Where To Eat In Guadalajara: My Top Restaurant And Bar Recommendations
Published January 11, 2024
It’s been a while since I’ve published a restaurant guide on my travel blog, but I simply had to make one for Guadalajara! During my week-long stay here, I fell in love with the city’s food scene. Guadalajara’s delicious, down-to-earth Mexican cuisine is one of the top reasons to visit!
This blog post is broken down into the following topics. To skip down to any particular restaurant, bar, or cafe, click or tap the corresponding link below!
Restaurants to Try in Guadalajara
On this trip, I made an effort to patronize local, affordable restaurants. Recommendations came from various sources, including online lists, Google reviews, and my Airbnb hosts. For the rest of this post, any business that has a star next to its name (
) was so phenomenal that I had to visit multiple times!
Breakfast
Breakfast in Mexico is always such a treat. Typical breakfast dishes here are filling and packed with flavor. Even if you typically skip breakfast at home, you won’t want to miss ‘the most important meal of the day’ in Guadalajara!
Restaurante y Menudería Lidia ⭐
Address: C. Joaquin Angulo 272, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Restaurante-y-Menuderia-Lidia-100057126563096/
At first glance, this restaurant doesn’t really stand out as you’re approaching it on the street. There’s no patio out front, so it almost resembles a private residence. Luckily, there is a sign painted on the building. After you go inside, you’ll see multiple large dining rooms in a surprisingly open and airy space.
“Menudería” refers to their specialty dish, menudo. I ordered it for breakfast on my first visit to this establishment. Menudo is a savory soup made with tripe and lots of other spices. It was served with onions, limes, and tortillas on the side. My Airbnb host recommended I ask for an avocado (“aguacate” in Spanish) as an extra, and I’m glad he did! It absorbed the soup and added an additional layer of texture to the meal.
Since the menudo here was so delicious, I came back another day to try something else! I got chicharrón and chilaquiles. With meat, chips, cheese, beans, and multiple red sauces, this combo plate had so many different flavors and textures. In addition, Lidia also serves a great cup of coffee! It comes with piloncillo, an unprocessed form of pure cane sugar molded into the shape of a little cone. You can drop one piece in your cup, let it dissolve, and enjoy the fragrant sweetness it adds to the coffee.
El Terrible Juan Café
Address: C. Colonias 440, Col Americana, Americana, 44160 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Website: https://www.elterriblejuancafe.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elterriblejuancafe/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elterriblejuancafe/
If you’re looking for a trendy brunch spot in a trendy neighborhood, head over to El Terrible Juan Café in Colonia Americana! Their covered, semi-outdoor seating area was the perfect place to enjoy a nice, smooth “latte mazapán” and some molletes.
If you’ve never had molletes before, I’d recommend trying them on a visit to Guadalajara! They’re a popular breakfast throughout Mexico consisting of toasted bread topped with beans and melted cheese. At El Terrible Juan Café, you have the option to add meat on top as well. It’s sort of like a bagel, but the beans and salsa give this breakfast dish a distinctly Mexican flavor!
Mexican Food for Lunch and Dinner
Food in Guadalajara is reminiscent of what you’ll find at Mexican restaurants in the US, but there are a few popular meals here that are exclusive to this region. I used to live in Mexico City back in 2018, so it was cool to discover some new dishes here that aren’t staples in the country’s capital.
La Chata ⭐
Address: Av. Ramón Corona 126, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Website: http://lachata.com.mx/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaChataCentro/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lachatamexicana/
How do you know if a restaurant is worth trying when you’re traveling? If they always have a line out the door, that’s generally a good indication! And that was the case for La Chata. I ate here twice, but I passed by on foot a few more times. Every time, people were queued up, waiting their turn to go in. You’ll have to join them, but the line moves somewhat quickly. You can minimize your wait time by avoiding peak hours (lunch in Mexico is usually an hour or two later than it is in the US).
La Chata has a pretty extensive menu, so I found that it’s best to order one of their combo plates. On my first visit, I got the “platillo jalisciense” which came with chicken, a sope, an enchilada, a flauta, and potatoes. The second time I went, I ordered the “plato combinado,” which included chicken with mole, a chile relleno, and rice and beans.
As you can see, these plates contain a lot of variety. La Chata is an ideal place to become acquainted with comida tapatía (food from Guadalajara). This restaurant is popular enough that they receive some foreign visitors, but most diners appeared to be local when I went. That’s how you know it’s the real deal and not a tourist trap!
