LA POBLANITA

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★★

Authentic Mexican Cuisine

Perfect For: Casual Dining; Lunch; Takeout

Standout Dishes: Mole Poblano; Fuego Tacos; Carne Asada

39 ingredients. 38 hours of prep/cooking time.

That’s what goes into one dish, the Mole Poblano, at La Poblanita. It’s a tired cliche to say that the secret ingredient in a recipe is “love”, but that amount of effort for one entree might just qualify.

And that’s just one of more than 20 plates of authentic Mexican food at the restaurant, not to mention its wide roster of tacos, enchiladas, loaded fries, and more. From the fresh, homemade tortillas to the meat that’s cut by hand daily, there’s serious effort and intention in every dish at La Poblanita.

That’s because owner Indalecio Penaloza is behind the grill each day, cooking the recipes his mother taught him (she’s typically in the kitchen, too). Indalecio’s goal extends beyond serving delicious food (check); he wants to carry on his family’s traditions and recipes by teaching them to the next generation and feeding the community he grew up in.

Sold on the heart behind La Poblanita yet? Good. Let’s dive in.

Located just off 20th and Martha in South Omaha, La Poblanita exists in what appears to be a small house. The first indication that this isn’t a home, however, might be the line that spilling out the door, especially on the weekends. Word has gotten out about La Poblanita, and the dining room (which seats about 30-35) often isn’t large enough to handle the demand.

You have the option of ordering ahead and picking up your food to go, or you can take your place in line. The wait is more than worth it.

The menu is filled with classic Mexican dishes like Millanesa de Pollo (Breaded Chicken Breast), Chilaquiles, Beef Birria, Fried Tilapia, and Menudo Soup. Then there’s the aforementioned Mole Poblano.

To someone who’s never had it before, mole poblano is a wild-sounding dish. Built with chocolate, cinnamon, nuts, and several types of chiles, this thick, gravy-like sauce has a flavor profile that’s so unfamiliar it initially shocks the tastebuds, but in a delightful way.

The mole sauce is rich and nutty with a touch of sweetness. It’s ladled generously over a tender chicken leg and thigh, sharing its bold, bright flavors with the moist chicken.

As with all plates at La Poblanita, the dish comes with four handmade corn tortillas, allowing you to make your own tacos. The tortillas are soft and pliable yet don’t break, and they have a brilliant chew to them.

Most of the dishes highlight traditional Mexican cuisine, but Indy strays from that path with a few plates. That includes the Birria Poblanita Fries, which top an enormous bed of fluffy waffle fries with cheese, meat, guacamole, and sour cream. But even in this loaded fry dish, the care stands out: the birria beef has clearly been stewed for hours, and it’s rich and fork-tender, and the blend of six cheeses creates a rich, decadent bite every time (not to mention some very Instagram-friendly cheese pulls).

The same care that goes into the Mole Poblano extends to each dish. That’s why the broth in the Caldo de Mariscos (Seafood Soup) is so rich and complex; each spoonful unlocks a new flavor level of this mysterious, delicious liquid, and the crab, shrimp, and clams are cooked to tender perfection.

The Carne Asada features a massive, thin piece of grilled steak that would be a perfect entree on its own. It comes with seasoned rice, buttery refried beans (topped with a salty, crumbly cotija cheese), avocado, tomatoes, and grilled jalapenos, which make this plate perfect for taco building.

Speaking of tacos, La Poblanita might be best known for its take birria tacos: Fuego Tacos. Beef is slow-cooked in stew until it’s juicy and fall-apart tender, then stuffed inside a homemade tortilla with a ridiculous amount of mozzarella cheese. The entire taco is then dipped in the stew and fried, giving the shell a crispy texture and infusing the entire dish with salty, savory flavor.

As if that weren’t enough, you’re given a bowl of the consomme to dip the taco in, further fortifying the deliciousness.

The cheesy, umami-bomb Fuego Tacos highlight the taco menu, but they’re far from the only great tacos to be had at La Poblanita. The beef cheek meat in the Cachete Taco is so fatty and tender it practically melts in your mouth. And the steak in the Asada Taco is brilliantly seasoned. There’s no need for guacamole, cheese, salsa, or anything else on these tacos; the tremendous tortilla, meat, and a sprinkling of cilantro and onion is all they need to stand out.

The through line of La Poblanita’s dishes is the amount of care and lack of shortcuts. Each plate features a traditional Mexican recipe perfected through generations of cooking. The effort is evident in the flavor, as everything from basic tacos to complex moles have something new for your tastebuds to experience.

So don’t be turned off by La Poblanita’s humble abode, or the long line that may be outside the restaurant. This is special food, unlike you’ll find elsewhere, and definitely worth seeking out.