People come to Sayulita for the surf, but plenty of them come back for the food. Within a few blocks you will find palapa restaurants on the sand, sidewalk taco stands and terraces overlooking the bay. Every plate has a backstory: the coconut groves and fishing boats that kept this village going for decades, the Ensenada taco cooks who invented the modern fish taco, and the Lebanese immigrants who brought the vertical spit to Mexico. This guide covers what to order, where each dish comes from, and some of the best-known Sayulita restaurants to try them.
A Short History of Sayulita's Table
Long before surfboards, Sayulita lived off coconuts. According to local history, in the first half of the 20th century families here pressed coconut oil that was sold for soap, on land that had once belonged to the vast Jaltemba hacienda. When the coconut trade collapsed in the 1940s, fishing took over: red snapper, other snappers, jack, Pacific sierra, grouper, lobster and shrimp became the village's daily bread.
Kitchens back then ground home-nixtamalized corn and made sweets like cuala, a Nayarit dessert of coconut and corn masa that longtime residents still remember in interviews published by the local press. That pantry of seafood, corn and coconut is still the backbone of what you eat in Sayulita today.
Then came the highway and the surfers. Over the years tourism became the main livelihood. Today the town has roughly 3,400 residents (2020 census), welcomes visitors from all over the world, and its food blends local tradition with the influences of people who came to visit and stayed.
Quick timeline
- Around 1920: according to the municipal chronicle, Lauro González Guerra gives the settlement the name Sayulita.
- 1936: the Sayulita ejido (communal land grant) is formed.
- 1940s: coconut oil production collapses and fishing takes the lead.
- 1965: the Las Varas–Puerto Vallarta highway opens.
- Late 1960s: the first surfers arrive.
- 1994: Don Pedro's opens, one of the oldest restaurants still running in town.
- Late 2000s: a group of local moms starts the Mercado del Pueblo, the Friday farmers market.
- December 2, 2015: Sayulita is named a Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town).
For the story of the wave that put the town on the map, see our guide to surfing in Sayulita.
What to Eat in Sayulita
Sayulita sits on the Nayarit coast, in the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta, so seafood rules the menu. Here is what you will see everywhere, and where each dish comes from:
- Fish and shrimp tacos. Beer-battered and fried or grilled, topped with cabbage, salsa and a squeeze of lime. This is probably the most-ordered bite in town, and every Sayulita guide has a favorite spot. The modern version was born far from here, in Ensenada, Baja California, at the so-called Mercado Negro, a cluster of portside stands that ran from the late 1950s until 1967. A Sinaloa-born cook remembered as Mario "El Bachigualato" began selling fish tacos there around 1960, and others, such as Zeferino Mancilla, started battering the fish. Many people credit Ensenada's Japanese fishermen and their tempura technique, but that link has never been proven.
- Aguachile. Raw shrimp "cooked" in lime juice with chile, cucumber and onion. Most sources trace it to the coast of Sinaloa, where it started out as something much simpler: boiled water with chiltepín, a tiny round chile, ground in a molcajete. Shrimp came later, and today it is an everyday dish all along Mexico's Pacific coast, Nayarit included.
- Ceviche and seafood tostadas. Fish or shrimp with lime, tomato, onion and cilantro, the perfect post-beach snack.
- Pescado zarandeado. A whole butterflied fish, marinated and grilled over coals, a Nayarit tradition most sources trace to the island of Mexcaltitán, with roots in the coastal Totorame people. The name comes from zarandear, "to shake," for the way the grill basket is moved over the fire. Read the full story in our pescado zarandeado guide.
- Al pastor and stew (guisado) tacos. After dark, the spinning trompo and casual taquerías around the plaza are part of the scene. Al pastor is a migrant's dish: immigrants from Lebanon and other parts of the former Ottoman Empire settled in Puebla in the early 1900s and sold "tacos árabes," meat roasted on a vertical spit. Over time, their children and Mexican taqueros swapped lamb for chile-marinated pork and pita for tortillas, and by the 1960s tacos al pastor were a hit. Exact dates vary by source.
Battered fish tacos, a coastal favorite (photo taken in Baja California).
What to Drink: From Aguas Frescas to Raicilla
The default pairing is an agua fresca: hibiscus (jamaica), horchata or seasonal fruit. The region also has two drinks with deep roots: tejuino, made from corn masa and piloncillo and served with lime, salt and ice, and tuba, coconut palm sap that reached Mexico's Pacific coast from the Philippines aboard the Manila galleons. Learn more in our guide to tuba and tejuino.
