Eating my way around Oaxaca de Juárez wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I might not have been as blown away by the food as other people I met, or as I expected to be, based on what everyone told me when I said I was going to Mexico, but I still had great meals and tried many surprising dishes. Still, those “wow, this is incredible!” moments didn’t really happen for me. Could that be because I’m vegetarian? Maybe. Could it be because my expectations were too high? Also maybe. I honestly don’t know.
That said, the food was good, don’t get me wrong! I was happy to discover that many street vendors and restaurants in Oaxaca offered vegetarian options. So, to make things a little easier for fellow vegetarians, here’s a list of the restaurants and food spots I tried in Oaxaca. From vegetarian street food to cozy brunch cafés, lunch spots, and dinner places. There’s a bit of everything.
Try These Restaurants in Oaxaca if You’re Looking for Vegetarian Options
Casa Mook
Casa Mook is a beautiful restaurant with a few vegetarian options on the menu. I tried the vegetarian enmoladas, which were tortillas filled with plantain and cheese, covered in lots of rich mole sauce. Very tasty, and I loved the atmosphere as well. Add an agua fresca on the side, and it made for the perfect cozy solo lunch date (in my case haha).
Citronella
If you’re looking for a fully vegan menu, you have to visit Citronella. This vegan restaurant in Oaxaca has a laid-back vibe, lovely staff, and a full menu with lots of dishes to choose from. I was deciding between a sandwich and a pozole, but since I hadn’t tried pozole yet, I went for that instead. Happy I did, because it was so good. Not only tasty, but also super filling.
La Popular
One of the dishes I really wanted to try in Oaxaca was a tlayuda. It’s basically a large crispy tortilla topped with all kinds of delicious ingredients. Traditionally, they’re often made with pork lard, but La Popular had a vegetarian version on the menu, so I ordered that instead. They also had a few other vegetarian options, but the waiter specifically recommended the tlayuda. Even though I was already very full afterward, I still couldn’t say no to dessert. It was my first night in Oaxaca after all 😉
ONNNO
ONNNO isn’t the place to go for traditional Mexican food, but if you’re craving brunch-style dishes like yogurt bowls, sandwiches, pancakes, and good coffee, this is definitely the spot. I went twice: once for a small breakfast and another time for the pancakes with mascarpone and berries. My sweet cravings were fully satisfied.
I also discovered a new favorite here that I still haven’t found outside of Mexico yet: horchata coffee. I ordered it multiple times. Sweet, creamy, and caffeinated. The perfect drink to either start the day or keep it going.
Tacos Chemita
We ended up at this taco place for some late-night tacos. I ordered veggie tacos and added grilled cheese on top. It ended up being a bit too much for me, so maybe adding cheese to only a couple of them would’ve been enough. Still, it definitely hit the spot for the mood we were in.
Los Muchitos Comida Vegana
Another vegan restaurant in Oaxaca worth visiting is Los Muchitos Comida Vegana. They have a lovely little rooftop terrace with cute lights that make the atmosphere even cozier once it gets dark. They offered a day menu that sounded really good, but in the end I ordered a few different things instead: an Aztec soup, two tacos, and a drink.
Everything was delicious and super filling. And what I love about a vegan restaurants, is that as a vegetarian, you can just choose whatever. Sometimes it makes the decision process more difficult, but at least there’s many options.
Empanadas del Carmen
This is a pretty famous spot, although I only found out about it through other travelers. Apparently I didn’t do enough Oaxaca food research beforehand… lol. Empanadas del Carmen was featured in a Netflix series about street food, which definitely explains the line. The vegetarian options I tried here were really good though. I had giant quesadillas filled with cheese, and on different visits I tried one with flor de calabaza (squash blossoms) and another with epazote.
It was my first time trying epazote, and I really enjoyed the flavor. Again, I did wonder whether some of the meat-based dishes might have had more intense flavors, but honestly, I still loved the experience: sitting on a plastic stool late at night, eating street food, some people-watching, and chatting with others.
La Olla
La Olla is a slightly more upscale restaurant in the center of Oaxaca with a menu full of traditional dishes as well as several vegetarian options. We shared multiple plates, including a mole tasting, a vegetarian tlayuda, tacos, and desserts. Everything was super tasty, and it’s also just a lovely place to sit and relax. Later, we found out they also have a rooftop terrace, which would probably be perfect for lunch, dinner, or drinks. Since we already finished our food, we just went up to see the view from there.
Fonda Rosita
One afternoon after Spanish class, I went to Mercado de la Merced to find lunch after my teacher recommended to go. There are several food stalls and small restaurants inside the market, but I ended up at Fonda Rosita, where I had delicious vegetarian enchiladas with a huge glass of lemonade.
I came back another morning to try the chilaquiles. Both times, the portions were massive, so definitely arrive hungry… or be prepared to share. Delicious food, local vibes, and a great market atmosphere!
Tacos del Carmen
Another street food vendor people kept recommending was Tacos del Carmen. They have several options, and one of the vegetarian choices is a quesadilla with flor de calabaza, which are the squash blossoms.
