Street Meat: La Merced

Guatemala is not famous for its cuisine. There are certainly distinct dishes and while they can be delicious, if you’re arriving from Mexico, the food here doesn’t pack the same punch. That being said, it’s fortunate that you can get these traditional snacks and entrees prepared just as deliciously at a street vendor as you would at a restaurant, for a quarter of the price.

In Antigua, there are plenty of restaurants. Many cater to the more affluent, some to those eating on a budget — but they’d be hard pressed to compete with the treats being served up in the Plaza de la Merced every day. Pupusas, tortas, carne asado, tacos, ears of corn, tamales, and a variety of desserts all dished up at break speed between $.65 and $1.30usd (5 and 10 quetzales).   For under $3usd and the price of a beer, you’ll find your belly full and your taste buds satisfied. Street food is definitely the way to go in Antigua. Plus you can try all the traditional Guatemalan fare dirt cheap.

Shopping: El Mercado/ Grocery Buys

Antigua might be landlocked, but we had some of the best seafood meals here — cooked up by Xavi, of course!

At the grocery store and market here you can get all the ingredients for delicious fish tacos/sandwiches (for when the pupusas and carne asada tacos are worn out).

Grouper, fresh veggies from the market and some fresh bread or tortillas not only adds up to culinary delights but it’s a great way to make some friends at the hostel too — most servings of fish, veggies can easily make at least three meals.

 

Also at the grocery store you can stock up on items you might be missing since beginning your travels: yogurt, granola, milk, soup, coffee, and sugar to last a week can be purchased for a little over $10 USD (Q80). Add a week’s worth of produce from the Market, and you’re still probably able to get by under $20 USD for the week.

So, where do you find fresh produce at the Market? Well, outdoors is a great place to start. We saw several fruit vendors, after the gauntlet of clothing vendors, CD/Movie vendors, etc… But most of the produce was inside. And inside the Market in Antigua, is a complicated labyrinth that you may not be able to make sense of your first time around. But that’s okay, just keep looking. Verduras? (Vegetables?) will help you find your way. Also inside are the best meal options if you’re looking for something to eat now. Outside has a handful of food options, several line the booths between the Market and the Artisan Market next door (where the buses park.) But inside has many more options, once you find them. For a plate of food, expect to pay Q10-Q15, which can be even less than you would pay for the same fare from the street vendors in La Merced or other small eateries within Antigua. Plus, you can sit down, relax, and enjoy a cerveza for about Q10 as well.

What else should you know about the Market? If you ask what something costs, and the vendor replies cinco por mano, it’s 5 items for Q5. Also, produce is weighed by the pound (libra)…not to be confused with libre (free).  Prices should be consistent throughout, but ask around if you don’t think you’re getting a good deal. The $5.25 spent on items in the picture was purchased without any bargaining.

Also, the two grocery stores in Antigua are located conveniently across from the Market, making it easy to get all your shopping done in one trip. Don’t be surprised if you need to take a tuk-tuk back to your hostel, as carrying two or three bags of groceries across town can be more more difficult than trying to find your way out of the Market.

Antigua Restaurants:

You won’t grow tired of eating out in Antigua, if you have the budget for it. This is certainly one of the reasons people are attracted to stay in this town for weeks, or months, or more. And because of it’s size, you don’t have to travel far in Antigua to see all the colorful culinary options it has to offer. Nor do you have to search very far for a moderately priced meal. Antigua definitely has some higher priced dining options, but standard fare for breakfast, lunch, or dinner is about Q20-Q50 (about $2.50-$6.50 USD). And your options include everything from standard Guatemalan meals, to American style tacos/burritos/nachos, to crepes, pizza, bagels, falafel. I would be surprised if there wasn’t a Chinese option for these prices as well, though we haven’t found one yet.

Casa de las Mixtas:

Hidden in the alley off of Calle 3, between Santa Lucia and the 7a Avenida, Casa de las Mixtas offers a comfortable, quiet terrace, a great variety of typical meal options (and hamburgers, for those inclined), and delicious made-to-order juices: papaya, orange, etc (for only Q10). If you’re looking for a typical meal within the $2.50-$6.50 price range, check out the pictures above for menu items and photos. Also, their horchata (rice milk) seemed to be the top choice for a drink.

Cafe Santa Clara:

On the opposite side of town from Las Mixtas, Cafe Santa Clara is Restaurant, Bakery, and Mini-Market.

 

Though the Market prices are slightly higher than the supermarket or El Mercado, it’s not a bad option if you’re on that side of town and need to pick up a pepper, or papaya, or a really delicious pastry. Actually the pastries are separate from the Market, but you pay for everything in the Bakery, so you should probably buy something. You’ll find Santa Clara on 2a Av. Sur, conveniently located just half a block south of the Santa Clara Ruins, on the opposite side of the street. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with several options between the Q15-Q40 price range.

You can check out their breakfast menu in our photos. For lunch or dinner, you have pinchos (skewers) with meat and veggies offered for Q25. Nachos are Q20, or Q30 with Chicken. Sandwiches at Santa Clara cost Q20-Q25, and you can have dinner for Q30.

Like so many Antigua Restaurants, Santa Clara also has a terrace on the second level to enjoy the great views and the great weather.

And if you’re on the run, the Santa Clara Bakery offers “calzones” stuffed with a variety of meat and vegetable options (as well as sweets,) and most for only Q10.

 

Rincon Tipico:

 

Located on the 3 Avenida, near the corner with 7 Calle, Rincon Tipico is a somewhat expanded version of the smaller budget eateries that line the streets of just about every Guatemalan Town. While they might be a few Quetzales more than food options at El Mercado, the portions are generous, and the food is great. For a restaurant meal in Antigua that’s not going out of it’s way to cater to to the taste-buds of foreigners, Rincon Tipico might be your best bet.

Rincon Tipico serves a daily menu with a handful of meat options. The sides are the same for everyone. Seeing a salad on our plates, we’ll admit, was a welcomed variation. Meals are served with a stack of tortillas and a drink, which during our visit was a cup of Horchata (rice milk drink).

Tramper Tip: if dining for lunch, don’t wait until too late in the afternoon. Arriving at 1pm, the restaurant was mostly empty. By 1:30pm, there wasn’t one seat available. By the time we had finished eating, the restaurant was running low on side dishes.

Other budget options…

Aren’t hard to find in Antigua, though they can be easy to miss, as they don’t draw the same attention to themselves as the higher-priced restaurants. Some of these places only have breakfast and lunch options, and you’ll see a sign for Desayuno / Almuerzo, usually for Q18-Q25. Heading Right out of the Market, you’ll pass Pollo Campero, and the next cafe on the corner offers Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, for about Q18-Q30. There isn’t a menu, and only about 10 chairs in the restaurant, but it’s a good option for a sit-down meal at a great price. They also serve delicious fruit Liquados made with either water or milk, for Q10. Similarly, on the streets near El Merced, or usually on the corners and streets surrounding any of the green spaces in the city, you can find some typical style restaurants offering Breakfast or Lunch for Q15-Q30.

 

GETTING // GOING          •          SLEEPING          •          EATING          •         DOING          •         OUR STORY

Take me back to ANTIGUA // Take me back to GUATEMALA // Take me HOME