When rip-offs become institutionalized: Restaurant Casa Tradicional Cocina Mexicana (25. November 2021)
When it all seems so good, just too good to be true, then it usually is! And that was exactly the case here! The Casa Tradicional Cocina Mexican offers a Mexican experience but catered to tourists. The whole thing starts with the preparation of your salsa for the chips right at the table.
And it was actually quite delicious. You can pick how much chili you want so that the salsa is adjusted to your gusto when it comes to spiciness. And it went really well with the chips they served.
I went for the “Ceviche Sinaloa Style (diced fish filet marinated with lime juice, sea salt, tomato, onion, coriander and cucumber)” (215 MXN) as a starter which was fine. For me it was somehow weird to get it in a cocktail glass also because there seemed to be too much liquid in there – but other than that it was actually good and enjoyable.
The “Molcajete Mixed (shrimp, beef, chicken) served with grilled chorizo, cactus, baby onion, panela cheese and boraccha sauce” (385 MXN) was good as well. The meat quality was surprisingly fine, the chorizo was the only thing I didn’t really enjoy but the rest was good and overall delicious. However, the portion is definitely the one for a small family or for an overweight person – I was not even remotely able to finish the portion.
The place is vivid and generally loud since the musicians go from table to table and keep playing, so you basically won’t have a silent minute to enjoy the place and maybe have a conversation. If you don’t mind that, then that’s fine, since you’re entertained from the moment you walk in until the moment you walk out.
The place is nice in terms of interior decoration but of course uses stereotypes to some degree, which is fine though.
What isn’t so great though is the way they are dealing with the bill. I asked for the bill which was promptly brought to the table and as you can see in the picture, they are adding a 15% tip to the bill. Which is generally okay, if a) you would inform one that it’s done since that is actually not something which usually happens around Puerto Vallarta (or Mexico in general) and b) if you wouldn’t try to hide the fact that there is a 15% tip added by circling it twice with a pen. You can say that, of course, it’s my obligation to check the bill before paying it, and I should have. But somehow, if no restaurant in Puerto Vallarta I have been to (and it ended up being about 10) has added tip to the bill and you’re the only one adding tip to the bill without mentioning it and trying to hide it, then it’s just bad practice!
Before that, I was somewhat happy with the place and the experience. After that I felt like I was ripped off (because I was stupid to give them 15% on the total – teaches me a lesson for sure)! So, personally, I would avoid this place at all cost!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Casa Tradicional Cocina Mexicana
C. Zaragoza 245, Proyecto escola, Centro
48300 Puerto Vallarta (MX)
Tel.: +52 32 22 22 18 12
Homepage: http://www.casatradicional.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
