(UPDATED 2024) 14 BEST Tacos And Street Food In Mexico City
Mexico City is known for its legendary street food! I went on a savage hunt to find my favorites. Keep reading for the best tacos and street food in Mexico City.
Mexico City: Street Food Heaven
When you think of Mexican food, what comes to mind? Tacos!
Although the food is more in-depth than just plain tacos, Mexico City is home to some of the best restaurants in the world, with fine dining and casual eateries sprinkled throughout the city.
If you are looking for more sit down and dine in restaurants, I wrote about the best restaurants in Mexico City, which dives into the restaurants that I found the most delicious.
In this post, I review the best tacos and street food I tried during my month long stay in Mexico City. I ate vigorously and diligently, looking for the very best, and behold, these were my favorites.
Please understand that I didn’t try every taco stall and street food cart, but these places were the best that I tried in the city.
I want you to ambitiously try street food and tacos without fear. The food is amazing, completely safe, and an intricate part of Mexican culture.
We jump around quite a bit, but I would happily recommend any of these places to everyone visiting Mexico City.
1. Tacos El Paisa – Best Suadero Tacos In Mexico City
Every evening, Tacos El Paisa opens to a hungry crowd filling the sidewalks. What most people wait for, and what I was eager to try, were the suadero tacos, a specific cut of beef simmered in oil for hours until juicy and tender.
These suadero tacos overflowed with succulent beefy flavor, signifying the essence of what I understand as true Mexican street tacos.
To make each bite more flavorful, they dipped the tortillas in the beefy oil before loading them with the chopped beef.
Tender and super juicy, these suadero tacos were my favorite in Mexico City.
They offer plenty of other great options like Al Pastor, but there are plenty of other places close by that worth trying too.
Tacos El Paisa Address: Joaquin Garcia Icazbalceta 36, San Rafael, Cuauhtémoc, 06470 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
2. Tacos El Betin – Unique Al Pastor and Suadero Tacos
Only a few blocks from Tacos El Paisa is the super scrumptious Tacos El Betin serving the usual suspects along with a unique Tacos Al Pastor.
Open for lunch and into the late evening, Tacos El Betin fires up their taco spit with a roaring flame wafting a delicious porky aroma throughout San Rafael. If you go for dinner, expect a crowd with only outside seating.
By all means, the suadero and other tacos were delicious, but the Al Pastor tacos are a special treat. After slicing, the pork hits the bottom of the spit getting nice and crispy before getting scooped up in two corn tortillas.
I loved these tacos with the crispy pork exploding with flavor. What makes these Al Pastor tacos unique is the spice blend and marinade. The pork tastes heavy with spice and extra fruity but not sweet.
Maybe extra pineapple or orange juice in their marinade. By far the most flavorful Al Pastor taco I tried in Mexico City.
Tacos El Betin Address: C. Guillermo Prieto 36, San Rafael, Cuauhtémoc, 06470 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
3. La Original Birria Don Chuy – Best Birria In Mexico City
Those viral videos of tacos dipped in a crimson broth aren’t birria. Those are birria tacos which became popular in Los Angels after adopting birria and transforming it into something different. Those are great but have different expectations of birria in Mexico City.
Birria is a traditional Mexican meat stew that’s slow simmered and served with tortillas. Trust me, it’s way better than those tacos.
Birria Don Chuy serves up a delicious bowl of birria with tender beef in a perfect broth. Not too beefy, not too herby.
It’s the Goldilocks of beef stews that will haunt me forever.
My wife noticed that a few homeless men came up to the restaurant and asked for some food, with the employees quickly pouring them a cup of broth free of charge.
They are supporting the community where they can. My kind of people.
La Originial Birria Don Chuy Address: 06300, C. Violeta 30, Guerrero, Cuauhtémoc, Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
4. Ricas Quekas – Best Gorditas In Mexico City
This two person food stall serves up fried gorditas stuffed with all sorts of delicious goodness.
I decided on chicharron and another with plain cheese. Freshly fried and piping hot, the cheese pull from these gorditas rivals the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons. Stretchy, delicious goodness.
The chicharron smashed my taste buds with a wonderful porkiness. Not a crispy chicharron, but tender, stewed pork skin.
I made sure to stop by here a few more times during my stay.
Ricas Quekas Address: Miguel Schultz - Sullivan, San Rafael, 06470 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
5. Barbacoa Henry – Best Barbacoa in Mexico City
Throughout Mexico, barbacoa takes place every weekend with slow cooked lamb served in the morning into the early afternoon.
In Mexico City, they serve a style called Barbacoa de Borrego, and it’s a dish all food obsessed travelers must try if they spend a weekend in Mexico City.
The best barbacoa I tried in Mexico City came from Barbacoa Henry where the super kind staff served me delicious barbacoa tacos, consomé, and horchata.
Unbelievable. ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I’VE EVER EATEN.
The lamb tacos dripped with fat from the first bite and I floated to an ethereal place. A full out-of-body experience, watching me eat one of the most amazing meals.
Succulent, smokey, and outrageously delicious, these lamb tacos couldn’t get better.
Oh, wait… here comes the consomé.
