At the university where I study, it's normal to see many exchange students who come to Mexico for either one or two semesters, but it's even more common to have foreigners spending their entire five years of university in Mexico; specifically in the absolutely beautiful city of Querétaro. The majority of the foreigners that end up living in Querétaro long-term are Latin Americans, and if you mention María y su bici to any of them, you will see a sparkle in their eyes because it was more than likely to have been one of the first restaurants that they enjoyed authentic Mexican cuisine in. Nowadays, it's common to see them taking their parents or relatives that come to visit. María y su bici will always be an excellent dining option that will not disappoint you if you want to taste some real Mexican cooking.
(Welcome to María y su bici! )
In case you didn't know, it's worth mentioning that, in 2010, Mexico's cuisine was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, especially for the Oaxaca mole, soups, tlayudas and chapulines. You will be to find all of these in María y su bici without needing to travel too far away.
Another example of a tlayuda.
A very Mexican menu (and a varied one too)
When people come to Mexico, the first thing that they think about is eating tacos. Tacos with skirt steak, marinated meat, beef steak, suadero, black puddings... in short, there are absolutely loads to choose from! Although this is definitely the kind of Mexican food that we all know and love, there are dishes that correspond to just one particular state in Mexico and it's very difficult to find them elsewhere. María y su bici is a mescal bar that specialises in Oaxacan food, which is undoubtedly some of the tastiest in Mexico.
The menu's design is quite original, as they put it inside some coconuts and tie it together with some string, like you can see in the photo.
The soups (wait, there are insects in the food? )
In Mexico, we are very much used to eating soup. Soup is one food that we eat almost every single day: it's a kind of stock diluted with water and you can make them with whatever you like. Usually, some of the most well-known varieties are the typical "sopa de tortilla", chicken soup or angel noodle soup, but, at this restaurant, they serve soups that not even a Mexican can stomach on a daily basis. To name a few that they serve: bean soup, pumpkin soup, and a typical maize stew with black mole. Mole is a typical Mexican food, but it comes from the state of Oaxaca, where they make it a thousand and one different ways. Now, if you're interested in eating something new or something quite exotic, you can start with the grasshopper soup. Grasshoppers? Yes, I am talking about those insects that jump around and don't let you sleep at night.
The soups are usually served in deep dishes like this, which are the same ones that you would typically eat cereal out of.
If you liked the grasshoppers and you want to try something even more exotic, I suggest that you try the dead insect soup, which contains leafcutter ants, grasshoppers, red worm with dried chilli and piper auritum (an aromatic herb). The aforementioned soups don't cost any more than $95 Mexican pesos (approximately $4. 76), but this last one is the restaurant's signature dish, so it will cost you $135 Mexican pesos, which would work out at roughly around $6. 77.
If you want to keep trying new things but the idea of eating insects doesn't massively appeal to you, you can try the chicken soup, "chichillo" (a steak-based soup with chilli and vegetables), a stone soup (with shrimps and river stones), or "caldo amarillito", which contains steak and is spicy for having been cooked in yellow chillies. Do you want us to continue talking about the exotic stuff? In all honesty, the only "exotic" thing about the following soups are their names. For example, does the idea of eating a "belly button soup" frighten you? You shouldn't be so terrified! This delicacy contains pumpkin and balls of dough. And, the Oaxacan Cat soup will not contain any felines... it consists of chicken, pork, steak and vegetables.
I have a confession to make: I have never actually tried the cricket soup, nor the dead insect soup, for that matter. Neither of the two make for typical day-to-day Mexican meals, but they are traditional dishes in certain parts of Mexico. I have tried grasshoppers on a couple of occasions, just not in a soup, and they were really tasty! The first time that I tried them was at a paella festival, where one of the competing paellas contained grasshoppers! If you want a rough idea of what they more or less taste like, think of the taste of chicken. Although they tasted good, I wouldn't want to repeat the experience for a second time because, at least in my case, it was difficult to keep eating after feeling the insects' legs in my mouth... aside from this, the taste was rather pleasant.
The atmosphere is 100% Mexican and there always absolutely loads of people there; they will treat you so well, it's as if they have known you all your life. At María y su bici, you can also buy 100% handmade Mexican products ranging from jewellery to clothing, and even some ornaments.
There's nothing better than trying mescal at a mescal bar!
One of the things that you must try if you come to Mexico is mescal. Tequila is another of Mexico's alcoholic beverages that is extremely well-known on a global scale, so it doesn't at all matter where you are from, I'm sure that you will have at least tried tequila a handful of times.
In Mexico, there is a well-known saying, "Para todo mal, mezcal. Y para todo bien, también", which, in English, translates as "For everything bad, mescal, and for everything good as well". The term, "mescal", comes from an old Mexican language, Nahuatl, and means "oven-cooked agave". This drink is made from a plant called agave, which originates from Mexico, so it's for this reason that this drink is so important and so traditional. This drink is so old that researchers have found evidence to suggest that their Mexican ancestors produced it over 2500 years ago!
