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Finding a restaurant, whether it be a small taqueria, street vendor, or sit-down restaurant can be a bit of a chore, in the small Baja California Sur town of Bahia Tortugas on a Saturday night. Due to the poor economy of the town, there aren't many choices... When I'm visiting a new town, I like to visit as many different places to eat as possible, not only to sample different cuisine, but to give me another restaurant to write about. After enjoying a wonderful day, exploring the fascinating town of Bahia Tortugas, I was ready to enjoy dinner, so I decided to sample pizza, Bahia Tortugas at a pizza restaurant with no name, on Highway 1, just west of Calle Independencia.
Photo: On this early Saturday evening, September 27, 2008, No Name Pizza is the place to be in Bahia Tortugas. Note the faded painting on the building that reads "Cerveza Piria." Does the restaurant really feature a hidden name? Mexico isn't noted for fine pizza, and I have to admit that I was a little leery about eating pizza this Saturday night, but Bahia Tortugas isn't exactly blessed with a dearth of restaurants, and the restaurant was located close to the motel where I was staying. The place seemed quite popular, as it was packed with locals, so I decided to give the place a try.
Photo: The bored, 20-something girls who work at the pizza restaurant are watching Mexican soap operas on TV, between customers.
Photo: This counter girl is about ready to take my order. She was more interested in watching soap operas on television than taking my order. Note the hand written menu posted on the wall behind her. She writes my order down on a piece of paper, using a pencil; the restaurant doesn't have a cash register. No Name Pizza is located on Highway 1, just west of Calle Independence, on the west side of the paved road, in a nondescript stucco building. You walk inside, and the restaurant is quite spacious, as there are several tables covered by cheap vinyl tablecloths, and white plastic chairs for eating. There is the obligatory TV mounted on the wall, blaring out Mexican soap operas, the floor is tile, the walls are painted a garish pink, and the restaurant is illuminated by bare light bulbs. The counter is very sparse - basically it's just a paneled box, and on the wall that separates the kitchen from the dining room, there's a hand printed menu, that advertises the limited choices of pizza and spaghetti. Behind the counter, there was a very bored-looking 20-something girl taking orders, and in the kitchen, there was a guy who seemed to be the pizza chef, and another young girl helping out in the kitchen, and helping out at the counter, as needed.
Photo: I wait my turn behind a "hot" customer. Note the order counter is just a paneled box, and the restaurant's menu is hand printed, on the wall behind the counter. The kitchen is to the left rear of the photo. You can order a whole pizza, in sizes ranging from small to large, and you can order pizza by the slice. Choices? Limited, to say the least, as this Saturday night, September 27, 2008, they had one choice: Pepperoni and sausage. What the heck, I wasn't in the mood for Mexican-style spaghetti, so I ordered two slices for the rock-bottom price of MEX $10.00 per slice. I asked the bored girl who took my order what the name of the restaurant is, and she giggled, and simply replied "Pizza." She didn't seem much in the mood for conversation, as her eyes were riveted to the soap opera that was playing on the television. I paid for my order, and sat down at one of the tables.
Photo: The pizza chef removes my order, by hand, from a ready-made pizza. I walked past the order counter, and past the partition to check out the kitchen, and nobody cared, including the pizza chef, and the bored counter girls. Ah, you just have to love Mexico! After waiting a couple of minutes, I decided to take the challenge, and see what goes on behind the counter, in the kitchen, as access was very open. The worst that could happen is they could kick me out after I snapped a photo or two... Inside the kitchen, there is everything that you'd expect to find in a pizza restaurant, including stainless steel pizza ovens, pizza pans, dough mixers, pizza boxes, and everything else. The pizza chef and the counter girl had several pizzas sitting out on a work table, and she was in the process of placing them in boxes, by hand! No gloves or pizza spatula used in this restaurant! The pizza chef was busy placing two pieces of pizza in a small styrafoam, by hand! ... which turned out to be my order. I managed to catch the action in a photo, as the bored counter girl looked on. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but I had to remind myself that I was at Bahia Tortugas. In Mexico, you don't need no stinkin' sanitary gloves or spatula to dish out pizza!
Photo: The order girl watches the pizza chef prepare my order, by hand, literally. Note the lack of gloves or spatulas on the part of the pizza chef, and the lack of a hair net on the part of the order girl. I didn't care, as my pizza was delicious. I'm not picky, and I'm not afraid of germs, and I think many of the health laws of the U.S. are crazy, therefore I had no qualms about enjoying these two delicious slices of pizza, despite the fact that they were delivered by hand, literally. Unlike much Mexican pizza that I've eaten, No Name Pizza's sausage and pepperoni pizza is good, I mean really good. The pizza was delivered hot, with juicy pepperoni and sausage slices, gooey cheese, tangy sauce, and a crispy, perfectly baked crust that wasn't soggy. Their pizza is as good as any pizza that I've had the pleasure to enjoy in the 'states. In fact, the pizza was so good, that I ordered two more slices to go.
Photo: The sausage and pepperoni pizza slices were delicious, and perfectly cooked, despite the lax health standards. No Name Pizza may not be for the squeamish, but they make darn good pizza, and they're the only pizza place in the small town of Bahia Tortugas, Mexico. No Name Pizza Copyright(c) 2008 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. This We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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