In 2019, we first wrote about a sandwich we loved so much we continued to eat it during Covid by way of delivery from The Restaurant. We could never get enough of this smoky Pastrami, tasting it for the first time on a burger that ran as a special at Birdie’s.
A specialty of Chef J.J. Castenada, he brines the roast for a week, enhances it with an herbal rub for another five days and then cooks it on a smoker. His method has always been the same and it turns out perfect every time. Selective breads like this dark rye give the sandwich a much needed crunch.
Turn the clock ahead six years to 2024 and this sandwich has, much to my delight, made a comeback on the menu of Mesa Marrakesh, a small, neighborhood restaurant in San Antonio that was recently reopened by J.J.; he previously operated a restaurant under this name in Meracdo del Carmen. The restaurant is now so popular with locals, they flock to his kitchen for his Mediterranean specialties and this delicious,homemade Pastrami.
You can compare it to the Pastrami at New York Deli that opens today on Stirling Dickinson but we’ve loved J.J.’s for a very long time and it tasted as good today as it did when we first ate it back in 2019.
The Pastrami sandwich, which also comes as a Patty Melt, is on our growing list of standout sandwiches in San Miguel de Allende.
Mesa Marrakesh
Refugio Nte. 1, San Antonio, 37700
San Miguel de Allende, Gto.
Phone: 415 117 6322
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Chef: Chef J.J. Castenada
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