Matt and Marshall - Restaurante Mexicano

Poblenou is not the Barcelona of the postcards. It’s not the Gothic Quarter’s claustrophobic stone or the Eixample’s grid-patterned grandeur. This is the Manchester of Catalonia—a neighborhood of old textile mills, soaring brick chimneys, and a new wave of tech startups and design studios. It’s here, tucked away on Carrer de Llull, that you’ll find Matt and Marshall. There are no dusty sombreros on the walls, no kitschy 'Day of the Dead' skeletons dancing in the window, and absolutely no neon-yellow cheese sauce. This is a Mexican restaurant for people who actually like Mexico.

When you walk in, the first thing that hits you is the scale. It’s an industrial skeleton of a room—high ceilings, concrete floors, and a vibe that says they spent more money on the kitchen and the bar than on fancy upholstery. It’s loud, it’s buzzy, and it’s filled with people who look like they just finished a twelve-hour shift at a nearby architecture firm or a coding marathon. This is a partnership between Matt and Marshall, two Americans who’ve clearly done their homework and decided to bring the real thing to Barcelona. Together, they’ve created something that feels entirely necessary in a city often saturated with mediocre Tex-Mex.

Let’s talk about the food, because that’s why you’re here. The menu is a tight, disciplined list of things they do exceptionally well. The ceviche is a sharp, acid-bright punch to the cortex—not the flabby, over-marinated fish you find in lesser joints. It’s fresh, it’s clean, and it tastes like the ocean just got a very necessary wake-up call. Then there’s the cochinita pibil. This isn't just pulled pork; it’s a slow-cooked tribute to achiote and citrus. The meat is tender enough to weep, served on corn tortillas that actually taste like corn. Because they use corn, the vast majority of the menu is naturally gluten-free, making it a safe bet for the Celiac crowd who usually have to navigate a minefield of flour-heavy substitutes.

And then there are the tacos. Whether it’s the carnitas or the al pastor, there’s a level of restraint here that I respect. They don’t bury the protein under a mountain of unnecessary garnishes. They let the meat, the salsa, and the tortilla do the heavy lifting. It’s honest food. It’s the kind of meal that reminds you why Mexican cuisine is a UNESCO-protected treasure, even when it’s being served in a post-industrial corner of the Mediterranean.

To wash it all down, you have two choices: the craft beer or the michelada. Poblenou is the heart of Barcelona’s craft beer scene, and Matt and Marshall lean into that, often featuring local heavyweights like Garage Beer Co. But the michelada is the real test of character. It’s a spicy, salty, savory beast of a drink that separates the tourists from the travelers. If you want something cleaner, the margaritas are balanced, strong, and mercifully devoid of the sugary syrup that ruins so many others in this city.

Is it perfect? No. The service can be frantic when the room is full, and the acoustics mean you’ll probably be shouting over your tacos. But that’s part of the charm. It’s a place with a pulse. It’s a place that understands that good food doesn’t need a velvet rope or a dress code. It just needs soul, heat, and a very cold beer. If you’re looking for a quiet, romantic candlelit dinner, go somewhere else. If you want to feel the energy of the real Barcelona while eating some of the best Mexican food in the city, pull up a chair.