The Best Tacos in Mexico City

Your definitive guide to the best tacos in Mexico City — from hole-in-the-wall canasta carts to legendary neighborhood institutions, written by someone who’s eaten at all of them.

Mexico City is one of the great megalopolises of the world — a sprawling, shape-shifting capital of 22 million people that somehow feels, in its best neighborhoods, like a collection of intimate villages. A city of museums and markets, of Baroque churches casting shadows over glass skyscrapers, of ancient lake beds and deep, particular pride. People who come for a month rarely leave at all.

And then there is the food. Specifically, the tacos.

To eat tacos in Mexico City is to participate in something that goes far beyond sustenance. It is a social ritual, a daily sacrament, an argument that has no resolution and doesn’t need one. Every barrio has its loyalists. Every taquero has his devotees.

The city’s taco culture operates on its own internal logic — one shaped by region, by migration, by smoke and fire and the accumulated knowledge of generations. You will find tacos de canasta stacked in blue plastic bins at dawn, tacos al pastor carved from vertical spits by men who wield their knives like artists, tacos de guisado piled high with braised meats and black bean paste at the kind of lunch spots that don’t bother with signs because they don’t need them.

The variety is staggering. The quality, at its peak, is unforgettable.

Finding the best tacos in Mexico City is the obsession of anyone who has ever spent real time here. As a Mexican-American writer and editor who has called this city home for the last 15 years, I’ve had the distinct privilege of doing exactly that.

Keep reading for my guide to the best tacos in Mexico City, the taquerias I return to again and again, a list that, like the city itself, is always evolving.

Side Note: This guide focuses primarily on Roma, Centro, Condesa, Juárez, and Polanco — the areas I know best and where much of the city’s most exciting taco scene is concentrated. That said, there are a handful of exceptions. Great tacos don’t always respect neighborhood boundaries, and a few spots on this list will require a slightly longer journey.

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The Best Taquerias and Tacos in Mexico City

1. Tacos Hola El Güero

One of the most beloved taquerias in the city, Tacos Hola El Güero has been serving traditional guisados since 1968 from a tiny counter on Avenida Amsterdam. Everything on the menu is outstanding, but especially noteworthy are the chicharrón en salsa and tinga de pollo and picadillo.

You order from a spread of clay pots simmering with the day’s stews — pick your guisado, double tortilla, and pile on the guacamole. It’s one of those spots you never stop coming back to.

Where: Avenida Amsterdam 135, Hipódromo Condesa

2. Taquería Orinoco

Originally from Monterrey, Orinoco has some of the best tacos in town — their tacos de chicharrón are soft on the inside and seared on the outside, and they arguably serve the best tacos al pastor in Mexico City. Open late, lively, and unpretentious. A must at least once per visit to the city.

Where: Multiple locations. Main Roma Norte branch: Av. Álvaro Obregón 100, Roma Norte

3. Tacos de Canasta Los Especiales

A line forms in the street for this taco spot just half a block off the Zócalo. The menu is limited — potato, beans, carne en adobo, and chicharrón with salsa verde — but these are some of the least expensive tacos you can find, so go ahead and order with abandon. I love this spot for the quintessential canasta taco experience in the city.

Where: Av. Francisco I. Madero 71, Centro Histórico

4. El Vilsito

By day, El Vilsito operates as a mechanic shop — but by night, it transforms into one of the most bustling taco shops in CDMX. The tacos al pastor here have been featured on Anthony Bourdain, Eva Longoria’s show, and Somebody Feed Phil — and the hype is fully earned. Go late, go hungry.

Where: Petén 248 y Av. Universidad, Narvarte Poniente

5. Tacos del Valle

In the style of a retro diner with cute bar stools and reflective surfaces, this attractive little taqueria specializes in finely seasoned pork and beef cooked on the trompo, which spins and spins alongside roaring flames. A Michelin-recognized spot that manages to feel both contemporary and rooted. Expect a line.

