Eating BIG in Bogota

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- A Quick Trip to The Fridge

We made a somewhat impromptu visit to Bogota on our trip to Peru at the end of last year. Because there are no non-stop flights to Peru we had to make a layover and one of the options was Bogota. The airline allows you to stay in Bogota for two nights and we also had a voucher from American Express for a two night stay just about anywhere so we chose to check out Bogota and stay at the Four Seasons while doing so. We only had two nights but we arrived at the crack of dawn giving us two full days. But even still I found it hard to crack Bogota in such a short amount of time. It's probably the hardest city I've ever tried to tackle in terms of eating and seeing my way through it. The main reason for this was the short amount of time but it didn't help that the traffic here was about as bad as I've experienced. I had a bunch of local favorite type of places I wanted to go eat at but the uber rides were always 40-60 minutes one way and it just didn't make any sense to spend that much time in an uber when we had such a short time to begin with. The highlight of our quick visit was a quick trip up to the very top of the city. The first thing we did upon arrival was ride the cable car up to the top of Mount Monserrate which was a real sight to behold. But after that and a visit to the iconic fruit market we mostly kept to the area around the hotel which is filled with nightlife and and shopping. It took me a day to get my bearings straight but by the time they were all aligned it was time to go. So consider this a sneak peak of a future trip as I really started to get comfortable right as it was time to leave.  

Pics from Bogota
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Empanaditas de Pipian

Empanaditas De Pipián was high on my list of places to try and I lucked out in that there was an outlet a short walk from our hotel. This local chain specializes in Empanaditas De Pipián which are a classic Colombian street snack popular in Bogotá though their roots actually come from the southwest of the country in the region around Popayán. At their core, empanaditas de pipián are small, deep-fried corn pastries filled with a distinct mixture called pipián. The dough is made from corn (maize) and filled with a mix of mashed papa criolla (a small yellow Colombian potato), roasted peanuts, onion, tomato, and spices like achiote. They're a popular snack as they’re small and affordable and fried to order. We got a handful and noted how similar the taste was to hash brown but with a much deeper potato flavor.  

Empanaditas de Pipian at Empanaditas de Pipian
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Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao

After an early morning trek up to the top of Monserrate Mountain we ubered over to the Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao which was at the top my list as far as sightseeing. Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao is the iconic food market in Bogotá. Fruit is the big draw and so I read visiting here is a full-on sensory experience and cultural snapshot of Colombia all under one roof. The colors and the smells and the sounds were similar to other markets I’ve visited in Latin America but the fruit vendor section was a sight to behold in terms of all the different options. We thought about hiring a guide but it’s not that big in terms of size and we really lucked out by randomly meeting a Colombian girl from North Carolina who was visiting family in Bogota. She noticed we were visitors and asked where we from and she happens to love Chicago so she took us around and showed us some of her favorite fruits to eat before taking us to her favorite place to eat when she comes back to Bogota. It’s a stall at the market called Jugos y Ensaladas Vero and it’s exactly the type of spot that makes a visit to Paloquemao special. It’s here where you can grab a seat next to a local and grab some of the freshest fruit juicesin the city. We tried a few kinds like we were sampling wines which was a fun experience you won’t find many other places. They also make great Colombian arepas with melted cheese and a wonderful corn flavor. Arrive early and make this stand your first breakfast in Bogota.

Arepas and Fresh Squeezed Juice at Jugos y Ensaladas Vero
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Diosa

Bogotá has a genuinely strong cafe culture, but it’s a little different from what you might expect given Colombia’s global coffee reputation. Colombia produces some of the world’s best coffee beans, yet for a long time those beans were exported and locals drank simpler, lower-grade coffee. But that’s changed especially in Bogotá where modern cafes are all the rage these days. Diosa Café is a low-key, design-forward café in Chapinero Alto that’s built around very chill vibes. I’m not a coffee drinker so the reason for our visit was to try some of the pastries including a very nice selection of arepas. 

