Mariscos el Carnal

Address:  Carratera Oriente #1352
                San Juan Cosala, Jalisco
Phone:  387 761 1010
Hours:  Monday - Sunday 12pm - 7PM
Webpage: www.elcarnalmariscos.com

Directions:  From Walmart, head west on the Carratera towards Jocotepec, for approximately 7 miles. Mariscos El Carnal is the second restaurant on the left (lakeside, with the shark hanging at the entrance), in the line of restaurants in the Piedra Barrenada. There are some topes (speed bumps) just before the restaurant and flaggers trying to get you to come to their restaurant. Valet parking is available for about 30 pesos.

First Impressions

Mariscos el Carnal is located in what is known as the Piedra Barrenada, a tourist zone between Ajijic and San Juan Cosala, lined with lake front restaurants.

You can't miss the entrance to Mariscos el Carnal. There are large topes (speed bumps) at the beginning of the restaurant zone that slows traffic down to a crawl. Then, there are hoards of young, extremely energetic men waving frantically at every passing car, urging them to park and dine at one of the  restaurants.

And, if the flag-wavers and the topes don't alert you to the entrance of Mariscos el Carnal, just watch to your right for the giant replica of a shark that hangs out front.

On this stretch of Lake Chapala, the water comes very close to the road, so all the restaurants offer a view of the lake. Marsicos el Carnal has about the best view of them all from their open-air dining rooms.

Use the valet parking, or just pull into the parking lot across the street from the restaurant. The crazy, flag-waving hoard will make sure you cross the road safely.

Menu

The menu at Mariscos el Carnal is about the size of a small novel, offering an impressive variety of fish and seafood dishes, steaks and traditional Mexican plates served in interesting and unique ways.

For instance, you can choose a hot cheesy molcajete or a mixed platter of seafood or  meat served on a table top grill.

Package deals are available for groups who like to share. Be careful, because some of these deals include a bottle of tequila which will raise the price of the meal significantly.



When we arrived one early Sunday afternoon, we were seated by the hostess without having to wait. The waiter took our drink order while we read the menu.

Our drinks arrived quickly, accompanied  by an interesting starter that included a tasty pico de gallo and a mixed fresh vegetable dish served with crackers and packaged tostada chips.

We ordered the fried shrimp plate and seafood stuffed flautas. Frankly, I am addicted to the flautas at Mariscos el Carnal. They are so light and delicious that I could eat a dozen at one setting.

Fortunately, they only bring three, accompanied by a guacamole sauce .
There were three on the  plate, above, but I couldn't help eating one before taking the picture.

We ordered a nice Merlot to accompany our meal and ended the feast by splitting a piece of rich chocolate cake. Mariscos el Carnal has a full bar available and the menu suggests some unique cocktails and mixed drinks.

The last time we dined at Mariscos el Carnal,  we ordered the mixed shrimp grill. The waiter brought a clay, grill to the table, filled with shrimp prepared in every way imaginable - fried, diablo, garlic and butter and cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped, to name some.  The meal was accompanied by a plate of rice and salad.

This is a fun way to taste a little bit of every shrimp dish.

Service and Ambiance 

The flag wavers and the guy on stilts, yelling and motioning drivers into their establishments, are obnoxious. But, once you enter the restaurant you encounter a less frenetic environment. There are roaming mariachis and a live band plays for guests after 3 pm on weekends. There is a long pier that stretches from the restaurant into the lake.
 


The view from our table at Mariscos el Carnal

The service from wait staff is good, and I have never felt rushed when eating at Mariscos el Carnal, though we may sit and sip wine and stare across the lake long after we have finished our meal.

The view from the dining room is superb. We watched the vaqueros and their horses on the beach, speed boats pulling skiers, and jet skiers enjoying beautiful Lake Chapala on a recent Sunday afternoon.

Oddly, we are usually the only gringo diners in the restaurant and I cannot understand why, since the food is excellent and the view of the lake is unsurpassed.

The dining room is covered by a huge palapa, with an expansive view of Lake Chapala from every table. If it is breezy when you go, sit one table back from the lake's edge and avoid being chilled.

