La Cocina de Doña Esthela
Mexican restaurant · Ensenada ·
Authentic Mexican home cooking: lamb, pancakes, chilaquiles
Authentic Mexican home cooking: lamb, pancakes, chilaquiles
"Sinaloan-born Doña Esthela set a picnic bench inside her kitchen years ago to cook breakfast and lunch for locals, offering sweet empanadas and locally sourced lamb roasted in a clay oven. As soon as word got around, the restaurant went from a single bench to seating for 150, the wait times stretched as long as two hours, and the kitchen expanded into a professional operation big enough to serve a banquet hall. No one minds the wait for corn flour pancakes, chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, fresh corn and flour tortillas, and Esthela’s oven-roasted lamb, which has become an iconic dish in Valle de Guadalupe." - Bill Esparza
"Listed as a Bib Gourmand in the 2025 Michelin Guide México." - Bill Esparza
"From chef/owner Blanca Esthela Martínez Bueno, what began with humble roots in 2008 making burritos for local vineyard workers has evolved into one of the most famous restaurants in the Valle de Guadalupe. It's loaded with charm, from the heavy wood tables to the boisterous crowd of visitors and locals. Breakfast is served all day, and while a no-reservations policy means a wait, it's worth it to sample dialed-in cooking with hearty portions. Get the café de olla and dig into the menu where you'll find huevos of all kinds alongside chilaquiles and gorditas rellenas. House specialties include fluffy elote pancakes and a Sinaloan-style, dried shredded beef with egg, sliced peppers, and onions with stewed beans that beg to be sopped up with housemade tortillas." - Michelin Inspector
"From chef/owner Blanca Esthela Martínez Bueno, what began with humble roots in 2008 making burritos for local vineyard workers has evolved into one of the most famous restaurants in the Valle de Guadalupe. It's loaded with charm, from the heavy wood tables to the boisterous crowd of visitors and locals. Breakfast is served all day, and while a no-reservations policy means a wait, it's worth it to sample dialed-in cooking with hearty portions. Get the café de olla and dig into the menu where you'll find huevos of all kinds alongside chilaquiles and gorditas rellenas. House specialties include fluffy elote pancakes and a Sinaloan-style, dried shredded beef with egg, sliced peppers, and onions with stewed beans that beg to be sopped up with housemade tortillas." - The MICHELIN Guide US Editorial Team
"I learned that La Cocina de Doña Esthela in Valle de Guadalupe, which serves mean barbacoa de borrego tatemado, was listed among recommended places in the guide." - Bill Esparza