Pipis — Restaurant in Jalisco

What an absolutely fun and lively place!! My first time there was my first night in Puerto Vallarta. I had just landed, got to the resort, tossed my stuff in the room, grabbed my gear (I was there to photograph a wedding that week and that night, it was to celebrate the groom's 70th birthday) and headed straight there.

The second I stepped in, I felt the magic of this restaurant. Yes, it's mostly tourists that go there, but honestly, I would still mark this spot and a MUST GO if you are visiting Puerto Vallarta.

The vibe was just so much fun. When you walk in, right away, you hear the buzz and laughter from all the guests there, the music from the mariachi's (they start playing around 6ish) and it all goes perfectly well with the decor of the place.

The food.... oh wow... go there with a good appetite! Their portions are very generous and the food is simply delicious!!! After that visit, and after I felt back home, I had returned back to Puerto Vallarta for another week. This time for a vacation. I told my wife that we had to go there.

I went back with her, she had such a great time that we went back again a second time that week.

When you order their margarita, get ready for an aquarium sized drink! Lol... they have a ton of flavours there and they are all delicious.

The first time, I ordered their burrito. And.. before it came, I was muting down on their nachos with their incredible salsa that they bring you. So so good that I could not stop. I did not realize that the burrito was the size of a 10-pound baby. But wow was it good!! I still devoured the whole thing along with the ocean of a drink.

The second time, I ordered their fajita! That was enough for 3 people honestly, but I did the best to eat all of it. Again, so incredibly delicious!!!

Also, you have someone that goes by the tables to make you some fresh guacamole... Mmmm... Mmmm... mmmm!!! Just perfect!!!

For the final piece de resistance... you have their fried ice cream (which I will refer to as a planet sized ball of ice cream) which was just wow!

Overall, it was well worth it and I will be sure to make it one of my mandatory stops whenever I will be back in Puerto Vallarta!!

Oh... I also have to mention that the service is simply impeccable!! We spoke to several people there and they are all amazing!!! A definite must...

By far the BEST Mexican restaurant I have been to! First thing to know is that if you don't want to wait as long MAKE A RESERVATION!!! This place is crazy busy and with good reason. My husband and I got there around 745 and fortunately got our names on a list before another 30ish people showed up. The wait time for a table wasn't too bad only 15+ minutes depending on the size of your party. However the real fun began when you sat down. We were given chips and salsa within moments of sitting down and after ordering drinks they arrived back at our table in under a minute (not joking). One of the coolest parts was the fact that after we had been given our drinks a man came over with a tray of avocados and he proceeded to make us homemade guacamole right by our table which was absolutely AMAZING!! Before we even had time to finish our first batch of chips and salsa another boy came over and brought us our second round. The whole process of ordering food was super easy, even with the restaurant being completely packed our waiter got to us in under 5 minutes and after we ordered our dinners our meals were presented to us again in under 5 minutes. The food was absolutely amazing huge portions and not too spicy for those of you that don't like the spice however you can always ask to add make them more spicy if you want. The drinks were huge. The margaritas came in a fishbowl and my husband's pina colada came in probably a 24 oz glass. To put into perspective we sat down at 8, our meals arrived at 810 and we got our dessert to our table at 830! During the whole meal we had live music playing by excellent performers and we will be going back before our trip is over!! If you are in Puerto Vallarta this place is a must for dinner. Including tip my husband and I only spent 1000...

Reading some of the more negative reviews of Pipi’s, you’ll notice a number of self-infatuated Anthony Bourdain wannabes complaining this restaurant is “inauthentic”, “a gringo restaurant” or excessively touristy. These critiques are ego-driven and can be dismissed.

Much of Puerto Vallarta's Centro area caters to tourists, and Pipi’s is no exception. Indeed, some elements of the Pipi’s experience are performative: the mariachi bands, the Mexican sombreros, the giant margaritas, the “Don’t Drink the Water; Drink the Margaritas!” sign in English on the wall. It might not be to everyone’s taste, sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s a poorly run business.

Here are some things I loved about Pipi’s: Good prices and portion sizes. Tasty food, lots of options to try. Fresh-made guacamole at your table — they ask how spicy you want it, then make it right in front of your eyeballs using fresh avocados. Excellent, attentive service, waiters in bow-ties. AMAZING for gluten-free/celiac diners. Fun atmosphere + live music.

My wife and I enjoyed the experience so much, we went twice in one week while in PV.

In conclusion…

If you just want to impress your friends back home with stories of how you, the intrepid explorer, ate a street taco, you can skip this place.

If you want to enjoy your vacation and have a nice meal in a positive environment,...