Restaurant Reviews

Lake Chapala may just be paradise for those who enjoy dining out and eating wonderful, creative food. This guide to our favorite restaurants is just that - our very own favorites. We have ranked them according to their menu selections, service, ambiance and price and have personally eaten at them all, sometimes more than once. If you think we have left out a really good restaurant, it is probably because we haven't eaten there yet. Let us know and we will make a visit and add our review to this guide. Buen Provecho!

Friday, January 29, 2016

La Peña de Santos Rico; Cafe and Art Gallery

Address: Calle Constitucion #16, Ajijic
Phone: 376-766-0281
Facebook
Hours: 9am - 4pm, Wednesday - Monday. Closed Tuesday.
Cash Only. No credit cards accepted
Limited Parking on Street 
Features: Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch. Large selection of hot and cold coffee drinks. Wine and Beer. Traditional Mexican and Latin American dishes. Dine in the courtyard and visit the art gallery. 

Directions: From Walmart, travel west on the Carretera to Calle Serdan. Turn left on Serdan and drive towards the lake to Calle Ocampo. Turn left on Ocampo, which becomes Constitucion after crossing Colon. Drive 1/2 block further. La Peña de Santos Rico will be on the right. Park along the right hand side of the street.
 

First Impression

The non-descript building that houses La Peña de Santos Rico is easy to miss if you are not paying attention. A chalkboard on the street in front of the café announces the special of the day.

The front door opens into an inviting gallery and a partially covered dining area lies at the end of the winding brick path. Soft music welcomes guests and huge trees shade the interior courtyard.

La Peña is translated as a meeting place for artists and musicians and La Peña de Santos Rico definitely has the feel of a bohemian coffee shop, café and hang out for artists. The dining room walls are covered in original art and the glass tables sit atop roasted coffee beans.


We visited La Peña de Santos Rico on a Friday afternoon and were the only guests at the restaurant. We were greeted by our waitress and given menus - written in English - with a surprising number and variety of breakfast and lunch dishes offered at incredibly reasonable prices.

The two page spread of hot and cold coffee drinks will make this a popular place with coffee enthusiasts. Que rico!

Menu

When we first heard of La Peña de Santos Rico it was based on their reputation as a great place for breakfast, and indeed, they offer an array of dishes, that includes Eggs Benedict, molletes, chilequiles, omelets, fresh fruit and yogurt. All breakfast plates are served with juice or coffee and no meal is priced over $60MX.

Our intention on this particular afternoon was to have lunch, though I made a mental note to return soon for breakfast. My friend was impressed with the drink menu that features wine for $30MX and beer for $20MX. These are just about the best prices in town for wine and beer.

I questioned the waitress about the wine, since such an inexpensive price usually means a cut rate brand, but this was not the case at La Peña de Santos Rico. We were served a healthy pour of a very nice Cabernet Sauvignon. The beers available are Victoria and Corona and an artisan beer called Berber, brewed in Zapopan.

The lunch menu lists traditional Mexican dishes, such as Chiles Rellanos, Chicken Enfrijoladas, Sopes, Fish Tacos al Pastor, Chicken Chipotle and the daily special, Carne en su Jugo. Again, nothing is priced over $60MX.

We ordered the Chicken Enfrijoladas and the daily special. While we waited, the waitress brought two tasty salsas and totopos to our table.

The Carne en su Jugo was different from anything I have tasted in local restaurants. A stew-like dish full of beef, beans and bacon in a rich stock. It was served with fresh handmade corn tortillas.


The traditional enfrijoladas featured four thin tortillas rolled around chicken and covered in a bean sauce, sprinkled with cheese and topped with thinly sliced avocado. Both dishes exceeded our expectations.

This is one of the few restaurants in Ajijic that focuses exclusively on traditional Mexican and Latin American dishes.

With two pages of specialty coffees, how could we resist trying at least one for dessert? We both ordered the Café Santos Rico made with expresso, Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua, cinnamon and frothy milk and served with a cookie. The price? $60MX.

