La Mora Cafe, San Agustinillo: Strong Coffee, Creative Food & Charming Service

Perfect For: Breakfast by the beach.

Stuffed, satisfied, and (mildly) sweaty, we were on our way out when the owner threw some Chicharrones into a tortilla and asked us to try it. No act of human kindness runs more swiftly to the center of my heart than the gift of free food (particularly free food in a tortilla). I was charmed beyond repair. You'll have to consider my bias for the rest of this review.

The unfortunate reality of being an American tourist abroad is not just that people are predisposed to dislike you. It's that no matter how much yoga you do or how much Xanax you take you'll always feel a little fussy about lackluster restaurant service (It's not your fault, it's your conditioning). In this small but not insignificant way La Mora is impressive. The service is efficient, expedient and disarmingly charming.

La Mora is not directly on the beach but, if you're lucky, you can grab a table overlooking the water. This won't be easy because the place is usually packed and for good reason. The coffee is the best I've tasted on the Oaxaca coast and the food is a delicious mix of traditional Mexican and new inventions.

If you stop in either Mazunte or San Agustinillo go to La Mora. It won't disappoint.

LA COMIDA

Waffles Stuffed With Cheese:

Yeah. I know. Holy shet. Right? So they mix Manchego cheese into the waffle batter and then they top it with either an avocado, tomato, onion salsa or fried eggs and bacon. On the best bites you can see the melty cheese oozing out before you indulge. A cheesy kind of culinary foreplay. I asked the chef, 'Why Manchego,' and she said it was the only cheese that didn't burn when they cooked the waffles all the way through. So there you have it. Mystery solved. Don't forget to cover everything in the Chipotle Salsa (Syrup).

Chipoquiles:

This is another in-house invention. It's their Chipotle centric take on Chilaquiles and it's my favorite thing on the menu. It's crunchy, it's creamy, it's spicy, it's smoky, it's salty and even a little sweet. Como se dice '(the sound of my stomach growling)?'

Huevos Divorciados:

This is Huevos Rancheros with two different sauces for your viewing & tasting pleasure. One is the spicy tomatillo sauce and the other is a smokey chipotle sauce. The best part about this dish was the heaping of tortillas that came with it. No need to do any tortilla math along the way.

The Menu:

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