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Recommended Reviews - Xokol
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Xokol is a highly recommended restaurant that I didn't find that appealing. I think it tried a little too hard but I found the food pretentious instead of tasty. We got several dishes, and the vegetarian option was probably the best! The dessert was not good. The portions are not very big but it is a very pricey restaurant The restaurant itself is very cool- it is one giant table that you share with others. The decor is very dark and has a lot of apothecary decor The service was fine
I try to do one "fancy" dinner every time I'm in Mexico and Xokol was my pick for Guadalajara from the get go! It's a communal style table so you're close to others even if you dine alone but it's not bad. Definitely book in advance tho!The 12 course tasting menu is the way to go! Every dish has incredible presentation and team takes time to explain each ingredient's origin, which adds so much meaning to the experience! It was love at first bite for me, every dish was incredibly delicious and even things I normally wouldn't eat like caviar, were integrated so well into the dishes that everything was an explosion of flavor. The staff was very attentive and a joy. 1000% recommend!
This was a great tasting menu for the price point, there is no doubt about that. At the equivalent of about $85 you will leave stuffed. Not every dish was a hit, but 3 (a charcoal-grilled oyster with clarified butter, a ceviche with blue spirulina, and a fish dish over mole) were top tier. Even the dishes I didn't love were inventive at least (eg there was a crab and elote dish that imo didn't work at all but I appreciated the attempt). Service was excellent, pacing of the courses was on par with Michelin-starred dining. My complaints are minimal but: 1. There was no menu. I understand tasting menus can change daily or even multiple times a day, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a print version as a take-home memento 2. There was a wild imbalance of sweet/savory courses. I was absolutely stuffed beyond belief by the time dessert rolled around, so I wasn't necessarily mad about this, but the dessert was a tiny palate cleanser followed by a light granita followed by a tiny tiny bite size marquesita. I would have gladly forgone 3-4 savory courses for a more "desserty" dessert 3. Wines by the glass are incredibly limited, and not explicitly listed on the menu anywhere. I believe they had one white, one red, and one orange. Their cocktail program, if you can call it that, is drab. They do not offer a pairing with the tasting menu. Imo, it's a mid-tier restaurant masquerading as high-tier by offering a tasting. With that said, the price is right and the food punched above its weight. But if they want to be taken seriously in the fine dining world they need to fine tune some stuff.
Corn is the name and the reason for the fame! Featured on Eva Longoria's "Search for Mexico," my friend made reservations in advance for the chef's tasting menu! (I think it is a 13 course menu). The chefs use native corn varieties in their dishes and every dish was an absolute delight! Every dish was brought out with an explanation of the ingredients, where they come from, and how to best enjoy the dish! There were so many dishes that I can't even remember everything - there were roasted oysters in bone marrow, a delicious fermented bread that I couldn't get enough of, various colored bean purees, tender beef tongue, melt in your mouth pork belly with super crisp skin, a raw fish tostada type of dish topped with beautiful flowers, and more that my simpleton brain can't remember! Dessert was a strawberry shortcake that tasted like a creamy strawberry ice cream bar! So good! The inside is simple yet stunning! The dark walls highlight the colors of the beautiful food and a colorful, larger than life, painting of an old lady who is holding the sacred corn. You are seated at a long, communal table, encouraging conversations amongst diners! Thanks to the couple sitting next to us, we ordered a donut dessert since it looked so good and they raved about it! Everyone at Xokol was an absolute pleasure!! Kudos to Xokol!!! :)
100/100 would recommend.. amazing customer service, ambiance was impeccable and what is there to say about the food . Wow lost for words on how delicious everything was. We had the chefs tasting menu. Hats off to the chefs. It was a night to remember.. we will definitely go again when we are in GDL. We even bought t-shirts ..
