Street Meat

Calle Santander in Panajachel is constantly buzzing with people selling things to you; a vendor’s market 7-days-a-week. And when the sun sets, the food offerings proliferate. There are fried chicken and french fry stands open all day that aren’t bad deals – watch and wait until you see a fresh batch come in.

You can get tasty and filling pupusas inside the small food court on Calle Santander. For under a dollar ($7 quetzals) you can get a cheesy pupusa with chicharron, chicken or jalapenos topped with vegetables and salsa. A perfect snack to curb your hunger, or get a couple and make a meal of it.

But the real treat is the taco stand located close toward the lake just past the pie lady. For under $2usd ($13-15 quetzals) you can get three tacos, overflowing with meat and topped with fresh salsas, guacamole and a lime. Enough to fill you for dinner or share as a late night snack.

And if you find yourself on the opposite side of town late night, near La Iglesia, the Catholic Church, there are a number of food options as well.

Las Gaviotas

This little restaurant has great food for low prices and cheap cuba libres, too. Offering sandwiches and hamburgers from Q14 to Q 28, fresh-cut fries included. Chicken dinners are Q25  and come in a variety of styles – pepian is a traditional Guatemalan dish of chicken with a tomato compote. The chile rellenos are delicious and filling here too. If you want a cheap sit down meal that will fill you up and satisfy your palette – this is a great option. They also have a fairly large selection of pasta dishes, spaguetys and tallarines or noodles. And Beers start at Q10. Finally, the inclusion of meat in their tipico breakfast plate means a meal that will keep you full well into the lunch hour. And the price is only Q23, not much more than other restaurants offering smaller dishes.

 

Tuscani

Located closer to the Lake on Santander (on the left side of the street if you’re leaving the lake) this lovely intimate restaurant offers a variety of food from Italian to local flavors all cooked by Walter – a local man who lived and worked in Dallas for 10 years at a 4-star restaurant serving the likes of George H.W. Bush. He even has a picture of him with the former president displayed at his house. The pizzas are thin-crust and a house specialty. Walter has an obviously refined palate and if you have trouble choosing a dish, going on his recommendations is always a good option — and it’s the route we took.

There are two traditional Mayan-Guatemala chicken dishes on the menu – Jocon and Pepian. Jocon is served with a tomatillo sauce and rice, and Pepian is chicken with a tomato and pepper sauce and potatoes. Both are served with vegetables and both are full of delicious flavors.

It’s not the cheapest place in town, but for the quality of food and service here, the prices are surprisingly affordable and can be budget-friendly at $4.50usd ($35 quetzals) for the chicken dishes. We brought in our own liters of beer and Walter didn’t seem bothered. In fact we got two frosted mugs when we asked for glasses. Also during happy hour, all mixed drinks are two-for-one. And just as good as the food was our conversation with Walter. He has a passion for food, and for his work, and we were happy to share that with him for an evening.

Chero’s Pupuseria

Located at the intersection of Los Arboles and Calle Principal, Chero’s is a nice addition to the typical Guatemalan fare that you can normally find in restaurants for Q10-Q20. Run by a couple from El Salvador, If you have grown fond of the pupusa’s offered by street vendors, you are guaranteed to leave here happy. Chero’s Pupusas are easily twice as big as any we’ve found anywhere else (El Salvador included) and overflowing with cheese. Two was a perfect amount for dinner. (But don’t let us stop you from ordering three… or four.) There are well over a dozen options for fillings. (Click out the photo to the left for a picture of their menu.) Each pupusa is Q10, and the beers start at Q12. If you find yourself drinking afternoon beers with expats at La Palapa, look out across the street and you’ll see Chero’s.

 

 

Pie!

If you find yourself at the end of the day with an ache in your sweet tooth and an extra $1.20usd ($10 quetzals) in your daily budget, the pie lady is the perfect solution. Fresh homemade fruit pies topped with meringue every night (weather providing). We tried the banana and it was delicious – not a cream pie, more like an apple pie but with bananas. The family there while I was ordering unanimously recommended the pineapple, but I couldn’t be deterred from the idea of banana pie. She also had apple and strawberry as well as chocolate cake. All of them looked incredible. And the baker was a treat — sweet as pie.

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