Steak & Steak Sandwich ???

So that's all ya got, Steak and Steak Sandwich???
Come on folks, I have less than 2 weeks before I come down for my first visit and I need some recommendations.
What good will this board be to prospective newcomers or visitors if all you get is 2 posts in the restaurant review section.
Everybody eating lean cuisines down there???

Hola Juanny....

Not ta worry John.... you couldn't swing a cat without hitting a couple of decent restaurants down there....

Finding good food at great prices will be the least of your worries... enjoy!!

The Tai Shrimp are fantastic at Roberto's...actually everything we tried at Roberta's great!

Vicki's Hideaway is famous for their steak and ribs and they serve a mean steak sandwich. We also like to dance to the bands she has too.

Here's her hours and location http://www.ajijicnews.com/pages/vickishideaway

Lotsa good food around town. What do you want to eat?

I like the special from 12:30-1:30 at Ajijic Tango. Good choices for 55 pesos ranging from steak sandwiches to individual pizzas, salads and lasagna.
Roberto's has a fancier special lunch menu at 85 pesos, but it includes some fine appetizers, salad or soup.
If you want to get more exotic, try the new Simply Thai restaurant near LCS. No cheap, but good.

There are so many good restaurants here that your head will spin. Personally I like Rickki's Japanese, Quattro Mori (sp), Yves has a great salad bar and food, Tango, El Jardin, just to name a few.

I second both Tango and Roberto's. Both great!

Our favorite place for steak, no matter what kind of steak is Hacienda Ajijic, hands down over Tango and Bruno's. Hacienda Ajijic has the largest, most juicy, flavorful Filet Mignon in Ajijic. We've been going there since they opened and never had a tough one yet. You can order it with a choice of 3 sauces. It is the most expensive in Ajijic.

We believe Tango is second, but the Filet Mignon is much, much smaller, and is not as juicy and tender, although it's cheaper. Tango is way, way too noisy to carry on a conversation. What good is it if you can't enjoy your dinner company?

Bruno's puts too much pepper on his Filet, although you can ask for it without pepper. They still overcharcoal broil it too much with a hard crust on the outside. It is not as tender or juicy as either Tango or Hacienda Ajijic. Bruno's has no atmosphere and we don't go back because several of us got sick there.

We all have different opinions, so it's your choice:
HACIENDA AJIJIC
Carretera # 268 - 7
Los Flores Plaza - West Ajijic
766 4906

AJIJIC TANGO - Must make reservations at night
Morelos # 5 - Extension of Colon
766 2458

BRUNO'S
766 1674

I agree, not a fan of Tango's filet mignon as usually it is cooked too fast on high heat making the outside tough and the inside rare, even if you ordered medium well. You should be able to slice filet mignon with a butter knife.

Had a bad experience at Hacienda Ajjic, so I'm leaving it up to John to keep the place going. (grin)

Go to the Susason shop in a little strip of shops on the Carretera ( just west of the gambling joint), get yourself a prime piece of steak, take it home, thaw it and throw it on the barbie. Sit with a beer in a lawn chair while it's cooking.

You can't do that in most places in late October. Enjoy.

Or better yet, go to Costco and buy NY Strip Sirloin, Rib Eye, Filet Mignon, arrachara or your other favorite and come home to cook it. You get what you pay for. we have been buying NY Sirloins and Center Cut Bonekless Pork Chops therte for 9 years and never had a tough one yet. You get what you pay for.

Mexican beef is tough and tasteless. No fat or marbelling.

johninajijic wrote:Or better yet, go to Costco and buy NY Strip Sirloin, Rib Eye, Filet Mignon, arrachara or your other favorite and come home to cook it. You get what you pay for. we have been buying NY Sirloins and Center Cut Bonekless Pork Chops therte for 9 years and never had a tough one yet. You get what you pay for.

Mexican beef is tough and tasteless. No fat or marbelling.

"You get what you pay for", John, unless you get LESS than you pay for. This goes for the rest of the things you get in Mexico: contractors, dentists, car washers and so on. If you're canny and get plenty of recommendations from others, you just might get at least what you pay for. Also true of a few la de da restaurants with more hype than hope.

