There are still places in Tenerife where the food is pretty much the same idea it was decades ago. No fancy concept. No overworked menu. Just a good sandwich made properly.
Kiosko Rojo has been doing exactly that since 1971, and more than 50 years later, it is still serving handmade bocadillos to a steady stream of customers.
The business has recently moved to a new premises, having previously been located in the port area, but the basic idea hasn’t changed.
Made to order
The bocadillos are prepared when you order them, with the menu changing and evolving rather than sticking rigidly to the same recipes year after year.
Food creators @guachinchesmodernos recently visited and tried several of the sandwiches, highlighting the quality of the food and the fact that Kiosko Rojo continues to experiment with its fillings.
The carne mechada was one of their choices, described as having that proper old-school village sandwich flavour.
Apparently, even that recipe can change from day to day, with different ingredients being added depending on what they are doing in the kitchen.
The version they tried included tomato and onion, which seems simple enough. Sometimes simple is exactly what you want.
Carrillera, lomo and plenty more
The carrillera sandwich was another one that caught their attention, mainly because of the smell when it arrived at the table. Never a bad sign.
They also tried a breaded pork loin sandwich with sautéed vegetables, scrambled egg with peppers and onions, plus a roasted pepper sauce.
There are plenty of other options too, including mackerel, tuna and chicken, with the team continuing to introduce new ingredients and tweak the recipes.
The philosophy seems to be fairly straightforward. Keep making sandwiches, keep trying new things and improve the recipes along the way.
Not exactly revolutionary. But after 50 years, they must be doing something right.
Where to find Kiosko Rojo
Kiosko Rojo is now located at Avenida El Paso, 49, Local 13A, San Cristóbal de La Laguna.
It currently has a 4.6 rating on Google, although the business apparently doesn’t bother with social media, preferring to concentrate on serving customers rather than posting photos of sandwiches all day.
It’s open Monday to Friday from 7am to 3pm and closes at weekends.
Kiosko Rojo
📍 Avenida El Paso, 49, Local 13A, La Laguna
🕒 Monday to Friday, 7am to 3pm
⭐ Google rating: 4.6
If you’ve been going there for years, you’ll probably already know about it. If not, it might be time to see what all the fuss is about.