Restaurants Review with Pictures from May Trip

[cobra269]

PART 1​

These are the reviews with pictures of the places we ate in May. Sorry but didn’t take pictures of everything or already started to eat when we remembered to take some shots. Hey, but were are on vacation. This was my 4^thtrip to Cozumel and her 2^nd, all within the last 3 years. Details from our perspective and taste, and from our experience at the time.

Some noteworthy items.
1. She likes diet coke (light coke in Cozumel) and it cost as much as a beer, between 25 and 30 pesos.
2. The sauces or condiments that come with your meal, do yourself a favor and taste them before you put them on your food. Some of them will light you on fire.
3. Notice quite a few places were charging for salsa and chips - $50 pesos.
4. We ordered guacamole quite often. Don’t expect it to show up fast like in nthe states. It was made to ordered every time and boy is it good good.
5. Seemed to be very few people around. We ate early dinners (5 -6) and were a lot of times alone or sharing the restaurant with one other table. It got really old walking around the square and having shop owners and waiters trying to get you to come in to either eat or buy their goods. Sometimes they got right into our faces - didn't make for a good time being bothered all the time.
6. Most meals cost between 250 and 350 pesos. Would be cut almost in half if we didn’thave any cocktails.
7. Not too many restaurants open on Sunday off the square.

MoneyBar:We went here 4 times. Basically because it was a short drive from our condo and scenic along the ocean not having to get on the main road. Salsa will cost you 50 pesos. Like a lot ofplaces. They have the absolute bes tbathrooms that we experienced. Large, clean and attendants that kept them that way. It was worth it to pay a little more just for the bathrooms, and let’s not forget the view, FANTASTIC. All 4 times had to flag down the waiter for our bill. Lots of folk snorkeling but we didn’t.

1^stTime. Happy Hour (2for 1 drinks). What a waste for us, they bring both drinks at the same time. If you drink beer and fast a good deal. But we both found the drinks without much alcohol and with the outside temps all the ice melted before we could get to the second one. So if you are going for the 2 for 1 - in our opinion not worth it. Now for the good news. We ordered a hamburger to split between the 2 of us since we had a big lunch. The waiter had divided the hamburger on 2 plates and gave us each fries, etc on each plate. Enjoyed the hamburger but I think it wasfrom a frozen patty, FF were excellent.

2^ndTime. Lunch: I had the mayan pork soft tacos and she had the roast beef sandwich. If you like pork you can’t go wrong with the mayan pork. Fantastic. The roast beef sandwich was expensive but good. Enough that she couldn’t eat it all so we took it home and I finished it for dinner.

3^ndTime. Breakfast: We arrived a little after 8 with 1 other person there having breakfast. Service was great until after the food came. The staff was having their breakfast, but they have to eat to. Ordered a Bloody Mary – the absolute worst one I’ve ever had. After drinking a fourth of it I went to the bar and ask for some more mix.So now I understood the reason I didn’t care for it. No Bloody Mary mix just the box juice followed by what I think was some season salt. Way to salty for my taste. Good news we both enjoyed the breakfast. She ordered the waffles and I the huevos rancheros. He asked how I wanted my eggs, fried or scramble. I said over easy. He said fried, well done is what I got like hard boiled with out the shell but I enjoyed it. You have to go with the flow. Asked green or red sauce. Went with half and half. Really like the green sauce best. The small fruit bowl was good.

4^thTime:Just went to listen to some music and have a few drinks. Had a great time but no breeze so very hot and sticky. Very Crowded.

CasaDenis:
We ate here twice last visit. One great and one terrible meal. So we tried again. First - one restaurant right down the street was offering $1 beer and 2 for 1 margaritas.Asked the waiter at Casa Denis if they would match it. Told us you drink for free when you eat here. Well not true.They did give my wife one free margarita. A week later I asked the same thing to a different waiter. He told me how great their margaritas were etc, etc, etc.After asking 3 times to answer my question - he said no.

Beside the above issue - the service and food was great. She had chicken chimichangas (said they were just okay) and I had the mayan pork (all boneless meat). The mayan pork was outstanding. Cooked perfectly and a sauce to die for. A nice place to sit and people watch. We were there on Sunday but this Sunday not much going on at the square.