Restaurantes La Gorda ⭐
Address: Av. Ramón Corona 181, Centro, 44600 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico (see website below for other locations)
Website: https://lagorda.com.mx/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Restauranteslagorda/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restauranteslagorda/
La Gorda is right down the street from La Chata, and I’d say both offer similar cuisine. There’s sometimes a line at La Gorda, but not always. La Gorda’s dining area is also a little less hectic. Because of the constant line outside La Chata, the interior dining room there has quite a buzz, with customers constantly shuffling in and out. La Chata is more or less always at capacity, while La Gorda might not be.
I enjoyed one breakfast (Platillo de la Abuela) and one dinner (Enchiladas Gordas Mixtas) at this location of La Gorda on separate days. I liked the breakfast a little more, especially since it came with aromatic coffee and freshly toasted bread with salsa! If you’ve never experienced bread with salsa before, be sure to seek it out while you’re in Mexico! Sometimes the simple pleasures in life really are the best!
Kamilos 333
Address: C. José Clemente Orozco 333, Santa Teresita, 44200 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Website: https://www.kamilos333.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kamilos333/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamilos333/
This festive restaurant serves a special dish that’s native to the state of Jalisco: carne en su jugo (meat in its juice). It might sound a little weird in English, but it is an awesome meal to try if you’re really hungry and looking for something with a soup base.
Since the beef is cut up into small pieces, it ends up being very tender and easy to eat. This dish also contains beans, and the soup itself is pretty light in flavor. It’s not not super spicy or thick, and a little bit of lime squeezed in adds just a hint of acidity.
Birriería Las 9 Esquinas
Address: C. Colón 384, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamejorbirriagdl/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birrialas9esquinas/
Birria has become very popular in recent years in the US, but for whatever reason it’s not something I’ve really gotten into. I figured I should give it a chance while in Guadalajara. Birriería Las 9 Esquinas was a great place to try the real thing!
Located on the beautiful Plaza de las 9 Esquinas (Nine Corners Plaza), this restaurant’s striking storefront is beautiful day and night. They also sometimes have mariachi bands serenading diners, so it’s hard to miss!
I know birria tacos are all the rage these days, but I ordered it here as a stew. (You do get tortillas on the side, so you can make your own tacos using the meat if you want.) According to Wikipedia, birria can be made with goat, beef, lamb, mutton, or chicken. I’m not sure which meat was used in this plate, but I did have a gamier flavor and aroma to it. As you can see below, the soup is dark and a little cloudy. It’s more interesting and complex than carne en su jugo, and I would absolutely get it again!
El Pilón de los Arrieros
Address: C. Galeana 388, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Website: https://www.elpilondelosarrieros.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElPilondelosArrieros/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elpilondelosarrieros/
This establishment is also located on Plaza de las 9 Esquinas, right next to the birria restaurant mentioned directly above. They have a diverse menu, so I asked for the spicy shrimp platter. Guadalajara is not directly on the ocean, but the Pacific coast is not too far away. Because of that, seafood is pretty popular here.
The diabla sauce was legitimately spicy, which is always a plus in my book! It was also nice to have a lighter meal that wasn’t based on red meat. El Pilón de los Arrieros seems a little touristy, but I still liked the food and the vibe. If anything, they might cater more to domestic tourists than international tourists.
Súper Tortas Ahogadas El Pique
Address: C. Jesús González Ortega 169, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Website: https://ahogadaselpique.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tortas-Ahogadas-El-Pique-100050299963534/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tortas_ahogadas_el_pique/
Anyone who is familiar with Mexican food has probably heard of a torta before. This sandwich is available at many Mexican restaurants throughout the US, but Guadalajara has its own unique twist on this plate. Ahogada means “drowned,” so a torta ahogada is a sandwich drenched in a red sauce made from tomatoes and chilis.
If the sandwich sounds messy and soggy, it is. That’s part of the experience, though! I tried one at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Súper Tortas Ahogadas El Pique, which had good reviews and wasn’t too far from my Airbnb. I don’t really know what cuts of meat went on this torta, but I do know that with onion and lime juice squeezed on top, it was a pretty memorable, scrumptious meal.
There are so many signs around Guadalajara for tortas ahogadas that you will probably never be more than a block away from a store that sells them. I don’t think any one place can legitimately claim to offer the very best in the city. With that in mind, don’t feel like you have to get one at El Pique. Any place that specializes in them with decent reviews should serve a mouthwatering torta ahogada that won’t disappoint.
Taquería Los Faroles
Address: Av. Ramón Corona 250, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Los-Faroles-Centro/100088711217063/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/losfaroles_centro/
If you’re looking for authentic, neighborhood tacos in a no-frills environment, try Taquería Los Faroles. The tacos are small, and served only with meat. If you want to add cilantro, onions, lime, or salsa, you have to use the sauce tower they bring to your table at the beginning of the meal.
