Restaurante Vaqva — Restaurant in Cancún

Before starting, I have to say that my partner and I try to eat while not spending too much.

OMG! This is a place you must go to when wanting to eat at an authentic place in Cancun. This was my first time in cancun and met some locals who took us here. From the Walmart, we took a taxi here which cost 45 pesos... mind you it can cost more as we went with a local so the price wasn't gouged. I believe that the R2 bus also comes here but why go through the hassle...it's a little distant and the locals stated to be careful in this part of cancun.

When we got there it was an interesting spot... it was filled with locals so you know you're at the right place! They had mariachi that would play if you asked and give tips. We were approached by a photographer who took our picture only to ask if we would like a photo set to purchase.. which we politely declined. Throughout the our stay, we were approached by locals that would also try to sell small things like chips and gum. We spent 2 hours here and remember that the place closes down by 7. Just to add as well that there was a parrot in a cage which shrieked multiple times and startled me. It would be helpful to come here with a person who speaks Spanish as well.

Now about the food...they initially bring your table chips and salsa.

Drinks- Try the michelada... michelada is beer with tomato juice, hot sauce, and spices (think Cesar and beer which is an odd combination?). The thing that I asked for was a michelada with tamarind juice! My friend had a regular michelada and I must say that I made a good choice! Each michelada cost 45 pesos. It was huge and was the only drink I had that night. My partner also ordered a horchata frappe which cost 20 pesos. I thought that it was ok.

Ceviche - I've been looking all over cancun for a good ceviche. I found it here! This ceviche had so much seafood and I didn't have time to analyze it as we just dove in a devoured it! I'm pretty sure it had conch, shrimp, and squid. It was so fresh, came with refreshing ingredients, and came with lime that you can squeeze onto the ceviche. They come with mini plates so it's very shareable. We got the big one and it cost us 130 pesos. We shared this between 3 people.

Soup - we were full by this time but said we wanted to try the seafood!! We ordered the large sopa de mariscos. I imagined the soup to be creamy however it was basically a seafood party in a good seafood broth. It had clams, shrimps, crab, and pieces of fish. It can be messy as you would have to peel the shrimp and go through the crab. The broth was so good! You were really tasting the sea. Our friend also asked for extra broth which they didn't charge us for!

For the main course- my friend had the fondiu mixto, and sad to say I didn't taste it! I wish that I had... according to my partner and friend it was a good dish. It was shrimp covered in so much cheese! I had steak de camarones, and my partner had the pulpit al gusto. Steak de camarones was a delicious entree! I had pointed at something else that someone had and through miscommunication I didn't get that. To my surprise, it was delicious! It was shrimp with cheese on top of potatoes surrounded by a lean bacon. I felt that this was a westernized dish and this was something that would be produced at a higher end restaurant. This came with seasoned blanched veggies and rice. Oh my god, everyone on the table could not stop eating this dish! I would recommend this! It cost 150 pesos. Pulpo al gusto was also amazing. It came with a salad and rice. The squid was so deliciously prepared. If I could guess, the dish was just sautéed in butter so that the squid can flourish. My god it did! My partner and I should have just switched dishes as I thoroughly enjoyed it! The squid was not over done at all and was impressed with this! This dish was 120 pesos.

Overall, it was such a great experience to eat at this place! I would recommend to eat at this less touristic spot in cancun and enjoy a seafood feast!!

Ps this place...

A review from a Mexican American that has spent his life going back and forth.

This is a seafood place that most Americans would enjoy. I personally know the owner and he is a funny and honest guy. For example he is the one that told me no restaurants in Cancun offer fresh never frozen shrimp. Most of the shrimp served in Cancun comes from Campeche. Shortly after the shrimp is caught they freeze it and ship it.

When the restaurant first started it was a very small place. As their popularity grew so did the restaurant. The place is HUGE now, and I think they are not even working on a 3rd floor.

If you go there on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday it is bound to be packed, and like other reviews mention it can get a bit loud. Most of their clients are local people. Not sure if they still have english menus, but most of the staff doesn't speak any english. Also they close relatively early, around 7pm. If you get there close to 7pm they will still serve you without rushing you, but they do close down the door. For what it is worth went there with some clients, about 9 in total, and we stayed there past 9pm and at no point where we asked to wrap it up even though by around 7:30pm we were the only table left.

I've been visiting this place for over 9 years now. Their portions did noticeably smaller, but they still offer great flavors. One of my favorite dishes there is the seafood canoe. It consists of half a pineapple carved, stuffed with seafood, topped off with cheese, then placed in an oven for the cheese to melt. My gf is a HUGE van of the seafood pasta.

They do offer some good mixed drinks, but I am more of a beer person. I am usually not a fan of micheladas, but the ones they offer there are pretty good. Their signature Micheladas is the shrimp one. Yup, beer with shrimp in it!

This is the type of restaurant where you will get much better flavors and pay much less than if you had seafood inside the hotel zone.

Hope you enjoyed my review, and if so please follow me to catch my...

Awesome flavour, generous portions and relatively cheap. And such variety!

They got like 20 "basic" recipes of shrimp, the same of fish (either fillet or whole fish), 3 by 3 of jaiba (a largish, fresh water green crab) (either whole jaiba, jaiba meat or cheesy jaiba, by three recipes for each), a some of other types of seafood (oysters, lobsters, conch, Moorish crab hands, etc), plus some twenty "specials" (like this "shrimp steak" or a half pineapple stuffed with this creamy concoction that I saw on a nearby table)...

Their dessert selection might not be so wide, but I sincerely recommend the fruit ice creams, which comes in hollowed fruits. And while any of them are amazing, try to ask for cacao.

The place might be in the really out of the way for regular tourists, but it is the first place I recommend to anyone who wants seafood, and especially shrimp.

If you are at least three, I recommend that you ask for a...