 

Price

Mariscos el Carnal is pricier than most restaurants lakeside by about 25%, not a lot when you consider the setting. It is nice to sit by the water as you enjoy an excellent meal. Dinner for two, four glasses of wine and dessert will run about $600p, or $45US at today's exchange rate.

Recommendation ****

Eat here. Excellent food. Wide variety of dishes and presentations. Full bar. Good service. The music can get loud, so if this bothers you, do as we do and come in the early on a Sunday afternoon.

La Casita del Molcajete

Address:  Paseo Ramon Corona  #132
                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.

 

Our Recommendation ****

Put La Casita del Molcajete on your list of lakeside restaurants to try. The food is very well prepared and delicious, the service attentive and courteous and the prices will not make a hole in your budget.

Peacock Garden

Address: Calle Colon #8, Ajijic
Phone: (376) 766 1381
Website: thegardenajijic.com
Contact: thegarden_ajijic@hotmail.com

Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 11 AM to 8 PM;  Saturday 9:30 AM - 8 PM; Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday Breakfast  9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Credit Cards Accepted

Directions: From Walmart, drive west on the Carretera to a right on Calle Juarez, one block past Calle Colon in Ajijic. Turn right onto Calle Flores and right on Calle Colon. Drive toward the lake. The Peacock Garden is on the left 1/2 block past the Central Plaza. Parking along Calle Colon is limited.  

First Impressions

The Peacock Garden is located in the heart of Ajijic on the main road to the malecon. The walls of the entrance are decorated with murals of Indios fishing the waters of Lake Chapala.

Beyond the walls, birds sing in the garden and a parrot squawks as you pass into a lush green outdoor dining room.A fountain bubbles up in the corner while peacocks and multiple varieties of chickens roam among the guests.

If Alice in Wonderland inspired a restaurant, this would be it. Peacock Garden is a fantasy restaurant come to life.

Menu

Once seated in the patio area, we were given a menu, in English, with multiple pages of tempting dishes that included appetizers, soups, salads, hamburgers, club sandwiches, and baguettes. We could also choose from the lunch menu or an entire dinner menu.

The theme is eclectic, with some Italian dishes such as alfredo and pizza, seafood, chicken dishes and steaks. We felt like having Italian food the afternoon we visited, and ordered Shrimp Alfredo and a small three cheese pizza.

The thin crust pizza was served bubbling hot.  The parmesan cheese over-powered the other tastes, which was disappointing.

I especially like the taste of goat cheese on pizza, and if there was goat cheese on this pizza, it was lost in the strong flavors of the other cheeses.
The small pizza was large enough to feed both of us. We ended up taking most of this dish home with us.

The Shrimp Alfredo was served in a creamy, well balanced  sauce with lots of perfectly cooked shrimp and accompanied by garlic toast.

We paired this meal with 2 glasses of a very nice Chilean Merlot.

The Peacock Garden has a full bar and good selection of beers and wines. They also offer an interesting selection of desserts, including fried ice cream and the ubiquitous flan, but this time we were too full to order even one dessert to split.

The restaurant is open every day, and opens early on Sunday for breakfast, which is served from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

 

Ambiance

The Peacock Garden is like no place else lakeside. Dining here is like eating in a tropical aviary. You will almost feel guilty ordering chicken. We couldn't resist spreading crumbs around our table to summon the chickens and peacocks to dine with us.

There are arbors hanging with plants, lush stands of bananas on the borders of the garden, tables are arranged under a patio or al fresco, in the middle of the garden. A large fountain flowing at one corner blocks out any sounds of the village that may escape over the walls. This is a beautiful setting for lunch or dinner, for special events or romantic meal.

Price and Service

Service at Peacock Garden is laid back and pleasant. You can spend a long, leisurely lunch here and never feel rushed. We were well taken care of by staff, yet not bothered or rushed.

The prices are in line with the other fine restaurants in the lakeside area. A pizza was $110 pesos, the Shrimp Alfredo, $120 pesos, and wine was priced at  $40 pesos per glass.

Our Recommendation ****

I would eat here for setting alone. It is fun to spend the afternoon dining outdoors, with chickens and peacocks roaming around your feet.

