Surrounding the marina in Vallarta is a horseshoe shaped promenade with condominiums, restaurants and shops. On the eastern side of the horseshoe, almost at the tip, is Antojitos Chabelita, a new restaurant. It serves inexpensive Mexican food and has a pleasant view of the boats in the marina and the lighthouse shaped bar on the other side. It is open 9am-9pm and does not accept credit cards.
The restaurant is divided by a walkway. Inside is the kitchen and bar. Outside is the dining area; it has ten tables covered by a red awning. There is also seating on the walkway, which is much cooler. We were here just before Independence Day, 16 de Septiembre, so the whole place was decked out in red, white and green. There were paper lanterns, streamers and paper cutouts everywhere.
When we arrived, a very nervous waiter quickly seated us. He took our drink order and skittered off; within seconds our drinks were in front of us and we had menus. The food offered is mostly typical Mexican such as enchiladas, burritas, tacos and chiles rellenos. The menu also has an "El Americano" section offering burgers, sandwiches, hotdogs and ribs.
We took our time with the menu while the waiter anxiously circled. I ordered the carne asada and Bruja chose the cheeseburger. The waiter literally ran to the kitchen with our order. We heard a terrible racket and a little red motor scooter came tearing out of the bar area and screeched past our table; our waiter had deliveries to make. We heard him screaming, "Five minutes, only five minutes!" True to his word, he was back in five minutes and serving us our lunch, piping hot.
My carne asada (grilled beef) was OK; it came with sautéed onions, rice, beans, a quesadilla and a small salad. The cheeseburger was good and came with fries and coleslaw. Unlike most restaurants in the marina, the food was very inexpensive. The burger cost 44 pesos (US$4) and the carne asada only 39 pesos (US$3.50). Most items on the menu are in the 30 to 40 peso range, ribs are the exception at 119 pesos.
We asked for the bill and our waiter immediately handed it to us. Nervously he asked if the service had been to our liking. When we replied that it had, he smiled broadly and the nervousness just seemed to disappear. It turns out it was his first day at work and I am guessing his first day on a motor scooter too.
To get here by bus, take a "marina" bus or any other that has aeropuerto or central c. on the windshield. Get off at Plaza Neptuno (a shopping center with an ugly Neptune statue on its roof) next to the whale statue. From the back of Plaza Neptuno take the angled street to the marina (one block), turn left, Antojitos Chabelita is the fourth or fifth locale.