Eating: Isla Mujeres

Street Meat

“We’ve gotta find that hot dog stand, Em.” Xavi said as soon as we disembarked the ferry and set foot on Isla Mujeres.
“Damn. I think we might have gotten here too early, man.”
At any given moment, wherever he is, it’s safe to say Xavi is salivating for an Isla hot dog.And if you have been fortunate enough to come to one of Xavi’s Mexican Hot Dog (pronouced hoat doag) parties, you know what they are.
In Isla Mujeres, the carts set up in the evening along the beach drag. The regular dog is $1.20usd and the special is $1.60usd. The special is a frank wrapped in bacon. Both come with the same options for toppings, and it’s best to just dive in and say “con todo!” This includes carmelized onions, jalapenos, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.
If you don’t fancy a hot dog, nightfall on Isla Mujeres brings out an array of street food options.

Palacio Municipal

If you head over to the Palacio Municipal (pictured above) there are always carts offering various, made to order options like empanadas, tostadas and various desserts among other things. Prices start as low as $.80usd for your choice of hand made empanadas.

PALACIO MUNICIPAL

At Palacio Municipal, along with the street vendors, there is a grocery store along the north side of the square on Avenida Morelos. You can get cold beer here, although the better deal is buy a 1.2 liter bottle at one of the superminis. It’s also the best place to buy your bottled water (cold) – 5 litres for $1.25usd or two 1-liter bottles for $.50usd (total).

But the best deal we found was for $5usd you can get a whole rotisserie chicken along with beans, rice and salad. A great option for a meal if you’re in a group.

At the local pollo asado restaurants the same goes for $7usd.

Take me back to the top // Take me back to ISLA MUJERES

Mercado Municipal — All you need is here

It closes in the late afternoon, but with the size and quality of the plates – eating a late lunch here will keep you sated for the rest of the day. Located on Avenida Vicente Guerrero.

Whether you want a fresh fish dinner or some tacos – the mercado has something for everyone. Prices range from $2 to $3 usd for breakfasts, sandwiches, tacos, empanadas to the $4 to $5 usd range for fresh fish, chicken, beef, pork entrees – and all of them are enough to fill you up. And depending on your appetite – one entree would easily suffice for two people.

There are also plenty of vegetarian options beyond the standard plate of rice and beans you might get other places.

Bottom line: If you are tramping on Isla Mujeres and staying somewhere without kitchen facilities at your disposal – The Mercado Municipal is really the only place you need to go. Unless of course you, like Xavi, have a craving for some Isla street food at the Palacio Municipal.

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 Pita Amore

Situated in a small structure that looks like a house, this pita grill serves 5 house specials—all of them pitas, each a little different from your average pita, and a steal at a little over $3usd a piece—including the vegetarian option.CentralAmerica_Mexico_IslaMujeres_Cheapfood_PitaAmore

We split ‘the special’ for dinner – a pita with grilled peppers and onions, grilled steak and ham, a grilled grape leaf, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and a special house sauce. It was a good meal and we didn’t have an appetite for any more than a half of one after eating our lunch at the Mercado Municipal.

There is a service window on the street where you can order your pita or grab one of the few seats inside. You can also bring your own beer to drink.

Located on Avenida Vicente Guerrero – near the corner of Avenida Morelos. We took ours around the corner to the Palacio Municipal and watched some local boys shooting hoops.

MañanaManana restaurant and book shop

Right at the corner of Av. Guerrero and Av. Matamoros is Mañanas, a charming lunch and breakfast cafe and bookshop. The colorfully painted exterior and interior give this place a friendly vibe that is substantiated by the staff inside. Serving up Mexican-style eggs, tacos, pancakes, and everything in between for prices starting around $5usd upwards — it’s a great place to come and chill for a bit. The wi-fi is mostly reliable and if you just want to come in and enjoy a strawberry-mango-banana licuado for $3usd/$40pesos and get your internet obligations taken care of, it’s a great spot for that.

 

Take me to MAP: ISLA MUJERES

 

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