Change can be a good thing. This spot used to be known to Edmontonians as Huma, and in past years it did pretty darn well on our Best Restaurants lists. In 2022, the restaurant rebranded to Luna Cocina Mexicana, but chef Mariel Montero Sena remains at the helm.
And, after the change, the restaurant only got better. The decor is wildly colourful, with purple and pink hues and displays of Mexican folk art. It’s a nice change from the spartan white-wall design of most modern restaurants. It’s like being in a cozy den.
Sure, the tacos are awesome, but Luna dares you to try the flavours of the Mexican streets — the beef tongue is a favourite, or the shrimp served with red onions that are pickled with habanero. The Pozole Rojo, a soup made with pork, corn and a liberal amount of spice, is one of the best broths in the city. And the desserts are take-home-to-the-family worthy, like the flan with goat’s milk caramel.
Luna offers a mix of tradition and culinary inventiveness, and the result is, wow. – Steven Sandor
Luna Cocina Mexicana
Hazeldean | 9880 63 Ave NW, Edmonton | 780.433.9229 | lunamexicanrestaurant.ca
This new Alberta Avenue spot is both a bakery and a restaurant. So, you can drop by in the morning for a coffee, a chocolate-based flan with plenty of caramel, or even a Mexican brunch. And there’s an Eggs Benedict that features tortilla cake, beans and chipotle alongside the Hollandaise sauce.
If you’re there later in the day, it would be all too easy to go for the taco platter — after all, the fillings are traditional and delicious. But there’s so much more to La Morenita’s menu. The Birria Soup is a great lunchtime choice — the broth features a mountain of shredded beef in the middle, and you can even add ramen noodles to it to create some sort of cultural mashup.
So, whether it’s the sweet tooth or the craving for savoury notes that you need to satisfy, La Morenita has an answer. – Steven Sandor
La Morenita
Parkdale | 8501 118 Ave NW, Edmonton | 780.680.8109 | @lamorenita.canada
My ultimate retirement goal is to be a snowbird. You know, like the grandparents of your semi-rich childhood friend who’d take off to sunny destinations as soon as Edmonton gets chilly. But I’m 22, so I have a couple years (OK, decades) until I can achieve my retirement dreams. So instead of flying to Mexico, I drive to El Mero Mero.
The colourful decor — warm and inviting — makes the frosty winter afternoon already feel 20 degrees warmer. The food is addicting (especially the Nopales with Queso) — so much so that I’m worried I’ve developed a habit, and my entire retirement fund might end up spent at this restaurant. – Areeha Mahal
El Mero Mero Taqueria
Mitchell Industrial | 12223 156 St NW, Edmonton | 780.760.6376 | elmeromerotacotruck.com
Let’s be real: Tacos are meant to be eaten on the street. You’re supposed to leave a trail of onion bits and cilantro behind on the sidewalk as you walk and chew. And there’s no better spot for takeout-and-walk tacos than Carne Asada on Jasper Avenue. Get the Steak Asada with the green salsa and don’t sit down. Heck, you’ve got places to be, right? – Steven Sandor
This article appears in the March 2025 issue of Edify
