Ajiacos y Mondongos have been serving up traditional Colombian food since 1991.
This local favorite is a block off Avenida Poblado and Parque Poblado, but if you don’t know exactly where to look, chances are you’d never see it.
Which would be a shame considering the terrific food, and comfortable atmosphere.
I arrived in the midst of a weekday lunch rush, and grabbed a seat at a small counter area near the front.
The menu is simple, focusing on 3 traditional Colombian dishes:
- Ajiaco soup from Bogota
- Mondongo soup from Antioquia
- Cazuela de frijoles, which I believe is also a paisa dish, and includes beans, bacon, corn, plantains, potatoes, and avocado
I went for my favorite, the ajiaco, which includes: chicken, potatoes, and corn, with avocado, capers, cream and an arepa on the side.
The side items are then added to the soup based on personal preferences. When I order this dish from my favorite spot in Bogota, I believe they provide rice and fresh cilantro as well, though as you can tell from the photo above, there wouldn’t be much room for it.
The soup was good, though the base wasn’t as creamy as I get in Bogota. Still, after clearing my bowl, I was completely full until dinner. Ajiaco is one of the rare soups that can do that for me.
My beverage of choice was a cold glass of fresh lemonade.
Despite my arrival at a peak hour, the service was attentive. Lunch ran me about 21,000 pesos, or $11.55.
For a true taste of Colombia, skip the easy to find restaurants in Parque Lleras, and head down to Ajiacos y Mondongos for lunch.
this looks great – I’ll definitely try it when I return in January
I had lunch here today with my friend and the food was fantastic. Slightly smaller portions than in Bogota and more expensive – about COP18.000 for a bowl of any of their 3 menu items.
My friend loved the Ajiaco and I was very happy with the Cazuela de Frijoles which is a beef stew type dish with beans and DELICIOUS bits of very crunchy chicharones (and I’ve had chicharones in just about every meal here so far. It is served with a lot of crunchy fried onion strips on top.
Definitely try this dish. One of the best things I’ve had in Colombia.
Awesome, glad you both enjoyed the meal!
I agree about the portion size, at least with the ajiaco, I’ve been served bigger bowls in Hato Viejo (here in Medellin) as well as the place I like to go off Simon Bolivar Plaza in Bogota.