TacoProject

Taco recipes, taquería reviews and regional guides from Austin: al pastor, birria, breakfast tacos, salsas and the stories behind them.

Cochinita Doña Chuy

Pit-roasted pork on Sunday mornings only.

Pork marinated overnight in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in an underground pib. It arrives at the market stall at dawn and is gone by lunch.

Tortillas are handmade to order. The xnipec is habanero-hot, so apply thoughtfully.

Cochinita pibil with pickled red onion
Photo: El Nuevo Doge / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

At a glance

Price

$

Type

Counter / walk-up

Neighborhood

Santiago

City

Mérida

💵 Cash only. There is an ATM nearby, but it charges a fee.

Ratings

Tortilla /5

4

Salsa /5

5

Meat /5

5

Value /5

5

Vibe /5

4

Overall /5

4.7

Must order

Cochinita tacos with pickled onion and xnipec

Skip

Sleeping in

Hours & location

Hours

Sat–Sun 7 a.m.–1 p.m.

Address

Calle 56 x 65, Mercado Santiago
Mérida, Yucatán

Signature salsas

Written by

El Canastero de Coyoacán

Sweaty basket tacos off the back of a bicycle.

Tacos de canasta are filled at dawn, stacked in a cloth-lined basket and steamed by their own heat. By the time they reach the plaza they are soft, oily and perfect.

Five pesos of joy each. Top with the thin green guacamole salsa and pickled chiles from the jar.

Tacos de canasta in Coyoacán
Photo: Jorge A. Ramos Ruiz / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

At a glance

Price

$

Type

Street stand

Neighborhood

Coyoacán

City

Mexico City

💵 Cash only. There is an ATM nearby, but it charges a fee.

Ratings

Tortilla /5

4

Salsa /5

4.5

Meat /5

4

Value /5

5

Vibe /5

5

Overall /5

4.5

Must order

One each: papa, chicharrón prensado, frijol, adobo

Skip

Arriving after 11 a.m.

Hours & location

Hours

Mon–Sat 8 a.m. until the basket is empty (usually noon)

Address

Corner of Av. Francisco Sosa & Jardín Centenario
Coyoacán, CDMX

Signature salsas

Written by

Barbacoa Los Magueyes

Lamb, maguey leaves and a pit dug before sunrise.

Whole lamb wrapped in roasted maguey leaves and cooked overnight in an earthen pit, served by the kilo with tortillas, salsa borracha and a cup of the rich consomé that drips into the pot below.

A weekend institution on the highway out of Mexico City. Arrive early; the best cuts go first.

Barbacoa tacos with chile rayado salsa
Photo: Daniela Gomez / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

At a glance

Price

$$

Type

Taquería (sit-down)

Neighborhood

Actopan

City

Actopan, Hidalgo

💵 Cash only. There is an ATM nearby, but it charges a fee.

Ratings

Tortilla /5

4.5

Salsa /5

4.5

Meat /5

5

Value /5

4

Vibe /5

4.5

Overall /5

4.6

Must order

Barbacoa taco + a cup of consomé

Skip

Skipping the consomé

Hours & location

Hours

Sat–Sun 6 a.m.–2 p.m.

Address

Carretera México–Pachuca km 84
Actopan, Hidalgo

Signature salsas

Written by