Yucca Arepa at Diosa
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Afluente Restaurante

Afluente was the most interesting of the fast rising fine-dining spots in Bogotá right now. It’s a concept-driven restaurant built around Colombia’s páramo ecosystem—which is a pretty unique angle even in a city full of ambitious chefs. The Páramo is a high-altitude Andean ecosystem that basically acts as a natural water source for much of Colombia and the kitchen here explores how water, land, and ingredients are connected. Much of the product that the kitchen works with comes from páramo regions and small producers with  a strong focus on sustainability and regenerative sourcing. You know the drill, native ingredients mixed with modern techniques. Lots of local fruit, herbs, and locally grown potatoes made appearances in some visually stunning dishes. I was unfamiliar with much of it but that didn’t prevent me from enjoying each and every dish - the best meal we had in Bogota.

crab - citrus foam, granadilla, cuca cookie


shrimp - plantain, chuguas, squash


rice - shrimp, balu, tubers
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Humo Negro

Humo Negro is one of Bogotá’s pioneering modern restaurants. It’s a blend of fine dining with a relaxed and creative vibe. At its core, Humo Negro is a modern tasting-menu restaurant serving Colombian dishes with an izakaya influence. Japanese techniques are adopted in the form of grilling, raw prep, and precision plating with use of Colombian ingredients like Amazonian fish and local produce. There’s a strong emphasis on Smoke (Humo) and live fire cooking which ties into the name of the place. They do have a tasting menu but we went ala carte in an effort not to be stuck there all night after a long day of travel. Honestly I thought I would like this place more than I did. The plates were pretty but it felt like they were missing flavor. The best part of the meal was the first thing we ate in the form of a corn fritter taiyaki kind of fusion. It was a texturally delightful dish that didn’t skimp on flavor. The potato croquettes were soft and crisp and had a brininess to them from what was described as a seaweed based sofrito filling. The crudo del dia was pretty in appearance but it lacked a bit in flavor. I wanted to like a sticky rice with crab and shrimp dish but it was missing something.

Dinner at Humo de Negro
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Cactus

Cactus is the opposite of places like Humo Negro and Afluente. It’s neither trendy nor experimental. It’s a Bogotá classic, the kind of spot locals grow up going to and keep coming back to for decades on end. The design on the inside draws a thin line between a cheesy western themed restaurant and an actual old school spot as this place opened in 1977. The walls are lined with pictures of Texans from another era and old menus from diners in the States. It’s a popular lunch stop for the city’s politicians and business class. I watched it fill up quickly upon being seated shortly after opening. The menu here is a what's what of American grilling favorites like steak, ribs, wings. But it was a picture of the popular roast beef sandwich (and its location) that got me in. It’s a no frills version with freshly sliced rare beef in between a nice and sturdy sub style roll with a cup of au jus plus fries on the side. I could tell by the pictures this was going to be a good rendition of a rare roast beef sandwich but what I couldn’t see was the salt was lacking big time. Luckily it was a quick fix for the sandwich and fries. 

Roast Beef Sandwich at Cactus
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Obleas Bless

After lunch I took a stroll around the city and dipped into a few areas including a car free street that lasted for more than a few blocks. There were lots of interesting storefronts and stalls including this small one person stand where a friendly lady was making Obleas con Arequipe. Obleas are a thin wafer dessert commonly found in several Latin American countries, and Colombia in particular. It’s typically made up of two thin, round wafers filled with sweet ingredients such as Arequipe which is regional terminology for dulce de leche. 

Obleas con Arequipe
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El Tizconcito

Upon my return I decided to try tacos al pastor from at El Tizconcito. The chain from Mexico City lays claim to being the creator of the taco al pastor. I got two tacos but unfortunately I still have yet to have a great taco outside of Mexico and the USA to boot. The meat was barely charred and the salsas were made for a clientele that doesn’t like spicy food. The better bet is going to La Lucha Sangucheria a few stores down - it's a famous sandwich chain from Lima which I was headed too later this trip. 