Barbacoa is slow cooked in a wood burning bbq pit with a large pot at the bottom collecting the drippings. These juices are made into a soup that’s served to those who ask for it. You want the consomé. Trust me
The smokey lamb soup tasted tangy and surprisingly clean given it’s made from lamb juices.
Besides the quality of the food, Barbacoa Henry stood out because of the toppings, cheese, and avocado that accompany the tacos. With many variations available, create the flavor profiles of your choice and make each bite unique.
Oh. I forgot to mention. They make their own blue corn tortillas right there in the restaurant.
Barbacoa Henry Address: Calle de Roldán 68, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
6. Los Cocuyos – Best Tacos In Centro Historico
A famous taqueria frequented by food lovers and celebrities alike, this standing only, sidewalk taqueria serves up the best tacos in Centro Historico.
We tried three different types: suadero, cabeza, and lengua.
They seared off the suadero tacos for a nice crispy exterior. The only place from my experience in Mexico City to do this. Juicy and crispy, these suadero tacos mingled nicely with the salsas, leaving subtle beefy flavors lingering in my mouth.
The cabeza (head) tacos hit a home run for me. Yes, I know head tacos sound strange, but trust me, they might become your new favorite.
The head meat slowly stews creating a tender and juicy meat perfect for tacos. I love cabeza because when done right, it’s super succulent and outrageously delicious.
The lengua was good, but a bit of an underperformer compared to the others.
I admire taquerias in Mexico City for utilizing nose-to-tail cooking, transforming overlooked parts of the animal into superb tacos.
Accompanied by irresistible salsas, tacos made with head, eyes, tongue, stomach, and intestines taste so amazing, even picky eaters are forced to surrender their inhibitions and enjoy the tacos in all their glory.
Los Cocuyos, thank you for being the 24 hour taco spot that remains ever faithful to the patrons of Mexico City.
Los Cocuyos Address: Calle de Bolívar 57, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
7. Jenni’s Street Quesadillas – Amazing Street Food In Roma
Please EAT HERE.
Although this tiny Mexican street food stall looks unoriginal, the flavors and deliciousness coming from Jenni’s Street Quesadillas are without a doubt amazing.
The quesadillas are made from freshly pressed and cooked blue corn tortillas with each tortilla coming to life right in front of you.
With every new order, they stack the fillings and toast the outside to crispy perfection.
We chose the zucchini flower and chicharron quesadillas. Oh Goodness. My mouth keeps watering as I write this…
The zucchini flowers gave the quesadillas a slight bitterness with a wonderful aftertaste like smelling a fresh bouquet of flowers. So unique and delicious, we decided to get another.
The chicharron, made from stewed pork skin, mixed great with the cheese creating a luxurious fat bomb that I still think about today.
Go to Jenni’s and you can thank me later.
Jenni's Street Quesadillas Address: Merida 83, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
8. La Esquina Del Chilaquil – Chilaquiles Sandwich In Condesa
Every morning, La Esquina Del Chilaquil dominates a street corner with a notoriously long line. Luckily, they operate like a well oiled machine, working through about fifty people every fifteen minutes.
We, like many others, showed up in an Uber just for this sandwich. There are two different types of sandwiches, green chilaquiles, and red chilaquiles. They go until they sell out, and by the time we got there around 11 am, they sold out of the green. Red it is!
The sandwiches are served with a fried chicken cutlet on a crunchy sub roll and topped with a cooling crema.
Crunchy, savory, and slightly spicy, this Chilaquiles sandwich proved to be worth the wait. I’ve never tried anything quite like it, but the sauce soaked chilaquiles worked for me in a big way, especially when eaten with the fried chicken.
A notable sandwich giving testament to the dominating presence of Mexico City street food.
La Esquina Del Chilaquil Address: Alfonso Reyes 139, Hipódromo, Cuauhtémoc, 06100 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
9. El Pescadito – Best Fried Seafood Tacos
With multiple locations throughout Mexico City, El Pescadito created a reputation for reliable delicious fried seafood. The short menu makes picking easy with an enormous do-it-yourself topping and hot sauce island at the center of the restaurant.
Of course, we needed the fish and shrimp tacos. Nicely breaded and crispy, these taco staples will satisfy any cravings.
My favorite part was the cheese stuffed chile relleno taco with fried shrimp. Talk about a wonderful combo I never expected.
With the huge selection of sauces and toppings, each taco, nay, each bite is made unique, making multiple trips to El Pescadito worth the stomach space.
El Pescadito Address: C. Atlixco 38, Colonia Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06140 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
10. Barbacoa Edison – Cheap and Tasty Barbacoa In Mexico City
If you are staying close to San Rafael, then make your way to Barbacoa Edison.
I went on a Saturday morning around 9 am to a completely packed restaurant with most of the seating spilling out onto the street.
Everyone showed me generous hospitality and the waitress helped me order a few barbacoa tacos. Meaty with a strong smokey aroma, these barbacoa tacos showed character with plenty of succulent fatty parts in every bite.
Out of all the barbacoa places I tried, this one was the least expensive, costing about $17 pesos a taco.
This small street food restaurant is worth visiting if you have the time.
