The other day after spending a little time on the beach clean up we wandered into town in search of food. This seems like a simple enough task, but seriously, on a rainy day in September, when even the people that are here appear to not quite be here, Sayulita is not the restaurant mecca that it is, say, on a Saturday night in January or a Tuesday afternoon in March. In short, there isn’t much going on, and without anyone to buy their food, many restaurants are closed for the month, while others are operating on skeleton staff with food that unfortunately at times reflects this.
But some places still rock with well-made food right through the depths of summer. Among them is Naty’s Kitchen, aka Naty’s Cocina, operating out of a spacious, light, and airy kitchen on Calle Marlin around the corner and downstairs from her family’s signature restaurant, Calypso. Family members are also in charge at Ruben’s, on the next block over, so you might say Naty comes from a serious restaurant family.
This is in fact Sayulita restaurant royalty—and like any good royal, Naty is humble. She ran this “kitchen” out of a mobile cart for four years before laying claim to the space and making her kitchen. She and her crew of women, including her ma, Theresa Trujillo, work hard, offering up a fabulous array of great, hearty tacos from 10 am to 3 pm daily, main ingredients piled on a triple layer of fresh corn tortillas. Their fare is a little different from most of the hot-off-the-grill local taco joints and carts, since many of the filler options are well-cooked—stewed—combinations of meat and vegetables. They cost 12 pesos each, around a dollar at current rates, and two of them will fill you up, unless you’ve been out surfing for half the day, in which case you might need three or four.
All kinds of grilled or stewed meats, multiple vegetable options, fish, chicken, a great selection of hot sauces, colorful fresh condiments, and a generous dose of good vibes are on the menu every day at Naty’s, where hardworking locals, surfed-out tourists, and taco connoisseurs gather daily for the feast. The food is fresh, delicious, and wholesome. There are benches and tables on the sidewalk and in a narrow off-street dining hallway—not quite a dining room, but close enough: pile on the condiments, grab a few napkins and a fork, and find your spot. This is simply another example of great low budget Sayulita dining.
Naty’s is not a night spot. 10 am to 3 pm daily. Call ahead to order out: 329 291 3818. Naty’s English is good, her Spanish is great, and so is her crew and the food they produce.
