Doña Chely — Restaurant in Isla Cozumel

When you’re tired of the tourist trap institutional food and want something local, fresh, and authentic go to Dona Chely. An open air patio under a tin roof, you can watch your food being prepared from scratch while you enjoy the local vibe. Mostly local patrons with a few escapees from the nearby resorts, join them for breakfast or lunch and let the ladies cook you the best meal you ever had for under $10usd. Why give 5 stars for service in a place that you order from a counter? Because we asked for custom combinations from their usual ingredients and they not only made them delicious but did not up charge for them. What a...

We were recommended by multiple resort staff to walk here and try good Mexican food. We weren't disappointed. We were immediately greeted by friendly staff, and I never felt out of place. We ate breakfast and pork chop tacos and a special torta. Which had all of the meats, egg, and veggies. We also got Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus juice) and it was fresh and delicious. For anyone staying near here it is highly recommended to try at least once. I will be back here every day for the remainder of my trip...

This was the only place my husband was adamant we try on our Cozumel vacation and I wish we had more time to get there again before we left. Hands down our favorite tacos, sopes and tortas we tried all week. We had the chicken, pork asada, carne asada and chorizo. All were amazing. The people were friendly and helpful, and the sauces were flavorable and spicy. We will be back on our next trip!

2024 update: we came back as promised and it was just as delicious as we remember. The tacos and sopes...