Los Alebrijes

One of the first restaurants I visited in San Miguel was Los Alebrijes, although I didn’t know the name at the time. My friend and I just refer to it as “the cheap breakfast place on La Ancha.” I come here when I’m hungry and alone, or hungry and with a friend but not a lot of time. It’s definitely more about than eating than about ambiance. Which is a good thing, since cars regularly trundle or streak down this fairly busy street. There’s an upstairs room, however, if you don’t enjoy eating outside with traffic noises and smells. Somehow that never bothers me, however; I always sit on the patio.

Small breakfast combos, for about US$3, include an egg dish, toast or tortillas, and coffee or juice or fruit. The larger combo includes coffee and fruit and juice. There are many other dishes besides, including a plate of four crunchy chicken tacos, or quesadillas, enchiladas, chilaquiles, and other Mexican snacks. Guisados are stews of some kind of meat and vegetable or sometimes just nopal cactus and potatoes in a red sauce. The basket of tortillas is made fresh when you order.

This is not a fancy place and I doubt that anyone here speaks English, though I don’t know for sure. The proud owner showed me his seven-year-old granddaughter’s first order, written on the back of an envelope. (He and his wife plan to get it framed.) Who knows, a little girl as sharp as that might speak English, too.

City: San Miguel de Allende State: Guanajuato Region: Central Mexico Who: Los Alebrijes, owned by the Hernández Family Where: Salida a Celaya #7 Tel: 415/152-3389 When: Open Wednesday through Monday 8AM to 2:30PM (closed Tuesdays) Why: Family-owned restaurant serving consistently tasty Mexican breakfast and antojitos. How: Take a bus or walk along Ancha de San Antonio south toward Mega; it’s about five doors south of the Real de Minas Hotel. Cost: Most meals, including beverage, under 50 pesos Other Notes: Cash only