MADRE ROJAS: IS THIS NEW PARRILLA IN BUENOS AIRES’S VILLA CRESPO NEIGHBORHOOD WORTH THE TRIP?
The Cost -$33 per person at the official exchange rate
The Atmosphere – Madre Rojas occupies a corner in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Villa Crespo in Buenos Aires. The restaurant’s forte is certainly not its décor, which is simple and reminds you of a classic Argentinian parrilla. However, unlike the typical parrilla, the place is packed full of a lively crowd of in-the-know locals who appear mostly to be in their late twenties and thirties. There is seating both indoors and outdoors but even on a weekday, you should secure a reservation before heading out for dinner.
Madre Rojas, a newcomer to the crowded and ever-growing Buenos Aires food scene, opened its doors to guests in December of 2021. A parrilla with some modern twists, the restaurant has attracted the attention of many with its Argentinian wagyu menu items, nicely curated wine list, and chill vibe. To test out this modern parrilla, we visited Madre Rojas on a weekday evening where the place was alive from the moment we walked in until the moment we left.
The Order – Two Empanadas de Wagyu + Llajwa, Provoleta + Pimiento Asado, Puerros Asados, Asado de Novillo, and a Flan.
The Fantastic – The Empanada de Wagyu + Llajwa was a very nice size. The empanada was perfectly fried and was filled with excellent-tasting wagyu beef, onion, and roasted red peppers. The llajwa, which is a tomato-based Bolivian salsa, accompanies the empanadas and is fresh and excellent. Overall, this empanada was a winner and is a must-order when you visit Madre Rojas.
The Great – The other appetizer that was ordered was the Provoleta + Pimiento Asado and while it wasn’t as good as the empanada, it was still very tasty. Madre Rojas’s version of the classic grilled cheese dish has nicely grilled thin red peppers and three basil leaves on top. The red peppers had a great fire-grilled flavor that went perfectly with the cheese, and I really enjoyed the freshness that the basil leaves gave to the very heavy dish; I just wish there were more of them so that I could have a piece of basil in every bite.
The Asado de Novillo, which was the most expensive item on the menu partly because of the size of the portion of meat, came with two large pieces of grilled short ribs that totaled about 700 grams (almost two pounds). The dish was the perfect size for two people to share and was greeted with audible excitement upon its arrival at the table. The beef was fatty and juicy and was grilled very well, making for a very satisfying main course and an excellently done asado.
After the Asado de Novillo came the dessert – Flan with Tandil’s dulce de leche and cream. The flan tasted like a solid, traditional Argentinian flan and had a good texture to it. It wasn’t overly sweet and the dulce de leche it came with was from a company called Tandil that makes artisanal versions of the Argentinian caramel-like confection. The cream it came with was also nice and overall, this dessert was tasty and well made.
The Good – The one dish that I would likely not order again was the Puerros Asados. Consisting of three grilled leeks with some mashed potatoes, hazelnuts, and romesco sauce, the description of the side dish sounded excellent. In reality, it was good but there was a larger than expected quantity of mashed potatoes, which made the dish heavy and very potato-focused. The leeks themselves were very nice and the hazelnuts and romesco sauce were good, I just wish there was about a third of the amount of mashed potatoes.
The Verdict – Madre Rojas is a welcome addition to the Buenos Aires food scene and is a nice option for those looking for a good parrilla that isn’t stuffy, old, or touristy. At Madre Rojas, it’s all about the meat and luckily, the meat they are grilling is worth venturing out for.