Doña Vale Oaxaca: How to Visit this Famous Netflix Spot
As seen on Netflix Street Food: Latin America!
Want to try the famous memelas and Doña Vale salsa morita? Smart choice! I have been to Doña Vale Oaxaca City a few times now, and speaking from personal experience — her food is worth the wait, and lives up to the hype.
In this article, I’m going to tell you how to find Doña Vale Oaxaca, what you can expect when you visit, what to order when you get there, the best way to get to Central de Abastos market, and more.
Right off the beat, I want to recommend you go with a tour, not on your own. It is intimidating if you’ve never been to a very crowded Mexican market, and if you don’t speak Spanish, the experience will be even more stressful.
🚨 For this reason, I highly recommend you book this Tour in Central de Abastos Market with Javiar. It is the safest way to visit this Oaxaca City mercado.
Led by a Oaxaca local, Javiar will take you to sample the Doña Vale memelas and her famous morita salsa. He’ll also take you to more of the other best places to eat in Oaxaca City. Basically, all you have to do is show up, eat, and enjoy!
If you do want to go on your own, you’ll find all the info you need below. Without further ado, let’s get to this article all about eating at Doña Vale Oaxaca Mexico.
Where is Memelas Dona Vale Oaxaca located?
You’ll find Doña Vale and her famous memelas in Central de Abastos, the largest of all Oaxaca markets.
Her stall is located on the southern side of the market, and you can see it here on Google Maps.
📍 Memelas Dona Vale Map
If you’re coming by taxi, you might be able to tell the driver that you’re going to Doña Vale, as they might know the best place to drop you off.
If not, you’ll want to get out at the southern end of the market, which is the furthest end if you’re coming from Downtown Oaxaca.
Where is Mercado Central de Abastos located?
Central de Abastos market is located just southwest of Downtown Oaxaca City.
It is the largest market in the city — and actually quite massive in size. Once you get inside, you’ll likely be thinking that it didn’t look so big from the street.
- Central de Abastos Oaxaca address: Juárez Maza, Central de Abasto, 68090, Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Central de Abastos Oaxaca on Google Maps
You can buy pretty much anything here, from fresh fruits and veggies to locally-made Oaxaca mezcal, fresh-baked bread and Oaxacan coffee, to clothes, towels, batteries, toys, flowers, and live chickens!
Fair warning, this is not the prettiest place in Oaxaca City. Also, some sections have a less-than-pleasant smell to them.
If you’re looking for a picturesque mercado, check out the other options on this list of the Best Markets in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Though it’s not always easy on the eyes, that shouldn’t dissuade you from visiting Central de Abastos Oaxaca City Market — especially to sample the yummy food at Memelas Dona Vale.
Aesthetics aside, you do want to exercise caution here. Check out the information below to find out about safety precautions you need to take in this Oaxaca mercado.
Is Central de Abastos safe?
For the most part, yes. Of course, you will need to exercise caution here; maybe even more than you would when walking the streets of other parts of Oaxaca City.
This applies especially to your wallet and cell phone, as pickpocketing sadly isn’t uncommon in this market.
There are large signs at a few of the entrances to the mercado warning you to be careful of pickpockets. I have been a few times, and nothing has happened to me, but I know that’s because I am vigilant of myself and my surroundings.
🚨 For this reason, I highly recommend you book this Tour in Central de Abastos Market with Javiar. It is the safest way to visit this Oaxaca City mercado.
Central de Abastos Market is not the place to be waving your wallet around carelessly, wearing fancy jewelry and snapping selfies on your brand new iPhone.
This market isn’t even known to be safe for all locals, so you need to take extra caution as a visitor.
Central de Abastos Oaxaca Tour (Safest Way to Visit)
If you’re thinking Why would I even go to this place now? I get it.
These warnings aren’t meant to dissuade you from going, rather to tell you to be careful when you do. Like I said, I have been several times, and had no issues whatsoever in Central de Abastos Oaxaca City.
