5 cosas que me encantan en Guadalajara

5 Things I Love in Guadalajara

Colonia Americana

We spend most of our time in and around the neighborhood of Colonia Americana, where we live. It’s considered a trendy, “hipster” neighborhood with an abundance of French colonial architecture and large old houses (casas antiguas), many of which now operate as restaurants and other businesses. There are a lot more than five things I love in Guadalajara, so I’m breaking it down by neighborhood(-ish) and kicking it off with our home base.

Interesting to note: despite the fact that we are American and here, Colonia Americana is not so named because of an abundance of Americans. Also, they don’t call us Americans here the way you’d think: No soy “americana,” soy “estadounidense” or “de los Estados Unidos.” However, according to my boyfriend Brad, there are many more Americans and obvious foreigners around here than there were when he spent several months in Guadalajara 10 years ago. The city has international appeal: we’ve met people from the U.S., Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, and more who have relocated here short- or long-term in search of a higher quality of life for less while still enjoying the cultural benefits of living in a large city. I suspect our presence as foreigners seeking to take advantage of a lower cost of living is not without problematic elements and I get the sense that Colonia Americana is considered a bit gentrified, but it doesn’t have the same reputation as areas where a lot of Americans and foreigners do live as being super expensive, like the luxury mall-centered neighborhood of Zapopan, a fifteen-minute drive away. [I got super side-tracked trying to do some research on impacts of expats here, but most Google search results either want to talk about pros and cons of moving to Mexico, the American retiree populations here, or Mexican immigration to the States. I did find this study, but it’s from 2011. Anyway, I’m sure there are plenty of pros and cons of people like us being here, I just don’t have enough knowledge on the subject to speak more about it beyond my impressions after being here for a little bit.]

Anyway, we love living in Colonia Americana. It’s close to Zona Centro, the historic center of the city, and is extremely walkable and bike-friendly (as long as you ride very vigilantly), with a multitude of restaurants, shops, and great coffee spots. Many of the people who work in the businesses we frequent recognize us and/or know us by name, which always brightens my day. It can be hard to be far from home without much community, but we’ve slowly built a little network in our neighborhood that helps me feel connected to people. I started drafting this post from the first spot on my list:

1. Endémico Vivero Café

Pan de nuez or whatever it’s actually called, apparently I will never remember.

Part coffee shop, part greenhouse/plant shop, Endémico is easy to walk right on by if you don’t know what you’re looking for. It took me a few double-takes of catching a flash of greenery from the corner of my eye while passing by before finally checking it out. Just on the other side of a deep green door off the sidewalk, a tiled hallway opens into a large, atrium-like space with a coffee bar and wooden tables arrayed under a white tarp that serves as the ceiling, bathing plants and people in softly diffused daylight. Off the atrium, there are doors to smaller rooms housing businesses like a vintage clothing shop and an organic soap store. A dance studio is just beyond the bathrooms at the back of the building. In the atrium, a network of wooden beams fitted with hooks and small recessed lighting fixtures are hung from metal ceiling joists by sisal ropes and serve both as lighting and a display for dozens of thriving hanging plants I can’t identify because I have a history of killing houseplants and therefore own none. All the plants have price tags, so if I felt a little less transient and a little more confident in my ability to keep them alive, I could take home this small pot of pretty white flowers to my left for $70 MX (that’s in pesos, so about $3.50 USD). The internet is solid and we come here to sit and work and drink $40 MX lattes (mine are $45 because I opt for almond milk). They do serve food, including chilaquiles and tacos, but I’m addicted to a pastry they have that I can never remember the proper name of, but they told me I could just say “pan de nuez,” because I am a dumb American. The staff are always kind regardless of my language blunders.

Address: C. Manuel López Cotilla 1057A, Col Americana, Obrera, 44160 Guadalajara, Jal.

Instagram: @viveendemico

2. Gabinete

Another plant-filled space I love (to be fair, pretty much everyone uses plants as decor very liberally here), this restaurant on Calle Libertad, a.k.a. Breakfast Row, serves everything from breakfast to dinner, and has one of the coolest vibes of all time. I feel cooler for being here. The front section of the restaurant is housed in a sort of cool modern-looking glass and metal trapezoidal box-type structure (Brad is a bit dubious about its structural integrity tbh), which allows in light filtered through the leafy canopies of enormous trees outside. If you head towards the back of the restaurant, the vibe is much more “dark cave” with cool bare Edison bulbs affixed directly to the hand troweled plaster walls. They’re always playing cool music. The coffee bar is sunk a few steps below the dining room level, and the length of it is composed of those cool big old television/stereo consoles. It’s cool, okay? My menu favorites: the BowlMorao (that’s what it says on the menu, but I think it may be a typo and it’s actually BowlMorado, which would make a lot more sense because “morado” means purple, and it is a purple smoothie bowl topped with almonds, granola, and chia seeds. It took me 4 months to figure this out), and the Huevos Romeros, which is essentially a couple fried eggs on a plate surrounded by an assortment of veggies and herbs and a little bit of fancy cheese, but all the components come together into something that tastes both nourishing and delicious. Didn’t think you’d want to eat full sprigs of rosemary with your eggs? Think again. Brad usually gets the large size of their chilaquiles rojos, with an egg and avocado added. I’ve also gotten their tomato bruschetta, and one time I tried the cured fish version: don’t. I was so ill. Fish in general is a bit of a gamble in Guadalajara. Both times I’ve had food poisoning so far were from fish dishes. But even despite that unfortunate experience, I still go back to Gabinete for everything else I love there, including a mango turmeric kombucha they carry.

