Puerto Vallarta's Best Street Food and Snacks
Puerto Vallarta's Best Street Food and Snacks
In New York you go for a slice; in Puerto Vallarta, you stop for a taco. Snacking at street stands and informal eateries might just be one of the most enjoyable ways to get yourself fed here—and doing so is an indisputably authentic Mexican experience.
Read on to discover unknown (and famous) places to enjoy savory and hygienic antojitos—snacks like tacos, burritos, gorditas, and quesadillas—that Mexicans enjoy as a sort of comfort food on the go. Many are fried and fattening, but other items are griddle-cooked with a minimum of oil, and quesadillas and burritos aren’t fried at all. Mexican desserts and sweet breads can be insipidly similar; read on for the skinny on some of the best desserts and sweet snacks around, with a few options for snacking on the run. But cheap snacks don't have to mean a meal lacking presentation.
Picnic Time
Grab a box lunch starting at 6 am at Marina Vallarta’s The Coffee Cup (Condominios Puesto del Sol, Local 14–A, at the marina 322/221–2517). At A Page in the Sun (Calle Olas Altas 399, Col. E. Zapata 322/222–3608), stop in for American-style comfort food to go, like a turkey and avocado sandwich. At Puerto Vallarta’s Los Muertos Beach and bayside at Rincón de Guayabitos, look for beach vendors selling coconut bread, fish on a stick, and giant pieces of fruit.
PV’s Best Street Food and Snacks
Nothing says "Pacific Coast Mexico" like a shrimp taco or a fish burrito, but other "street foods" are equally popular. Step up to these taco carts or tiny storefronts to get a taste of authentic Puerto Vallarta.
In downtown Vallarta, locals love the quesadillas, shredded beef burritos, and tacos at Tutifruti (Allende 200, Centro 322/222–1068 closed Sun.), where you can also get a sandwich, burger, or fruit smoothie.
In the Zona Romántica, Salud Super Foods (Olas Altas 534-A 322/139–9398) offers healthy and nutritious food with lots of flavor, which has crowds coming here every morning for breakast. There is no guarantee that there will be space for you to sit at any time in particular, but there's always takeaway to be eaten at the boardwalk. Don't miss the smoothies!
In Marina Vallarta, an upscale place to go for snacks and beer is La Barra Cerveceria (Av. Paseo de la Marina Sur s/n, across from Hotel Mayan Palace 322/209–0909), which sells pizza as well.
North of Banderas Bay, in little San Pancho (aka San Francisco), the multitudes rave about the fish and shrimp tacos at Baja Takeria (Av. Tercer Mundo 70).
Bucerías’s Tacos Linda (Av. Lázaro Cárdenas s/n at Abasolo, Bucerías) occupies a small patio surrounded by hurricane fencing. Watch a telenovela on the overhead TV as you wait for savory meat tacos and other snacks on huge, just-made tortillas.
Sweet Stuff
The locally owned bakery Los Chatos (Francisco Villa 359, Col. Olímpico 322/223–0485 www.loschatos.com) sells cakes, tarts, and house-made gelato.
For a fresh-fruit water, frozen fruit bar, or ice cream cone, stop in at a Michoacán or Holanda ice cream shop.
In El Centro at Paris Café (Pino Suarez 158, Col. E. Zapata 322/222–8472), a gruff and eccentric Frenchman who bakes bare-chested is PV’s version of Seinfeld’s "soup Nazi."
For European-style chocolates, succumb to Xocodiva (Calle Rodolfo Gómez 118 322/113–0352), near the Zona Romántica.
In Sayulita, Panino's (Delfines 1 322/103–3723) produces good brownies, croissants, and other baked goods.
If you're in Bucerías, grab a mini-cheesecake, crunchy chocolate cookie, or soft-center brownie at Pie in the Sky (Heroe de Nacozari 202 322/223–8183 www.pieinthesky.com.mx).On Bucerías’s South Side, a dedicated following snaps up the cinnamon rolls at Sweet Things Bake Shop (Lázaro Cárdenas 64 322/278–6960).
