Oaxaca is one of the states responsible for having the Mexican cuisine be declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The way they’ve kept alive ancient recipes and keep making them with the same techniques is just incredible. It’s one of our favorite states for many reasons, but the food is a huge part of it!
There are many great restaurants and street stalls to choose from, but these were some our favorite… So, buy a pair of stretchy pants or unbotton those jeans, because you’ll need the extra room for all of this deliciousness! Especially with their seven moles!
BREAKFAST
Chocolate Mayordomo
The go-to breakfast place for locals. Fair prices, vast quantity, and many traditional options. Their food is amazing, but real star of the show and their specialty is the hot chocolate, which they have been making since 1956. Actually, every store has grinders where you can make your own chocolate recipe with the amount of cocoa beans, sugar and cinnamon you like.
Tortas La Hormiga
Unlike Mexico City where we have torta stalls every five meters, this place is one of the few options around Oaxaca, so it’s not a surprise that it’s always packed with locals. Tortas are a staple in our diet!
You can choose from the menu or make your own combination (they have vegetarian options). We tried the one with tasajo and cheese, and the one with a chile de agua filled with minced beef and cheese. Both were de-li-cious and made us return twice! No wonder why they’ve been open for 22 years.
LUNCH
La Catedral
If you’re looking for a nice, delicious, traditional restaurant, this is it; and has been for the past 40 years! Everything we ordered was spectacular from their corn tamale and plantain molote to their seven moles (black and manchamanteles were our favorite). You can also ask the waiters to recommend a mezcal cocktail to go with your dish.
Los Pacos
This is a more informal option. What we loved about this place (and didn’t see anywhere else) was its ‘Mole combinado’ dish, which is basically a plate with white rice and a small portion of their seven moles, with many corn tortillas on the side. The perfect way to try them all! Just don’t pay attention to the presentation… it looks awful, we know.
Markets
There are two main markets in Oaxaca, one in front of the other, which are filled with incredible food:
- Benito Juárez: this place is mostly for souvenirs and cooking ingredients (spices, chili, mole, chapulines, etc), but if you go towards the back you’ll find a stall called ‘La Flor de Huayapan’. There you can try the famous ‘Tejate’, one of Oaxaca’s traditional beverages. It’s made out off maize, cacao beans, cacao flowers, mamey bone and brown sugar. Tastes good, not too flowery nor chocolatey, and surprisingly refreshing.
- 20 de noviembre: this market is filled with food stalls selling all of Oaxaca’s street delicacies, from tlayudas and tamales to quesadillas. They also have a meat alley commonly known as ‘Pasillo de humo’ (Smoke Alley), because they can cook you fresh tasajo or cecina on their grills.
COFFEE BREAK
All the coffee addicts we know say Oaxaca is one of the best producers, so even if you don’t usually drink (like us), you have to try it. Here are three great options:
- La organización: it’s a union formed by more than 4,000 small farmers, and the coffee that they serve is a mix of seven beans from different parts of Oaxaca.
- Oaxaca en una taza: a small, cozy shop that also sells very unique chocolates with chili, ginger, pistachio and other genius combinations.
- Café Brújula: they have a wider menu with chocolate, organic teas and frappes. Very tasty as well.
DINNER
Pal’ Dolor
One of the newest restaurants in Oaxaca City and an amazing addition, we have to say. Not only is the place beautifully decorated, but it was also one of the best meals we had. Starting off with their guacamole with chapulines, chorizo and chepiche plant, and paired up with a mezcal cocktail called ‘Yo Poleo’. It will make you say: “Joey doesn’t share food!”.
What we loved the most about this place was the amazing service and the guidance they provided about what mezcal cocktail paired the best with our dishes. It totally boosted the taste of what we ordered and made our experience even better. We were a little bit tipsy at the end, can’t lie, but mezcal just relaxes you a lot and puts you in the best mood…
La Mezcalerita
THE place to grab some drinks, whether that be mezcal, craft beer or pulque! Weekends are the best because all the locals and tourists gather here, but make sure you get there before 21:00 so you can sit in their beautiful terrace surrounded by ‘quiotes’ (the ‘flower’ that grows from the agaves).
They have their own mezcal line with some wild agave plants that aren’t very common to find, like the Tepextate and Madrecuixe. If you’re not sure you like mezcal, try other agaves besides Espadín. Madrecuixe, for example, has floral and citric tones.
But, if you are more into beer this is also the perfect place for you. They have over 120 different labels, all Mexican. Actually, the Stout from their own label called ‘951’ won the national gold medal in 2017.
Have you been to any of these places? Which was your favorite!?
Useful information
Map
We’ve pinpointed all the sites mentioned above on to this map, to save you some time!
