Authentic Guatemala Food - Feature

Authentic Guatemalan Food

Disclaimer: This page may contain affiliate links. Please review our full Terms and Conditions for more information and our Privacy Policy. Note that any pricing, operating hours, or other such information provided below may have changed since initial publication.

Words by Dalene Heck / Photos by Pete Heck

The thing about Antigua is, it’s pretty easy to forget you’re in a foreign country when it comes to food.

There are all the usual North American eateries: Pizza Hut, Burger King, and the like. Then there are plenty of locally-owned restaurants that serve up nothing but tourist-type fare; if you are craving pasta, crepes, and even Thai food, it’s all there.

As much as you want to convince yourself that you are eating an authentic Guatemalan bagel or special fusion falafel, well, you aren’t, and you are sadly missing out. While Guatemala may not especially be known for it’s cuisine, two local restaurants should definitely not be missed to taste the local flavour.

LA CANCHE

La Canche - Antigua, Guatemala

We never, ever, would have known about this place if another traveler hadn’t taken us to it, near the Nuestra Señora de la Merced. Any casual passer-by would absolutely miss it, as it is impossible to know that it is even a restaurant.

At the front, an unremarkable tienda: shelves stocked with countless goodies in a crammed and dimly lit room. The restaurant is accessed by going around the counter to the back, and turning sideways such that you can fit through the small entry-way. Several tables are stuffed in the dark room which is over-decorated with plants, and yes, even Christmas decorations.

It is the literal definition of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. And, as these stories normally go, the food was quite good and cheap at 25 Quetzales, or just over $3.

This is pepian, a savoury chicken dish in a rich sauce of various roasted ingredients (a good recipe for it can be found here).

Beef Dish from La Canche - Antigua, Guatemala

RINCON TIPICO

Another traveler helped us find this one, and we returned again and again.

Rincon Tipico - Antigua, Guatemala

The aroma from this restaurant spread for blocks thanks to fans constantly pushing smoke from the grill and out the door. Once we even saw them using a hair blow-dryer for a little extra push. (That is some expert marketing!)

The Kitchen at Rincon Tipico - Antigua, Guatemala

The Grill at Rincon Tipico -

The pork…Ohhh the pork! Seasoned to perfection and grilled until the ends are just a bit crispy.

Pork Dish Rincon Tipico - Antigua, Guatemala

This is the best deal in town. Sides change daily, but the choice of meat comes with some sort of salad, rice or potatoes, juice and tortillas for only 20 Quetzales, or just under $3. (This place, we especially miss.)

Similar Posts

25 Comments

  1. These places are definitely going on my (ever expanding) list for Central America! I love the idea that Rincon Tipico advertises themselves by fanning out the smell of their food on to the street.

  2. It all looks delicious!! I’m going to Guatemala (and all of Central America too!) this summer and can’t wait to try some for myself.

  3. I remember liking the Guatemalan food when I was there, although I do also remember that it was sometimes tricky to find something properly local and good. Ended up eating stuff like pizza or tacos way too many times!

  4. I’ll be honest – I don’t really know anything about Guatemalan food, but these dishes look delicious.

  5. I have to admit, even if I’m not a big meat eater, those dishes look so yummy and I love the fact that you get some rice and veggie sides too.
    I’ve never been to Guatemala but I’m sure the food might be one of the many good reasons to go 🙂

  6. I loved the black beans with cheese for breakfast in Guatemala. The things you remember from trips you take as a teenager, right? I couldn’t tell you anything else I ate on that trip beyond fruit and black beans, probably because beans for breakfast seemed so crazy to me. Now half my pictures from any given trip are of food!

  7. I’ve been pretty fortunate to stumble upon a couple of places like that too. I’ve actually found myself “smelling” for new places to eat, stumbling upon some pretty cool little whole in the wall places. Great article and it looks delicious! 🙂

    1. Yup, we’ve been led by our sniffers as well, and if the place is full of locals, we dive on in! Great way to find local grub, and it helps if they have fans pushing the smell onto the streets. 🙂

  8. That’s a nice looking pepian! Another good choice for authentic cuisine is Comedor Mama Lita in San Bartolo close to Antigua. It only open weekends but is packed with locals looking for authentic food chow like jocon, adobo, chile rellenos etc. s

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *