GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Party Lounge is an inexpensive, fun alternative to the glam clubs of the Malecon and only a few blocks north. Downstairs is a take-out large-cup bar that opens at 1 pm and upstairs is a metallic, blue-glowing wonderland of loud dj music and vinyl lounges and industrial bar stools and tables. The strong drinks (many varieties) are 80 pesos for 1 liter and 50 pesos for half that. At happy hour and on special occasions, drinks are 2 for 1, served at the same time. The balcony seating has a nice view of Park Hidalgo and the interior is comfy and sexy. The clientele are a nice mixture of local and tourist.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• ADDRESS: 993 Avenida Mexico (upstairs), across from Parque Hidalgo, Centro
• WEBSITE: None
• EMAIL: None
• PHONE: 322 223 9406
• HOURS/DAYS:
• 8 pm to 4 am (Upstairs lounge)
• 1 pm … on (Downstairs take-out)
• HAPPY HOUR: Assorted Specials
• FOOD:
• None
• EXTRAS:
• Live DJ sometimes

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COMMENTS ( from reviewers ):

Fodor’s Review:

This place is open daily after 1 PM for stop-and-go drinks: mainly litros, that is, 32-ounce tequila sunrises, Long Island ice teas, piña coladas, and the like. The upstairs bar is open 8 PM to 4 AM and plays ’70s, ’80s, and lounge music, making it popular with an older set, foreign and domestic.

GOOGLE STREET VIEW & MAP

Updated March 16, 2010

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Uncle Bubba’s Back Porch is off the beaten tourist track and shares its location with Unique ATV Tours so it’s easy to miss if you’re just walking down the street. The first impression of the location is that it’s an ATV storage yard and you have to walk into the courtyard a bit to find the restaurant. The back walls are covered with paintings and other chachkas making the place look like a cross between an antique/art store, a restaurant and an ATV garage. This combo isn’t unusual for Mexico.

The first time I went to Bubba’s, about a year ago, the food was terrible, but lately it has improved 1000%, to the point where now it’s a good meal as well as a good deal. Recently they were offering a “happy hour” half pound burger/fries/cole slaw for 50 pesos (and the food was fine quality). Although Bubba’s is outside of normal tourist Vallarta, it’s easy to get to by any means and it’s not even more than about a 10 minute walk from Los Muertos beach.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• ADDRESS: 429 Basilio Badillo at Jacarandas, Colonia Emiliano Zapata, East Old Town
• WEBSITE: None
• EMAIL: unclebubbas_backporch @ hotmail.com
• PHONE: 322 223 5754
• HOURS/DAYS: noon to 10 pm Daily
• HAPPY HOUR: 1 to 5 pm, Monday thru Saturday with 12 peso cervesas and margaritas (plus food specials)
• FOOD:
• An interesting, inexpensive menu with prices starting at 50 pesos, and including fried chicken, Louisiana hot wings, popcorn shrimp, and dinners including blackened fish and steak and assorted pasta and shrimp dishes.
• EXTRAS:
• Patio Dining
• Free Delivery

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OTHER VIEWS & REVIEWS

• TripAdvisor

GOOGLE STREET VIEW & MAP
(Street View Map made before Uncle Bubba was there)

Updated: March 26, 2010

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Steve’s is a nice, safe place for Canadians and Americans (gringos) who are afraid or just don’t care to wander out into Mexico. It has lots of TVs and sports and patriotic (US) memorabilia and the prices are a little high but it’s comfy (nice padded chairs). The food ain’t great but it’s white. If you were a man forced into a vacation in Mexico by an overly adventurous wife, this is a fine alternative to cantinas and taco stands. If you ask the waitress nicely, she will serve your beer in a frozen mug.

The American Legion, Post 14, meets here monthly. I’m probably not the right person to review this bar because I must have stumbled upon it on one of those nights and two guys came out of the bar and wanted to beat me up because of my anti-war sentiments. This, of course, isn’t a reflection on Steve’s Bar… Please, someone else, write comments at the end of this listing.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• ADDRESS: 286 Basilio Badillo
  Colonia Emiliano Zapata, Old Town
• WEBSITE: www.stevesbarpv.com/index.html
• EMAIL: stevesbarpv @ hotmail.com
• PHONE: 322 222 0256
• HOURS/DAYS:
• Bar Daily 11 am to 1 am or so
• Restaurant Daily noon to 10pm
• HAPPY HOUR: None
• FOOD:
• Basic non-Mexican food. A bit over-priced but “clean.” Burgers are 85 to 95 pesos, hot dog is 70, chili is 70, spaghetti is 135, fish and chips 120, poutine is 80, BLT is 80, etc, etc.
• EXTRAS:
• LOTS of TVs and Satellite Sports

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COMMENTS ( from the owners )

Quiet and comfortable, small and cozy with no dancing (unless, of course, you HAVE to!). Music, lot’s of board games and sports (NASCAR is the ticket here – wear a racing shirt and we’ll buy you a tequila).

A North American PUB!

