Café El Popular

Just down the street where we stay. No wait, time to sit. Once we placed our order, our food was served fresh and hot. We ordered the sopa de pollo, and it was flavorful. The paquete bistek was tender and delicious. The tamale oak was big and delicious. The servers were awesome, friendly, fast, and efficient. Good place to eat.

We got Rojo Chilaquiles Grantinados, Tacos Dorados de Papa, and chicken Enfrijoladas. That green salsa was amazing! The pico de gallo was fresh, but lacked spice and tang. Honestly, it wasn't very authentic Mexican food; everything was pretty bland.

This is a very nice place to visit if you need good coffee and/or a light meal. We ordered Café con leche, americano and 2 pieces of pastries with custard cream... As we were there a local singer sang live, which added to the good atmosphere and we had a very good time... I will highly recommend this café for its coffee and the pastries..

This is a no frills, longstanding Centro Historico diner that doesn’t pretend to be anything but a quick, casual and fairly priced place for a solid meal. We really enjoyed our breakfast of Toluqueño eggs with chorizo under a mildly spiced red chile tomato sauce, and thought the tamales with green chile chicken and red chile pork were also good. The cafe con leche was delicious too.

We loved this place and came twice in our stay in the city, should have been more but we wasted a breakfast trying somewhere less good. As our first time travelling a Spanish speaking country we weren't sure what to expect when practising our ordering however the wait staff were so patient (and forgiving of our bad pronunciation!) they have a menu available in English but the staff are far from fluent(why should they be?!) The food was amazing each visit and the cafe con leche was delivered in a way you could choose your amount of coffee before the warm milk is added. Superb value for money and delicious refried beans! If you're looking for breakfast in the historic centre this place should be on your list. A no frills diner style vibe full of locals and half the price of some nearby eateries. Check out their packages/ meal deals for a two course breakfast and drink for under $150 per person!

The food was flavorless and the service took forever. I always see people at this restaurant, but they only take cash. I finally had cash on me and it was a disappointment. Waited about 15-30 minutes for a table. The waitress took forever and kept playing hide and seek, the waiting in line could have been shorter if they take orders faster. The food was bland and needed some seasoning. I liked the agua de melón. Maybe I should have ordered the daily special. I definitely will not go back and discourage anyone from going.

Mostly locals eating here we went on a busy Saturday morning and waited about 20 minutes for a table for 2 people. Our waitress was super nice, made recommendations and her service was outstanding. The food was delicious and reasonably priced (good portions too). Highly recommend!

Yeah so I just threw this up.. please don’t go here if you want to avoid food poisoning. They were very friendly to me though - hence the bonus star to not make it a 1..

Cafe El Popular is a great place to grab some breakfast before heading out on a tour in Mexico City. Service is fast and they have various breakfast options. Portions are filling.

One of our early morning breakfasts was enjoyed at Café el Popular de Don Luis, a quaint breakfast bistro a short walk from our local abode. The smell of fresh coffee, and the inspiring aromas of fresh baked bread was wafting in the air as we approached. The scent enticed us to stop in for an early morning pick me up with Café con Leche, Natas con Pan and some beautiful and tasty Conchas! We sat in the delightful morning air, with tree lined streets on warn and cracked sidewalks with flowers blossoming around tree stump bases. Leisure breakfast at its best is what you find throughout this magnificent city.

I'm staying staying at a hotel that is very close to this restaurant, and I figured that I would come and check it out. So many people had said great things about this place so I was hopeful. This restaurant is very similar to many of the old-school cafeteria type set-up complete with dining tables, bar stools, and booths. However here is fairly modern, and all of the workers here are dressed professionally. They have a very complete menu, and since it was almost lunchtime, I thought that I would order a platter. I ordered the bistro de res a la parrilla that came with in huevo estrellado a revuelto. The platter also had a side order of frijoles, and french fries which were great. They added a dinner roll, and a cup of coffee as part of the platter. The food and service were great!

Breakfast! Breakfast at the appropriately named Cafe El Popular was a big nostalgia trip for us as we came here for breakfast on our first visit to Mexico City nearly 20 years ago. Happy to report that the food and service is just as good now as it was then!!

