Are you a self-proclaimed foodie? Then look no further than Oaxaca City! It’s known as the food capital of Mexico and the locals are extremely proud of their traditional cuisine, which dates back hundreds of years. Everywhere you look in this colourful city you can see examples of the food culture, from the street vendors and bustling food markets to the cute cafes and independent stores selling regional specialities. There seems to be an unlimited number of places to eat in Oaxaca City – make sure to bring your appetite with you!
My boyfriend and I are obsessed with finding great restaurants and trying local delicacies, so food was the main reason why we visited Oaxaca City and we certainly weren’t disappointed. Along with the amazing food, this wonderful city is home to many cool and creative cocktail bars, microbreweries, and of course Mezcalerias. In this post, I share some of the best places we ate and drank at during our five-night stay. I know we’ll be back (again and again!) to keep enjoying what the city has to offer.
Memelas San Agustín
This little street food cart around the corner from Templo y exconvento de San Agustín is a great place to sample memelas. These slightly thick tortillas come with various toppings; we ordered tinga de pollo (shredded chicken in a chilli and tomato-based sauce), papas con chorizo (potato and chorizo), and salpicón, which consists of cold chopped up beef, avocado, tomato, onion, and coriander. Each was delicious and only cost around $20 MXN. They also serve tlayudas, which looked excellent.
Taquería Tacomer
We passed this lively and unassuming taqueria near our Airbnb a few times and it was always packed with locals. One evening we spotted a huge, smoking chunk of pork spinning on the spit and couldn’t resist going inside. Everything we ordered was very tasty; tacos al pastor, tacos de bistec, and tacos de chorizo, as well an alambre platter consisting of grilled beef, peppers, onions, and cheese. There is a selection of salsas on each table so you can make the tacos as spicy as you like. The staff are friendly and the service quick and efficient.
Lechoncito de Oro & Tacos de Lechón Oaxaca Panteón General
There are a seemingly infinite number of taco variations in Mexico, but one of our favourites is Tacos de Lechón con chicharrón – suckling pig with crunchy fried pig skin, doused in a tangy salsa verde *drool*. We tried these amazing concoctions at two different locations in Oaxaca City, and both were equally great. Lechonito de Oro is a popular food truck which appeared on the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil, while Tacos de Lechón Oaxaca Panteón General is a less touristy, sit-down establishment. My suggestion? Eat at both – you won’t be disappointed.
Mercado 20 de Noviembre
There are a lot of markets in Oaxaca City but Mercado 20 de Noviembre is perhaps the most well-known. It is an enormous covered market near the city centre where the “meat alley” can be found. This narrow corridor of smoke and fire has vendors on either side, selling various cuts of meat. Simply choose what you want and they will grill it for you there and then. If grilled meat isn’t your top choice, don’t worry, there are a large number of food stalls in the market serving a variety of tasty Oaxacan dishes. One of the best things we had here was a tlayuda (a kind of Mexican pizza) at Comedor María Alejandra. We got ours with a mix of different meat such as chorizo and thinly sliced costilla (ribs), as well as avocado and stretchy Oaxacan cheese. We also had almond mole with chicken here too, which was incredibly tasty.
Mercado de la merced
This was our local market where we had breakfast several times. Unlike other markets we encountered in Mexico, Mercado de la Merced was refreshingly chilled. Nobody bothered us in the usual “shove a menu in your face” kind of way that we experienced at other markets. It’s relatively small but there are a good number of places to eat. We visited Fonda Florecita twice for their tasty hot chocolate, empanadas, memelas, and enchiladas. The staff here are very friendly and helpful too.
