Insider’s Guide to the Best Breakfasts in Puerto Vallarta

As a frequent traveler to Puerto Vallarta, I’ve come to appreciate the vibrant culinary scene that this charming Mexican city has to offer.

While there are plenty of tourist-oriented restaurants and eateries, my focus has always been on finding the best breakfast spots that offer authentic local cuisine and great value for money.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing my top picks for the best places for breakfast in Puerto Vallarta, based on my personal experiences.

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, these breakfast spots are sure to delight your taste buds and leave you craving for more.

If you browse Reddit looking for breakfast spot recommendations in Puerto Vallarta, you’ll see forums flooded with people telling you to go to Mr. Cream, Fredy’s Tucan or Café de Olla.

As these places have been purely set up for tourists that offer familiar menu items, they’re not authentic restaurants and therefore won’t be found on this list.

What I am including is where to find the cheapest breakfast, the best Sunday brunch, where to get the best breakfasts in the Romantic Zona and Old Town and places for authentic Mexican breakfasts.

So if you want quality, cheap food, keep reading – I’ve personally eaten at each of these restaurants, and found they are worth sharing.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase I may make a small commission. I only share information about things I know, love and trust!

Tacos de Birria El Banquito

Libertad 189, Centro, 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: 9am to 5pm daily

This little hole-in-the-wall taco joint is one of my new favorites, and one of the cheapest breakfasts we had in Puerto Vallarta.

Their specialty is 3 Birria tacos with consomme for 50 pesos ($2.75 usd).

I recommend ordering them crispy, but since you get an order of 3, they can do some crispy and some soft if you prefer.

Tacos range from 18-22 pesos and there are 8 types of meat to choose from.

Tortas (sub-style sandwiches) are the other stars of the menu.

Birriería El Tío Toño

Berlín 108, Versalles, 48310 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: 8am to 4pm daily

Straight up good food and as local as it gets. And the handmade tortillas are delicious.

The portions are generous and the staff will help you decide what to order.

Hint – as long as you order the Birria and consomme, you can get whatever else!

This spot is closer to the Hotel Zone and Cruise port if you’re not able to go all the way to downtown or the Romantic Zone.

If you love tacos, I wrote a post about the 12 best places for tacos in Puerto Vallarta!

Cafe Es Todo

Mar de Cortes 600, Palmar de Aramara, 48314 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: 6:30 am to 9pm daily

If you’re looking for the best cup of coffee, Cafe Es Todo is the only place you need to go.

One of the best coffee shops in Puerto Vallarta, and it’s open early.

It’s close to the Marina and right behind the Walmart, so it’s easy to get to via bus.

Restaurante Dianita

C. Fco. I. Madero 243, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: 8am to 6pm, Sundays until 2:30pm

Another affordable breakfast and lunch spot in the zona romantica.

Classic items like omelets, chilaquiles and their specialty, molletes – a type of open faced sandwich consisting of cheese, beans and spices.

Prices were about 60 pesos ($3) for an egg dish, 78 pesos ($4) for omelets and 70 pesos for chilaquiles.

Staff were very kind, but there wasn’t a whole lot of English spoken.

But don’t let that deter you, they have menus available in English.

La Tostaderia

Iturbide 236, Proyecto escola, Centro, 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: 9am to 4pm, closed Sundays

Enjoy open-air breakfast under a colorful umbrella canopy in a convenient location, just up from the big letters on the Malecon.

There’s always a fresh squeezed juice of the day that’s airy and delightful.

Try the homemade machaca for breakfast or a tostada for lunch.

This is the best breakfast in Old Town!

Tip: La Tostadera is located on Umbrella Street, one of the best places for photos in Puerto Vallarta.

Read more about it and other free things to do in Puerto Vallarta here!

Desayunos Económicos

C. Constitución 116, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: 8:30am to 12:30pm, closed Sundays

Translated directly to economic breakfast, I guarantee you an inexpensive and delicious first meal of the day.

