Mercado Santa Catarina

The Mercado Santa Catarina is the central town market in Santa Catarina Yecahuízotl. One of the seven original settlements of Tláhuac, it’s an agricultural community. You really can’t get much more “farm-to-table” than this.

A 2017 UAM study counted some 51 vendors within the market. That number should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Some of the same vendors will also set up shop outside, along with any number of others. Together, they’ll swell the market to a hundred or better.

Among all of these are a few who make the Mercado Santa Catarina a real treat to visit. Of course, among all of them, there are some selling prepared foods. And this needn’t seem like street food, tacos and such. On the contrary, food is prepared as carefully as though the kitchen is preparing dinner for family. After all, smaller eateries depend on regular and repeat customers.

You get much more nutritious and fresh food. Plus, you’re supporting smaller businesses, and even nearby farmers. You’re paying but a fraction of what restaurant food costs, and eating better. We put some tips on eating at fondas and comida corridas, here.

The market’s less than ten-minutes walk north of the town church and the center of Santa Catarina. It’s a must-stop on a visit to the town, and for the hungry, it’s even better.

Hours: Daily 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.