Restaurant Chiwawa: Delicious and Vegan Friendly Mexican Food

Guestblog by Julian Baker Consumeandenjoy.substack.com

You might think the issue with being a vegan is finding places that serve great plant based dishes. But it’s not. It’s finding a restaurant that also serves dishes good enough to please your meat eating friends. Chiwawa triumphs for both camps.

When I first arrived in Las Palmas I discovered the local dining scene is somewhat traditional, papas arrugadas everywhere, with grilled meat. Nary a vegetable dish in sight. As much as I love dark wood and tiles I also began to miss the trendier, more informal type of restaurant found in capital cities. Hangouts with great decor, dedicated playlists, a vibe. Then I found Chiwawa and I’ve been going back ever since.

It’s Mexican street food, starters suitable for sharing, and tacos. There are other taco places but Chiwawa’s are the best. The classics are there, spicy pork, pulled chicken, really spicy pork, oh, and burn your face off spicy pork. Nestled in there are two tacos for vegans, one has plantain in, it’s delicious I’m sure, but I’m in the no pineapple on pizza camp, so it’s falafel for me.

Vegetarians are really well catered for including a winning feta cheese taco. All can be served in gluten free tortillas. No one is excluded from getting messy with food all over their fingers and chin.

The starters cater for all diets, I adore their vegan nachos, cassava chips are a winner, my sweetheart swears by the mandocas; a corn dog but made from plantain stuffed with cheese.  Quesadillas for the carnivores. The decor is as lively as the menu, Day of the Dead, Lucha Libre, Frida Kahlo, and Danny Trejo prints abound, with wall murals destined for that selfie. If you’re not wearing a loud dress or shirt you’re going to feel underdressed. Or black. And a moustache.

Alongside supporting vegans and veggies, non drinkers have options other than bottled juices and fizzy drinks. The pineapple returns, not on a pizza thankfully, but in piña agua fresca, frozen pineapple whizzed in a blender to a frothy delight. There are now five branches, my favourite is Mesa y López where it’s still served in a cockerel jug that vomits the juice from its beak. Honestly it’s more fun than that sounds.

Want to get shit faced? Frozen margaritas. Sorted. It’s sometimes possible to get them alcohol free. Then it’s just brain freeze, face left intact. Lastly, keep your phone close by, you’re going to want to Shazam, their playlists are great. They do take away too. Highly recommended, with one quibble. For a place that caters so well to vegans they don’t have plant milk for your coffee. If you’re reading this los chiwawas, non-dairy milk please.

Text and photos by Julian Baker Consumeandenjoy.substack.com