The first time I tried them, I was a little unsure about the texture, but I liked them more and more with every bite. This place can get pretty crowded, but it also felt very local, with lots of people stopping by for a quick lunch on the street.
Tacos de Cazuela Tía Chave
One street away from Tacos del Carmen, you’ll find Tacos de Cazuela Tía Chave. Here I tried tacos de papas y rajas for the first time: tacos filled with potatoes and strips of chili peppers. I really enjoyed them, especially because they felt different from many of the other tacos I’d tried before. A really nice combination of flavors and spice.
Marito & Mogli Café
If you’re looking for a cute breakfast spot, Marito & Mogli Café is a good option. I do have to say that when I visited, the food took quite a while to arrive, which made me a little nervous since I was heading to Spanish class afterward. Luckily, I still made it on time, and I did really enjoy the egg toast I ordered. The café has a little garden area and lots of breakfast options on the menu.
Sabina Sabe
After a bit of bar hopping, we ended up at Sabina Sabe. Many travelers had recommended it to me that I wasn’t sure whether it was genuinely amazing or just a very popular tourist spot in central Oaxaca. But I actually really enjoyed it. Since we were with four people, we got to share several dishes from the menu. Creative flavors, good cocktails, and a fun atmosphere.
Mil Amores
For drinks and small bites, Mil Amores is a great spot. We came here with some people we met during a cooking class and ordered mezcalinas, guacamole with chapulines, and a cheese platter to share. Chapulines (fried grasshoppers) obviously aren’t vegetarian, but you can easily eat around them or ask for them on the side. Overall, it was a fun place to start the evening before heading out bar hopping.
Nieves Chagüita
One of the things I really wanted to try in Oaxaca was leche quemada and tuna ice cream. Leche quemada is a traditional caramelized milk flavor, while tuna is made from prickly pear fruit. So don’t get confused by the name, it’s not actual tuna fish.
When I arrived at Nieves Chagüita inside Mercado Benito Juárez, I asked the waiter which two flavors she recommended, and these were her picks. The flavors were definitely unique, but together they worked surprisingly well, and I ended up loving them. Even tough, while eating ice in Mexico, I have been a bit nervous because people mentioned to maybe avoid it, in order to avoid belly problems. But all good.
Adamá
If you’re craving something different from traditional Oaxacan cuisine for a night, Adamá is a great spot for Middle Eastern food. The menu is designed for sharing, with plenty of vegetarian options, all served in a stylish and cozy setting. Since it’s Michelin-recommended, prices are a little higher than local restaurants or street food stands, but I really enjoyed having dinner here and switching up my palate for an evening.
When we arrived, there was already a small line outside, so I’d recommend getting there on time and putting your name down early. One thing to note: when I visited, most of the crowd seemed to be tourists (yes like me, I know). While I usually try to go for more local experiences whenever possible, sometimes your stomach wants good Middle Eastern food, and that’s what it got.
La Cosecha Organic Market
La Cosecha Organic Market is a cute open-air food market with spots to sit in the center, surrounded by different food stalls. There are lots of options to choose from, so I simply followed whatever I was in the mood for that day. After talking for a bit with one of the vendors, I ordered a simple quesadilla. Nothing fancy, but I loved the relaxed atmosphere, sat there reading my book, and grabbed a refreshing agua fresca before leaving.
Taquería Tacomer
Just one street away from where I was staying, I found Taquería Tacomer after putting off dinner for a bit too long and getting too hungry to walk way further. Luckily, they had a couple of vegetarian options on the menu, which was exactly what I needed. I ended up ordering some food loaded with cheese, pineapple, and other fresh toppings. Simple, good flavors, and satisfying.
Cabuche
Cabuche is a cozy Mexican restaurant in the center of Oaxaca with a good atmosphere and a menu full of vegetarian dishes as well. Honestly, there were so many good options that choosing what to order was pretty hard.
The food I had was delicious, although if I went back, I’d probably choose something a bit lighter and fresher with more vegetables. At the time I wasn’t super hungry and wanted to save room for dessert too. Still, I’d absolutely recommend this place!
Emperatriz Comedor
Another morning, another plate of chilaquiles for breakfast. The sauce at Emperatriz Comedor had an amount of spice-level kick, while the tortillas still kept a bit of crunch. It was the kind of breakfast that keeps you full for hours. I arrived right when they opened, so I had the place to myself, but the space felt cozy, and the people working there were super friendly.
Rito Chocolatería
Got a sweet craving? Go for the chocolate ice cream at Rito Chocolatería. It was honestly one of the best ice creams I’ve had in a long time. The texture was soft and creamy, with little chunks of chocolate throughout that made it even better. If you’re looking to bring home local chocolate, they sell many options. So it’s a good spot to visit for some chocolate shopping as well.
If you’ve been to Oaxaca, I’d love to know which restaurants you tried as a vegetarian, or honestly just your favorite food spots in general. I love making lists in my notes, so before visiting Mexico I kept a note in my phone of dishes I wanted to try, and I ended up finding many of them in Oaxaca. It’s considered to food capital of Mexico after all.
somewhere in notes 
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