Tacos al Pastor at El Tizconcito
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Bar Ruda

For our last meal in Bogota we met up with an old friend who’s been teaching there for more than a decade now. I came upon a newish spot from Chef Álvaro Clavijo - chef/owner of El Chato, which is ranked among Latin America’s best restaurants. It also happened to be a short walk from my friends house so it was the perfect call. Bar Ruda is the more casual, nightlife-driven project when compared to El Chato. It’s a bar with a creative kitchen where Chef Clavijo and his team dish out high-end, ingredient-driven dishes with a more relaxed and social vibe inside. The only thing that really annoys me about small plates is they’re usually served on small tables as was the case with Ruda. Nonetheless they put out nice plates of food starting with a simple but super good bowl of confit criolla potatoes. Growing up I was taught that the Irish are the world’s foremost potato heads but this trip showed me I wasn’t taught right. The best most intense tasting potatoes are found in South America. Aside from getting to catch up with an old friend a plate of crab ceviche was the best part of the meal. After that we walked over to a local bar and played a fun Colombian bar game called Tejo. A 500-year old tradition that involves throwing heavy metal discs (tejos) at a clay target packed with small, explosive gunpowder triangles called mechas. It's played in taverns across Colombia and the goal is to hit the target, cause an explosion, and score points while drinking beer. It was then and there I started vibing real hard with with Bogota but we had a flight to catch in the morning. Doh!

Papa criolla confitada suero costeño

tomato, cereza sambal de camaron y menta

Croquetas de morcilla, mayonesa de rocoto

ceviche de cangrejo y maiz tierno

Contramuslo de pollo, salsa de maíz

Cordero ahumado, babaganoush de berenjena
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Eating BIG in Lima (and Cusco) (2026)

Eating BIG in Panama City (2026)

Eating BIG in Cartegena (2019)

See ya next time @chibbqking

Eating BIG in Cabo

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Bachelor Party in Cabo San Lucas

For as much as I love Mexico I never had much interest in visiting Cabo San Lucas but friends come before food so I made my way there to celebrate the marriage of an old friend last March. With Cabo being a big time resort city it’s more-so known for its beaches, water based activities and nightlife than it is for its food. But it’s still Mexico and it’s also in Baja which has an incredible food culture thus there’s still good food to be found for those willing to leave the resorts. Here’s where to find it.

Sights from Cabo

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El Arrecife

First stop in town was a rooftop mariscos bar called El Arrecife. “The Reef” caught my eye when I saw they were serving Callo de hacha which means scallop in Spanish. This specific breed of bivalve is known for its hatchet-shaped shell and is commonly found in the Sea of Cortez and used in various dishes like ceviche, tostadas, and aguachiles - they serve a super fresh version here. It’s sweet and tender and a bit more intense than a regular scallop in terms of the ocean flavor it gives off.

Callo de Hacha at El Arrecife
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Birreieria Los Paisas

We just so happened to be passing Birrierria Los Paisas which was packed with locals so we decided to stop in and get a taco. They had a huge pot of beef birria cooking out on the open and it smelled so good and there was an empty table right in front allowing us to pop right in. I got a quesabirria which went from good to really good when dressed with all the salsas and condiments that it came with.

Quesabirria at Birreieria Los Paisas
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Salvatore G's

Next stop was not my call but I’m including the details on Salvatore G's in case any of my readers have to play along with a meal from here. This is where the bachelor and his uncle with a house in Cabo wanted to go for our first dinner. A few of us weren’t happy we were eating Italian food on the first night in Mexico but we played along. “Uncle Bob” ended up doing most of the ordering which ended up being entirely too much food for a group that was more interested in drinking than they were in eating. Honestly I thought this place was pretty mid but both Uncle Bob and the bachelor liked it as did one of the bachelors friends from Arizona who called it the best pasta he’s ever had. I got a nice laugh out of that and did enjoy the mound of lasagna so it wasn’t a total loss in terms of a nice meal.

