15 Best Tacos in Mexico City — Ranked With Tortilla Ratings

A Michelin-starred taco stand — yes, really. One of only two street food joints in the world with a star. Just two types of tacos: bistec (grilled beef) and costilla (rib). The simplicity is the point. Blue corn tortillas, a smear of salsa verde, and beef cooked on a scorching flat-top. Perfect.

By day it's a car mechanic shop. By night, the garage doors roll up and it becomes one of CDMX's most legendary al pastor spots. The trompo (vertical spit) rotates mesmerizingly while the taquero slices pork and catches a piece of pineapple on the same knife. Poetry in motion.

Sonoran-style tacos on flour tortillas — a northern Mexico tradition that's unusual in CDMX. The carne asada is thick-cut and charred, served with a chipotle mayo and a green salsa that haunts your dreams. The flour tortillas are made fresh and are pillowy-soft.

A Centro Histórico institution open since the 1950s. The suadero (brisket) has crispy caramelized edges and a silky, melting interior. The cabeza (head meat) and longaniza (sausage) are equally excellent. Late-night CDMX at its finest.

The name means 'the standing ones' — you eat standing at counters. Famous for their al pastor (excellent trompo), arrachera (skirt steak), and chuleta (pork chop). The variety makes it perfect for groups who can't agree on one style.

Claims to be the first taquería to serve al pastor in Mexico City — since 1959. Whether or not the claim is true, the tacos back it up. The al pastor is textbook: well-marinated, properly crispy on edges, with the pineapple integration just right.

A neighborhood stand in Coyoacán where locals gather nightly. The suadero is cooked in its own fat until the edges shatter and the center melts. The longaniza is spiced perfectly. Cheap, fast, devastating.

Guisado tacos — stewed fillings in soft tortillas. Choose from 15+ bubbling cazuelas: chicharrón en salsa verde, tinga de pollo, mole verde, rajas con crema. Home-cooking in taco form. This is what Mexican grandmothers make.

The breakfast of CDMX's working class. Soft corn tortillas stuffed with beans, chicharrón, potato, or mole, then steamed in a cloth-lined basket on a bicycle. They're slightly oily, incredibly satisfying, and absurdly cheap. Eaten standing on a street corner with a napkin.

A Condesa street corner institution. Their campechano taco — a mix of chorizo and longaniza on one tortilla — is the neighborhood's late-night fuel. The salsa roja is smoky and complex. Regulars know to add the grilled nopal (cactus) on the side.

Weekend-only barbacoa from lamb slow-cooked in maguey leaves underground overnight. The meat falls apart at a glance. Served with consommé (broth), fresh cilantro, onion, and fiery salsa. The consommé with chickpeas is a meal in itself.

Another claimant to the 'inventor of al pastor' title. Whether or not they invented it, their version is excellent: well-seasoned, properly crispy, with fresh pineapple and a punchy salsa verde. Open late, which makes it a go-to.

Birria — the stewed, spiced beef from Jalisco — served as tacos dipped in consommé (birria tacos, the ones that went viral). The tortillas are dipped in the red-orange consommé and griddled until crispy. Messy, dripping, magnificent.

Baja-style fish tacos in the heart of CDMX — battered fish or shrimp on corn tortillas with chipotle crema, cabbage, and lime. Light, fresh, and perfect for when you need a break from red meat.

A sprawling 2,500-seat restaurant that feels like a village fiesta. Barbacoa cooked in underground pits on the premises, fresh pulque, mariachi bands, and families celebrating everything. The barbacoa here is served with handmade tortillas and the whole experience is unforgettable.