I arrived in Oaxaca City with a list of restaurants and markets that I'd compiled from travel articles and food blogs, and I abandoned the list within the first three hours. I was walking through the Jalatlaco neighborhood on my way to a highly recommended restaurant when I passed a small, unmarked door with a handwritten sign that said 'Comida Corrida' — daily cooking — and a woman in the doorway beckoned me inside. The restaurant was someone's living room, with three tables and a kitchen in the back, and the woman, who introduced herself as Senora Lucia, served me a plate of mole negro with chicken, rice, and handmade tortillas that was the best meal I ate during my entire two weeks in Oaxaca. It cost 80 pesos ($4.30). That experience set the tone for my time in Oaxaca: the best food was almost always the simplest, the most local, and the least documented.
The Markets: Where Oaxacan Food Begins
Oaxaca's markets are the foundation of the city's food culture, and visiting them is the single most important thing a food-focused traveler can do. The two main markets are Mercado 20 de Noviembre and Mercado Benito Juarez, which face each other on the same block in the city center. Mercado 20 de Noviembre is the larger and more food-focused of the two, with an entire passageway — the Pasillo de Humo (Smoke Alley) — dedicated to grilled meats. Mercado Benito Juarez specializes in produce, herbs, and the ingredients that define Oaxacan cooking: the dozens of varieties of dried chilies, the hierbas de olor (fragrant herbs) used in moles and tamales, the chapulines (grasshoppers) that are toasted and seasoned as a snack, and the chocolate that Oaxaca is famous for.
The Pasillo de Humo in Mercado 20 de Noviembre is one of the most concentrated food experiences in Mexico. The passageway is lined with stalls, each run by a vendor who grills meats over charcoal — tasajo (thinly sliced dried beef), cecina (cured pork), chorizo, and costilla (pork ribs). You choose your meats from the display, the vendor grills them to order, and they're served with grilled onions, nopales (cactus paddles), radishes, limes, and a stack of fresh tortillas. I ate at a stall called Tlayudas Dona Mary, where a plate of mixed grilled meats with all the accompaniments cost 100 pesos ($5.40). The tasajo, which I'd never tried before, was my favorite — thin, slightly chewy, with a smoky, concentrated beef flavor that was unlike any meat I'd had.
For ingredients to take home, Mercado Benito Juarez is the place to go. The dried chili vendors sell dozens of varieties: chilhuacle negro, chilhuacle rojo, and chilhuacle amarillo (the three chilhuacles are used in Oaxaca's black, red, and yellow moles and are among the most expensive chilies in Mexico, at about 1,500 pesos per kilogram), pasilla de Oaxaca (a mild, smoky chili used in many dishes), and mulato (a dark, sweet chili used in mole negro). The chocolate vendors sell bars of Oaxacan chocolate in various formulations — with cinnamon, with almonds, with sugar, or as a bitter drinking chocolate. I bought a kilogram of mixed chilies for 300 pesos ($16) and a half-kilogram of chocolate for 150 pesos ($8), both of which I packed in my checked luggage and used for months after returning home.
The Seven Moles of Oaxaca
Mole (pronounced 'mo-lay') is Oaxaca's signature culinary contribution, and the state is famous for producing seven distinct varieties: negro (black), rojo (red), coloradito (reddish), amarillo (yellow), verde (green), chichilo (dark, made with burned tortillas and chilhuacle negro), and manchamantel (made with fruit and chili). Each mole is a complex sauce made from a different combination of dried chilies, spices, nuts, seeds, and sometimes chocolate, and each requires hours of preparation — toasting, grinding, frying, and simmering — to develop its characteristic flavor. Making mole from scratch is a full-day project, and most Oaxacan families prepare it for special occasions rather than as an everyday dish.
I ate mole negro, the most complex and prestigious of the seven, at Los Danzantes, a restaurant in the Jalatlaco neighborhood that is widely considered one of the best in Oaxaca. Their mole negro, served with chicken, rice, and black beans, cost 220 pesos ($12) and was extraordinary — the sauce was dark, almost black, with layers of flavor that unfolded over the course of the meal: smoky, fruity, slightly bitter, subtly sweet, and deeply savory. The chef, Alejandro Ruiz, is one of Oaxaca's most celebrated cooks, and his mole negro takes two days to prepare, with more than thirty ingredients including chilhuacle negro, mulato, pasilla, chocolate, plantains, burnt tortillas, and a dozen spices. The restaurant is on Calle M. Bravo, and reservations are recommended for dinner.
