Suculenta Tulum — Restaurant in Quintana Roo

There are many vegan restaurants in Tulum. The one I went to earlier today, not Suculenta, is a bare concrete proscenium loaded with sun-damaged ladies and vegetables in various states of lactofermentation.

At this other vegan restaurant, while I waited to order my mango Kefir I watched as the owner coddled flagrant influencers by pointing to and speaking the names of the adaptogens in dishes sent out as complements from the house.

I entered this echoey display-case as an indecipherable figure, and so they sat me out-of-sight. The incessant roars of blenders sonically smogged the nuance of a timeless new friend who was skillfully helping me metabolize what had happened on our path-shifting BDSM retreat.

I walked outside and located two chairs on which older women exhibited their woven fluorescent tasseled tote bags. In the last sips of their cold cacaos I asked if we could join them as friends, making this request directly to the more misanthropic near-grandmother who plainly professed to the incontrovertibility of Tulum’s terminal descent at the hands of median humans addled by alcohol.

This woman’s cool dismissal of Tulum as another casualty of the uncouth was that practiced script that she picked up from a whole procession of people whose cachet comes from their performance of the scoffing and studied rejection of the supposed mainstream, the ones who deserve all the blame for trampling this once rarefied scene.

That Tulum has changed with overuse and underappreciation is by widespread agreement one of the better ways to convey unoriginality. And still, I listened intently, and elected to not point out our complicity, instead turning our attention to her intriguing proposition of becoming a customer of her 5-hour meditation that would culminate in the “download” of my true color-palette, a new wardrobe, a spellbinding personal brand, and a package the contents of which would elevate my altar.

I left with a hunger to doubly redeem both Tulum and Veganism. And this is how I found Suculenta, a storefront turned into an oversized home kitchen that is a local expression of plant reverence. For this we can partially thank the mainstream, the cookbook authors and animal activists, the righteous chefs and their devoted eaters, and the many who are over meat. Let us thank the onrush of a certain plebe who spreads the ethical cuisine.

I’ll be at all the Suculentas, wherever there are Tulums, and long after the women dripping crystals find another place to hate themselves for being late to.

At Suculenta, I become the land gathered and prepared by a family who care to feed others in a way that is elevated rather than unctuous. Here I happily eat anonymously in the middle of the general populace, centered in this tranquil garden unfurling steamy tamales flush with...

Visited here on the recommendation of another restaurant chef (El Bajon Tacos) and so glad we did! We ordered one of each of the 7(!) varieties of tamales (all vegan) as well as 4 small bowls of pozole.

The pozole came first and was gorgeous. It smelled like the rich aromatic soup I’m used to smelling in Mexican homes around the holidays. The taste was a knockout—packed a perfect punch of spice, umami and citrus. The flavor profile was familiar for Mexican dishes but even richer. It put the sol in Mexican soul food.

Then came the plate of tamales, which we halved and shared. I live in San Diego and tamales are plentiful. I’ve had more than my share of vegan and non-vegan tamales alike — commercially made and packaged, restaurant-fare, street cart tamales, and homemade. But these were hands-down the best tamales I’ve ever eaten. EVER. First, the sheer variety was incredible. And I’m not talking about fake meat and cheese substitutes. These tamales were a service to fine traditional Mexican cuisine. The ingredients and thoughtful recipes honored both the artistry and the labor that goes into tamale-making beyond what any animal product could possibly do. Each bite was a succulent, exciting, well-planned fiesta in your mouth!

After the first round of tamale sharing, we each opted for one more of our favorites (the mole, papadzul, and beans) plus dessert muffins.

Our server was exceptionally friendly, quick and accommodating. The price was more than reasonable — Tijuana prices in Tulum! While they don’t accept credit cards, they do take cash (both pesos and dollars) and PayPal (which we used and got close to the same exchange rate as with our credit card).

We’re in Tulum 3 more days and will definitely visit again! I wish I could ship 4 dozen of these tamales back to San Diego!

Don’t miss the chance to eat at this delightful and delectable Mexican revelation — a win...

Suculenta is a simple, family-run vegan restaurant specializing in tamales, located on a quiet side street in Tulum. It became one of my favourite places to eat during my stay!

The menu has six differently flavoured tamales, as well as, various drinks and other dishes. It’s a small restaurant with only a few tables inside and a few in the beautiful shaded garden area behind the building. The garden area was lovely and peaceful! You can see a local woman cooking all the tamales from scratch in an open style kitchen. I visited here twice during my stay in Tulum and ordered the papadzul, mole and lentil tamales. Each one came with different toppings and sauces. All of them were so delicious, fresh and flavourful. I’ve never tasted such amazing tamales.

The staff were friendly and attentive as well. Good service! Would highly recommend for incredible...