Peacock Garden

Address: Calle Colon #8, Ajijic
Phone: (376) 766 1381
Website: thegardenajijic.com
Contact: thegarden_ajijic@hotmail.com

Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 11 AM to 8 PM;  Saturday 9:30 AM - 8 PM; Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday Breakfast  9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Credit Cards Accepted

Directions: From Walmart, drive west on the Carretera to a right on Calle Juarez, one block past Calle Colon in Ajijic. Turn right onto Calle Flores and right on Calle Colon. Drive toward the lake. The Peacock Garden is on the left 1/2 block past the Central Plaza. Parking along Calle Colon is limited.  

First Impressions

The Peacock Garden is located in the heart of Ajijic on the main road to the malecon. The walls of the entrance are decorated with murals of Indios fishing the waters of Lake Chapala.

Beyond the walls, birds sing in the garden and a parrot squawks as you pass into a lush green outdoor dining room.A fountain bubbles up in the corner while peacocks and multiple varieties of chickens roam among the guests.

If Alice in Wonderland inspired a restaurant, this would be it. Peacock Garden is a fantasy restaurant come to life.

Menu

Once seated in the patio area, we were given a menu, in English, with multiple pages of tempting dishes that included appetizers, soups, salads, hamburgers, club sandwiches, and baguettes. We could also choose from the lunch menu or an entire dinner menu.

The theme is eclectic, with some Italian dishes such as alfredo and pizza, seafood, chicken dishes and steaks. We felt like having Italian food the afternoon we visited, and ordered Shrimp Alfredo and a small three cheese pizza.

The thin crust pizza was served bubbling hot.  The parmesan cheese over-powered the other tastes, which was disappointing.

I especially like the taste of goat cheese on pizza, and if there was goat cheese on this pizza, it was lost in the strong flavors of the other cheeses.
The small pizza was large enough to feed both of us. We ended up taking most of this dish home with us.

The Shrimp Alfredo was served in a creamy, well balanced  sauce with lots of perfectly cooked shrimp and accompanied by garlic toast.

We paired this meal with 2 glasses of a very nice Chilean Merlot.

The Peacock Garden has a full bar and good selection of beers and wines. They also offer an interesting selection of desserts, including fried ice cream and the ubiquitous flan, but this time we were too full to order even one dessert to split.

The restaurant is open every day, and opens early on Sunday for breakfast, which is served from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

 

Ambiance

The Peacock Garden is like no place else lakeside. Dining here is like eating in a tropical aviary. You will almost feel guilty ordering chicken. We couldn't resist spreading crumbs around our table to summon the chickens and peacocks to dine with us.

There are arbors hanging with plants, lush stands of bananas on the borders of the garden, tables are arranged under a patio or al fresco, in the middle of the garden. A large fountain flowing at one corner blocks out any sounds of the village that may escape over the walls. This is a beautiful setting for lunch or dinner, for special events or romantic meal.

Price and Service

Service at Peacock Garden is laid back and pleasant. You can spend a long, leisurely lunch here and never feel rushed. We were well taken care of by staff, yet not bothered or rushed.

The prices are in line with the other fine restaurants in the lakeside area. A pizza was $110 pesos, the Shrimp Alfredo, $120 pesos, and wine was priced at  $40 pesos per glass.

Our Recommendation ****

I would eat here for setting alone. It is fun to spend the afternoon dining outdoors, with chickens and peacocks roaming around your feet.

The food selections are not necessarily creative, but rather standard fare well prepared. If you want to impress guests with a setting that is unique, different than you would find anywhere else in Lake Chapala, then this is the place to eat.

 

David's Cafe

Address: Calle Hidalgo #21, Ajijic
Phone: 376 766 2341

Hours of Operation: Monday - Saturday 8a.m. - 4 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Directions: From Walmart head west on the Carretera into Ajijic. Turn right on Calle Juarez, the first street past Calle Colon. Take first right on Calle Flores, then first right onto Calle Colon. Drive towards the lake for 2 blocks. Turn right on Calle Hidalgo. David's is 1 1/2 block on the right. Parking along the street is limited.

First Impression

David's Café is a small breakfast and lunch restaurant on a main thoroughfare in Ajijic. They advertise a family-style atmosphere.

There is a dining area in the front of the cafe, which is designated a non-smoking area, a short flight of stairs that leads to the kitchen and an outdoor courtyard where smoking is allowed.

Daily specials are listed on a chalkboard and customers are given breakfast and lunch menu from which to choose their meals. David's Cafe has high ceilings, plastic tables covered with multi-colored tablecloths and plenty of room between tables. It is definitely a casual place for breakfast and lunch.

The prices are very reasonable, probably some of the least expensive lakeside. We found a seat easily and were served by the proprietor almost immediately. We arrived just before noon and decided to order from the breakfast menu.

Menu

David's Café specializes in breakfast and lunch. Breakfast selections include French toast, sweet rolls, muffins, waffles, omelets, juices and coffee. Lunch selections range from traditional Mexican fajitas and burritos to hamburgers, sandwiches, and chicken pot pie.

The lunch specials were advertised on a chalk board  and included chili and cornbread, Swiss enchiladas, David's burrito and more. I ordered a sweet roll and coffee and my companion ordered a Mexican omelet with beans, sausage and tortillas. Our coffee was brought out right away and our meals served shortly after, hot from the kitchen.

The omelet was tasty, filled with tomatoes, peppers, onions and cheese. But, as you can see from the picture, only a small "dab" of beans accompanied the meal.


This was a disappointment. Beans are cheap and a good size serving would have made a nice impression on the plate and on their customer. The sweet roll was very fresh and served hot with a caramel and nut topping.

