Cantinas in Mexico City / La Mascota, free snacks and 93 years of history

By YTME 

Photos courtesy Social Media "La Mascota"

Mesones Street dates back to 1525. Located in Tenochtitlán, or as Cortés called it “Temixtitán,” which barely grasped the impact of the fall of the empire. It is said that the name comes from the “mesones” placed in the area—small inns and taverns that offered bread and food. Talking about Mesones means discussing three hundred years of colonial history and just over two hundred years of an independent nation.

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In 1931, President Pascual Ortiz Rubio was working to unify a nation divided by the recent Cristero War. A symbol was needed to evoke nationalist feelings. Perhaps the idea of enacting the Federal Labor Law as a regulation of Article 123 of the Constitution fulfilled this goal. In that Mexico, in that Federal District, the Cantina La Mascota was born, which is undoubtedly one of the most famous and well-known spots in the Historic Center of CDMX.

The first time I walked into La Mascota, I had just come out of the Veerkamp music store. Back then, and it hasn’t been long, the only place to buy vihuelas was the endless array of music shops on Bolívar Street. The first place visible from the store was a discreet cantina, rather plain. I remember we used to go to the torta and smoothie shop right at La Mascota’s entrance. Something drew us inside. Perhaps it was the music from its old jukebox. Maybe it was the mixed sounds of a mariachi violin.

The truth is, almost two decades have passed in the blink of an eye, and today, sitting at one of its tables, I read on the napkin holder the snack of the day: shrimp broth, potato quesadillas, beef juice, fish fillet, adobo tongue. Here, snacks are served with a minimum drink purchase. I must mention that the menu includes their famous chamorro, in case hunger wants to surpass the included snacks. Additionally, a temporary and grease-stained sign on the table announces that the season for chiles en nogada has been advanced. Thus, La Mascota remains frozen in a past, present, and future that invites us to delve into its flavors, memories, and forgotten moments.

• Address: Mesones 20, Centro Histórico, CDMX
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
• Ideal For: Lunch, dinner
• Type of Food: Mexican
• Payment: Cash and cards
• Accessibility: Yes
• Parking: No
• Reservations: Not necessary
• Phone: 57093414
• Nearby Public Transport: Metro Stations: Bellas Artes, Allende, Zócalo
• Pet Friendly: No
• Kid-Friendly: No
• Vegan Options: No