The 9 Best Places To Get Tacos In Mexico City
When you think about Mexico City, tacos come to mind. No visit to one of the most vibrant, densest, and colorful cities in the world is complete without many, many pit stops to refuel with these hand-held beauties. What used to be considered humble fare is now one of the most popular and sought-after dishes in the world. So we simply had to bring you the best places to get tacos in Mexico City.
Tacos are a part of the fabric of Mexican identity. Most are served in corn tortillas, made out of masa harina, a fine flour of ground-up cooked corn. The process of nixtamalization goes back millennia, and it's as endemic to Mexican cuisine as the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations that gave rise to modern-day Mexico. They ate something called "tlahcos," meaning half, and which were the precursor of modern tacos. The tacos we know and love today evolved when Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico and brought with them European ingredients and cooking techniques.
Today, you will find taquerias on nearly every Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX) block, selling over 15 different types of tacos. As a food and travel writer, I've visited several times over the last three years, tasting many of these establishments for myself. Picking the best taco stands in a city as rich in options as CDMX wasn't easy, but it was delicious. From sellers with their carts, to Michelin-starred restaurants, these are the places we feel make the best tacos in Mexico City.
Taquería El Turix
Cochinita pibil is a dish that hails from the Yucatan peninsula, and it's a taco that should feel very familiar to Americans. It's as close to barbecue pork as you can get in Mexico: slowly roasted, slightly sweet and smoky meat that's been marinated in a special mixture of spices and achiote paste, before being shredded to bits and topped with a handful of pink-tinged pickled onions. Wrapped in a soft, pliable corn tortilla that's been dunked in the pork's cooking jus, it's one of Mexico's most well-known and sought-after tacos. And Taqueria El Turix in Polanco is one of the best places to taste it in CDMX.
You can argue whether Mexico City is the best place to taste cochinita pibil, as it comes from another region. But if you're in CDMX, you'd be mad to pass up on this unique flavor. El Turix's version is one of the most well-known in the city, surprisingly located in the ritzy neighborhood of Polanco.
Unlike its surroundings, El Turix is messy and unkempt, and the workers really do put their gloved hands straight into the orange-stained depths of the cochinita pots. But served on the "panucho" tostada, with a smear of refried beans, a helping of the fiery habanero salsa, and a side of lime, this adobo-sauced taco is pure perfection. Though some love to debate its authenticity, we've tried it, and honestly? El Turix's cochinita pibil manages to satisfy locals and pilgrims alike.
+52 55 5280 6449
Av. Emilio Castelar 212, Polanco, Polanco III Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11540 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
Los Cocuyos
Los Cocuyos holds a distinction of being the late revered chef Anthony Bourdain's favorite CDMX taqueria. Even if we hadn't tasted it and fallen in love with this unpretentious taqueria, the fact that, in a city with thousands of taco options, this little spot in the Centro Historico has garnered Bourdain's attention would suffice to tell you something.
The meat here is cooked in a giant metal pot, and while you can go for safe options, it's the tripe and off-cuts that really shine at Los Cocuyos. Go for the eye, cheek ("cachete"), head ("cabeza"), or tongue ("langua") tacos, which, topped with chopped raw onion and more cilantro than you thought possible, somehow end up tasting fresh and meaty at the same time. People from all over the world go to try Bourdain's favorite. In fact, even the Michelin Guide has seen it fit to give it a Bib Gourmand distinction, so who are we to question it?
+52 55 5518 4231
Simón Bolívar 59, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
Taquería Orinoco
When in Mexico City, one heads to Taqueria Orinoco in the Roma Norte neighborhood to rub shoulders with the young and hip. It's also where you go if you want to experience Northern Mexican cuisine from Monterrey, known for its bold, topping-heavy, and meat-forward flavors and its similarities to Tex-Mex fare.
The choices here range from more traditional tacos to costras, the Northern variation of loaded fried tostadas. But the major draw here are the specials, which are giant tacos served in flour tortillas, and the most popular among them is the campechana. Don't skip the side potatoes, either. Orinoco is famous for their carne de trompo, which is perfectly charred pork or beef meat cooked on a spit and then sliced thinly into your tortilla. Their chicharron, or fried pork rinds, are also highly regarded.