I recently spent a weekend in Guadalajara and chose Xokol as my "must try experience" instead of Alcalde which had been on my radar for the past several years as it's one of the best restaurants in Mexico. After reading that chef Paco Ruano of Alcalde raved about the young chefs at this restaurant, I knew this was be the restaurant I would eat at the first night in Mexico. I arrived not knowing that the tasting menu was available at my 7 pm reservation. I wanted to go all in and went with the 10-course tasting. There wasn't a menu available for the tasting you had to go with the whims of the kitchen team. I would not suggest this experience with picky eaters. You'll probably want to order one of the fermented beverages they offer. The one they recommended is the guanabana drink. What you'll see is a very long communal dining experience where you'll be seated with strangers. By the end of the night, most likely they will not be strangers any longer, but similar adventurous eaters. I'm not sure if 7 pm was the American hour, but most of the people looked like Americans. Around 8 pm, more Spanish speakers or more locals started to arrive. The service was very good compared to other restaurants Mexico. I got checked on several times, but it wasn't perfect. I was left without a beverage at one point and had to call someone to bring me something else. At times plates, dishes were brought to the table without an explanation. A couple times, two servers arrived and explained the dishes in Spanish. So no, service was not perfect so you should probably not expect it to be. I sensed that they did try aim to please. As you can see from the photos, different shades of heirloom corn were used to make the tortillas. I don't think they were purposely made colorful for Instagram, but they do make the pictures look highly Instagrammable. It's too bad they didn't offer a souvenir tasting menu I could take home with me as a souvenir. There were some visual imperfections in the dishes so not sure if there is a quality check before being sending a dish to a table -- the pig wafer dish was served broken for example. At the end of the night, you'll want to come back. The gentleman from New York who sat across from me came back after previously dining at the restaurants when it was a more simpler, less trendy looking restaurant. Óscar Segundo and Xrysw Ruelas Díaz are definitely pushing the envelope in the food scene in Mexico and are chefs to watch as I root for them to get placed on the "World's Best Restaurants" list.
What an experience! We made a last minute call for reservations and thankfully we got seated. We went with the Chef's eight course meal. Along with 4 dessert courses. We enjoyed a few drinks, with some refreshing Lager local beer. The service is outstanding, every dish is delivered with elegance and an explanation of the Chef's inspiration. Very unique experience and completely recommend. Ambiance is awesome, you see the Chef and the crew working quickly while focusing on their patrons.
I appreciate the design of the restaurant. There is open seating, large picnic table style. I was a party of 1, sat in between a group of 5, and a group of 4. So, I'm sitting directly next to people, and across from people that I don't know. It's an interesting dining experience. The kitchen is completely open and viewable by all. There is a light over the entire table, which is great for picture taking into really examine your food, it's become popular for low lighting at these fine dining restaurants which I've never liked. I ordered the volcano shrimp, and the Tejocotes for dessert. Both were good but I would have preferred a smaller sampling of dishes. Odd that I wasn't offered the tasting menu, I didn't know that was an option until after I ordered. Interesting ingredients like corn smut, atrina maura, quelites and more. Much of the menu I didn't understand so I asked the server about each dish and they were extremely knowledgeable.
One of the more memorable meals that I have had in my life. The interior is extremely unique. Seating is at one long table which makes for a communal experience. The thoughtful nature of each dish is incredible. I wish I could have tried more. I have never eaten molé that was so deliciously savory and fresh. I would like to go back to try more. Oh and the dessert!! I don't order dessert often but I did here. Mocchi donut. The cream inside was not overly sweet either. Yum!!!!
Modern Mexican cuisine at its finest! One of the most interesting tasting menus I've had. Non GMO corn, beans I've never heard of, let alone taste before, and their drinks were also tasty! The single communal dining table is another smart, interesting touch. Stellar service, and an unforgettable dining experience for sure. Reservations HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! read more
The food was fantastic and so creative, probably some of the best I had in Guadalajara. As a Houston foodie, this place is reminiscent of a lot of the Michelin star restaurants in the city. Everything was thoughtfully presented and delicious. My favorites were the horchata (which I had two cups of) and the fresas con crema--I don't think I've ever had a dessert that delicious. The corn tortillas were also the best I've ever had. Ambience was moody and romantic. Only complaint would be slow service and our waiter rarely checked on us. Our drinks were often empty and we had to wave him down for refills and our check. Food was so good I still have to give four stars, but service was at best a three. read more
Definitely one of the best tasting menus I have had, and was at a great price point! We particularly loved the chicken skewers and beetroot mole. We were absolutely stuffed by the end of our meal and enjoyed how the waitstaff was eager to explain the vision behind each dish. We also enjoyed the communal table, which allowed us to meet a really great local couple who we otherwise would not have been able to connect with! The cocktails were also refined, strong and flavorful. read more