If you enjoy spirits, ask for raicilla. It earned a Denomination of Origin in 2019, and the protected area includes Bahía de Banderas, Sayulita's municipality. Read its story in our raicilla guide. The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18.
Sayulita Street Food and Beach Snacks
Some of the best eating in Sayulita happens outdoors:
- Banana bread on the beach. Roving vendors sell it on the sand, and it has become one of the town's signature snacks.
- Elotes and esquites. Corn carts set up along Avenida Revolución and across the bridge.
- Churros and marquesitas. In the afternoon they appear near the bridge and the plaza. Marquesitas, crisp rolled crepes filled with cheese and sweet fillings, come from Yucatán but now turn up at beach towns across Mexico.
- Birria and carnitas. Birria stands run during the day, and near the bridge you can find carnitas by the piece.
- Ceviche tostadas. Some vendors make them right on the beach. If you try them, pick busy stands with well-chilled seafood.
Mercado del Pueblo: The Friday Market
If you are in Sayulita on a Friday during the winter and spring season, stop by the Mercado del Pueblo. A small group of local moms looking for healthier food for their families started it in the late 2000s, and its organizers describe it as the first farmers market on the bay. It began with a handful of stalls, and by 2014 it had more than 70.
You will find regional fruit and vegetables, bread, honey, cheese, meat, hummus, blue-corn gorditas and sopes, plus crafts. It is a nonprofit market whose proceeds have supported community projects such as Day of the Dead events and a recycling center. It has moved over the years along Calle Revolución, so check the location and season dates before you go.
The Best-Known Restaurants in Sayulita
This list mixes beachfront classics with taco spots loved by locals and visitors alike. All of them appear in recent guides and reviews. We recommend confirming hours and availability directly with each place.
Don Pedro's: A Beachfront Institution
One of the oldest and best-known restaurants in Sayulita, Don Pedro's began with a surf trip. In the early 1990s, Peter Porter and his son Francis came looking for waves, and Peter bought land to build a house. His other son, Damien, followed, and the family decided to remodel one of the buildings into a restaurant, which Damien says opened in the spring of 1994. In the kitchen is his cousin, chef Nicholas Parrillo, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and the Culinary Institute of America.
It sits right on the main beach under a big palapa roof with ocean and jungle views, with an upstairs dining room and tables in the sand for sunset. The cooking has a Mediterranean base with Mexican flavors and Asian touches, using produce from the restaurant's own ranch outside town. It has been voted Sayulita's best restaurant several times in the local Best of Sayulita awards. Best for: a special dinner by the ocean.
Si Señor: Seafood with a Bay View
A family-run restaurant that opened in November 2018 at the south end of the beach, on the waterfront path toward Playa de los Muertos. It belongs to a restaurant group with more than two decades on the bay. The deck faces the water head-on, and the low lighting at night makes it a romantic pick.
Menu highlights include arriero-style octopus, lobster, whole red snapper and Baja-style tacos, and many diners rave about the tableside guacamole. Breakfast is served too, including green chilaquiles. The restaurant shared a favorite story with the local press: on a packed night, a visitor from Spain met a woman at the next table, and the two were married six months later; they came back to thank the staff for "playing Cupid." Best for: a relaxed seafood meal at sunset.
Barracuda: Seafood on Calle Delfines
Barracuda grew from a small taco shop into a full restaurant on Calle Delfines, steps from the beach on one of the liveliest streets downtown, and it also has a beach location that is easier for big groups. The star is the seafood molcajete, served in a volcanic-stone bowl with shrimp, octopus, arrachera and cheese. It is also known for fish chicharrón, tuna dishes, aguachile and ceviche, and evenings often come with music. Best for: groups and anyone who wants seafood in the middle of the action.
Green shrimp aguachile (photo taken in Michoacán).
Mary's: The Fish Tacos of Avenida Revolución
Ask around about fish tacos in Sayulita and Mary's comes up again and again. It sits on Avenida Revolución, and its painted façade makes it easy to spot. The fish and shrimp tacos are said to be some of the most filling in town; regulars point to the "Sayulita Taco," the "Mary's Taco," the chipotle sauce and the hibiscus agua fresca. If you skip meat, the cazuelita, a bowl of vegetables and rice, is a good choice. The kitchen also turns out burritos and other Mexican plates in a casual, no-frills setting. Best for: a quick, tasty lunch after the beach.
