Roberto's

Address: Carretera Poniente #35, Ajijic
Phone: 376-766-1616

Website: www.Robertosrestaurante.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/robertosrestaurante

Hour of Operation: Wednesday through Saturday 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday Brunch 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Parking: On the right, off the Carretera, in front of Roberto's.
Live Entertainment

Directions: From Walmart, drive west on the Carretera through Ajijic, approximately 4 kilometers. As you head out of town, you will come to a small hill. Just over the hill on the right, Roberto's is just past Calle 5 de Febrero. If you reach Calle A. Obregon you have gone too far. Look for the tables set up outside the hacienda gates.

First Impressions

Roberto's was difficult for us to find the first time. Everyone gave us vague directions. It is located right on the Carratera so it should have been easy to spot.

Right? Well, no. Not unless you know where to look you can drive right by it and never know it was there. * Roberto's now has a prominent sign in front of the restaurant. It is on the right, as you come over the hill heading west out of Ajijic. Roberto's is situated on a hill just above the Carretera.  The picture, left, is of the front of the restaurant.


It would be a shame to bypass Roberto's because it is a very good restaurant offering consistently delicious food in a beautiful old hacienda.

Plentiful parking in front of the restaurant and a few tables are set up outside the gates to help customers find the entrance. This is another of our favorite restaurants in Ajijic.

* See below for update on Sunday Brunch at Roberto's.

The Menu

Robert's menu offers a wide variety of dishes - steaks, chicken, seafood, salads. This is North American style food prepared well.

Once  you are seated, the waiter takes your drink order and delivers a basket of warm bread and croquetas de la zanahoria (carrot croquettes) to your table to stave off hunger while you browse the menu.



Some of dishes available daily include Panko Encrusted Fish, Steak Diane, Crab Cakes, Salmon Dijon, Moo Shu Pork, Mongolian Beef.

Brunch is available on Sunday mornings with dishes that include a brunch burrito, salmon scrambled eggs, pancakes and bananas foster, eggs Florentine and crepes.

We visited Roberto's to sample their Sunday Brunch for ourselves and it was scrumptious. There are so many creative, tempting dishes from which to choose.

We finally settled on Robert's Special Breakfast of eggs, ham, bacon, hash browns and praline French toast. Before the meal arrived, we were served  a fruit plate with a seafood spread and two toasted and buttered slices of bread. The waiter also delivered a basket of fresh bread  and carrot fritters.

We also ordered Roberto's Breakfast Special, a frittata-type concoction of chorizo, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, onions and eggs with creamy potatoes on the side.


To drink, we chose freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee. Coffee was included in the price of the meal. When we thought we were finished and full to the brim, our waiter brought out two small bites of very rich cheese cake that neither of us could resist. Roberto's has to serve the best Sunday brunch lakeside.

Roberto's offers special menus during the holidays. Spring is here, and the advertised special for St Patrick's Day will feature a special meal of corned beef hash made in house.

There is a full bar offering mixed drinks, wine and beer. Sunday brunch features drink specials, including Mimosas, Champagne, Vino Blanco
and Bloody Mary for $50 pesos each.

 

Service

Once again, we observed the service at Roberto's and found it to be impeccable. The waiters are very attentive, watching to refill your coffee cup or bring another drink as soon as your glass is empty, friendly and unobtrusive.

We never feel rushed when eating at Roberto's. I appreciate this about a restaurant. If I am made to feel like I could linger all day, I am apt to order another drink, or a dessert to share. We had only been a few times before the waiters recognized us as regular customers.

Ambience

The unassuming entrance hides dining areas perched above the road and shielded from noise by a lush landscape. The wooden gate opens up to a  small flight of steps into an old hacienda turned restaurant.



Musicians play on Sunday afternoon.

A waiter will rush forward to greet you and make sure you are seated in one of the cozy dining areas outside, or in the larger dining room inside the casa. It is easy to find a cozy, romantic corner at Roberto's for an intimate lunch or dinner.

The décor is old Mexico, though the food is definitely Norte Americano. If there is entertainment, it is probably best to dine in one of the indoor dining rooms, as the music can make it difficult to hold a conversation. There is ample parking in front of the restaurant and it is a fairly easy walk from Ajijic.

Price

Roberto's is a moderately priced restaurant. The Sunday Brunch is priced between $75 - $120 pesos. Lunch entrees are smaller versions of the dinner menu and prices start at $65 pesos, with the most expensive dish at $120 pesos (less than $10).

Dinner prices range from $120 pesos to $150 pesos. The price for our Sunday Brunch was $175 pesos.

Our Recommendation ****

Roberto's is a nice place to have a delicious lunch or perfect for a romantic dinner. This is also a great place to entertain guests. That is my grinning brother in one of the pictures above. He loved celebrating his birthday at Roberto's. We highly recommend Roberto's for delicious food.

After today, we can also recommend Roberto's for Sunday Brunch. The chefs are very creative, the food is so good and the overall experience is delightful