LeChef:
Our dentist recommended Le Chef and after checking TA we decided to give it a try. We were the only ones at the restaurant. They did bring out and appetizer for free which was good. I ordered the famous lobster/bacon sandwich. And she got a salad and the spinach ravioli. The lobster/bacon sandwich just didn’t do anything for me. It was a hot sandwich and I would have preferred it cold. That’s just me, really didn’t enjoy it but it did have a nice taste. My wife enjoyed the ravioli but not so much the red sauce.The service was okay, but being the only ones there and sitting outside (too hot to sit inside) out of view of the waiter was probably the reason. We had a great view looking into the gym across the street. We both thought it was a little bit costly for what we got compared to other places we ate at in Cozumel. Next visit we will pass on Le Chef.

As a side note. Not absolutely sure Le Chef was the cause but we both had stomach issues that night, the only time in our 19 day stay.This was the only place we ate out in town that day and my wife’s salad was the only thing we shared. I was fine by midnight but it stayed with her until midmorning.

LaChoza:
We ate here once last year and wanted to try it again. I enjoyed the lime soup but she didn’t care for it. Service was outstanding as was the salsas. She had the garlic shrimp which was very tasty (I got to eat one). As you can see from the picture they were a nice size. I had some kind of combination plate since I wasn’t very hunger. Will pass on this dish next time. Didn’t realize a third of the dish was pork rinds. Not a big pork rind fan.

WetWendy’s:
After visiting Wet Wendy's 4 times last year, this was our first stop on our first night on the island and the only stop this trip. We did go by another time but they were closed. Has a great atmosphere with a very friendly staff. Everyone speaks English which makes it a lot of fun especially when a band is playing. We had a chimichanga which was hugh and very good which was enough for us to split. Beer was cold and margaritas were okay. Yes they are big but they don’t seem to have much alcohol in them for their size. A little expensive compared to other places but I guess you are paying some for the atmosphere which is fine. A big disappointment were the bathrooms. They were underconstruction last year and still were not finished this year. We both preferred the Thirsty Cougar their other place for stopping in for a drink and to people watching during the day.

Parrilla Mission:
Still our favorite restaurant. Always a mixture of tourist and locals. They have a hot bar set up with about 15 side dishes. Rice, beans, different veggies, cooked mushrooms to name a few. They will give you a separate plate to use. We had to ask for it. We ate here twice. Love the open grill next to the door when you enter. The best service we experience in all places we visited with great food and the best value for our peso. We always left stuffed and satisfied.

1^st Meal: I had the MX chicken and she had grilled pork chops. The chicken was thighs and legs – bone in with a tangy red sauce. Enjoyed the flavor but won’t order again. To many other dishes to try. She really enjoyed her chops. Some fat on them but very tasty. We found that most chops or steaks are thinly cut.

2^nd Meal: We noticed on our first visit that they had steaks for about 90 pesos. I ordered the ribeye and she the filet. After waiting for 20 minutes I asked what was taking so long. They didn’t have any filets so sent someone to the store to buy one. It was worth the wait. A nice thick cut. We both loved the white vegetable mixed with the carrots. It’s called chayote (vegetable pear is another name). Thinking on our next visit we might go to Mega and pick out our own meat and have them cook it for us like places do with fresh caught fish.

 

[Mike]

Oh my Lord, people in this section are crazy

 

[Brules]

Epic post. Keep it coming if you have more to post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cobra269]

PART 2 - LAST PART

Dorados De Villa:
We had only stopped here for drinks before so we decided to check it out for dinner. We were not disappointed. We ordered a combination platter. So glad we didn’t order the large one. It gave you a taste of a variety of dishes that were all good. Way too much food for the 2 of us when you add in chips and salsa and guacamole. Service was quick except for 1 time getting a refill on a frozen margarita. Noticed the small white bowl on the left of the picture. Filled with what I think were pickled peppers. One taste and I was on fire. Right off the square so great people watching.

Name Unknown: located above Rolandi’s.
Only been open a month when we visited in May for lunch. Specializing in seafood. Seemed this was more for locals than tourist. Menu in Spanish. Fantastic view. Thought a little expensive. The tacos cost between 28 and 35 pesos each. They were good and you have plenty of options when it comes to different sauces to use. Had shrimp, chicken, fish and ordered a side of rice and beans.

Coconuts:
We only stopped in for drinks on afternoon. If it wasn’t for the view we would pass it by. They did provide chips and salas at no charge when asked. They are still using a 10:1 exchange rate. Waiter didn’t seem too happy when I paid in pesos.

No Name Bar:
We stopped in one afternoon to have a few drinks with our dentist. Maybe it was being with a local but the rum and cokes I was drinking were the strongest drinks I had anywhere. Guess no ships in town for the place was empty at noon. She ate lunch and said the food is always good.