Where: Av. Álvaro Obregón 130, Roma Norte

6. Taquería Los Cocuyos

Blink, and you might miss Los Cocuyos, a single-window taquería in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico. Half the window is occupied by a giant vat of bubbling sausage, tripe, and tender cuts of beef, slowly cooking to perfection. The suadero is legendary, and for the adventurous, there are brain, eyeball, and offal tacos too. Anthony Bourdain ate here. So should you.

Where: Calle Bolívar 56, Centro Histórico

7. Expendio de Maíz Sin Nombre

This is not a conventional taquería — it is something harder to define and more rewarding to experience. Opened in April 2018 by chef Jesús Salas Tornés, who essentially transported his rural kitchen from the state of Guerrero to a narrow lean-to in Roma Norte, the restaurant has no set menu, no reservations, and no servers.

With only four communal tables, you are seated, and the open kitchen simply cooks and cooks — tortillas, sopes, huaraches, all molded from heirloom corn nixtamalized and ground in-house, then dressed with seasonal ingredients and salsas that pack serious heat. In 2025, it was awarded its first Michelin star. Cash only. Bring patience. It is worth every minute of the wait.

Where: Av. Yucatán 84, Roma Norte

8. Taquería El Greco

Taquería El Greco brings a touch of Middle Eastern influence to Mexico City’s taco scene with its specialty: tacos árabes. The signature dish is the taco árabe (originally coming from Puebla) — a marinated pork dish similar to tacos al pastor but with a twist, served on a thicker flour tortilla almost like a pita.

A Condesa institution since 1978, and still one of the most interesting tacos you can eat in this city.

Address: Av. Michoacán 54-B, Hipódromo Condesa

9. Taquería El Califa de León

After more than half a century in business, this taqueria, with just enough room for a handful of diners to stand at its counter, has earned its place in Mexico City’s taco pantheon. Its signature creation, the Gaonera taco, features thinly sliced beef filet, seared to order and seasoned simply with salt and lime, cooked alongside fresh corn tortillas. This is Mexico City’s first and only Michelin-starred taco stand. The lines are real. So is the payoff.

Address: Av. Ribera de San Cosme 56, Colonia San Rafael

10. Taquería El Turix

This is my go-to spot in Polanco for cochinita pibil, slow-roasted, citrus-marinated pork from Yucatán, served with pickled red onions and a punishing habanero salsa. Simple, focused, and deeply delicious. It’s the only thing they serve, and they do it brilliantly – the best tacos in Polanco, Mexico City, and of course, for cochinita.

Where: Av. Emilio Castelar 212, Polanco

11. Cariñito Tacos

This is certainly not your tía’s taquería. Cariñito doles out tacos with a Southeast Asian bent — order at the white-tiled counter, peek at the highly efficient kitchen where everything is made to order, then grab a seat outside.

The menu features four distinct taco styles, Issan, Thai, Cantonés, and Berenjena Lao — each blending sweet and spicy flavors reminiscent of Southeast Asia, with the pork belly confit slow-cooked for 15 hours in aromatic soy sauce.

The vegetarian eggplant taco is one of the best plant-based tacos in the city, full stop. Cariñito has since taken its concept on the road with buzzed-about pop-ups in Paris, London, Singapore, Melbourne, and, most recently New York City. I love coming here for something truly different.

Where: Guanajuato 53, Roma Norte

12. Los Tacos de Homero

Known for its deliciously authentic Mexican tacos, especially the cochinita pibil, this cozy spot in Roma Norte is perfect for a laid-back meal. The cochinita pibil here — slow-roasted pork with pickled red onion and habanero salsa — is as good as anything you’ll find in Yucatán itself.

Where: Zacatecas 226, Roma Norte

13. Tacos Los Paisas

Like most of the best tacos in Mexico City, Los Paisas is known for their tacos al pastor — but the difference here is that the meat on the trompa lacks the typical red hue of al pastor. Despite lacking the achiote spice, these tacos are not light on flavor. A true Centro Histórico gem, popular with locals for a reason.

