Casa Oaxaca el Restaurante — Restaurant in Oaxaca

We arrived here without reservation for my wife’s birthday. We knew it was a 50/50 chance to get in there since it’s a pretty famous restaurant in Oaxaca centro. Luckily we got a table on the roof but not with a great view (understandable and we where glad). We got a pretty good waiter and even though the roof was full the service was good. They came with menus and made us a fresh salsa from scratch at our table, even asked how much chile we wanted in it which is great since my wife can’t tolerate too much.

The ambience was good, there was live music at the time we where there.

After it we ordered only entrees (we where a bit full from the lunch). The roasted beets where really good, also the yellowfin tacos with jicama tortilla (I added the salsa to them and it matches really good, also the same salsa with the plantain spheres with mole went very well).

The corn creme was served right at the table which was nice, and also the tamarind mezcalinis where shaked and served at the table. All drinks where pretty strong and good (I like to taste the mezcal or alcohol on any drink rather than it be too diluted).

We told our waiter right when we got there it was my wife’s birthday and if it was possible to get a table with a view, they gently told us it wasn’t possible since they’ve got reservations from a week or two for those tables. Totally understandable.

What they did though is right after we ordered a the dessert they came with a special birthday dessert for her (with the other purple plantain dessert we ordered). It was a really nice gesture and of course it wasn’t on the bill.

Overall it was a great experience and the only reason I don’t leave 5 stars is because I couldn’t taste more of the menu to determine if the main courses where good or not. Other thing we didn’t liked is that on the rooftop there is only 1 bathroom for the ladies which isn’t right for so many tables there, they need to address that.

I would definitely come back though to try other cocktails and dishes; I’d recommend anyone if they want to come better get a reservation for a table with a view on...

While this place is excellent and I appreciate what it is, I think It would take several visits to get a true appreciation of its excellence. It is overwhelming for a non Spanish speaking visitor without any knowledge of local cuisine. The vast numbers of exquisite dishes and the finely curated selections of agave and mezcal were really out of our reach of true appreciation. Without a guide We felt lost but not in a bad way. I think the food was on a very high level of greatness, but I don't know enough about the regional foods to say why. With that said... The atmosphere is upscale and polished. The wait staff, efficient. Maybe too efficient and that's where expectations and cultural differences play a role. The menu was one that made us want every dish and not being able to try every dish made us feel as if we were missing out on something. We had 4of the cocktails, two on page one and two on page two. Each as delicious and provoking as the other, the mezcal dominating and intriguing. All a wonderful experience. The second page was margaritas and for me I'm not a fan of salt so I personally preferred the offerings of the first page of cocktails. The salsa prepared at the table as part of your meal was a beautiful experience to watch being prepared. You have the option to have it made to your tastes. For example picante or no hot peppers. Ask for a little bit more salt.

Appetizer of beef tongue excellent. Sucking pig was everything you could imagine and more with its own mole. A bigger serving would not have been upsetting.

The Turkey was not your mom's thanksgiving offering, but something special that will make you think of turkey in a whole new way. I could have eaten two servings without the black sauce and 3 with!

By the time we finished our meals drunk with the pleasures of the food and with the mezcal buzz, dessert was unfortunately not happening.

The price for the meal was as expected. Even writing this I'm thinking I wish I would have gotten the beef cheeks or the ants and worms, or the paperdilla pasta or the short ribs or tried a...

On the recommendation of friends, and numerous reviews and accolades, we booked at Casa Oaxaca with great anticipation. Unfortunately the entire meal was a puzzling disappointment that left us bitter and unhappy. The atmosphere is beautiful and the service is decent if somewhat rushed, but that’s where the positives end.

As a complimentary starter, our server made a fresh salsa table side served with crispy tortillas, which looked inviting but lacked any flavor and depth.

We ordered three appetizers and a main to share in order to sample a few diverse options. The ceviche came in a well presented green pepper and looked inviting. Unfortunately, it was totally and unhappily overpowered by a pineapple-rich fruit salad that obliterated any hint of seafood without giving it any of the acidity and freshness you’d expect. All you could taste was pineapple, I could have been eating out of a Del Monte fruit can.

Next we tried the squash blossoms (aka zucchini flowers) filled with ricotta and plantain. Again, an overpowering sweet banana flavor dominated here, erasing any hint of the flowers and ricotta cheese (was there any ricotta? I could not even tell).

The third appetizer choice was barbecued rabbit, yet another complete disappointment. A medley of over blended ingredients melded into a tonally dead whole that resulted in a flavorless mess, it could have been chicken or spam.

Finally, on the recommendation of our server, we had chosen the short rib in mole sauce as our main to share. This was the better of the four dishes, but certainly nothing to celebrate, with average flavor and tenderness that didn’t impress.

Overall a disappointing dinner that isn’t deserving of the rating, not at all...