When you start researching the street food in CDMX, it won’t take long for La Esquina del Chilaquil to start popping up! This is one of the most popular places to eat a casual breakfast and THE most popular chilaquiles torta in Mexico City… and I guess in the world!
What is a chilaquiles torta?
Here are two things you need to know:
- Chilaquiles = tortilla chips (known locally as totopos) commonly served as a breakfast dish bathed in salsa (red or green) and topped with crema and cheese, plus extras you opt for like huevo (egg) or meat
- Torta = a crusty bread roll packed full of ingredients. You’ll find these all over Mexico. Often cheese, meat, avo, veggies, and milanesa are involved… But here we’re obviously talking about chilaquiles!
Chilaquiles are one of the best dishes to eat for brunch in Mexico City, and you can pay as much as 200 pesos for a serving in some of the trendy Condesa cafes. I’m not saying they’re not good but I AM saying this is the OG spot for a cheap, delicious serving of chilaquiles, scooped into a crusty torta.
It’s the best thing you can buy for 60 pesos in the upmarket Condesa area of Mexico City!
What does it taste like / why is it so special?
The components are light crispy bread, tangy salsa, creamy frijoles, crispy milanesa… It’s a whole boat load of flavors and textures.
Also, it’s spicy which I LOVE!
When to visit – and long you’ll wait!
La Esquina del Chilaquil opens around 8am and many people will tell you to get in the line before; it starts forming up to an hour before opening.
However, I’m not sure I agree with this advice. Between 7am and 8am, you can guarantee NOT getting served because it’s not open. Yes, you’ll be near the front BUT the line moves fast so you’re not saving loads of time.
I suggest going between 9 and 10am because the long line of people that arrived mega early are served and gone. You’re mainly waiting with other people arriving at the same time as you.
Read next: the best restaurants in La Condesa for all types of food
They sell out around 11am so, if you only have one chance to visit, get there by 10am to wait out the line before they finish serving.
I’ve been a few times and my average waiting time is around 30 minutes. So, is it worth it? Here’s my review and details for visiting…
What to order at La Esquina del Chilaquil and price
Let’s face it, you’re going to have time in the line to think about what you want! But there’s no visible menu so you’ll want to be prepared. You don’t want to get flustered at the front with 50 people waiting behind you!
- Milanesa (60 pesos) – a fried meat fillet, either pollo/pechuga or res (chicken or beef). Specify whether you want red (rojo) or green (verde) salsa
- Cochinita (60 pesos) – similar to pulled pork but marinated in a unique blend of spices, this is a Yucatan specialty
- La Bomba (70 pesos) – both a milanesa filet AND cochinita. You’ll need to be hungry/a legend for this one!
- Whatever you order will come with a scoop of chilaquiles. Choose either verde (green) or rojo (red).
Salsa verde or rojo? About 80% of people I know prefer salsa verde on their chilaquiles. It’s more tangy. However, I’m also partial to salsa rojo which is richer. You can’t go wrong with either!
On my latest visit to La Esquina del Chilaquil, I got to jump the line because the staff created a separate line for those wanting salsa verde which only myself and a few others joined it. There’s a chance people just didn’t hear him. I was thrilled because I saved time in the line and got the torta I wanted. Win!
Useful info
- It’s cash only
- There’s no seating so it will be packaged to go – there are plenty of benches nearby on the Hipodrome
- They accept orders on Rappi if you can’t be bothered to go there and wait in line
- It’s a local joint so brush up on your Spanish.. but to be honest, they will speak English if you get stuck.
Veggie options?
You can just order the chilaquiles torta without the milanesa or cochinita. So it will just be the totopos in a bread roll with cheese, cream, and frijoles (for vegans, opt out of the cheese and crema). It can be done although I wonder if it’s worth waiting so long for such a simple meal.
Check out my veggie & vegan guide to CDMX!
Finally – is it worth the line?
Some people will say you’re mad to wait up to an hour for a sandwich, and I’m sure some will say that La Esquina del Chilaquil is overhyped.
My take? If you don’t go, you might be forever wondering ‘is it worth it?’ or ‘how good is it?’ and you’ll never know! FOMO always gets the best of me with things like this.
I’ve waited in line several times now and it’s DELISH. I say do it!
Thanks for reading!
More food & drink guides to CDMX:
- 35+ best bars in Mexico City
- Speakeasy bars in CDMX
- Breakfast restaurants in CDMX
- Restaurants in Roma Norte
- Cafes in Condesa
- Ultimate Mexico City cafe guide
- Mexico City taco guide
- Vegan food in CDMX
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