Where: Jesús María 131, Centro Histórico

14. Tacos El Gato Volador

A no-frills birria spot in Roma Norte that has earned a devoted following. The tacos dorados de birria — crispy, slow-cooked, dripping with rich spiced broth — are some of the best tacos in Mexico City. Order the consomé on the side and get here early.

Where: Av. Álvaro Obregón 206, Roma Norte

15. El Kalimán

El Kalimán, along with other taquerias, played a significant role in popularizing red pastor tacos in the 1960s. Located in Hipódromo Condesa, it’s one of the few places still cooking al pastor over charcoal, and that makes all the difference. Late-night, neighborhood, essential.

Where: C. Ensenada 74, Hipódromo Condesa

16. Tacos Los Alexis

Chef Alexis Ayala’s taquería offers a short but carefully considered menu of volcanoes, costras, and tacos, with a standout vegetarian option — an elegant yellow masa tortilla topped with huitlacoche wrapped in crisped cheese.

The real showstopper is the costra especial — a layer of grilled cheese and beans wrapped around charcoal-grilled meat, topped with a smoky, slightly sweet red salsa. The hype around this spot is real, and the beef simply melts in your mouth.

Where: Chiapas 46, Roma Norte (also: Río Lerma 264, Colonia Cuauhtémoc)

17. Tacos El Huequito

One of the oldest and most celebrated al pastor spots in the city, with a history going back over 70 years. Their pastor is marinated without chiles — closer in spirit to the original Lebanese shawarma — and served without pineapple. Purist, perfect, and worth making the trip to Centro for.

Where: Ayuntamiento 21, Centro Histórico

18. Mi Compa Chava

Mi Compa Chava is a seafood restaurant inspired by Sinaloan cuisine, including tostadas, ceviches, aguachiles, zarandeados, and more, with fresh seafood sourced from Sinaloa and La Paz. The seafood tacos here, oyster, pufferfish, fish birria quesadilla — are among the most exciting in the city.

It’s not a traditional taquería, but absolutely worth the wait for a meal here, whether you end up ordering the tacos or something else.

Where: Zacatecas 172, Roma Norte

19. Por Siempre Vegana

There might be more excellent tacos per square block in Mexico City than anywhere else in the known universe, and while most of them are filled with delicious meats and fish, there are no better vegan tacos than those at Por Siempre Vegana. The al pastor, the suadero, the milanesa — all plant-based, all shockingly good.

I recommend coming here whether you’re vegan or not.

Where: Coahuila 169, Roma Norte

20. Taquería Don Frank

A beloved local chain with roots in the Del Valle and Narvarte neighborhoods. Straightforward, well-executed tacos al pastor and bistec that draw serious queues of regulars. No frills, no fuss, just consistently excellent tacos at honest prices.

Where: Mier y Pesado 328, Del Valle Norte (multiple branches)

21. La 89

A love letter to northern Mexican grilling culture, right in the heart of Roma Norte. Head to this brightly lit nook for an excellent selection of carne asada tacos, birria, and tortas.

The concept is led by chef Alejandro Zárate, originally from Ensenada, and his partner Bernardo Galindo, who brought the style of the northern asada and birria de res to the heart of CDMX. The quesabirria is a winner, and the salsas are genuinely fierce — consider yourself warned.

Where: Colima 134, Roma Norte

22. Taquería Los Güeros

To those looking for a truly authentic tacos al pastor experience, you must eat here. This is where chilangos and Mexico City chefs eat their pastor, though very few tourists venture out this far. It’s near the airport — make it your last stop before flying out.

Where: Lorenzo Boturini 4354, Colonia Aeronáutica Militar

23. Taquería Los Parados

Don’t expect a sit-down experience at this taquería that has been open since 1965, there are no chairs, but metal shelving substitutes as tables. Charcoal-grilled meats are their specialty, and everything is cooked to order. This is one of the best street tacos in Mexico City and the beef pastor is unlike anything else in the city.

