Discover 5 Restaurants With the Best Molotes in Puebla, Mexico

Do you like empanadas? We do. They’re those delicious half-moon-shaped pastries filled with a variety of ingredients like ground beef, potatoes, cheese, hard-boiled egg, and raisins.

In Puebla, you’ll find a popular street food dish that’s similar to empanadas, except they’re much bigger. They’re called molotes and they’re one of the tastiest antojitos (Mexican snacks) you can enjoy in Puebla.

You can find molotes being prepared throughout the Historic Center of Puebla but these five restaurants are our favorites.

WHAT ARE MOLOTES?

Molotes are large empanada-like snacks made with a combination of masa harina (corn dough) and wheat flour. They can be filled with a variety of ingredients like chicharron, quesillo (Oaxaca cheese), chicken tinga (chicken stewed in tomato sauce), queso fresco, and huitlacoche (corn smut).

The filled dough is folded into a half-moon shape before being deep-fried to a golden brown. Unlike empanadas that can be baked or fried, molotes are always deep-fried. The molote is then drizzled with cream (Mexican sour cream) and either salsa verde (green) or salsa rojo (rojo). If served with all three, then it’s referred to as “bandera” because it resembles the colors of the Mexican flag.

As you can see below, molotes are like empanadas on steroids. This is a normal size for a molote in Puebla. They’re huge and can be a full meal for people with smaller appetites.

WHERE TO FIND THE BEST MOLOTES IN PUEBLA

5. El Taco Poblano

El Taco Poblano is a humble restaurant about a 5-minute walk south of the zocalo (main square). They offer different types of antojitos like tacos, cemitas, and molotes for very reasonable prices.

You can get molotes filled with a variety of ingredients at El Taco Poblano like potatoes, mushrooms, huitlacoche, and tinga. I got this one filled with chicharron and topped with crema and salsa verde.

Here’s an inside look at my tasty chicharron molote. Compared to the average empanada, molotes have a much crisper outer shell.

If you’re looking for cheap antojitos near the zocalo, then El Taco Poblano is a good place to check out.

El Taco Poblano

Address: Av 9 Ote 2, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 10:30AM-9:30PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 40

4. Molotes la Ventanita

This was where we had our first taste of huitlacoche in Puebla. Huitlacoche means “corn smut” in Spanish and refers to a type of fungus that grows on corn. It has a taste and texture similar to mushrooms and is commonly used as an ingredient in Mexican cuisine.

La Ventanita makes molotes stuffed with the usual fillings but I highly recommend trying it with huitlacoche. It’s an interesting ingredient that isn’t as common outside of Mexico.

Of all the restaurants on this list, the molotes at La Ventanita have the firmest texture.

Here’s a closer look at the huitlacoche. I love trying unique foods so huitlacoche was one of the ingredients I was most excited to try in Mexico. Some people call it Mexican truffles but it hardly tastes like truffles. It’s very similar in taste and texture to straw mushrooms.

Molotes la Ventanita is a hole-in-the-wall about a 10-15 minute walk north of the zocalo. It’s easy to miss so look for the awnings with the words “La Ventanita” on them. There are two a few doors apart.

Molotes la Ventanita

Address: Av 10 Pte 304, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 10AM-8PM, Mon-Sat (closed Sundays)
Expect to Pay: About MXN 25

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3. Antojitos Tomy

Antojitos Tomy is one of our favorite restaurants in Puebla. It’s a local place about a block away from the zocalo. They serve great poblano dishes like cemitas, chalupas, chanclas, and molotes.

This one filled with just quesillo was delicious but I recommend getting it with quesillo and another ingredient like ham or chicken. Many molotes restaurants serve a version called “Hawaiano” which is filled with quesillo, ham, and pineapple.

Here’s an inside look at the stringy, gooey quesillo. If you like mozzarella, then you’re going to love quesillo. It’s basically the Mexican version of mozzarella.

Antojitos Tomy is a great local restaurant not too far from the zocalo. I’ve eaten here four or five times and it’s almost always packed with locals.

Antojitos Tomy

Address: Av 5 Pte 145, Centro, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 9AM-9PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 31-38, depending on the filling

2. Molotes la Poblanita

Molotes make great street food in Puebla because they’re cheap, filling, and easy to eat. You don’t need to be sitting down to enjoy them so you won’t mind having them at this stall which is quite literally, a hole in the wall.

Molotes la Poblanita is one of three stalls located right next to each other on Av 5 Pte, just a block away from the zocalo. It’s a standing-room-only kiosk that serves tasty anotjitos like molotes, pelonas, gorditas, and tostadas.

This one was filled with chicken tinga. Aside from being supremely tasty with great texture, their molotes are a little smaller than average as well which I actually prefer.

Molotes la Poblanita is incorrectly labeled as Antojitos La Poblanita on Google Maps.

I haven’t eaten there but immediately to the left of Molotes la Poblanita is another hole-in-the-wall called La Pequeñita. They serve similar offerings so you may want to try them as well.

Molotes la Poblanita

Address: Av 5 Pte 114, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 9AM-11PM, daily
Expect to Pay: About MXN 30

1. Antojitos Acapulco

Conveniently, our favorite molotes place in Puebla is just a few spaces away from Molotes la Poblanita (#2) and down the block from Antojitos Tomy (#3). You can do an antojitos crawl and visit all three on the same day.

Like Molotes la Poblanita, Antojitos Acapulco is little more than a hole-in-the-wall but it’s by far the most popular hole-in-the-wall on this strip, and rightfully so because everything they serve is delicious. We’ve had their molotes, pelonas, and tacos de canasta and they’ve all been very good.

I don’t know if you can tell from this picture but the molotes at Antojitos Acapulco are the smallest on this list. Some people may think bigger is better but I actually prefer them to be this size because it leaves me room to try other things on the menu. They have the perfect texture as well. They’re crunchy but not hard.

Here’s an inside look at this supremely delicious molote filled with pulpo (octopus). ¡Que rico!

No matter how long you’re staying in Puebla, I highly recommend rubbing elbows with locals and enjoying antojitos at Acapulco. Like Antojitos Tomy, it’s one of our favorite places to eat in Puebla.

Antojitos Acapulco

Address: Av 5 Pte 114, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 9:10AM-11PM, daily
Expect to Pay: About MXN 30

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FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE BEST MOLOTES IN PUEBLA

Mole poblano and chiles en nogada are the most important dishes in Puebla but you need to add molotes to your list as well, especially if you like empanadas. Like chalupas, it’s a popular antojito and one of the tastiest things you can snack on in Puebla.

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