Rick Gonzalez
We enjoyed one of the best Happy Hours in Mexico ever at the Bar, Lounge and Restaurant called Garufa. This place knows how to Happy Hour! This rooftop establishment with its incredible setup of indoor and outdoor rooftop settings. Plus, their combination of traditional Argentine, Italian and Mexican cuisines makes Garufa unique in all senses, gastronomical and tastiness and experientially. As you walk up the stairs one has no idea what to be expected. The moment you reach the top, the first thing that strikes you is the whiffs of various types of seasoned woods burning and the fabulous aroma of grilling meats throughout the restaurant and even more so in the outside rooftop area. Garufa’s décor and styles are hard to describe as they are a mix of subtle modern, vegetations of various kinds placed about, yet spacious and open. The inside is more traditional, with mostly seating in groups of four, but outside the seating capacity ranges from small to large groups -making it a very familial and social environment. We started our adventure with the fabulous Garufa Margarita, Coctel de la Casa (Cocktail of the House) Mil Diablos (100 Devils), a fantastic sampling of Jamón y Queso that was astoundingly tasty and seemed as if freshly prepared. As we began to enjoy the initial stages of dusk, with the sun beginning to set over the open-air rooftop, we ordered our meals. Lomo al Vino Tinto, a gorgeous steak perfectly marinated in red wine, the Cowboy Ribeye con hueso (bone-in) was exquisite in its thick cut and grilled to perfection, the Lomo Argentino which turned out to be fabulous, the Churrasco Top Sirloin which blended a fab steak with a perfectly sumptuous Churrasco, and my wife’s incredible Costilla Cargada (loaded) short rib corte delagado (thinly sliced) was to die for. As if really needed, some sides were ordered that turned out to be fabulous that included papas al horno, espinacas ala crema and a terrific Carpaccio de Res. I might mention that most Americans are used to our U.S. big box and corporate Churrasquerias or Steakhouses – don’t expect that you’ll have servers and carvers stripping meat of skewers with knives at your table – here you order your own specific entrée or meals… more in line to a steakhouse. This place is magnificent, from its décor, to the fabulous service, an incredible atmosphere, to the magnificent taste and quality of meat makes this a must stop while in San Miguel Allende. I have to say, their decision to call their restaurant is very apropos as Garufa means Fun! We’re sure that’s what you’ll experience here. Buen provecho!