Muy sabrosa! But, will we be able to sleep tonight?



Price and Service

Our waitress was polite and prompt. When I got up to look at the art, she came over to tell me more about the paintings and the opportunity to meet the artist at an upcoming art sale. The paintings and photographs were beautifully framed  and reasonably priced.

The total cost of our meal - four glasses of good red wine, two main courses and two cups of alcohol infused coffee came to a modest $360MX. That is about $20USD. You can dine well for a lot less than this at La Peña de Santos Rico, but we like to have wine with our meal and something sweet afterwards.

You can eat breakfast or lunch at La Peña de Santos Rico for less than $5 if you are on a strict budget, which I may have to go on if I keep eating like this.

Our Recommendation **** 

What a great new place! La Peña de Santos Rico is a perfect place to meet friends for coffee or to gather a group for breakfast or lunch. There is plenty of seating and the atmosphere is pleasant and tranquil.

The café is open for breakfast and lunch every day but Tuesday. Bring cash, no credit cards accepted. Our next trip to La Peña de Santos Rico will be for the gallery showing and art sale. Stop by and try their specialty coffees or indulge in a traditional, and delicious, Mexican meal.

Buen Provecho!




Thursday, January 28, 2016

Perry's Pizza; Pizza Place; Fish and Chips Shop

Address: Carretera Poniente #31, Ajijic Phone: 376-766-2841
Hours: Breakfast 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM; Lunch/Dinner 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Monday - Sunday.  
Facebook
Webpage

Reservations Accepted.
Voted Best Pizza in 2015 in a People's Choice Award.

Directions: From Walmart, travel west through Ajijic about 1 1/2 miles. Perry's is on the right at the top of the hill before the rumble strips as you are leaving Ajijic. The restaurant is located in a colorful building with an outdoor dining area and parking in front.

First Impressions

Perry's is a restaurant in search of an identity, changing shapes and definitions about as often as I change my clothes. First came Perry's Fish and Chips Shop, located in a tiny storefront in the village of Ajijic. Then, a wood-fired pizza oven was installed and a variety of pizzas added to the menu. Suddenly, Perry's added daily breakfast service. Tomorrow, who knows what new shape Perry's will take.

The limited parking and dining areas in their former location hampered growth. The new location, along the Carretera west of Ajijc is a welcome change for Perry's loyal customers. The newest location offers outdoor seating, bright, umbrella shaded tables crowded onto a wide front porch. There are a few indoor tables and adequate parking.

We visited for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon. There was one other occupied table when we arrived. A pleasant young waitress greeted us and handed us menus and allowed us our choice of table.

Then, she stood expectantly - tapping her pen against her order pad - while we decided what we wanted to eat. We ordered a couple of beers in order to give us some time to look at the menu out from under the impatient scrutiny of the waitress.

Menu

Perry's, as mentioned above, is searching for an identity, for some magic formula  that will appeal to customers. The menu offers fish and chips plates prepared with either dorado or tilapia, fish tacos and a daily fish lunch special that includes chowder, one piece of fried fish, French fries, onion rings and coleslaw. Also on the menu are hamburgers, chili burgers, salad and a variety of pizzas.

I took a friend who had tasted the pizza and declared it the best in the area. There are many reviews that corroborate his statement, along with customers who nominated Perry's for an award in 2015 for best pizza.

This afternoon we ordered the daily fish special and the bacon-bacon cheeseburger.


My first choice had been fish and chips, made with the dorado. However, the waitress informed me that there was no dorado that day, only tilapia. This was the first disappointment of the afternoon.

There are only two different fish on the menu. A restaurant that advertises itself as a fish and chips shop ought to have the fish available that is advertised on the menu - or at least a decent substitute. I changed my order to the fish special made with tilapia.

