Mercado Central

1515 Lake St.
Minneapolis, MN
(612) 728-5485
http://www.mercadocentral.net/

Category: Mexican, Food Markets

Rating (Scale 1-5, with 5 being the highest):
Food: 9
Service: N/A
Ambience: 10

Recommendation: Excellent! If you’ve ever wondered where authentic Latin culture can be experienced, look no further.

It’s hard to describe how delighted (and shocked) we were the first time we stumbled upon Mercado Central – we’re always looking for an authentic ethnic experience and we couldn’t believe we hadn’t found this place sooner. Mercado Central is an authentic Latin American marketplace on Lake Street. It brings together a collection of businesses that cater to the Latin community – in addition to a great selection of eateries, there are shops selling clothes, jewelry, and music. Having been to Mercado Central several times over the last couple of years, we can vouch that this place is everything you can expect and more.

One of our favorite places to eat is the Taqueria La Hacienda (shop #104). Having just recently returned from a trip to Central Mexico, the small menu at this restaurant is representative of the many roadside restaurants we frequented. The simple approach is to offer a selection of meats and serve them in the form of a taco, burrito, platillos, or quesadillas. The Tacos here are simple and authentic – a fresh corn tortilla is topped with meat, cilantro, onion and lime, and is served with side of salsa. It’s hard to pick from the selection of meats but we love the Carnitas (pork), Asada (steak) and Lengua (tongue). This restaurant also serves the hard to find Tacos Al Pastor – marinated pork slowly cooked on a vertical rotisserie, a Mexico City specialty.

If you’ve never experienced the taste of fresh corn tortillas, we’d recommend you stop by Tortilleria La Perla ((shop #101). The fresh Corn Tortillas are to die for, and you won’t believe how cheap they are…36 tortillas for under $2. Once you’ve tried their tortillas, we guarantee you won’t want to buy them anywhere else.

Another eating option at Mercado Central is Manny’s Tortas (shop #103) which serves Mexican Sandwiches. There is also a small grocery store La Cosecha (shop #107) that showcases some traditional Mexican goods.

The ambience is authentic with the intoxicating aromas and sounds of Latin America. In the fall of 2007, we had the opportunity to partake in a street festival outside Mercado Central – it featured live music, dancing and shopping.

$. The stuff here is cheap and authentic – the prices are hard to beat.