OTHER VIEWS & REVIEWS

• TripAdvisor

GOOGLE STREET VIEW & MAP

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Moro Paraiso is a gem of a restaurant serving a large variety of fresh, quality seafood and grilled meats at very reasonable prices. It is several miles up a dirt road, past Paso Ancho on the Cuale River. If you take a bus, there is an easy 15 minute walk from the end of the Paso Ancho R-04 bus line to the restaurant (be sure to ask if the bus goes to Paso Guayabo as there are 2 forms of this route). Or you can take a cab (and they will call one for you when you leave). The road, tho dirt, is good in all but the worst storms.

Sundays are the busiest days at Moro with many locals and expats dining and drinking, often staying for hours. You never know who you will meet there, from city government officials to famous artists. Since this restaurant is in the jungle directly on the Cuale River, there are in some seasons mosquitoes and assorted no see-ums dining with (on) you. Be sure to bring insect repellent. This is a small inconvenience for dining or drinking in such a fine restaurant (the restaurant provides several different types of repellent in case you forget your favorite).

Updated December 7, 2010

GENERAL INFORMATION

• ADDRESS: Calle Felipe Angeles #1985, Paso del Guayabo on the Rio Cuale
• WEBSITE: vallarta-info.com/paraiso/index.html
• EMAIL: el_moroparaiso@hotmail.com
• PHONE: 227-7380, 322 110-3597 (Cel)
• HOURS/DAYS: Daily 11 am to 6 pm
• HAPPY HOUR:
• Beer 20 – 25 pesos, Cocktails (margs, etc) 65 pesos, Mixed drinks 35 pesos, Tequilas 50 pesos, Wine 35 pesos, Raicilla… ???
• FOOD:
• Good, fresh seafood, mariscos and BBQ with prices ranging from 10 pesos for a ceviche tostada to 95-110 pesos for most seafood dishes to 150 pesos for a ribeye steak. Excellent variety at very reasonable prices. Real wood/charcoal fire for the BBQ (not gas).
• EXTRAS:
• JukeBox
• River Side

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OTHER VIEWS & REVIEWS

• TripAdvisor

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

El Farallon Restaurant & Burros Bar is a very large, open tourist beach bar situated just past Lazaro Cardenas Park at the northern end of Los Muertos beach. It’s a great place to meet friends and to sit leisurely and watch the beach action or the sunset.

Don’t expect this to be a gourmet restaurant as the food is useful mainly as an afterthought or adjunct to an evening of drinking. People often describe the food as “decent” but Burros is definitely not a meal destination. The bathrooms, although clean, are a walk cross the malecon from the bar.

There is an agressive barker out front and that turns off many people, but he’s generally humorous and friendly. The margaritas are large and generally liked. The “bucket of beer” for 60 pesos has 3 beers in it. Normally beer is 30 pesos at Burros. Prices and quality are normal for a beach restaurant.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• ADDRESS: Olas Altas #401 corner of Lazaro Cardenas, on the beach
• WEBSITE: www.mexonline.com/burros.htm
• EMAIL: burrosbar @ yahoo.com
• PHONE: 322 222 0112
• HOURS/DAYS: Daily 9 am to 10 pm
• HAPPY HOUR: 1 to 2 pm and 7 to 8 pm
• FOOD:
• Typical beach tourist food and snacks.
• EXTRAS:
• Beach seating

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COMMENTS ( from the owners )

The Farallon Restaurant and Bar (as it was originally named) was established in August 1992 in the middle of Olas Altas Beach and at the beginning of the Romantic Zone in Puerto Vallarta by the Brambila family, a family with a history in the restaurant business for more than 45 years. The Farallon restaurant and bar has always been family managed and a family oriented business.

Later on, when the business was in its first years, it became very popular for tourists and locals alike. The restaurant’s greatest attraction was its relaxing and casual ambience, its delicious margaritas, ice cold beer, seafood (including lobster) and a little pet donkey (burro) which one of the owners had rescued. This little donkey became the restaurant’s mascot and best asset. Thanks to this little burro and the tourists, the restaurant got its new name THE FARALLON RESTAURANT AND BURROS BAR and, eventually, all the tourists and patrons would say from there on, “let’s go to the Burros Bar!!!!”

GOOGLE STREET VIEW & MAP
(Google does not provide “street view” of the beach in Vallarta and this is the view of the street leading down to the bar)

Updated April 14, 2010

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Nel is a small, hole in the wall bar/cantina in a prime location. It doesn’t take advantage of this location and is a bit of a dive (not in a bad way). The beer is cold and cheap, the drinks are OK, as long as you don’t order something exotic like margaritas. The food is for the really drunk. The jukebox seems to be the main attraction and is often very, very loud. Nels is much more of cantina than a bar and it is directed much more towards residents than tourists. There is a “Prohibito Excupir” sign on the wall.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• ADDRESS: Venustiano Carranza, Colonia Emiliano Zapata, Old Town
• WEBSITE: None
• EMAIL: None
• PHONE: ???
• HOURS/DAYS: ???
• HAPPY HOUR: Brand shots, 30-40 pesos, beer 15 pesos. Same prices all the time.
• FOOD:
• Cantina Food, Cheap, 40-90 pesos (menu is written on wall)
• EXTRAS:
• Jukebox

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GOOGLE STREET VIEW & MAP

Updated March 23, 2010