Restaurant Reviews

Lake Chapala may just be paradise for those who enjoy dining out and eating wonderful, creative food. This guide to our favorite restaurants is just that - our very own favorites. We have ranked them according to their menu selections, service, ambiance and price and have personally eaten at them all, sometimes more than once. If you think we have left out a really good restaurant, it is probably because we haven't eaten there yet. Let us know and we will make a visit and add our review to this guide. Buen Provecho!

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Alfredo's California

Address: Paseo Ramon Corona #12, Chapala
Phone: 331-301-9862  or  331-470-2258
Facebook
Hours: Wednesday - Monday, 10 am -7 pm
Parking on the street in front of restaurant.

Directions: From Walmart, drive east into Chapala, about 5 miles. Turn right at the stoplight in Chapala and left onto Ramon Corona. The restaurant faces the Chapala malecon.

Alfredo's California has a small second location in Ribaras del Pilar on the Carretera.

First Impressions

Alfredo's California in Chapala
Alfredo's California is located on the street that runs along the malecon in Chapala. The exterior is welcoming, so I can't explain why it has taken me so long to eat here.

I and a friend visited on a Saturday afternoon, a little earlier than most people eat lunch around here, so there was no one else in the café when we arrived.

The dining room is arranged under a palapa. Christmas decorations adorn the cloth covered, metal tables. There is a well stocked full bar in the dining room and another bar in the back of the restaurant and plenty of room for larger crowds.


Pasta Menu
There was no background music playing, only an old television set on the end of the bar streaming a National Geographic documentary - the same one my companion watched in the barber shop. A small kitchen is located in the corner of the dining room, behind a half-wall. The waiter handed us a fold-out menu with an immense variety of dishes. How can they possibly prepare all the dishes on the menu in such a tiny kitchen and with only one cook?

Menu

Alfredo's California has the largest variety of dishes I have ever seen offered at a restaurant in Chapala. The picture, at left, shows just a few of the selections from the pasta portion of the menu. In addition to pasta, you can choose from a number of chicken dishes, seafood plates, Mexican fare, 9 sandwiches, 15 different kinds of burgers, appetizers and salads. Also, you can order a cocktail, wine or beer or soft drinks.


Freshly Made Chips and Salsa
We ordered two glasses of the red house wine to drink while we read the menu. We were pleasantly surprised when the waiter served a Chilean Reservado. A glass of house wine is 40pesos, one of the least expensive, and largest pours, lakeside.


Tampiquena
 
The waiter brought out a basket of fresh totopos and salsa made in-house. The chips were warm, lightly salted and delicious. With corn tortillas so plentiful in Chapala, there is no reason not to serve them fresh and these were cooked perfectly.

The salsa also tasted freshly made and was not too picante. I recently complained about other area restaurants serving totopos from a bag - they could take a lesson from Alfredo's California.

We finally decided on Chicken Cordon Blue, a lightly breaded and pan-fried chicken breast topped with a slice of ham and cheese and covered in a white mushroom sauce, and Tampiquena, a dish served with two cheese quesadillas, chorizo, beef strips and guacamole.

Chicken Cordon Blue
Both meals were served with a dinner salad, rice and steamed vegetables and the Tampiquena was  accompanied by hand-cut French fries. The house-made, chunky, guacamole was well seasoned, with not too much cilantro.

Our meals were prepared to order and while we waited we were served a small but fresh, crisp dinner salad. The waiter was attentive during our meal and spoke some English, which worked fine with our "some Spanish."

Serving sizes at Alfredo's California are ample - we didn't eat again the rest of the day.  As we were eating, the café began to fill with people who dine at a more traditional lunch time in Mexico. Our meals were tasty and filling. The waiter kept our wine glasses filled and was anxious to ensure we were satisfied with our meals.


Full Disclosure: Our Check
I was a little disappointed that we were not offered dessert, though I doubt if I would have had room to sample anything after such a large  meal. All in all, this was a pleasant dining experience.

Alfredo's California also offers a breakfast menu with a large variety of egg scramble dishes, omelets and pancakes. Their omelets, I have learned, are legendary.

Service and Price

Our waiter was friendly and attentive and spoke English. He provided us with good service throughout the meal and we never felt forgotten. The prices at Alfredo's California are some of the most reasonable in the area. Most entrees average around 100pesos.

Our entire meal, as you can see by the picture I have posted of our check, came to less than 500pesos.


Nice Large Pour of House Red wine

Our Recommendation ***

Alfredo's California advertises international cuisine, by that they mean they have a large and eclectic menu of dishes that includes Italian, Mexican and typical diner food from North of the Border. This is not gourmet cuisine, it is comfort food prepared well.

