Antojitos mexicanos is a broad term for a variety of appetizing snacks typical of our country. In general, they are made with a corn base, but can also include other things like telera in the case of pambazos (a flat bread roll to make this style of sandwich). Mexico City is peppered with small street stalls offering these delicacies prepared on the heat of a large comal. Although they are typical street fare, antojitos can also be found on restaurant menus, generally as appetizers.
The most common antojitos are quesadillas, tacos, gorditas, tlacoyos, pambazos, empanadas, memelas, tostadas, tlayudas, elotes, garnachas, and esquites, though the list goes on. Here are eight places we recommend for a tasty snack binge.
Expendio de Maíz
This small restaurant in the heart of Roma is a unique antojería known for its food and its vision. Owner Jesús Tornés draws from his connection to the countryside and seeks to recover the use of regional ingredients towards a cuisine based around traditional native dishes using small producers. Here, the menu is creative and changing based on the ingredients that are available. No matter what you are served, be it gorditas, tacos, or memelas, everything that comes out of this rustic kitchen built with volcanic rock and crowned by an epic steaming comal, is exquisite.
Yucatán 84, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc
T. 55 2498 9964
IG. @exp_maiz
El Bajío
A classic for Mexican food and, more specifically, antojitos. The menu has a section dedicated to “antojitos de banqueta” offering variety and quality. We can recommend the pickled pig’s trotters and the plantain empanadas. El Bajío is home to many regional dishes of Mexico, Veracruz in particular, which is why the antojitos you find here aren’t typically available in other Mexico City restaurants, delicacies like Xico-style crab tacos or garnachas orizabeñas.
Insurgentes Sur, 800, Del Valle, Benito Juárez
T. 55 5543 1037
IG. @restelbajio
Gastronomía Mágica en la Roma
For more than twenty years, this stall has been serving tasty antojitos in the Roma neighborhood. Anchored on the corner of Córdoba and Álvaro Obregón, Gastronomía Mágica en la Roma represents the typical CDMX street fare – the dough for the blue corn tortillas prepared right next to a giant comal on one side that heats the pambazos, tlayudas, sopes, and quesadillas. On the other, a table with all the day’s guisados (stews). There’s usually a crowd, but we recommend taking you time just as they do with each preparation. Always worth it for the flavors. Order a cecina taco with chicharrón prensado (pressed pork rind). The pambazos, a sandwich whose bread has been dipped in a guajillo pepper sauce before hitting the grill, are excellent.
Esquina de Córdoba y Álvaro Obregrón, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc
Esquites Durango
This esquites stand became a hit for their incredible combinations paired with a fun Instagram campaign. Made with cacahuazintle corn kernels, they offer a variety of options to garnish your esquites – butter, mayonnaise, grasshoppers, pepitas, chips, Japanese peanuts, and cheese. Choose from their salsas of piquín with lemon, habanero, peanut, or macha. They also have elotes and tlayudas, among other snacks. A perfect stop to quell any craving.
Tonalá 28, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc
IG. @esquitesdurango
La Montejo
La Montejo is a splendid cantina in Condesa and that is not gratuitous. The food and service are so good that the table conversation can go on for hours. The antojitos like panuchos de cazón, papadzules, or stuffed cheese are partly to blame. The portions are generous and well priced.
Benjamín Franklin, 261-A, Condesa, Cuauhtémoc
T. 55 5516 5851
Mercado de antojitos de Coyoacán
A visit to this market is a culinary journey that deserves a few hours of dedication. Start the day early with healthy juices and fresh fruits before giving in to any and all cravings. From tasty tacos to freshly made tlacoyos, there is an infinite number of stalls specializing in gorditas and quesadillas. This market is the perfect place to get to know the different types of traditional food in CDMX. We highly recommend Las Tostadas Originales de Coyoacán, easily recognizable for the large crowd it attracts daily.
Higuera 10, La Concepción, Coyoacán
Barra Alipús
For a visit south to the center of Tlalpan, it’s a good idea to start with some delicious Mexican snacks, and Barra Alipús is perfect for botanitas and mezcal. Offering Oaxacan cuisine, every appetizer is full of flavor and originality. They have a wide range of typical antojitos, but the stand outs are those representing their Oaxacan origins, for example, the hoja de santa stuffed with quesillo in chile meco sauce, the garnachas istmeñas or the memelas oaxaqueñas (ask for them with tasajo) are all mouth-wateringly good.
Guadalupe Victoria 15, Centro de Tlalpan, Tlalpan
T. 55 6363 4375
IG. @barraalipus
La Coyoacana
They say “La Coyoacana has it all” and they aren’t wrong. One of Coyoacán’s favorite spots, the extensive menu and cocktail bar make it the perfect place to go for a snack – delicious sopes and tlacoyos, the cazuelitas with poblano peppers and cream or tacos costeños. While La Coyoacana’s lively vibes make it an ideal place to meet up with friends or family, it gets crowded on weekends and they don’t accept reservations, so try to arrive early and enjoy the charming patio.
Higuera 14, La Concepción, Coyoacán
T. 55 5658 5337
