Foodie Fridays: Pinups – The Comfort Food You Crave

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When you think of dining out in Mazatlán, most people automatically think about tacos, ceviche, and other seafood dominated Mexican-style dishes. But sometimes, you just need a little taste of home. Comfort food that wraps you up like a warm hug and triggers your mouth to start watering by just looking at it.

You’ll find those guilty-pleasure dishes at Pinups Fun and Grill, especially feasting on their savory towering burgers.

Seriously, if you are having a major burger craving, I can’t think of anywhere better to satisfy the itch than Pinups. Their burger menu is straight out of a glutton’s dream.

Imagine juicy tender burgers topped with things like creamy mac and cheese, crunchy Doritos, Jack Daniels BBQ soaked bacon, grilled cinnamon pineapple and tequila-infused cheeses.

We had friends visiting from Canada who are what you might call ‘pub-connoisseurs’ from back home. When it comes to comfort food, they know their stuff! After a lot of traditional Mexican restaurants, they wanted something that reminded them of home. They decided to try Pinups and it instantly became one of their favorite places in the entire city. So much so that they came back 2 more times during their vacation here.

One item that stood out, apart from the gourmet burgers of course, was the cheese sticks. Great tasting, gooey, American style cheese dishes are not usually easy to find in Mexico, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised here.

HUGE handmade deep-fried cheese sticks the size of popsicles. Crispy batter on the outside and melted cheese on the inside. It doesn’t get much better than that.

If you want to stick to the lighter side of the menu, thankfully they have equally as delicious salads that are a little easier on the waistline. I particularly like their Tropical Salad that is loaded with: Fresh strawberries, pineapple, cranberries, avocado, pecans, grilled chicken breast and your choice of dressing. I get the Chipotle Ranch to heat things up a bit! (135 pesos for salad)

History of Pinups

Pinups was started in 2009 by Jorge and Jessica Tirado, both Mazetleco’s through and through.

I talked with Jessica about her vision for Pinups

Pinups was born out of our love and passion for food with unique, fresh, locally produced ingredients of the highest possible quality. Our home state of Sinaloa is the heart of agriculture in Mexico, and here in Mazatlan we also have the Pacific Ocean with the best quality of seafood. Enjoying time with family and friends was what motivated us to open a meeting point where people could come together to enjoy our creations.

Jessica Tirado

But wait….

When you see these massive burgers and deep-fried pub food, it’s easy for your mind to think “junk-food!”, but that’s not the whole story. The owners Jorge and Jessica have three young kids who eat at the restaurant almost daily, so they are obsessed with FRESH and SAFE ingredients. All of their meat is purchased fresh each morning, is the highest of quality, with even the chicken being raised free-range with no hormones. When possible, they prefer to buy as many of their produce locally as they can, supporting local farmers. Having fresh, top-notch ingredients is a very high priority for Pinups.

Jessica also mentioned that beyond Pinups being pet and family-friendly, it’s also a place to let loose and enjoy live music.

We feature live music from Tuesday to Saturday supporting local Mazatlan talent with presentations by artists like: Rex, Kraken, Mandrake among others.

Jessica Tirado

The Menu

cocktails

Before diving into the food, it should be known that Pinups has one of the most impressive cocktail menus in the city!

They have taken the time and effort to create dozens of beautiful and tasty specialty drinks that will suit any thirsty patron. If you don’t happen to drink alcohol, any of their drinks can be made into virgin versions that are cheaper than their booze-filled alternatives. Virgin cocktails start at 65 pesos, with boozy ones between 75 to 98 pesos. Happy hour in effect some afternoons!

non- burgers

  • Pub Style Appies:  like wings, nachos, and sweet potato waffle fries
  • Salads: Tropical, Ceasar and Chef salads, starting at 98 pesos.
  • Pastas: fettuccine with baileys, seafood royal, or Pomodoro with cheese stuffed meatballs, starting at 125 pesos
  • Tacos: Governor, chicken bacon and arrachera tacos. Huge portions! Starting at 115 pesos.

burgers

My best piece of advice for coming to Pinups for the burgers: Come HUNGRY!

They are towering works of art, loaded with more toppings than you can imagine, and will have you wondering if you should just bite into it, or get out the fork and knife. For some of the burgers on the menu, like the ‘Ruffles Mac and Cheese’, the description even challenges “Dare you to finish it!”

The Mac and Cheese Ruffles Burger

Prices for burgers range from 89 pesos to 179 pesos, depending on how gourmet and intense you get with them! With some of their bigger burgers, you’ll likely have half a meal leftover for later.

All About Pinups

Open:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday- 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday – 1:00pm to 1:00am
Monday – CLOSED

Address: Av. Playa Gaviotas #404, Zona Dorada, Mazatlán (across from the Sea Shell Museum. In between La Flores hotel and Lucky B’s restaurant)

Social Media: Pinups Facebook Page and Pinups Instagram
You should follow their FB page, as they regularly post deals and events!

Website: pinupsbargrill.com

This restaurant review is part of our NEW weekly column ‘Foodie Fridays‘. Each week we will feature an honest review from a local restaurant here in Mazatlán!
Are you a restaurant owner? Or a local foodie with a tip?Get in touch with us if you want to be featured in next week’s article!

Written By: Kashlee of Travel Off Path
@kashlee_k

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