Medellin today is transforming to offer a wide range of excellent restaurants offering exquisite local interpretations of some of the finest culinary trends in the world. This article is not about those restaurants.
This article will look at the traditional meals and snacks that have been a part of life for the locals for many decades. We will explore what food has great significance to the people here, why it resonates so much with the locals, and where you can try it in its very best, most traditional form.
Bandeja Paisa
Bandeja paisa has become one of Colombia’s signature dishes and is strongly associated with Medellin, where it is a staple for the region’s rural communities. Farmers who want to fill up on a hearty, protein-heavy meal following a hard day working. It is a meal that is usually eaten for lunch and will require a big appetite and possibly a siesta to recover.
There are some slight variations, but a typical bandeja paisa will include ingredients such as ground or minced beef, chicharrón (fried pork belly), rice, beans, a fried egg, plantain, arepa, sausage, and avocado. Definitely some of the best Colombian food in Medellin.
Hacienda Junín was founded in the downtown of Medellin in 1991. The downtown restaurant offers some peaceful Antioquia rural calm in the hot, busy central neighborhoods of Medellin. It has wooden beams, antique objects, calm music, and the staff where traditional paisa outfits.
They specialize in traditional Antioquia favorites, and their bandeja paisa is excellent. The downtown location is iconic, but they also have other restaurants now around the city.
Carrera 49 #52‑98 (La Candelaria)
Mondongo
Mondongo is a traditional Colombian soup made with beef tripe (the stomach lining of a cow), slow-cooked in a flavorful broth with vegetables, spices, and herbs. It’s synonymous with Medellin, but variations now exist across Colombia and throughout Latin America.
The mondongo is often combined with pork, yuca, potatoes, carrots, cilanto, and other ingredients to complete the flavor. It is a thick, savory stew that can be enjoyed with rice, avocado, and arepa. It is very traditional and is a comfort food typically enjoyed on the weekend. It is a refined taste but many locals will put good quality mondongo amongst the best Colombian food in Medellin.
Mondongo’s first opened their doors in Laureles in 1976 and has become an iconic local institution. Today, they have their main branch on la 70 in Laureles and a second location on la 10 in Poblado. Mondongo’s is their signature dish, but they also offer a wide range of local favorites. Portions are large, and the service is excellent.
This is the type of restaurant that is popular with big families who come together to enjoy classic local dishes filled with meaning, memories, and tradition.
Calle 10 #38-38 (Poblado) or Carrera 70 # C3 – 43 (Laureles)
Chicharrón
Chicharrón is one of the most beloved foods in Medellin. Made from fried pork belly, it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a huge amount of flavor. It can be enjoyed as part of a larger meal, such as the bandeja paisa, but individual servings can also be huge, and it deserves it’s own entry in this list. The pork belly is cooked with the skin, fat, and meat. It is cut into thick slabs, seasoned, slow-cooked, and then deep-fried to add that beloved crispy finish.
There is a crunch when you bite in, and then juicy meat underneath. It is particularly popular in Antioquia, but you will also find variations in Caldas and Tolima. For international visitors this is often considered the best Colombian food in Medellin.
La Gloria de Gloria offers famous 1kg slabs of chicharrón that are ultra-crispy and juicy. Seasoning is simple with high-quality ingredients and oil that is changed every day. They have excellent staff who will bring visitors free shots of aguardiente and make you feel at home.
It is a very traditional local spot in Envigado with huge portions that will fill the table. Prices are also very reasonable, and most plates will be big enough for two people.
Calle 37 Sur #35‑06 (Envigado)
Colombian Style Hot Dogs
A Colombian hot dog, or perro caliente in Spanish, is an experience filled with a wide variety of flavors and textures. The grilled or boiled sausage and traditional bun provide the base for the local street vendor or restaurant to really go wild.
Hot dogs will include cheese, bacon, garlic, quail egg, ripio (crumbled potato chips), pineapple sauce, pink sauce (mayo and ketchup mix), mayonnaise, mustard, and all sorts of other things. Often, none of the ingredients on their own are of a particularly high quality, but the combination is delicious, particularly after a few drinks.
