In big cities like Cancun or Playa del Carmen there’s no escape from brands like Starbucks, Walmart, and (shudder) Señor Frog’s.
Commercialized establishments like that are convenient.
But they have no soul.
In Xcalak, every business is a small business. Ask around and you’ll be able to find the owners to say “hi”.
Personally, we love supporting small business. Here are our favorites in Xcalak.
The Grocery Trucks
Combine a green grocer, butcher, and convenience store into one jam-packed pickup and you get an Xcalak grocery truck. You’ll find more than one of these local grocery trucks plying the streets (in town and the beach road) of Xcalak. Our favourite is Lucio’s – this guy is the only grocery truck driver who regularly goes all the way to the last house on the beach road.
The Cheesecake Lady
This entrepreneurial gal isn’t from Xcalak, but drives in occasionally during high season to sell frozen pizzas, decorated cakes, and (of course) individually-sized cheesecakes out of her van. We drool for the tasty treats she brings whenever she stops by.
Fxcalak Outfitters
Like many visitors to Xcalak, Rob (an owner of Acocote Eco Inn) is an avid fly fisher. He opened the small Fxcalak Outfitters (pronounced fish-ka-lak, get it?) to help those who need to buy essential fly fishing gear while in Xcalak.
Silvia’s Restaurant
Even in Xcalak where locals far outnumber visitors, some restaurants cater more to gringos than Mexicans. Not Silvia’s. This place is where the locals go when they eat out, and has delicious lunch options (we recommend the fish tacos).
Mango Moonshining
The owners of Coco’s restaurant also started Mango Moonshining craft beer and whisky, which explains why it dominates their menu. Created right in Xcalak, try their porter, pale ale, and red ale for a nice change from light (and ever-prevalent) Corona and Dos Equis beer you find on every menu in Mexico.
As a quick aside, we don’t get any pay, kickbacks, or commissions for promoting the businesses in Xcalak. We’re unbiased. Yet another good reason to support our helpful Xcalak Travel Guide.