by Merv Buchanan
Rancho Santiago is a unique new outdoor entertainment destination located just outside Puerto Vallarta, between the jungle and the Cuale River, at 1051 Felipe Angeles, a few kilometers past Paso Ancho.
The just-completed venue, hosted by Kurt Sinner, will feature the famous El Rio BBQ slow-smoked ribs, hamburgers, sandwiches, and salads created by Portland, Oregon chef, Hollis Harris, along with generous El Rio-style drinks.
Beginning January 7th, their weekly Tribute Tuesdays will feature hand-picked tribute artists from across the USA and Canada. Each one of them the best of their genre.
Attending an event at Rancho Santiago won’t be like going to a typical bar. More like a tailgate party, without the tailgates.
Host Sinner, who operated the popular El Rio BBQ restaurant bar in Paso Ancho for more than a decade, has turned a large, walled area into a festival-style party space with seating for 200, a covered stage, modern kitchen, bar, and washroom facilities. This hidden gem in the jungle even has a raised VIP area at the back of the property overlooking the scenic Cuale river.
Rancho Santiago’s Tribute Tuesdays will be all about having fun and enjoying good music, food, and drink in the great outdoors. The sunny weather that brings so many Canadians and Americans to the Puerto Vallarta area every winter makes for a relaxed, friendly, party atmosphere with an international flavor.
Kicking off the Tribute Tuesday schedule on January 7th will be Jacksonville, Florida-based Jimmy Parrish’s tribute to party rock king Jimmy Buffett. Parrish has entertained crowds from coast to coast in the USA, and on tours of Canada, Mexico, and The Caribbean.
Following Jimmy Buffett on successive Tuesdays will be a wide range of tributes, including Elton John, The Eagles, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, The Beach Boys, and many more. Check VallartaCalendar.com for more information on every Tribute Tuesday at Rancho Santiago until March 18.
For Kurt Sinner, opening Rancho Santiago must seem like deja vu. His original idea of offering mouth-watering food, generously poured drinks, and top entertainment outdoors at a fair price resulted in runaway success for his El Rio BBQ Bar.
So, there’s a pretty good chance that applying the same concepts to this new venture will yield the same results. Knowing his history, none of the dozens of entertainers who have worked for Kurt in the past had any hesitation about agreeing to fly to Puerto Vallarta this winter to perform at his new venue.
The fact is, they all want to be part of this exciting new venture.
Gates at Rancho Santiago will open every Tuesday with cash-only food and bar service at 1 pm.
Popular local band Perros Del Rio (River Dogs) will get the party started with their well-known brand of high-energy rock’n’roll at 3 pm.
Make reservations for Tribute Tuesday via WhatsApp at +52 1 322 349 5019 and pay the 300 peso cover in cash at the door. All tribute shows start at 5:30 pm.
You can drive to Rancho Santiago, take a taxi, or hop on city bus route 4, which will drop you at the gate.
