Street eats in Rocky Point

PUERTO PEÑASCO, Mex. – Ocean breezes. Cold cocktails.

Mexico beach protocol dictates that tacos are essential, but the hotel restaurant wants $3 a pop.

¡Ay Caramba!

Welcome to the new-and-improved Rocky Point.

Finding cheap eats in Arizona’s beach getaway is getting tougher, thanks to upscale resort developments. Their opulent presence has eliminated a lot of the gut-bomb Mexican food.

But for budget-oriented travelers looking for authentic cuisine, there are still some gems to consider. And yes, some of them are on wheels.

Seafood

Tired of shelling out $20 or more for the Catch of the Day? For the same price, travelers can enjoy a seafood feast at Mariscos El Doctor, a fleet of red-and-white trucks popular amongst local Peñascans for its fresh shrimp and oyster offerings.

Proprietor Ramiro Ramos González, who has lived in Rocky Point for 35 years, serves up various mixes of fresh shrimp cocktail for as little as $1.50. Oysters are served with vegetable garnishes in the shell and smothered in lime juice and hot sauce (for taste, but the acids also help kill possible bacteria). He says they come from the estuary south of Playa Encanto near the Mayan Palace resort.

Everything comes ice cold from large coolers Ramos totes around in the back of his truck, which has a shaded canopy. Patrons belly up to a food bar by sitting on stools that Ramos provides and leaning against wooden shelves he attaches to the rails of the truck’s bed.

Seafood lovers can find Ramos’ fleet throughout town. To stay close to the action, look for his makeshift restaurant near the corner of Benito Juarez Boulevard and Hidalgo. This is the main intersection in town that leads to the Sunset Cantina and Plaza Las Glorias, with a pedestrian bridge that travels over the street. [In late afternoon, Ramos likes to set up shop near the shadetree in the parking lot of the corner’s only bank.]

FRUIT

If it’s fresh fruit you seek, try driving further into town on Benito Juarez Boulevard and veer left at the fork to enter Rocky Point’s Old Port area. There you’ll find the mobile coconut stand that serves coconut milk to thirsty locals.

in the bed of a small pickup, this unnamed proprietor (who is easy to find, since he is the only one doing it) displays his cocos on a stick in the truck bed. He carves them up for a tasty treat ($3).

Look for the stand on Estrella Street, between Pescadores and Zaragoza streets in Old Town. [Here's a map . This is the loop one block north of the wharf's main drag, called the Malecon .]

ICE CREAM

Although Thrify Ice Cream shops are open throughout Rocky Point, do as the Romans do and drive over to La Michoacana. This Mexican ice cream brand is extremely popular throughout the country for its use of fresh fruit and creamy milk in making frozen treats.

It’s less than the Thrifty shop for a scoop ($1.50 versus $2.50), and the location on Hidalgo west of Benito Juarez Boulevard is in the heart of the town’s non-touristy commercial area. There are restaurants, video stores, clothing shops, furniture stores, newsstands, local salons, a hardware store and more. It’s a perfect break from running errands on a hot day. Plus, the design of the corner store is open-aired on both streets. [This can be a boon in cooler temps, when one can eat ice cream on the steps.]

For more information on Rocky Point and accommodations, visit puerto-penasco.com.