The food of Tuxtla Gutiérrez may be classed as exotic, thanks to its peculiar flavors and the great number of local dishes of a mixed Spanish and indigenous heritage with unusual ingredients.

The most popular dish is Chiapas-style tamales, but these are joined by pictes, small corn tamales; chispola, made with beef and chickpeas; niguijuti or pork with mole sauce; cochinito al horno or adobado, and stews. Worth a special mention is chipilín, a legume that is combined with other ingredients such as beans and shrimp.

One of the classic restaurants in Tuxtla Gutiérrez is Las Pichanchas. Here you can sample a range of traditional regional dishes amidst a merry Chiapas scene of food, marimba music and traditional dance.

The typical drink here is known as a pumpo: a gourd filled with a mixture of vodka and pineapple juice.

Other usual drinks found in Chiapas tend to be made at home to go with meals, and include agua de chía; pozol, a fermented maize drink; pinole, also made from maize; atole tashiagual, which is pounded, soaked maize dough; and tascalate.