From almost anywhere in town, you can look up at the top of the mountains and see a little thatched roof shack - this is Las Carmelitas. The best way to get here is by cab, as the closest bus drops you over 1 mile away. If you are driving, take the Par-Vial (the road that connects Libramiento to the malecon) and go north at the tiny traffic circle. To the right is the entrance gate, where you will be charged 50 pesos ($5) per person. The entrance fee will be deducted from your bill. From here, follow the dirt road up the mountain and you will eventually arrive at the restaurant.

The restaurant is open-air, with a palapa roof, and sits on the edge of a steep hill. The 15 or so tables are covered in bright tablecloths; no other decoration is needed. The view is spectacular. For a wider view, go up the little hill next to the restaurant. From here, you can see all of Vallarta and the nearby towns.

The staff at Las Carmelitas is friendly and helpful. They love and are proud of the restaurant, and it shows. They have a way of making you feel at home, be it by wrapping a tablecloth around you when it gets cold, remembering your favorite drink, or showing you family photos. They also do a great job serving, but be warned that because of the kind of fire they use, meals can take quite awhile to appear.

Las Carmelitas serves ranch-style food, mostly meats grilled over a wood fire, but also offers seafood prepared in a typical Mexican style. The steaks are incredible, full of wood-smoke flavor. You can choose from arrachera (skirt steak) or New York filet mignon, rib-eye, or T-bone; the arrachera is marinated and usually the most tender, not to mention the cheapest at 90 pesos ($9), compared to 140 pesos ($14) for the other cuts. The grilled chorizo covered with cheese is also another of my favorites for 60 pesos. The seafood is fresh and well prepared, but not as special as the meat. Jumbo shrimp cost 190 pesos, and the fish filet is 85 pesos. The only option for vegetarians is the quesadillas (60 pesos). As soon as you order, the waiter brings chips, salsa, guacamole, and cactus salad, and all meals come with rice, grilled green onions, and fresh, handmade tortillas.

Although almost everybody in Vallarta knows about Las Carmelitas, it somehow still feels like a secret. When people ask for a good restaurant, my first suggestion is always Las Carmelitas. No trip is complete without a visit here.