Absolute gem of a breakfast spot right near the Zocalo. Plenty of seating, GREAT service (friendly, quick, attentive), and absolutely delicious food. We had the plantains with cream, and scrambled eggs with a deliciously zesty red sauce poured over them. The bolillos and pan dulce are OUTSTANDING. They've got this taco de piña that is the best pan dulce I've ever had (think flaky, sweet biscuit, topped with pineapple jam). They deal in cash only so make sure you bring some!!! Also, their cafe con leche is the best tasting coffee drink I've ever had. Ever.

Un menú bastante variado y rico! Aunque quizá el personal tendría que ser más amigable.

Not sure how this place got 4 stars. Waited 10 min for a table. Food came less than 5 minutes but was cold. Tamales full of masa. Chilaquiles too lemoney AND had a hair. Service non existent. Don't come here.

The sweet bread is fresh, flaky, and the red chilaquiles are the best I've ever tasted! The campesinos are also good.

Good food good service great Coffee if your a coffee person. being the only waitress She attended to us on point. Was very friendly and welcoming. Would highly recommend this place a great meal for 2 for under $20

Loved the verdes enchiladas. This place was close to my hotel and I was in CDMX for 5-nights so I actually got this at the beginning and end of my trip. BEST verdes pollo enchiladas of my life!

Cash only. Good comfort food. Sopas y tamales bien ricas. Excelente servicio. Rapido y facil

Good food and service at a fair price - in the city center. Went for a late dinner and we were seated quickly for our first night in Mexico City. Looked like lots of locals eating there as well.

No nos gustó ni la comida faltaba sabor y las carnes tenía consistencia sintéticas y la atención pésima

La comida está riquísima y las meseras son tan amables! Es una cafetería pequeña pero caben todos. Mi pareja pidio unos chilaquiles rojos y las dos café. La mesera fue tan linda por haberme ayudado al escoger los taquitos de papa y pedirlos veganos. Se vieron más ricos ya que los vesti con salsa y aguacate ;) Regresaría.

Super affordable, very casual, it's where the people eat. Had a Torta de Milanesa and tortilla soup. All very tasty. Only downside is that they only accept cash.

I always order Cafe Con Leche and Pan Dulce. Superb. I love that they are open 24 hours. So a great place for a late night nosh.

This place was amazing! The staff is super nice and I highly recommend the chilaquiles, I went with the red sauce and it had the right amount of spice to it. The café con leche was good too. Will definitely go back when I visit Mexico City again!

Ungodly delicious food here. Nothing like the false Mexican food you see in the USA. Unbelievably good mole, guacamole, and salad. The owner was incredibly kind and told us the story of this family owned restaurant which has been operating for over 70 years. It is important to know that they accept cash only! No credit/debit etc. There is an ATM across the street however.

Great little cafe for breakfast. Good food at a very nice price. Full range of menu items and the offer an English menu. They only take cash.

Come here for a traditional hearty Mexican breakfast experience that will leave your wallet happy! Be reminded that this restaurant has been here for 70+ years in a historic building. We did see a tiny cockroach after our meal running along the walls, but noticed the whole staff was super attentive to cleanliness as we sat with a slight view of the kitchen.

The food here is excellent!! In 2 different trips to CDMX I have tried several things on the menu, but the chilaquiles are probably the best! The breakfasts are delicious as well. But the BEST thing you can get here is the Cafe con leche!! I keep trying to find a place here in the U.S. that has it, but they are never as good as Cafe El Popular!!

This was my "go to" breakfast stop waaaaay back in the mid-nineties when I first visited Mexico City and stayed in this area (on the EXTREME cheap!!) and while I'm always excited to try new things, it's great also to know that some memorable "classics" will still be there to greet you when you return!! Warm, familiar, somewhere between cozy and cramped, this is your go-to "greasy spoon" if you're in this area. They've got a full menu, with plenty of great "standard" Mexican choices, but their breakfast combos are the best, in my opinion, and you can get them 24-7. Don't skip the wonderful fresh bread and pastries you'll get on your table, or the steamy hot café con leche. We didn't have the most cooperative/helpful waitress our first visit, and she ignored/forgot I think she was dealing with a pretty crazy pre-holiday crowd. Good, hearty "diner-style" food. If you're traveling on a budget, but still want "stick to your ribs," consistently quality food and service, this has been, and hopefully will continue to be a great choice!!

