The Best Guadalajara Restaurants Yummy Food...
Wherever you go you're bound to find a delicious meal in one of the many Guadalajara restaurants the city offers. Take a look around and you'll be very pleased with everything you find.
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On our (March 2006) trip to Gdl. after a long day of combing and exploring the city we were absolutely starving and extremely thirsty.
We were recommended several Guadalajara restaurants and one in particular (Carnes Ruben) seemed very appealing and was close by. So we decided to give it a try.
This Guadalajara restaurant was no exception and my all time favorite so far. It was simple, cheap and delicious.
It was very hot outside, past noontime and the sun was really giving us a beating. We arrived very dehydrated and starving.
The restaurant was really cool compared to outside which I thought was really strange since they didn't have a/c. You'll quickly learn that most places don't need it.
I immediately ordered an Agua de Horchata which is a drink made of rice, water and sugar.
They serve these in Taqueria Guadalajara Restaurants in the U.S. but I think it tastes sooo much better in the real Guadalajara! It's very refreshing when served ice cold and soo delicious.
Speaking of drinks check out one of my new favorite Tequila drink mixes here. It's easy to make and a favorite of Mexico.
They brought out chips and about 4 different salsas. I had fun trying to figure out which was the best. And I think they were all equally delicious, however, I think the green ones are usually the hottest so I try to stay away from those.
For lunch I ordered a torta de pierna, which is basically a Mexican style sandwich in thick, crusty bread, served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and your choice of meat. My favorite is al pastor which is marinated pork.
The one I tried was definitely the best I'd ever had. It was made ahogada style but it wasn't a torta ahogada (more on this one later).
Check most popular Mexican Cooking, Food & Wine.
Torta Ahogada
Ahogada means "drowned," so the sandwich sits in a little pool of tomato sauce seasoned with special spices. It was absolutely mouth-watering and delicious. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.
After this wonderful, satisfying and might I add very inexpensive meal I was ready to do some more exploring in the city! Carnes Ruben tops my list so far as the best of Guadalajara restaurants, simple and satisfying.
This restaurant is very close to a site (Bethlehem Cemetery) which is included in my Guadalajara, Mexico vacations walking tour.
This is a "must do" if you're going to be in Gdl, even for a day.
Carnes Ruben $
Pedro Loza #533 (located by the Santuario)
About 5 minutes from downtown by car.
Here are a few other great Guadalajara restaurants to tempt your taste buds. I hope you like them as much as I did.
Prices
$ -under 5, $$ 6-12, $$$ 12-20 (per person)
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La Bodeguita del Medio $$$
Av. Vallarta 2320
This is a Cuban restaurant in Guadalajara with some of the best mojitos I've ever had and they had some great fried bananas too. You can go and have just appetizers and drinks like we did or you can have a delicious dinner. It was a little more expensive than I expected, but the food was delicious. I would visit again.
The restaurant has a really lively and fun atmosphere and would be a perfect start to your night out on the town. We went on a Saturday evening and they had a live Cuban band walking around playing a few songs, for a small fee of course.
We were quite easily persuaded to buy their really wonderful CD with all their hits. Whenever I listen to it all the fond memories come rushing back to me. I felt like I was transported to the beautiful island and still do when I hear those congas.
Also check out their happy hour on Wed. and Thur. Happy hour is from 1:30 to 6pm.
El Abajeño $$
Avenida Vallarta 2802
Zona Minerva
This is another excellent Guadalajara restaurant. But, it's actually located in the Tlaquepaque area, which is right by Guadalajara so I'll include it here.
If you want to spend a day shopping for beautiful Mexican pottery, blown glass, furniture and art and so much more then Tlaquepaque is one of the best places to find lots of Mexican fine arts, crafts, silver and pottery.
We heard of El Abajeño and started searching for it. Luckily, there was a courtesy tourist booth and they gladly pointed us in the right direction.
So off we went and finally found it. On the way I took a cute picture of this skeleton lady, even she is smart enough to put a hat on.
We arrived at El Abajeño absolutely starving. We sat down and ordered. The restaurant was packed full and extremely busy. The wonderful aroma of the food sizzling on the grill filled the air and made us even hungrier.
But it was well worth the wait. I ordered the fajitas de pollo and when they arrived they were just delicious and so filling.
The only disappointment I felt is that we had to wait quite awhile (10 to 15 min) for refills and the check.
We kept searching around for our waiter anxiously and couldn't find him for awhile. (Maybe he went on break?)
He eventually popped up and we settled that.
I'll give them a break this time since the food was absolutely superb and of course.. they were super, super busy. We'll see how it is next time around.
Angelo $$$
"Donde el amor, es la comida de todos los dias."
Where love is the food every day.
Sta. Monica No. 970
Tel: 36 14 04 40 or
36 14 1617
open 1pm-12am
This is probably one of the most romantic restaurants in Guadalajara that I've ever been to. It's kind of hidden away and is super cozy. You're in for a very romantic evening here.
When you do decide to visit please do this at nightime to really immerse yourself in the wonderful atmosphere. When you first arrive you'll see these round lights hanging from this huge tree. This particular restaurant is 2 stories with the top story giving you a nice balcony view. You'll enjoy a wonderful meal surrounded by romantic candlelight.
We went on a Friday night and there happened to be a musician playing romantic love songs on his guitar. It felt like one of those picture perfect scenes out of a movie.
I really enjoyed the lasagna as well as the sangria. If you want to experience a very romantic evening then try it out.
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Santo Coyote
Just returned yesterday from GDL and we ate at a fabulous restaurant named Santo Coyote.
I drove around so much that I can not remember the name of the ave. it was on, except to say that it was getting near El Centro Historico.
It was a 5-star experience with outstanding atmosphere, food, and service for the reasonable price. My daughter and I had dinner, 2 drinks a piece, and tip for $50 USD.
-Karen (U.S.A.)
Santo Coyote
Calle Lerdo de Tejada 2379
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Mío Cardio
They call themselves a "picaduria," offering little plates like tapas, but also more substantial dishes like lasagna and pizza. Their desserts are also exceptional.
They serve beer and wine, as well as the typical variants using those drinks (micheladas and sangria). On certain nights (Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the time of this writing, May 2008), they have live jazz.
They also have gallery space upstairs where local art is exhibited. The preparation of the food is exceptional, the atmosphere is nice, the staff is very friendly, and they can accommodate speakers of English and French also.
-Chris (Zapopan, Mexico)
Mio Cardio
Av. Tepeyac 189
Colonia Chapalita
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What Other Visitors Have Said
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Delicious food in a beautiful place!! 
Hi!!!
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