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Pambazo

What: Pambazos are like tortas, except that the bread is dipped in a red guajillo-chile salsa and then fried, creating a crunchy, chewy sandwich (FYI: the pambazo most associated with the state of Veracruz is usually not fried). Common fillings include refried beans, choripapa (chorizo and potatoes), various other meats, lettuce, crumbly cotija cheese, mayo and/or crema. 

Where: Inside the food-filled Mercado San Juan de los Arcos de Belen (Av. Arcos de Belen and Calle Lopez, map), we tried a pambazo de choripapa at El Paraiso.

When: Daily, 8am-6pm

Order: Un pambazo de choripapa, or any other meat you’d prefer. Did we love this sandwich? Honestly, no: The crunchy roll evoked “stale bread” to our palate, there wasn’t enough filling, and it was spread with too much mayo and crema for our liking. That is, however, how it’s normally served. We’d give it another try with a different filling, and request less white condiment.

Alternatively: Look for pambazos at market fondas; you can often find the bread alone (also called “pambazo”) at bakeries.