I love that they are open 24hrs. Cafe con leche is awesome, would like it a little warmer, as well, the food is served warm and I prefer it served hot

On previous trips in Mexico City, I never spent much time at Café El Popular. In this rainy season, I found myself almost every morning getting up before 5am to put on my rain jacket and walk the darkened wet streets around the zócalo. There was no one about -- unlike the many thousands who crowd this same neighborhood during the day -- and in this silence I found myself at the cafe after each walk eagerly anticipating a strong glass of café con leche. It's simple fare here but the different egg breakfasts each morning filled me until late afternoon day after day of museums and long walks exploring the city.

Great taste, abundant portions everything we ordered was superb and with a nice hot/spicy touch (for mexican) might be hot for the foreigners but not unbearable

Their eggs with chorizo is amazing and so good!! It was served with a small amount of beans. My sister and I accidentally ordered a side of beans because the menu didn't state the eggs/chorizo was going to be served with beans. Either way, that platter was delicious. The only reason why I didn't give it a 5 was because the server forgot to bring me the milk for my coffee and also took a tad bit too much to take our order after coming back a 2nd time.

Si pudiera fuera 0 estrella, no se si es porque mi familia y yo somos turistas en la ciudad y es por eso que el trato al cliente fue horrible...? No lo se. Nuestra mesera muy grosera (y solo con nuestra mesa) literal nos hacia muecas y torcía los ojos, llegaba de muy mala forma a tendernos comparación de las otras meses llegaba diciéndoles "corazón" y ateniendolos de una distina manera. Bueno el punto es que 0 recomiendo el lugar. :)

One of the taqueros at Taqueria Los Cocuyos recommended El Popular to me. I was told there's a wide selection of good, reasonably priced Mexican dishes here. I did find the place as described yet I wasn't bowled over by anything here. I had a breakfast paquete, or package, that included good café con leche, decent portion of fresh fruit, inferior bolillo rolls, and eggs of my choice. I made a bad choice because the huevos rancheros were covered in an overly tart, under-seasoned tomatillo salsa. It didn't help that the entire dish was served lukewarm, and the beans that accompanied the eggs were actually cool if not cold. I ordered a custard breakfast roll that was good, and quite large. That, along with decent coffee, and the server, were the only good things about my meal. Atmosphere is simple diner-style. The waitresses wore American diner style uniforms and had the no-nonsense but friendly demeanor of a Dennys server. Young male bakers carried out from the kitchen tray after tray of tempting baked goods to place in the pastry case at the front of the dining room. There was a good assortment of customers, from what appeared to be locals to tourists from all over the world. I should give the place another try as other reviewers seem to like it. But I don't think I will because there are a thousand other places in CDMX I'd rather try.

Breakfast here was sooo delicious. My friends and I ate here before going to Teotihuacan - we were a party of 6, and the restaurant kindly set up a larger table for us (it seemed like they mostly seat tables of 4.) At around 8:30 am, there was no wait at all. I ordered the huevos rancheros and a cafe con leche. Fresh bread is provided as a complimentary appetizer. We enjoyed eating them with the sauces of our breakfast dishes and the salsas verde and roja provided at each table. For the cafe con leche, a server fills up your cup with however much coffee you'd like (you tell her when to stop pouring.) If you're a caffeine addict, you can definitely get your fix here. The milk was the best part of the drink - very rich, creamy, and delicious. The huevos rancheros were also great. It was my first time having this traditional Mexican breakfast, and the runny eggs and salsa verde paired excellently. The dish also had some frijoles (beans) on the side. My boyfriend had a tamale, and he didn't especially like it. My friend's enchiladas were delicious though and made me wish I ordered them. For English speakers - an English menu is provided, but the servers don't speak English.

Amazing food. Green enchiladas with chicken were on point. I loved that the tortillas had this nice fresh crisp with the sauce still nice and warm. And spice was too the perfection. As for my cafe con leche... ¡perfección!

Excellent service, good prices for good selection of traditional and more modern food choices. Atole de fresca was delicious and so was the yogurt with fruit. Ensalada adriana had a lot of avocado which was great.

Amazing pastries and the Best Coffee we have had in ALL of Mexico! Great food at a reasonable price. INCREDIBLE, a must try!