Address: Libertad 1698, Col Americana, Americana, 44160 Guadalajara, Jal.

Instagram: @gabinete.mx

3. Louie Burger

The award for best burgers we’ve found (with the second best at the next spot on the list) goes to Louie Burger, a trendy spot with neon signs that say “Better Than Sex” and “Pink n’ Juicy,” and giant wall murals of anthropomorphic cats that are way cooler than me (however, Brad finds their ample human cleavage rather troubling). My favorite burger is the Royale With Cheese, which has an egg on it, so of course, and I’ve also tried one of their chicken options in the name of trying to eat healthier, but it was hella fried chicken (and delicious) and didn’t feel any less artery-clogging than the beef options. They also have outrageous milkshakes on the menu, lovingly dubbed “Freakshakes.” Around my birthday, I talked Brad into trying the Cookies & Dreams with me, and it came with Oreos cemented with frosting to the sides of the glass, an Oreo ice cream sandwich wedged on top, Hershey’s Cookies n’ Cream bars, and cookies and cream Pocky’s stuck in the top, plus, obviously, a ton of whipped cream. It was huge and I’m pretty sure we didn’t finish it, but it was worth trying one of the Freakshakes once. We don’t go here too often because it’s toward the upper range of our food budget and there’s often a long wait to sit, plus, like I mentioned, I’m trying to eat less red meat. But occasionally, it is just so worth it.

Address: C. Pedro Moreno 1290, Col Americana, Americana, 44160 Guadalajara, Jal.

Instagram: @louieburgergdl

4. Pigalle

We kept noticing this spot because of its moody red lantern light outside the front door and its patio that seemed to only come to life after twilight. I said it looked spooky and therefore wanted to try it out, so we met up with a couple friends there about a month ago and now it’s one of our favorites. It’s advanced dark inside, which makes you feel mysterious, cozy, and conspiratorial. Every now and then the lights dim or brighten slightly, giving some Gaslight vibes, but I’m okay with this bar literally gaslighting me a little. Keeps you on your toes. The small but tasty menu includes perfectly seasoned soy-garlic edamame and a fairly straightforward burger with two patties seasoned with something super tasty. The first time we had it, we thought it was the best burger we’d ever had, but the last couple times we got it, the meat seemed firmer and less juicy, maybe a little more well-done than the first time. But still tasty, especially with pickles and mustard added. I also like their Tosta Caprese, and one of our friends really liked the Banh Mi. On top of the dim lighting, there are a few literal skeletons tucked into the corners, and the bathrooms are papered in vintage dominatrix and other high-heeled, corseted illustrations. I’m realizing that “vibe” is a huge factor in how I’ve picked my favorite places. This place not only passes the vibe check but also has strong food game. Oh and like Gabinete, they also play dope music. The other night they played this song and I have been listening to it obsessively on repeat, because that’s how I enjoy new music— play it to death until I can no longer stand to hear it, or a new song takes its place. I’m playing it again now. Still so good.

Address: C. Emeterio Robles Gil 137, Col Americana, Americana, 44160 Guadalajara, Jal.

Instagram: @pigallebar

5. Chicozapote

Of course I have to include tacos somewhere on this list. However, while Brad could eat tacos all day every day, I get easily tired of eating the same thing all the time, and with trying to eat less red meat, it’s hard to find taco spots that have chicken on the menu, so I haven’t actually been eating all the tacos all the time. At Chicozapote, I can skip meat altogether but still enjoy carnitas tacos because everything here is vegan! Their Baja “fish” tacos are made with fried mushrooms that I genuinely thought were fish the first time we got them (before I realized the restaurant was all and only vegan), and the soy carnitas are the meatiest vegan thing I’ve ever had. They double-cook their tofu to both reduce the water content and to really infuse it with flavor. The result is mouthwateringly juicy and toothsome—not what you typically associate with vegan dishes. They’re only a bit more than what you’d pay for street tacos and the space is open-air, welcoming, and cute. It’s very close to where we live, so we go there a lot and they’re lovely people who have been extremely patient with our language learning. Also, just beyond the restaurant and down the stairs, there’s a showroom, Matia Boutique, where my friend Mariana sells locally made sustainable goods, skincare, and more, plus a yoga studio, Ánima Yoga.

Address: C. Manuel López Cotilla 1041, Col Americana, colonia American, 44160 Guadalajara, Jal.

Instagram: @chicozapote_cocina_vegana

Clearly I’m all about mood + food, and Colonia Americana has a lot of places that fit the bill. I promise we do leave the neighborhood from time to time! More favorite things from further afield coming soon. And maybe they won’t all be food-related next time. Maybe.

Got a Guadalajara spot I need to check out? Let me know in the comments!