Xokol is a highly recommended restaurant that I didn't find that appealing. I think it tried a little too hard but I found the food pretentious instead of tasty. We got several dishes, and the vegetarian option was probably the best! The dessert was not good. The portions are not very big but it is a very pricey restaurant The restaurant itself is very cool- it is one giant table that you share with others. The decor is very dark and has a lot of apothecary decor The service was fine read more
I try to do one "fancy" dinner every time I'm in Mexico and Xokol was my pick for Guadalajara from the get go! It's a communal style table so you're close to others even if you dine alone but it's not bad. Definitely book in advance tho!The 12 course tasting menu is the way to go! Every dish has incredible presentation and team takes time to explain each ingredient's origin, which adds so much meaning to the experience! It was love at first bite for me, every dish was incredibly delicious and even things I normally wouldn't eat like caviar, were integrated so well into the dishes that everything was an explosion of flavor. The staff was very attentive and a joy. 1000% recommend! read more
This was a great tasting menu for the price point, there is no doubt about that. At the equivalent of about $85 you will leave stuffed. Not every dish was a hit, but 3 (a charcoal-grilled oyster with clarified butter, a ceviche with blue spirulina, and a fish dish over mole) were top tier. Even the dishes I didn't love were inventive at least (eg there was a crab and elote dish that imo didn't work at all but I appreciated the attempt). Service was excellent, pacing of the courses was on par with Michelin-starred dining. My complaints are minimal but: 1. There was no menu. I understand tasting menus can change daily or even multiple times a day, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a print version as a take-home memento 2. There was a wild imbalance of sweet/savory courses. I was absolutely stuffed beyond belief by the time dessert rolled around, so I wasn't necessarily mad about this, but the dessert was a tiny palate cleanser followed by a light granita followed by a tiny tiny bite size marquesita. I would have gladly forgone 3-4 savory courses for a more "desserty" dessert 3. Wines by the glass are incredibly limited, and not explicitly listed on the menu anywhere. I believe they had one white, one red, and one orange. Their cocktail program, if you can call it that, is drab. They do not offer a pairing with the tasting menu. Imo, it's a mid-tier restaurant masquerading as high-tier by offering a tasting. With that said, the price is right and the food punched above its weight. But if they want to be taken seriously in the fine dining world they need to fine tune some stuff. read more
3 months ago
Corn is the name and the reason for the fame! Featured on Eva Longoria's "Search for Mexico," my friend made reservations in advance for the chef's tasting menu! (I think it is a 13 course menu). The chefs use native corn varieties in their dishes and every dish was an absolute delight! Every dish was brought out with an explanation of the ingredients, where they come from, and how to best enjoy the dish! There were so many dishes that I can't even remember everything - there were roasted oysters in bone marrow, a delicious fermented bread that I couldn't get enough of, various colored bean purees, tender beef tongue, melt in your mouth pork belly with super crisp skin, a raw fish tostada type of dish topped with beautiful flowers, and more that my simpleton brain can't remember! Dessert was a strawberry shortcake that tasted like a creamy strawberry ice cream bar! So good! The inside is simple yet stunning! The dark walls highlight the colors of the beautiful food and a colorful, larger than life, painting of an old lady who is holding the sacred corn. You are seated at a long, communal table, encouraging conversations amongst diners! Thanks to the couple sitting next to us, we ordered a donut dessert since it looked so good and they raved about it! Everyone at Xokol was an absolute pleasure!! Kudos to Xokol!!! :) read more
11 months ago
I had a wonderful experience here. The food was absolutely amazing. I liked the ambiance. You can watch the chefs prepare food and the staff explains the ingredients when bringing you your food. read more
7 months ago
1 year ago
100/100 would recommend.. amazing customer service, ambiance was impeccable and what is there to say about the food . Wow lost for words on how delicious everything was. We had the chefs tasting menu. Hats off to the chefs. It was a night to remember.. we will definitely go again when we are in GDL. We even bought t-shirts .. read more
