-
La Biznaga
-
10Loading...
-
Veg-options
Serves meat, vegan options available. Neighborhood restaurant that offers Mestizo food, a mixture of Spanish, Mexican, and Mayan inspired dishes. There is a vegetarian section on their menu with options that could be made vegan upon request. Dishes include stuffed hierbasante leaf, stuffed cones, corn toast, tlayuda, salads, mushrooms in mole sauce, plantain in amaranth bean sauce, and plantain tamales. Open Mon-Wed 1:00pm-8:00pm, Thu-Sat 1:00pm-9:00pm, Sun 1:00pm-7:00pm.
-
Av Benito Juárez 907, Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico, 68000
-
Loading...
-
- Outdoor seating
- Cash only
-
-
Last update on 04 Jul 2021 by Guest
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business -
Added by jay.callores on 04 Jul 2021
-
-
5 Reviews
First Review by jay.callores
SkyButton
Points +27
Berated by owner for being vegan; served non-vegan food - Edit
I asked if one menu option could be made vegan, and was told that it already was vegan by one of the waiters, so I ordered it. The food came and it seemed that at least one of the items contained dairy, so I politely asked about it and was told gruffly by the owner that this food item was never vegan (he also claimed that a second food item *was* vegan, but the cheese used as a garnish on it was clearly the same as the dairy cheese garnish on the other, non-vegan food item). I told the owner don't worry and that my brother could eat the cheese-filled item instead of me (I didn't argue about the cheese on the other item after the owner insisted it was vegan, because I didn't want to be pushy or rude). Mistakes happen, and it wasn't really a big deal to me at this point. But then, the owner came back and berated me about how I must be harming the environment by eating soy. I tried to offer a polite defense, but the response that I was met with was just more berating; this time questioning why I haven't eaten grasshoppers. I didn't really argue and simply said that I needed to read more about the topic of grasshoppers as food later. The waiter then proceeded to bring grasshoppers to the table, tried to pressure me to eat them several times, and told me that I needed to "open my mind" after I politely declined. I did not raise my voice the entire time and did my best to remain polite during the entire encounter, but I received only condescension and berating in return. I feel bad for the other waiter who works there and I hope that the owner didn't take any anger out on him for him making a simple mistake about what was vegan (again, not a big deal). The food was also generally mediocre (e.g., underseasoned jicama and abnormally sour lemonade that tasted only like water and lemon mixed together, with no sweetness). It was also quite expensive.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-07-30
Guest
Beary
Points +30
Aggressive ownership after serving us a non-vegan meal - Edit
I have always been a staunch advocate of leaving positive reviews, but my recent visit to this restaurant left me incredibly disappointed. The initial waiter assured us that a vegetarian dish could be made vegan, but when it arrived, it contained cheese. When we asked the other waiter (possibly the owner), he said "what other waiter?" Which was weird because it was definitely a younger man who took our order and said the dish could be made vegan.
Read moreWhen he brought out another dish that was vegan, the second waiter (possibly the owner) was antagonistic and questioned why we are vegan. He was very focused on not all vegan food being organic, but wouldn't listen to our justification about carbon footprints and other reasons we choose to be vegan. He came back to the table with bugs and was persistent that we need to eat it because it's "organic protein." We politely said no, but he kept pushing it. It was odd, aggressive, and off-putting.
Perhaps there has been a change in ownership, as the menu has also been altered from some posted photos of the menu. In any case, I cannot recommend this restaurant to other vegans, as it is clearly not very vegan-friendly.
Cons: Aggressive waiter, Gave us a non-vegans dish, Tried to force us to eat bugs
Guest
Skylark
Points +356
Excellent vegan tlayuda - Edit
I came here looking for vegan tamales. Sadly that’s a “sometimes” thing that was not the day I went. The tlayuda was very good, though, and I got a mixed drink by the same name as the restaurant. It was also yummy, and I was glad I was walking not driving after.
Read moreI arrived in the middle of the afternoon and realized quickly there was no staff to be found. I sat down and waited. I figured if after a 15 minute rest, no one came out, I would go. At ten minutes the server appeared and realized he had a customer. From there it all went as expected.
Pros: Several vegan options
Cons: No tamales, Is anyone here?
Guest
KimberlyWiebe
Points +571
Absolutely Wonderful! So glad I went. - Edit
I came because of the previous and only review and so glad I did. I had the Lo’xicha and it was so tasty. The chef/owner came out and told me the hierbasante leaf the tamale is wrapped in is an Indigenous plant to Oaxaca, and showed me the one in the garden. The plantain was so flavorful. I had the agua de Jamaica and it was the perfect drink as well.
Read morePros: Several vegan options, good portion sizes, Beautiful quiet terrace, Good value & lovely service
Guest
jay.callores
Points +4883
Our last meal in Oaxaca - Edit
La Biznaga was an unexpected and wonderful find on our last night in Oaxaca. We had an early start to the airport the following morning and decided to look for something closer to our place, which was about a 10 minute walk north of Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzman. La Biznaga was just two blocks away.
Read moreThe kind owner greeted and sat us and enthusiastically recommended the Lo'xicha, a plantain tamale wrapped in hierbasanta over mushroom adobo. Unfortunately, they were out for the night and I ordered the Mogo Mogo instead, rolled plantains, fried, and coated in amaranth and placed on a bed of salsa de frijol. It almost made me okay missing the Lo'xicha, which is saying a lot b/c I love tamales. The mogo mogo was done well and a worthy and memorable last meal in a fantastic city.
All in all, the menu at La Bignaga was unlike any other menu we'd seen during our time in Oaxaca. Their Facebook page describes it as Mestizo food, a mix of Spanish, Mexican, and Mayan influences. It had some of the foundations of other foods we had tasted during the week but deviated in really pleasant and exciting ways.
The only con was the place only took cash which we were short of it being our last night. It prevented us from exploring more of their menu. Something to take note of for next time as Oaxaca and La Biznaga are worth a return visit.
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 1661 times.