My meal began with clam chowder. The base was thick and flavorful, but I never did find any clams in the soup. The potatoes, though, were quite plentiful, but they were not thoroughly cooked. Rather they were hard, little chunks. I suspect this dish is a doctored version of a pre-packaged soup and not made in house.  Clam chowder is an easy dish to prepare and ought to be made fresh, from scratch, every day.

The fish and chips looked delicious, crisp brown batter fried fish served on a generous portion of French fries and accompanied by two onion rings and coleslaw. The fries were crisp, fried perfectly and served hot. I could not taste the grease, which means it was clean and heated to the correct temperature - something a lot of local restaurants have a hard time doing.

The fish was another story and the most disappointing feature of the meal. The batter was, indeed, crisp on the outside, but the inside was doughy and undercooked instead of shatteringly crisp as I expected. What had happened?

The fish was most likely still frozen when dipped into the batter and fried. It should have been defrosted, dusted in flour, salt and seasonings and then dipped into the batter to prevent this problem. The tilapia was flaccid and tasteless - certainly not what I expected from a place that bills itself as a fish and chips shop.

The coleslaw was also a disappointment. The tiny cup of slaw consisted of carelessly cut hunks of cabbage and carrots, completely without seasoning, with almost no dressing. Shred the cabbage and carrots, Perry, and make a seasoned dressing in which to marinate the vegetables.

On the other hand, there were a few pleasant surprises. My friend said that the bacon cheeseburger he ordered was probably the best he had eaten since moving to the Lake Chapala area. The burger was large, cooked perfectly and piled with bacon. The plate was served with fries and a side of fresh vegetables.

Perry's serves the usual soft drinks and iced tea but also offers a nice selection of beers, including craft beers, and wine. Dessert is also available.

Price and Service  

Perry's prices are very reasonable. They are open seven days a week and now serve breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner. Service is fast and friendly. Our entire bill for two meals and three beers was $210mx - about $12USD. We rarely eat this much food for this little money at other restaurants in the area.

Perry's is well known for their fish and chips so I was surprised at the disappointing quality of the fish special. I think the problem may have originated with a novice cook in the kitchen that afternoon. I am going to assume that this poor representation of their fish and chips plate was an anomaly. Perry should drop the tilapia from the menu and stick with mahi-mahi, even if an adjustment has to be made in the price. The better quality of the fish would make it worth the extra cost.

Our Recommendation ***

Go to Perry's for an excellent burger and the best pizza in town and skip the fish and chips.

Perry's biggest mistake is trying to be all things to all people. The Pareto Principle states that 80% of the effects (profits) come from 20% of the effort. Perry should take this to heart and refine his business to concentrate on those menu items that bring in the most satisfied customers and greatest profit.

Breakfast at a fish and chips and pizza shop? Why? This is an area that already has several popular breakfast restaurants. Perry's should pick an identity - just one - then concentrate on being the best they can be.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

El Rincon de Frida

Address: Hidalgo Sur # 159, Jocotepec, Mexico
Phone: 01 387 763 2801
Facebook
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 9:00am to 11:00pm; Closed Sundays.
Special Events: Tuesday, poetry reading; Thursday, live entertainment.

Directions: From Walmart in Ajijic, drive west for 25 kilometers, into the town of Jocotepec. Turn left at the first stop light and drive about 1/2 mile, turning right at the third street. Turn right at the first stop light, onto Hidalgo Sur. Park along the street.

First Impression

El Rincon de Frida memorializes the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, on every wall, and in every decorative touch. Rarely do I get to use the word, bohemian, to describe lakeside restaurants, but that is precisely the word that fits this tiny soup. salad and sandwich shop.

Frida's has no parking lot. The only parking available is along Calle Hidalgo Sur, in front of the restaurant. We parked several blocks away and walked, but that was because of the festival going on in Jocotepec which had blocked many of the streets. It was later in the evening when we dined, but the streets were well-lighted and we felt safe walking to the restaurant.

Frida's dining room accommodates perhaps 25 at the most. Quotes from the artist are written on the wall, her picture is everywhere and she is referenced in almost every menu item.

