Sayulita Public House is one of Sayulita’s only classic style “pub” restaurants and bars, where guests can always count on delicious and quality hamburgers, french fries, and craft beer or cocktails, as well as friendly, relaxed service. At Sayulita Public House, you get the sense that everyone knows your name, whether you are here in town visiting, or you live here permanently. I speak with the new owner, Dave Keen, about Sayulita Public House and changes/updates to his already loved and adored Sayulita staple pub. 

First of all, as the new owner, can you give readers a bit of background info. about yourself?

I am originally from British Columbia, Canada. I spent the better part of the last 30 years in Whistler working in the hospitality industry. I managed a bar called “Citta” through the 90's into the early 2000's, which Sayulita Public House reminds me of. After turning 40, I sold my house, quit my job, and I threw on a backpack and travelled around for 18months or so, before I returned to Whistler to buy into the “Southside Diner”, which I was a part of for almost 10 years. I spent a year after that managing a cafe and bar for a small scuba diving company in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia. I found myself with some time off between jobs this past May of 2019, so I decided to head down to Sayulita for the month to see what all the fuss was about. I have a number of friends from Whistler that come here often and a few that live here part time. I had been in contact with a local realtor to see what opportunities were available; he introduced me to Storm, and here I am! 

Are there any major changes or updates/upgrades at Sayulita Public House that readers should know about? 

I didn't buy Sayulita Public House to change much; I am way too old to start something from scratch! I have renovated the second floor to open and lighten it up to create a more spacious and welcoming area. This way, we can accommodate larger families or other large groups a lot easier. I have been informed that “Taco Tuesday” was a big hit in the past, so I'm bringing that back for sure! Taco Tuesdays offer a special deal of three tacos (a choice of chicken, fish, or veggie) for just $60 pesos, along with $25 peso Coronas/Pacificos, and house tequila shots for $35 pesos. Additionally, we have four televisions which can show a number of different games, as long as we have internet and it's not raining too hard!

What is the overall concept for the menu/overall genre of food and drink? 

Sayulita Public House is one of Sayulita’s only classic “pub” style restaurants. As such, we serve typical “pub grub” and pub drinks, like burgers, chicken wings, french fries, and beer- all of those being our top sellers / most popular menu items. In addition, we have three entree salads available that are also very popular, and plenty of vegetarian options to accommodate all diets and preferences, like the buffalo style cauliflower, polenta sticks, brussel sprouts (without bacon) and the very popular, most delicious non-meat burger in town- the beyond meat, meatless burger. I do hope to create more of a “small plates” or “tapas” style menu, that would be offered mainly on the second floor, but available to anyone who wants it. We also recently added poutine to the menu- this is a standard popular dish in Canada, which consists of french fries topped with cheese curds and covered in gravy. So delicious!

What do guests enjoy the most about coming to Sayulita Public House? 

Guests enjoy the wide variety of ice-cold beers we have. We also have Sayulita’s largest selection of tequila available in house, and quite a few mezcals and raicillas as well. We endeavor to offer friendly, casual service, and we try to really get to know all of our guests, whether they be here for a week, or live here on a full or part time basis. We are like the place where everyone knows your name!

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?

We have future plans to open up the third floor as a “private tasting/ party area”-- stay tuned, as this will be happening in the near future. Keep your eyes out for events that we will be co-hosting with a few of the tequila, mezcal, raicilla, and craft beer experts in town!

To find out more about Sayulita Public House, please visit their Sayulita Life Web Page.

*Written by: Aanya Sheikh-Taheri