For a more casual mole experience, the comedores (small, family-run eateries) in the markets serve mole every day. At Comedor Mary in Mercado 20 de Noviembre, a plate of mole rojo with chicken costs 80 pesos ($4.30). The mole rojo is simpler and less complex than the mole negro — it's made with dried red chilies, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices — but it's deeply satisfying, especially when spooned over a freshly made tortilla. I ate at Comedor Mary three times during my two weeks in Oaxaca, and the mole was consistently excellent. The comedor is open from 8 AM to 4 PM and has about eight tables that fill up quickly at lunchtime.
Tlayudas, Tacos, and Street Food
The tlayuda is Oaxaca's most iconic street food — a large, thin, crispy tortilla (about 30 centimeters in diameter) topped with asiento (unrefined pork lard), black bean paste, Oaxacan string cheese (quesillo), lettuce, avocado, and salsa, and optionally grilled meat. The tlayuda is cooked on a comal (a flat griddle) until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melted, then folded in half like a giant quesadilla. A tlayuda with tasajo at a street stall costs 50 to 80 pesos ($2.70 to $4.30), and it's one of the most filling and flavorful meals you can buy for under $5 anywhere in the world.
The best tlayudas I had were at a stall called Tlayudas Libres on Calle Porfirio Diaz, about ten minutes' walk from the Zocalo. The stall is run by a woman named Dona Chelo, who has been making tlayudas for thirty years. She cooks each tlayuda to order on a large comal over a wood fire, and the combination of the crispy tortilla, the melted cheese, the savory beans, and the smoky grilled meat is extraordinary. I ate there four times during my stay and tried the tasajo version, the cecina version, and the vegetarian version — all were excellent, but the tasajo was my favorite. The stall is open from about 6 PM to 11 PM, and there are usually a few plastic tables where you can sit and eat.
Oaxaca's taco scene is less famous than Mexico City's, but the tacos here have a distinct character. The taco de chapulines (grasshopper taco), sold at stalls throughout the markets and on street corners, is a Oaxacan specialty that visitors should try at least once. The chapulines are toasted with garlic, lime, and salt, and they have a crunchy, nutty, slightly citrusy flavor that is more appealing than it sounds. A taco de chapulines costs 15 to 20 pesos ($0.80 to $1.10). The tacos de barbacoa de chivo (goat barbacoa) sold at stalls near the Mercado de Abastos are another local specialty — the goat is slow-cooked in an underground pit with avocado leaves and chilies, and the meat is tender, smoky, and deeply flavorful. A plate of goat tacos with consomme costs about 60 pesos ($3.25).
Mezcal: The Spirit of Oaxaca
Mezcal, a distilled spirit made from the roasted heart of the agave plant, is produced almost exclusively in Oaxaca, and the state is home to hundreds of small, family-operated mezcal distilleries called palenques. Unlike tequila, which is made exclusively from blue agave in the state of Jalisco, mezcal can be made from more than thirty varieties of agave, each of which produces a spirit with a distinct flavor profile. The most common variety is espadin, which accounts for about 90 percent of mezcal production, but the rarer varieties — tobala, madrecuixe, tepeztate, and arroqueno — produce mezcals that are more complex and more expensive.
I visited a palenque called Mezcal Vago, run by a maestro mezcalero named Joel Antonio, in the Santiago Matatlan region about an hour south of Oaxaca City. The palenque produces mezcal from espadin and tobala agave using traditional methods: the agave hearts are roasted in an underground pit with hot rocks, fermented in wooden vats with wild yeast, and distilled in a copper pot still. Joel gave me a tour of the entire process, from the agave fields to the still, and a tasting of four mezcals: joven espadin (unaged, clear), reposado espadin (aged in oak for six months), joven tobala (made from wild-harvested tobala agave, which grows in the shade of oak trees and takes twelve to fifteen years to mature), and pechuga (espadin mezcal distilled with a chicken breast and seasonal fruits suspended in the still, a traditional Oaxacan technique). The tasting cost 200 pesos ($11), and the tobala was the most distinctive — it had a floral, herbal quality that I'd never encountered in any other spirit.