Just a few fun pictures that I thought you might like to see.

 

[blue steal]

Thanks so much for posting the photos and with a commentary. great.
You were there for 19 days, so hopefully you can provide us with more.

Love it.

 

[Christi]

Some noteworthy items.
1. She likes diet coke (light coke in Cozumel) and it cost as much as a beer, between 25 and 30 pesos.
2. The sauces or condiments that come with your meal, do yourself a favor and taste them before you put them on your food. Some of them will light you on fire.
3. Notice quite a few places were charging for salsa and chips - $50 pesos.
4. We ordered guacamole quite often. Don’t expect it to show up fast like in nthe states. It was made to ordered every time and boy is it good good.
5. Seemed to be very few people around. We ate early dinners (5 -6) and were a lot of times alone or sharing the restaurant with one other table. It got really old walking around the square and having shop owners and waiters trying to get you to come in to either eat or buy their goods. Sometimes they got right into our faces - didn't make for a good time being bothered all the time.
6. Most meals cost between 250 and 350 pesos. Would be cut almost in half if we didn’thave any cocktails.
7. Not too many restaurants open on Sunday off the square.

Yes, ordering soft drinks in a restaurant is always more expensive, just like anything and just like back in the states. But buying them at the store or convenience store they are less than $1 usd

Dinner at 5 or 6 here is VERY early - that's why you were often the only people there. Locals eat lunch between 1 and 3 and dinner is much later - many don't even think about going to dinner until 9 or 10pm

Yes, salsas and condiments vary from restaurant to restaurant because they are all made in house - they are not canned or jarred salsas

MoneyBar:We went here 4 times. Basically because it was a short drive from our condo and scenic along the ocean not having to get on the main road. Salsa will cost you 50 pesos. Like a lot ofplaces. They have the absolute bes tbathrooms that we experienced. Large, clean and attendants that kept them that way. It was worth it to pay a little more just for the bathrooms, and let’s not forget the view, FANTASTIC. All 4 times had to flag down the waiter for our bill. Lots of folk snorkeling but we didn’t.

1^stTime. Happy Hour (2for 1 drinks). What a waste for us, they bring both drinks at the same time. If you drink beer and fast a good deal. But we both found the drinks without much alcohol and with the outside temps all the ice melted before we could get to the second one. So if you are going for the 2 for 1 - in our opinion not worth it. Now for the good news. We ordered a hamburger to split between the 2 of us since we had a big lunch. The waiter had divided the hamburger on 2 plates and gave us each fries, etc on each plate. Enjoyed the hamburger but I think it wasfrom a frozen patty, FF were excellent.

2^ndTime. Lunch: I had the mayan pork soft tacos and she had the roast beef sandwich. If you like pork you can’t go wrong with the mayan pork. Fantastic. The roast beef sandwich was expensive but good. Enough that she couldn’t eat it all so we took it home and I finished it for dinner.

3^ndTime. Breakfast: We arrived a little after 8 with 1 other person there having breakfast. Service was great until after the food came. The staff was having their breakfast, but they have to eat to. Ordered a Bloody Mary – the absolute worst one I’ve ever had. After drinking a fourth of it I went to the bar and ask for some more mix.So now I understood the reason I didn’t care for it. No Bloody Mary mix just the box juice followed by what I think was some season salt. Way to salty for my taste. Good news we both enjoyed the breakfast. She ordered the waffles and I the huevos rancheros. He asked how I wanted my eggs, fried or scramble. I said over easy. He said fried, well done is what I got like hard boiled with out the shell but I enjoyed it. You have to go with the flow. Asked green or red sauce. Went with half and half. Really like the green sauce best. The small fruit bowl was good.

4^thTime:Just went to listen to some music and have a few drinks. Had a great time but no breeze so very hot and sticky. Very Crowded.

It is not customary and is considered RUDE for waiters to bring the bill before asked - so get used to that anywhere in Mexico - it's the way it is.

For the HH drinks at Money Bar, you can ask for doubles for your 2x1 or you can ask them to bring them one at a time. If you drink the same thing, you can also just order one at a time. I have NEVER found the drinks to be weak there - in fact, quite the opposite.

"Over Easy" doesn't translate to a native spanish speaker. One mistake many Americans make is that because the waiters/locals speak pretty good English, you assume they understand our "slang" or expressions - many things either do not really translate or they are taken very literally - so even though they are speaking English, be clear in PLAIN English, not American expressions of what you are requesting.

