restaurant review: mondongo's in medellin

There was once a time when going to Colombia (not Columbia), and specifically, Medellin, would've triggered plenty of alarm bells. These days, not only is the country safe (as safe as any other big city) to visit, but it is also a great place to sample the local cuisine.

Medellin is land-locked in the country's interior (and quite hilly). So, the restaurants in town had plenty of good meaty options. My visit with Mr. Sazy Rock started at a very popular fast casual joint called, Mondongo's, in the Poblado neighborhood. (We found out later that they have another branch in town, and one branch in the US - in Miami.)

The line outside Mondogo's.

The Scene

While roaming around town trying to find a lunch spot, we saw a line coming out the door of this restaurant. Those in line looked like locals. Also, the restaurant had someone dressed in a pig outfit entertaining those in line. So, we thought we'd give it a try.

It was definitely popular. While the line was long, it moved fast. We waited about 10 minutes before we got seated. Inside, it was buzzy and full of diners.

The turnover was fairly quick as people did not really tend to dawdle.

Inside the restaurant.

The Food

• Doughy Hot Bread (Arepas) - it was almost undercooked inside and bland by itself. It was served with a banana, avocado and salsa. Other diners around us were putting the avocado in their rice, bread, and soup or ajioca. I first thought the combination odd but it actually worked. 

Arepa.

• Canon a la Parilla (Pork Steak) - it was served with avocado, bread, sour cream and potatoes. It was juicy and chewy but I think I was served beef instead. Unfortunately, our Spanish skills were not up to par to inquire about such things. (Or, maybe, it was supposed to be beef all along.)

Pork Steak.

• Bandeja Paisa - This was my favorite dish out of the whole country. It was chicharon (or a pork belly strip) that was perfectly crunchy and well seasoned. It was served with rice, ground beef called carne molida, which was almost powdered, plantains and red beans, which tasted like the sweet canned pork and beans. It also had a potato and topped with a fried egg. It was a tasty dish. Although it was already a large dish, I think it lacked a promised chorizo. Again, our Spanish skills were not up to par to argue about such things. Luckily, we were too full to really care.

Bandeja Paisa.

The Service

The service was okay. They were kind enough to offer those standing in line outside the restaurant bottled water. I really appreciated the gesture because, although it was overcast outside, it was still hot and humid.

Once seated, our server was friendly but busy. They spoke some English so it might be good to speak a few words of Spanish. But, they had an English menu so ordered off that.

The Price

It was cheap. At around $25 and for a tasty meal, it was very good value.


The Verdict

If you're in town, despite the busy servers and some mix ups with our order, I still recommend this place for the Bandeja Paisa.