Back in the 1980’s there were not a lot of hot spots to go to in Puerto Peñasco. There was JJ’s in Cholla Bay and Manny’s Beach Club in the Mirador area. Manny catered in those days to the upper and middle class people and their first stop upon arriving in Rocky Point was Manny’s Beach Club. Many friendships were made there over the years to the mainly 35 and over crowd. You sat at long tables with cement stools and you always made new friends each time you were there. The first few years that we came down, he had 50 cent Margarita’s and 75 cent ice cold beers. He served really good Mexican dishes and Bloody Mary’s at breakfast and soon was known for his food as well.
Over time he put in an outside bar and BBQ area as well as a band stand (that most of us did not like) as it blocked the beautiful sunsets. But after a few drinks we forgot about the sunsets and just enjoyed meeting up with our friends, many of who all stay in touch with each other. For a number of year’s the Chili Cook Off was held in front of Manny’s and grew to the point that the chefs set up all the way to the end of the RV Park next door. It was ranked by Terilinga. You could always volunteer to be a judge and for doing so given free beer.
Manny’s moto was NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO PROBLEM and soon he was selling everything from coffee mugs, bumper stickers, license plates, apparel and more and no matter where you were in the Phoenix or Tucson area you would run into someone wearing his shirts. He was indeed a promoter not only of his business but of Puerto Peñasco as well.
At Spring Break the he catered to the young people. He also found that many Americans who came for Thanksgiving would bring their whole families over to his place after Thanksgiving to relax and listen to music and dance until the wee hours of the mornings.
Then the economy in the USA took a nose dive in the 2007 time frame and many places closed as did Manny’s. So it sat their, vacant, but sometimes be he would open for a spring break , but that was not enough steady business to keep that many people on the payroll.
Fast forward to 2018. Manny’s will once again be open full time as a result of a partnership between the owners of Tekila Bar and Manny. May 25th was the re-grand opening of this once famous place. The new group has been busy tearing down to old palapa’s (palm branch shade covers and cleaning up. Shanya Sargent and Jorge Gaona and Jerry Gaona, owners of the Tequila Bar and Shark Bite have done a great job creating a new drink menu as well as limited breakfast menu. They also have the little hotel rooms for rent. We wish them all great success in bring back the Mirador area, which also consists of Baja Cantina and The Pink Cadillac, Capones, Pitahaya and Playa del Oro RV Park (where at one time there were 7 RV Parks), just on that one road.
Amongst other new places is Boulevard 301 on Benito Juarez. They are doing a great job with authentic Mexican style breakfast and lunch. They do have a couple of American breakfast and lunch items on the menu as well. It is a bright and cheery place with very good service. It is located just south of Pollo Lucas by the railroad tracks.
The next newcomer is La Cocina De Dona Rosa. A cute little place on Sonora Blvd, next to what use to be Salmo’s. Javier Carrera and his wife Linda are making some really great authentic Mexican dishes. They also offer home or work delivery. You can call ahead to 638-386-1660. Stop by and try them and help support local business.
Come out and join the fun while enjoying the beautiful weather in Puerto Peñasco and the stunning Sea of Cortez views. Remember Rocky Point is only a 4 hour drive from Phoenix or Tucson.
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