It’s bare bones with only a few tables, but you get great Mexican food at an incredible price.

A classic breakfast entree will run you 50 pesos ($2.50) and a cup of coffee for about 75 cents.

Find it direct across from the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Rio Cuale into the market.

La Chilaqueria

Pino Suárez 232, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: 8:30 am to noon, closed Wednesdays

If you’re craving a big plate of chilaquiles (basically breakfast nachos) with a chill atmosphere in a great part of the zona romantica, you’re going to love La Chilaqueria.

For 120 to 140 pesos (about $6 to $7), you get a big portion of food, especially if you order something with meat on it.

We tried the birria and mole plates and the flavor was top notch and the quality of ingredients was superior.

For 2 massive plates of chilaquiles and two cafe de ollas, it was $20.

Pancake House

Basilio Badillo 289, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: 8am to 2pm daily

If you’re visiting Puerto Vallarta with your kids (or you’re just kids at heart), sometimes you just need a big plate of fluffy pancakes!

The Pancake House certainly delivers on its name.

While this is definitely an American-style breakfast spot, the dozens of different flavors and styles of pancakes drew us in.

I opted for the black forest pancakes and Chris had the Kahlua and chocolate.

And at about 100 pesos (about $5.50 usd) for a huge plate of pancakes, you can’t go wrong.

It definitely gets busy here, but it’s worth that wait.

River Cafe

Isla Rio Cuale 4, Zona Romántica, Centro, 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: from 8am daily

The River Cafe is as lovely as it sounds. It’s tucked away off the busy streets in a stunning location on the Isla Cuale (Cuale Island).

If you can, get seated on the balcony next to the river for al fresco dining in the most beautiful, lush setting.

This restaurant is well-known for its Sunday brunch buffet, which serves a variety of both Mexican and American style food.

If you order off the regular menu, you’ll find a great mix of classic breakfast offerings and many Mexican dishes. I thoroughly enjoyed my scrambled eggs mixed with prickly pear cactus and their made in-house panela cheese.

What really blew us away was the attentive, friendly service and a smooth cup of coffee!

Tacos de Birria Chanfay

Venustiano Carranza 382, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: 9am to 3pm

Birria tacos are a must-try dish for breakfast in Puerto Vallarta, and there’s no better place than Chanfay.

Packed with flavor and meat, this breakfast offers great value.

These were probably the best birria tacos we had in Puerto Vallarta. About 22 pesos per taco.

The restaurant itself is like a hybrid between a standing taco cart and a sit down restaurant. So you can choose what kind of experience you want.

There were both locals and tourists here.

Again, this is one of the stops on the popular morning taco tour, so you know it’s high quality, tasty and great prices.

Visit this hidden gem before word gets out!

Eulo’s Bakery

Basilio Badillo 244, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Open: from 7am daily

The baked goods down in Mexico are something else. If you’ve got a nice little balcony in your hotel room or Airbnb and just need a little coffee and pastry, head down to Eulo’s Bakery.

It’s a ‘grab-and-go’ style, where you grab a pair of tongs and a tray and then load up!

There’s so many choices for both sweet and savory options. Donuts, buns, breads, cinnamon rolls, cookies, pies, muffins, baguettes, and more!

Tip: there’s usually someone selling fresh fruit nearby, or look for a fresh-juice stand to round out your breakfast.

Tips About These Breakfast Spots in Puerto Vallarta

I’ve included the addresses underneath the name of each of these restaurants.

They’re all on Google Maps, so if you copy and paste the address into the map, you should find it no problem.

I recommend only using Google Maps, as Apple Maps is not as reliable with the exact locations.

Also, plan to bring cash!

Many (if not all) of these restaurants only accept cash.

Pay in pesos for the best rate.

And don’t worry if you don’t speak Spanish.

Most restaurants have menus in English available, or the staff know enough English to help take your order.

Enjoy your desayunos (breakfast) mi amigos!