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Photograph by Martha Williams
In the heart of Midtown, upscale flash collides with cultural warmth at La Santa Tacos & Bar. Papel picado (intricate tissue paper banners cut with folk art patterns) hangs in between sleek lighting fixtures, a marble bar features a statue bust graffitied in pink and gold, and above orange banquette seating and black booths, a neon sign reads “cheves tranqui,” shortened Mexican-Spanish slang for “Let’s go for a few chill beers tonight.”
That’s the intention of the restaurant for partners Pablo Casas and Fernando Jimenez, in the old Rwby space at Juniper and Eighth streets. La Santa is a tribute to an iconic club in Mexico City, where Jimenez hails from (Casas is from Colombia). “We wanted a welcoming neighborhood bar serving the homemade street food flavors of Mexico City . . . in a vibrant, upscale setting, all without the upscale price tag,” Casas says.
The menu is drinks first. On the cheaper side are $5 beers and $9 margaritas, but there’s also the option of going with Mexican artisanal, family-owned tequila in tasting flights or signature margs. Fernanda’s is the type of tangy and refreshing margarita you say you need—Lalo Blanco, a small-batch Jalisco tequila made by Don Julio’s grandson, cucumber, lime, and pineapple.
There’s nothing too flashy on the food menu, but La Santa does the classics right at a kind price. For starters, esquites con chicharron, corn kernels with mayo and chili powder topped with fried pork rinds for dipping, is typical Mexican street food that La Santa lands with all the smoky, sweet, spicy, and tangy notes desired. A slight deviation from Mexico City is the ceviche de pulpo: Octopus, tomatoes, onions, and fresh lime juice make for a glorious bite on a chip.
For tacos, try the ricas carnitas and pollo asado in adobo for savory staples. There are also uncommon options such as the chuleta ahumada, which contains juicy, smoked pork chop topped with crunchy grilled cacti and onion. “It’s the kind of dish you’d find being grilled on the side of the road in Mexico,” says Casas.
The star of the mains is the quesabirria. To define it in a word: generous. Huge portions of slow-braised beef barbacoa are stuffed in a grilled corn tortilla between Oaxaca and Monterey Jack cheeses, all to be dipped in consomme. Finish the meal off with a sticky caramel flan topped with whipped cream and strawberries, or a rich chocolate cake with tart berries for balance.
This article appears in our August 2025 issue.
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