The restaurant has two dining rooms, and although the space is spacious, it is usually full. How much does it cost to eat at the pozolería where Carlos Slim went? What distinguishes this restaurant is its way of preparing pozole, Guerrero style, so it is only offered in its green and white versions; on very specific occasions, there is also red. Jerónimo recommends trying the green, a preparation that, according to him, is considered “for a party,” as it is usually served at special events such as weddings, communions, and baptisms. To it are added particular ingredients: raw egg, onion, chili, oregano, lemon, avocado, sardine, and chicharrón. Where does Carlos Slim Helú eat? Although in Mexico City there are countless options for eating pozole — among them La Casa de Toño and Pozolería Poctzin — it was a restaurant in the Guerrero neighborhood that conquered the palate of the owner of Sanborns. It is El Pozole de Moctezuma, a place that many have reached by recommendation, since, unlike other establishments, it does not have advertising and its location is not in plain sight. A site that has been satisfying the craving for pozole for 79 years for those looking for a traditional flavor or for the adventurous who dare to try the preparation Guerrero style: with pork chicharrón, chili, and raw egg. What is the history of El Pozole de Moctezuma? The history of this restaurant in Mexico City begins with Balbina Valle, a woman from Iguala, Guerrero, who came to the capital after marrying a revolutionary military man. The couple settled in an apartment in the Guerrero neighborhood, where Balbina received her friends, whom she used to cook different dishes for, as recounted by Jerónimo Álvarez Garduño, general manager of the pozolería and great-grandson of the founder, in an interview with Canal Once. “One day they told her: ‘Hey, why don't you make us pozole?’ and since then we have been doing it for 76 years,” Jerónimo recounted in the conversation, held in 2024. Following her friends' advice, Balbina adapted her apartment as a restaurant: “She removed her home furniture and put in tables to sell pozole,” the manager commented in an interview with the youtuber Mónica Corral. El Pozole de Moctezuma officially opened in 1947 and, although it started with a few tables, it gradually grew. The prices range from 155 pesos for a medium white pozole to 200 pesos for a large shrimp pozole. If you pass by, you might not even notice that there is a restaurant. This is because the facade looks like any other building and does not have signs indicating the presence of the pozolería on the first floor. Upon arrival, diners must look among the bells for the one labeled ‘Pozole’; when they ring it, they are granted access. Once inside, a narrow hallway leads to the first floor. At the end of the walkway, the smell of pozole is immediately perceived, and a sign with the word ‘Entrada’ (Entrance) welcomes them. As for appetizers and side dishes, the costs can reach 230 pesos, as in the case of scorpions. There are also desserts like rice pudding, peaches in syrup, Neapolitan custard, cake, and cheesecake, with prices ranging from 58 to 80 pesos. The average consumption per person is between 200 and 300 pesos, according to Google Maps; however, it depends on what is ordered. The restaurant where Carlos Slim Helú ate is located at Moctezuma number 12, Guerrero neighborhood, Cuauhtémoc mayor's office, Mexico City. Afterwards, a few tablespoons of mezcal are added. “What does the mezcal do? It catalyzes the flavors and makes the ones you didn't find in the first few spoonfuls explode,” explained Jerónimo for the YouTube channel L.A. Currently, there are no traces left of the apartment: there are only tables, a kitchen, and diners enjoying the dish. After decades at the helm of the business, Balbina decided to leave her legacy in the hands of her daughter-in-law, who continued the tradition and later passed the baton to Yolis, wife of her son. Although the pozolería does not have ads inviting diners to come in, it enjoys the best advertising: word of mouth from its most loyal clients, so various personalities have passed through its tables. “Carlos Slim came here,” affirms Yolis, the restaurant's heir and Jerónimo's mother, who considers the businessman's visit one of the establishment's most significant moments. Carlos Slim Helú's visit occurred on April 20, 2017, when he attended accompanied by José Ramón Narro Robles, former rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. “Governors of Guerrero, presidents before taking office, when they were Secretaries of State, athletes, Olympic medalists, wrestlers, bullfighters… a lot of people have passed through here,” affirms Jerónimo. What is El Pozole de Moctezuma like, where Slim ate? El Pozole de Moctezuma has a peculiar location: it is located inside an apartment building. Inside, the place retains the appearance of a living room. The walls are decorated with framed newspaper clippings, religious figures, and photographs.
