Monterrey, Mexico’s northern capital of industry, was built on beef and beer. Those visiting from the U.S. will see much cultural crossover from the Southwest, which, along with this part of Mexico, was considered its own economic and cultural region for many years. Besides business, beef and beer, the city’s other obsession is soccer, and Monterrey will host 4 World Cup games during June in Monterrey Stadium (Estadio BBVA). If you’re coming for soccer and want a taste of classic regional food, drink and ambiance, here are a few recommended places to try.
Sometimes a classic doesn’t have to be 100 years old, such is the case of La Nacional, which opened in 2003. They are known for taking traditional Regio cuisine and adding their own particular twist. This family restaurant, with its white tablecloths and upscale service, is beloved by the entire city and is a great place for a long, leisurely lunch with family or friends. Menu recommendations include the signature version of fideo seco — plus various ribeyes, flatiron steak, arrachera and burgers. What could be more classic in Mexico’s beef country?
The region’s most famous dish is cabrito — baby goat roasted over an open flame on a cross-shaped spit. It’s served with a bevy of salsas and fresh, hand-patted tortillas and is an iconic Sunday meal for Regios. This is the speciality at El Gran Pastor, a family-style restaurant that opened its first location in 1996. They now have six other locations throughout the city and, along with some of the best cabrito in the city, serve machaca (dried, shredded beef), mollejas (fried gizzards), rib eye and other meaty options. Several restaurants compete for the title of best cabrito in Monterrey, but if you can’t get someone to make it for you in their backyard, El Gran Pastor is my favorite option.
Sierra Madre was one of the first microbreweries in Mexico in 1998 and was a pioneer in the Mexican craft beer movement. No longer a tiny start-up, they have expanded to several locations in Monterrey without losing their deeply rooted local vibe. Purists might say that this isn’t of the utmost historical relevance, but beer in Monterrey is one of its oldest industries, with the founding of one of the country’s first breweries, Cervecería Cuauhtémoc, dating back to 1890. If you have a chance to tour the original factory, “La Cervecería” (now owned by Heineken), or the bottling factory museum, you won’t regret it.
Mercado Campesino
This market is not for the faint of heart. Along with fresh fruits and veggies, and prepared foods, there are live animals (in particular, the live goats customers select for making cabrito that are sold and butchered onsite in the nearby butchering room). Despite the intensity, if you want a taste of the region, this is an obligatory food stop. Prepared dishes like fritada de cabrito, asado de cerdo and special regional gorditas stuffed with fillings like barbacoa can be found at the dozens of food stalls here, as well as homemade salsas in recycled bottles, pickled vegetables and herbs floating in massive mason jars, fresh-from-the-farm eggs and fresh local cheeses and honey.
It might surprise visitors to learn that Monterrey was a formative place for Mexican rock in the 1990s, creating a kind of citywide innovation hub — known as La Avanzada Regia — that produced some of the era’s most innovative bands. While rock has faded as the city’s most prominent music style, you can still get a taste of that vintage vibe at Cafe Iguana, where live rock bands play, and when the stage is empty, the stereo is still blasting. The drinks and food menu here are nothing special — beers and pub grub — but the historic downtown feeling that permeates this place can’t be replicated.
Bar Lontananza
This list would not be complete without an old-fashioned cantina. Lontananza has been functioning as a cantina since 1910 and, while a little dive-y, has a classic, neighborhood ambiance. Reported famous clientele include Fidel Castro and Mexican-Cuban boxer José Ángel “Mantequilla” Nápoles. There’s even a book about it: “Cuentos e Lontananza,” published in the 1990s. The beer is cold, the tequila pours freely and the menu is full of cantina classics like caldo de res, machaca, guacamole and pork chops. It’s an old-school world inside this bar, and it’s recommended that you brush up on your Spanish before visiting.
Lydia Carey is a freelance writer and translator based in Mexico City. She has published extensively both online and in print, sharing her insights about Mexico for over a decade. She lives a double life as a local tour guide and is the author of “Mexico City Streets: La Roma.” Follow her urban adventures on Instagram and see more of her work at mexicocitystreets.com.
