What to eat in Guanajuato
The dishes, street food and sweets to try in Guanajuato, from enchiladas mineras to guacamayas and charamuscas, and where locals eat them.
Updated October 22, 2026
Enchiladas mineras
The city's signature dish was born to feed the miners: tortillas dipped in guajillo chile sauce, filled with fresh cheese and onion, and served with potatoes and carrots, often with chicken on the side. You will find them in markets and family restaurants all over town.
Guacamayas
A bolillo roll filled with crunchy chicharrón, pico de gallo and a splash of salsa. Born in nearby León, guacamayas are now a favorite street snack across the state, cheap, messy and delicious.
Breakfast on the street: gorditas, tacos al vapor and fresh juice
Mornings belong to gorditas stuffed with stews, steamed tacos (tacos al vapor) sold from baskets, freshly baked pan dulce and a glass of fresh juice. The best stalls sell out early, so go before noon.
The street food tour starts right there: pastries at a neighborhood bakery, fresh juices, gorditas, tacos al vapor and carnitas, on a three-hour walk with a local guide.
Do it with a local guide
Day tour- 3 hours
- Daily at 9:30
- 1–12 people
Guanajuato Street Food Tour
Eat your way around Guanajuato!
The original Guanajuato food tour, since 2014: freshly baked pastries, fresh juices, gorditas, tacos al vapor, carnitas and street ice cream, on a 3-hour walk with a local guide.
- All food and drinks on the tour
- Walking tour and history of the city with a local bilingual guide
per person$800 MXN
Group discounts available (5+ people: $700 MXN)
Carnitas
Pork slow-cooked in its own fat until tender and crisp at the edges, chopped to order and served in tacos with salsa, onion and cilantro. Ask for a mix of cuts (surtido) to taste a little of everything.
Sweets: charamuscas, cajeta and street ice cream
Charamuscas are twisted candies made of piloncillo (raw cane sugar), and in Guanajuato some are shaped like the city's famous mummies. Cajeta, the goat's milk caramel from the state's city of Celaya, shows up in candies and desserts.
Finish with a scoop of street ice cream (nieve) from a cart in a plaza: lime, mango or more unusual local flavors.
At night: tacos, mezcal and local drinks
When the sun goes down, the taco stands light up and the bars fill with students and locals. It is the time for tacos, mezcal and the region's traditional drinks.
The bars and tacos night tour takes you to the bars and after-dark stalls locals actually go to, with a local bilingual host.
Do it with a local guide
Night tour- 3–4 hours
- Daily at 19:00
- 1–12 people
Bars and Tacos Night Tour
Tacos, Pulque, Mezcal, and…?
Tacos and traditional drinks from the region: a 3–4 hour night walk through Guanajuato's bars and after-dark street food stalls with a local bilingual host.
- 4–5 different Mexican drinks in multiple bars
- Two street food stops at night stalls
per person$1,000 MXN
Group discounts available (5+ people: $900 MXN)
Where to eat: markets and stalls
The Mercado Hidalgo, in an iron-and-glass building next to the Alhóndiga, has food stalls downstairs. The Mercado Embajadoras, a short walk from the center, is where many locals shop and eat breakfast. A good rule anywhere: eat where the locals are lining up.