I ordered about half a dozen different tacos here. They came out in a heap on a pretty small plate. Would I be able to identify each type of meat I ordered? No, and I had no problem with that. Taquería Los Faroles isn’t exactly a hole in the wall, but it does sort of have that vibe.
Quelite
Address: C. Pedro Moreno 1078A, Col Americana, Americana, 44200 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Website: https://restaurante.covermanager.com/reservas-en-quelite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quelite.gdl/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quelite.gdl/
I think this was the fanciest restaurant I visited in Guadalajara. I tried Quelite for dinner one night towards the end of my trip. My goal was to mix things up a little bit after eating a lot of meat-heavy dishes for most meals. The pulpo zarandeado, grilled octopus over avocado salad, sounded intriguing and fresh, so I ordered that.
With a fruity cocktail and a complimentary amuse-bouche to start, this meal felt light and refined. I’m glad I focused most of my efforts in Guadalajara on trying mom-and-pop restaurants, but it was nice to splurge a little bit and experience more luxurious dining here as well.
International Options & Others
El Habanero Negro
Address: C. Manuel López Cotilla 1228-a, Col Americana, Americana, 44160 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elhabaneronegro/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elhabaneronegro/
This Cuban gastropub serves rum-based classic cocktails like mojitos, as well as a bunch of creative tacos. Try their “taco Lyn Mei” with pork belly and chicharrón or their “taco Mongol” with Mongolian beef! Those two were both so good that I had to get a third one (battered shrimp, not pictured here).
After downing my mojito, I ordered a “dragón de jade.” This was like a green variation of a michelada with a tomatillo base. It had a pretty bold, herbal flavor to it, and I really liked it!
Restaurante La Roma (Food Hall)
Address: C. Juan N. Cumplido 123, Americana, 44200 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/restaurantelaroma/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laromagdl/
As far as food halls go, this one is pretty cozy and laid back. There aren’t giant crowds or dozens of vendors. Instead, you just take a seat and get to see all the different menus, then choose items from whichever one(s) you want. I was craving a burger at the very end of my trip, so that’s what I asked for.
Burgers in Mexico sometimes taste a little bit different than they do in the US, and that was true at La Roma. It wasn’t bad though! I always love trying typical American food abroad and seeing if it’s slightly different. I appreciated that this one came with a bunch of different ingredients, including bacon and a side of guacamole.
Mercado de San Juan de Dios (Mercado Libertad)
Address: C. Dionisio Rodríguez 52, San Juan de Dios, 44360 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
I hesitated to include this market on my Guadalajara food guide, but ultimately decided I should. You’ll understand why once you read this section. Mercado Libertad is one of the most noteworthy places to see in Guadalajara. That’s because it is the largest indoor market in all of Latin America! I have been from Mexico to Central America, down to Brazil and Argentina, and no other market I’ve ever seen can compare. This place really is mind-bogglingly big.
Even from a few blocks away, you’ll start to see vendors on the streets lined up selling everything from cloth to snacks, souvenirs to antiques. As you enter the actual market building, there’s a palpable hustle and bustle all around you. You’ll eventually approach one atrium and think you’ve reached the center, until you realize that this giant structure consists of multiple massive rooms just like this.
So, Mercado de San Juan de Dios is very cool. (It’s also a pickpocketer’s paradise, so watch your belongings really carefully.) There are dozens if not hundreds of restaurants and food stalls inside, so what was my experience eating there, you ask?
I walked around the market for quite a while because the sheer number of choices was pretty overwhelming. I sat down at one, but felt like I regretted it pretty quickly. The main issue was that I was asked if I wanted water, to which I said yes. I was expecting a bottle of water as is standard in Mexico.
Instead, the server brought over a giant cup of fresh pineapple juice. Since I am pretty well traveled, I don’t worry too much about stomach bugs abroad, and I don’t go out of my way to avoid certain things, including ice or fresh produce. However, something about this juice just made me so nervous, and I was too self conscious to tell him to take it back. I also felt bad leaving this huge cup of juice full on the table, so I reluctantly drank about one-third of it.
Now, I don’t know why I got so freaked out about the pineapple juice here. But it might’ve been that the market, despite being impressive for its size, was generally not very clean. Dust and dirt was everywhere. I got the sense that some food vendors here probably play fast and loose with sanitation standards. There’s a risk no matter where you go, but it just seemed more likely to be an issue here.
I would recommend travelers visit Mercado de San Juan de Dios, but don’t feel obligated to eat here if you’re not comfortable with it. The average meal I had wasn’t worth an entire afternoon of worry.