Visited this place several times since it was near where I stayed while in vacation. Walked over in the morning to get coffee (Cafe con Leche) and a pastry (Pan de Dulce) a few times I order to go and a couple it was to eat in. The pastries are awesome, warm and fresh. The service at times was great and others was good. The place is small but it was worth coming here, best of all they very affordable. Two times a band played Jazz outside the restaurant so I got to listen to Jazz while eating. I will definitely come here when I'm in Mexico City.

Food was okay, service was not the best. The chilaquiles de salsa roja is what we had. They add about half an onion in there! Flavor not good and the pan dulce is hard. 2 star, will not come back.

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant by far. When we were waiting in line, a random stranger on the street just helped us out with ordering and she said this place is one of the most traditional Mexican food. (people in Mexico here just so nice!!!) The chicken soup here is very rich with seasonings and Azteca soup is also great. I had at least 6 chicken soup in Mexico and they are all different but this one is the best. We also tried their traditional food called tamal, which is super tasty. It looks like 粽子 from China and the outside tastes like 小米糊. I loved it! Come here to eat! You won't regret!

This was a great, and simple Mexican breakfast. We had to wait a little bit for a table but that means that the place is popular! Food was brought out quickly and service was very pleasant. The great thing is that this is open 24 hours! My coffee was a bit weak, and they made it stronger! Portions were just perfect!

Dinner at 11pm at a place that opens 24/7 wasn't too shabby. It was on reco by hotel as my flight came in late. Food is classic Mexican but not all that to be excited about. My friend got the steak tacos, which was served with a side of dark green guac and shredded lettuce, and topped with like cotija cheese. The tacos looked more like taquitos. They were dry and my friend was not impressed. I got the enchilada with chicken and red sauce. The got it suiza roja aka with melted cheese. Not impressed as it was all I got. It did not come with rice (only rolls) nor beans or veg. It was tasty but served on a cheap canteen plate instead of the china that it (canteen plate) was served on top of.

Dude, the food here was so good. It was the first place we ate on our trip from Mexico City down through Oaxaca City down to the coast and it was one of the best. Their cafe con leche was amazing and my husband spent the next week trying to find anything resembling it but never did. The coffee itself was so concentrated and thick almost like syrup and he just fell in love with it. I had the chilequiles and they were bomb too. Highly recommend!

El servicio fue muy excelente y la comida fue muy delicioso. Yo recomiendo!! (No seriously, this place is LEGIT)

Came here for dinner - the place was crowded even at off hour of 9pm and was initially seated way in the back in front of bathroom. Note that this isn't a "nice atmosphere" type restaurant but more of a local spot for one thing - GOOD FOOD. Keep that in mind. This was also recommended by owner of the hostel I was staying at and he was right. I tried their Sopa Azteca and it was lovely. A bit salty yes, but full of flavor with crispy bits of tortilla and fresh slice of avocado on the side with this black crumble of pepper which adds the kick. Waitress was very busy but tried her best to be attentive and quick. They have both English and Spanish menu and I was reading them both in order to understand fully and she was patient with me when I asked questions. I took her recommendation to order Enchilada en Mole instead of what other reviewers were recommending such as Enchilada Verde, mainly because I still wanted to figure out "Mole" more. (read my review on "cafe de tacuba" for initial experience) When it came, it was a plateful of chicken smothered in this sesame-seeded black mole sauce sprinkled with cheese. There were few lonely slices of onion but otherwise all tortilla, chicken, and MOLE. I always prefer a balance in what I eat and this was way too non-veggie for me so I ordered extra thing of pico de gallo which the menu described as some kind of cock sauce in English menu?!? (haha.. what?). It was fresh and yummy. The mole was... well, nice and smoky but I don't know maybe it's just not my thing. Though it wasn't as sweet thankfully as one experienced in Tacuba, it just didn't have "seasoning" effect like the way soy sauce, salt, and salsa does... it just was full of aroma but no real base. Maybe that's the beauty of mole, which is supposedly very complex and has a crazy list of ingredients that go into making one. Not for me, no. I much prefer great salsas over moles I think. In any event, I finished the dish aided by my ally, the fresh pico de gallo. Also tried their horchata for drinks and it was great - right balance of cinamon and milky rice. I am giving 4 star because overall I can tell they take their food seriously here and neverending stream of patrons (some coming in as I was leaving at 10pm) don't lie. Again, keep in mind that this is a local place and don't be discouraged by salsa rojo y salsa verde just sitting out on the table with no lids. That's just Mexico. I heard this place is also AMAZINGG for breakfast, so I'll be sure to try again!