Lasagna at Salvatore G's
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La Esquina Choyera 1

The next morning I was asked to find a legit spot for a real Mexican breakfast to make up for dinner the previous night. I found us a spot away from the hustle and bustle in a quieter part of town. La Esquina Choyeria 1 is a real locals place. It's basically the Mexican equivalent to a diner. I finally felt like I was in Mexico when we sat down in the open air dining room. Even though Cabo is all the way south in the local food scene here reflects the North in terms of the common dishes you’ll find at local establishments. The menu at La Esquina Choyeria is made up of burritos, empanadas, quesadillas and Huevos with options like Machaca and chorizo as far as the fillings go. I got a couple of burritos which are the classic Norteno variety made up of a slick lard laced flour tortilla spread with beans plus the filling of your choice. Size wise these are like large tacos and not the huge burritos we’re used to in the States. Both the Machaca (dried beef) and the desabrada (shredded beef) hit the spot.

Breakfast Burritos at La Esquina Choyeria 1
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Los Cabos Fish Tacos

Let’s say you’re stopping thru Cabo on a cruise and you only have time to seek out one spot - make it this tiny taco stand hiding behind the marlin statue at the marina. The menu at Los Cabos Fish Tacos is small but mighty. Everything is cooked to order with cheese quesadillas joining grilled or fried fish tacos served on wonderful made to order corn tortillas. Baja California is home to many great fish taco stands and Los Cabos Fish Tacos is among the very best. The tacos here are served bare and meant to be dressed at the salsa bar which is loaded with a bunch of different topping options including a few different types of cabbage plus lots of salsas. Fish tacos are a daytime snack so this place makes for a great lunch. These might’ve been the best tacos I ate on this trip which included a stop in CDMX.

Fish Tacos at Los Cabos Fish Tacos
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Tacos Marissa

When the fish taco spots close for the day, the grilled meat spots open. Tacos Marissa specializes in steak which is grilled over charcoal in their open kitchen. You can try the flame grilled bistec in a variety of ways including these awesome little grilled burritos they make stuffed with meat and cheese called ‘Chuy-Kun’. As I mentioned earlier the food in Cabo reflects that of Northern Mexico so the tacos here are served on flour tortillas. Whatever you get here make sure to pair it with a cup of the Frijoles Alterados which are charro beans with carne asada and cheese - simple but sensational. 

Snacks at Tacos Marissa
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Taqueria el Paisa

Taqueria El Paisa is located right in the middle of the chaos in Cabo so it’s a popular stop post drinks as it’s open until 3am during the busy season. I stopped in here a couple times when we were in the area as you can do much worse when you're in these parts. They slice the pastor to order and make a tasty batch of frijoles charros. You can also get a pretty good Vulcan here. Vulcans are similar to tostadas but the tortilla is grilled instead of fried and topped with meat and cheese resulting in bite that’s both crisp and chewy. If you must eat late night in the downtown area El Paisa should suffice.

Late Night Snacks at el Paisa
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Burritos el Miguelon

Burritos el Miguelon is another good option for a locals breakfast. I came here with a few others and we all ate well on the cheap in the form of breakfast burritos, eggs with Machaca, and Chilaquiles.

Burritos at Burritos el Miguelon
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Mi Compa Chava (Todos Santos)

Our group took a daytrip to Todos Santos where a few of us were able to sneak away from lunch at the tourist trap that is Hotel California for some of the freshest and most flavorful ceviche and seafood tostadas in all of Mexico. Mi Compa Chava was about a 15 minute walk from the main square in a very residential part of town. It's very cliche to say eating somewhere felt like being at someone's house but this open air restaurant sits in the backyard of the family that runs it so it really is like going to somebody's house. The kids were even running around in the yard right next to the dining area. We started off with some fantastic mixed seafood tostadas before moving onto two different types of ceviche. First up was the Pescado Especial which was made up of different types of fish, cucumbers, peppers, and more. This was one of those dishes where your eyes roll back a little bit upon first bite. That's how good it was. It tasted about as fresh as it gets and it only got better from there.

Mixed Ceviche at Mi Compa Chava

The Ceviche Lavantamuerto is the best ceviche I've ever had and I just got back from a trip to Peru. It came recommended by our waitress when I asked in Spanglish what the specialty of the house was. As far as I could tell it was a mix of thinly sliced fish with equally thinly sliced red onions and jalapenos all mixed with a darkish red sauce - likely a combo of soy sauce and Maggi Jugo. "Levantamuertos" or sometimes spelled as two words, levanta muertos, translates to "raises the dead" and is a Spanish colloquial term, primarily used in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, for hangover food. Mi Compa Chava is the type of spot that might get me back to Todos Santos. It's destination dining. 