On Thursday, live entertainment begins at 9pm. Tuesday nights are reserved for poetry reading. The owners have carved out a unique, artsy - yes, bohemian - corner that is popular with young locals and older expats.

We visited with a large group of friends and the waiters happily pushed together tables and created a space for all of us.

Menu

El Rincon de Frida's menu offers a nice variety of unique sandwiches and fresh salads, all reasonably priced from $40pesos to $72pesos. I ordered a "Flor de Vida," a vegetarian sandwich consisting of cream cheese, cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, onion and lettuce served on toasted wheat bread and accompanied by a green salad.


It was delicious, the vegetables crisp and fresh. A friend ordered the "Diego en el Pensamiento," a house-made chicken salad, also accompanied by a green salad.

We also ordered "Papas a la Frida" - hunks of delicious roasted potatoes - to split. It was a good thing we only ordered one, since the portion size is huge and clearly made to share. Many in our party ordered one of the huge salad bowls and raved about the taste with every bite.

The drink menu includes soft drinks, large margaritas, and limited - but good quality - wines and beers.

Service and Price

Frida's waiters are patient, friendly and accommodating. They speak some English and seemed to understand the special dietary requests made by some in our party. I was impressed with how kindly they treated their older customers.

The meals are slow coming out of the kitchen, but that is because every order is made by the chef, who constructs each plate like an artist, when the order is placed. Nothing is prepackaged or pre-staged at Frida's. Because of the pleasant environment, our party was happy to wait for their orders to arrive.

This is not a fast food stop, so expect to stay a while. Entertainment began at 9pm on Thursday evenings when a funky duo performs traditional Spanish ballads.

Lola sings in a deep baritone, glancing occasionally at a cellphone for the lyrics to the romantic ballads, while the guitarist plays some pretty impressive accompaniment. It is interesting - and certainly unique - entertainment. I have not attended the poetry nights, but think that this would be interesting to hear in two languages.


Our Recommendation ****

If you find yourself hungry in Jocotepec, I can recommend El Rincon de Frida for good soups, salads and sandwiches in a friendly, funky, Frida-filled café.

If you are thinking of going in the evening, especially on the nights when there is music or poetry reading, make a reservation so you will be sure to get a table. Buen Provecho!

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Chopstix, La Comida Oriental

Address: Bugambilias Plaza, on the Carretera in Ajijic
Phone: 376-766-1375
Hours: 11:30 - 4:30, M-F. Closed Saturday and Sunday
Facebook
Vietnamese Cuisine. Monthly Dim Sum by Reservation.
Cash Only; Credit Cards not Accepted

First Impressions

Chopstix is an unpretentious diner specializing in Vietnamese cuisine. The café is located on the ground floor, at the back of Bugambilias Plaza. Customers can also enter from a door that opens onto the side street. The dining room is bright and scrupulously clean. The kitchen and preparation areas are visible from the modest dining room.

Chopstix serves lunch only, Monday through Friday. Diners quickly fill up the tables at lunch time. This is a very popular place with expats. The menu is simple, with a variety of traditional Asian appetizers and main dishes, as well as a special that changes daily.

The owners are hands-on, greeting customers as they come through the door, over-seeing the kitchen and running the cash register, waiting on tables and making sure that customers are happy with their meals. A dessert menu, written on a chalkboard, consists of an ever-changing variety of ice creams made in house.

Menu

Traditional Asian appetizers and noodle-based main dishes are offered on a one page menu, with drinks listed on the opposite side.

Diners can choose to begin with pot stickers, fried spring rolls or fresh summer rolls. I have tasted all three and could make a meal out of just the appetizers alone. They are all delicious and cooked to order. The standard dishes offered each day are a noodle bowl, consisting of rice noodles, a large serving of chicken, salad and a freshly made peanut sauce, a Rice Plate and a Bread Plate.