This cute cafe, close to a main walking promenade in the historical area of Mexico City (read: Zocalo, Bellas Artes, Alameda Central), is a must if you need breakfast or lunch in the area. And trust me, you do. I came here twice, because it was so good, so fast and so friendly. Do you want strong, rich coffee along with a pastry the size of your head along with your enchiladas verdes? This is the place to have that. I believe I had huevos rancheros, huevos divorciados, fresh fruit, pastries and coffee served with piping hot cream. The menu is easy to follow- just point and tell her how much cream you want in your coffee. The area where it's located is full of CDMX gems like Zocalo, big ol churches, museo de super old, and a block away from the double decker autobus de tourismo that takes you around the city while you duck tree branches sitting on the second level, so Cafe El Popular is a great start to all that goodness.

By far the best coffee I have ever had! And the pancakes had a twist of cinnamon which made them so delicious. Unfortunately my eggs came out cold but overall I was still happy.! Definitely would still recommend to try this little gem.

The best part of this experience is that this is a 24 hour restaurant. We arrived around 530AM and had a couple of hours to kill before checking into our Airbnb. Ordered chorizo for breakfast and rather it being served with tortillas, it came with pan de bolillo (french bread) - which was odd to me but I love bread so I was excited. I ended up being disappointed because the bread tasted stale. It wasn't soft in the inside like bolillos are supposed to be. And seeing the staff bake the bread within the restaurant, I expected to be served fresh bread.

Muy mala experiencia, el servicio tarda bastante en darte tu orden, el café tiene un mal sabor, no proveen crema en polvo, la leche del café te la cobran extra, las porciones de comida son pequeñas, el pan está viejo y sobre todo el servicio de meseros es nefasto, por favor no es buen lugar, hay mejores y más económicos.

A short walk from Palacio de Bellas Artes and filled with great value and service! Café El Popular was recommended to us by our Uber driver and was clearly a local favorite. They offer a great variety of food so you should have no trouble finding a good dish. Try the tamales they are awesome here and a bit spicy which I don't mind. The total cost for dinner here was $19 and we had quite a bit! They may have a live music show and be aware that you may be asked for a tip by the performers after the show. The performance we had was amazing and definitely worth the tip! Don't forget to explore this area, it's rich with history and lots of photo worthy monuments!

I was visiting Mexico City for 3 days and this place is a great little place right by Zocalo Square. Not being fluent in Spanish, I asked for an English Menu and they happened to have one. Being a vegetarian, I had to scour for some veggie options, and they do have some! I ended up going with the Oaxaca style omelet (prepared with string cheese), and horchata, which came with complimentary tortillas and beans on the side. It was delicious! I came back for a second time during my stay :) They also serve fresh complimentary bread pieces with certain items in the menu. The place is clean, and the service is very quick and efficient. If you're around the area, would definitely recommend this place for a food halt.

Cafe Popular is a tourist trap that some "locals" go to when there is nothing else open. The restaurant is open 24-hours a day, so if you're hungry and desperate this might be your spot. We found ourself at Cafe Popular based on a recommendation from a clerk at our hotel. This was probably the only bad recommendation that they made, so we can let that part slide. After waiting 20-30 minutes to be seated, we were ushered to a grimy booth. Waitresses whizzed past us delivering food and drinks to nearby tables. Maybe it was because we were obvious tourists, but no one seemed to notice our existence until we flagged someone down for menus and water. It took forever to get our water and to order. They also apparently went to get groceries in another part of the country while we waited, because service was glacial! For the most expensive meal we while in Mexico, I would have expected the food to be decent. It wasn't. It was the WORST meal we had while in Mexico. Please, steer clear of this horrible place!

I wish I could come eat here every day! They have an English menu. Waitress didn't speak English but it was easy to point at the menu as everything is ordered by a number. The tuna salad is very good, the coriander dressing is amazing!

Went here with my parents on our trip to Mexico City. Food was alright - definitely better than the street stalls but not crazy amazing. We got the tamales, enchiladas, coffees and teas. Service was quick and it's also accessible to foreigners that speak English which was nice. Definitely should come try it.