Restaurants in Northwest Mexico
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A
Mercado Municipal
Like most Mexican towns, Guaymas supports a Mercado Municipal, which has stalls where you can sit down to eat cheaply. Popular morning stalls include El Rinconito for machaca (rehydrated, spiced beef) and El Vaporcito for tacos al vapor (steamed beef) and birria (spicy meat stew). Both are in the southwest corner. It's a block south of Av Serdán, on Av Rodríguez between Calles 19 and 20, and opens around 06:00.
reviewed
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B
Solipaso
Run by a long-resident US couple, Solipaso offers a unique day-long river float trip (per person M$1430, four to 12 people; November to March) on the remote, wildlife-rich Río Mayo northwest of Álamos. You visit ancient petroglyphs, a historic stone aqueduct and a tiny Mayo village with a 16th-century church. It also offers birding trips with owner David Mackay or local guides.
reviewed
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Asadero Don Chuy
More-ish carne asada tacos are served under a wooden roof supported by wooden posts adorned with a few sets of antlers. A mere eight condiment bowls are set on your table and you can pop a couple of norteña (country) tunes on the juke box while you decide how to garnish your tacos.
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La Palapa del Pescador
Whole fried fish, stuffed lobster and other seafood delights are calling at this seaside joint with a palapa-covered patio and a juke box with a mind of its own. It’s also popular for a few cervezas (beers) at night. It’s about 2.5km from the southeast end of the Kino Nuevo strip.
reviewed
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Antojitos Mexicanos
An unassuming, spotlessly clean, all-yellow little place that serves up satisfying and tasty home-style breakfasts, and lunch and dinner favorites like chiles rellenos (stuffed chilies with cheese or meat) and bisteck ranchero (steak with tomato, chili and onion sauce).
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Los Encarbonadas
This excellent asadero bar serves up Sonora's specialty, carne asada, alongside a mouth-watering salsa and condiment cart that flows between tables. The 'order' serves two easy and the frijoles might just be Mexico's best. Highly recommended.
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La Posada
Friendly, family-run, colorfully decorated La Posada has been serving up generous portions of well-prepared Mexican standards for half a century, and it’s still packed every lunchtime. No alcohol, though. It’s just off Obregón, three blocks south of Internacional.
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El Pargo Rojo
Never mind the poorly translated English menu at this festive and welcoming seafooder, this is the place to enjoy delicious fish dishes and hearty Mexican breakfasts in the middle of Kino Nuevo. The camarones rellenos (stuffed shrimp) are a real treat.
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C
Está Cabral
This large, open-air café occupies the interior of a once-regal building and features nightly Latin folk music from 9pm, usually attracting a fun and eclectic crowd. Mexican specialties on the menu include Sonora’s very own chimichanga (fried burrito).
reviewed
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D
La Canastilla
The town’s main restaurants serve more or less the same dishes, but the food at this riverside spot trumps them all. The langostinos rellenos (stuffed crayfish) and lobinaflameado (flambée black bass) are both rich and exquisite.
reviewed
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Verde Olivo
If you have tired of menus full of carne and pescado, there’s relief right here in the middle of beef country. Verde Olivo offers excellent grain veggie burgers, fresh juices and smoothies, and PETA-friendly versions of Mexican classics.
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F
La Cabaña de Doña Chayo
Fabulous quesadillas and tacos with carne asada or machaca (spiced shredded dried beef) arrive here in piping-hot, handmade-to-order corn and flour tortillas. A classic, right down to the plastic flowers, kitsch art and whirring fans.
reviewed
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La Conquista
Head to the far east end of San Carlos for delicious seafood, pasta and steaks with a European touch, in a palapa-roofed, big-windowed, air-con dining room. La Conquista is professionally run, with excellent service and a relaxed atmosphere.
reviewed
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G
El Tungar
This don't-miss, next to the tracks just south of the train station, specializes in hangover remedies (hence its nickname, 'Hospital Para Crudos') like menudo (tripe stew) and pozole (hominy stew). Go on - it's nicer inside than out.
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Restaurant Carolina
Good huevos rancheros (fried eggs on a corn tortilla with toppings) and pancakes for breakfast, and delicious Mexican specialties including trout and Carolina’s tacos dorados de machaca (fried shredded-beef tacos) throughout the day.
reviewed
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Restaurante Francisco Villa
Modest, but spacious and clean, Francisco Villa, 200m north of the train station, does a great vegetarian chile relleno burrito (work that out) plus enchiladas, tacos, egg dishes and other tasty home-style Mexican favorites at great prices.
reviewed
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Cenaduría Dõna Lola
With stunning homemade Mexican dishes at startlingly low prices, this family-run locals’ secret is worth the trip to Álamos alone (the enchiladas suizas are the best in the world). If you hear folks refer to Koky’s, they mean here.
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Sonora Steak
Inside this stately colonial-style home, situated in the hotel zone, Sonora’s famed steaks – 28-day-aged rib-eyes – are weighed tableside (M$67 per 100g), cooked to perfection and served with flour tortillas, grilled onions and jalapeños.
reviewed
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Mariscos Lolita
Spacious and clean, with orange-shirted waiters moving efficiently about, Lolita’s is always a sound choice for steaks, burritos, enchiladas and breakfasts as well as seafood. It’s 50m off Blvd Juárez toward Playa El Mirador.
reviewed
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H
El Farallón
The upscale atmosphere is rather cruise-ship clubhouse, but the service is good and there’s excellent ceviche, sushi and endless preparations of shrimp and fish (the chiltepín sauce packs a fiery wallop).
reviewed
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El Leñador
Middle-class Mochis descend on this excellent burger, steak and shrimp restaurant (try the Mexicana burger!), oddly popular with both families and the young and beautiful. Chips are served with three fantastic salsas.
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Restaurant Sierra Madre
For upscale dining, head to the festive restaurant at the Best Western hotel, with stone walls, wood beams and plenty of taxidermy. It serves steaks, seafood, pasta and pizza, and less expensive antojitos.
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Restaurant Verónica
The must-try dish at this popular spot for steaks and chicken is el norteño, a cheesy, beefy mess served in a cast-iron skillet that you eat with tortillas. This joint also serves a downright feisty salsa.
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Restaurante Mary’s
Of the mostly touristic eateries along the Old Port waterfront, breezy Mary’s is the one where locals most often eat. It’s right next to the little fish market and famed for its fish, shrimp and scallop tacos.
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El Rinćon de Regina
A festively decorated hideaway on a quiet street in the Old Port serving tasty Mexican specialties at affordable prices. Try the molcajete specialty of meat, shrimp, cheese and nopal in a green sauce.
reviewed