On my exploration of Oxen cuisine, I came across La Popular so my group and I checked it out. There was no wait and we were able to be seated right away. It is quite cozy inside with dim lighting to make it more ambient. When it was time to order the waitress came and was really friendly to all of the members from our large group. I was quite hungry so I ordered an aqua Fresca, a tostada, and a torta. I ordered an Agua Fresca de Pepino con Limon and it was so refreshing and delicious. However, I did order it without ice since I find that drinks are usually already cold as is and don't need ice, this was a mistake. The flavor was spot on, however it was room temperature, which could have been avoided if I did add ice. The torta that I ordered was of chorizo. There were plenty of toppings and the bread was really nice and fluffy. The chorizo was was actually very oily which did take away from the flavor and made the inside quite mushy and soggy. If you do order a torta, I would suggest getting a different protein than chorizo. I also ordered a tostada de pulpo. I was very thrown off as the seafood and the octopus in it were slightly warm. To my understanding, seafood should be refrigerated and kept cool so it does not go bad so I was slightly concerned as it felt like it had been sitting outside for a while. The flavor was not great either, quite bland like there were no seasonings or preparation from the octopus or the rest of the toppings. read more

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We had stumbled upon this lovely lively establishment on our way to pregame before our fancy dinner at Los Danzantes. No one had really came to greet or seat us. We had gone in and sat ourselves. Only then did they came by with menus. Most of the drinks were tasty! I personally loved their thai inspired cocktail with basil lit up to create a nice aroma. Paired beautifully. read more

La Popular - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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Not sure how this is ended up on our must try list, likely we were poorly influenced. The space is cute and intimate. The entrance can be awkward to find as all openings looked like windows and/or were roped off. Anyway, we were quickly seated and enjoyed a table next to a window that allowed us to people watch as we had the first dinner of our trip. Place was cute enough if you, like us, get dropped off from your walking tour in an unfamiliar area. However, the food was nothing spectacular. I had the pozole verde with chicken because it was advertised as one of their specials but I did not understand why, it was fine but it needed all the things and then some. My advice if you find yourselves in a similar situation... order drinks and enjoy appetizers here as you research where else to have dinner. read more

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Drinks took a while to make, but the balance of flavors on the cocktails are great. Mojito was well balanced and mezcal pineapple was refreshing, sweet and well balanced. Best cocktail so far in oaxaca. read more

La Popular - Mezcal pinneapple - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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Stumbled upon this place for a quick lunch, and it did not disappoint! It's in a centrally located area in the historic district of Oaxaca, and it was very open and uncrowded when I went for lunch. I ordered the garlic, shrimp platter, and a tostada with some hibiscus juice. Everything was fresh and delicious, I loved the flavors and how colorful everything was, you can really tell that they cook with great ingredients. The service felt a little slow, not the best place, if you are in a rush, but the food makes it all forgivable! The menu is huge and very accommodating for vegetarians if you like mushrooms. read more

La Popular - Shrimp tostada - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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A little hidden gem. Hole in the wall type of vibes. Interior art is interesting, a lot of naked women and boobs. Food is good and it was near our hotel so this was a major plus for last minute meals and snacks. Their horchata is good. My sister enjoyed their shrimp plate and my son absolutely loved their chicken soup. I had the flor de calabaza quesadillas and they were a bit too salty. They paired it with guacamole which helped remove the saltiness. I wouldn't mind coming back here. It does get super packed later in the day, it's a restaurant bar. Cons- no high chair Tight seating Small place read more

La Popular - Horchata - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

Excellent prices and menu. Really enjoyed the meal drink selection. The food was quite remarkable. read more

La Popular - Menu March 2023 - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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Good food, great prices and friendly staff! All the Mexican classics plus great soups!! And don't forget the awesome perro! read more

La Popular - Cool dog of the house - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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Toxic machismo vibes from the waiter, would not recommend. Good was good otherwise and they left out cloves to help with all the flies. read more

I am sitting here now watching every person who came in 15-20 minutes after get served while we sit here for almost 40 minutes. We have eaten here before and like the food and the vibe. But this was just rude. We were the only foreigners in the place..... read more