Bar Recommendations
Pulque Degollado ⭐
Address: C. Liceo 176-planta alta, Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pulquedegollado/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulquedegollado/
I’m so glad I found this place, because I had never heard of pulque before trying it here! It’s a low-ABV beverage made from fermented agave sap. It’s got an opaque white appearance and a tart taste. It honestly reminded me of a pisco sour.
If this beverage sounds interesting to you, make your way to Pulque Degollado. The bar is located up a set of stairs in a quaint little loft at the address listed above. Their bright, comfortable seating area is very inviting, and the bartenders are friendly and willing to explain what pulque is and how it’s best enjoyed.
At Pulque Degollado, you can try pulque with various different fruit blends, or (I think) as a distillation. They also offer mezcal, a few classic cocktails, and more.
Vietnam Bar
Address: C. Pedro Moreno 1296, Col Americana, Americana, 44600 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vietnambargdl/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vietnambargdl/
I mentioned earlier that I used to live in Mexico City in 2018. But did you know that I also lived in Vietnam in 2019? It should come as no surprise that I felt a deep sense of obligation to visit a place called Vietnam Bar in Mexico. I am a huge fan of doing “crossover” activities that incorporate multiple places I used to live!
I immediately loved Vietnam Bar’s sunny patio, green retro design scheme, folding chairs, and bold red label. My first impression was overwhelmingly positive, and the beer was cold and refreshing.
If you come over here, make sure to try their pork belly tacos. They are so succulent, with a sweet and tangy glaze. That plate really embodied the Mexico-Vietnam fusion I was hoping for when I first heard of this place! Even if you have no past connection to Vietnam, this bar is totally awesome and worth visiting for food, beer, or both.
Amargo Cervecería
Address: Calle Prisciliano Sánchez 807, Col Americana, Americana, 44160 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amargobar/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amargocerveceria/
You can find Amargo a block away from the picturesque Parque Expiatorio, but it’s kind of tucked away on a side street. It wasn’t very busy when I went to try a few beers here one night, but I didn’t mind having the place almost to myself. I also went early (before dinner), so maybe they get more crowded later in the evening.
The cool thing about this bar is that they have a bunch of beers on tap, and (at least when I went) almost all of them were brewed locally. Their menu board states the origin of each one, so you can be sure you’re ordering something produced in Guadalajara. I’m no beer expert, but I can tell you I enjoyed the two local brews I tried here!
Coffee
To be perfectly honest, Guadalajara’s cafe scene is a little lackluster. The good news is, I was able to order coffee at many of the restaurants mentioned above, and it was generally good. However, I didn’t see a lot of family-owned coffee shops around the “Centro Histórico.” Maybe I wasn’t looking in the right places or looking hard enough.
There are two main chains you’ll find in Guadalajara beyond the typical international brands. They are Café La Flor de Córdoba and Café San Pedro. Both are local-ish, with stores mainly in the state of Jalisco. I used to live in Mexico City in 2018, and I never came across either of these coffeeshops over there.
Café La Flor de Córdoba
Locations: various (click here to see full list)
Website: https://www.cafelaflordecordoba.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaFlordeCordoba/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laflordecordoba/
Of the two chains mentioned above, Café La Flor de Córdoba is the larger one. As of January 2024, they have over 100 branches spread out across Jalisco, plus one in Sinaloa. I stopped in for a mocha and a fruit tart one morning. It was a fine way to start the day, but I wouldn’t say the beverage was exceptional.
Café San Pedro
Address: various (click Linktree below to see full list)
Website: https://linktr.ee/cafesanpedro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cafesanpedromx/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafesanpedro/
Unlike La Flor de Córdoba, San Pedro only has about half a dozen stores at the time of writing. They are basically clustered in the greater Guadalajara metro region, so you won’t find this chain in other parts of Jalisco or beyond. I honestly liked Café San Pedro more than La Flor de Córdoba. Their stores look more upscale, and the one I went to was a comfortable place to sit and relax. The French press I got here was excellent!
Enjoy Your Culinary Journey Through Guadalajara!
I hope this blog post provides a roadmap as you embark on a culinary adventure through this amazing city in Mexico! The restaurant and bar scene in Guadalajara is underrated and worth exploring in depth. The food here is unpretentious yet so delicious, and it’ll feel pretty familiar to most Americans.
Keep in mind that Guadalajara is a giant city of over a million residents, so this food guide is by no means exhaustive. I tried to keep my restaurant and bar recommendations centrally located, since most visitors will probably stay in Centro Histórico or Colonia Americana.
Have you tried any of the places I featured in this post? Did you discover one that I should try next time I’m in Guadalajara? Leave a comment below and let me know! Thanks for reading and buen provecho!
Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!
This post was published on Jan 11, 2024
The Caffeinated Man Behind The Blog
Where I’ve Been
