Don Chava Taqueria Cantina — Restaurant in Jalisco

Nice little place we saw listed as a "favorite" of a youtuber that visits PV often. Fantastic food. Our server was terrific and helped us out with making our food choices. He sat us at the bar under the ceiling fan when we requested to be in the coolest spot (pretty sure there was no AC). I had the "loaded up" al pastor baked potato (225 pesos) served with tortillas. It was huge... plenty to eat even if you go in pretty hungry! The server had given me a heads I might not need to order it unless I was hungry. My wife had two al pastor tacos (50 pesos)...she thought they were great. Meals plus a beer (55 pesos) and a coke (50...

We keep coming back to Don Chava again and again — and for good reason. By now, I think we’ve tried everything on the menu, and it never misses. Every dish feels like a little celebration of Puerto Vallarta’s culinary magic — flavorful, fresh, and full of heart.

It’s also our go-to spot to introduce visitors to local cuisine. Nothing says “Welcome to Vallarta” better than a table full of Don Chava favorites.

And the real secret ingredient? The super friendly staff — always smiling, always making sure you’re happy. Add in the reasonable prices (especially for Zona Romántica), and you’ve got one of those rare spots that wins every...

Something for everyone, and executed perfectly, even when busy! I’m an Al Pastor junkie, so I largely stuck to their tacos and volcanes, however over our 5 visits in a week, I managed to try the pork chop tacos (chuleta), arrachera, queso fundido con chorizo, and had one of the heaviest pours of Don Julio Añejo ever in a marg, or two. My wife, a hopeless nostalgic, had their 3 crispy tacos, she had them EVERY DAMN TIME. Yes, 3 crisp homemade taco shells filled with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cheese, and crema, the true un-Mexican taco that she grew up on in suburban Portland, OR. Needless to say, Don Chava’s is a...