I recently spent a weekend in Guadalajara and chose Xokol as my "must try experience" instead of Alcalde which had been on my radar for the past several years as it's one of the best restaurants in Mexico. After reading that chef Paco Ruano of Alcalde raved about the young chefs at this restaurant, I knew this was be the restaurant I would eat at the first night in Mexico. I arrived not knowing that the tasting menu was available at my 7 pm reservation. I wanted to go all in and went with the 10-course tasting. There wasn't a menu available for the tasting you had to go with the whims of the kitchen team. I would not suggest this experience with picky eaters. You'll probably want to order one of the fermented beverages they offer. The one they recommended is the guanabana drink. What you'll see is a very long communal dining experience where you'll be seated with strangers. By the end of the night, most likely they will not be strangers any longer, but similar adventurous eaters. I'm not sure if 7 pm was the American hour, but most of the people looked like Americans. Around 8 pm, more Spanish speakers or more locals started to arrive. The service was very good compared to other restaurants Mexico. I got checked on several times, but it wasn't perfect. I was left without a beverage at one point and had to call someone to bring me something else. At times plates, dishes were brought to the table without an explanation. A couple times, two servers arrived and explained the dishes in Spanish. So no, service was not perfect so you should probably not expect it to be. I sensed that they did try aim to please. As you can see from the photos, different shades of heirloom corn were used to make the tortillas. I don't think they were purposely made colorful for Instagram, but they do make the pictures look highly Instagrammable. It's too bad they didn't offer a souvenir tasting menu I could take home with me as a souvenir. There were some visual imperfections in the dishes so not sure if there is a quality check before being sending a dish to a table -- the pig wafer dish was served broken for example. At the end of the night, you'll want to come back. The gentleman from New York who sat across from me came back after previously dining at the restaurants when it was a more simpler, less trendy looking restaurant. Óscar Segundo and Xrysw Ruelas Díaz are definitely pushing the envelope in the food scene in Mexico and are chefs to watch as I root for them to get placed on the "World's Best Restaurants" list. read more
2 years ago
the food and service are amazing! we got the 9 course meal and left extremely satisfied. the service was excellent and the waiters are friendly and helpful. will be back! read more
2 years ago
What an experience! We made a last minute call for reservations and thankfully we got seated. We went with the Chef's eight course meal. Along with 4 dessert courses. We enjoyed a few drinks, with some refreshing Lager local beer. The service is outstanding, every dish is delivered with elegance and an explanation of the Chef's inspiration. Very unique experience and completely recommend. Ambiance is awesome, you see the Chef and the crew working quickly while focusing on their patrons. read more
3 years ago
I appreciate the design of the restaurant. There is open seating, large picnic table style. I was a party of 1, sat in between a group of 5, and a group of 4. So, I'm sitting directly next to people, and across from people that I don't know. It's an interesting dining experience. The kitchen is completely open and viewable by all. There is a light over the entire table, which is great for picture taking into really examine your food, it's become popular for low lighting at these fine dining restaurants which I've never liked. I ordered the volcano shrimp, and the Tejocotes for dessert. Both were good but I would have preferred a smaller sampling of dishes. Odd that I wasn't offered the tasting menu, I didn't know that was an option until after I ordered. Interesting ingredients like corn smut, atrina maura, quelites and more. Much of the menu I didn't understand so I asked the server about each dish and they were extremely knowledgeable. read more
3 years ago
Last night my friends and i opted for the food tasting experience. We had 10 courses over 2 hours. Every thing was unique and delicious and made with traditional ingredients. By the end we were satiated and very impressed. Highly recommend. read more
4 years ago
Literally a garage door on the outside but the food was really creative and tasty! They use a lot of indigenous ingredients and techniques that make for a very unique and special experience. Really loved the homemade tortillas and salsa and the pork gorditos. read more
One of the more memorable meals that I have had in my life. The interior is extremely unique. Seating is at one long table which makes for a communal experience. The thoughtful nature of each dish is incredible. I wish I could have tried more. I have never eaten molé that was so deliciously savory and fresh. I would like to go back to try more. Oh and the dessert!! I don't order dessert often but I did here. Mocchi donut. The cream inside was not overly sweet either. Yum!!!! read more
4 years ago
This place was awesome. Everything from the ambiance to the food. The attention to detail and the respect paid to tradition is very impressive. read more
6 years ago
A local recommendation brought us to this tiny, 30 community seater eatery. Xokol stands for the indigenous corn with different color. The owner explain that they work directly with farmers to harvest heirloom corn once a year. Their price reflect the fair trade aspect but still, $6-12 a plate for such a high quality entree is totally a steal. They specialize in tortilla, tamal (things that has to do with masa) and mole. The recommendation is two plates per person. We ordered a total of 8 plates to share and they course it out for us. Everything we had were prepared with precision, the sauce is impeccable with superb quality ingredients. Owner explain that menu changes monthly and they sell the masa to other restaurant in the day time. One needs to be up for communal seating as it's a super small place and they got 3 large table with 4 bar seats. In terms of drinks they also got some interesting fermented beverage that is worth trying. I highly recommend and will be back for sure! read more
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More info about Xokol
Calle Ignacio Herrera y Cairo 1392
Col. Santa Teresita
44600 Guadalajara, Jalisco
Mexico
Directions
33 122 99085
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