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La Olla

4.2 (78 reviews)
ModerateMexican
Open 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

La Olla Photos

LA OLLA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - La Olla

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Reviews With Photos

Abby B.

We went to La Olla on a whim because we were feeling indecisive for dinner. We did arrive pretty early (somewhere around 5) and they were able to seat us easily. They have a lot of unique corn-based dishes, so we tried the taquitos de quesillo, comal de maíz, tamal oaxaqueño, and the flan (I think it changes seasonally - ours had popcorn on it). We loved how simple and flavorful each dish was. It was a great meal to end our trip to Oaxaca!

Mole negro
Rachel H.

Chef Pilar Cabrera brilliantly showcases traditional Oaxacan cuisine - from mole to squash flowers to chapulines - in a quiet, unassuming nook off the busy streets of the city. The flavors are bold, the textures balanced, and the quality worthy of a Michelin bib. A plus is having plenty of vegetarian options, without sacrificing the taste. Highly recommend.

Guacamole with dried fish. Very interesting, I loved it!
Mandi S.

We were the only ones there, think we were a bit early for dinner. Very cute spot with bright decorations. Food was fresh and great. Staff was super friendly. Our Spanish is little to none and their English the same. We made it work and shared many laughs in the meantime. Loved the guaq with dried fish.

Suzie L.

Good food We had a lovely dinner at this restaurant where we tried a couple of dishes for the first time. We loved our guacamole with tlayudas, and we tried the chapulinas (grasshoppers) and mole for the first time. The chapulinas and mole were not really to our taste, but the food was beautifully cooked and presented and the staff were really lovely. We did think that the portions were a little small!

A very local-flair ambiance
Hugh N.

Absolutely one of my favorites local flairs... the decors, foos tasting, fresh ingredients, super friendly staff, and absolute simple menu. A party of 6 was easily handled & enjoyed the whole time. I have tried a few places in the area, but this one really prompted me with this urgency of a review. It is absolutely recommended for all the Yelpers. Be a good and responsible visitor: to make reservations, to show up, to be respectful with the staff, to take your time & enjoy the whole dining experience, be patient with the pace (appreciative of what it has to offer = enjoy the moment), and order dessert . Happy travel & Dining !

Mole Amarillo de camarón
Paul L.

Increíble. Sin duda la mejor comida que tuve en Oaxaca. Las sopa de flor de calabaza era increíble y el mole amarillo de camarones es para morirse. También el mole negro tuvo un sabor *bien* suave. Bravo Pilar Cabrera!

Vegetarian tamale with pumpkin,  masa and spices
Linda M.

We walked by here a couple of days earlier and were warned that you must make a reservation in order to eat here. We arrived on time, or at least the time we had in our calendar only to be told they had given away our table. They did ask us to wait a little bit and within 5 minutes they had a table [felt a little like they want you to think it's very exclusive]; food overall was excellent ; very inventive and nicely presented. Reasons it's not 5 star? You can only have their cocktails, or beer or non alcoholic cocktail which are both expensive and not terribly good despite two bartenders (margaritas for instance will not be made but you can have a cilantro mojito); service is just okay, server didn't spend much time explaining complex dishes; despite higher prices, cheapest paper napkins... this in the capital of all woven materials in all of Mexico! Clearly caters to Americans who want to tick it off their list.

Easy to get to from anywhere in Centro.
Perry S.

La Olla is a great choice for lunch or dinner in Centro. Be aware that you have to share the stairs to the upper-level dining area with the wait staff bringing food up from the kitchen. Once you're seated, expect a pleasant dining experience, beginning with a pleasant waitstaff all the way to a delicious meal. The guac was excellent and served with both bread and tortillas (not chips). The shrimp were huge and very flavorful and the chicken soup was fabulous --served in a copper kettle with 2 handles-- the broth rich and flavorful, the chicken and vegies abundant. We saved room for dessert and loved the flan, served with a swirl of chocolate sauce. La Olla is a must-stop on the list of excellent Oaxacan restaurants.

El mole negro y el platillo de enchiladas coloraditas

Muy rico los moles y me gusto que venia con tortillas y un arroz muy rico. Las aguas de Jamaica y horchata sabían súper diluidas pero el servicio era de lo mejor. La decoración también estaba súper bonita!

Marifel D.

Finger lickin' good!! We ordered lengua with green sauce and beef with mole. Meat were very juicy and tender. Beef tongue were tender and no bad taste which shows it was cleaned and cooked properly. The blue tortilla was tasty. It's just home cooking for sure! Also the kitchen was clean. I would have given them 5 stars but the rice was a fail. Too soggy. Service amazing too!!!

Organic salad

Really good! Renowned chef Pilar Cabrera gives cooking classes- which I am annoyed I couldn't work into my trip. Famous for their moles - I had the Chichilo with steak. The Chichilo was very bitter but was outstanding with bites of the steak. I LOVED the organic salad. One of the best salads I ever ate. Oaxaca is a great town with spectacular food. It's easy to just eat market and street food- so fantastic and ridiculously cheap. This place felt like a splurge (if $20 after tip is a splurge), but it was a wonderful place and a memorable meal

Brew and a view

Great rooftop to relax and enjoy a drink or two. Guac was Mole enchiladas were really good too

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Photo of Alessia E.
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8 years ago

Not bad but also not great. Service is slow and the food is good, but it took 30 min to get drinks and then get the food. Lots of tourists..

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6 years ago

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9 years ago

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

Loved this place. They make a great hot choclate.

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10 years ago

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La Olla Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - La Olla

The food is traditional Oaxacan and beautifully prepared with freshest ingredients by chef Pilar Cabrera, a noted Oaxacan chef.

Mentioned in 3 reviews

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Sabina Sabe - Burger and Fries

Sabina Sabe

4.4(112 reviews)
0.2 km
$$

I came here for the renowned drinks but also ended up loving their food! It's a super cute spot…read morewith tiles and open balcony doors. We were able to get a seat right away and the servers were super helpful. My friend wanted to try some mezcal and they let us taste a couple before choosing. We sat at the restaurant instead of the bar because it was cuter and I wanted food too. I tried two of their fruity mezcal drinks and loved both. I forget the names but one had watermelon, and the other had coconut and lime. I ordered cheese stuffed plantains with mole and this was soooo good. It was very filling too!

Sabina Sabe is a popular restaurant and bar located in the city center of Oaxaca. It was recently…read moreon the list of North America's 50 Best Bars. I thought it was funny when I got the menu and the food menu was only one page while the drink menu was five pages. The outside of the restaurant is blue-ish and the restaurant has multiple rooms. The ceviche del dia ($190 MXN) was a little sweet and not as tart or sour as others I've had. The tacos de sirloin ($170) were really good and were our group's favorite. The taquitos dorados de mole negro ($140) were okay; there was no meat just in case you were wondering. The aguachile rojo de camaron ($190) were good. The esquite con tuetano ($100) was not like a typical corn in a cup but it was closer to a corn soup. For drinks I had the pequeño gigante ($210) which was good. The paloma madura and paloma margarita were both favorites among our group. We went during the day and it wasn't that busy but supposedly it gets way busier and livelier at night.

Photos
Sabina Sabe - Gorgeous bar and great bartenders

Gorgeous bar and great bartenders

Sabina Sabe
Sabina Sabe

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La Olla - mexican - Updated May 2026

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