Awesome music, tasty mezcal and frigging delicious Mexican food, what more do you need? Maybe friendly people and a relaxed vibe? Well, we are feeling pretty chuffed because we found all that at Gracias a Dios.
What it has to offer
GAD is a mezcaleria and cantina that serves handmade mezcal and Mexican street food. Anything handmade is pretty much hip everywhere right now, and drinking mezcal is apparently super cool in Mexico. So here you have a double whammy. It has an open air patio and balcony as well as inside seating areas on both floors. We popped in on Saturday afternoon when you can sit in the sun and listen to an eclectic selection of music. This ranges from banda and reggaeton to hip hop and cumbia.
What to eat and drink
We were lucky enough to sample some of the mezcals and for us the Cuixe in the pink bottle was a winner. If you’re going to try one, make it this one! The maguey plant it comes from grows for 13 to 15 years before being harvested. I guess this is what makes it so mellow, smooth and easy to drink.
And when it comes to the food, I just wish I had a bigger stomach. Niek and I absolutely LOVE Mexican street food. But often find that it just isn’t as delicious when you don’t get it from the street. This food was the exception though. We had bistek volcanes and pastor gringas and went back for seconds. Make sure to add some of the green salsa and beware of what look like harmless pickled red onions, they are habaneros!
Practical Info
GAD is open from 2pm and we were there both in the late afternoon and evening. We found it a bit too quiet in the afternoon, which is a real shame, as it’s nice to sit in the sunshine and have a drink. Our suggestion would be to go from 10pm onwards when it is busy and has a lively atmosphere. However if queuing to get in, squeezing your way through a crowd and avoiding cumbia dancing couples is not your thing then head there around 6pm.
The prices are very reasonable, the gringa and volcanes are $25 each and cocktails are around $70. It is the mezcal that will set you back a bit more with a shot of Cuixe at $110 and a 750ml bottle at $2500.
The history of GAD
Gracias a Dios (Thank God in English) is a cantina and mezcaleria that has been around for 8 years. They work with a mezcalero called Oscar Hernandez Santiago in Oaxaca. Together they encourage the growth of wild maguey and create a handmade product that is sold in Mexico, America, Spain, Italy and Germany. If you want to find out more about Gracias a Dios and their work on sustainable maguey harvesting check out the cool video on their wesbite.
