Review: Zapote
If you ever find yourself in El Cuyo, you must visit Zapote! It is one of our favorite restaurants anywhere. The Chef, Alex with Maria, who runs the front of the house, have an amazing setting. The minute you walk in you feel like you are visiting a good friend’s home. The staff welcomes you warmly. The setting around the pool is casual, relaxing and homey. The drinks are great. And surprisingly the prices are extremely reasonable for what you are getting. We spent 2.5 weeks in El Cuyo and we gladly ate here many times, and would have gone more but they were closed for a week for Semana Santa.
I can’t say enough about this restaurant. I will tell you that I loved it so much I booked it a year in advance for my 70th birthday celebration. The menu is limited but I have to say everything on it is absolutely mouth-watering-incredible. You could close your eyes and point to anything and not be disappointed. The first night we went with 2 other couples and we shared the wood roasted chicken wings and Plantain tostones with pulled, smoked beef ribs. I had the tomato soup and shared a salad with Pam. Mike had the wagu hamburger. Everyone was full and absolutely loved their meals. Mike thought the hamburger might have been the best he had ever had.
Our next visit was my birthday, and since we were stranded in El Cuyo, my birthday plans obviously changed, Mike suggested we go back to Zapote. We did and they welcomed me and wished me a Happy Birthday with an incredible Margarita on the house. Can you see why I love this place? I opted for the bone-in short rib which is wood-oven braised for 10 hours. It melts in your mouth and I think it might be the best bite of food I have tasted. It is the same meat as is on the Plantain tostones but an enormous amount. Mike opted for Brazilian Picana/Rump cap steak which was like 2 New York Strips, cooked to perfection.
Four Days later we were back at Zapote and asked what they suggested, but we didn’t want red meat. At Maria’s suggestion we went for the fish of the day served with plantain puree and sauteed chaya. Mike opted for the vegan burger with truffle aioli. We topped it off with flourless chocolate cake and ice cream. We didn’t have room to enjoy desert the night of my birthday, so we saved room this time,
The next time we went to Zapote, we split a salad and the incredible short rib. We laughed when we finished and wondered how we managed to eat what we did on my birthday without exploding. It was more than enough for 2 people, and even Manito got a few bites. That night we learned they were closing the day after next for the week, so the following day we returned to Zapote one last time. We decided for our last meal here we would split the tomato soup, which I loved from our first time and the wagu burger, which Mike talked about many times. I have to agree with him, it is the best burger I have ever eaten. Cooked just the way we like it medium-rare and it melted in our mouth. It is topped with bacon, cheddar cheese lettuce, tomato and onion on a homemade bun, and comes with fries. My mouth is watering as I write this review.
Not only is this place known for its food, but it is also pet- friendly, so Manito approved too. We now feel it is owned and staffed by friends. We recommended it to friends of ours from Puerto Aventuras for their one night in El Cuyo and when they went, they mentioned we had recommended it, and Maria was so nice, she asked Dana and Phil how we were and if we had gotten our car situation sorted out. Yes, this is where I will be turning 70! My age seems shocking, but my choice of places is no not.