The Dessert Menu Red Flag To Look Out For When Visiting A Mexican Restaurant

We're going to venture a guess that folks aren't going to Mexican restaurants for the desserts. Instead, they're going for the sizzling fajitas, smothered enchiladas, and more margaritas than any one person should drink in a single sitting. As such, restaurants are going to focus most of their efforts on building out the savory portion of their menu. But according to Chef Maycoll Calderón, not offering any traditional desserts is a red flag. 

"Mexican cuisine has a long tradition of convent pastries, regional sweets, custards, flans, and fruit-based desserts. If a restaurant completely omits traditional sweets, it may suggest a limited understanding of the cuisine's full spectrum," he told us in an exclusive interview. Although you may be going to a restaurant spot for its chips and guac or to blow off steam with friends, you should still be able to order high-quality desserts that don't seem gimmicky or like an afterthought. "Authenticity isn't just about tacos and guacamole — it's about honoring the complete experience, from antojitos to dessert," he says. 

If you aren't familiar with some of the best and most underrated Mexican foods, you may be in the dark about what to order from the dessert menu. Luckily, Chef Maycoll Calderón has your back. He offers a long list of options, including flan, arroz con leche, tres leches cake, buñuelos, and regional pastries rooted in convent traditions. "Seeing thoughtful versions of these on a menu signals that the chef understands the culinary heritage beyond savory dishes," he says. 

In the same vein, there are some desserts that could signal that the spot is more of a Tex-Mex restaurant than an "authentic" Mexican joint. "As for red flags, items like fried ice cream are more Tex-Mex inventions than traditional Mexican desserts. That doesn't make them bad, but they don't reflect authentic regional pastry traditions," he says. Not to mention, you can get ice cream virtually anywhere; hold off on the chips and guac and save room in your stomach for traditional Mexican sweets instead.