Mescal is made from different types of agave, so depending on the one used, the version produced and its corresponding taste will differ. Currently, of the 31 states that make up the United Mexican States (the country's official name), mescal is produced in 9 of them, so finding a good mescal bar is increasingly more difficult. However, fortunately for you, you are reading about one of them: María y su bici.
This is the way that they serve mescal and soup.
A maggot at the bottom of my bottle!
Mescal is produced through the distillation of agave, and you can usually find a maggot at the bottom of every bottle. This maggot is actually a larva that is found in the part of the agave that the mescal is obtained. Some say that the mescal acquires a different taste with the maggot, but others say that it's simply a marketing strategy. But, in any case, we must admit that it's quite an original idea, yet, at the same time, relatively disgusting.
You must know that they don't just add worms to the drink: you can also find it with coffee cream, lemon verbena, fruit, herbs, and even scorpions! This drink is considered to be mystical, spiritual and special; so much so that it is exported to twenty different countries.
To be able to manufacture the mescal, they need the agave heart, which is also known as the "piña del agave" amongst Spanish speakers. This drink, which I am sure will last you just a few short seconds, can take up to eight years to make, as this is the length of time it takes for the agave to fully mature. Agave itself looks like a giant marijuana plant. During harvest season, the leaves are all cut off of the plant, leaving just the heart, which are cooked and crushed to make the mescal. If you are interested in knowing my personal opinion, I really don't like mescal because it something of a burnt or smoked taste, due to the cooking of the agave heart, and even has a touch of an earthy taste about it, thanks to the barrels it is stored in.
At María y su bici, you are going to have lots of options to choose from. You can order the "Mazunte", which is mescal with guava and curaçao, or "Istik", which is a very interesting mix because it combines shaved ice with a touch of mescal. For those who don't know what shaved ice is, it's a type of cold drink that makes the heat a little bit more bearable, made by scraping ice and then adding juice to it. One particular mescal that seems really exotic for me, but unappetising for many, is the "Azteca" because it contains both chocolate and chilli. If it's difficult for you to imagine an alcoholic beverage with chocolate, it will be even more difficult to imagine one with chilli too...
The mescal, "Zapoteco", comes with sapota, which is a Mexican tropical fruit. If you want to round out your experience with a comprehensive mix of mescal, you can order the "Campiña", which contains grapefruit, lime, orange, grapefruit juice, ice, agave salt, and Burrito Fiestero mescal (a brand that manufactures this alcohol). This particular drink is an absolute delight made from ingredients that I imagine you have never heard of in your life.
There is also tradition in the desserts
When an individual comes to eating at María y su bici, they have to hope that every item on the menu is something new, exotic, typically Mexican, delicious, and that they've never tried it before. Many typical Mexican restaurants can really go to town on their main courses, but run out of steam when it comes to dessert, selling the same old staples of flan, jelly, cheesecake or rice pudding. I can assure you that that will not happen here because you will also find the Oaxacan touch that you were looking for so much in the desserts on offer.
Do you fancy trying typical Oaxacan desserts? Order yourself one of the following: "casquito", "pan de yema", "mamon", "jamoncillo", "nenguanito", and even agave heart. Now, if you feel like you haven't had enough mescal, you can order "El mezcalero", a sweet dish made with the alcoholic beverage. Another dessert that's not only typical of Oaxaca, but of Mexico as a whole, is "atole", which is made with milk and has a creamier consistency. You can also order the "Beso oaxaqueño", made using mescal cream.
In this restaurant, you can order items made slightly differently, so it's for this reason that they added "Nicuatole" to the menu, which is not only cooked with milk, but also has more flour added to it until it curdles. I have already tried this and it is an absolute delight. Many of the desserts at María y su bici are unique to the restaurant: they are a mixture of delicious experiments and family recipes that have been passed down for generations. If you are a chocoholic, you could order the "Volcán", which is a pancake made with handmade chocolate from Oaxaca with ice cream in the middle. Trying something hot that, at the same time, is cold, gives the dessert a unique touch.
And what do we order to drink? Just mescal?
At María y su Bici, you will always be able to find a thousand and one options of drinks to choose from, both Mexican as well as the usual selection you'd find anywhere: what you end up ordering ultimately depends on the mood you find yourself in. You can order the soft drink that you would find back home, like Coca Cola, although there are other varieties available here in Mexico because we make it with cane sugar.
Why don't you order yourself one of 'María's waters'? They are made with so many ingredients that you won't even know what some of them are, like "chaya" and "téjate". The ones that I do know and are considered to be Mexican delicacies include hibiscus tea and water with lime, horchata and chia (a seed that is proven to improve digestion). Generally, you could argue that the waters are from Mexico, given that they don't exist in other countries or that they prefer to drink plain water or concentrated fruit juices. Fresh flavoured water could be said to be the middle ground between spring water and concentrated orange juice, which is more diluted.