On the day we visited, Chicken Noodle Soup, or Pho Ga, was the daily special. The soup is served in a large bowl brimming with steamy, well seasoned broth and huge chunks of chicken, rice noodles and fresh greens.

Chopstix offers a large variety of drinks, from Chinese Green Tea and lemongrass tea, to a locally brewed pro-biotic ginger beer, white and red wine, beer and soda.

Then, there is dessert. The only thing on the menu is ice cream, but that is enough. The luscious creamy dessert is made in-house. A menu on a chalkboard in the dining room informs customers of the varieties available that day.

We ordered bowls of mint chocolate chip and lemongrass-ginger. The ice cream is rich and creamy and the added flavors are fresh without overpowering the creamy sweetness. This is the best ice cream I have tasted while living at Lake Chapala. Even if you do not care for Asian food, stop in for a bowl of this ice cream. The lemongrass ginger is my favorite flavor - it is irresistible.

I have tasted nearly every dish on the menu at Chopstix and have never been disappointed. If you love Asian cuisine, you can't go wrong ordering anything on the menu.

Chopstix offers a monthly Dim Sum. Reservations are required for this special meal. Customers can sign up on their Facebook page or by email to receive notification of when the meal will be served.

Service and Price

These are hands-on owners who have been living and working in Ajijic for over 15 years. They understand their customers and work hard to keep them happy. The service is fast, friendly and conscientious. Prices are very reasonable, especially for the generous serving size of the dishes.

Our Recommendation ****

Chopstix is a great place for lunch. If you have not been yet, stop by after a morning of shopping at the Wednesday tiangus (street market).

The food is consistently good and the prices are right. If you are in the mood for good Asian cuisine, we highly recommend Chopstix for a delicious and satisfying lunch. Don't forget to try a bowl of their heavenly ice cream.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

La Mesa Restaurant

Address: Carretera Peniente 19A, Ajijic
Telephone: 376 766 2948
Hours: 12pm to 10pm Monday - Saturday. Closed Sunday
Facebook
Now featuring live music on Friday evenings. Wine night on Wednesdays - house wine half priced.

Directions: From Walmart, drive west on the Carretera approximately 2 kilometers, through Ajijic.  La Mesa is on the right side of the road just as you drive up the hill after Colon Ave. Park along the Carretera on the wide shoulder.
 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I had heard some good things about La Mesa before finally deciding to give it a try. The one thing that kept me from visiting before now is the lack of parking. On the afternoon we visited there was plenty of parking on the wide shoulder along the Carretera in front of the restaurant.

La Mesa Restaurant is not clearly visible from the road, and even after I entered the front yard, I asked my companion if we were in the right place.

What a lovely surprise when we walked through the front door and into what felt like a French Bistro. Soft jazz played in the background. There are wooden tables covered in brown parchment and local artists' paintings on the wall. The dining room is light, and airy with large windows and a view of the lake just above the buildings across the street.

Here is a place where you want to spend all afternoon, chatting over lunch and a few glasses of wine - which is what we did.

Menu

We were warmly welcomed by the waitress, and after we were seated, one of the owners came to the table to greet us and offer us a sample of the house chili beans, which were delicious.

We were given two menus to order from, one with the lunches - salads, soups, sandwiches - and the other a dinner menu that featured more substantial fare. We were invited to order from either menu.

We started with wine - an excellent Tempranillo - and the salmon cake appetizer pictured above. The salmon cakes arrived after a reasonable wait. They are made with flaked salmon, chopped potatoes and parsley with a hint of onion. The homemade dill-flavored sauce perfectly complemented the crisp salmon cakes.

As our entrees, we ordered the sirloin steak sandwich and Cobb salad. The steak sandwich was stuffed with tender, thinly sliced sirloin and served on toasted white bread with sauteed yellow, green and red peppers and smothered in cheese.

The Cobb salad is presented in a large salad bowl and topped with olives, tomatoes, avocado, crumbled bacon, cheese, hard boiled eggs and chopped red onions, all on a bed of crisp lettuce with blue cheese dressing on the side.