Sr. Dog takes the traditional street vendor style of preparation, and adds some additional quality at their low-key restaurant in Laureles. Set in a once quiet residential street, the reputation of the place means the place is always busy. Their small menu means that they always have hot dogs and menus cooking, so you shouldn’t wait long.
Carrera 67a # 51-35 (Laureles)
Sancocho
A sancocho is a hearty, rustic stew or soup, deeply rooted in the country’s culinary and cultural traditions. It’s one of Colombia’s most cherished comfort foods—often served at family gatherings, holidays, or Sunday lunches.
When I was partying at my friend’s house on New Year’s Eve before the sun had risen, plans were already afoot to prepare the sanchocho for the neighborhood in a large metal pot over a wood fire. Everyone contributes ingredients, with the final result either an improvised hodge-podge or a carefully measured family speciality – depending on the chef or cooking committee.
Ingredients for a great sancocho can include chicken, beef, pork, yuca, plantain, potato, corn, onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, cumin and potentially some additional shots of aguardiente. It can be enjoyed alone in bowls or with rice, avocado, arepa, and a bit of lime.
La Fonda de Albeiro is a rustic, traditional ‘fonda’ set up in the hills of Envigado overlooking the city. It is a family-run restaurant with a relaxed feel and a wood fire used for cooking. The sanchocho is simmered overnight with the pork bones, ribs, chicken thigh all marinated the day before.
The sancocho can sell out later in the day, so head down for lunch and enjoy the view, and enjoy this classic Medellin community dish. The best Colombian food in Medellin to bring together people of all ages for some drinks and tasty food around a smoky fire.
Calle 36d sur #09‑250 (Envigado)
Empanadas
Empenadas are probably the clssic and most popular street food in Medellin. They have crispy, golden friend pastry on the outside with a soft tasty inside that most commonly include a combination beef, potato, or chicken. The crispy outer shell is made from yellow cornmeal shaped into a half-moon.
Most people will bite off the top and then pour in some ají to give it some extra spice and flavor. Ají is made from cilantro, vinegar, chili, and onions. They are a popular snack available all over the city and are traditionally accompanied by a cup of Colombiana, a local soda.
Empanadas Boomerang in Laureles have excellent empanadas which are generously filled with a mix of beef and potato. Their ají is perfectly mixed, and you can find empanadas freshly made throughout the day.
Calle 35 #76-21 (Laureles)
Buñuelos
A buñuelo is a popular traditional fried snack, especially beloved during Christmas and festive seasons, but enjoyed year-round as well. It’s a small, round, golden ball made from a dough, salty white cheese, corn flour or wheat flour, eggs, and sometimes a bit of sugar and baking powder.
They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a slight cheesy, salty taste that Colombians love to balance with something sweet. You will often see buñuelos enjoyed with hot chocolate or sweet soft drinks. They are like soft, warm, savory doughnuts. The best Colombian food in Medellin at christmas time.
El Peregrino in Sabaneta is a cherished local institution, renowned for its giant buñuelos and authentic Colombian cuisine. Next to the Iglesia de Santa Ana in Parque Sabaneta, it offers both indoor and outdoor seating and is in the heart of the local community.
Their buñuelos are famous and seen as the archetypal example of the snack, replicated across the country. They are around 200 grams each with a golden outer layer. During December, they can get very busy with paisas taking their annual buñuelo pilgrimage south to Sabaneta with the family.
Calle 70 Sur #43b -55 (Sabaneta)
Salchipapa
A salchipapa is a popular street food dish that combines two simple but beloved ingredients. The name salchipapa is an informal combination of salichca (fried sausage) and papa (French fries). The sausages are usually hot dog style, fried until crisp on the outside, and then mixed with French fries before additional toppings are added.
Every food stand and restaurant will have its own selection of toppings, but these can include onions, cheese, fried egg, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, and hot sauce. The best Colombian food in Medellin at 3 am when you want to soak up some of those drinks.
Mandingas is often considered the originator of the modern salchipapas. They have their own famous sauce that was cooked up by cofounders Bertulfo Zapata, Eliva Rosa Zapata, and Liberdo Herrera around 40 years ago in rural Antioquia. Their business grew, and today you will find locations in popular neighborhoods across Medellin.
Carrera 70 #48‑15 (Laureles)