Levadura de Olla Restaurante
The Oaxacan region is known for its “seven moles”, and a great place to try some of them is Levadura de Olla, a welcoming and homey restaurant in the city centre. We ordered a plate with chicken smothered in the famous Mole negro (a sumptuously rich and velvety black sauce made from dozens of ingredients including various dried chillis, nuts, raisins, and chocolate) alongside mole rojo with pork and rice, mole made from chilli and tortilla ash served with beef, and guava mole with shrimps and fried cauliflower. All of these were superb, and luckily there were enough tortillas to mop up any leftover sauce. It’s not all just mole here though. One of the best dishes we had in the whole of Oaxaca City was Levadura de Olla’s tomato salad. Don’t be fooled, these weren’t any old tomatoes – it was a beautiful medley of colourful tomatoes native to Oaxaca, each of them bursting with a distinct flavour. My favourite one tasted just like juicy apricots! The beetroot and poleo vinaigrette worked perfectly.
This was one of the pricier meals we had throughout Mexico, but it was still pretty good value. We ordered four dishes as well as cocktails and it came to around $1460 MXN for the two of us (including tip). Reservations are highly recommended as this place is popular!
Mezcalite POP!
When the hot Oaxacan weather starts to affect you head to Mexcalite POP!, a cutely decorated, oh-so-Instagrammable ice cream parlour. Creative and flavourful mezcal-based nieves (sorbets) and paletas (ice lollies) are the order of the day here. There are a variety of flavours to choose from including passionfruit and pineapple, but we got a large Paty Chamoy with scoops of tamarind and mango, coated with chamoy (a sweet, sour, and spicy syrup), sprinkled with chilli salt and spicy gummy sweets. They also have alcohol-free sorbet and ice cream.
Empanadas del Carmen
This food stall, which was featured in Netflix’s “Street Food: Latin America” series, serves up tasty empanadas, quesadillas, and memelas, lovingly prepared by three passionate women. There are a few variations of each, but I recommend the empanada de Amarillo (chicken with yellow mole and herbs) and the quesadilla de flor de calabaza (Oaxacan cheese, pumpkin flowers, and an interesting herb called epazote). There are a few plastic chairs to sit on, but you may have to stand depending on how busy it is. Just make sure you have some napkins for that mole sauce! Service can be a bit hit and miss. The first time we went, we got our food quickly, but the second time the cooks seemed stressed and forgot some orders, resulting in a long queue.
Mezcalería Cuish
Some 70% of the world’s Mezcal is produced in Oaxaca, so you should certainly try some while here, even if you’re not a fan of spirits. While there are dozens and dozens of Mezcalerías in Oaxaca City, we particularly liked Mezcaleria Cuish, south of the historic centre. This cool space, decorated with vintage bottles, ceramics and lush plants, serves artisanal Mezcal in varieties including Espadin, Cuish, and Tobalá.
You can have a tasting of three mezcals or simply order by the glass. Mezcal is a strong spirit to be sipped and savoured, not glugged down as a shot. The friendly staff here will be more than happy to answer any of your questions or give recommendations. There is also another smaller branch to the north of the centre called Expendio Cuish.
Sabina Sabe
We visited this lovely cocktail bar twice during our stay in Oaxaca City, enjoying their delicious, creative, and beautifully presented cocktails, often with Mezcal and other Oaxacan ingredients. Grab a seat at the counter and watch the bartenders work their magic, or sit at one of the tables in the dining area if you are in a group or want to order food. We hadn’t planned on eating there, but decided to try the mixed platter which included cured meats, cheeses, guacamole, and fried Chapulines (fried grasshoppers). Sabina Sabe is somewhat expensive compared to other bars (around $130 MXN per drink), but it’s certainly a lot cheaper than bars of a similar quality in Europe and the U.S.
Casa Cervecera Tierra Blanca
This microbrewery close to the historic centre serves good craft beers in a sleek and clean setting. There are a few beers on tap including IPAs, coffee stouts, and Mexican lagers, each costing around $80 MXN. You get a complimentary plate of nibbles served alongside your drinks, including crisps, nuts and pickled vegetables. You can also order from their food menu.
I hope these suggestions will be helpful for your visit to Oaxaca City. Don’t forget to check out my 3-day itinerary for Oaxaca! If you have been and have any recommendations, please leave them in the comments section so I can try them next time I’m there.
Ciao for now
Izzie, the Curious Sparrow