Today we went out and got a delicious alambre from El Itacate.
Hello, again. My dad and I, and sometimes my mom comes along too, have been going out on the town to find some of the best not so well known cheap eats, mostly family-owned, restaurants that we can find. We go out almost every day, finding some new little place, or big place, to tell you about and review the food and prices.
Before I get into the article I just want to say that I'm sorry for not posting very often. I have a very busy school schedule and am working from 9 to 6 most days. But, it's worth it because if I complete one more hard year like this one I can be able to graduate at 16. But, anyways, a while ago I went somewhere with my friend, and as we were driving back she and her mom pointed out a restaurant, which they said was their favorite restaurant, and told me I should definitely try it. So, thank you Christy and Katy for the recommendation! The place is called El Itacate, and is located on Viena 253 in Versalles. But they also have another location in Sayulita on Calle Jose Mariscal 42.
El Itacate mainly serves tacos, and even though they are a bit pricey I’ve seen pictures and reviews of them and they are super big and filling! They’re also not made with meat you can get at any butcher shop, they’re made with meat from Sonora Meat, which is one of the most expensive places to get meat in Puerto Vallarta! But, apart from tacos they also have alambres, which are kind of like fajitas with lots of cheese. And, they’re super big, so my dad and me were able to share one and take some leftovers home. Though before we got our meal we got brought a few salsas, some beans, and onions. And, my dad being my dad had to taste all of them. One of them in particular my dad was interested in, because it tasted kinda like chipotle and chile de arbol, so he had to ask what all was in it. Turns out that yes it had chipotle and chile de arbol in it, but it also had 5 others, for a total of 7 chilis in one sauce! After that my dad immediately told me to go take my photos. Normally I’ll taste the food first to make sure it’s good enough to write about, which I reminded my dad of, but he said that if someone is going to put in so much time and effort to make a sauce like that, he knows that the food will be great. And, of course, my dad was right.
Our alambre had well-marbled rib-eye steak, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, nopals, lots of white cheddar cheese, and probably more! I’m not 100% sure of what all was in it. Anyways, normally I don’t like mushrooms, in fact, I kind of hate them, but I didn’t even notice them in this! The flavors were so well mixed together and everything was so well seasoned I didn’t realize it had mushrooms until I found a piece of one!! I’m not a huge fan of bell peppers either, but I really liked this dish. It really surprised me! Also, the warm, hand-made tortillas had a strong corn flavor and were super good as well! If you visit El Itacate, I definitely recommend getting the rib-eye alambre! We both loved it and got stuffed with it!!
The owner of the restaurant, Jorge, is from Mexico City, and he even went to culinary school there. Then he continued to work at restaurants and at food-related jobs, until he finally wanted to open up his own restaurant. So, he decided to open up a place in Sayulita 13 years ago where he could serve high-quality food for a low-cost price. And, about 2 months ago he opened a second location in Versalles!
If you enjoyed this article, and would like to recommend a place that you know about, then please let me know. Or, if you are an owner yourself of a place that you would like to see written about, contact me.
And to see the rest of my food reviews go to the Dining Out section here in Vallarta Bay Times.
El Itacate WhatsApp 322 139 0206