La Rinconada: Downtown Guadalajara’s pearl

Some say Guadalajara’s central historical district is short on high quality businesses, but an established yet relatively undiscovered restaurant — La Rinconada — near the huge pedestrian area known as Plaza Tapatia proves to be an exception.

[Diners eat lunch in the Porfirian style restaurant La Rinconada in downtown Guadalajara. The restaurant is in a designated historical building.] How has La Rinconada managed to be both well established (it has been in business over 25 years) and at the same time often overlooked? Located in the shadow of the Teatro Degollado and in one of Mexico’s officially designated patrimonio historico buildings, the restaurant faces stiff signage restrictions that prevent passing tourists from flocking in. Yet its owner and manager, Jesus Guerrero, selects food and drink with a discriminating eye and has designed an exceptional Mexican and international menu at a reasonable price. The result is a restaurant that is not as well known as it should be, considering the food and the stately, Porfirian-era surroundings.
A few details tell the story: the deep, red color of the mild salsa served at the table, the cask of house tequila reposada that is smooth enough for a tequila non-fan to enjoy sipping straight up; a large and tender arrachera steak imported from the United States which sells for a reasonable 140 pesos; high ceilings and large windows; even the sparkling clean bathrooms.

The corner outside the restaurant is a stop on the free Saturday walking tours (7 p.m. from the Palacio Municipal or City Hall). Here, costumed guides explain the old legend. [La Rinconada manager Jesus Guererro stands proudly in the gleaming kitchen of the restaurant with his waiters and chefs.]

“It’s called the Rincon del Diablo,” manager Guerrero explained, looking skeptical. “They say that at 10 p.m., a well-dressed man would ask a passerby for the time. On hearing the hour, the man would inform the passerby that it was the hour of his death — and the passerby would die!” Of course, the name of the corner is the source of the restaurant’s name.

If one is planning on dinner at La Rinconada in connection with the Saturday guided tour, it would be well to go before the tour, as La Rinconada closes at 8 p.m. daily and the tour lasts three hours, until 10 p.m. — just in time to catch el diablo, should one so desire.

But whether going for breakfast (beginning 9 a.m.) or dinner, expect to feel well treated and relaxed. Guerrero says that any number of dignitaries have dined at the restaurant over the years, from governors to movie stars such as Liz Taylor, who came during one of her stays in Puerto Vallarta. La Rinconada also accepts large group reservations and hosts weddings and the like.

The large, international menu offers soups (I had delicious tortilla soup), salads, pastas such as Fettuchine Tres Quesos, five different cuts of steak, seafood dishes such as Shrimp with Mango and Coconut, and Italian coffee and wine.

La Rinconada Restaurant and Bar, Morelos 86 in Plaza Tapatia, two blocks behind Teatro Degollado. (33) 3613-9925. Open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.