Pradero, Guadalajara: an honest review

A lovely place overall, but with a few details worth telling.

Pradero describes itself as "food to share," with a countryside-style menu: chilaquiles, eggs, sandwiches, Mexican sweet bread, and a list of coffee and "flirty drinks," plus seasonal specials like the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Source: their printed menu, during our visit.

The good

• The atmosphere. Everything is decorated with a harvest theme: pumpkins, dried flowers and a patio full of plants that makes you want to stay.
• The drinks. Tasty and beautiful. The Matcha Borrego comes with little sheep and a tiny ghost drawn in the foam, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte with a little skull. A work of art.

Room for improvement

• The mixed chilaquiles with birria. Pretty, but a bit salty.
• The PPP Sandwich. I expected more prosciutto and salami; it felt more like deli ham.

The service

We arrived at 8:30, the opening time listed on their social media. That day they told us they would open at 9 and asked if we could take a walk. When we came back there was already a waitlist. I spoke kindly with the hostess, told her what had happened, and she got us a table right away. I appreciate that gesture, but the rocky start cost points.

Verdict

Worth it for the atmosphere and the drinks, but I probably wouldn't go back: it's usually quite crowded, and the flavor, which for me is one of the most important things, still has room for improvement.