Romantic Seafood

Located east of Insurgentes, in the less touristed section of Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone, Polo’s is a seafood restaurant with a strong following of expats and long term foreigners. I always enjoy my time here but tend to forget about it. Spying an empty parking spot, we were reminded it was time to visit Polo’s once again.

Just through the entrance there is a dining area to either side. We were ushered toward the left and told to choose any table. It was early for dinner and we were the first one’s there. The room is small with large windows facing the street, the tablecloths are festive and the minimal décor is ocean themed. The other space is much the same.

The friendly waiter, who spoke both Spanish and English, told us what was fresh, and offered suggestions. He quickly returned with our drinks. The beer was frosty cold. The menu is almost all seafood. There are appetizers, soups, and salads, all seafood based, and a long list of fish and shrimp entrees. There are some wonderful combination plates. For fishyphobics there are only two choices – the grilled chicken breast stuffed with spinach and cheese, served on linguini and covered with mushroom gravy and the grilled fillet mignon covered in a red wine sauce and served with a baked potato. Both are good. Guacamole and dessert are the only options for vegetarians. Prices are reasonable with dinners running from 90 pesos for the garlic mahi-mahi fillet to 495 pesos for the huge seafood platter for two.

With so many wonderful sounding choices it took us a while to decide. We wanted to try something new. The waiter was patient, not hovering. When we were ready he was there in a snap. It seems like dinner was served just minutes later. I don’t remember things being so speedy here on other visits. Maybe it was because we were the only ones here this time.

Sails had the Shrimp Selene – shrimp sautéed with mushrooms, bell pepper and green onion, served in a white wine cheese sauce. We were not disappointed (I snagged a bite). The shrimp were plump; the sauce was smooth and flavorful. Like everything we have eaten here, it was wonderful. I had the Mahi-Mahi del Pacifico – a thick fillet of dorado (mahi-mahi) sautéed with capers, onions, mushrooms, beer and wine. I loved it. The chunk of fish was perfectly cooked, flaky but with no raw spot in the middle. It had a strong lime flavor that went well with the beer undertones. I would only recommend this dish to people who like their food tart.

I can’t write about Polo’s without at least giving a nod to some of our favorites.
Mariscada – We only eat this when we are very hungry. It is a seafood combination platter for two and comes with grilled lobster, red snapper, shrimp, crab and scallops served with rice veggies and loads of garlic butter.
Fiesta del Mar – lobster, fish, shrimp and scallops served in a white wine cheese sauce.
Polo’s Combo – garlic lobster, scallops sautéed with mushrooms and a shrimp brochette with a dried chile sauce.
Camarones Rosy – a brochette with shrimp, bell pepper, tomato, onion and bacon served in a dried chile sauce.
Dorado al Chipotle – a mahi-mahi fillet, covered with mushrooms, shrimp, cheese and a chipotle sauce and wrapped in a banana leaf.
The scallop salad and the chipotle seafood soup are our favorite starters.

The servings were abundant so unfortunately we couldn’t pack in any of the wonderful coconut flan we usually finish our meal with. As we were leaving we noticed the place was full. Good. Even though we don’t eat here often we would be heartbroken to see it close.

Sails said, "The seafood is always fresh and well prepared here. The service is good and the prices are reasonable."

sample menu
Scallop Burritosish Salad................60 pesos (US$5.70)
Cream of Crab Soup.......................48 pesos (US$4.60)
Hectors Dorado Filet......................120 pesos (US$11.40)
baked mahi mahi with scallop mousse,
caramelized onions and a rosemary
and red wine sauce
Whole Red Snapper.......................110 pesos (US$10.50)
grilled, fried, garlic or spicy
Rosy's Shrimp...............................158 pesos (US$15.00)
sautéed with bell pepper, chives and mushrooms
served in a white wine cheese sauce
Cri's Combo..................................240 pesos (US$22.90)
garlic lobster, coconut shrimp and
a seafood stuffed fish filet

Polo's is open from Wednesday through Monday from noon until 10:00 pm. Credit cards are not accepted.

Directions – Polo’s is on Francisco Madero between Aguacate and Insurgentes. From the northeast corner of parking/plaza Lazaro Cardenas (the ocean is to the west) head north one block. Turn right on Francisco Madero. Go three and a half blocks. The restaurant is on the right.

We were in the mood for seafood so we thought we’d give somewhere we hadn’t been a try. El Rincon is on Restaurant Row in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone but east of Insurgentes, in a less congested area. It seemed as good of a place as any.

