travel tuesday | where to eat in tulum

When I read an article, or heard from someone, or something, semi-recently about, "culinary travel," I shook my head. Nope. That's not a thing. I think the conversation was with Zander.

"It... is... a thing," he said, looking perplexed. "It's a really popular thing."

I shook my head again. I was probably eating something as we were having the conversation and took another bite. "It's not a thing. That's not a thing."

"It's a real thing, Cyndi," he asserted in this hypothetical memory (that I'm nearly positive really did happen), getting a wee bit annoyed at my orneriness.

"Fine. It's a stupid thing,"  I quipped, real mature like.

And then the dam broke, and the flood gates let loose, and all hell rained down on poor Zander, trying to tell me something that he read about that day. I ranted. (Don't feel too bad for him - you should hear him talk about people who check out accidents on the side of the road instead of driving. You should feel sorry for me!)

What the expletive is culinary travel?! People are spending thousands of dollars to visit new countries and eat. They're booking culinary cruises, dining with chefs, taking cooking classes in 'exotic' lands, trying foods they've never heard of, arranging their itineraries around restaurants - often, hole in the wall restaurants. And they're spending so much money doing all this.

SAY WHAT?

Every traveler everywhere balked at this newest fad trend thing because we've all been doing it for as long as we've been traveling. Eating is as much of the reason most travelers travel as seeing ancient ruins and touring museums and hiking on the Great Wall. It's an inherent, inextricable aspect of the whole business.

So. Culinary travel? It's not a thing because it's built in to the experience of a new destination as it is.

Phew. That was supposed to be my intro to eating in Tulum. I mucked it up and ranted instead! So let's just get to the good food, shall we?

Culinary travel. Hrmph! 

Charlie's (~$20-30 for two, including margaritas)
Warm up your palette and tolerance for spice at Charlie's, a Tulum staple known for their strong, handmade margaritas. Charlie's is located in town next to the ADO bus station. You can't miss it! We loved the chorizo empanadas and house made quacamole.

Tacoqueto (around $6 per person)
My favorite meal of the entire trip came from Tacoqueto, the hyper locals spot that's so homemade and local, I had to use my nominal Spanish to ask what was on the day's menu. Fortunately for me, since I couldn't catch everything the chef/hostess/server told me, there's an open kitchen in the back with vats of what's on the menu for that day. They obliged the crazy American girl by letting me order two dishes and giving me half portions of each. I would fly all the way back to Cancun and take the two hour bus ride to Tulum for the spicy Mexican chicken & noodle soup and meatballs in tomato sauce I had. Tacoqueto is on the south end of town, across the street from a bike rental shop. One of our taxi drivers told us it was his favorite restaurant in Tulum, and now it's mine, too.

Taqueria el Carboncito ($12 for two, generously)
I don't have a good picture of this tiny thatched roof shack with plastic tables and chairs, but it was our second favorite meal of the trip, after Tacoqueto. The specialty is tacos al pastor, and they were bomb. It was Zan's first time having al pastor, and I loved introducing him to it. It's located in town, just north of Tacoqueto. There's another al pastor place, as well, almost directly across the street from Carboncito.

El Camello ($40 with drinks and enough food to feed 2)
If seafood is your jam, you're in the right place for it in Tulum. El Camello famously serves up that day's catch - it's so fresh it's quite possibly still moving a little when you take a bite. Zander explored this place solo, so I can't speak for the taste and quality myself, but he assures me that it was the best of the best. It was one of his favorite meals. He loved the octopus ceviche and the grilled fish. He ordered the "small" ceviche, and it could have fed a crowd, though I doubt he was disappointed to have it all to himself.

El Tabano ($30-40 for two, no alcohol)
When you're on the beach in Tulum, eating gets tricky. Well, it gets tricky if you're looking for authentic local food that won't break the bank. If you're good with mediocre, expensive food, you'll love eating on the beach! Snark aside, there are some good beach restaurants, but you need to be willing to pay more than you would in town. El Tabano is worth shelling out the extra pesos. We enjoyed stuffed jalapenos with chicken and bananas and caught-that-day fresh fish tacos. You can find this cozy, charming, quirky restaurant tucked on the west side of the road.

Mezzanine ($$$$)
Without intending to, we booked our vacation over Valentine's Day. We joked that we may never be able to live up to the standard we set our first one together, spent at a fancy Thai restaurant overlooking the beach in Tulum. It was pretty darn romantic and wonderful. It's not usually my cup or tea (or curry, as it may be) to eat at international restaurants in a new country, but for this place and the day, I made an exception to that rule. The chef at Mezzanine is Thai and has re-created traditional Thai dishes with Mexican flair. It makes for an exciting, palette stretching menu. Our favorite dishes were the spring rolls, pineapple curry, and (for Zan) the hog fish. Be prepared to drop some money if you choose to dine at Mezzanine, located at Mezzanine hotel on the beach.

Other places we enjoyed or wanted to enjoy but ran out of time... 

Altamar - located in town, this restaurant serves upscale Mexican dishes, along with other cuisine. They also offer cooking classes. It was on our to-do list but unfortunately we ran out of time. Tell me what you think if you try it!

El Capitain - this used to be known as THE seafood restaurant in Tulum, but El Camello has taken its place. I loved this restaurant, really and truly. It's the perfect place for a couple or family with a seafood lover and a not-so-seafood lover. I had a Mayan chicken dish, and Zan had a delicious quesadilla. Located in town.

El Asadero - my biggest culinary regret is not making it to El Asador, located on the north end of town. It's a famous grill and steak place (Mexican). The best part? It's cheap and a favorite locals spot, to boot.

Popular Tulum food...

In this area of Mexico, you'll be enjoying a lot of tacos, quesadillas, empanadas, Mexican soups, nachos, delicious (spicy!) salsa and guacamole, seafood, and tropical fruit like pineapples and mango (my favorite!). You won't find as much mole, enchiladas, and other Mexican dishes you've come to love here. Mayan culture is vibrant and alive in Tulum - don't miss out on trying some Mayan dishes!