April 5, 2024

Our Favorite Restaurants in Roma Norte (CDMX)

By In City Reviews, Food

We love food, even though food doesn’t always like us. We are both gluten-free, plus I can’t have lactose, while Kevin can’t eat nuts. And we’re both a bit sensitive to spicy food, Kevin more than me. Yet, we love to eat, and we try our best to explore new restaurants. But it can be hard with our food sensitivities and allergies.

This is a bittersweet part of traveling. Exploring new foods and restaurants is fun, but we are limited in how much we can explore. Some cultures are tougher than others: for example, wheat is pervasive in Japanese cuisine due to soy sauce, whereas Latin foods tend to focus more on corn and grains other than wheat.

During the past three weeks – and the previous year – we explored several restaurants in Roma Norte and Polanco. Some of them are local holes in the wall – read our review of MFY Pizza in Polanco – while others are chains. This list isn’t a list of fine dining or even perhaps the best available. But these places are easy to eat at for us, very reasonably priced, and most importantly, fill you up!

Las Ensaladas Roma

Location: Av Oaxaca 37, Roma Norte

Price: Easily less than US$10 per person

Type of Cuisine: Mexican

We found Las Ensaladas Roma on Google Maps, but we could have easily found it just by leaving our Airbnb and going to the next block. Although the restaurant’s name highlights that it serves salad, it is really more of a hole-in-the-wall, Mexican diner-type place. You’ll find tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and other Mexican staples. We ordered the enchiladas suizas, which we loved from previous trips to Mexico. They did not disappoint, although Kevin prefers the enchiladas suizas from Bisquets Obregón. I say either one is fantastic!

Enchiladas suizas with pineapple juice and lemonade.

Note that if you order the enchiladas suizas, you have to also order the beans separately on the side. Additionally, they serve black beans as opposed to refried beans at Bisquets Obregón. Kevin prefers refried beans so that also swayed his opinion.

Bisquets Obregón

Location: Av Álvaro Obregón 60, Roma Norte

Price: Around US$10 per person

Type of Cuisine: Mexican

In the battle of enchiladas suizas, Kevin prefers Bisquets Obregón. Bisquets Obregón is extraordinarily similar to Denny’s in the United States and serves a wide variety of diner-type food. We went there generally once per week and always sat at the *one* table they have outside. We also always ordered the enchiladas suizas and a jarra of juice, often pineapple or lemon, which is perfect for two people.

Enchiladas suizas with “onion rings” and lemonade. Kevin also only wears yellow shirts when eating enchiladas suizas.

You will receive free bread and pickled vegetables if you order a main entree. We can’t have bread, so we refuse it, but I enjoy eating pickled vegetables. They will also give you additional salsa on the side, but you don’t really need it with the enchiladas smothered in sauce. Overall, it is an amazing meal and priced very affordably.

The waiters at Bisquets Obregón are very friendly. We enjoy sitting outside because it is on a major street, so there is lots of pedestrian traffic to watch. We did sit inside one time, and it was pretty cramped. It wasn’t even busy, so I can’t imagine how it must feel when busy. If you can snag the table outside—which, for some reason, is almost always open—we recommend sitting outside.



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Taquería Orinoco

Location: Three locations near Roma Norte: Florencia 18 in Zona Rosa, Av Álvaro Obregón 179 in Roma Norte, and Av Yucatán 3 in La Condesa.

Price: Around US$10-15 per person

Type of Cuisine: Mexican

Picture of the outdoor seating at Taquería Orinoco.

Of the three locations near Roma Norte for Taquería Orinoco, I do not think we ever passed one by without there being a line. This popular taco chain has a limited menu, but that is to its advantage: they know how to cook amazing tacos al pastor. Although they serve tacos with a couple of other meats, we have only ever gotten the tacos al pastor (pork) because they are so good. They come with cilantro and onions on top, along with a side of sliced pineapple so you can add it to your tacos. You also receive a tray of various salsas. Some are spicy, others not so much, but it is fun to try the various salsas.

Tacos al pastor and a side of potatoes and salsa at Taquería Orinoco. Note that the potatoes are *not* gluten-free.

While we enjoyed the tacos, we also did not appreciate the lines and the prices. It reminds me of In-N-Out hamburgers in the United States. Long lines, high prices, and yes, it is a good burger. But is it really worth it compared to other hamburger chains? There are plenty of taco restaurants in Roma Norte. In fact, we found a taco stand nearby that was cheaper and even more delicious: Tacos San Burgos.

