Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

La Popular Restaurant

Oaxaca, Mexico

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

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We love staying in the old Historical section of Oaxaca, Mexico.

The city is easily walkable, sometimes rerouting traffic to make a pedestrian street. There are many rooftop bars and restaurants to choose from. On one of these nights as we were wandering around, we were at this corner where this unassuming restaurant was just packed.

"We gotta come back here for lunch," we thought to ourselves. This place is Popular!

Well... guess what the name of the restaurant is?

La Popular!

Restaurant La Popular

Located at the corner of Manuel Garcia Vigil and Jesus Carranza, this humble little restaurant packs a punch.

The menu is varied, service is attentive, and pricing is local - meaning verrry affordable.

Logo outside La Popular Restaurant

Mexico's history is filled with one revolution after another, so protestors, bullhorns, and the populace airing grievances are common themes in art.

Inside La Popular Restaurant

The restaurant seats about 30 people.

With its three large doors giving natural light and air circulation, this tiny place never felt small.

Notice the painting on the upper right hand side of this photo. More on that later!

Menu at La Popular

Items on the menu run  from $1.50 to $20USD.

La Popular offers soups, appetizers, local tacos, tlayudas and quesadillas as well as shrimp, pastas and whole pork legs called chamorro.

Since we had just been in the markets and Oaxaca is known for their moles, we wanted to order one of the city's famous dishes.

But it was hard to get past all the other selections too. We'd just have to return again and try another option.

Chalk board menu of daily specials

Even though the printed menu offered tasty local food, the special boards were intriguing.

This one listed dishes to share as well as main courses.

Carnitas, Cochinita pibil and Chamorro are all cooked pork dishes and locally celebrated.

Tasajo and cecina are dried and salted beef, and chicken breast, octopus and fish filet are listed as well.

Quite a selection!

Unique painting

Oh yes. The painting.

Your opinion might differ, but I think this artist's hallucinogenic expression is rude, lewd and crude.

I might not have cared one way or another, but since we returned to La Popular several times, we tended to sit at similar tables and I had many meals to look at and analyze this thing.

Um... No.

Maybe it's a creation by a local friend? a brother? God forbid if it's the owner!

Another chalk board menu

Another specialty board, this time listing salmon, eggplant salad, an octopus appetizer, Rib Eye, marlin tacos, black mole, squash soup, and various mixed plates.

Just sounds delicious!

Holy moly, Chicken mole!

For our first meal there, we chose the black chicken mole. It absolutely was the best we have ever had.

Black mole, among other ingredients, is made with local chocolate. The chocolate in this sauce was so distinguishable that it was simply heaven.

Along with tortillas, they gave us several condiments, including lime, which I would never have used on this dish.

But Billy, being a chef, squished that baby and WOW! What a wonder-filled difference!

At 90Pesos a dish, it was about $4.50USD.

Our bill

Here is our bill for the 2 moles and 2 mandarina agua frescas, about $11USD before tip.

Prices were great, food was delicious.

No wonder this place is popular.

Akaisha inside La Popular

Ok, here I am in the restaurant, looking at Billy and trying not to look at that Gawd-awful painting that is directly behind him!

Hysterical.

However, you can see that this place is tiny and light-filled.

Nice.

Grilled eggplant appetizer with pureed black olives

Being part Italian, I love eggplant. When I saw this grilled eggplant appetizer I had to go for it. Melted cheese, fresh tomato, a dollop of pureed black olives on top, this was served with a small salad in the middle.

Really satisfying.

Fresh Octopus salad

Billy and I both love fresh octopus straight from the sea. Whether it's grilled, marinated or in a vinaigrette salad, we'll often choose it from a menu.

This salad was another winner at La Popular.

Chamorro tacos

This day, since we ordered the octopus salad and the grilled eggplant salad, we needed just one more small thing to fill up on our main meal of the day. We ordered Chamorro tacos - which is such a tasty morsel.

Chamorro is a pork shank, slow-cooked until it falls off the bone, similar to a pot roast.

This is a must-order if you have never tried it.

Rib Eye steak, mashed potatoes, crisp blue corn tortilla

 In keeping with showing you the variety that La Popular offers, at another lunch Billy chose the rib eye with rosemary pesto and I had the Asian salad.

We really enjoyed this little place and if you are ever in the Historical section of Oaxaca City, make it a point to visit La Popular. I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

Would we return? Absolutely!

La Popular

Manuel Garcia Vigil, Esquina Con Jesus Carranza

Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico

Tele: 512. 06. 2751

Open daily 1pm to 11pm

For more information on Oaxaca, CLICK HERE

For more information and photos of Mexico, Click Here

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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