Where to feast on Oaxacan cuisine in Las Vegas

From an upscale cafe to a mini market, here’s where the cuisine of Oaxaca is served in Las Vegas.

Oaxaca is a gastronomic hub in southern México with cuisine that’s influenced by the region’s varied geography and indigenous culture. 

Along with Mexican staples like corn, beans, and chile peppers, Oaxaca also boasts a wide range of other ingredients and preparation styles. Seafood, vegetables, tropical fruits, chocolate, and grasshoppers (or chapulines) are among some of the products featured in Oaxaca-style food.

In Las Vegas, you’ll find the rich flavors, complex sauces, and trademark ingredients of Oaxaca at a handful of dining establishments. 

Milpa

4226 S. Durango Drive, Suite 101

While Chef DJ Flores only opened Milpa three years ago, the Oaxaca-style cafe has already made quite a name for itself. Not only is Milpa ranked No. 7 on Yelp’s Top 100 Taco Spots for 2023, it’s also ranked No. 22 on Yelp’s Top 100 U.S. Restaurants for 2024. To top it all off, Chef Flores is a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist in the category of Best Chef in the Southwest. 

Classy yet casual with an airy and modern feel, Milpa takes a healthy and handmade approach to Mexican food. Masa for tortillas, tamales, and tetelas is made fresh in-house from heirloom corn sourced from Mexico. Artisanally crafted bowls are created with premium, fresh ingredients like roasted vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, beans and queso fresca, then tossed with light dressings such as a jalapeño vinaigrette or chipotle lemon. 

The menu includes eclectic items like beer-battered fish or ribeye asada tacos, and seasonal food and drink specials (don’t miss half-off drinks at happy hour), as well as coffee drinks made from locally-sourced beans, horchata matcha, and Oaxacan hot chocolate. Breakfast items like blue corn pinole pancakes and shrimp ceviche are served all day. 

La Asunción Panadería and Tamales 

1458 E. Charleston Blvd.

Tiny but mighty, La Asuncion Panaderia and Tamales carries a wide variety of Oaxacan food items including mole, cheese, and pan de cazulela, empanadas amarillo, tamales, and tlayuda, depending upon the day. For cooking at home, you’ll find ingredients from Oaxaca like tomillo, sal de gusanito, hierba con conejo, chocolate, and chapulines.

Yelper Adriana R. writes “it’s rare to get Oaxaca food in Las Vegas” that doesn’t have a modern twist, adding, “Everything is made by hand and while it can be a wait, it’s 100 percent worth it.”

Sabor Casero

2401 S Valley View Blvd.

Easy to spot from the street with its house-shaped sign, stucco exterior, and brick roof at the intersection of Valley View Blvd. and Sahara Ave., Sabor Casero is an Oaxaca-style fast-casual restaurant with a dining room, outdoor seating, and a drive-thru. 

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant is known for its first-rate service and authentic dishes, including its signature tlayuda, an iconic Oaxacan pizza-like dish. The Mole de Pollo is smothered in a rich sauce while the Mojarra (fish) is served dry or a la diabla (in sauce). You can also choose from Mexican favorites like tacos, burritos, tortas, tortillas, and sopes, made with chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp, then wash it all down with an agua fresca or Mexican Coca-Cola.

Yelper Dan L. knew the food would be good “when i saw abuela in back.” Camille S. adds that “you feel at home,” when dining here and Stephanie H. even feels like family “every time I go through the drive through.”

Photo courtesy of Sabor Casero via Instagram.

I Love Oaxaca

2245 N. Decatur Bvd., Suite E

I Love Oaxaca is a mini market and convenience store carrying a wide variety of Oaxaquan brands and products. While you can’t sit down and eat a meal at I Love Oaxaca, you will find groceries like mole, chocolate, tortillas, chapulines (grasshoppers), salsa, atole de leche, and pan, as well as household goods, healthcare products, crafts, and clothing.

The store also carries authentic, freshly made baked goods, quesillo, tlayudas, and tazajo — every food you can think of to transport you to Southern Mexico.

Photo courtesy of I Love Oaxaca Mini Market Las Vegas via Facebook.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.