To ring in 2022,  Mandrea Bike decided to take a trip to Mexico. We traveled to Sayulita, a small surf town in the state of Nayarit about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta. We ate, we drank and we bathed in the sun. This list represents the best that Sayulita has to offer food and drink. 

Cocos Beach Club – C. Gaviota 145, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., México
We started off our Sayulita adventure by heading straight for the beach, after quickly exploring, it was time to eat (and drink). As we didn’t want to leave the pretty views of the ocean, we parked ourselves at a table on the beach at Cocos Beach Club. We went all out for our first meal in Mexico ordering a few rounds of margaritas to start, followed by a bucket or two of cervezas. For food, we were a bit overwhelmed, being that we just landed and we were starving. Therefore, we rhymed off a few of the dishes that caught our eyes and hopped for the best. Next thing you know, a fully loaded platter arrived at our table dressed with shrimp, ceviche, fish tacos, rice, salsas, tortillas, nacho chips, and slices of bread. The food was a great start to our Mexican culinary adventure, paired with the panoramic view of the ocean and mountains helped even further elevate the mood. It was to be expected when the bill arrived that Cocos Beach Club wasn’t the cheapest of places to dine in town, but it was worth the little premium for the location.

Mary’s Traditional Mexican Cuisine – Av. Revolución 36, 63728 Sayulita, Nay., México
Mary’s seems to be the spot that everyone recommends for the best tacos in town. In this case, the recommendations are accurate. There are several options on the menu from basic to specialty tacos, quesadillas, chile relleno (stuffed pepper), whole fish, empanadas, among other things. We dined here twice, having left full and satisfied on both occasions. The taco portions there are massive and stuffed to the brim of the tortilla, so keep your order on the smaller side especially if you’re filling up on margaritas and cervezas. 

El Itacate – C. Jose Mariscal 42, Centro, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., México
Known specifically as the destination in town with the best steak tacos, we recommend going for lunch or an early dinner to avoid the crowds and to have your choice of the entire menu. We got the rib-eye and carnitas. The meat was cooked perfectly and the sides were top notch. They serve up onions 3-ways, and if you love them as much as we do, you’ll fit right in. Charred grilled onions, raw red onions with cilantro, and sautéed onions with habanero (caution spicy). Other accompaniments include sliced limes, beans, and a trio of salsas. Their margaritas are also delicious.

Tacos Toño – 63728 Sayulita, Nayarit, México
We discovered Tacos Toño on our first night in Sayulita. It’s located on a side street along the Sayulita River, and lucky for us, it was conveniently around the corner from our house. A golden rule of eating while traveling is to find the places where the locals eat, and Taco Toño was exactly that. It’s a spot that seems to be open late and closes even later, the kind of place that convinces you that you’re hungry, even though you just finished a large meal. It’s that good, and the smells of the cooking meat drift all the way down the street. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to take very many pictures of the tacos, as we always claimed we would be back the following day. Although we did keep out the promise of returning, we never got those photos. We recommend trying everything, and either knowing minimal Spanish or relying on what the locals order. We tried almost the entire menu and it’s totally worth a trip to Sayulita to have Toño feed you. 

Restaurant Yeikame – C. Jose Mariscal 10, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., México
Great place in town known for their blue corn tortillas. We came here for breakfast and it was awesome. If you’re looking for a spot to eat breakfast, this is it.

Xochi – Av. Revolución 44, Centro, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., México
If you’re feeling fancy and want a bit of an elevated meal, look no further than Xochi. It’s located on the second floor right in the Sayulita plaza, and you’ll pay extra for the view. The dishes are presented with elegance in mind.

Wild Iris Bar – C. Gaviota 10, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., México
The place to go for the best, and perhaps cheapest, margaritas in town. If the goal is just to drink a few margs, look no further. They had a 2×1 lime margarita special running the entire time we were in Sayulita. They also serve up other flavoured margaritas at full prices, such as watermelon jalapeno, passionfruit, pineapple basil, grapefruit ginger, and coconut.

El Metro Torteria – Av. Revolución 9, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., México
A torta is a traditional Mexican sandwich, and although it’s something served up with less than traditional ingredients, it’s a Mexican dish nonetheless. El Metro Torteria is a highly rated Torta shop in Sayulita that our gang had to check out. They have a wide range of Tortas on offer with a small indoor and outdoor space. No seats available, you can grab a Torta to go. This is the perfect escape if you find yourself overloaded with tacos and require a change of pace while continuing to explore Mexico’s vast cuisine.

Yambak – C. Marlín 29, Centro, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., México
Head here for craft pints and people watching. It’s Sayulita’s only brewery and it’s located right in the plaza in the middle of all the action. There are several beers that will take you off the beaten path of Corona, Pacifico, and Modelo Especial. Maybe it’s a better idea to eat before or after the beers, as the food is mediocre. 

Taco Prieto’s – Av. Revolución 45-Int. A, Centro, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., México
A small taco restaurant with only outdoor seating right in the centre of town. The high rating on Google is no fluke – all the food was tasty, yet nothing, in particular, stood out. 

Sayulita Wine Shop – Av. Revolución 44, Centro, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., México
If you’re a wine connoisseur and looking for a good glass of Mexican red, white, or rose, this is the place to find it. They specialize in Mexican wine, tequila and mezcal. On Wednesday evenings, they host a wine tasting event with live local music. Get here early if you want a table, or stand on the street as you enjoy your wine and listen to the tunes.

This list could have just kept going. Our trip in Sayulita was filled with delicious foods and one of our other favourite restaurants was La Niña, which we did a separate post reviewing. We also didn’t include several of the street food vendors that we enjoyed including Tacos Lupita and Birria Paty that we frequented several times. Our mornings didn’t start until we sipped on freshly squeezed juice from a lady around the corner from us with a pop-up stall. We look forward to our next international culinary adventure. 

Fly with you soon,

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)