Service was quick, food was priced very good. Stopped in for a quick shared meal. Got the Greek salad which wasn't entirely what I expected, but was looking for something light and fresh and it delivered that. Also for the torta and French fries which both were great! Would recommend this place for a casual stop in. They had plenty of options for food and everything was tasty! read more

Delicious! Outstanding ceviche served with plenty of avocado and fried blue corn tortillas. Cold beer, strong drinks and fun artwork (like SpongeBob on acid). read more

La Popular - Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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Huge fan of La Popular! I actually stopped by because I loved their logo on the outside of the building, but when I realized it served food, I stopped in for my late lunch. The servers were very young and knowledgable about the food options and the food was inexpensive and of good quality. I could imagine coming here more often if I were local. Try the pork tacos! And, of course, order a Victoria beer to go with it! read more

La Popular - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

Our tour guide brought us here as one of his favorite places. Great food, terrific low price, really enjoyed the sangria and streetscape view. The wait staff was lovely and helpful. Perfect for us and our kids. read more

We had a delicious dinner here at about 9pm on a Thursday night. The restaurant was full when we arrived, so we were told to wait outside for 20 minutes to open up. After waiting about 15 minutes, we were seated at probably the best table in the house, which was in the open door facing the sidewalk. The waiters didn't really speak any English, but they did have an English menu for us and we were able to communicate fairy easily. I had an excellent seafood tlayuda. It was gigantic (maybe the size of a 14" pizza) and topped with generous amounts of tender octopus, shrimp, Oaxaca cheese, and veggies. It was delicious and huge. Since I didn't know how big the tlayuda was going to be, I also ordered a bowl of chicken soup. It was pretty much the same as a comforting American chicken rice soup. Squeezing a bit of lime into it made it taste a similar to a Vietnamese pho ga. Overall we had a very good dinner at a very affordable price. read more

La Popular - Seafood tlayuda - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

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Tiny restaurant serving cheap but good simple Oaxaca dishes and good drinks. Nothing special here, but still an institution. As the name indicates, it is very busy at times, but we went twice, no problem. Great spot for a quick or leisurely lunch. read more

Delicious food. Quick service. Fun, lively energy amongst the staff and customers. We ordered a fish soup, pozole, and a Greek salad. So yummy. Full of flavor. Highly highly recommend. read more

La Popular - Pozole on the left, Greek salad beside it. Salsas to mix in! - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

Genuinely dreadful food, don't be fooled by the great vibes and ambiance in there. The food genuinely stinks, you'd have to pay me to eat it again. Worst food on our two week trip in Mexico, luckily it was probably the only bad meal we had. read more

I really enjoyed the vibe here! It is a great ambiance with nice decor, great music, and the perfect lighting! I thought that the food and drinks were underwhelming. I did not enjoy the Malbec that I ordered and the food, while a large and generous portion, could have definitely been better (it is a high bar here in Oaxaca!) Overall I recommend this for the vibe and the prices are reasonable for the center read more

Excellent food at a good price. Great location. Really friendly staff. Got out 20 bottled beers to help us decide what to order.

Great spot for tasty, simple fare. Service is quick, portions are generous and the staff are very friendly.

So underwhelmed. Octopus was rubbery I couldn't eat it. Eggplant was chewy. How does that happen? Service was good. But they didn't realize the octopus was bad and it remained on the bill. So a loss of a star for the lack of self awareness. read more

We were looking for a casual place to have dinner around 8:30pm on a Sunday night and randomly came across La Popular thanks to yelp and had a great dinner here! We got lucky and a couple tables cleared right as we got there, so they were able to push a few tables together to seat our group of nine. Food wasn't fancy but was very good. I shared a seafood tlayuda with a friend, and I think it was probably my favorite tlayuda that I had in Oaxaca. Pretty much everyone in our group enjoyed their food! read more

La Popular - Seafood tlayuda, very good! - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

Great ambience, totally great vibe from the laughing waitress, unimpressed by the food and drink. But Oaxaca sets a high bar. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but followed Rex's for seafood tostada, which I found to be only Meh. read more

Lovely spot away from tourist traps. Lots of local people and a hip fun environment. Had the grasshopper sauce ceviche, delicious! I did wait quite some time for the food arrive, didn't bother me but different from other places I went to. Think the waiters were understaff maybe. A must go if you enjoy good food, especially the pescatarian options are great! read more

