Page 45 - 02_March-2025

Best
Mexican
1.
Luna Cocina Mexicana
PHOTO BLUEFISH STUDIOS
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. – S.S.
9880 63 AVE. NW
780-433-9229
LUNAMEXICANRESTAURANT.CA
2.
La Morenita
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. – S.S.
8501 118 AVE. NW
780-680-8109
@LAMORENITA.CANADA
3.
El Mero Mero
Taqueria
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. – A.M.
12223 156 ST. NW
780-760-6376
ELMEROMEROTACOTRUCK.COM
Edify
Loves
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? – S.S.
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