Mezcaleria La Miserable — Restaurant in Baja California Sur

La Miserable is such a fun spot—honestly, one of our favorite stops in La Paz! We loved it so much that we went twice during our trip. It’s lively, vibrant, and just has the best energy.

The first time, our group of four sat outside in the courtyard, which was so cute and had a great atmosphere. Their mezcal selection is incredible—everything from Espadín to Tobalá to Madrecuishe. We were so excited to see mezcal from one of our favorite places in Oaxaca on the menu! The server was super fun and kept the good vibes going the whole night.

We ended up staying for two hours (and even canceled our dinner reservation) because we were having such a great time. The food was amazing—we shared tamales and chicharrón, which paired perfectly with the mezcal. The courtyard was buzzing, the music was awesome, and it was just such a fun scene.

A few days later, we went back and sat inside, which was just as great. We ended up chatting with the table next to us and loved being able to try so many different mezcals while learning about each one. That’s what I love most about a good mezcalería—the chance to taste, learn, and truly enjoy the experience.

La Miserable has everything: a killer mezcal selection, a welcoming vibe, and great food. If you’re in La Paz, you have to check it out. Can’t wait to go...

This is where I got serious about Mezcal. I came here during the week when it was quiet. The extremely knowledgeable bilingual waiter asked me some probing questions about my taste profile preferences, and then I got a half-hour lesson in Mezcal. History, production processes, types of agave, geography... everything! Including a flight of 4 excellent Mezcals, it cost USD$25 with tip (in 2022). So VERY worth it. Now I make the pilgrimage to Oaxaca (the Mezcal epicenter, four trips so far, and there will be more!) and after carefully and confidently examining a list of 100 Mezcals, I will pick one based on production process, agave varietal, and even the village of origin. I have come a VERY long way, and I will always be grateful to La Miserable for getting me started on that journey.

There are no gimmicks here, this is as close as you can get to an authentic Oaxacan Mezcaleria without buying a plane ticket. Prices are reasonable. They have (limited) food, but who cares, this is all about the Mezcal, they are not a restaurant and don't try to be one. Get there early because they are VERY popular and...

Wow, truly the only bad part of this trip to La Paz and Baja Sur. Not only to be refused indoor seating repeatedly while other groups were allowed in (no, reservations are not taken), it took prompting from our party after a 15 minute wait just go get someone to say hello. Then, about 30-35 minutes after our order was out to us, no one had stopped by to check on us. We had been considering another round, but this was absurd, so we'd asked for the check. We did get that promptly, but again, no one came for like 15 minutes until I had to go prompt someone (idk, one of the 5-6 people standing around drinking in the kitchen, in plain sight of the front door?) To come cash us out.

Everywhere else that we visited in La Paz was worthwhile, a great experience, and phenomenal service. This was not. Skip this if you...