Guadalajara Restaurants and Dining

(Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico)



Photo of centrally located stores and eateriesMany of the restaurants around central Guadalajara serve up traditional Mexican fare. In general, when dining out in Guadalajara, you can expect to pay more for the atmosphere, rather than the food itself.

Many of the top restaurants and dotted around the city's outskirts and if you want to sample some of the best cuisine that Guadalajara has to offer, you will often need to travel outside of the city centre. However, for many visitors staying in Guadalajara, the fine dining on offer at the restaurants within the largest hotel is more than adequate.


Picture of the Zapopan Plaza

What to Eat

Guadalajara is a true Mexican city and as such, many of its restaurants embrace its culture and serve traditional 'mestizo' food, which combines the best elements of Spanish and Mexican cuisine. Favoured local specialities in Guadalajara include 'pozole', which comprises hominy (ground corn) and meat.

Also popular at many restaurants is 'birria', which is a regional slow-cooked 'barbacoa' dish, featuring seasoned lamb, served with a tasty broth. Also popular is 'manchamanteles' (beef tongue in a rich sauce), 'adobado' - meat-based dish with mutton soup, and 'arrayan' sweets, made with myrtle tree fruit. When dining out in Guadalajara, you can expect meals to often be accompanied by guacamole, salsa, sour cream and various melted cheeses.

View of the Zapopan and sightseeing tourists

Where to Eat

Downtown Guadalajara and around the Centro Historico is where many of the best restaurants and dining options can be found. The Avenida la Paz features a number of good restaurants and this part of Guadalajara is known for its colonial character. Also look out for dining venues along the Avenida México and the Avenida Vallarta, where the Hard Rock Cafe Guadalajara is located and is always popular with tourists.

On the north-western side of Guadalajara, a number of notable restaurants line both the Chapultepec Norte and the Lerdo de Tejada Street, while to the south-west, several eateries are clustered along the Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas. Guadalajara's nearby Tlaquepaque suburb contains many traditional restaurants, serving Mexican cuisine at its best, often accompanied by live entertainment at the weekend. Part of the spreading Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, the neighbouring Zapopan region also boasts more than its fair share of restaurants, particularly along the Avenida López Mateos Sur, where fine dining and stunning views of the city are successfully combined.