Chapala, Jalisco
Phone: 376 765 4906
Hours: Monday - Sunday, 9am - 11pm
Credit Cards Accepted
Directions: From Walmart, head east on the Carratera towards Chapala, about 6 1/2 miles. Turn right at the stoplight, heading towards the lakefront. Take the next left, along the malecon. La Casita del Molcajete is located in the row of restaurants at the end of the market. There is limited parking in front of the restaurant, but ample parking along Paseo Ramon Corona.
First Impressions
La Casita del Molcajete is in the middle of a strip of restaurants at the eastern end of the Chapala malecon. In this area, it is sometimes hard to tell where one café ends and another begins.Perhaps that is why it took us nearly a year to get around to trying this pleasant little restaurant.
The interior is spotless, one of the cleanest restaurants I have seen lakeside. We were early and there was only one other table of diners when we arrived so we had our choice of tables covered in bright green, blue and orange tablecloths. Menu
The maître de greeted us and introduced us to our young waiter, who immediately took our drink order and brought out pico de gallo and salsa to enjoy while we looked over the menu.
In addition to the cafe's namesake dish, a bubbling volcanic cauldron of cheese, peppers and seafood or steak called molcajete, the menu also offered a variety of appetizers, fish and seafood cooked to order, steak, soup, salads, and a few traditional Mexican dishes.
La Casita del Mocajete has a full bar, wine and beer as well as non-alcohol beverages.
We ordered fried shrimp and my companion said that it was some of the best he has tasted anywhere. The plate held a generous number of shrimp, steamed squash, a green salad and bread. The shrimp was lightly breaded and served hot, but not overcooked.
We also ordered chicken fajitas. The chicken was well seasoned and accompanied by refried beans, guacamole and a green salad and served with warm, thin corn tortillas. It was fresh, authentic and delicious.
Ambiance and Service
La Casita del Molcajete is a clean and pleasant café, though it appears rather dull on the outside. There is traditional music playing quietly in the background, so we were able to talk while we dined. The young staff was courteous and paid attention to our table, attending to our needs without any prompting and without making us feel as if we were rushed.
The restaurant started to fill up just about the time we were ready to leave, and it is apparent that this is a favorite with local diners.
I stopped in the ladies' room before leaving and was pleasantly surprised. This is one of the nicest, and cleanest, public restrooms I have encountered in Mexico. I always feel good about eating at a restaurant that pays such close attention to these details.
Price
Prices are reasonable, aligned with the cost of dinner at the surrounding restaurants on the malecon. We were happy to see that La Casita del Molcajete takes credit cards, except for American Express, though we had our pesos ready just in case.Entrees, 4 glasses of wine and tip came to $500 pesos, less than $40US.
