La Catrina Restaurant & Tequila Bar

Update: This restaurant is now closed.

La Catrina Restaurant & Tequila Bar, located on the North side of Sayulita on Calle Manuel Rodriguez Sanchez, opened on November 13th of last year. This restaurant was named after the iconic figure, La Catrina, who is commonly associated with Mexico and Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).  A larger than life size La Catrina with a colorful skirt and flowers in her hair is situated at the entrance, and small shelves with candles and La Cantrina figurines line one wall, making good on its namesake.

With an open-air entrance and high ceilings, the restaurant, which is owned by the Verdin family, who also own Rancho Mi Chaparrita, feels spacious. Whether one sits indoors or outdoors, a breeze can be felt when the wind is blowing, and the birds can be heard chirping in the trees across the street at Sayuparke.

Currently only open for breakfast and lunch, aside from private events, the menu consists of authentic Mexican food, based on Verdin family recipes and other traditional Mexican recipes. “Nothing comes from the freezer. Everything is fresh, and all of the dishes are made to order,” said manager Yesenia Mondragón.

The organic coffee from Compostela is robust, the freshly squeezed orange juice, sweet with just the right amount of pulp, and the fresh papaya, which is sweet and firm, comes from the Verdin family ranch. The meat in the beef chilaquiles dish is tender with just the right touch of salt, the tortilla chips crispy, the creamy poblano sauce mild, and the potatoes covered with a red pepper tomato sauce. Chef Erick Cibrian, who previously worked at River Café in Puerto Vallarta, said “a lot of effort goes into the details. The chilaquiles are different because they have red and green color – honoring the Mexican colors.”

“The Verdin family invites everyone to come and try the breakfast and the fresh food, and to combine it with a tour with Mi Chapparta. If you take a tour first, you’ll get a 10% discount at the restaurant. If you eat at the restaurant first, you’ll get 15% discount off your tour,” said Yesenia.

La Catrina Restaurant and Tequila Bar will soon be opening for dinner, and serving up the house specialty, molcajetes, though you don’t need to wait for this to happen to enjoy happy hour. The current happy hour, 2 for 1 margaritas, is anytime during open business hours (7am – 3pm), and the jalapeno chili margarita, which is sweet and sour, and has a nice kick, is a must try.