You can order yourself a delicious rompope (an eggnog-like drink) or a tepache (a rum liquor), a drink that was native of the indigenous Mexicans. However, during the Spanish Conquest, they were prohibited from drinking it due to its high alcohol content. You can also order national beers, the most widely-known beers in the country and some recognised on a global level, like: Indio, Bohemia (light or dark), Tecate (red or light), Corona, or an XX Lager. If you are more of a fan of handcrafted beer, you can request to see the menu of beers handcrafted in Querétaro, where you can find IPA, Pilsner, Lager or Stout.
You can also order a "cáscara de cacao" tea or the famous pot coffee; this Oaxacan coffee is very different to all the others that I have tried, I assure you. Most people either love it or hate it because it's a little bit more diluted than regular coffee - it's made in a Mexican clay pot, which gives it a little bit more of a "local" touch. The reason why many people don't like it is because they say it tastes like dirty water with a hint of coffee, but I think that it's something that you should definitely try if you are visiting Mexico.
The best place to try tlayudas
Tlayudas, along with mole, are the hallmark of Oaxacan cuisine. The tortilla are approximately 40 centimetres in diameter, but they taste completely different to a regularly prepared one. They are lightly toasted, but, at the same time, they are soft and crunchy. Generally, they are filled with pork, Oaxacan cheese, cabbage, tasajo, and, of course, it could not lack that characteristic Mexican touch, salsa.
This how delicious the tlayudas look. Believe me when I say that you will be full by just eating one!
But why is it called 'María y su bici'? Who is María?
María is nothing more and nothing less than the founder of this delightful restaurant. María's story is lovely because it starts back in her childhood when she had to take control of the house to help her mother make the food. The house was later run by Isaías, helping her family survive, especially her brother, Roberto, who sold the milk. Fortunately, he returned home without the milk, but also with no money because he had given it to the poor for free!
Due to the sheer amount of time spent and practice had in the kitchen from a very early age, she really improved all of her dishes, in particular: tlayudas, moles, all dishes containing chapulines, and unpasteurised milk, amongst others. It wasn't until very recently that María moved to the city of Querétaro to create a place where people could come and try the Oaxacan food that represents the legacy left behind by her family: her grandmother, her mother, Ana, and her father, Isaías. As you will soon realise for yourselves, María is a lover of both her roots and her dreams, and she tried to successfully replicate the food of her home town.
María y su bici is always prepared for your merrymaking!
In Mexico, we saying "merrymaking" to refer to any type of celebration. If you really liked the menu choices and the food at María y su bici, you can order and pay for it through their website. They are willing to go to your most special events, like weddings, christenings, and even more private occasions (a family dinner, a birthday, or a marriage proposal).
Interesting facts about María y su bici that will make you fall in love it even more
- It doesn't matter if you go with your entire family, the staff will always be ready to welcome you all into the restaurant. They have tables that are up to 8 metres long that can seat up to 45 people.
Here, you can see exactly how big the tables are: they can fit your whole family and a few extra people.
- There are games for all the children to play with, in the event that grandchildren, cousins and young friends come to the restaurant with you.
- They have spaces equipped for those people who have different needs.
- In Mexico, we have something called a hammock, which is attached to a tree, where you can lie down and relax whilst being elevated a couple of centimetres from the ground, rocking yourself to sleep for a nice siesta without being judged.
- They have a patio that can accommodate 150 people at a time, and there are lots of boutique-style hotels close by where you can stay with your family.
- There are four public car parks located within at least a block's radius where you can leave your car, but if you come by bike, you can park it for free in the stands.
- If you come with children, you can have some peace of mind knowing that there are nursery nurses on staff to look after them and will play typical Mexican games with them so that they won't lose out on learning about their culture.
- The atmosphere within the restaurant is incredible because there will always be very typical Mexican music playing in the background.
The atmosphere is so friendly! My grandmother really enjoys going with her friends to try some authentic Mexican cuisine - something that very few people know how to make.
I want to go there now! What are their opening hours like?
María y su bici is open every day! Us Mexicans are good workers and a business as Mexican as this one should have set the benchmark example. They are open from 1pm to midnight. On Sundays, they serve breakfast, so they open much earlier, at 9am, but consequently close earlier at 7pm.
Where is María y su bici located?
María y su bici is located at 91 Calle 5 de Mayo in Querétaro city centre. So, if you are actually just visiting Mexico, you will not only have the opportunity to eat some delicious Mexican food, but you will also be able to get to know the historic city centre, which was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, as some important historical events in Mexico took place there; above all, the Mexican Independence.
It won't be difficult to find María y su bici when you see this enormous iron bicycle on the street. My friend from Costa Rica took his mother when she came to visit Querétaro and we didn't even hesitate in deciding to take her to María y su bici, where she tried absolutely everything and loved it!
