Guaymas
5 Main St.
Tiburon
(415) 435-6500
www.guaymasrestaurant.com
Mexican Cuisine
Lunch and dinner daily
Entrées (dinner): $10.95-$29.95
Full bar, good wine list
Tiburon
(415) 435-6500
www.guaymasrestaurant.com
Mexican Cuisine
Lunch and dinner daily
Entrées (dinner): $10.95-$29.95
Full bar, good wine list
Guaymas is named after a Mexican fishing village along the Sea of Cortez that’s known for its giant shrimp and distinctive regional flavors. And what it does, in essence, is bring the feeling of being in that village to Marin. Set along the Tiburon coastline (where the ferries dock) with a view of the San Francisco Bay and the city beyond, it offers well-appointed indoor and outdoor seating (including a roof deck) with traditional, flavorful foods to match. So if you don’t have the time to head off for Mexico anytime soon, Guaymas, with Chef Gary DiDominick at the helm, has you covered.
We started with tropical, fruity sangria from the full bar, which features all sorts of tequila, agua frescas and specialty drinks. Some house-made tortilla chips were served warm with three kinds of salsas: sweet chipotle, green and spicy red.
Our appetizer was coctel Guaymas (seafood cocktail) with fresh calamari, whole shrimp, avocado, tomato, cilantro, onion, jalapeno and a tomato-based sauce with lime that offered a crisp edge to the light dish. Next came the Guaymas salad, which included chopped romaine with fresh tomatoes, a generous amount of creamy crumbled goat cheese, strips of jicama and sliced avocado with a lime-oregano vinaigrette.
Our first entrée was pollo en mole (chicken with a spicy chili chocolate sauce), one of the house specialties, which really had a homemade feel to it. This is one of my favorite Mexican dishes, and it exceeded my expectations. The tender chicken fell right off the bone and the sauce was rich with a perfect balance of spice and sweetness. Served with rice, beans and fresh corn tortillas, it was a delight to eat.
The camarones rellenos (stuffed giant shrimp) were equally delicious. Five shrimp were stuffed with cheese and jalapenos, wrapped in smoked bacon (not too crisp, it added a nice fatty layer) and grilled to perfection, then topped with a spicy chili sauce that brought all the flavors together. It came with sautéed fresh local vegetables. We also had the grilled plantains with our entrées, which were naturally sweet and went well with both dishes.
While the serving sizes were generous, somehow we saved some room for dessert, which included house-made flan de coco (coconut custard) that was topped with roasted coconut and a traditional light caramel sauce, and pecado de chocolate con cerezas (“chocolate sin”) with the consistency of a thick mousse and topped with brandied cherries.
Our friendly, knowledgeable server, Carlos, was a charm throughout the meal as well, and we left feeling like we’d just been on a Mexican vacation.
