Wanda’s Burgers and Ribs in Sayulita: An Interview with Gilberto Ramirez

Gilberto Ramirez is originally from San Miguel de Allende, but has lived in both Toronto and Seattle for extended periods of time. Having recently moved to the area, he opened Wanda’s Burgers and Ribs in Sayulita with his business partner, Luis Banda, just two months ago. Gilberto tells El Sayulero all about this relaxed, family-friendly restaurant and the delicious, in-house made food to be enjoyed here.

From where does the name Wanda’s Burgers and Ribs come?

Well, this is the second location of Wanda’s Burgers and Ribs. The original restaurant is in its 4th year in Rincon de Guayabitos, which was opened by my dad. My dad had wanted to keep the restaurant name short, and Wanda is my dad’s mother’s name, so my grandmother’s name, and she passed away a few years back.

Why open a restaurant in Sayulita?

I had been working as a general manager in Seattle (Luis was also working in Seattle at the time), and I was frequently traveling back and forth from Seattle to Sayulita. I realized that Sayulita has a lot of tourism, and a lot of young people, and that there was an opportunity for me to open my own business and work for myself.

What do you like most about the location of Wanda’s Burgers and Ribs?

It is centrally located, overlooking the plaza. About 90% of people in Sayulita have to walk by it, but it is also a little bit hidden – right next to the church and above Yah-Yah Café. The restaurant space is large and offers a great view of the plaza.

How would you describe the ribs?

The barbeque pork spare ribs are approximately half a rack, between 5 and 6 bones. The barbecue sauce is made from scratch in-house and has a smoky, sweet flavor. The meat is really, really tender, and you don’t have to fight with the bones to get the meat off. The sauce for the spicy barbecue pork spare ribs is also made in-house. It has a bit of habanero in it, but it is not overly spiced.

You have a large selection of burgers. Which is your favorite?

The Blue Cheese Burger– it is very simple with blue cheese crumbles on top. Luis’ favorite is the Mushroom Burger, which has mushrooms, onions, bacon, and cheese. Another great burger is the Bubba Como Comes, which is named after my grandfather. He used to come to our old restaurant and ask for a double patty, and when he ate the whole thing, surprised everyone. So, the Bubba burger is huge – and has double meat, bacon, and cheese.

All of the burgers are ground in-house and don’t contain much fat. They also are all big – 200 grams (7 ounces) – with the Bubba burger being even larger! All burgers come with cheese and one choice of side, which can be French fries, potato salad, or cole slaw.

Do you offer vegetarian options?

Yes, we have a couple. We offer a number of baked potatoes - some people think they are appetizers, but they are huge and a make for a full meal. There is a Vegetarian Spud (potato) with butter, mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, onion, sour cream, and cheese, but any of the potatoes can be made without meat. We also have nachos, and are working on making a Portobello Mushroom Burger. We also offer salads – both a greens salad and Caesar salad. We want our customers to be happy and if we can adjust any of our entrees to make them vegetarian, we’d be happy to do so.

You also serve craft beer. Will you tell me more about the options?

While I was working in Seattle I learned a lot about beer. We had 160 microbrews on tap, and I did the ordering. At Wanda’s Burgers and Ribs we offer craft beer from breweries in Puerto Vallarta, Colima, and Guadalajara. Some of them include Cerveceria de Colima, Minerva, El Terrible, and Cerveza de los Muertos. In the future, my goal is to open a beer store inside of the restaurant and sell as many Mexican microbrews as possible. Aside from beer, we also have a full bar and keep it stocked with good quality, well-known spirit brands, as well as wine.

What entertainment do you offer at Wanda’s Burgers and Ribs?

We have a lot of televisions and show as many sporting events as possible, including UFC fights. We’ve already shown four UFC fights, which was really popular. We also will be showing NFL games. In the future, we may have live music.

Do you offer specials?

We have specials every week. For example, we’ve done a couple of pastas and we will be doing fish with mushroom sauce and Mexican white rice. We’re trying to get an idea of what people like and will be adding favorites to the regular menu at Wanda's Burgers and Ribs.

SaveSave