Drink recipes are also often very different in Mexico than back home - so again, you just have to be clear about what you are requesting. I am certain without a doubt, that if you had asked - they would have made your bloody mary exactly the way you wanted. I've had some of the best BM's at Money Bar - but I let them know how I liked it.

CasaDenis:
We ate here twice last visit. One great and one terrible meal. So we tried again. First - one restaurant right down the street was offering $1 beer and 2 for 1 margaritas.Asked the waiter at Casa Denis if they would match it. Told us you drink for free when you eat here. Well not true.They did give my wife one free margarita. A week later I asked the same thing to a different waiter. He told me how great their margaritas were etc, etc, etc.After asking 3 times to answer my question - he said no.

Beside the above issue - the service and food was great. She had chicken chimichangas (said they were just okay) and I had the mayan pork (all boneless meat). The mayan pork was outstanding. Cooked perfectly and a sauce to die for. A nice place to sit and people watch. We were there on Sunday but this Sunday not much going on at the square.

I've never been a fan of Casa Denis personally - too many other wonderful places to eat.

Just curious, when you are back home - do you ask restaurants to match what the restaurant next door is doing? Just an honest question. The first waiter probably paid for your wife's "FREE" margarita out of his tips. Waiters are employees, not owners and do not typically have the authority to make those kinds of decisions.

LeChef:
Our dentist recommended Le Chef and after checking TA we decided to give it a try. We were the only ones at the restaurant. They did bring out and appetizer for free which was good. I ordered the famous lobster/bacon sandwich. And she got a salad and the spinach ravioli. The lobster/bacon sandwich just didn’t do anything for me. It was a hot sandwich and I would have preferred it cold. That’s just me, really didn’t enjoy it but it did have a nice taste. My wife enjoyed the ravioli but not so much the red sauce.The service was okay, but being the only ones there and sitting outside (too hot to sit inside) out of view of the waiter was probably the reason. We had a great view looking into the gym across the street. We both thought it was a little bit costly for what we got compared to other places we ate at in Cozumel. Next visit we will pass on Le Chef.

As a side note. Not absolutely sure Le Chef was the cause but we both had stomach issues that night, the only time in our 19 day stay.This was the only place we ate out in town that day and my wife’s salad was the only thing we shared. I was fine by midnight but it stayed with her until mid morning.

You were lucky to be the only ones there, I am guessing this was an off time of day as well - they get very crowded and do an amazing lunch and dinner biz for both locals and tourists. This is one of my top picks on the island for dining any time of day - just proves different strokes for different folks.

The "appetizer" that they bring out is called bruchetta - it's toasted slices of french bread with diced tomatoes and basil in a balsamic/olive oil mix - very good!

The Lobster Sandwich has a lot of lobster on it, as well as bacon, mayo, avocado, etc - it's very rich - so that could cause stomach distress if you are not used to eating alot of lobster/shellfish - it's rich on it's own. At $13 USD, it is on the high end for a sandwich, but I don't consider it overpriced for what it is - it is easily 3 - 4oz of fresh lobster and it usually makes 2 meals for me! I fid all of their prices very reasonable another thing to consider, MOST restaurants are charging in pesos and aren't raising their prces as the value of the peso goes down, so meals are actually getting cheaper for the tourists if you are calculating the accurate exchange rate - remember, it is NOT 10:1 - hasn't been in a very long time! 100 pesos today is actually 7.40usd

The food at Le Chef is not old or leftover and doesn't sit - so I doubt it was anything else other than the rich food.

WetWendy’s: After visiting Wet Wendy's 4 times last year, this was our first stop on our first night on the island and the only stop this trip. We did go by another time but they were closed. Has a great atmosphere with a very friendly staff. Everyone speaks English which makes it a lot of fun especially when a band is playing. We had a chimichanga which was hugh and very good which was enough for us to split. Beer was cold and margaritas were okay. Yes they are big but they don’t seem to have much alcohol in them for their size. A little expensive compared to other places but I guess you are paying some for the atmosphere which is fine. A big disappointment were the bathrooms. They were underconstruction last year and still were not finished this year. We both preferred the Thirsty Cougar their other place for stopping in for a drink and to people watching during the day.

Yep, closed on Sundays.

LOVE the chimichangas - enough for 2 or 3 meals!

Again, I've never had a complaint of not enough alcohol in their drinks.