We also ordered two more glasses of Tempranillo.


Then it was time for dessert. Alfajor piqued our interest, so we asked the waitress to describe it to us. It is an Argentinian dessert, consisting of shortbread-style cookies filled with cajeta (caramel made from goat's milk) and topped with vanilla ice cream. We split this dessert, but I wish I had ordered my own. It was heavenly and different than any dessert I have tasted at Lake Chapala. I was impressed not only by the well prepared food, but also the uniqueness of the menu.

Service and Price  

Our waitress was pleasant, knowledgeable about the menu and attentive. The owner came to our table and introduced herself and welcomed us. We enjoyed the relaxed pace or our meal and never felt rushed.

The price, $490mx, may seem high to some, but once we were in the restaurant we decided to splurge. Honestly, it is one of the best restaurants we have dined at lately and when you find a place like this, you want to do it justice.

The wine prices are some of the best around, at $35mx per glass for a good red wine. We ordered wine, appetizer, two main dishes and dessert for less than $30US.

Now that we have visited for lunch, I am anticipating my next visit, this time for dinner.

 

Our Recommendation ****

This is the best new restaurant in town - a place where you take guests you want to impress, meet friends for dinner or have a romantic lunch for two. The chefs know what they are doing and turn out food that shows off their knowledge and technique.

The restaurant needs a better sign to let their customers know where they are and a more welcoming entrance, but that should not stop anyone from enjoying what has to be the best new dining experience in Ajijic.  I can't wait to return.

Buen Provecho!




Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Mom's Deli and Restaurant

Address: On the Carretera, in the Riberas del Pilar area
Telephone: 765 - 5719
Hours: 7am to 2pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Friday. Closed Wednesday
Saturday - Sunday 7am - 2pm Brunch 
Cash only; No Credit Cards Accepted
Take out available.

Directions: From Walmart, drive east on the Carretera approximately 2 miles to the Riberas del Pilar section of Lake Chapala. Mom's Deli is on the right. There is parking out front and on the side of the building.

First Impressions

Mom's Deli and Restaurant is a bright, clean, pleasant breakfast and lunch spot right on the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar. There is plenty of parking on the front and side of the building and along the quiet road that runs next to the building. The dining room has high ceilings and plenty of tables for customers.

This diner and bakery is always full of gringos, and for good reason. The food is reminiscent of a typical diner north of the border. It is good, hardy food. The coffee is steaming hot and ice tea is done right and constantly refilled.



Breakfast is a popular time for locals to gather at Mom's Deli and Restaurant. The menu includes fresh baked muffins and scones as well as pancakes, eggs, home fries, and fruit. The cinnamon roll French toast, pictured at left, is a favorite  among Mom's regular breakfast customers.

The Lunch menu always includes a daily special as well as a variety of sandwich plates that include egg salad, bacon lettuce and tomato and sliced beef and au jus, as well as salads, soups, and traditional meatloaf.



Included with the sandwich plates is a small side salad of either coleslaw, potato salad or macaroni salad. I had the macaroni salad which I thought was tasty. The coleslaw is very popular with diners.

One of our friends always orders the Asian salad, pictured at right, which she says is the best around. It is a huge serving with a tasty Asian dressing.

If you go, make sure to inquire about the daily special.

Ambience and Price

Eating at Mom's Deli and Restaurant is like your lunch break at the warehouse. The ceilings are high, the noise reverberates off the walls and if your dining companion is not right across the table from you, you may not be able to hear what they are saying.

There is no music playing, just the noise of others talking. I had breakfast with a group of friends and we could not hear each other.

However, the food was good and the service is fast and friendly. The waiter is a man with a local mission to children who are in the hospital during the holidays so he is a very special sort of person, as well as being an excellent waiter.

Our Recommendation ***

Mom's Deli and Restaurant is not a high end eatery, nor do they pretend to be. Prices are down right reasonable for high quality, simple and well prepared breakfasts and lunch fare. The menu is limited, but what they do, they do well. If you like diners and down home cooking, you will like Mom's Deli and Restaurant.