I stand by the recommendation I made at the beginning of this article — to visit with a local guide and not try to navigate this giant market on your own.
The Central de Abastos Oaxaca Tour with Javiar is well rated and safe… but don’t take my word for it, check out these reviews:
This was a fun and delicious tour through an incredible market with Javier. The market is MASSIVE and super busy. You can easily get lost… So I’m very glad I did not decide to tackle it on my own.
—Simonne, See more reivews
“Javier guided us like a pro, through what would have been disorienting and bewildering to any newcomer. Highly recommended!” (Todd)
“I am normally very intimidated by these large markets, but got to sample all kinds of delicious foods. Javier’s story telling and sense of humor are also top notch. Highly recommend.” (Stephanie)
While the Doña Vale Memelas are incredibly delicious, they won’t be as tasty if you get lost in the market and have a stressful day.
Book your spot on this Central de Abastos Oaxaca Tour with Javiar, show up, and just enjoy all the delicious food without worry!
What’s the best way to get to Central de Abastos Market?
If you’re going on your own without a tour, you can hail a cab. There’s no Uber in Oaxaca, so you’ll have to go by taxi. Luckily, every taxi driver will know exactly where Central de Abastos Market is located.
In Oaxaca and all Mexico, you need to agree on the price before getting in the taxi.
When a cab stops for you, ask them how much to get to Mercado Central de Abastos; it should be about $50-100 pesos ($2.50-5 USD) from almost anywhere in Downtown Oaxaca.
IS THERE UBER IN OAXACA MEXICO?
No — There’s no Oaxaca Uber service, and no Lyft in Oaxaca.
They do have DiDi Taxi through the DiDi Rider app, which lets you call a taxi in Oaxaca via the app. It’s basically like using Uber or Lyft, but you will get a regular cab.
What should I order at Memelas Doña Vale?
Now that the logistics are out of the way and you know how to get to Doña Vale in Central de Abastos Market, let’s talk about the reason you want to go in the first place: the food!
If you know about Memelas Doña Vale, you’ve likely seen any number of Netflix shows she’s been featured in, like Street Food: Latin America (Season 1, Episode 3) or Somebody Feed Phil (Season 5, Episode 1).
As the name of her puesto (food stall) says, the things to order here are memelas.
In fact, memelas are the only thing on the menu, but you have options of which salsa you order — salsa morita or salsa roja, and which protein (unless you get the vegetarian memelas or vegan memelas).
🌶️ Must Try: Dona Vale Salsa Morita
She is famous for her salsa morita, so you’ll want to try a salsa morita memela with your choice of protein. 🌶️ Note: The salsa morrita is a bit spicy, and definitely more spicy than salsa roja.
The options are huevo (egg), tasajo (beef), costilla (ribs). You can also try one with the salsa roja (red salsa made with tomatoes).
I have tried all the protein options and both salsas, all and my hands-down favorite and go-to order here is memelas with morita salsa and soft eggs. The salsa is magical on its own, but it’s extra magical when mixed with egg yolks.
To drink, there’s cafe de olla (coffee with cinnamon), chocolate oaxaqueño (hot chocolate), sodas and bottled water.
If you want to try tejate or aguas frescas (fruit waters), two of the best drinks from Mexico, you can buy them from another vendor and have them with your meal at Memelas Doña Vale.
Are these vegan and vegetarian options at Memelas Doña Vale Oaxaca?
Kind of — You have to tell them to make your order vegetarian or vegan, but it can be done. However, just so you know, the food she’s famous for that everyone raves about is not vegetarian or vegan.
The Doña Vale memelas, like a lot of the traditional Oaxaca foods, are made with asiento, or pork lard.
So first, you have to say “sin asiento,” which means without lard. After that, they’re pretty much vegetarian friendly, and you can opt for cheese and egg on top if you eat those.
Want to make them vegan? Order the memela “sin asiento” with just salsa on top. It’s essentially just a fresh corn tortilla with salsa, but the salsa is what she’s most famous for anyway.
