Dishes · Dinner · Clásicos
Quesadillas, and the argument about cheese
In Mexico City, a quesadilla doesn't automatically come with cheese. Order one there and you may have to ask for it, which baffles the rest of the country.
Cantina Rooftop
Dinner menu · Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm
Clásicos
- Nachos Locos$18
- Quesadillas$18
House-made corn tortilla with Oaxaca cheese
Add al pastor, chorizo, chicken, steak or birria 6
- Quesa Birria$20
- Caesar Kale Salad$18
- Picadera para Dos$38
Brunch menu · Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 4pm
House-made corn tortilla with Oaxaca cheese
Add al pastor, chorizo, chicken, steak or birria 6
Please tell your server about any food allergies.
Folded corn, stretched cheese
Everywhere else, cheese is the whole reason to order one. The word is a diminutive of the old Spanish quesada, a kind of cheese pastry, so it means something like little cheesy thing.
The Mexican version is smaller than the flat wedges most Americans know: a corn tortilla folded in half and cooked on a griddle until the cheese goes stringy. Open it, add salsa, close it again.
A house-made corn tortilla and Oaxaca cheese, so this is the folded Mexican kind. Meat is an add-on.
Quesadillas: questions
Do quesadillas have cheese in Mexico?
Usually, yes. Mexico City is the famous exception, where a quesadilla is any folded tortilla and you ask for cheese if you want it.
What cheese goes in a Mexican quesadilla?
Often Oaxaca cheese, a stretched string cheese also called quesillo, because it melts into long threads.
What's in the quesadilla at Cantina Rooftop?
Our menu says: House-made corn tortilla with Oaxaca cheese. Tell your server about any allergies when you order.
How much for the quesadilla at Cantina Rooftop?
$18 at dinner and $17 at brunch on our menu right now. See it on the full menu.
When can I order the quesadilla?
It's on our dinner menu (Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm) and our brunch menu (Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 4pm). We're at 605 W 48th St in Hell's Kitchen. Book a table.