The Merendero Lake

Address: Corner of Calle Colon and Calle Constitution
Ph: (376) 766 1571

Hours of Operation:  Daily 12PM - 7:30PM
Facebook: The Merendero Lake
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Directions: From Walmart head west on the Carretera to a right on Calle Juarez, one block past Calle Colon in Ajijic. Turn right on Calle Flores and right on Calle Colon. The Merendero Lake Restaurant is 4 blocks down, on the corner of Calle Colon and Calle Constitution. It is on the Calle Ocampo side of Calle Colon. Parking is very limited on Colon, Constitution and Ocampo.

First Impressions

The Merendero Lake is located on the corner of Calle Ocampo and Calle Colon, in the heart of Ajijic. It is a pleasant little café, with lunch specials listed on a sandwich board on the sidewalk.

We have often passed by and smelled the delicious aromas wafting through open windows and remarked that we would have to visit.

The Menu

The Lake Merendero advertises their hamburger specials, and offer a variety of hamburger plates on the menu ranging in price from $55 pesos to $75 pesos, all accompanied with French fries. There are also a tempting variety of salads, soup, alfredo, baguette sandwiches, and savory and sweet crepes.



We ordered the Hamburger Nortena plate as the $95 peso special of the day, which included a glass of wine. The hamburger was cooked perfectly, no pink at all in the middle, served with a tomato slice, lettuce, caramelized onions and chipotle sauce. This is definitely one of the best hamburgers lakeside.

We also ordered a bleu cheese salad, with pecans, pear and chopped fresh greens and of course, huge chunks of bleu cheese. Most salads were priced at $65 pesos.

Service was casual, polite and leisurely. The chef came out from the kitchen and checked to see that our meals were cooked to our satisfaction.

We ordered a dessert to split between us. The waitress recommended crepes, with blackberries and cream cheese served with ice cream. It was so good that we are determined to return and order the crepes as an entrée.

The Lake Merendero serves sangria, wine, beer and some mixed drinks, which are listed on the chalkboard.

Ambiance

The Merendero Lake is a pleasant café, with an open air feel about it. Customers can see into the kitchen, and everything appears very clean. This is a place where you run into all the people you know in town, whether eating in the café or passing by.

There is a television in the corner and golden oldie music playing in the background. None of it seems out of place in this upscale burger joint.

 

Price

The prices on the menu are moderate, in keeping with similar restaurants in Ajijic. The lunch special was $95 pesos and included a glass of wine. Entrees are priced from $55 pesos to $120 pesos. Wine was $50 pesos for a large glass. Our meal, two entrees, four glasses of wine, and dessert totaled $358 pesos.

Our Recommendation ***

The Lake Merendero is a great place for lunch, and if you are hankering for a hamburger, this is probably the best one in town. Salads are delicious and just the right size and desserts are unique to the area - where almost every restaurant offers flan for dessert. We will definitely be back for more.

Mario's Restaurant Familiar

Address: Ramon Carona #132,  San Antonio Tlayacapan
Phone: (376) 766 1452
Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Closed Monday

Directions: From Walmart, head east on the Carretera, approximately 1/4 mile. Turn right on Calle San Jose. This is the right turn just before Superlake. Drive toward the lake for two blocks. Turn left on Ramon Carona. Mario's Restaurant Familiar is about 1/2 block on the left. It you reach the intersection by the plaza, you have gone too far.

First Impressions

Mario's Restaurant Familiar is located less than half a block from the central plaza in the small pueblo of San Antonio, Tlayacapan  It is the first place we eat that was recommended to us by a long time resident - our landlord. We ate there on our second day in the Lake Chapala area. We stopped into meet her at the real estate office and when we inquired about a really good restaurant for lunch, she suggested Mario's - in fact, she said she would take us there herself.

"Get in the car," she insisted, "I know a really good place for lunch." And off we drove, the wrong way down one way streets, weaving, whistling and talking the entire way. We pulled in front of a place that, had I not been introduced by Beverly, we might never have tried on our own. The restaurant looks very simple and rustic from the outside, with a sliding screen door and the name of the restaurant painted on the wall. I already suspected that Beverly was a little crazy, so was not sure what we would find inside.

But, to my surprise, the restaurant was clean and  pleasant and the owner and staff friendly and welcoming. We were off to a good start.

Menu

A daily lunch menu offers a large variety of dishes that includes seafood and beef dishes and salads. The daily specials are written on a white board - in Spanish. The waiter will gladly translate.

For lunch, we had Arrechera, recommended by our host, and fried shrimp with mango sauce.  The shrimp may just be the best I have had since arriving in town. It was a memorable meal. Our lunch was accompanied by fresh corn tortillas.

Other items on the menu included hamburgers and French Fries, shrimp cooked in a variety of ways, pescado (fish) dishes, and salads. A breakfast menu is available before noon.


So, a week later, we decided to return to Mario's Restaurant Familiar to try some of the delicious looking items on the  breakfast menu. This time we sat in the back of the restaurant, in an open courtyard behind the kitchen.

We ordered Huevos Rancheros and were treated to a feast that began with chips and salsa presented in a stone molcajete. The Huevos Rancheros were served with beans and freshly made corn tortillas.

We also had fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee.

 

Ambiance

Mario's Restaurant Familiar is a neighborhood café. It is not a place that is easy to find for first time visitors to Lake Chapala, but it is worth the journey into the small pueblo of San Antonio, Tlayacapan to experience a taste of authentic Mexican cooking.

The restaurant is simple, but clean and inviting. There is a very pleasant open dining area surrounded by green plants, reached by walking through the kitchen area.

Service is homey, friendly, and personal. After all, this is a family owned business.

Price

The price range for breakfast is between $50 and $95 pesos. Dinner entrees are also moderately priced. Two can have a filling seafood lunch for less than $240 pesos, about $18 dollars at the current exchange rate.

Our Recommendation ****

If you want a taste of excellent, authentic, Mexican cooking in a family owned restaurant, make the effort to find Mario's Restaurant Familiar. Try the shrimp with mango sauce. You will not be disappointed.