El Itacate: Creative Tacos and Home Cooking
A favorite with people who live in Sayulita, El Itacate is famous for arrachera (skirt steak) tacos on handmade tortillas, the signature "El Itacate" wrapped in a crispy fried-cheese shell, and vegetarian options like the hibiscus taco. Tables get trays of salsas, beans, grilled onions and pico de gallo. It recently moved to a larger, quieter space off the busiest street, and portions are generous. Best for: trying something beyond the usual taco, with meat-free choices.
La Cocina de Naty: Home-Style Stew Tacos
A simple, cafeteria-style spot where you pick your guisados at the counter from pots that simmer for hours: mole, nopal cactus, vegetarian fillings and fish too. Guides recommend it as one of the most affordable and filling meals in town. Best for: eating like a local and sampling classic Mexican stews.
Tacos Tal Iván: Late-Night Al Pastor by the Plaza
When the sun goes down, this taquería by the main plaza is a classic stop for trompo tacos with a spread of salsas, served until very late. Best for: a late-night craving after dinner or a night out.
Tacos al pastor, the classic late-night bite (illustrative photo, not taken in Sayulita).
Want more options? See our roundup of the best restaurants in Sayulita and San Pancho for creative Mexican kitchens, seafood spots and breakfast favorites.
A Day of Eating in Sayulita: Suggested Itinerary
If you are visiting on your own with a full day to spend, here is one way to eat your way through town:
- Morning: if it is a Friday in season, grab breakfast at the Mercado del Pueblo. Then hit the beach.
- Midday: fish or shrimp tacos after a swim or a surf lesson, with a glass of agua de jamaica.
- Afternoon: banana bread or an elote as you stroll downtown and around the plaza.
- Sunset: aguachile, ceviche or a whole fish at one of the beachfront palapas. In high season, arrive early.
- Night: wrap it up with tacos al pastor near the plaza.
Budget-wise, mix inexpensive taco stands and street food with one special dinner by the ocean.
Visit Sayulita with Riviera Tours & Transfers
Staying in Puerto Vallarta and don't want to deal with driving or parking? Our Sayulita and San Pancho tour runs Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, lasts the full day and is offered in English and Spanish, with groups of up to 17 people. It includes:
- Round-trip transportation
- Certified guide
- Tasting of traditional Mexican sweets
- Visit to the plaza and beach in San Pancho
- Guided walk through downtown Sayulita
- Free time in Sayulita
- Bottled water
The tour does not include food, but your free time in Sayulita is the perfect window to grab fish tacos or an aguachile wherever you like. Optional surf lessons are available at an extra cost, with a 50% discount for tour guests.
Check dates and book the Sayulita and San Pancho tour →
Planning the rest of your day? See our guides to things to do in Sayulita and Sayulita beaches.
Tips for Eating Out in Sayulita
- Carry cash. Many taco stands, small spots and market vendors don't take cards.
- Go early or book ahead. In high season, beachfront restaurants fill up around sunset.
- Order the catch of the day. Ask what came in fresh; it is usually the best choice.
- Respect the salsa. Coastal salsas can be fiery, so taste a little first.
- Drink bottled or purified water. Restaurants generally use filtered water for drinks and ice, but don't drink from the tap.
- Be a good guest. Sayulita is a real town where people live: keep the noise down late at night and don't leave trash on the beach or in the street.
Frequently Asked Questions
What food is Sayulita known for? Seafood: fish and shrimp tacos, aguachile, ceviche and tostadas. Nayarit-style pescado zarandeado is a regional specialty, and al pastor tacos take over at night. For dessert, look for cuala, made with coconut and corn masa.
Where can I get the best fish tacos in Sayulita? Mary's on Avenida Revolución is one of the most frequently recommended. Barracuda and Si Señor also serve them in a sit-down setting.
Does the Sayulita tour include lunch? No. The Sayulita and San Pancho tour does not include food, but you get free time in Sayulita to eat wherever you like.
Is Sayulita expensive to eat in? It ranges widely, from budget taco stands and stew counters to pricier beachfront restaurants. You can eat very well on any budget.
Is street food safe in Sayulita? Generally yes, with common sense: choose busy stands, food cooked to order and well-chilled seafood, and stick to bottled water.
Are there vegetarian options in Sayulita? Yes. Try the hibiscus taco at El Itacate, the vegetable guisados at La Cocina de Naty or the veggie cazuelita at Mary's. The Mercado del Pueblo is also full of local produce.
When is the Sayulita farmers market? The Mercado del Pueblo runs on Friday mornings, traditionally from November through April. Check the current season's dates and location before you go.
Photos: গীতাশ্ৰী গগৈ আপ্তে / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons · Alejandra Mendoza Santillan / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons · Pequeño mar / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons · T.Tseng / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
