Unusual restaurants in Mexico City / Ahumados Pelican: 100% American-style barbecue in Santa María
The restaurant's centerpiece is the smoker: it works with firewood and lends itself to numerous flavor experiments.
By Alejandro Pohlenz
What is brisket?
Brisket is known in Spanish-speaking countries as "pecho de ternera" (beef breast). It was invented by European immigrants who arrived in Texas in the 18th century. Brisket, considered a cheaper cut of meat, was all that the new Texan residents could afford. The key to brisket (which has many fibers) is the cooking. It requires spending between 12 and 16 hours in the oven. One of the preparation techniques is what they call "basting" which could be translated as "marinating": it involves cooking the brisket in its own juices and, due to its prolonged time in the oven, keeping the meat hydrated.
A dark kitchen
Four years ago, when the fateful pandemic prohibited social life and caused restaurant closures, chef Alejandro Hernández and his buddy started a dark kitchen. Which does not mean that they cooked in the dark, but that they did not have a place to serve diners, but rather cooked exclusively for home delivery. That's where they started experimenting with the smoker.
Ahumados Pelican, later, ventured with a restaurant in Aragón and, later, they designed another that resides in Santa María la Ribera. It is a warehouse with a sheet metal roof and metal tables and chairs. It has a partition wall, a giant mirror, a luminous sign. There is its famous and beloved smoker that curiously works with firewood (no gas or electricity).
The Ahumados Pelican menu
Obviously the specialty of this unusual place with "industrial" decoration is smoked meats. It stands out, as a starter, the Korean belly (a little spicy); the 900-gram wings, for a whole regiment. The pelican fries which are potatoes with "meat jam" (?) and house mayonnaise. They sell smoked beef and pork by the kilo; but what is really nuts are the sandwiches (which look more like hamburgers). There are sausages and, for dessert, a smoked banana like the ones sold by the sweet potato cart that roams around Mexico City.
There is a DJ and the atmosphere, although noisy, can get very lively.
- What we love and you should try: imported brisket sandwich.
- What we don't like so much: the parking issue can be complicated.
- Food Police inside advise: on weekends you have to wait a little.
- Address: Jaime Torres Bodet 204, Santa María la Ribera, Mexico City.
- Hours and days of operation: Closed Monday to Wednesday. Thursday to Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday, from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Ideal for: lunch.
- Payment: cash and cards.
- Accessibility: no.
- Parking: no.
- Reservations: no.
- Pet Friendly: yes.
- Nearby public transportation: Buenavista Metro.
- Vegan options: no.
- Suitable to go with children: yes.
