Cheap Eats

[rje634]

My recommendation for a cheap but good place is LaMission, not the one by the square and not the one near the airport. There is a third LaMission on 30th. if you can get the cabbie to take you there. It is where the locals go. I had filet of grouper,baked potato, steamed veggies, flour tortillas, refried black beans and guacamole for 60 pesos and it was VERY good. My wife had the " Big Boy Gringo Mexican Platter " which was loaded with enchiladas,rellenos, tacos you name it and couldn't eat it all for 70 pesos. I highly recommend this place. I'll be there in a couple of weeks.

I agree, for good food at cheap prices this is a great place. Definitely need a taxi, not an easy place to find. I think we might have hit the 200 peso mark but that was because we ordered too much and I left a big tip.

 

[Mawg]

I agree, for good food at cheap prices this is a great place. Definitely need a taxi, not an easy place to find. I think we might have hit the 200 peso mark but that was because we ordered too much and I left a big tip.

With desert and tip I think ours was about 200 pesos too but still that's about 18.00 U.S. By the way, the desert, chocolate ice cream in a tall soda glass was unbelievably good. I'd go there just to eat the ice cream.

 

[michaelp68]

Christi, I am SOOOO hungry reading your list.

Michael

 

[divematt]

Primas is one of my favorite places, but it is not cheap. They make their own pasta and the seafood is VERY fresh. I also think the grilled lobster is the best on the island. Dinner for two with drinks will break 50 bucks if you're hungry.

My recommendation for a cheap but good place is LaMission, not the one by the square and not the one near the airport. There is a third LaMission on 30th. if you can get the cabbie to take you there. It is where the locals go. I had filet of grouper,baked potato, steamed veggies, flour tortillas, refried black beans and guacamole for 60 pesos and it was VERY good. My wife had the " Big Boy Gringo Mexican Platter " which was loaded with enchiladas,rellenos, tacos you name it and couldn't eat it all for 70 pesos. I highly recommend this place. I'll be there in a couple of weeks.

I'm sure a taxi will find it for us, but does anyone have any idea between which two streets La Mission on 30th is located?

 

[Christi]

I'm sure a taxi will find it for us but does anyone have any idea between which two streets La Mission on 30th is?

It's between Calle 2 y Calle 4

 

[donooo]

Just don't let the taxi driver take you to the nice one. It's nice $$$$. One block north of the big grocery store, San Francisco. By the way, it might be the closest one to the airport. ( spliting hairs ) I think that they train their waiters there. They also have a giant delivery service. Order your chiliquiles and have them deliverd. Over three months we probably ate there five or six times a week. Got great service, became known as a great tipper and never spent more then 100 pesos. They might of been getting tired of bringing us just water, but then I got to stay three months. Cocktails at home.


Christi, wish I had known about Viva Mexico, I love good pozoli

adios don O

 

[ggunn]

Just don't let the taxi driver take you to the nice one. It's nice $$$$. One block north of the big grocery store, San Francisco. By the way, it might be the closest one to the airport. ( spliting hairs ) I think that they train their waiters there. They also have a giant delivery service. Order your chiliquiles and have them deliverd. Over three months we probably ate there five or six times a week. Got great service, became known as a great tipper and never spent more then 100 pesos. They might of been getting tired of bringing us just water, but then I got to stay three months. Cocktails at home.


Christi, wish I had known about Viva Mexico, I love good pozoli

adios don O

I'll second the recommendation to avoid the Casa Mission. The food and atmosphere are OK, I guess, but it's way overpriced.

 

[Wristshot]

The economicas that I have used for lunches, and found to be very good and reasonably priced are:

Las Palmas (on Christi's list - and recommended by Matt Daines of Deep Blue)

and Casera Comida Tonita's

My favorite is Tonita's. It is just a half a block inland from Deep Blue, on AR Salas and they serve a great lunch for a very good price. It is about $3.50 for a 3 course meal. They typically have 3 or 4 choices each day of the week. Each meal starts with fresh homemade tortillas, salsa, lime and Guacamole. Next is soup, usually something with chicken and some pasta. Finally the entree with rice and beans. I have eaten there several times, and it is about 50 pesos including a coke. It is not four star, but it is good food for a good price.


I also stopped late one night for some simple tacos at a place with no name. It was also on AR Salas, somewhere between 25th and 35th as I recall.

Once on a group trip, we stopped and bought a couple roast chickens from a BBQ place. It was acouple blocks north of the San Francisco grocery store. I forget the name of the street (sorry). We bought the chickens and went back to our hotel for a feast.

El Morrito (and I think there are 3 of those) are small family run fast food stands that serve breakfast and lunch most days of the week (but not all). Very inexpensive, but no one speaks english at the one on Calle 6.

Of course the meals served at the Hotel Flamingo on Calle 6 were really extremely tasty, but not super cheap. The prices are not bad, and the food is excellent, but it is not as economical as some of the others mentioned.
---------------

Trust your dive guides and dive shop owners. They cannot afford to eat at Guido's or Prima's or even Casa Denis all the time. Ask them to point you to the economicas. Face it, the locals eat there every day, year in and year out, so they will know what is good and what is affordable. Ask them where they eat, not what restaurants they recommend.

Just my opinions, and only because you asked,

Wristshot

 

[Christi]

Once on a group trip, we stopped and bought a couple roast chickens from a BBQ place. It was acouple blocks north of the San Francisco grocery store. I forget the name of the street (sorry). We bought the chickens and went back to our hotel for a feast.

OF COURSE! HOW could I forget the pollos! I eat "flat" chicken almost daily for lunch, and my crew loves me to bring them chicken for lunch when they have a double trip. I actually had chicken and bought the crew chicken today for lunch!

There are several good ones, but my most recent favorite is "Asadero el Pollo" (Grill the Chicken) on 30th between Calle 5 and Morelos (across from the old Ace Hardware). They slow cook the chicken on a rotisserie, and then finish it off on a charcoal grill. They literally flatten it out before putting it on the grill, so I call it "flat" chicken to distinguish from the other places. It is less greasy than most of the other places, which is another reason I particularly like this place. A whole chicken is $70 pesos and comes with rice, tortillas and a really great salsa. This will easily feed three adults...unless they are big hungry men...haha! 1/2 chicken is $35 pesos.

A couple of other good ones are at the corner of 30th and Calle 4, and another at 30th and Rosada Salas, across from Dominoes.

Keep in mind that they usually close about 5:00 and many times are actually out of chicken by 4:00.

Is it time for dinner yet?

 

[Wristshot]

Christi,

Thanks for the confirmation and the locations. I think we bought ours at the one at 30th & 4th. That sounds like the right location.

I have always stayed at the Hotel Flamingo (conveniently located 1 block from a "hospital" and a chamber) and have done almost everything on foot. That limits how far we have traveled a little bit.

In general we ate dinners at regular restaurants, and tried to frequent the Econimicas for lunches to conserve money.

I will be reviewing your list the next time I am there and I will try some that you have recommended.

Have you any response regarding Tonita's? My friends and I have thought the place was wonderful, and extremely cost effective, but I have never seen anyone else ever mention eating there.

Matt also recomended El Chabayito (sp?) on Ave 10, but I have not eaten there yet.

And yes, you are making me hungry. I like the phrase "flat chicken". Reminds me of "sail cat".


Wristshot