Guide to Cantinas in Mérida / Eladio’s Bar Centro, unlimited and free snacks.

By: Jajo Crespo / Photos by Leonel Adrián Varguez Cervera, Gastroibérica, and Eladio's

We arrived in Mérida from Quintana Roo because my father had a surgery scheduled at the hospital known as "T1". It was a holiday, and the staff who received our paperwork at IMSS didn't hesitate to remind us, "Are you sure they told you it's today?" We were sure: although Mérida is beautiful, taking a bus at three in the morning is too big a sacrifice for sightseeing. After a couple of hours of waiting, they informed my father that the doctor wasn't available and he should come back in a month. "What do we do?" he said. I wanted a beer and something to eat. After a quick Google search, we discovered we were near a branch of an iconic place in Mérida: Eladio's Bar Centro.

The place was divided into two sections: a closed part with air conditioning, and a larger, open area with a wooden roof and huge fans. We sat in the first section and begged for hydration: two beers. The service was quick and friendly, even though we arrived right when they opened. Soon the waiter returned with two beers, and a couple of minutes later, the first round of snacks arrived: sausages in chipotle sauce, beets, cucumbers, chili potatoes, beans, chipotle mushrooms. In short, more dishes than our hunger could handle, and it was only the first round. I took it as a personal challenge because, despite the many times we had circled T1, this was the first time we had the chance to try local food. Eladio's system is simple: as long as you keep ordering, snacks will keep coming, and if you finish the dishes, you can restart the circuit or repeat any dish, from the ones mentioned to the classic cochinita pibil tacos. So, not to disappoint the gastronomic tourism, I ordered a tequila and my father a brandy. And then more, and more, and the food kept coming and coming...

Around 1952, the first Eladio's began to nurture the dream of Don Eladio Herrera: to create a daily family celebration filled with the aromas, flavors, and colors of the Yucatecan experience. Today, over seventy years later, with five branches in Mérida and one in Puerto Progreso, that dream is a reality. Eladio's has become a reference for Yucatecan "botanas" (snacks) to which everyone is invited.

Food Police recommends:

The "sopa de lima" (lime soup). Although I tried all the snack circuit, I couldn't leave Mérida without tasting this regional classic. On a base of fried tortilla, roasted chicken, peppers, and onions, a lime-seasoned broth is added that, despite being served hot, feels like a refreshing dish.

• Address: Corner of 44, C. 59 425, Parque de la Mejorada, Centro, 97000 Mérida, Yuc.
• Contact info: 9999250767
• Operating hours: daily from 11 am to 9 pm
• Ideal for: meals
• Type of cuisine: Yucatecan food and snacks
• Payment: cash and cards
• Accessibility: yes
• Parking: no
• Reservations: not necessary, but can be made by phone
• Pet friendly: no
• Suitable for children: yes
• Vegan options: no