Parrilla Mission:
Still our favorite restaurant. Always a mixture of tourist and locals. They have a hot bar set up with about 15 side dishes. Rice, beans, different veggies, cooked mushrooms to name a few. They will give you a separate plate to use. We had to ask for it. We ate here twice. Love the open grill next to the door when you enter. The best service we experience in all places we visited with great food and the best value for our peso. We always left stuffed and satisfied.

1^st Meal: I had the MX chicken and she had grilled pork chops. The chicken was thighs and legs – bone in with a tangy red sauce. Enjoyed the flavor but won’t order again. To many other dishes to try. She really enjoyed her chops. Some fat on them but very tasty. We found that most chops or steaks are thinly cut.


2^nd Meal: We noticed on our first visit that they had steaks for about 90 pesos. I ordered the ribeye and she the filet. After waiting for 20 minutes I asked what was taking so long. They didn’t have any filets so sent someone to the store to buy one. It was worth the wait. A nice thick cut. We both loved the white vegetable mixed with the carrots. It’s called chayote (vegetable pear is another name). Thinking on our next visit we might go to Mega and pick out our own meat and have them cook it for us like places do with fresh caught fish.

One of my favorite local spots! Super nice people as well!

$90 pesos for a steak is NOTHING - that is less than $7usd - but don't always expect the same cut of steaks that you have back in the steaks, You'll find in different restaurants they will call a steak anything that is beef - so again, make sure you know what you are ordering.

DOn't think a restaurant would take too kindly to you bringing your own steak in - not the same as bringing in a freshly caught fish. Taking your own steak in would be no different than walking into McDonalds with your own hamburger patty and asking them to cook it.

You hit some good spots - but you were there for 19 days - is that all??? haha!!! You still have PLENTY of new places to try on your next visit! Glad you had a good time and thanks for the pictures and report!

Didn't see part II - haha!

The place above Rolandi's is new and is called Muellecito - I've heard it is great! Haven't tried it yet! $2.50 for a shrimp taco is actually about what they are anywhere on the island. What is that on the tortilla next to the shrimp taco?

 

[Brules]

I was thinking the same thing, 19 days - I want more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love this type of info!

 

[cobra269]

These are all the pics we took. We did get take out from the Mega hot bar twice. Roasted chicken was very good. My mistake, we were only on the island for 17 days. Got mixed up since we just booked for 19 nights next Apr.

I do believe that the restaurant experiences of a visitor to Cozumel might be a little bit different from someone who lives and operates a business on the island that everyone knows. I make this statement on 2 examples. 1: I know I get better service, etc at my favorite restaurant here in the states that I eat at weekly than a one timer. 2: Last trip when having a few drinks with a local Cozumel resident/business owner my bill was discounted 10%.

Details from our perspective and taste, and from our experience at the time.

Just thought I would restate this

Yes, ordering soft drinks in a restaurant is always more expensive, just like anything and just like back in the states. But buying them at the store or convenience store they are less than $1 usd

Of course soft drinks will cost more at restaurants. I was stating they cost as much as a beer in most restaurants that we visited. So you can get a soda for less than $1usd at the convenience store,can you say the same about a beer.

Dinner at 5 or 6 here is VERY early - that's why you were often the only people there. Locals eat lunch between 1 and 3 and dinner is much later - many don't even think about going to dinner until 9 or 10pm

Yes, we do eat early. At our age can’t eat late and sleep well and still get up by 7 each morning for diving. Besides we also like to stroll around town after eating to walk off our dinner.

It is not customary and is considered RUDE for waiters to bring the bill before asked - so get used to that anywhere in Mexico - it's the way it is.

Didn’t know, thanks for the info. Will differently keep it in mind for our next trip.

For the HH drinks at Money Bar, you can ask for doubles for your 2x1 or you can ask them to bring them one at a time. If you drink the same thing, you can also just order one at a time. I have NEVER found the drinks to be weak there - in fact, quite the opposite.

All I can say is that the waiter told us when we ordered the 2X1, both would have to come at the same time. We were drinking different drinks so splitting the order wasn’t an option. I use my wife since she seldom drinks, maybe 1 drink a week if not on vacation, as a gage for the strength of alcoholic drinks. If she has 2 frozen strawberry margaritas (her favorite) in less than an hour and states she doesn’t feel anything then the drinks are weak.

Drink recipes are also often very different in Mexico than back home - so again, you just have to be clear about what you are requesting. I am certain without a doubt, that if you had asked - they would have made your bloody mary exactly the way you wanted. I've had some of the best BM's at Money Bar - but I let them know how I liked it.

