donco6's Profile

We had a good time at Garbo's. The drinks were well-done (dirty gin martini was excellent). They had live entertainment the night we were there and we ended up staying until his set was done - he was that good and entertaining! I'll definitely be back.

Every day at 5:00 sharp, Apaches hosts every tired old queen in town. You can even bring your dog. He'll get a seat; you may not. Apaches is another tired PV institution that doesn't have the sense to die. Drinks are overpriced and hideous (the Friend of Dorothy was simply undrinkable), seating is guarded for the TOQs and their court, unless you arrive a bit early and stake your claim (4:45 at the latest if you want outside). If you get stuck inside, you'll have to shriek at your friends to be heard over the 2nd tier TOQs who didn't rate an outside table. That's really all this place has to offer. I won't be back.

OK, I know everyone has to go to the Blue Chairs in Puerto Vallarta . . . sort of like everyone has to go to Casa Bonita in Denver. But when you've "been there, done that" there's not really much reason to return. I've been going to PV for years. I swear that Blue Chairs has never changed a single thing. Not a chair, table, coat of paint, drag queen, backdrop, coat of paint ON the drag queen, light/sound system - all the same from years and years ago. It's kind of insulting to realize they're dragging you back in and not even trying. So, go there if you must. Maybe the MethDiet go-go boys are your style. For me . . . not so much.

We visited PV in December 2008. A friend recommended a new bar in the downtown area (Libertad Altos 221) called No Borders. So we decided to check it out. We met the owner, Miguel Angel Ortiz Montiel, who showed us around. The bar occupies an entire upstairs floor, with a rooftop patio opening in a few weeks. It's a large bar with simple tables in the main room, a pool table room, and some smaller, quieter rooms off the main. The bar is L-shaped and provides plenty of seats for mingling with locals and expats. That's the thing about No Borders which makes it quite different from the usual Queen and Preen bars down in the Olas Altas. We always had plenty of room to sit - no fighting for prime spots. Miguel and Luis provided us with free Hors D'oeuvors of cucumber, jicama and carrot slices sprinked with pepper spices - really yummy. The beer was very cold and served with a grin. Prices are ridiculously cheap. If you're looking for a nice place, nice atmosphere, stiff drinks, good conversation, and right in the middle of the dining area of Downtown, try No Borders.