Panajachel Restaurants

The Sunset Cafe has Mexican and Guatemalan dishes in a nice setting that overlooks the lake and, if it's not too cloudy, great views of Volcan de Toliman and Volcan de Atitlan. The limonada con soda come in large glasses. The food is fine without being spectacular. I had the tacos al pastor and the meat was tender and a bit on the salty side. But you really come here for a great view and the sunset. Later, like around 8pm, live music starts which may or may not be a good thing depending on who's playing. The night we were there a duo played much too mellow latin-y and American ballads. We made our exit not long after they went on.

Favorite Dish: Guacamole and chips

We had to eat here just because of the name and the crazy graphic on its logo. The restaurant consists of several stools around the grill in kind of a bar setting plus a few tables in the back. It's covered but open to the outdoors due to a lack of walls. The offerings include some Mexican dishes, hamburgers, and a variety of sausage types and we went with chorizo. They basically halved it and grilled it up, put it on a warm bun with tomato and a spicy mayo sauce and voila! Not a gourmet meal but a perfect snack. And very cheap as well.

Favorite Dish: Chorizo

We actually saw three different taco street carts on Calle Santander. This one was a bit further down towards the lake than the other two which were situated by the rural elementary school next to the fried chicken and papas carts. They appeared to be serving the same type of tacos. Shredded pork served on small corn tortillas with cilantro, onion, and lime. Your order will be ready within 5 minutes of ordering. The cost? 3 tacos for 10 quetzales (USD 1.30). A great snack or shell out Q20 and have a full meal of 6 tacos! Definitely worth the money as the meat is tender and juicy and the tacos overall very well done!

Favorite Dish: Tacos...that's all you can get!

Need a change of pace from frijoles and plantains? El Bistro cooks some decent Italian dishes and has a nice, albeit small, wine selection. I ordered a pasta dish (spaghetti bolongnese) expecting overcooked pasta. Imagine my surprise when I took my first bite and found the spaghetti to be perfectly al dente! The food was good and portions ample. The dining area is in a nice open air setting and the service is good.

Favorite Dish: Spaghetti bolognese, liguine puttanesca

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This Uruguayan grill serves up tasty plates of grilled meats accompanied by rice and/or potatoes, salad, and garlic bread. I had the grilled beef which was well-seasoned and grlled to a tender perfection. Rita had the chorizo which consisted of two 6-inch sausages, halved along the length, and grilled. The chorizo wasn't as spicy as the Mexican version and wasn't as greasy either.

The front of the restaurant is open to the street which provides an informal atmosphere and allows diners to watch the craziness of Calle Santander and also feel like they are dining al fresco but not get wet if it happens to rain. Service is attentive and accomodating.

Favorite Dish: Grilled beef and chorizo

Even tho you are in covered area you still feel like you are dining outside. The food was high quality and very well prepared. I had a fresh fruit compote for breakfast and discovered this delightful fruit called Pitahaya--brilliant purple fruit with a "furry" outer skin like a kiwi fruit. Apparently is common in Guatemala but is not exported to the US.

Favorite Dish: Breakfast was a real hit. Excellent fried potatoes and a nice light omelette.

On our first evening in Panajachel, Ryan and I stopped at this place on Calle Santander near the intersection with Calle Principal. We mostly chose it for the view over the street, but they were also playing some good music while we were there. The waiter was attentive and the prices were reasonable.

Favorite Dish: We split an order of gambas al ajillo (a Spanish tapa of shrimp in olive oil served with bread) and we each had a local beer called La Dorada. I had a GREAT black bass entree, which was an easy decision for me. I just asked the waiter what was fresh from the lake. He told me that the black bass are in the lake, but they are imported from the sea into the lake and then fished from its depths. I found out later that the introduction of the black bass into the lake has had some negative effects. The black bass eat a lot of the smaller fish in the lake leaving a diminished variety of fish for local fisherman, some of whom have been forced to turn to other industries to make a living. If I would have known this I would have thought twice about ordering it, but the meal was absolutely delicious.

This place appeals to a lot of the hippies who visit Panajachel. It's a vegetarian's delight in a small dining area located right on Calle Santander. Everything is organic and they even make their own ginger ale.

Favorite Dish: I had rice dish served with a ginger peanut coconut sauce and veggies. It wasn't bad, but it could have used a little more kick. I believe Ryan ordered a meatless Pad Thai.