I know you’ve probably heard plenty about the endless restaurant possibilities in Mexico City and the ever-growing gastronomic fame of Oaxaca. But few places capture how Mexico’s gastronomy never stops evolving—or surprising—quite like Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco.
Home to birria, tortas ahogadas, the city’s iconic sandwiches drowned in spicy tomato sauce, and, of course, tequila (Jalisco is, after all, the birthplace of the agave spirit that conquered the world), the heritage-rich city has been stealthily undergoing a culinary awakening of its own, with restaurants rethinking regional cooking through a more contemporary lens. Alcalde has played no small part in that transformation.
