Mexico – Jalisco State – Lagos de Moreno

Lagos de Moreno is a pretty little colonial town with a relaxed atmosphere.

There’s a nice Spanish cathedral in the centre and a small square with a bandstand opposite, and not much else of note.

Google map here.

I was here for just two nights, staying at the Lagos Inn (at Juarez 350, www.lagosinn.com) next to the cathedral, which was comfortable and friendly. The rooms are spacious, with free Wi-Fi, and the breakfast (fresh fruit and omelettes) is okay.

I ate at two good places:

Terres Calli (Intermediate A-), Don Manuel de La Vega 267, terrescalli.com

About a twenty minute walk from the hotel, this is a cultural centre with a bar and restaurant, perched up on a hill with a great view of the town and the hills around. The interior is modern and there’s some nice art on the walls. The young staff are friendly and efficient.

You can take in the vista sitting inside in front of the big windows, or outside on the pleasant terrace. The latter is quite a popular spot for romantic couples.

When I arrived, I could see thunderstorms sweeping across the lowlands many miles away.

‘Stormy Weather’, closely followed by ‘Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone’, were playing over the hifi, which set the scene perfectly.

A frozen margarita added to the mood (B).

My first course was Sopa Azteca, aka, Tortilla Soup (made with chicken broth, onions, tomatoes and served with avocado, pork scratchings, lime and cheese) which was pretty good (B+).

The Pacholas; minced beef patties spiced with ancho chilli, cumin, bread, oil, and fried or grilled, were okay (B), and quite filling.

I tried three tequila reposados here. My favourite was the Don Julio which had a deeper flavour than the others (A).

The Tradiconal (B+) and Herradura (A) were pretty good too.

Herradura tends to be the most commonly available brand in my experience.

Another good place is…

La Rinconada (Intermediate B+), Constituyentes 425

I like the old world, slightly trad atmosphere of this place. The staff are friendly and the bartender speaks good American English.

I like the fact you can get a beer in a chilled glass here. Everywhere should do this.

I had the Sopa de Fideo which was hearty and warming (B+).

For the main, Borrego al Horno con Salsa de Xoconostle, pork baked in the local style, in a wrapped parcel and shredded and served with a sauce made from a local prickly pear. Once more the meat and the sauce were interesting but nothing special in terms of flavour (B). The beans that came with it weren’t up to much either (C), but the tortillas were good (B+).

I tried a few more reposados here; Centenela (B+), Tapatio (B), Tesoro (B) and Siete Leguas (B), but none were better than what I’d had previously at Terres Calli above (they had them here as well, I was just trying different ones).

It was interesting to discover that an English sauce is very popular here. The Mexicans use Worcester sauce, aka Salsa Inglesa, to spice up Micheladas (see previous post), burritos and even pizza!

A taxi from Leon Airport to Lagos cost 1040 pesos in 2015 and 750 pesos for the return journey. The airport doesn’t seem to have free internet and there are no easily accessible recharge points except in the booths of the Las Limas restaurant on the second floor, before you go through security.