The food selections are not necessarily creative, but rather standard fare well prepared. If you want to impress guests with a setting that is unique, different than you would find anywhere else in Lake Chapala, then this is the place to eat.

 

La Iguana de Piedra

Address: Jocotepec-Chapala Carretera
Phone: 387-761-0009

Hours of Operation: Daily 10:30 AM - 9 PM
Facebook: Iguana De Piedra
Credit Cards Are Not Accepted

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, starting with Mariscos el Carnal. La Iguana is the last of these restaurants. There is a large orange sign on the right hand side of the road with La Iguana on it. Parking is available in front of the restaurant, and valet parking across the highway is available for $30 pesos.

First Impressions

La Iguana de Piedra is just one of about a half dozen attractive restaurants on the lakefront between Ajijic and San Juan Cosala.  Every restaurant along this stretch of highway employs wavers who stand on the street, signaling and whistling at potential customers to encourage them to stop and eat.

These restaurants cater to weekend visitors from Guadalajara and start filling up after 2 p.m. on the weekends.

Behind the castle-like walls is a series of open air dining rooms under huge palapas and situated on the waterfront.

Once inside the large doors, you are in a beautiful garden. The grounds are filled with tropical plants, statues of animals and a pier that reaches out over the lake. We arrived a little early so were leaving just as the band was setting up. The next time we will make sure to come a little later in the day so we can enjoy the live music. .
 

Menu

We were seated promptly and the young waiter brought out large tostada chips, salsa and pico de gallo. Then he asked if he could take our order, though we had not been given menus

We told him we needed to see a menu and he informed us that there was no menu in English.
 "That is okay," we said, and so finally were given a menu.

 It was a very odd experience. We placed a drink order and sampled the giant chips and salsa, which were good, but we waited for some time before our wine appeared. The menu offered shrimp, octopus and fish, prepared in a variety of ways and several cuts of steak. The prices are some of the highest we have seen in lakeside restaurants. Customers pay for the beautiful setting and entertainment.

I would have thought  we were getting the gringo prices except, unlike most nice restaurants in Ajijic, there were very few gringos dining at La Iguana.

We ordered two shrimp dishes, Camarones Empanizado  and Camarones Verecruzana,  then sat and gazed at the lake while waiting for our meals.

Shrimp Veracruzana had large tender shrimp, served in a tomato, chili pepper, caper and olive sauce. It was slightly spicy and delicious and served with Mexican rice, a salad and slice of watermelon.

Shrimp Empanizado,  breaded and fried shrimp, was also served with salad, rice and watermelon.
The breading was nice and crisp and the shrimp large. Unfortunately, the shrimp was a bit overcooked and tough, the result of cooking too long. The Shrimp Veracruzana was the much better dish.

There were several desserts on the menu, however, the waiter did not ask for a dessert order. Our meals were so huge and filling, we decided to forgo dessert this time.

La Iguana has a full bar and serves beer and a very large glass of wine for $50 pesos.

Ambiance

Dining at La Iguana de Piedra is a beautiful experience. The dining rooms are situated under huge palapas over looking the lake. This is the quiet side of the lake so there are a few pelicans landing and taking off and fishermen casting from small boats on the far side of the lake.

We chose a seat at the edge of the lake. The view, alone, is worth a trip to La Iguana de Piedra for lunch.

Service was a bit slow. It seemed like they were not quite ready for customers when we arrived. We waited for some time before our drinks arrived, though we ordered them immediately after we were seated.

Our waiter asked for our order before we were given a menu. Our meals came out promptly after we ordered and the waiters were polite, though not especially attentive.

There was nothing wrong with the service, per se, but there was also nothing especially remarkable about it either.

Maybe management at La Iguana needs to bring in those guys off the street, the ones waving and jumping and begging customers to choose their restaurant, and let them spend some of their enthusiasm waiting on customers and let the confused and uninterested meseros spend some time flagging down customer in the streets.