My problem with Hacienda Ajijic, (and I've heard it said by others) is that, like many local restaurants, it isn't consistent. If they get that worked out, they'll stay in business for the long haul.

gringal wrote:

johninajijic wrote:Or better yet, go to Costco and buy NY Strip Sirloin, Rib Eye, Filet Mignon, arrachara or your other favorite and come home to cook it. You get what you pay for. we have been buying NY Sirloins and Center Cut Bonekless Pork Chops therte for 9 years and never had a tough one yet. You get what you pay for.

Mexican beef is tough and tasteless. No fat or marbelling.

"You get what you pay for", John, unless you get LESS than you pay for. This goes for the rest of the things you get in Mexico: contractors, dentists, car washers and so on. If you're canny and get plenty of recommendations from others, you just might get at least what you pay for. Also true of a few la de da restaurants with more hype than hope.

My problem with Hacienda Ajijic, (and I've heard it said by others) is that, like many local restaurants, it isn't consistent. If they get that worked out, they'll stay in business for the long haul.

gringal - I can't agree with you on Hacienda Ajijic. Some people may go there once, as with other restaurants and get a bad meal or they're too fussy. One persons opinion, one time means nothing. A groups opinion many, many times means something. They think they're at Morton's or Ruth Chris. Our Dinner Group who frequents Hacienda Ajijic on average of 4 times a year since they opened, has never had a bad meal or it would have been sent back. Our group finds it very, very consistent, although a bit high priced. Their wine is overpriced so don't order a bottle unless you're willing to pay 300 - 600 pesos. The Shriners go there and find it consistent.

If you prefer Tango and can stand the noise and like being treated like cattle, then go there. We've had waaaay too many bad experiences with Tango. They won't even hold the correct table for you, when you ask for it and reserve it a week ahead for 5 people. They hold the table they want for their friends and to hell with others. Just had a very, very, very bad experience there. They lost our business forever and ever. NEVER again. There are too many good places like LAURENT and EL JARDIN de NINETTE who work hard for their customers.

Just curious, what restaurants are more hype than hope?

Last question first: Number four. Went there once with friends intending to blow the necessary dinero for dinner: had the worst drinks at the highest price I've ever seen. We left and went elsewhere for our meal. I'll remain silent on others to protect the guilty.

gringal - Thanks for your informative reply. We also went to Number Four twice and only one of us had good meals. The liquor and wine is waaaay overpriced as is the food.

LAURENT and El Jardin de Ninette might put them out of business. Our friends from Canada went to Number Four a few weeks ago. They always praised the restaurant. They said it was the worst meal they had while here. I know they won't go back. These people are business people from Toronto and eat out every day, including at fine Toronto restaurants. They know good food.

Here's the reason for the poor food. The Head Chef quit. That's on good authority from a Mexican who works for this company in Guadalajara.

Well, that's inconvenient, since in the final analysis........it's all about the FOOD.

I also heard a "fairly reliable rumor" (there's an oxymoron) that chef Eric was fired after he started moonlighting at Hole in One.

Stating a "fact" from someone who knows the circumstances is different than a "fairly reliable rumor." Don't assume you know what I know to be fact. Mine was fact.

What does this have to do with Chef Eric who wasn't the Head Chef at Number Four. Chef Eric is Mexican. The Head Chef came from Canada and was/is part owner of Number Four.

johninajijic wrote:Stating a "fact" from someone who knows the circumstances is different than a "fairly reliable rumor." Don't assume you know what I know to be fact. Mine was fact.

What does this have to do with Chef Eric who wasn't the Head Chef at Number Four. Chef Eric is Mexican. The Head Chef came from Canada and was/is part owner of Number Four.

Now John.....I wasn't suggesting you didn't know what was what. What I heard was, in fact, pure rumor. Apparently you knew the facts.
In any case, if the head chef is gone and Eric isn't there either ........Number Four has BIG problems. These could be solved it the owner is willing to rub money on them........like hiring a top chef from somewhere and treating the person well. As you may guess, I don't giveadang if they stay in business or not. Plenty of other places to get a good meal that doesn't bust my budget.

She stilll has Chef Greg Couillard who's going to re-open Chili Bang. I seriously doubt the "head chef who was/is part owner of #4" quit.

Okay........let's have the facts, just the facts, por favor?

gringal wrote:Okay........let's have the facts, just the facts, por favor?

Don't seem to be able to send you a private message?

johninajijic wrote:

gringal wrote:Okay........let's have the facts, just the facts, por favor?

Don't seem to be able to send you a private message?

That's true. Avoids some famous nasty PM'ers. You can PM me on Mexconnect if you'd like to.