30 of our closest friends to fly to Mexico to celebrate my wife's special birthday. The trip was only 4 days long, and because we were packing a lot of punch into a short vacation, we were careful to meticulously plan events. My wife agonized for days about where we would spend our off-resort dining evening, and it came down to two places I won't mention by name. These two top restaurants in the area evidently have too much business to put their customers first -- one whined about the challenge of seating 30 people (can you imagine that?), and both insisted on very limited prix fixe menu offerings at stupid prices. We made one last ditch effort with our hotel concierge to communicate that 30 customers is a lot of business, and because of dietary and enjoyment concerns, we wanted to order whatever was on the menu. The restaurants said no, so we said buzz off. I'm happy to take that kind of business elsewhere.
The hotel concierge told me that Hector, owner at Margarita on the Hill, was ready to truly accommodate our group. Because we were 30 people, Hector prefaced any reservation with the caveat that he and his limited staff would do whatever they could to serve everyone swiftly and properly, but that he couldn't guarantee a synchronized, flawless meal. Our answer: who the heck cares? ... show us a good time, serve us the best and freshest food you can source, give us variety and selection, prepare it well, and we'll make sure we have a good time. In short, Hector and his team surpassed our expectations.
We had two long tables near each other, making it difficult for me to cover the number of dishes we had, but I'll share our impression of a few. The chips and guacamole, ceviche, empanadas, whole grilled snapper, octopus with mahi-mahi, shrimp stuffed avocado, ahi with coconut shrimp, shrimp agua-chile were all huge, huge winners. The items were fresh, expertly prepared, plated in a very attractive way, seasoned to make the palate sing, and delivered hot to the table by the hard working staff. All the guests were raving about everything that came out of the kitchen. And the margaritas were absolutely amazing, served in big goblets, and perfectly mixed and flavored. Despite 30 mouths to feed, the staff worked their tails off to serve the food and drinks closely and in a timely fashion, allowing us to eat it as it arrived and really enjoy ourselves.
To top things off, the cost of our meal was half of what the other "top" restaurants wanted for pathetic prix fixe offerings, and their prices didn't include the tsunami of margaritas and beer consumed at our tables. Then Hector came out and shared a heartfelt thank you to our group. The entire staff saw us off at the end of the evening with a level of gratitude that a customer rarely receives but always appreciates. It was a special meal at a special restaurant, and here's hoping you and yours send your business their way and that you walk away feeling as happy and satisfied with your experience. read more