In Oaxaca City, mezcal bars (mezcalerias) are concentrated in the neighborhoods around the Zocalo and the Santo Domingo church. Mezcaleria In Situ, on Calle Manuel Garcia Vigil, is one of the best, with a selection of more than 200 mezcals from small producers across Oaxaca. The bar employs knowledgeable staff who can guide you through a tasting based on your preferences. A flight of four mezcals costs 200 to 300 pesos ($11 to $16). La Mezcaloteca, on Calle Tinoco y Palacios, offers educational tastings that explain the production process and the differences between agave varieties. The tasting costs 350 pesos ($19) and includes six mezcals with detailed tasting notes.
Restaurants Worth the Splurge
Oaxaca has a growing number of restaurants that Raise traditional Oaxacan cuisine to fine-dining level, and several of them are worth the splurge for a special meal. Los Danzantes, mentioned above for its mole negro, is the most celebrated restaurant in Oaxaca, with a tasting menu that changes seasonally and costs about 650 pesos ($35) per person. The restaurant occupies a beautifully restored colonial building on Calle M. Bravo, with a courtyard dining room and a terrace overlooking the Jalatlaco neighborhood. The service is attentive and knowledgeable, and the wine list includes a strong selection of Mexican and South American wines.
Casa Oaxaca, on Calle Garcia Vigil, is run by chef Alejandro Ruiz, one of the most prominent figures in Oaxacan cuisine. The restaurant is housed in a colonial-era building with a rooftop terrace, and the menu focuses on traditional Oaxacan dishes prepared with premium ingredients and refined technique. The chile relleno stuffed with picadillo (a mixture of ground meat, dried fruits, and spices) costs 220 pesos ($12), and the estofado de pollo (chicken braised in a sauce of dried chilies and chocolate) costs 180 pesos ($10). The rooftop terrace is one of the most pleasant places to eat in Oaxaca — the view of the Santo Domingo church and the surrounding mountains is beautiful, especially at sunset.
For a more casual but equally excellent experience, the Itanoni restaurant on Calle Manuel Bravo serves traditional Oaxacan tamales, atoles (warm corn-based drinks), and memelas (small, thick tortillas topped with beans, cheese, and salsa). The restaurant is tiny — about six stools at a counter — and the food is simple, inexpensive, and perfectly prepared. A tamal de mole negro costs 35 pesos ($1.90), an atole de chocolate costs 20 pesos ($1.10), and a memela with tasajo costs 40 pesos ($2.15). The restaurant is open from 7 AM to 3 PM and is one of the most popular breakfast and lunch spots in Oaxaca — arrive early, as the stools fill up quickly.
Practical Tips for Food-Focused Travel in Oaxaca
The best time to visit Oaxaca for food is during one of the city's major food festivals. The Festival de los Moles, held in October, brings together cooks from across the state to prepare all seven varieties of mole, along with other traditional dishes. The Festival del Mezcal, held in July, celebrates Oaxaca's spirit with tastings, workshops, and mezcal pairings. The Guelaguetza festival, held in July, includes food stalls representing the seven regions of Oaxaca state, each with its own distinctive cuisine. During any of these festivals, the city's food scene is at its most Colorful and diverse.
Getting around Oaxaca City is easy and inexpensive. The city center is compact and walkable, and most restaurants, markets, and attractions are within a twenty-minute walk of the Zocalo. Taxis cost 30 to 50 pesos ($1.60 to $2.70) for most trips within the city. For visits to nearby villages and mezcal distilleries, colectivos (shared taxis) depart from the second-class bus station on Calle Manuel Doblado — a colectivo to Santiago Matatlan costs 40 pesos ($2.15) and takes about an hour. I'd recommend spending at least one day visiting a palenque — the experience of seeing the mezcal production process firsthand and tasting mezcal directly from the still is very different from drinking it in a bar.
Food safety is a concern for some travelers in Mexico, and I want to address it honestly. I ate street food in Oaxaca every day for two weeks and had no stomach problems. The key is to choose stalls where the food is cooked to order (not sitting in a warming tray), where there's a high turnover of customers (which means the ingredients are fresh), and where the food handler handles money with one hand and food with the other (or, ideally, has separate people handling money and food). I also carried Pepto-Bismol tablets as a precaution and took one before meals at stalls where I wasn't confident about the hygiene. The water in Oaxaca City is not safe to drink from the tap — use bottled or filtered water for drinking and brushing teeth.
