My Favorite Tacos In Mexico City with Small Line and 0 Michelin Stars
Recently I read that Mexico City now had a taqueria that had been awarded a Michelin Star. I couldn’t wait to see which taquería had won. When I heard that it was El Califa de Leon, I was surprised and disappointed. I had been there and I have never been back. I wandered in there one evening during my first month living in Mexico City back in January of 2018. Since then I would spend 6 years living in Mexico City and discovering some delicious tacos. Here are some of my favorites that I discovered over the years.
El Progreso – Superior alternative to El Califa De Leon, only a 20 minute walk (way less than waiting in line)
My first Spanish teacher recommended this taquería to me. This was my go to place whenever I was in the surrounding neighborhood. I would so often hop on an ecobici just to travel the extra distance to stop here becasue it is so worth it.
This Taqueria, like El Califa de Leon, also specializes in Carne Asada Tacos but I think they do it so much better. They offer more salsas to choose from, as well as mashed potatoes (very common taco topping in Mexico City), Nopales (great way to add vegetables in a very Authentic Mexican Way), Frijoles, and more. Hand made tortillas and delicious Oaxaca cheese make these tacos delicious. I recommend ordering 1 de Bistek con quest, and 1 aqua de lemon (lemonade).
La Cuidadela – Lesser known Plaza with Amazing Library and a Secret lineup of Street Tacos for a Daytime Crowd
Taquería El Cuñado
If French Fries are your jam you’ll love this Taquería. Each of their mouth watering beefsteak tacos is served with a mountain of shoestring fries on top. They also like to put a heaping portion of onions and Nopales in between the beef and the French fries. I usually ask them to skip this (sin verdure). Nopales are kind of slimy and sometimes the texture can be too much for me. This place is all about the fries for me.
Customers can add salsa and limón and Ketchup on the fries.
They are located in a tent on the side of a scrappy urban park located next to La Biblioteca de Mexico. Before or after your tacos you should really walk through the Library and around the other park on the other side.
I had so many of these tacos while working in the Library. This is one of my favorite places in Mexico City.
Taquería Miranda
Here you’ll find beefsteak con queso, similar to el progreso, but here you’ll get the freshest spread of toppings. This is an outdoor taco stand with handmade tortillas, juicy pico de Gallo, and plenty of other toppings to suit your tastes. The tortillas here are really some of my favorite.
Los Milaquesos
The name says it all here. Milanesa on tacos with queso. Mexican food is like this. They love to combine different famous dishes with others. I’ve never been able to go here because it has such delicious neighbors. But you’ll see the locals lining up here so I figured I’d give you my take on it.
What are the Different Types of Tacos in Mexico City?
The above listed tacos are all tacos de beefsteak bistek. There are a few other kinds of tacos you can get in Mexico City and they are each very unique. Here’s all you need to know about how to order and look for tacos in Mexico City.
Carnitas – My Favorite Kind of Taco
If you’re a big fan of American BBQ, you’ll love carnitas. They are pulled pork, on a corn tortilla, covered with lime juice and salsa. There is much more to know about how they are prepared and if you’re interested I highly recommend The Taco Chronicles on Netflix.
Taqueria El Gran Abanico
Taqueria Abanico is my favorite place to get Carnitas. If you notice, the Carnitas episode takes a trip to Michoacan to visit carnitas places. There are a lot of carnitas in Mexico City, but most of them are horrible! Taqueria Abanico is not one of those. It’s delicious.
Unlike the places I mentioned above, Abanico isn’t located in a neighborhood with a lot going on. Its a quieter residential neighborhood. You’ll either take an Uber there, or you could take metro to this park, and then walk. I think this would make for a pleasant afternoon.
The hours of Abanico are roughly 9-5. This is typical for Carnitas. They are perfect for a late breakfast, or late lunch. If you’re still eating like an American , they’re perfect for a noon lunch.
I always order carnitas de costilla. Costilla = ribs. They put one rib onto a corn tortilla with meat falling off all sides of it. Then you put whatever salsas ontop of it, go to your table, slide the bone right out, place it aside, and dig in.
Abanico is a restaurant that used to have a window on the side that sold tacos to people on the street. During covid that type of activity was suspended because the customers were piled ontop of one another. So Albanico did something very cleaver. They rented out a large garage across the street and created a giant “to go” system that adhered to all of the covid sanitary guidelines.
I highly recommend you go over there and eat your tacos. It’s not worth the line to eat in the restaurant. There is usually not a line to eat on the street.