El Rincon is a large restaurant but it was empty. It is a lovely building, two stories tall, with lots of arches and brickwork. The tables are festively dressed and there are Mexican adornments on the wall - sombreros, sarapes, papier-mâché birds and such. Upstairs are two balconies, connected by a bridge, overlooking the middle of the restaurant, leaving that section of the downstairs with a soaring ceiling where blown glass lamps dangle from long chains.

A waiter greeted us at the door and lead us to what he said was his best table. It was directly blasted by the mondo fan that took up a corner of the room; this was a good thing. It was also smack dab in front of a giant TV tuned to a soccer match; this might also be a good thing, at least we knew the waiters would always be close at hand. We were quickly brought our drinks and chips and salsas. The chips were still warm, always a good sign. There were two salsas. One was the typical tomato, onion and chile concoction. It was good, freshly made and moderately spicy. The other was soy sauce with diced onions and chiles. It was very spicy and incredibly good.

The menu was long and familiar. This building has been a restaurant for a long time. The name changes, the staff changes, but I think the menu is the same as three incarnations ago. It offers mostly seafood but with plenty of other choices to please most people, although vegetarians will be stuck with just the soups, salads and guacamole. To start there is a huge selection of appetizers, all based on seafood, things like shrimp cocktails, ceviche and crab legs. Next listed are light meals, tacos, enchiladas, burritos and such, also all seafood. Then there is a short selection of salads and plenty of soups followed by the main courses – three non seafood Mexican specialties, three chicken plates, nine beef dishes and then the seafood – lots and lots of seafood – ten fish, thirteen shrimp, five octopus, three crab, four lobster and a bunch of combination plates. Offerings range from the common to the unique. Prices are reasonable with steak and seafood entrees running between one hundred and one hundred and fifty pesos.

While waiting for our meal the waiter was polite and attentive. Sooner than expected (the Chivas were playing in the soccer match) we were served. Sails had the Piña Reina – a half a pineapple mounded full of shrimp, lobster, fish and calamari and then covered in cheese. It was good and fun. I had the Pescado Empapelado – a mahi-mahi fillet topped with shrimp, onion, tomato, cilantro and a wonderful buttery sauce and cooked wrapped in aluminum foil. It was very good. The fish was moist, the veggies lightly cooked, and the sauce was delicious.

We enjoyed our dinner, the service was fine and the food was too but we hadn’t been comfortable. Being the only customers in a huge restaurant during what should be the dinner rush is disconcerting, sad. I recommend this restaurant but I fear it is in for another name change soon. The food will probably be the same though. As we left, we heard cheering; the Chivas won.

Sails said, "It is very lonely in here. The place is always empty. I wonder why? The food is good, the building is interesting and the service is ok. Something isn't right. Let's get out of here."

sample menu
Tigers Milk.......................................90 pesos (US$8.60)
mahi-mahi cubes, red onion, celery,
serrano chiles and vodka
Governors Taco.................................20 pesos (US$1.90)
quesadilla with shrimp, octopus,
crab or marlin
Shrimp Meatball Soup.......................85 pesos (US$8.10)
Vallarta Enchiladas...........................65 pesos (6.20US$)
chicken and cheese enchiladas
Chipotle Beef Tips.........................110 pesos (US$10.50)
served with rice, beans and guacamole
Lost Fish Filet...............................120 pesos (US$11.40)
a filet covered with seafood in a
lobster cream sauce
White Wine Shrimp.......................130 pesos (US$12.40)
flambéed with mushrooms
Devils Octopus..............................130 pesos (12.40US$)
served in a sweet and spicy sauce

El Rincon is open Tuesday to Sunday from 1:00 pm until 10:00 pm. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

Directions – El Rincon is on Basilio Badillo between Aguacate and Jacarandas. From the southeast corner of parking/plaza Lazaro Cardenas (the ocean is to the west) head south one block on Pino Suarez. Go left on Basilio Badillo four and a half blocks. The restaurant is on the left.

Joe Jack’s Fish Shack, its name is fun and that’s why I first visited. As the name suggests, it is a happy and laidback place that serves fish. It is in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone a couple of blocks from Plaza Lazaro Cardenas. Downstairs, in this narrow establishment, are five or six simple wooden tables and a well stocked bar behind which is a large mirror surrounded by hundreds of brightly colored paper flowers. Up some narrow stairs is the partially covered rooftop terrace with more seating and a pleasant airy feeling. Both levels have fans and downstairs is air-conditioned when need be.

We were told to sit anywhere by a smiling waitress (the staff always seems happy) who immediately took our mojito order, the bar’s specialty. Sweet, tart, rummy and full of fresh mint, our drinks were the perfect way to cool off on a sticky afternoon.

