Puerto Vallarta eats like inland Jalisco with a coastline attached: birria and pozole in the Río Cuale market fondas, whole snapper zarandeado over mesquite, marlin tacos from corner fryers, and raicilla — the sierra agave spirit — poured all over Old Town.
Two floors on the north bank of the river: crafts downstairs, a food hall of family fondas upstairs serving pozole, birria de res and shrimp cocktails from 08:00. Vendors call their menus; most plates stay under 150 pesos.
A tiny open-front stand on Naranjo frying marlin, shrimp and battered fish tacos from roughly 09:00 to 15:00 daily. Order at the counter, then load up at the salsa bar with chipotle mayo, pickled onion and habanero.
The long-running sidewalk café at the corner of Olas Altas and Rodolfo Gómez, open from early morning to late night with café de olla spiced with cinnamon and piloncillo, chilaquiles verdes and tres leches slices.
A craft brewery on the mid-river island brewing its own IPAs, stouts and a jamaica-infused ale, with iguanas in the fig trees and taps poured beside the water. Flights let you work through six house beers.
The breakfast institution of the Zona Romántica since 1985, opening at 08:00 under a palapa roof. Chilaquiles rojos with shredded chicken, huevos rancheros and machaca con huevo arrive with unlimited coffee refills.
A narrow two-level shack on Basilio Badillo built entirely around fish: garlic-butter shrimp, coconut shrimp and fish and chips, plus a raw bar of Nayarit oysters. The upstairs terrace catches the afternoon breeze.
Beachfront kitchen north of the Malecón cooking the region's signature dish — pescado zarandeado, a butterflied whole snapper marinated in achiote and grilled over mesquite on a wire rack, served with tortillas for building tacos.
Regional Mexican cooking in a courtyard on Allende, opening at 17:30, known for pato en mole de arrayán and cochinita pibil. The bar pours raicilla, the Jalisco sierra agave spirit that predates tequila locally.
A roadside counter on Boulevard Francisco Medina Ascencio famous across Jalisco for smoked-marlin burritos and tacos, open from 08:00. The marlin is house-smoked, mixed with tomato and chile, and folded into flour tortillas.
A palapa-roofed seafood hall in the working-class Pitillal district where locals outnumber visitors ten to one. Order the pescado embarazado on a stick, aguachile verde, or a whole zarandeado with a cold caguama.
Puerto Vallarta's first brewpub, brewing on site since 2012 with a wood-fired pizza oven and long communal tables. The McAllister IPA and Agave Wheat are the flagships; tasting paddles cover five house beers.
The al pastor trompo starts turning at 17:00 and the queue forms within the hour. Pork is shaved straight from the vertical spit onto small tortillas with pineapple, onion and cilantro, alongside quesabirria and volcanes.