Barbacoa Edison Address: C. Tomas Alva Edison 60, Tabacalera, Cuauhtémoc, 06030 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
11. Taqueria El Gran Abanico – Huge Taqueria With Generous Portions
Busy. Upon entering, the waitstaff hustled between the dining area and the open kitchen.
With the enormous spit aflame outside the main door, I knew the Al Pastor tacos needed to be the top priority.
A plate of tacos hit the table about thirty seconds after I ordered with heaps of crispy pork and pineapple on three separate tacos.
I couldn’t fold the taco, forcing myself to fork a good helping into my mouth before successfully managing a proper fold.
Great flavors without being too heavy on the marinade, these tacos impressed me with the quality of pork making a rich presence.
I think this a great family place with plenty of room for larger groups.
Taqueria El Gran Abanico Address: Gutiérrez Nájera s/n, Tránsito, Cuauhtémoc, 06820 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
12. Tacos Los Güeros – Best Al Pastor Tacos In Mexico City
I found it! After filtering through a sea of endless Al Pastor, I believe Tacos Los Güeros has the best Al Pastor tacos in Mexico City.
Everything was perfect, from the texture of the meat to the quality of the tortillas to the flavors in the marinade. I knew from the first bite, this Al Pastor taco had it all.
I liked the spice mixture in the marinade because it never covered the delicious taste of pork. A balancing act that’s hard to get just right.
They serve plenty of other tacos and food here, too. We tried the cabeza (head) tacos and tripa (intestine) tacos.
Both had their strong points with the delicious cabeza tacos rivaling Los Cocuyos mentioned earlier in this food guide.
They crisped up the tripa tacos nicely leaving a gooey, soft interior. I thought it was delicious, but I suspect it may be a bit too intense for some people.
The only downside to Tacos Los Güeros is the location. It’s far from everything else in the city, so we just took an Uber there and back to make life simple. Luckily, there were plenty of other taquerias on the same street just a short walk away.
Tacos Los Güeros Address: Lorenzo Boturini 4354, Aeronáutica Militar, Venustiano Carranza, 15980 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
13. El Gabacho Taquería And El Pastorcito – Al Pastor And Suadero
These two taquerias are sister restaurants serving plenty of delicious tacos right across the street from each other and just a few blocks from Tacos Los Güeros.
We tried the al pastor tacos which had their own identity with less marinade and leaving off the conventional slices of pineapple. These were still delicious with a wide range of toppings left table side, including onions, cilantro, and a pickled pepper and pineapple mix that was made just for the al pastor tacos.
The suadero tacos hit a home run, coming close to my favorite Tacos El Paisa mentioned earlier in this Mexico City food guide.
I can’t tell you what they did differently, but they did it right. Just succulent and flavorful suadero tacos without any unwanted tastes. These taquerias certainly mastered the cauldrons of bubbling meat.
El Gabacho Taquería Address: Lorenzo Boturini 659, Jardín Balbuena, Venustiano Carranza, 15900 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico El Pastorcito Address: Lorenzo Boturini 4503, Aeronáutica Militar, Venustiano Carranza, 15970 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
14. Other Street Food, Snacks, And Drinks
Walking through Mexico City, I noticed street food dominated almost every corner, offering a plethora of options able to satisfy any hungry traveler.
The photo above was of sliced mango with chili powder (tajin), sweet chili sauce (chamoy), and freshly squeezed lime juice.
YUM! Super ripe mango with sweet, sour, savory, and slightly spicy.
I ate elote (Mexican street corn), crepes stuffed with Nutella, banana, and strawberry, fried pig skin, Hawaiian hamburgers, sandwiches, and sodas loaded with lime and salt.
The options are truly endless in Mexico City. With prices so cheap, why not try as much as you can? Most options are $1-$2 USD and are a tasty treat that represents a part of Mexican cuisine.
If you are apprehensive about eating street food, I’ve listed other useful tips for visiting and eating around Mexico City.
Conclusion: AMAZING Tacos And Street Food
If all these photos didn’t get your mouth watering, I don’t know what will!
Mexico is one of the best places in the world for street food, rivaling the quantity and quality I found in places like Thailand and Vietnam.
Don’t be hesitant or worried about getting sick from the street food. I ate out at these places almost daily and never got sick. Trust me, you will regret not diving face first into these amazing tacos and street food.
With all the options available to you, please try more than what I wrote about. There are thousands of street food carts around the city waiting for someone to discover their delicious secrets.
Discovering new food is the best part about traveling, and I hope the street food and tacos fuel your adventures in Mexico City.
Resources Mentioned In This Article Mexico City FOOD Guide: 18 Best Restaurants And Places To Eat 10 RULES: How To Eat Street Food WITHOUT Getting Sick Pujol Mexico City: In-Depth Restaurant Review 32 Travel Tips For Mexico City From A Food-Obsessed Traveler Questions ANSWERED: How Safe Is Mexico City?
Chris Kretzer has traveled the world visiting over 35 countries and eating his way through every city. With his wife Tiarra, they explore different food cultures and create food guides, podcasts, and travel articles helping everyone experience the world through food.