Fermin Ruiz moved to Puerto Vallarta with his family from Mascota, a mountain village about two hours away, when he was six years old. In his youth, he did various jobs in town, such as selling newspapers, shining shoes, and working in restaurants. In 1992, he opened a restaurant of his own, named Café de Olla.
Café de Olla is named after a traditional Mexican coffee, steeped in a clay pot called an olla with cinnamon and unrefined brown sugar. The coffee is delicious, but it’s the restaurant’s food that’s the star. The unbelievable smell of the twice-baked potatoes with cheese on the grill by the front door draws people in, and the generous portions of Mexican and seafood specialties keep them coming back for more.
The fact that the restaurant’s menu has gone virtually unchanged since its opening seventeen years ago is proof that you really can’t go wrong with your order. The signature dish is the combination seafood platter for two, which includes lobster, shrimp, fish, a vegetable, rice, and garlic bread with garlic butter. The barbecued ribs are also popular. If you’re hungry and want to try a wide variety of Mexican classics, try the Mexican platter, which has a chile relleno, a chicken enchilada, a chicken quesadilla, steak, rice, and beans.
Fermin tells us that he thinks the atmosphere of Café de Olla makes it special, and we agree – while you eat, enjoy the bright colors, natural light, and numerous paintings around you.
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