Jalisco – home to big city Guadalajara – offers awesome variety in restaurants and accommodations.  There is literally something for everyone, in every budget! Steak arrachera and chicken steal the spotlight, presented in everything from fajitas, to enchiladas, tortas, and tacos. For dessert, ice cream shops are prolific and a welcome break from the heat! Hotels span the spectrum from basic & essential, to historic & full of character, to brand new & indulgent. These were a few favorite spots on our tour.

Divine Dinners – Guadalajara

  • Casa Bariachi – with over the top entertainment, this is a massive restaurant offering dinner and a show! We feasted on the regional favorites, arrachera steaks, fajitas, and limonada while enjoying the performances of folklorico dancing and a 12 piece mariachi band.
  • Santo Coyote – an open-air, enormous, palapa covered restaurant with sky-high sculptures, water fall, and jungle decor.  It’s like a theme park of Mexican food with easily THE BEST MARIACHIS I have ever seen.  They also feature an expansive tequila tasting room and a never-ending dessert buffet.
  • La Tequila – boasts an innovative menu and a beautiful space (and an equally beautiful clientele). The service was top-notch, the food was fresh – including table side salsa and creative botanas, all capped with cool paloma cocktails.

(More) Enjoyable Eats – Guadalajara

  • Taquería Los Faroles – known for huaraches and al pastor tacos
  • Tortas Ahogadas – serves the regions famously spicy-hot sandwiches
  • La Fuente – a longtime legend with cold beers, and impromptu local musical entertainment
  • La Chata – a great option for classic Mexican breakfasts
  • Tacos Providencia – a high volume, high-end taco shop well-loved by locals
  • La Cafetería – a cozy spot perfect for brunch, coffee, and boutique shopping upstairs
  • Mercado Mexico – a legit food hall with tons of savory & sweet options

Splendid Stays – Guadalajara

  • NH Collection Hotel Centro Historico – a brand new hotel in the heart of downtown Guadalajara. The rooms are efficiently designed, with every modern amenity easily available and well thought-through. There are creative artistic touches throughout the hotel, and a lovely roof top restaurant.  And the staff, they went above and beyond to help make our stay extra special.
  • Hotel Morales is a classic fixture with lots of character and interesting design & decorative elements.  What it lacks in modern comfort (slow WiFi and paper thin walls) it makes up for in charm and a roof-top pool!

Beyond Guadalajara

  • On our tour of Los Altos – we took a much needed lunch break at Hacienda Vieja in Arandas and found our second wind in the form of an energizing cafe con rompope at Cafe Amaya in Atononilco (hard to find, but so worth the hunt).
  • Lake Chapala – Hotel Villa San Francisco created a perfect environment for relaxation.  It feels like an intimate bed and breakfast, with richly decorated and comfortable rooms and even more comfortable common area patios perfect for an afternoon cocktail or breakfast.
  • In the town of Tequila – we settled on a hotel that was easily one of my all-time favorites! Hotel Solar de las Animas features rooms that are expansive, with 12 foot ceilings, doors that open to lovely courtyards, and bathrooms & amenities that other hotels only dream of offering. The pools (two of them) were truly oasis’- one on the ground level, and one on the rooftop.  The bars beckon relaxation (also two of them) – one by the rooftop pool (the Sky Bar), and the other on the ground floor (Bar Chucho Reyes). The ground floor bar is lavishly decorated with an over-sized and ornate mantelpiece, while paintings by “Chucho,” a local artist, grace the walls of the indoor-outdoor space. The restaurant (La Antigua Casona) was incredibly well attended, and breakfasts of homemade jams, omelets, avocado toasts and fresh lime juice were sumptuous. Service throughout the property was on point.  During my entire stay, I was planning my eventual and certain return. And now that I’ve returned home, this is the one place that I cannot stop talking about.

We covered 485 miles in the state of Jalisco – seeing places that Vicente Fernández sings about in El Jaliscience and Guadalajara.  Songs bring back memories of a place and time, and when I hear Vicente sing these songs, I’ll smile fondly as I remember our tour!