13 Food Spots That Prove Eating In Oaxaca Is Unlike Eating Anywhere Else

Are your taste buds in need of some excitement? It's time to pack up and head to the city of Oaxaca.

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1. Casa Oaxaca el Restaurante

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For a holistic gastronomical experience, look no further than Casa Oaxaca. Kick off your meal with a tasty cheese, bean paste, and grasshopper (yes, grasshopper!) montadito and a bug tostada, then make the mole turkey your entrée, but save room for a bite of the kampachi tiradito (think ceviche sans onion) with grasshopper mayo. And definitely treat yourself to the Oaxacan chocolate spheres with ginger and hibiscus sauce for dessert. Like, are you hungry yet?!

Where: Calle de La Constitución #104-A, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

2. El Destilado

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Have your eyes ever watered from eating something too exquisite for words? Well, prepare to bawl at El Destilado. Their menu is a magnificent display of creativity, with items like braised rabbit mole enchiladas, pea tart, and cured duck breast. A dish you can't miss? The grilled chicken ballotine with wild mushroom salad, yellow mole, and huitlacoche puree.

Where: 5 de Mayo 409, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

3. Boulenc

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Nutritious and delicious bread all day long? Yes, please! Boulenc's masa madre (or "mother dough") is a naturally fermented yeast made with flour and water that packs probiotics and flavor. All the restaurant's ingredients are fresh and locally sourced. The molletes, toasty warm bread with a refried bean spread topped with browned Oaxaca cheese, and the shakshuka, a Mediterranean-inspired dish with poached eggs and tomatoes, are absolute must-haves.

Where: Calle Porfirio Díaz 207, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

4. Itanoní

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Sometimes it's best to keep things simple, and there's no better example of casual excellence than Itanoní, a family-run eatery where heirloom corn varieties are the ultimate superstars. Tetelas are the house specialty and consist of corn masa triangles stuffed with different fillings. Don't leave without trying the cheese, crema, and chicharrón tetela.

Where: Av Belisario Domínguez 513, Reforma, 68050 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

5. Los Danzantes

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Some things are too beautiful to eat, but one must do the job, right? That's exactly how you'll feel cozied up at contemporary venue Los Danzantes. Their menu varies seasonally, but staple highlights include their mole-tasting appetizer as well as entrées like huitlacoche-stuffed chile ancho (huitlacoche = Mexican truffle), braised octopus, and the hoja santa (aromatic plant with soft leaves) with cheese and salsa verde.

Where: Calle Macedonio Alcalá 403, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

6. La Mezcalerita

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The name says it all: The food at rustic La Mezcalerita is better paired with, yep, you guessed it: ~mezcal~ (but also craft beers and pulque, a fermented drink made from various agaves). A fabulous place to have botanitas (munchies), you won't be disappointed with the artisanal beer-infused queso fundido and Oaxacan nachos.

Where: Calle Macedonio Alcalá, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

7. El Escapulario

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For true Mexican hospitality and a great view, head to apartment turned restaurant El Escapulario. Homemade dishes like enmoladas (mole enchiladas), tortilla soup, and grasshopper tlayuda — a sort of Mexican pizza — will fill your heart and belly like never before.

Where: Calle de Manuel García Vigil 617, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

8. Criollo

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Criollo's space envelops you in simple luxury, and its mouthwatering cuisine aims to honor traditional cooking techniques of Oaxaca, nodding to the Zapotec region of Istmo de Tehuantepec. Inventive dishes with locally sourced produce are a staple of their ever-changing menu, creations of chefs Luis Arellano and Enrique Olvera, owner of award-winning restaurant Pujol. Criollo is *the* perfect spot to enjoy a colorful, hearty brunch.

Where: Francisco I. Madero 129, Santa María del Marquesado, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

9. Tierra del Sol Casa Restaurante

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Corn and huitlacoche cake "clouds," red snapper doused in mole verde, and braised octopus with chicatana (flying ant!) macha salsa (rich sauce made with chili and nuts) are only a few of the many incredible dishes you can try at Tierra del Sol. The restaurant emphasizes Mixtec gastronomy and has been recognized as a must-visit gourmet destination.

Where: Reforma 411, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

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Ocean landscape. Beautiful watercolor hand painting illustration.

10. Restaurante Alfonsina

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Inconspicuously tucked in the tiny town of San Juan Bautista la Raya in the outskirts of Oaxaca, Alfonsina is the brainchild of renowned chef Jorge León and typically offers a superb five-course menu. A tribute to the regional cuisine, the food at Alfonsina displays exquisite simplicity and is meant to give you all the feels. Items can include a ceviche tostada, tamales, shrimp with white mole, and wild mushroom tostadas. The corn used is milled at the restaurant and elevates every dish where it's present.

Where: Calle García Vigil 183, San Juan Bautista la Raya, Oax., Mexico

11. Tlacolula Market

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The best way to enjoy a Sunday in Oaxaca is to head to colorful open-air Tlacolula Market on an empty stomach. You'll find divine barbacoa (slowly cooked meat), memelas (think of them as open-faced quesadillas), baked goods, and an ancient toasted corn-and-cacao drink called tejate, a true delicacy of the region.

Where: 70400 int mercado municipal, 70400 Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oax., Mexico

12. San Antonino Castillo Velasco

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Prepare to reconsider your definition of an empanada, 'cause your head will spin when you take a bite of one of the giant, crunchy empanadas of the town of San Antonino Castillo Velasco, located about an hour south of Oaxaca. The most famous variation is simply referred to as "de amarillo" and typically includes yellow mole in the stuffing as well as different seasonings. If you make the trip, don't forget to sip on some chocolate atole, an exquisite corn-and-chocolate drink, during your journey.

Where: along the streets of San Antonino Castillo Velasco, Oaxaca, Mexico

13. Santo Tomás Jalieza

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You haven't really tried tamales until you've had them in nearby municipality Santo Tomás Jalieza. The town boasts a wide array of garnachas, or street food, including tasajo (dried beef cooked over wood fire), purple corn tortillas and tostadas, and tamales on tamales on tamales. One thing you've got to try? Tamales de mole!

Where: along the streets of Santo Tomás Jalieza, Oaxaca, Mexico

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