The menus are like mini newspapers and full of facts about town, jokes, the place’s history and, of course, the foods offered. Not surprisingly seafood features in most dishes but steak and few other things are offered for our fish phobic friends. There isn’t much for vegetarians although they do offer side orders of mushy peas. The prices are reasonable. The place is really hopping on Fridays for the all you can eat fish and chip special at just 135 pesos, 120 if you come in between noon and 5pm.

Our first time here we asked the waitress for a suggestion. She immediately said shrimp tacos. Except for Javier, we all said ok. As we waited for lunch the place started to fill with mostly casually dressed foreigners. Only one table of nationals came in. Our food came and everything looked so pretty. The tacos came three to a serving. They were corn tortillas topped with abundant batter fried shrimp (there was also the choice of grilled), covered with cabbage, radish and cilantro and drizzled with a pale green avocado sauce and a dark red chile sauce. We clutched on to our tacos and tried to maneuver them to our mouths with varying success. We had stuff all over our hands and smiling faces. The tacos were great. They were served with a bowl of beans. Javier had ordered the shrimp and octopus cocktail. It was somewhere between American and Mexican style with tomatoes, onion and cilantro in a cocktailish sauce served with tortilla chips. He said it tasted ok but he would go with the tacos next time.

On subsequent visits we usually stuck with the tacos but have sampled other items. The wedge of iceberg salad, topped with blue cheese dressing is one of my favorites. The garlic shrimp are exceptionally good but the serving very small: if you are hungry have an appetizer first. The fish of the fish and chips is good but the fries are oftentimes too greasy. The tacos have been consistently great.

Joe Jack’s shrimp tacos and mojitos – the good life.
Javier said, "The shrimp and octopus cocktail was pretty good but it was too small for the price – way too small."
Sails said, "Great shrimp tacos! Wow! Boy Jay, your cocktails really tiny. No – I don't have enough tacos to share!"

sample menu
Shrimp and Avocado Tostadas Louie............75 pesos/US$7.10
Nicoise Salad with Shrimp............120 pesos/US$11.40
Raya Pibil............95 pesos/US$9.00
achiote marinated skate steamed in a banana leaf
Fish and Chips............115 pesos/US$11.00
Grilled Steak and Potatos............130 pesos/$US$12.40


Joe Jacks Fish Shack is open daily from noon to 11:00 pm. Visa and Mastercard are accepted.

Directions - Joe Jacks Fish Shack is on Basilio Badillo between Pino Suarez and Ignacio Vallarta. From the southwest corner of parking/plaza Lazaro Cardenas (the ocean is to the west) head south along Olas Altas for one block, go left on Basilio Badillo one and a half blocks. The restaurant is on the right.

Roberto’s is located on Restaurant Row in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone and has been serving great seafood for about thirty years. Because I usually get my fish fix on the beach I rarely come here, but when I have, the food never disappoints. The service, the décor, the menu, even the location vary, but the food is always fantastic.

The last time I ate here I was meeting my mother and Sails for an early lunch. We all arrived promptly at noon, just as the doors were opening. Naturally, we were the only customers in the place. Roberto’s usually has a mixed clientele of old, young, national, foreign, tourist and local. It used to always be full but over the last few years, since the restaurant moved directly across the street to its present location; things appear to have slowed down.

We were greeted and seated by a very formal and proper waiter. The menu offered mostly seafood but also plenty for fishyphobics . Everything sounded good. I had a difficult time deciding. There was a long list of appetizers ranging from the usual, like fried calamari, to the unusual, chocolate clams. There were various salads, mostly seafood based, and a few soups, including gazpacho, which I have been told they do a great job of. The seafood section is long with twenty dishes and their variants to choose from. The specialties of the house offers even more with the fish fillet Florentine being one of my favorites. The "fresh from the farm" section offers steaks, a couple of chicken dishes and Mexican food like burritos and enchiladas. There is also a children’s menu and a vegetarian section which had a few interesting items like potato enchiladas and parsley pasta. There was even a vegetarian Mexican combo platter. Prices seemed about average compared to neighboring establishments with most seafood dishes running between one hundred and two hundred pesos.

The waiter kept our water glasses full and our ashtrays empty during the short wait for our lunch. He was pleasant and attentive. The first thing served was a basket of bread with a wonderful herb butter spread. Lunch was delivered shortly after. My mother had the chile rellenos stuffed with cheese (there had also been offered a seafood stuffing). They were covered in a tasty tomato sauce, drizzled with sour cream and served with beans, rice and pickled onions. Sails had the spaghetti Bolognese and I had the Mahi-Mahi Monterrey - a fillet of dorado, wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked with white wine and hoja santa. I don’t know what hoja santa is, but it gave the fish a lovely flavor. It came with steamed vegetables, cooked just right, and rice. The spaghetti was pretty good, the chile rellenos were good and the fish was spectacular. Roberto’s is a seafood restaurant and that is what they do best.