I absolutely love this place!! Price is little more expensive than what you can get around this city, but food is amazingly good, and also the drinks! The manager/chef was so nice as well read more

La Popular - Plato Oaxaqueno - Mexican Near Me - Oaxaca, OAX

People must recommend this spot to tourists. If you want to hear people speaking English while you dine, you'll find them here. The food was a let-down. My husband's tlayuda toppings were good, but the tortilla itself was stale, which made the entire dish taste bad. My beef was cooked in a sauce that I disliked, and they were out of the side I wanted. My husband had gotten tacos here and thought they were good, so go for those. The ambiance is pretty "hipster" and loud, though college-aged folks seemed to be having fun. Service was okay. For me, this was a big miss, but if you want to be seen and stick to the tacos, it could be okay. read more

The almond ceviche was off the hook! The ambiance is cozy and the service was great. It's right across from a square with artisans and at times live events. read more

A hidden gem! Wonderful menu, food and service. Been there twice so far and will be back again. A fraction of the cost of high end restaurants and every bit as good or better food. Make sure you give this one a try!! read more

Really enjoyed my meal here. For that veggie craving you can get after too many tlayudas and moles, they have a salad of grilled veggies. Really good, nice portion. With ceviche which I wouldn't rave about but it did hit the spot. It's a bit noisy with music and close quarters but worth a visit! read more

Tremendous food. Try the appetizers mixed. The cheese is amazing. Octopus was good. Went twice during my stay in oaxaca.

We got a combo plate, octopus salad, cerviche, a ham leg, and many beers here. My favorite was the ham hock, cheeses, and the chiccaron.

A mediocre spot. It is well rated, but I would disagree. Wish I had read the review that stated the food wasn't that great, but he didn't want to give it low stars to decrease their status. (Rate honestly people! We're counting on you!) We had the ash sauce ceviche, eggplant option in the "entrees" section, and the vegetarian tlayuda. The tlayuda was the only dish I would eat again if I had to eat there, but it wasn't something I would go back just to get. The ash sauce ceviche had a nice, unique flavor, but the fish didn't seem to have been "cooked" by traditional ceviche methods and was room temp. Yikes! Menu was cute. read more

Discovered this place accidentally and were delighted to see a large selection of vegetarian dishes, so rare in oaxaca. A simple place with lots of ambiance, mix of tourists and locals. Food really good and not fancy, I had a vegetarian mixed plate, my husband a vegetarian tlayuda, with tortillas and home made salsas. With 2 beers, a total of 300 pessos. Best quality/price ratio of our visit to oaxaca. They also serve breakfast. read more

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The octopus tacos and shrimp tacos is so delish!!!! It doesnt have cilantro but you can ask.

Fun place for an inexpensive meal. You share tables there and I've met some very interesting people from all over the world. The food may not be great, but it can be pretty good. Had a shrimp dish there the last time and it was not very good. The other dishes have been pretty good. read more

Located on the corner of Garcia Vigil and Carranza, it has a great view of the Carmen Alto park. The decoration is Mexican with a touch of modern style with great pieces of art hanging on the walls. And about the food, the chef is very creative and always has amazing things. I've been here a couple of times and had the chance to try a variety of the vegetarian menu, it always amazes me, definitely a great place to try oaxacan vegetarian meals without just eating quesillo or related "vegetarian" stuff. read more

This is a cute place that is relatively affordable, but did not impress in terms of value or taste of food. Also, if you're looking for a quiet place, this is not where you want to find yourself. There are better and cheaper options in Oaxaca, but La Popular is fine. read more

Skip the fancy restaurants up the block, the food here is excellent and authentic. One of our favorites on our second trip to Oaxaca.

Sorry but this restaurant is not Oaxacan at all. Food is not very tasty. I'm giving it 4 stars just because I don't want to be the one who brings down their ratings. Service was excellent. I had sopa de pollo and a vegetarian tlayuda. Sopa was like Grandma's soup ok but not great. Tortillas were good. Tlayuda was worst one I've had in Oaxaca. It had olives tomatoes zucchini etc. very non-traditional. Place was full of Americans. Maybe something else was better. read more