The 7 Cities You Need To Hit On A Mexican Foodie Road Trip

Have a hankering for some Mexican, and a burrito just won’t cut it?

Make a holiday of it, and visit these hotspots for authentic Mexican cuisine and see some sights along the way.

San Antonio

What we mostly know as Mexican food is really Tex-Mex, the burritos and tacos inspired by Northern Mexican flour tortillas but developed in the US, especially Texas. Almost every city of the country-sized state is a hotspot for top-class Tex-Mex, including Houston, El Paso and but San Antonio is possibly one of the hottest.

San Antonio is said to have introduced a few Mexican staples to the international stage, like chilli con carne and nachos, and the staple flour masa harina. Skip the fast food and opt instead for small establishments like Mi Tierra Café y Panadería, which bring the Tex to the Mex.

Recommended dish: carne asada – a grilled beef taco marinated in citrus and spices inspired by Northern Mexican cuisine.

Monterrey

Mexico’s
cuisine is far from uniform, with each region having its distinctive styles and
its signature dishes. The north of the country is the home of some of the food
we’re most familiar
with, especially flour tortillas (corn being king in much of the rest of the
country).

Monterrey is – in North American terms at least – just over the border from San Antonio, in other words,
driveable in about six hours, crossing the border at Laredo near Rio Bravo, or
a quick direct plane away. Monterrey is the home of Mexican cheeses such as
ranchero and a whole load of smoked cheeses, as well as grilled meats typical of
the northern part of the country.

Recommended dish: cabrito, a slow-cooked roast goat kid, with pan de semita, a
type of unleavened bread.

Puerto Vallarta

Jump down south into the heart of Mexico (it’s a 13-hour drive so you might want to
consider a flight or train for this one), and the port town of Puerto Vallarta,
where you will find the absolute best seafood in the country.

Take a stroll
around the city’s dockside and
beaches, and sample grilled seafood, fresh tacos, or seafood ceviche on
tostados, or if you prefer a sit-down with some authentic contemporary cuisine,
check out old city restaurants like El Arrayan.

If you head around November, you might
be lucky enough to catch the Puerto Vallarta Gourmet Festival, though that’s a more international affair.

Recommended dish: Huachinango Sarandeado, a
marinated fish dish in a spicy stew.

Mexico City

Time to take a trip inland to Mexico City: just
an hour and a half flight, or you could make it a roadtrip (c 11 hours),
stopping off along the way in Guadalajara (perhaps with a break to take the
Taquila Express to check out the famous distilleries), the beautiful Laguna de
Chapala, or the historic architecture of Morelia.

Once in the capital, street
food is the order of the day, with vendors and rotisseries lining the streets.
If you’re not sure, you can
take a food tour and get a local to show you the best
spots and foods, along with some local history.

Recommended dish: Tacos al pastor (tacos with
pork, onions and pineapple), a variety of the dish that dates back to the
arrival of Lebanese and Syrian immigrants to the country in the early twentieth
century.

Puebla

A quick pop down the road now to Puebla, a
beautiful historical city, where you should take a moment to check out amazing
church domes and the local clay Talavera pottery, and then on to la calle de los dulces, ‘candy street’ for some traditional
sweets.

The food here is strongly influenced by Lebanese food as well as
Spanish, and you’ll find some great
examples of the taco árabe, or arab-style
taco.

Recommended dish: Tinga de pollo, a smoky
chicken dish made with tomatoes and chiplote chillies.

Oaxaca

A much longer hop down the road now to the
all-but-crowned food king of Mexico, Oaxaca (possibly with a visit to the active volcano Popocatépetl in the Iztaccihuatl National Park).

Oaxaca is home of the mole and famous for its seven different varieties, and is
rich in both quality streetfood and fine-dining restaurants.

Recommended dish: chapulines, fried grasshopper
seasoned with salt, lime and chilli, followed by a rich and spicy hot
chocolate.

Guatemala City

Mexican cuisine has had a huge influence on the
food of the surrounding countries: finish up your trip with something a little
different in Guatemala City. Similarly to traditional Mexican, Guatemalan food
is based on corn, beans and chillies, but with unique versions of tamales,
moles and spicy meat stews.

Recommended dish: chillies relines (stuffed
chillies) with a side of traditional elotes or sweet corn