10 Mexican Dishes You Need to Try in PXM and Where to Get the Best (6-10, Part 2 of 2)
I've been eating all over Puerto Escondido for five years, and below you'll find some of my very favorite bites in town.
Puerto Escondido is delicious.
Because of that, this piece ended up taking me longer than anything else I’ve published for Sobre Puerto Escondido, and in the process, it became so long that it wouldn’t fit in a single email.
Now, it’s my first two-part publication on Substack, and overflowing with the most delicious places and dishes in Puerto Escondido—like the salsa falling out of an overstuffed taco.
Read on to discover numbers 6 through 10, on our march to 10 classic Mexican dishes you need to try in Puerto Escondido, and where to find the best!
The Insider Info section features a surprising spot for my favorite Tortas anywhere in Puerto Escondido! Shout out to my small group of paid subscribers who get access to those sections, and who help keep me motivated to spend hours collecting info, writing, and eating. Well, the eating is the fun bit!
6. Chilaquiles
I’m a massive fan of Chilaquiles. In fact, the first type of food I decided to review for this newsletter back in 2022 was Chilaquiles, because I wanted an excuse to eat them everywhere and often.
I’ll keep this section short because you can read the full review here. The top two on that list are still my go-to spots, and I’ll give you a third one that I recently discovered that ranks up there.
My top spot is still Nativo, a classic Mexican kitchen in the heart of La Punta, now surrounded by some of the fanciest stuff in the neighborhood (it shares a border with Hotel Humano). Their chilaquiles plates are huge, delicious, and affordable. The chipotle mayo (that you might have to ask for) is so good.
Tistal, a small patio on the carratera across from the big Ahorro pharmacy, is also still one of my favorites. The portions are a bit smaller, but everything they serve is super high quality, and the view is unreal. It’s a great date spot.
My newest chilaquiles obsession is Jardin Zicaru. They serve massive plates, and it doesn’t get much better for the price, portion, and tang (I always go green, because of that combination of spicy and tangy).
I’m also a huge fan of Jardin Zicaru as a business, because they support Sostenible PXM as both a plastic recycling location and as a free water refill location. Write to Sostebible PXM’s instagram account if you want more info on joining the free water refill network to helpo reduce the waste our community generates.
7. Birria y Quesabirria
Birria is having a moment.
Based on my social media feed, it seems this Mexican delicacy is blowing up all over the States and other parts of the world. That’s because it’s absolutely delicious.
Traditional birria is made from stewed goat meat, but sometimes beef or other proteins are used. Quesabirria is just birria meat with cheese melted into the tortilla. Also, all good birria spots serve consomé (the broth from the stew), which you can dip your tacos in, and then finish on its own as a tangy, spicy, rich soup.
There’s a family-run place called Taqueria Alverado just off the carretera that only opens Friday through Sunday, and is famous for its quesabirria. They make a huge batch, which normally runs out around 1-2 pm, so get there before noon to make sure you can get your order in. This is the type of restaurant that will make anyone fall more in love with Puerto Escondido.
Also, La Patrona, right on the highway near the main entrance to La Punta, has a big menu with a ton of delicious options, including birria. Everything at La Patrona is well-done and fresh, including the birria.
8. Mariscos
Unless you’re a strict vegetarian, you have to devour as much fresh seafood as possible while in Puerto Escondido. Marsico dishes and restaurants are generally on the more expensive side (makes sense, because the fishermen need to get paid too), but for a weekend treat, it’s more than worth it.
I’ve highlighted El Bunker de JP in my newsletter a number of times, which is one of my favorite places on earth, but there are so many great marisco places with more options, so let me share 3 of my favorites here.
La Morena—This was one of the first restaurant experiences I had in PXM that blew my mind. They’ve changed locations since I first found them, but they’re still slinging incredible tostadas de atun (my favorite) y tostadas de pascado marinado (their signature dish), along with every other seafood dish you could think of, including: aguachile, pescadillas, tiritas, sashimi, caldo de camarón, filet de pescado, cocktail de camarón, camarones de diabla, y mas.
La Mariinera—I was told by half a dozen people that I had to try this spot before I finally stopped in for some tostadas with a friend one sunset. After the first bite, I completely understood why it comes so highly recommended. All of their tostadas, ceviches, and taco options are unbelievably tasty, but their signature is the shrimp curry tostada. It’s a flavor explosion and a unique flavor profile compared to everything else in town.
Restaurante El Curandero—This place just remodeled and expanded to both sides of their intersection, so you know the food is good! They’re a long-standing institution in the heart of Puerto (sort of between Centro and Rinconada), and I recently stopped in for the first time. I only had a quick beer and a tostada, but one was freezing cold and the other was fresh and spicy.
El Curandero also offers coco-fried shrimp, Puerto’s signature dish mentioned in Part 1!
Check out this adventure guide to Agua Blanca, my favorite weekend day trip for great seafood on the coast. Every restaurant in that town serves incredibly fresh and affordable seafood, which you can slowly eat while swaying in a hammock and looking out at the ocean.
9. Alambre
After a recent softball game, the team stopped at La Patrona for a celebratory feast. A few people ordered Alambre for the first time, and they kept saying, “It’s like fajitas.”
The comparison is easily made because you get a pile of steaming food and a stack of tortillas. I love the eating experience because you can just use the tortillas to snatch the perfect taco fillings from the plate.
Alambre is described as a “skillet dish,” in which a bunch of taco ingredients are cooked together, and then plated in a big, steamy, delicious pile. It’s a good time, and always a lot of food, so a great order if you’re starving. There are three spots I can recommend for smashing an alambre.
Taqueria Tacomer—I covered this place in my “5 Great Centro Restaurants” post, and it’s my favorite spot for Alambre. It’s affordable, delicious, humongous, and the 10+ staff members they always have working are always having the best time.
La Patrona—As mentioned, they do everything well. It’s a great spot for a group, because it’s a big place with a huge menu, including delicious alambre.
Mi Pueblito Taqueria—This place is mentioned in the Tlayuda section above, but they have amazing burritos and alambre as well. Whenever I go, most people seem to be ordering the alambre, which is a great choice if you’re hungry.
10. Tortas
You might be thinking this one seems pretty simple, seeing as how torta in Mexico just means “sandwich.” However, if you’ve ever had a torta that changed your entire afternoon, then you know why I feel compelled to include this classic in the list.
It’s a basic lunch for kids in Mexico, but tortas can also be incredibly special (like at La Torta Loca in Guadalajara pictured above). Not to mention, my Insider Info below is about a surprising but delicious Torta spot in town, so it’s a natural segue.
My favorite PXM place for a full menu of quality tortas is Tortas de Poncho in La Punta. I can’t decide if their branding or food is better—both are top tier. Check out their massive menu of tasty sandwiches for an affordable, quick lunch in a comfortable environment. My go-to is always the milanesa with whatever agua de dia they have prepared that day.
Also, most Mexican restaurants will serve tortas, including most taco joints (it’s basically just putting the same ingredients in bread instead of a tortilla), so give it a go when you want to switch things up.
For example, El Cafecito, one of Puerto’s most famous restaurants, has a full torta section in its giant menu (pictured above).
If there are other Mexican dishes you think I should have included here, please let me know in the comments. I thought about adding tomales or enfrijoladas, and if there are enough good ideas for a part 3, I’ll do it!
Insider Info: The surprising location of the best tortas around!
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