Ceviche Levantamuerto at Mi Compa Chava
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El Mirador (Todos Santos)

We spent a good chunk of the day hanging out at Faro Beach Club in Todos Santos and that was a ton of fun. They had a pool and all sorts of lounging opportunities right there on the beach plus bartenders to serve you whatever it is you want. From there we had dinner plans up the mountain at El Mirador. It started off wonderfully as we had drinks and good times while watching the sunset over the ocean but I suspected something was off when everyone but us left once the sun went down. We were the only group of people eating there. The truth is I feel like this is the type of spot you come to for a drink and then go elsewhere for dinner. I thought the food was average at best. We got a grilled fish dish that just wasn't all that well cooked. I could tell the temp of the grill was low just by how it looked. I had a creamy seafood pasta that was very average as is but not bad when I added the salsa macha they had at the table. The company and the views here were great but the food was just ok. 

Grilled Fish at El Mirador
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El Pollo de Oro

The smell coming out of El Pollo de Oro pulled us in for some ribs and chicken. We managed to grab a table right before the lunch rush which seemed to be mostly locals. Both of the grilled meats were good as expected at these Mexican grilled chicken shacks commonly found throughout the country. The chile rellano was a pleasant surprise. This place is just a couple blocks off the strip and worth walking over to for lunch one day if you want some stick to your ribs type of food - no pun intended.

Lunch at El Pollo de Oro
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Los Claros

Los Claros is commonly mentioned in the conversation of the best tacos in Cabo so I marked it down as a possible stop and we ended up making it here for a snack on the last day. This place specializes in Tacos estilo Sinaloa which means plump fried shrimp paired with rich and savory smoked marlin and so forth. Not the best seafood tacos I’ve had but they hit the spot as far as a quick snack goes.

Seafood Tacos at Los Claros
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Tabasco Beach Bar & Restaurant

We did a ton of beach lounging on our last day in Cabo and that included taking a long walk from one end to the other and seeing what was going on. We met up as a group at Tabasco Bar & Restaurant as a friend of a friend insisted we stop in for some cerveza and the shrimp tacos that he and his wife stop in to get every time they come to Cabo. These tacos ended up being a good metaphor for a trip to this very touristy part of Mexico. Chopped up shrimp is mixed with peppers + onions in toasted flour tortillas and they it the spot as the setting was spectacular and the company kept was wonderful. 

Shrimp Tacos at Tabasco Beach
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Mother Flower

The restaurant scene in Cabo seems to be lacking in the creativity department. There’s just not a lot of spots doing interesting or at least elevated takes on the local cuisine. Mother Flower was the one exception I found to this. It’s a trendy but casual place with good sunlight and a cool open air kitchen parked right behind the bar where they make very good drinks. It feels like a Southern California spot. The menu is mostly made up of tacos but there's also items like clam chowder, burgers, lamb chops, and seafood pasta. Clam chowder is commonly mentioned in online reviews and it caught my eye seeing as how it’s not a dish you commonly come across at a Mexican restaurant. But it’s served with Salsa Macha drizzled on top and that intrigued me. It ended up working really well as Salsa Macha tends to do when used with a creamy base like clam chowder. The soup itself was a classic version that I think most New Englanders would be happy with. As far as the tacos go they were also excellent. The fish and steak tacos are about as good as you’ll get in Cabo and octopus tostadas are a must. I feel like Octopus can be hit or miss but these tostadas with chopped octopus, smoked oyster pate, avocado, and salsa macha were a big hit with the table. We walked in around opening time but you might want to get reservations here as it’s not a huge space and it’s rightfully popular.

Dinner at Mother Flower
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ICYMI:

Eating BIG in Baja (2016)

Eating BIG in Riviera Nayarit (2020)

Eating BIG in Mexico City (2025)

See ya next time @chibbqking