Where: Av. Monterrey 333, Roma Sur

24. Taquería El Jarocho

A well-kept secret for locals, with over 80 years of history and three generations of the same family behind the counter. El Jarocho has been a staple in Roma Sur for decades, famous for its tacos de guisados, home cooking-style tacos that come in a rotating variety of fillings, from chicken tinga to mole to vegetarian options.

Order the lengua a la veracruzana if it’s on the menu. If it’s not, the mole verde with pork will do just fine. Sit down, order an agua fresca, and stay a while.

Where: Tapachula 94, Roma Sur

25. Taquería El Borrego Viudo

El Borrego Viudo is known for being a 24-hour restaurant that offers drive-in service — many diners drive in, park, and order and eat tacos from their cars. Open since 1969, it’s a true Mexico City institution, especially after a night out. Suadero, longaniza, cabeza — and tepache to wash it all down.

Where: Av. Revolución 241, Tacubaya, Miguel Hidalgo

26. La Casa del Pastor Masaryk

La Casa del Pastor is Polanco’s version of the corner taco joint: recognizably Mexican and traditional, casual and family-friendly, but — also like Polanco — well-scrubbed, highly designed, and expensive relative to what it is.

The al pastor negro (black pastor) is the move. Great for post-Auditorium concerts or late-night Polanco cravings.

Where: Calle Alfredo de Musset 3, Polanco

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Short Guide to a Mexico City Tacos Menu

Walking up to a taquería counter for the first time can be overwhelming. Here’s a cheat sheet to the most common tacos and fillings you’ll encounter:

The Meat

• Al Pastor — Marinated pork cooked on a vertical spit (trompo), shaved to order and typically served with pineapple, onion, and cilantro. The undisputed king of Mexico City tacos.
• Suadero — Slow-cooked beef brisket, soft and slightly crispy at the edges. A CDMX specialty you won’t find easily elsewhere.
• Bistec — Thin-cut grilled beef steak. Simple, fast, satisfying.
• Arrachera — Marinated skirt steak, grilled over high heat. Juicy and slightly smoky.
• Carne Asada — Charcoal-grilled beef, more common in northern-style spots.
• Costilla — Grilled or braised beef rib. Rich and deeply flavored.
• Chorizo — Spiced Mexican pork sausage, crumbled and fried. Often paired with potato.
• Longaniza — A longer, looser pork sausage with a more herbal flavor profile than chorizo.
• Carnitas — Pork slow-cooked in its own fat until tender and crispy. A Sunday ritual.
• Cochinita Pibil — Yucatecan slow-roasted pork marinated in achiote and bitter orange, always served with pickled red onions and habanero salsa.
• Birria — Slow-braised spiced meat (traditionally goat, increasingly beef) served with consomé for dipping. Often served as quesabirria — fried in its own fat with melted cheese.
• Cabeza — Braised beef head meat. Order the cachete (cheek) for the most tender cut.
• Lengua — Beef tongue, braised until silky. One of the great underrated taco fillings.
• Tripa — Beef tripe, fried until crispy. An acquired taste that rewards the adventurous.
• Buche — Pork stomach, slow-cooked and tender. A offal classic.
• Nana — Pork uterus. Not for the faint-hearted, but a beloved Mexico City staple.
• Sesos — Beef brains. Soft, rich, controversial, delicious.
• Tacos Árabes — Marinated pork served on a thick flour tortilla, closer to a pita. A Puebla import with Lebanese origins, found at places like El Greco.

The Guisados (Stewed Fillings)

• Tinga de Pollo — Shredded chicken in a smoky chipotle and tomato sauce.
• Rajas con Crema — Roasted poblano pepper strips in cream. One of the best vegetarian options.
• Mole — Rich, complex sauce with dozens of ingredients. Usually served with chicken or pork.
• Chicharrón en Salsa — Pork crackling simmered in green or red salsa until soft. Extraordinary.
• Picadillo — Spiced ground beef with vegetables. Homey and deeply comforting.
• Papa con Chorizo — Potato and chorizo. The ultimate simple guisado.
• Frijoles — Black beans, often refried. A staple, often used as a base layer.
• Huitlacoche — Corn fungus, sometimes called Mexican truffle. Earthy, unique, and hard to find outside Mexico.