The meat seasoning at Orinoco is restrained, but the taqueria more than makes up for it with their choice of toppings and sauces. Avocado and cheese are common, as are bell peppers, pickled onions, little crushed chips, and even salsas like tzatziki. Some tacos come with melted cheese, while others have the more traditional queso fresco. Though the place gets a bad rep for being mostly for gringos, the lines here are long, the tacos are colorful, and everything feels somehow cool.
+52 55 5518 4231
Av. Álvaro Obregón 100, Roma Nte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
Tacos Tony
Notable amidst many new up-and-comers, Tacos Tony is an old-school taco stand that stays true to its origins. Located in the Narvarte Poniente neighborhood, Tacos Tony is where you go if you want to try tacos de suadero en trozo.
Tacos de suadero en trozo, or thin slices of beef which have been cooking, confit-style, in a large cauldron filled with plenty of lard, are a true Mexico City specialty, and nowhere do they do them better than Tacos Tony. Open for over 30 years, Tacos Tony's special is two tripe and a cabeza taco, all cooked in the same manner for many hours.
If you're the type of diner who believes that the best flavors come from the parts of the cow that most people overlook, preferably eaten around rickety tables while standing upright, then Tacos Tony is your destination. This is exactly the kind of casual, no-frills place that's become rare in the Instagram era, and we love it for that. It's best to come here later in the day when the tacos have had plenty of time to cook.
+52 55 4826 3679
Torres Adalid 1702, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez, 03020 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
El Huequito
El Huequito has stood on a busy street in Ayuntamiento for nearly 70 years, since owners Guillermo Buendía and Amelia González opened in 1959 and dubbed it "a very small place." The dining is done at a small high-top table on the sidewalk, the vibe is fast and casual, and the focus is on one dish only: tacos el pastor.
Tacos el pastor is the one taco most recognizable in CDMX. Borne out of the Lebanese migration in the 1930s, tacos el pastor involve repurposing the spinning spit of shawarma meat, called a trompo, to cook pork. In America, we think of al pastor as pairing thinly shaved pork, rubbed in an adobo spice mixture, with pineapple and onions — but in El Huequito, the meat itself is the star of the show, with little adornment.
El Huequito claims to have been the first to serve it in Mexico City, and while that may or may not be true, it's definitely one of the most well-known today. The original location has few options, and you don't need much beyond the proprietary-blend-rubbed pork, lying in a soft corn tortilla with a dollop of green, herbaceous, and spicy salsa. Other locations have more options, but they're newer, more spacious, and somehow lack the same vibe.
+52 55 5510 3746
Ayuntamiento 21, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06050 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
Tostadas Coyoacan Las Originales
Tostadas are the fried sister of the tacos, more commonly associated with tuna tostadas, but in our eyes, they are just as worthy of a mention, especially when paired with fillings you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Tostadas Coyoacan "Las Originales" is located in the bustling indoor market of Coyoacan, a place where many visitors only venture for Freida Kahlo's museum, but they'd be wrong to pass up on this dining establishment. With over 60 years in operation, over 40 different tostada combinations, and plenty of unusual salsas and toppings, just navigating the menu alone is worthy of a commendation.
Tostadas Coyoacan may have plenty of options, but we recommend trying the octopus (or "pulpo") tacos, which taste fresh, juicy, and meaty, with a fresh salsa of onions, peppers, and plenty of lime juice. Another bite for the adventurous is the tostada de chapulines, or fried grasshopper, one of the national dishes of the Oaxaca region in Mexico. Paired with tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, it's a crunchy, salty mixture that is hard to find in a typical taqueria. If you're more of a traditionalist, Tostadas Coyoacan are also known for the tinga, as well as the pata tostada, or the beef foot, which is accompanied by guacamole and a mound of lettuce.
Tostadas Coyoacan Las Originales
+52 55 5659 8774
Mercado de Coyoacán, Ignacio Allende 49, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, 04100 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
Tacos de canasta Los Especiales
It's not every day that a street vendor selling tacos from a plastic bag gets mentioned in a "best of" list. It's even rarer that said vendor gets a Michelin recommendation — but Tacos de canasta Los Especiales is exactly that unicorn.
Tacos de canasta translates to "basket tacos," and they are the most original, informal, and ubiquitous style of street tacos that represent Mexico City's taco culture. Made ahead and stored in a plastic bag inside a basket — and habitually consumed by workers on a lunch break — tacos de canasta have evolved to become a symbol of the accessibility of making good tacos. All you need are some soft corn tortillas, well-prepared meat, and a few fresh salsas, and Tacos de canasta Los Especiales does it all exceptionally well.
