We started going to Puerto Vallarta almost 20 years ago, Kim had been there before we were married and loved it. She couldn’t wait to share the experience with me. From the first visit it felt like home and so we have returned every year, sometimes more than once. We have our favorite restaurants, favorite waiters, and favorite place to visit. Over the next several posts I will try to share those with you. In this post I want to talk about five of our favorites.
Restaurants – El Centro/Romantic Zone. This is a section of Puerto Vallarta that includes the old town and the romantic zone.
Paradise Burger – Paradise Burger is located on the Malecon north of the central plaza where you can take your picture by the Puerto Vallarta sign. The restaurant is actually upstairs so be prepared to climb a set fairly steep steps. The menu includes Mexican, American, and seafood options. With a full bar, you will be able to order almost any adult drink you want. If you get a seat overlooking the Malecon and are lucky, you may even see whales out in the bay.
When we went there last, we had the bacon-cheeseburgers with nachos as an appetizer. All were very good! I don’t drink much anymore but I have it from a good source that the margaritas there are excellent. Here is their Yelp review.
Oscar’s – Oscar’s is on the island in the Rio Cuale that run’s through central Puerto Vallarta. While the food there is excellent and we have had breakfast there several times, we usually just go for a snack while shopping. The snack is of course, guacamole. I don’t know what it is about guacamole in Mexico, but it tastes better than it does in the US. Of all the guacamole we have had in Mexico, Oscar’s is the best! We have taken several people to Puerto Vallarta, and always try to take them to Oscar’s. One of our friends swears he hates guacamole but insists we go to Oscar’s when in Mexico – just for the guacamole. Here is their Yelp review.
Trio – Trio is an upscale restaurant in El Centro. You might need to get directions because it is on kind of a back street not on a main thoroughfare. Don’t worry, it is safe to get there. The cuisine is Mediterranean. We ate there once with friends. It is only open for dinner, and you will probably need a reservation. If you are looking for a nice, romantic dinner in a quiet spot, this may be your place. One of our friends loves octopus. He said they had some of the best octopus he ever had. Here is their website.
Los Muertos – Los Muertos is a pizza place. While in Puerto Vallarta we have guacamole as a snack, but we will have pizza for lunch. Los Muertos is located in the Romantic Zone and can be a little hard to find so again you might need Google or a taxi ride. One of the nicest things about Los Muertos is its special. You can get a large slice of pizza, a salad, and a drink for about $5. My wife has her favorite local beer as Los Muertos is a brew pub. This place can get crowded so you might need to stop by a couple of times to get a table. 
Here is their website.
Restaurants– Marina. There have been many changes in the stores and restaurants in the marina but there are two still there we like.
El Callejon Mexicano – Compared to some of the other restaurants on my list, this may look like a hole in the wall. Don’t let looks fool you! To get there you need to go to the marina and go almost to the end of the road toward the entrance of the marina to the ocean. The marina busses run out to the end and then take a break before returning to El Centro. It is an easy walk from where the buses stop to El Callejon Mexicano.
The food here is very good and the prices are reasonable – especially for being in the marina. The cuisine is more traditional Mexican. We’ve never had anything there we didn’t like. Unfortunately, Charlie doesn’t work there anymore but the current staff is just as good. Here is their Yelp Review.
Over the next several weeks I will have other restaurants, places to shop, and things to do.