Review of Restarante Las Hamaca's, Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California, Mexico...

There aren't a whole lot of places to enjoy a good breakfast in the small town of Bahia de Los Angeles, and if you're looking for a bargain desayuno in town, then you're out of luck, as any sit-down restaurant in town couldn't be considered a bargain. But if you're looking for a restaurant with character, decent food, decent service, and competitive prices, so to speak, and you're in the mood for a traditional, small-town Mexican breakfast, look no further than Restaurant Las Hamaca's, on the unnamed main street of Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California, Mexico.

Photo: Restaurant Las Hamacas, located along the unnamed main street in town, features indoor and attractive, out door dining, on their extensive patio.

The name of the restaurant, Restaurant Las Hamaca's may sound familiar to you, and if you're read this article, you may remember that I had the pleasure of staying at the expensive Motel Las Hamaca's; the restaurant of the same name is located only about 100 yards north of the motel of the same name, and its owned by the same folks that own the motel, which shouldn't come as a surprise in a small town, such as Bahia de Los Angeles. Hamaca's is one of the few restaurants in town that is open for breakfast, but in addition to breakfast, they served lunch and dinner, and even contribute to the meager nightlife in town, as they feature a full-service bar.

Picture this: Thursday, October 4, 2007, around 0730 in the morning, I walk into the restaurant, ready to order and enjoy a delicious breakfast. How many patrons are in the restaurant? A few. Count the tourists? Zero, besides little ol' me. Staff? One waitress, and one cook. Small restaurant equals low budget. Bartender? Are you kidding...

Photo: The main inside dining room at Restaurant Las Hamaca's, with the full-service bar in the background. Check out the dead ceiling fan, at the top, right corner of the photo. The stand-up beer cooler is located to the right of the photo, and the cooler for soft drinks is to the left.

Restaurant Las Hamaca's offers both outside dining on their adjacent patio, and inside dining. During the time of my visit, there was a crew of utility workers enjoying breakfast. I noted that a lot of work utility work was in progress, as the state is starting to connect the town with the state of Baja California's electrical grid, and the many electrical workers in town was a testament to that end, hence amazing amount of electrical workers enjoying breakfast on the patio of Restaurant Las Hamaca's during the morning of my visit. Except for a couple of local guys, seated at a table near the bar, I had the dining room all to myself.

Photo: This ceiling fan has a small issue, besides that fact that it doesn't work!

Although Restaurant Las Hamaca's is a sit-down restaurant, where folks actually serve you, the door and windows are always open to the dusty street, and to the elements. By the modest Bahia protocol, this restaurant is actually quite upscale, as it features tile floors, glass windows, sit-down dining, a full-service bar, and ceiling fans, in the place of air conditioning. However, the term ceiling fans should read as ceiling fan, as only one of the two ceiling fans were operational, as the non-op member of the team was dark, silent, and had wiring and other debris hung from it's center core, where the lights are supposed to be... but otherwise, the dining room is light, cheery, clean, comfortable and inviting, the way a dining room is supposed to be at a family restaurant.

Photo: My waitress brings my breakfast to my table, as I'm seated in the main dining room. Note that the breakfast is served on a plastic plate.

All alone, I seated myself at a table for four, and was immediately presented the menu, by a somewhat shy girl, who was the only waitress in the restaurant during the time of my visit. She asked me if I wanted a menu, as no printed menu was posted above the bar, and of course, yes, I wanted a printed menu. Note: Spanish is spoken in Restaurant Las Hamaca's, but I'm sure that somebody speaks English in dire emergencies... The restaurant features quite an extensive breakfast menu, but the prices should make any resident of San Francisco, or Seattle feel well at home, as the prices are about twice the prices that you'll find in Ensenada, Tijuana or Mexicali. I looked over the menu, and decided to order a breakfast of Huevos Rancheros for MEX $50.00, and a, meaning ONE, cup of coffee for an additional MEX $15.00... the prices that the restaurant was asking made me feel right at home, in Sacramento, Ca.

Photo: I'm treated to a view of the kitchen, and the gal that does the cooking smiles for my photo. The cordial visit to the kitchen made the "price of admission" of the meal seem reasonable... until I counted the pesos remaining in my wallet.

Shortly after I had placed my breakfast order, my order of coffee arrived, in a cup, with a pot of cream on the side. When I say the word cup, I mean ONE CUP, as there are no free refills, as one expects north of the border. So for the price of MEX $15.00, you receive one cup of coffee, and a pot of cream on the side. What do you get for a MEX $50.00 breakfast at Restaurant Las Hamaca's? Two delicious eggs, fried over easy, covered with in-house made cooked salsa roja, an order of fries, and a stack of 4 corn tortillas. Where are the refried beans, and the salsa verde? Do the U.S. dollar math: Breakfast, about $4.50, and over $1.00 for ONE cup of lukewarm coffee, with no refills... let's see, that's about US $5.50 for a marginal breakfast, served by a shy waitress, in a dining room that features plain decor. However, you're in the town of Bahia de Los Angeles, where almost everything costs a lot more than anywhere else in Mexico, for tourists, and locals alike. No wonder I didn't leave a tip for the shy waitress...

Photo: My MEX $65.00 meal of Huevos Rancheros, fries, and a single cup of coffee. In one word: Expensive! Note the haphazard presentation of the US $6.00 meal... only in Bahia de Los Angeles!

Yes the breakfast was expensive, but it was well-prepared, and featured an attractive presentation. After my server realized that I didn't have claws, and that I wouldn't grope or bite, she actually allowed me into the kitchen to chat with the gal doing the cooking, and to take a behind-the-scenes photo of what-it-takes-to-prepare a meal at Restaurant Las Hamaca's. Perhaps, the kitchen visit was the saving grace of the restaurant, which only helped to make the visit a little less... expensive.

The food is acceptable, the service is ok, and the prices are, well... excessive. If this restaurant was located in Tijuana, I would pan them to death, not only for their lackluster service but their high prices; however they're located in Bahia de Los Angeles, the town of high prices, so I can only say that they serve family-friendly cuisine, at inflated, yet local-friendly prices. Bring you pesos and enjoy your meal!

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