Price

La Iguana de Piedra is one of the most expensive restaurants that we have dined at along Lake Chapala. Our meals were good, but not outstanding. The draw of this place is the beautiful setting. Our meals were $150 pesos each and were some of the least expensive dishes on the menu. Our total bill was $500 pesos

Our Recommendation ***

La Iguana de Piedra is a beautiful place to have lunch on a warm, breezy afternoon. Come a little later in the afternoon and enjoy the live band. The food is good, and service is average, but the setting is spectacular. Have the Camarones  Veracruzanas, if you can stand a little spicy kick to your meal.

El Ancla

Address: Carretera Chapala-Jocotepec #976
Phone: (376) 106 2011
Hours of Operation: Monday - Saturday 12 p.m. - 9 p.m.; Closed Sunday

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elanclarestaurantbar&grill

Directions: From Walmart head west on the Carretera through Ajijic. Pass the Evento Centro and Los Sabinos. El Ancla Restaurant is approximately 1/2 mile on the left next to La Reserva housing development. There is ample parking in front of the restaurant. The buses east and westbound will stop in front of the restaurant.

First Impressions

We got off the bus too soon. We didn't realize that the local bus stops directly in front of El Ancla Restaurant Bar and Grill, but next time we will know and avoid having a pit bull follow us as we walk down the sidewalk.

And, there will be a next time. The food at El Ancla is excellent, yummy, delicious. The two story restaurant is situated at the end of a small strip shopping center filled with decorator stores

We have passed here a number of times and have not even noticed El Ancla, but after many recommendations (what better way to find a great restaurant?) we decided to visit during the lunch hour and give it a try.

We arrived too early, but that wasn't a problem for the staff, who set up a table for us, offered us a drink from the bar and brought the menu over so we could contemplate our order while they finished setting up the restaurant for the lunch crowd who actually knew the real hours of operation.

Menu

Wow, we were impressed by the menu. A nice selection of appetizers - mushrooms cooked in wine, shrimp stuffed avocado, skewered shrimp and mahi-mahi - a large number of entrees that included pasta, chicken, fish (mahi-mahi and basso) and shrimp.

Also available was what they promised was the best hamburger lakeside. We saw a lot of customers order the hamburger and fries, so this statement may not just be hyperbole.

We ordered the spinach stuffed chicken breast with poblano sauce and the appetizer-size fish and chips. These were both served freshly made and super hot.

My companion said that it was the best chicken dish he has tasted in the Lake Chapala area, and believe me, he has tasted a lot of them.

My fish and chips were very good, not greasy at all,  but hot, tender and flakey. Someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing.

For dessert, we shared the Bananas Flambé, served with vanilla ice cream. I always expect a flambé to be "flamed" at the table, but that may be asking a bit much.

The dessert tasted very good, even if we did not get to witness any drama associated with a flambéd dessert.

There were so many delicious items on the menu that it was hard to choose one. We will definitely return to try another delicious sounding entre. 

The service was prompt and accommodating, and as I noted earlier, they seated us and gave us a drink and set the menu in front of us while they continued readying the restaurant for opening. Can you tell how impressed I am at this kind of service?

El Ancla offers a variety of coffees, non alcoholic drinks, wine, beer and a full bar.

Ambiance

El Ancla Restaurant, Bar and Grill has a very pleasant and inviting environment. There is outdoor as well as indoor seating available.

Soft, easy listening music is playing in the background so you can have a conversation without having to shout over the music.

The restaurant is clean, inviting. It reminds me of a Scottish pub we used to frequent on the banks of Loch Fyne.

Right after opening time, the restaurant began to fill with customers. This is a good sign, since this restaurant is not right in town, but on the outskirts of Ajijic, so you have to make a bit of an effort to get here. There are separate restrooms for hombres and mujeres. Both were clean and I saw staff attending to them during the course of our meal.

The Price

The prices are very reasonable, about $120 pesos for an entrée. Wine, about $40 pesos by the glass. Two entrees, dessert, four glasses of wine will run about $400 pesos, or about $32.

 

Our Recommendation: ****

We really like El Ancla and plan to return soon. The food was prepared with care and very tasty. We were served promptly and our food was hot and delicious.  We observed that other customers in the restaurant were also served very quickly. The presentation was attractive.

What else can I say? Eat Here!

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