The coffee was tasty, but no one came to top off our coffee, in fact, no one ever came back to the table after our meal was served to see if we needed anything else - like a fresh cup of coffee. David's Café does not serve beer, wine or mixed drinks.

Ambiance

David's Café is kind of a cool little place, with high ceilings and a courtyard in back of the kitchen area and flags hanging on the wall to represent the native countries of their customers.

The tables are covered with clean, colorful table clothes. There is a steady stream of people in and out. After a while, I noticed that none of these people sat down to eat, but rather had come in just to use the restroom.

We did visit the restroom and were dismayed at the terrible shape it is in. There is one restroom for all genders, and it appears to be a former shower room. The sink is located outside the bathroom. Soap was available, but there were no paper towels. It is, of all the restaurants we have visited in Ajijic, the one with the most wretched washroom.

Price and Service  

Service at David's Café is average. We were served immediately after entering the restaurant, but felt abandoned after our meal was served.

No one checked on us or offered to heat up our coffee. We had trouble flagging down the waitress to get a check when we were ready to leave. 

When the check did finally arrive, however, it was quite reasonable. The cost for two to eat breakfast was $80 pesos, about $6.50. The moral of this story - you get what you pay for.

 

Our Recommendation **

Our plan was to not review restaurants unless we could recommend them to our friends. David's Café is right on the edge - it could become a really great little café with a few changes. We think it has potential. The food is good and prices are very reasonable. That is the most important factor in deciding to review this restaurant.

Service is unfocused, haphazard, as if there is no plan to take care of customers after the meal is served. The bathroom is truly terrible and needs to be updated. Management should also stop people who are not customers, from coming in off the street to use the bathroom - it is annoying. With these issues corrected, David's Café could become a great place for breakfast and lunch.

El Quetzal Restaurant

Address: Hidalgo #236, Chapala,
Phone: 376-765-6063
Hours of Operation: Monday - Sunday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday - Breakfast Buffet from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; Live Music - Sundays from 3 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Directions: Start in Chapala, from the intersection of Calle Francisco Madero and Calle Hidalgo (the end of the Carretera).  Head west towards Ajijic on Hidalgo. Travel approximately 1 1/2 blocks. El Quetzal is on the left. An iron gate sports a sign announcing the restaurant and a sandwich board in the street advertises "El Quetzal". From the malecon in Chapala, walk west, past the Beer Garden. El Quetzal is just before the end of the malecon.

First Impressions

If the ancient Mayans had designed a restaurant, El Quetzal would have been the result. The quetzal, a beautiful tropical bird, was sacred to the Mayans.

The décor of this lakeside restaurant is like a museum of Mayan symbols - serpents, also sacred to the Mayans, coiling down the tamarind tree, the plumed serpent, representing the marriage of the quetzal and the serpent, and Mayan statues.

Customers enter from the street, or from the patio entrance on the western end of the malecon and dine alfresco, under the shade of the huge tamarind tree.

Our visit was on a beautiful spring afternoon.  We chose to sit at a table near the malecon so we could gaze upon the lake and the mountains in the distance. A warm breeze was blowing off the lake.

The Menu  

The waiter brought our menus immediately after we were seated, took our drink order and left us to read the menu. The menu is available in Spanish and in English.

El Quetzal specializes in steak, fish and seafood dishes. There is a tantalizing selection of appetizers, including fondos, soups, empanadas, quesadillas, molcajetes and ceviche.

A full bar is available, and a wine special was offered at 2 X 1 prices. The white wine was served cold, chilled to exactly the right temperature.

We ordered shrimp empanadas, refried beans and shark cooked in garlic. The waiter brought out a basket of huge totopos and a spicy salsa to whet our appetite while we waited. 

The shrimp empanadas were large and served sizzling hot with a crispy crust and accompanied by a small side salad and slice of watermelon.

The serving size was so large that I could not have had anything else to eat. I broke open an empanada to reveal a creamy cheese filling stuffed with shrimp.



The thin filet of shark, cooked in garlic, was accompanied by large wedges of fried potatoes and served with a small green salad and fruit.

The shark was tender and not overcooked. The refried beans were creamy and topped with melted cheese and totopos.

Some tempting sounding desserts on the menu made us think twice, but after a huge and satisfying meal, we were unable to try any of them. Looks like we will have to return for dessert.

El Quetzal is moderately priced, a little more expensive than some other restaurants lakeside. The shark was priced at $120 pesos and the empanadas, at $100 pesos. Wine was a bargain, though, at 2 X $40 pesos.

Ambiance   

The location and ambiance of El Quetzal is just about perfect. There is soft Mexican music playing overhead, the view of the lake and the mountains on the southern shore is lovely.

The manager of the restaurant, walks among the diners, chatting and making sure everyone is satisfied with their meals. 

The décor is unique and fun, with snakes coiling around the trees and statues of Mayan gods guarding the bar. El Quetzal is certainly  different from anyplace we have dined along the lake.

Our waiters were polite and very professional, anticipating our needs but not coming back to the table too often.

The restrooms are old, but they are clean. Mujeres and hombres have separate spaces. They could use some updating and the Mujeres had no paper towels or working lights.

Price

El Quetzal is not cheap, but the prices are reasonable for the quality of the food that is served. Our meals, including wine, came to $375 pesos, less than $30 USD

Our Recommendation ****

El Quetzal is in a unique and beautiful setting, a Mayan garden hidden from the street by an ordinary looking entrance.

The food is delicious and the 2 X 1 wine special makes eating here a bargain.

We are coming back to El Quetzal soon. I have a feeling this restaurant is destined to become one of our favorites.