What are memelas?
Memelas are basically open-face tacos with a thicker masa than whet you’d get in a standard tortilla.
You curl them up like a taco to eat them, or eat them more like a tostada. They are one of the best traditional Mexican foods, and very common in Oaxaca and other parts of Central Mexico.
Some people will say memelas are a mix between sope and tortilla, which is a good comparison. However, the masa dough for the memela tortilla is slightly thicker than a taco, but not as thick as a sope.
The memelas Doña Vale consist of a freshly-made tortilla to which she adds a bit of asiento (pork lard). It cooks for a minute, and then she adds salsa and cheese, and it cooks for another minute or two.
If you order meat or egg, it is cooked separately, then added on top of your memela when it gets plated. Everything is made on a Mexican cooking comal, which is a flat, circular cooking surface with charcoal underneath.
🧀 Note: If you’re wanting to try the famous queso Oaxaca cheese, you’ll have to try it elsewhere, because Doña Vale’s memelas use a different cheese.
Not to worry though, you can find it all over town, and even from other vendors in Central de Abastos Market.
What is salsa morita?
Salsa morita is a red salsa that’s made with chile morita, a smoky-flavored chile that some might say tastes like a chipotle.
In fact, both chile chipotle and chile morita are made from dried jalapeño peppers; though with chipotle, the jalapeño is also often roasted.
To make salsa morita the traditional way, you’d need a molcajete (pronounced mole-kah-het-tay), which is basically a Mexican mortar and pestle that’s hand-crafted with volcanic stone.
If you don’t have one, you can use a blender.
Doña Vale has never revealed all the ingredients in her top secret salsa morita recipe. It does contain tomatoes, onions, garlic and of course, morita chili peppers — but that’s all we know.
For a copycat Doña Vale salsa recipe, head to The Curious Mexican. Trust me, after you’ve had the real thing, you’re going to want to make it at home and enjoy it again.
How much is the food at Doña Vale Oaxaca?
Looking for cheap eats in Oaxaca City? Then you’re going to want to go to the local mercados like Central de Abastos, Mercado Benito Juarez, and Mercado 20 de Noviembre — especially its famous Paseo de Humo, or Smoke Alley.
In these places, mostly frequented by locals, you’ll find the cheapest and usually the best food in town. You can see on the image of the Memalas Doña Vale menu, that the memelas are just $12-37 pesos, or about $1-2 USD each.
I usually order 2-3 and get really full, but I have seen people order as many as six for themselves. An average order with three memelas with meat and a drink will cost you about $150 pesos, or $7.50 USD.
💸 Note: Memalas Doña Vale is cash only
In fact, if you want to buy anything in Mercado Central de Abastos, you’ll need cash (pesos).
For safety, don’t bring too much cash there, and you might want to keep some in your pocket so you never have to take out your whole wallet.
The good news is that nothing on the Memelas Dona Vale menu costs very much.
What’s the best time to go to Memelas Doña Vale?
For the shortest wait times, visit on a weekday by about 9:30-10am.
I have been three times now, and it has been busy every single time. We have had to wait anywhere from 10-25 minutes to get a seat, but once you’re seated, the food comes out fast.
It is much busier on weekends, during holidays, when there are Oaxaca festivals going on, like the Guelaguetza Festival in July.
It was especially busy during Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, the biggest festival of the year. Still, there’s no way around it — expect to wait a bit to eat at Memelas Doña Vale Oaxaca.
If you can, go on a weekday and get there early. If you don’t want to wait at all, you’ll want to plan to be there at about 8-9am, as there’s usually a line by 10-11am.
What are the Memelas Dona Vale hours?
They are open everyday except Sunday, from 7am to 12pm.
While memelas might not seem like a breakfast food to everyone, they are a popular Oaxaca breakfast food for locals, so you’ll have to eat them in the morning.
📸 Note: They sometimes close on days besides Sunday, so check the Doña Vale Instagram page before you go.
Who is Doña Vale?
