Maquina 245:La Estacion de la Hamburguesa

Address: Carretera #152, San Antonio, Tlayacapan
Hours: Wednesday to Monday 8 AM - 2:30 PM; Closed Tuesday
Cash Only

Directions: From Walmart, travel east on the Carretera about 1/2 mile to the first stop light. Maquina 245 is on the left (mountainside), on the second floor above the papelaria.

First Impressions


Stairway to Maquina 245

Maquina 245 is a burger place located on the second floor above a paper store. It is not accessible to anyone who has trouble walking or navigating steep stairways. The décor is interesting, once you climb the stairs to get to the restaurant, with model trains and railroad crossing signs.

There are tables inside the restaurant and outside on the porch area. Because of the second floor location, it catches a nice breeze. The restaurant appeared very clean and the owner greeted us warmly.

Menu

The menu is limited but interesting, it is a burger place, after all. There are a few starters, such as nachos, and a short list of burgers in a variety of meats, including traditional hamburger, buffalo burger, lamb burger, wild pork burger and ostrich burger. All meals come with thick, seasoned fries.



Buffalo Burger

The drink menu is limited to a few varieties of beer, white and red wine and soft drinks. We ordered white wine. Unfortunately, it was served warm and had turned to vinegar. It was a shame, since the wine was the least expensive that we have seen lakeside at $35 pesos per glass and the waitress gave us a generous pour.

But, we could not drink it. We traded the soured wine in for a Pepsi and a craft beer made in Chapala. The beer was quite good, light and red in color.

We ordered a traditional hamburger and a buffalo burger. The burgers were cooked to order and came out on huge crusty buns. The fries were well seasoned, soft and delicious.



Craft Beer made in Chapala

The burgers were cooked medium well and topped with caramelized onions and peppers. There was no dessert menu, however, the waitress brought a basket of individually wrapped cookies and offered us each one, "on the house." The cookies were fresh and moist. 

Ambiance and Price

The theme of Maquina 245 is trains and there are images, signs and train signals everywhere. The dining area is open and breezy. There are benches and wooden tables, couches and coffee tables. We sat outside and it was like being at a picnic.

The service was prompt and friendly. The waitress returned our wine immediately when we indicated that it was not good and replaced it with something else without an argument.

While we were there, a friend of the kitchen staff showed up. She appeared to be sick, coughing and sneezing, but walked right into the open air kitchen. I probably would have enjoyed my meal more if I had not seen this.


Burger Menu

Our meal came to $240 pesos for 2 burger plates, 1 craft beer and 1 Pepsi, or about $18 US.

Our Recommendation  **
The food is tasty if you want just a burger, though it is a bit pricey. Because I took a sip of very warm, rancid white wine, it soured the meal for me - literally. Have a hamburger or a buffalo burger and a good craft beer made in Chapala but skip the wine.