Although it has only been a week since we ate at Roberto’s I seem to be drawing a blank on the physical description. I remember the tables were nicely set, there were some interesting paintings on the walls and there was a bar, but no stools.
I would highly recommend Roberto’s to any seafood lover. The service, on this most recent visit, was great.


Sails said, "Great seafood and good service, but for some reason I don't find the place comfortable."

sample menu
Smoked Marlin............73 pesos/US$7.00
sauteed with chipotle and Mixteca herbs
Jaibas al Ajillo............146 pesos/US$13.90
crab sauteed with pimento, spices, olive oil and cascabel chiles
Spaghetti Marinera............152 pesos/US$14.50
a creamy tomato souce with shrimp, octopus, mussels and fish
Camaron Rebosado............230 pesos/US$21.90
shrimp covered with a creamy lobster and white wine sauce
Langosta Rockefeller............market price
lobster with spinach, white wine and cheese
Rib Eye Steak............175 pesos/US$16.70

Roberto's is open daily from noon until 11:30 pm. There is Cuban music on Saturdays from 8:30 pm until midnight. Credit cards are not accepted.

Directions - Roberto's is on Basilio Badillo between Ignacio Vallarta and Constitucion. From the southwest corner of parking/plaza Lazaro Cardenas (the ocean is to the west) head south along Olas Altas for one block, go left on Basilio Badillo two and a half blocks. The restaurant is on the left.

Los Tres Delfines is in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone, just off of Olas Altas, the most touristed part of the neighborhood. It has been around for almost fifteen years but I had never eaten here before. I actually lived across the street and didn’t know it existed which is ridiculous considering the tables are set up out in the street. I blame my ignorance on the fact that the restaurant is only open in the winter and spring but the truth is I’m usually oblivious to my surroundings.

Once I realized this place was here I just had to go. We showed up for an early dinner and had the place to ourselves. Plastic tables and chairs are set up in the street and in the carport of the owners’ home. It is a dead end so there is no fear of being run over or causing traffic jams. Blue and white tablecloths, twinkle lights and potted plants lend a bit of formality and coziness.

When we arrived the sun was about to set, all seating was in the shade so we chose from the ten tables out in the open. There are four or five tables in the carport for those sunny hours. The waiter, who is also an owner, came over. He was friendly, asked about us, pointed out he had a completely family run business and gave us suggestions on what to order. For the rest of the evening the service was impeccable.

The menu was similar to many others in the neighborhood – a handful of soups and salads, fish and shrimp cooked a myriad of ways, steaks, chicken and a few traditional Mexican dishes. Lobster seemed to be a specialty. Los Tres Delfines is known as a seafood restaurant even though they offer plenty of other foods. Aside from simple salads there is not much for vegetarians. The prices were on par with other neighborhood restaurants but seemed a little steep considering one is sitting in the street.

Candles were lit. Everything looked pretty. People started to arrive, mostly from the hotel next door. After a bit of a wait, dinner was served. We had both heeded the waiter’s suggestions. Sails had the fish fillet papillot. It was a large fillet of mahi-mahi wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked with onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives and white wine and served with rice on the side. It was delicious. I had the shrimp brochette – shrimp, onion and bell pepper grilled on a skewer, served with rice, vegetables and a small salad. The brochette was probably the best I have had. The shrimp were slightly charred but not overcooked and the onions and peppers were still crunchy but cooked enough to soften any harshness. The vegetables were sautéed carrots and chayote. They were perfect. Even the plain white rice tasted special. The salad had Thousand Island dressing on it and was pushed to one side so as not to contaminate my perfect dinner.

We lingered, enjoying the romantic lighting, the balmy night air and that feeling that comes from having the perfect dinner.

Sails said, "Cozy. Great seafood."

sample menu
Tortilla Soup............40 pesos/US$3.80
Shrimp in Devil Sauce............120 pesos/US$11.40
Lobster Thermidor............350 pesos/US$33.30
Pepper Steak............190 pesos/US$18.10
Bar-B-Que Chicken............75 pesos/US$7.10
Chicken Enchiladas............75 pesos/US$7.10


Los Tres Delfines is open from November until June from 3:00 pm until 11:00 pm, closed on Wednesdays. Credit cards are not accepted.

Directions - Los Tres Delfines is on M. M. Dieguez, east of Olas Altas one block. From the southwest corner of parking/plaza Lazaro Cardenas (the ocean is to the west) head south along Olas Altas two blocks. Turn left on M. M. Dieguez. Go half a block. The restaurant is on the left side of the street.