If you’ve seen Street Food Latin America (Season 1, Episode 3, “Oaxaca, Mexico”), you already have a glimpse into Doña Vale. (If not, check out the episode so she can tell her story in her own words.)
Her full name is Valentina Hernández, and she was born in Oaxaca state. She started cooking at Central de Abastos Market more than 30 years ago, and is there working every single day.
Doña Vale seems mostly unbothered by people constantly taking her photo, and all the attention she gets after her Netflix fame.
She doesn’t usually talk to many customers, as it seems she’s in her own world cooking her memelas, but she will sometimes engage people in line waiting.
Oaxaca Food Guide and FAQ
Now that you know everything you need to know to visit Memelas Doña Vale, you should also be aware that this is just the tip of the Oaxaca foodie iceberg.
If you want to eat at more of the best places in town, check out these other Oaxacan food and drink articles:
- 11 Best Cooking Classes in Oaxaca Mexico
- 11 Best Oaxaca Mezcal Tours You’ll Want to Take
- 10 Best Oaxaca Street Food Tours for Foodies
- 40 Best Restaurants in Oaxaca Mexico for Foodies
- 30 Best Oaxaca Foods and Drinks You Need to Try
- 17 Best Oaxaca Markets for Shopping and Food
- 15 Best Oaxaca Mezcalerias and Mezcal Bars
- 20 Highest Rated Oaxaca Tours for Travelers
What is Oaxaca food?
Traditional Mexican food is incredibly regional, and varies a lot across the country.
There’s everything from tacos in Mexico City, to Yucatan food and Oaxacan food, which is known to be among the best. In fact, Oaxaca City is often called the Foodie Capital of Mexico.
The food of Oaxaca is not too dissimilar for what many know as “Mexican food,” but there’s definitely less tacos and burritos, and more tlayudas, moles, memelas and tetelas.
Some of the best Mexican chefs, like Alejandro Ruiz Olmedo of Casa Oaxaca and Enrique Olvera of Criollo Oaxaca and Pujol Mexico City, have Oaxaca City restaurants.
Oaxaca also has an exciting street food culture, as seen on Netflix’s Street Food: Latin America (Season 1, Episode 3, “Oaxaca, Mexico”).
In fact, the Oaxacan tlayuda was voted fan favorite in Netflix’s online poll to determine the best Latin American street food.
What are the best Oaxaca foods?
Though many think all Mexican food is just just tacos and burritos, neither of those foods play a major role in Oaxaca food.
The best traditional Oaxacan dishes include the 7 moles of Oaxaca, tlayudas, tamales oaxaqueños, quesillo (Oaxaca string cheese) and tejate.
Don’t know what any of that is?! Head to 30 Best Oaxaca Foods and Drinks You Need to Try to learn more about the Oaxaca cuisine.
📚 Best Oaxaca Cookbooks
If you can’t leave the United States to experience the food in Oaxaca Mexico in person, pick up one of the Oaxacan cook books — the next best thing!
Among the best ones, check out The Food of Oaxaca Cookbook, Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico and Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy.
Both Mexico cookbooks and Oaxacan food cookbooks make an amazing Mexico gift for the foodie in your life who wants to make Oaxaca recipes at home. Love books? Check out these 35 Best Books on Mexico.
Final Thoughts: How to Find Memelas Dona Vale Oaxaca
Oaxaca City is known as the Foodie Capital of Mexico, so you really can’t go wrong eating at most places. However, some are exceptional — like Memelas Doña Vale Oaxaca City.
You can visit on your own, but please do consider going with a local Oaxaca tour guide.
Since the Mercado Central de Abastos, where Memelas Doña Vale is located, isn’t known as one of the safest places in town, I always recommend visitors opt for this Eating Party in Oaxaca Markets with Betsy.
If you do go on your own, remain vigilant of yourself, your belongings and your surroundings.
Central de Abastos Market is huge, and it’s easy to get lost, but if you enter the market on the southern end, you won’t be too far from the delicious Doña Vale memelas.