The Best Street Food Places in Mexico City

Expendio de Maiz Sin Nombre is a relaxed sidewalk restaurant in Mexico City that centers its cooking around corn. There’s no fixed menu; dishes keep coming until you decide you’re satisfied. With an open kitchen and communal tables out front, it offers a casual spot to watch the cooking unfold.

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Gilberto Briceño Gómez

Cook

In the bustling heartbeat of Mexico City, you might stumble upon a sidewalk sanctuary: Expendio de Maíz Sin Nombre. Here, the theatre of an open kitchen unfolds before you, orchestrated by culinary alchemists dancing with wood fire, prime ingredients, and boundless imagination. This establishment defies tradition. There's no menu to peruse; instead, you're invited to surrender to the maestros at work. With every dish, you're drawn deeper into their narrative, beckoning more with just a raised hand until satiety sets in. Many inquire about my frequent sojourns to Mexico City, and it's places like this - where raw passion and talent stoke my own creative fires - that I hold up as my reasons. Expendio de Maíz Sin Nombre is not just a dining spot; it's an immersive tale of Mexico's culinary tapestry.

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Restaurante Taquería Los Cocuyos Cdmx is a hole-in-the-wall in Mexico City’s center where people gather at all hours for affordable, flavorful tacos. The laid-back atmosphere and late-night scene invite both locals and travelers to experience a true neighborhood favorite.

Recommended by

Jorge Vallejo

Chef at Quintonil

This truly amazing late night taqueria, called Los Cocuyos, is in the city center. It's basically a hole in the wall. You go and stand in line outside in the middle of the street at 2:00 AM in the morning. They have tacos with cooked tongue, brains and other amazing offal tacos.

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Mi Compa Chava Marisquería is a seafood restaurant in Mexico City with a focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients inspired by Sinaloa flavors. The space can get busy, so there might be a wait, but customers often appreciate the energetic vibe once they’re seated. With friendly service and a casual setting, it’s a popular choice for anyone craving authentic seafood.

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David P. Leja

@thegastrojourney

Fish and seafood restaurant inspired in Sinaloa. We had heard mixed reviews about this place, but we still had a good feeling and decided to give it a try on this last visit to the city, and we are very glad we did because it ended up being our favorite meal of the trip in CDMX. First of all, the restaurant is mostly walk in only, we arrived at 15:15 and had a 1 hour waiting time to get seated. Once you get seated you get served a very generous “botana” and we recommend you order some micheladas because they are delicious here. The service is super friendly and attentive, and the only negative point for us is that they serve everything at once leaving you without space on the table and making it a bit stressful, but we can also understand when you see how many people wait to get seated. Now, focusing on what we ate, we had the following: * Black Aguachile of prawns. * “Costra de camarón”: taco with a cheese crust and prawn. * Taco with fried “botete” (blowfish) and black mayo. * Ceviche with scallops, prawns (cooked and raw) and octopus. * Tostada with crab, scallop, raw and cooked prawns and avocado. We really enjoyed every single dish except for a clam dish which isn’t pictured. The seafood was nice and fresh, nice flavors, with a nice acidity when needed, and a good level of spicy, just very enjoyable overall. All this food plus two more dishes came out for a little over 100€, which we felt is super cheap, especially in current times in the city we all prices have considerably gone up. Definitely a place we will go back in the future.

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Siembra Taquería is a small but well-kept spot in Mexico City where you can enjoy street food made with extra care. The owners bring their fine dining background to ensure everything is fresh and handled with high standards of hygiene. It’s a relaxed, welcoming place for anyone who wants an easy, worry-free meal.

Recommended by

Jorge Vallejo

Chef at Quintonil

Siembra is a beautiful taqueria only four blocks away from our restaurant. It's run by a lovely couple that used to work in the fine dining scene before. They do beautiful guisados and they make their own masa for the tacos.

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El Turix is a tiny spot in Mexico City’s Polanco neighborhood that stands out among the upscale shops around it. It has no tables, and cold beer comes straight from the bottle, making it feel casual and down-to-earth. Its straightforward menu draws people in for a quick, satisfying bite without the fuss.

Recommended by

Gennady Jozefavichus

Food Writer

One Little Pig El Turix is like a sunspot, hole in the wall among luxurious boutiques, fashionable restaurants and glossy offices of Polanco. There are no tables and cold beer is served in the bottles. There is also no choice: the sole dish is cochinita pibil, masterfully cooked pulled pork. And the only freedom you have here is to choose between taco, tortilla, panucho or tamal as a base for your cochinita. Crispy panucho (corn tortilla refried with black beans) is probably the best.

