Tell me about PiPi's in Puerto Vallarta

[Shellbelle28]

Tell me about PiPi's Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. A friend says it is a "must do". Is it one of those places so popular with tourists you stand in line to get in and feel like you might as well be in the US once you get there?

[paradise4ever]

Doing lunch at Pipi's is not bad. We did not encounter any waiting. Although the food was good, the variety was limited. We went with a large party and some of them did not like the menu. There are many wonderful places to eat in PV. Of course we are talking about lunch and no one really wants to eat a heavy meal then. That was one of the problems. You might enjoy a restaurant by the ocean where you can have eats, drinks and a wonderful view. Try Cheeseburger in Paradise (wonderful no matter which one, Waikiki, maui, monterey or PV). Or try the Blue Shrimp or Carlos O'Briens (one of my favorites) Actually, just walk downtown along the Malecon (oceanfront) and pick your own. There are many many good places to eat. Here you have all the stores and all the restaurants. Or, choose to go to the Marina. Great restaurants and on the main road there is the Neptune shopping area. We never ate there except for the takeout chicken and potatoes. Wow, great enough for us. We get that everytime we are in town. Anyway, its a nice walkabout. There is a McDonalds there and a Store kind of like Walmart. Food, clothes, drugs, shoes, bakery, etc. Love the bakery. Smaller shops inside and its really close to where the ship is. You can pick up the bus going South for a couple of stops. Tell the bus driver you want to go to the cruise ship. You can't miss it. Also, you can take the bus right outside of the Cruise terminal to downtown. Centro, etc. Again, tell the bus driver. Cost if $1.00 each. Take the bus back or take a taxi. Aprox 10 pesos to 1 American dollar. We use the bus all the time when we are in town. Most people speak and understand English. Enjoy

[jmurph]

First of all, we have never been to PV on a cruise. We have done yearly vacations there with our timeshare. We love Pipi's. We go early for dinner and have never had a problem with seating, but have noticed some lines later on. The food is great. Lobster in particular. They make the quacamole right at your table and it is some of the best we've had. We are going back for a week at thanksgiving and will not miss it.

 

However, my thoughts are that if you only have a day in PV, there are so many other things to do, that I wouldn't want you to spend all of your time there. You can get there by cab, but it is not withing walking distance of downtown or the cruise terminal. It would be better to go somewhere central. The food is all good. Plan your day first, then just find somewhere to eat. If you have time for Pipi's then fine, check it out.

 

Word to the wise....PiPi's in Spanish is pronounced Pee Pee's. On our first trip, my husband and I took separate cabs each with 2 kids and one adult. My son, daughter and I made it there. He went to pepe's tacos, senor pepes, etc before he finally arrived. It is funny now, but after waiting for 30 minutes for him and the other two kids, we were starting to worry.

[bzy1]

Cheeseburger In Paradise closed almost two years ago and is called Burger and Waves, taken over by the family that owns the building when the former owners boogied out.

 

Plaza Neptuno does not have a McDonalds or a grocery store (Comercial Mexicana). It is Plaza Marina, a little ways further north that has these places. (Just clarifying)

 

I do agree that for one day in Vallarta, PiPi's is not your best option, many better places with the same type of food and much better views or ambiance. Many restaurants in Vallarta have guacamole made fresh for you.

 

The Marina Boardwalk, behind Plaza Neptuno has tons of restaurants, and views of the yachts and marina. An great place to have lunch, from excellent fish and shimp tacos at Marisma's, to seafood platters under 10 dollars at El Penguino.

 

El Faro is excellent for a sunset drink (it is a "lighthouse" with great views) and Victor's Cafe Tacuba is awesome, just watch out for the free tequila shots! Ouch!

Plenty of shops and art around the boardwalk as well....you can do a lot here, and there is a great golf course right by there, Marina Club de Golf...$99 a person per 18 holes.

 

The peso is a little over 11 to one US Dollar right now, and there are ATM machines across the main highway at WalMart...ATM's give about the best exchange rate, and WalMart gives the best exchange rate when you use dollars to purchase. They do not take $100 US bills. But, if you buy a soft drink and pay with a $20, you do get more pesos than at the casa de cambios, (exchange booths) by the cruise ship dock or around the Marina.

 

Club Nikki Beach club (Next to the Westin Regina in the Marina) is an incredible and beautiful beach club, with futon type sun lounge beds, and very upscale. A great place to spend the day, although expensive, a very nice indulgence. (Actually, about the same price as most beach places in the Caribbean).

 

If you are a lobster lover, be aware that the lobster here in Puerto Vallarta is Caribbean/warm water lobster without claws, and small tails and quite over priced when comparing them to Maine and cold water (Nova Scotia) lobsters. Similar to the ones in the Caribbean...so if you are a lobster fan, you will be disappointed, instead go for the shrimp here, excellent and a much better value.

 

I have a huge restaurant list with categories, if anyone wants it, just click on my profile and email me or click on my link.

 

Have fun in Vallarta, it is a wonderful place!

[paradise4ever]

Thanks bzy1 for the correction. Its just about 2 years since we have been in PV. I'm sorry Cheesebuger in Paradise has closed. Also, I always forget which plaza has the stores. One of these days i'll get it straight. , thanks again.

[Shellbelle28]

Thank you all for the information!

 

(I think I heard that the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurants had some trademark difficulties with Jimmy Buffet although I know the one on Maui was still in operation 2 years ago.)