On our 21 day Yucatecan culinary quest, we ventured all throughout Centro Mèrida, and feel ready to…read morecrown the prized Cochinita Pibil winner. Taqueria La Lupita - Congratulations on your victory! To the uninitiated, let's spend a moment on discussing the regionally renowned Cochinita Pibil. This is a slow-cooked pork dish, made as a hybrid of traditional Mayan and more modern New World techniques, much as its name is a hybrid of Spanish (cochinta = little pig) and Mayan (pib = pit-cooked) itself. Traditionally it's cooked while wrapped in banana leaves, flavored with spices (especially achiote) and left in an underground pit oven for a LONG time. When done properly, it's a juicy, tangy, savory, delight that can go in a taco, a torta, or whatever you fancy. Taqueria La Lupita does serious volumes of business, and a highlight is certainly their cochinita pibil. But, they are more than a one-trick caballo. During our extended stay, we visited TLL several times, and got to try both form factors (tacos, salbutes, panuchos, tortas, polcan) as well as meats (cochinita pibil, relleno negro, lechon al horno, escabeche). We still couldn't try everything, and certainly not every combination. But we sure loved our experience throughout, even for the items that were not notable winners. This place is popular for all the right reasons: Deliciousness, variety, service, value, experience. Even when it was a bit busy, they have a lot of tables, and we had really good service there. Don't get discouraged by a little wait time...it's the best option we found in Santiago Plaza/Market. Some places in Mèrida may have struggled to maintain their experience after being highlighted by Netflix or Youtube programs, but Taqueria La Lupita has stayed true, and we couldn't have been more delighted by our visits there. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Unfortunately, It was not worth the hype for me. Bland and hard tortillas. Not for me.read more

I really liked what this place was trying to do in bringing a modern food hall concept, but it felt…read morea little forced, and the food was just average. I did like the ambiance and live music, and people were friendly, but in a city filled with great food, there are better places to go.

Mercado 60 is a great and inviting space to meet friends or acquaintances. There is a lot of open…read moreseating and various vendors with all sorts of delicious eats and treats to partake in. Matter of fact there are 18 different culinary options. PRO TIP: If you're going on the weekend, get there early to grab and chair and tabletop. The staff is super attentive and it's incredible people-watching. PRO TIP 2: There are not a lot of vegan options but some dishes and plates can be veganized, just ask the vendor from one of the many options. Some nights there are live bands or beer yoga! and other special events so check out their website. I really enjoyed Mercado 60 and can't wait to go back for more eats and cold beers.

Gibba is a glorified food stand on the side of the road serving Arab/Mayan fusion…read more I ordered the taco árabe, a "taco" made with pita bread. The filling had a unique mix of meat and cheese which was absolutely delicious! The mix of flavors were unlike anything I have had anywhere in the 27 states of Mexico where I have traveled. They were big and filling enough two was all I could eat. There are some tables if you can find an empty one (this place is popular among locals). The only reason I don't think it's great for kids is because of the location on the side of the road. It's very informal. Food is served on plastic plates covered with plastic bags. This is not a yuppie place, but has amazing food at cheap prices. Cash only. I would definitely go back for more!

Si tienes hambre, mucha y antojo de algo no tan saludable, o bien tu presupuesto no es muy amplio…read more. Este es el lugar que estabas buscando! Te explico rapidito: tienen los clásicos tacos árabes, están bien, pero no son la gran cosa. Tienen sus especialidades que son tacos con queso hecho con tortillas de chipotle o de jalapeño (no son picantes, sólo le dan un sabor diferente). Ya sea en versión gringa o versión burrito, pide uno de estos, son una delicia! Si no eres muy comelón, dos tacos harán la faena.. Si eres de buen diente: prueba los burros y complementa con tacos o mejor aún pídete una bizza (tamaño pizza individual con pan árabe). No es tan difícil elegir: carne con chorizo verde y rojo. Complementa con salsas: chipotle, ajo, verde o roja y disfruta!