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Taquería Orinoco in Mexico City is known for its many locations and reliable food, especially when you’re out late. It’s a casual spot that often draws lines of hungry diners, but most folks say the wait is worth it.

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Peter Meng Sapper

Charcutier/Restauranteur

The Shake Shack of tacos. They might get criticized for having many locations and huge branding, but the tacos are great, consistent and a perfect late night meal. Trompo and chicharron are recommended. Just be advised that there will probably be a line for late nught eats.

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Maizajo in Mexico City offers a welcoming, street food-inspired atmosphere on the ground floor and a more polished dining space upstairs. It balances tradition and modern techniques under one roof, letting you experience two sides of Mexican cuisine. The inviting setting makes it an appealing choice for anyone curious about the city’s culinary scene.

Recommended by

Gilberto Briceño Gómez

Chef

Walking into Maizajo, you immediately sense something special. The ground floor greets you with the irresistible aroma of street tacos, a bustling atmosphere that feels authentically grounded in Mexico’s vibrant street food culture. But don’t stop there. Climb the stairs to the second floor, where the experience transforms entirely. Here, Maizajo presents a more refined, yet still deeply rooted, approach to Mexican cuisine. Each dish is a thoughtful exploration of traditional flavors, elevated with modern techniques and a touch of culinary artistry. The contrast between the two floors is striking yet harmonious, a testament to the versatility and depth of Mexican food. Maizajo manages to capture the essence of street food while offering a sophisticated dining experience upstairs. It’s a journey worth taking, each floor offering its own story, each bite a reminder of why food is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

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Canton Mexicali blends Chinese cooking with local influences, creating a fresh twist on familiar traditions in Mexico City. The open kitchen lets you watch the sizzling action up close, giving you a glimpse into how each dish comes together. It’s a relaxed spot where two culinary worlds meet in a simple, friendly setting.

Recommended by

Gilberto Briceño Gómez

Chef

Walking into Canton Mexicali, you're immediately struck by the vibrant fusion of cultures. It's Chinese cuisine, but with trusted ingredients and a tantalizing Mexican twist. The open kitchen invites you in, where the magic happens with woks sizzling and noodles twirling. The flavors are classic, yet delightfully unexpected, blending the familiar comfort of Chinese dishes with the bold, vibrant tastes of Mexico. The arroz al wok is a standout, perfectly cooked and infused with a rich blend of spices that sing of both culinary traditions. The noodles, a quintessential element, are cooked to perfection, carrying the depth and soul of Chinese gastronomy, yet are elevated by the zest and heat of Mexican influences. Canton Mexicali isn't just about food; it's a culinary dialogue between two cultures, creating something entirely new and wonderfully delicious. It's a place where traditional boundaries blur, and the result is nothing short of spectacular.

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Gonzalitos is a small and relaxed taqueria in Roma Norte, Mexico City. It has a street-side bar, comfortable seating, and a cozy terrace. The atmosphere feels friendly and isn’t as bustling as some of the larger spots in the neighborhood.

Recommended by

Kenneth Nars

WoM co-founder & creative director

Nice small place in Roma Norte specialised in Northern beef Barbacoa and wheat tortillas. A small taqueria with a nice atmosphere, a street side bar counter with chairs and a terrace, not as hectic as some of the famous bigger taquerias. The corn tortillas are good but go for the wheat (harina) tortillas -they’re soft, lighty toasted and just delicious. Also try tacos with juicy pork asado and fried jalapenos stuffed with cheese.

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TAQUERIA EL CALIFA DE LEON in Mexico City is a Michelin-recognized spot known for its simple, affordable fare. While it doesn’t take reservations, expect a line before you can grab a bite. Many consider it worth visiting once if you’re after a casual place to experience local flavors.

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Mimi Lan

Chef/ Consultant/ Foodie

This one Michelin star taco stand is a must visit because well, it’s Michelin, it’s cheap, and doesn’t require a reservation. But the downside is you have to be prepare to stand in line for at least an hour. Ok, let me say this. The taco was good although we’ve had better, way better tacos from food trucks, street stands, restaurants in other parts of Mexico (best taco I’ve ever had was in Guanajuato from a food truck) as well as in the US. But having said that, you’ve got to try it once. Whether they deserve a M star is debatable. If I may break it down, their house made tortilla rocked. Their meat was generous (half a patty as big as half the tortilla, instead of cut in strips like most taco places), but the meat could be more tender and flavorful. We tried every meat they had and none of them were as tender as rhey could have been. Maybe they had to cook the meats on the griddle so fast to accommodate the long lines. But it’s one of those places you have to try once but don’t need to return.

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