My only complaint is minor. A TV playing while I am eating, unless it is a sports bar and I am there to watch a game, is a big turn-off for me. Shut it off  when the restaurant opens - please - and put on some nice background music. (The waiter did do this just as we were leaving). Otherwise, the food is tasty and Alfredo's California is worth a visit.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Avocado Club Gastro Diner

Address: Carretera Chapala-Ajijic #89, San Antonio, Tlay. Across from the Chula Vista Country Club
Phone: 766-7000
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Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 12pm - 8 pm; Friday - Saturday 12pm - 9pm; Sunday Brunch 9am - 3pm.  
Directions: From Walmart, drive east on the Carretera towards Chapala. The Avocado Club is on the right, across from the Golf Course and country club.

Watch for special events. The next is coming up New Year's Eve. Dinner and Live Music until midnight. Call for Reservations.

First Impressions

Inside The Avocado Club
Romeo Santos croons softly in the background and a soft breeze blows through the dining room located on the top floor of the Rose Bowl shopping center. The Avocado Club is the latest creation of the owner of Gossips, Ismet Jivani, a well-respected local chef who once trained with Paul Prudhomme, so you can expect a unique menu prepared perfectly under his supervision.

Warning to those who cannot manage steps well, there is one flight of steps leading to this top floor restaurant that may be difficult to climb.

Daily Specials

At the top of the stairs a waiter rushes to greet you and lead you to a seat, make sure you are comfortable, and immediately take your drink order. The service here is terrific, probably because the owner brought some of his seasoned wait staff from Gossips to help train the new waiters.

We ordered our drinks from a menu that includes wine, beer, and cocktails. The Avocado Club has  a full bar and specials every day. On the day we visited, Indio and Tecate were on draft and offered 2-for-1 between 2pm - 6pm.

The Avocado Club Gastro Diner occupies a large space that can be closed off for smaller groups or opened up to accommodate large group gatherings.

Menu

In addition to the daily specials listed on a blackboard in the center of the dining room, The Avocado Club also offers selections from an eclectic menu of appetizers, salads, soups, burgers and sandwiches as well as main dishes that include Cedar Planked Salmon, Surf and Turf, Liver and Onions, Steak Frites, Fish Tacos, Baja Coast Seafood Ciopino and more.

Avocado Hummus
Today we ordered Avocado Hummus to start, which was hummus mixed with guacamole. It was very good, though the chips were a little salty and I was disappointed that they were poured out of a giant bag that I recognized from Costco.

It is not hard to make homemade tortilla chips from the local corn tortillas - I do it at home - and I would prefer those to chips from a bag.
Otherwise, the Avocado Hummus was made in house and very good.

For our main dishes we ordered Pork Chop and Grits served with a brown sauce and grilled fresh vegetables. The pork chop was cooked perfectly, right to the bone, and the sauce was rich and made with a wine that made it taste rich and mellow.

Pork Chops and Grits
We also ordered a crunchy vegetarian salad with chickpeas, avocado, tomatoes, boiled eggs, tortilla strips and lettuce.

The chef prepared our meals in an open kitchen where we could watch him from our seats. I am always impressed with restaurants that are not afraid to show you their operation.

For dessert we ordered a piece of Key Lime Pie. It was served garnished with a chocolate sauce and fresh fruit. The presentation was beautiful, but the bottom line is that the pie was not made in-house, but was obviously from Costco. This is disappointing since I am pretty sure that the owner knows how to prepare a terrific Louisiana Bread Pudding or great Pecan Pie.

Please highlight your skill in the kitchen, Ismet, and forgo the Costco shortcuts.

Avocado Club Crunchy Salad

Service and Price

The wait staff  at Avocado Club is excellent. There is a young man that leads the wait staff who sets the tone for the entire crew and he provides great service. The menu offers a wide variety of options to choose from and all are reasonably priced.

The alfresco style atmosphere makes for a pleasant dining environment in the early afternoon, though I imagine it probably gets cool in the evenings and there is no barrier to block the breeze. Sit away from the front of the restaurant to escape the traffic noise from the Carretera.

I am posting our check for lunch, provided you don't make fun of the number of glasses of wine we enjoyed with our meal. The total price came to 612 pesos for our meal of an appetizer, 2 entrees and 1 dessert, accompanied by 3 glasses of wine each. About $30 USD.

Full Disclosure

Our Recommendation ***

Three stars. This is a good place to eat and the food prepared in house is excellent. If I had not seen the chef pour chips from a bulk Costco bag and served a Costco-purchased Key Lime Pie I would have awarded the Avocado Club Gastro Diner an extra star because I know how good the food prepared by the owner and chef can be.

Order anything at The Avocado Club Gastro Diner that is made in-house and be assured of an excellent meal. We will certainly go back for the great service, ambience and unique menu.