Just goes to show you how tastes differ. I couldn’t see how a good Bloody Mary could be made using the tomato juice that comes in the cartons. To me it’s just tomato flavored water. But you bring a valid point; I never asked what other mixers they had.

Just curious, when you are back home - do you ask restaurants to match what the restaurant next door is doing? Just an honest question.

Answer would differently be yes, if I came across a row of restaurants all serving the same type of food with 1 to 3 waiters standing in the street with menus and some offering 2X1drinks trying to get your business. You wouldn’t ask a waiter standing in front of his restaurant if he offers the same drink/food deals as the restaurant next door? The real point you missed is the waiter mislead us when asked about it.He stated you drink for free when you eat here.

The "appetizer" that they bring out is called bruchetta - it's toasted slices of french bread with diced tomatoes and basil in a balsamic/olive oil mix - very good!

Thanks, now know the name and we both really enjoyed it. Was our favorite thing we ate at Le Chef.

The food at Le Chef is not old or leftover and doesn't sit - so I doubt it was anything else other than the rich food.

Just wondering, how can you make this statement unless you work in their kitchen? Just an honest question.

$90 pesos for a steak is NOTHING - that is less than $7usd - but don't always expect the same cut of steaks that you have back in the steaks, You'll find in different restaurants they will call a steak anything that is beef - so again, make sure you know what you are ordering.

Totally agree with you.When we saw the $90 pesos for a steak that’s one of the reasons we went back.

The place above Rolandi's is new and is called Muellecito - I've heard it is great! Haven't tried it yet! $2.50 for a shrimp taco is actually about what they are anywhere on the island. What is that on the tortilla next to the shrimp taco?

Thanks again for the info.I lost my sheet of paper with the name on it. Sorry Christi, neither one of us can remember what kind of taco that was.


Everyone experiences and tastes are different. We could have hit a few places on an off night. Unfortunately with so many great places to try we will stick to our favorites from each trip adding a few new places each time and deleting the ones that fall out of favor.

 

[MMM]

I ordered the bacon lobster sandwich at Le Chef on our last trip and was sick all night and next morning too. And I have a cast iron stomach. I guess MAYBE it might have been too rich but I eat loads of fish/shellfish at home or when I am travelling (sushi at least once a week...).

As Christi said, yes, you must request your bill (la quinta, por favor) as otherwise, you could sit there all night.

I am not a fan of Casa Denis (too many other good places) but a group of ScubaBoarders organized dinner one night so I went. Someone in the group had read that if you saw them on the internet, by saying so your got a free margarita. But they didn't remember until partway through dinner, so I had already ordered a drink (a Margarita). The "free" drink was brought in a much smaller glass and wasn't as strong as the one I paid for. Probably just as well...

The Money Bar is one of our favourite places for beach days. We also sometimes do our surface interval there. The $10 diver's lunch is a pretty good deal and always provides more food than I can eat. (When he's the DM, Jeremy, like many young men, can usually eat a lot, and I often share mine with him.) In fact, I find the portions of most Mexican restaurants to be exceptionally large for my taste. My husband I I generally share a main course, or else I order appetizers for my meal. It's one reason I like taco restaurants so much...I can just keep ordering until I'm full.

I can't replicate the quality of Mexican guacamole when I am back in Canada (and believe me, I have tried). I've decided that the avocados just simply taste better in Mexico.

I don't usually eat nachos much but most, if not all, of the restaurants I frequent, seem to set them out for free. If you try more of the restaurants from about 15 Ave. and east, I think you'll find them served almost as you are being seated. Eating around the square is catering to day-tripper/cruise ship tourists and I think the pricing structure reflects that. To me, the Money Bar is also catering to a more "American/Canadian" crowd.

Like you, we generally eat earlier in the evenings, especially if I am diving the next day. If I have to be up at 6:30 or 7 a.m., I have to be in bed by 9. You might want to consider something for which I coined the word "lupper"....a cross between lunch and supper and eaten at around 3:30 or 4 p.m. Obviously this doesn't work for the restaurants that are only open in the evening, but there are loads that are open for the day and close up around 6 or 7 p.m. Also a great strategy if you are hitting the taquerias. There's a place down the street from my house on 15th where we often stop in and graze around that time. All we buy are the drinks...they bring the food for free! Same with the fisherman's co-operative on 5th. The more beer you order, the more food they bring.

You've got a lot to look forward to on your next trip!

 

[dmeeve]

MMM...not being a wise a$$ just wanted to correct the spanish... should be la cuenta. la quinta would get the OP something different.