Tacos San Burgos

Location: Hamburgo 159, Zona Rosa, Juárez

Price: Around US$10 per person

Type of Cuisine: Mexican

We stumbled upon Tacos San Burgos after going to Taquería Orinoco and finding the line too long. We are so glad we did! Their tacos al pastor are equally good as Taquería Orinoco. But they also serve amazing flavored water (aguas naturales)! My favorite was the lemonade with chia seeds. I loved it so much that I drink it regularly at home in Ecuador. Kevin had the horchata, which he loved as well.

Tacos al pastor at Tacos San Burgos Restaurant in Roma Norte.

Additionally, Tacos San Burgos offers a far greater choice of meats for the tacos. We tried the tacos Campechanos, which are pork tacos mixed with sausage and then seasoned. They were so, so good! During later visits, we would get half tacos al pastor and half Campechanos and then share it.

As with any good taquería, Tacos San Burgos also provides a salsa tray. Our favorite salsa was the green salsa, which was mild and not so strong. Some of the other salsas are quite spicy, so taste test before splashing it on your tacos.

Pollos Poncho

Location: Av Álvaro Obregón 118, Roma Norte

Price: Around US$10 per person, but could be less if you do not eat as much as we do.

Type of Cuisine: Rotisserie Chicken Mexican Style

Pollos Poncho was easily one of my favorite places to eat in CDMX. I don’t generally look forward to rotisserie chicken. Yet the rotisserie chicken at Pollos Poncho was so flavorful that I kept asking Kevin to eat there. Additionally, they serve you a side of corn tortillas and salsas to make your own chicken tacos. We added sides of guacamole and beans to round out the meal, and it was amazing!

A feast of chicken – Mexican style!

The meal is also an incredible value. We are two piggies, yet we could not even finish the meal, so we took some home as leftovers. If you are not a big eater, then a half-chicken with sides is probably plentiful for two people, which lowers the cost even more. Or if you just want chicken tacos, you could skip the sides and just order the full chicken with tortilla, although I would still recommend getting guacamole on the side if you like guacamole. Pollos Poncho also gives you a small cup of tortilla chips for free as an appetizer, which is awesome.

Pad Thai

Location: Av Sonora 49, Roma Norte

Price: Around US$20-25 per person

Type of Cuisine: Thai

Because we have to be careful of what we eat, we sometimes do not always indulge in the local cuisine. For example, in Japan, we had amazing Indian food (also in Cuenca, Ecuador, too!). One cuisine that we can generally rely on around the world is Thai food, especially our favorite, Pad Thai. It is gluten-free (most of the time), yummy, filling, and, most importantly, pretty standardized no matter what country you are in.

Pad Thai—yes, that is the restaurant’s name—is no exception. We ordered both the pork and chicken Pad Thai, and both were amazing. Sometimes, however, it can be a bit too weird if they add too much tamarind or peanut sauce. Both of these Pad Thai dishes were perfect, especially with the lime juice. They also had a lovely sweet-and-sour sauce on the side that elevated both dishes.

Photo of pad thai at Pad Thai Restaurant in Roma Norte.
Pad Thai at Pad Thai Restaurant in Roma Norte.

We highly recommend ordering Thai iced tea for a drink. It was so good, and for people who are lactose intolerant, you can ask them to make it with coconut milk. While the price is a bit high compared to other bargains in Mexico City, we felt it was well worth it as a nice meal. Plus, you can sit outside, which adds a lovely ambiance to the meal.



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2 Comments
  1. DA May 20, 2024

    All of the food looks absolutely delicious! I really enjoyed the detailed article on every single restaurant, their food, the sauces, and your tips & tricks for each place. My favorite restaurant (from all the Google Maps photos you linked), is Pollos Poncho! I really love their mint green theme, and the white chairs. Really cute restaurant. Question: how do you make the lemonade w/ chia seeds in Ecuador? Are you able to buy that same drink in Ecuador, or you make it homemade? Since you really love it, I’m very interested in trying it.

    Reply
    • Fill up a water bottle with almost all water, then add some drops of lemon juice, depending on how lemony you want it. Then add in some chia seeds. You could also add a packet of sweetner if you wish, but I like it without it.

      Reply

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