Yambak. Most of us here in Sayulita instantly know the name and place, with its iconic location on the corner of the plaza; we’ve all seen locals and tourists alike having fun, enjoying great music, and dancing in the street at the corner of Yambak. Most notorious for its DJ nights with electronic music, Yambak has recently branched out to now offer an extensive beer and delicious food menu, with daily specials of poke bowls, cocktails, and in-house crafted beers. Arturo of Yambak tells me more about the history of the bar and restaurant, as well as some of the new things guests will find when they visit Yambak.

First, you can tell readers a bit about the history of Yambak Brewery & Bar?

Yambak Restaurant & Bar opened its doors in Sayulita on December 3rd, 2011. The concept for the space is a bar and restaurant with an alternative and relaxed atmosphere, while also offering pleasant facilities, good service, authentic drinks, and high-quality food at reasonable prices. From the beginning Yambak was thought to be a space for great music, design, and parties, where all kinds of people can be gathered and in harmony, regardless of race, nation, religion, or social status. This place is designed to be an enclosure where good music is the spirit.

I heard that you now make many types of beer in Yambak, can you talk more about this?

Yes; we do brew some of our own beer, and we also currently have ten styles of “house beers” that we always have on tap. They are:

Extra Pale Ale

American Pale Ale

Fruity Ale

Red Ale

Session IPA

West coast IPA

Double IPA

Hazy IPA

Black IPA

Stout

Yambak has been producing beer over the years, and we really have stepped up our production on a much higher and more professional level. With experience and feedback from loyal clientele, Yambak Brewery is now producing 1,800 litres of liquid gold each month, right in the heart of this magical town! The idea in our brewing is to play with experimental or seasonal styles to always offer new things for our customers to try, but the above ten “house" beers are permanent and always available. With more than nine types of beer produced in Yambak brewery, each has its own unique name and theme that pays tribute to surf culture just waiting for you to try them out! We have an Extra Pale beer (which by its characteristics makes it very easy to drink; it is a light and refreshing beer, but with a lot of flavor and character compared to a commercial beer). We also have a Stout beer that is characterized by its dark color and creamy body. With our various styles of beer, customers can enjoy a nice range so that there is something for everyone’s taste.

What makes the new food menu at Yambak unique or special? 

Yambak is one of the first restaurants in Sayulita to introduce Hawaiian Poke (it is a heterogeneous mixture of fresh tuna, salad and steamed rice). Poke is a very fresh, nutritious, and delicious dish, as well as a perfect pairing for beer. We also offer a variety of classic dishes, such as hamburgers, fish tacos, buffalo wings, and hot dogs, among other snacks.

Yambak is notoriously known as a nightclub- what type of music do you have and on what nights during the week?

Yambak has been characterized from the beginning by its quality of a fun place to party and the talents that are added to offer their beats behind the turntables or sometimes the live bands that play. The bar has not spared in investing to always offer something interesting and different in music. Yambak is the DJ Club of Sayulita! Since it opened its doors, it is the only bar that offers a quality booth for national and international artists, without discarding local talents, who specialize in electronic and avant-garde music. At Yambak, the weekend starts from Thursday, with its theme night "Throwback Thursday" in which the beats are mostly Hip Hop, Old School Rap, Funk, and Soul. Fridays and Saturdays are the most energetic nights of the bar, destined to electronics. Sundays are the nights of "Yambak Live", which would be whatever live musical act we get for that night.

Is there anything else you would like readers to know, such as specials you might have, your hours of operation, or any happy hour deals?

We are open from 4:20 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on weekdays, and from 4:20 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. on weekends. Every afternoon of the week we have rotating daily menu specials and beer of the house. Furthermore, Tuesdays are "Two For Tuesday" meaning drinks are two for the price of one on all of the best selling products, such as house beers, margaritas, mojitos, and mezcales; even the songs are 2x1, so be prepared to listen to two jams followed by your favorite artists, with a playlist that is improvised. We rest on Wednesdays.

For more information about Yambak Brewery and bar, please visit their Sayulita Life Web Page.

*Written by: Aanya Sheikh-Taheri