 

Sunday, January 3, 2016

El Arco de Nicholas

Address: Jocotepec-Chapala Carretera before San Juan Cosala
Hours of Operation: Daily 12 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Directions: From Walmart head west on the Carretera towards Jocotepec. Past Los Sabinos and Lago Encantado there will appear on your left a succession of restaurants along the lakefront. El Arco de Nicholas is the first of these restaurants. Parking is available in front of the restaurant, and valet parking across the highway.


First Impressions

El Arco de Nicholas clearly appeals to families with children. The décor features  larger than life replicas of circus animals and a playground for young children located near the entrance.

A long path leads to the open dining room situated on the water, with a few tables positioned between the lake's edge and a large pool. We arrived early, just after the restaurant  opened on a crisp Saturday afternoon. We were seated immediately and given menus, in Spanish, and the waiter brought us a glass of the house red wine, which was surprisingly good.


Popular music played in the background and there were two televisions tuned to soccer on either end of the dining area. The restaurant seems to be a popular place with parents of young children, as every family that was seated during the time we were dining had several small children.

Even the bathrooms are labeled "ninas and ninos" and sport shorter than normal toilets and a large changing table.

It was too breezy to sit next to the water, but fortunately the dining area is enclosed by glass which protects diners from the January breezes off the lake.


Menu

The waiter brought a plate of packaged totopos and saltines to the table, but no pico de gallo or salsa, only bottled hot sauces. This was a disappointment since other places along the lake serve salsa, bowls of sauces and even pico de gallo before ever taking an order.

The menu is limited when compared to offerings from nearby restaurants that provide customers with a book of options.  A variety of fish and shrimp dishes are on the menu, as well as steaks and chicken. There is also a small children's menu.

The second page of the menu is filled exclusively with liquors and beers. We began with an order of shrimp empanadas. They were served fresh, a large corn tortilla stuffed with chopped shrimp, tomato sauce and vegetables accompanied by a side salad.


We decided to order to shrimp. My companion ordered Camarones 4 Quesos (4 cheese shrimp) and I ordered Camarones Coco (coconut shrimp).

The dishes were served with French fries, garlic bread and salad. Presentation was beautiful, as you can see from the pictures. The French fries were crispy and hot and everything looked delicious except for one problem.

The Shrimp Coco was prepared using small shrimp that had been butterflied before cooking, meaning that the result was overcooked and very tough. I was able to eat only a few of the shrimp, the rest were so hard and tough that they were unedible. Too bad, since the mango sauce was delicious.

My companion thought his meal, 4 Queso Shrimp, was better than mine, though when I tasted it I thought that the shrimp had not cooked long enough and the cheese sauce was cold. 


Ambience

The dining room at El Arco de Nicholas is pleasant and right at the water's edge. The background music was too loud, making it hard to have a conversation, and I was distracted by the televisions featured prominently at either end of the dining pavilion. 

There were children everywhere, as El Arco is tailored to appeal to families. I love children so was not bothered by the noise or the frantic activity, but be forewarned that this is not a place to have a romantic lunch or quiet conversation.  The wait staff are very attentive and the service from the kitchen is fast, though not as careful with preparation as I would expect of a lakeside seafood restaurant.

Price

The price of our meal was $610mx for four glasses of wine, 2 shrimp meals and an appetizer. The price is comparable to  other lakeside restaurants in this area but the quality of the food is not. The waiter did not offer us coffee or dessert at the end of the meal, another disappointment.

Our Recommendation: ***

If I had guests with small children, I might take them to El Arco de Nicholas for the ambience which is welcoming to families with small children. However, I would probably order a hamburger, which looked delicious when it came out of the kitchen, and not shrimp.  The food is adequate, at the very least. But, this restaurant is not as good as several of the other restaurants on this stretch of high end, seafood restaurants.