The process is simple. You order at a small entrance to a spot by the Zocalo, pay cash, get a token, and then head to the vendor to choose your filling between potato, beans, carne en adobo, and chicharrón with salsa verde. The tacos are made in advance, so the line moves quickly. You choose salsas and pickles, and grab a spot in the dining room to sit and eat. But that's when the magic happens. There's no official website or Instagram, just an old Facebook page, and that's fine, because tacos de canasta "Los Especiales" prove you don't need good marketing or fancy images to offer exceptional tacos.
Tacos de canasta Los Especiales
Av Francisco I. Madero 71, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
El Torito Tacos
If you've already tried many of the familiar tacos, then you must head to the busy El Torito Tacos on Calle de Mesones and try their tacos de tripa. With a few different storefronts on the same street, a bit of outdoor seating, and mostly standing room, this isn't a restaurant trying to make offal trendy. Instead, it's a simple taqueria, beloved by locals, that's been serving it correctly for years — slowly cooked in fat and consomme, made to sweat in a large cauldron with the tortillas warmed in the middle.
The specialty here is either the tripe tacos or the campechano, which is a combination of tripe and suadero. Topped with a fiery homemade salsa and plenty of raw onions, this bite is not for the faint of heart. Some pieces are oily and fatty, but with the right accompaniments — the staff recommends Coca Cola or one of their aguas frescas — they go down easily, smoothly, and deliciously.
If you dare, try a topping of papalo, an herb said to help cleanse the palette of the greasiness of cooked tripe, though it can taste rather strong. If you come after 11 a.m., be prepared to wait in line, and be warned: El Torito Tacos will make a tripe believer out of you.
+52 55 7417 1217
Calle de Mesones 48, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06080 Centro, CDMX, México
Taquería El Califa de León
We couldn't really write a taco guide to Mexico City without mentioning Taquería El Califa de León, the sole taqueria in the grand metropolis to have received a Michelin star. Not a Bib gourmand distinction, a recommendation, or a mention, but a star, the kind of honor usually reserved for meticulously outfitted, white-tablecloth and two sets of forks kind of establishments. But when you taste the food at Taquería El Califa de León, you'll understand why it earned this accolade.
Founded by Don Juan Hernandez Gonzalez over 60 years ago, the restaurant remains a family business and is run by his son, Mario Hernandez Alonso. Thanks to years of fame and the Michelin designation of 2024, the lines here are long and unhurried, and the table space is short. Yet hundreds wait daily, dreaming of one thing: the gaonera taco.
This signature taco is a proprietary creation of El Califa, with simply seasoned and seared beef slices on a corn tortilla. Accompanied by one of two salsas, a zesty salsa verde with tomatillos and a pungent salsa rojo with guajillo chilis, this is a study in simplicity. Though there are other taco options, like ribs, known as costilla, people travel from all over the world in search of this dish, and one bite will tell you all you need to know about how it fares.
+525 55 566 7859
Av. Ribera de San Cosme 56, San Rafael, Cuauhtémoc, 06470 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
Methodology
For this guide, I ate a lot of tacos. And then made my family eat more. Many spectacular tacos remained on the editing floor, simply due to space or redundancy. I have been to CDMX several times, both with my Colombian husband and alone. Each time, I've prepared for my trip like one does for a long-term expedition to the Arctic, amassing opinions from friends on the ground, the Michelin Guide, and forums to ensure I wasn't just getting the gringo perspective. After visiting some of the places on my list, I liked some more, and others less. For this list, I went with truly the best of the best.
But because I don't just go by my own opinion, this guide combined personal experience with expert research. I corroborated my own findings against Reddit and other sources. For this list, we aimed to select established taquerías with deep roots in Mexico City's food culture. We considered specialization, representing different regions and types of tacos. And we aimed for a mix of iconic establishments and neighborhood favorites.
But as with every food guide, this is not a bible, but a recommendation. The best way to find good tacos in Mexico City is like finding the best donair in Berlin, or pho in Ho Chi Minh. You just need to follow the crowds, taste with your nose and mouth, and trust your gut, even when it's too full of tacos.