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[title]"Shall we eat something?" "Yes, a lomito!" This brief exchange repeats whenever someone from Mendoza wants to treat themselves for the week, craving a quick, delicious meal between two slices of bread. This hot sandwich is popular in Mendoza, with endless variations and countless places to try it.
The lomito is one of the most beloved sandwiches in the wine region, making it a staple in restaurant menus, bars, rotisseries, and even street stands. This dish is a must-try on your agenda of local culinary discoveries.
How is the Mendocino Lomito prepared?
The recipe is simple, making it a popular and irresistible delicacy. The classic version comes in bread with mayonnaise and is filled with beef tenderloin, tomato, lettuce, fried egg, ham, and cheese. When entering a rotisserie or stopping by a street cart, the grill master will likely say: "A completo!"—referring to the lomito with its basic ingredients.
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This sandwich is an emblem of Mendoza’s gastronomy, delighting locals and visitors alike who seek an authentic culinary experience to eat with their hands. This delicious, versatile sandwich, always served with crispy fries, is sure to satisfy even the hungriest consumers. One tip: pair it with an ice-cold beer.
Which Mendoza lomitos shouldn’t you miss?
Lomitos are usually made following the same basic steps, but each place has its own secret, resulting in unmissable sandwiches with distinct styles to satisfy anyone’s cravings. Mendocino lomitos can be traditionally grilled or cooked over coals, giving them a smoky touch.
Where to eat the famous lomitos in Mendoza?
If you come to Mendoza, you must try the lomitos at Papito Barloa. Here, you won’t find luxury, high prices, or comforts for a long evening, but you will find friendly service, boxing stories starring "Papito" himself—who works the grill—and his popular lomito with tomato sauce, meat, and homemade mayonnaise. Musicians like Manu Chao and Charly García have passed through this local spot, as shown by the photos on the walls.
The meat is key. Traditionally, it’s beef tenderloin, though other tender cuts are also used. It can be served as a single steak or sliced into thinner pieces. At Torito, they offer a braised flank steak lomito, made with flank steak grilled and then braised for three hours with red, green, and yellow peppers, onions, and spices, topped with provolone cheese, red onion, arugula, and roasted pepper mayonnaise.
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At El Quincho, on Thursdays and with prior reservation, they serve the “Despacito” tenderloin, which features beef ribs with the bone intact, allowing you to experience the tenderness of the meat as you remove it yourself. It’s served on seeded bread with grilled vegetables, provolone cheese, barbecue honey sauce, and homemade mayonnaise.
Where to find vegetarian, organ meat, or gluten-free lomitos in Mendoza?
But it’s not just about beef; there are chicken, pork, and even organ meat sandwiches. At Lo Juan, they offer unmissable options with sweetbreads and tripe, accompanied by tomato, criolla sauce, and a provençal garlic mayonnaise.
In bars and restaurants with table service, lomito options expand to include vegetarian and vegan fillings, with alternative and gluten-free breads. For example, at Del Monte, you’ll find options for celiacs and other fillings like olives, mushrooms, sautéed onions and peppers, cream cheese, mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, and lettuce.
The bread is another key factor when ordering a lomito. The Arabic, homemade, or house specialty bread all have their fan bases, like at Colinas, where everything is grilled in plain sight of the customer.
Most people, however, order their sandwich on French bread, carefully toasted. At El Alba, this is always the case—their grilled lomitos are crispy, hot, and out of this world. The place seems frozen in time, from the staff to the orange melamine tables, large glass soda bottles, and striking signage.
What is a barroluco?
It’s a sandwich made with layers of thin sandwich bread, filled with fresh vegetables, meat, eggs, cheese, and other ingredients—a journey in every bite! Ideal for sharing or for little ones who enjoy eating steak in triangular bites. The ones at Balzac are otherworldly, perfectly crispy with just the right amount of ingredients to savor.
The truth is, the Mendocino lomito is a classic—whether you choose your bread, filling, whether you order it on a plate or enjoy it standing by the side of the road, or whether you get a full one or share a half; savoring this traditional sandwich becomes a ritual. And there’s no better way to share a moment with friends or family than with this delicious fast food on the table.
Where: Papito Barloa, Av. San Martín 300, Ciudad. Torito, Av. Juan B. Justo 234, Ciudad. El Quincho, Paso de Los Andes 1325, Godoy Cruz. Lo Juan, Anzorena 837, Godoy Cruz. Del Monte, Viamonte 5060, Chacras de Coria. Colinas, Cervantes 2099, Godoy Cruz. El Alba, Av. Perú 3332, Ciudad. Balzac, Sarmiento 87, Guaymallén.