The Styles

• Tacos de Canasta — “Basket tacos” — pre-made, steamed in a basket and sold from bicycles or street stalls. Cheap, soft, and addictive.
• Tacos Dorados — Rolled and fried until golden and crispy. Often filled with potato or chicken.
• Quesadilla — A folded tortilla filled with cheese and a filling of your choice, cooked on the comal. In Mexico City, a quesadilla does not automatically come with cheese — you have to ask.
• Volcán — A flat, open-faced taco topped with melted cheese and meat. A newer style, increasingly popular.
• Costra — A taco wrapped in a crisped, grilled cheese shell instead of a tortilla. Rich, indulgent, worth it.

The Seafood

• Pescado — Battered or grilled fish, more common at marisquerías and seafood-focused spots.
• Camarón — Shrimp, usually grilled or fried.
• Pulpo — Octopus, typically grilled. Found at higher-end seafood taquerías.
• Campechano — A mix of suadero and chorizo. Also sometimes used to describe mixed seafood tacos.

The Tortilla

• Maíz (corn) — The standard in Mexico City. Always double-stacked to hold the filling.
• Harina (flour) — Less common in CDMX, more associated with northern Mexico.
• Azul (blue corn) — Nuttier, earthier flavor. Found at more artisanal or upscale spots.

Top Mexico City Taco Tours

Eating tacos in Mexico City is one thing. Understanding what you’re eating and its historical and cultural significance is another thing entirely. A good taco tour bridges that gap.

The best ones are run by people who grew up here, who have strong opinions about tortillas, and who will walk you through neighborhoods you’d never wander into on your own. They’ll save you from the tourist traps, argue passionately about who does pastor best, and hand you things to eat that you won’t find in any guidebook.

Here are some of the best taco tours in Mexico City worth booking:

Top Tips for Eating Taco in Mexico City

Finding the best tacos in Mexico City is less about luck and more about knowing how to navigate the scene. A few things that will serve you well:

• Go double tortilla as standard — Most taqueros will automatically double-stack your tortillas to prevent them from falling apart. If they don’t, ask. A single tortilla is a structural liability.
• Order the salsa carefully — Always ask how hot a salsa is before drowning your taco in it. The innocent-looking green one is often the most dangerous. Work your way up.
• Eat where you see the comal — The best tacos are made fresh to order on a hot comal in front of you. If the tortillas are pre-made and sitting in a pile, move on.
• Go late — Some of the city’s finest taquerías don’t hit their stride until after 10pm. El Vilsito, El Borrego Viudo, Los Cocuyos — these are night owl spots, and the atmosphere alone is worth staying up for.
• Don’t skip the guisados — Visitors tend to fixate on al pastor and miss the entire world of guisado tacos — braised, stewed, simmered fillings served from clay pots. Some of the most soulful eating in the city happens at a guisado counter at lunchtime.
• Cash is king — The vast majority of street taquerías and market stalls are cash only. Always carry pesos. Always carry more than you think you’ll need.
• A cheap taco is not a bad taco — Some of the best tacos in Mexico City cost 20 pesos or less. Price is not a proxy for quality here. If anything, suspicion is warranted when tacos get overly expensive, but it depends on where you go too.
• Learn a few words — Con todo means with everything (onion, cilantro, salsa). Sin picante means without spice. Doble tortilla means double tortilla. These three phrases will take you far.
• Lunch is taco time — While tacos are available at all hours, the midday stretch from noon to 3pm is when guisado spots and market taquerías are at their absolute peak — fresh fillings, hot tortillas, maximum atmosphere.

Further Reading:

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