Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Tacos al pastor are thin slices of chile-marinated pork shaved off a vertical spit, the trompo, onto small corn tortillas with pineapple, onion and coriander.
Al pastor descends from the shawarma that Lebanese immigrants brought to Mexico in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the 1920s pork had mostly replaced lamb, and the Mexican-born children of those immigrants opened their own restaurants; later, in Mexico City, cooks began marinating the meat in adobo of dried chiles and serving it on corn tortillas, which became the al pastor taco, popular by the 1960s. It is cooked on a vertical spit, the trompo, and topped with pineapple. In Cancún it is the taquería standard: Los Parejas sold pastor at 35 pesos a taco in January 2026, and Tacos Rigo and Los Chachalacos serve it late.
4 editor picks for Tacos al pastor in Cancún, ranked by editorial score. All Cancún signature dishes · Tacos al pastor across every city.
Also in: Mexico City.
Tacos Rigo's Palenque branch on Avenida de las Playas in Cancún grew from a 1988 taco cart and now serves pastor, tripe, chuleta and campechana tacos.
OrderAn order of three tacos de tripa, campechana or pastor, or a parrillada with nopales and guacamole.
TipThe Palenque room opens at 08:00 or 09:00 and closes at 01:00 or 02:00; the operator also lists branches in Las Torres and the Hotel Zone.
Los Parejas reopened in January 2026 at its original site on Avenida Tecnológico in Cancún, selling bistec, pastor and costilla tacos from the afternoon.
OrderTacos de bistec and al pastor, then a costilla or tripa taco, with an agua de horchata or jamaica.
TipOpens at 16:00 and runs to 01:00. In January 2026 bistec and pastor tacos cost 35 pesos each and tripa 45, according to Revista BE.
Taquería El Campeón on Avenida Comalcalco in Cancún sells pastor tacos, tortas, burritos and gringas from 18:30 until 02:00, or 03:00 at weekends.
OrderAn order of tacos al pastor, then a gringa or a torta if you are hungry.
TipThe griddle starts at 18:30 and runs to 02:00, or 03:00 on Friday and Saturday, so it suits the hours after the bars.
Los Chachalacos Bonampak, inside Plaza Península on Avenida Bonampak in Cancún, is a Mexico City-style taquería cooking pastor, gringas and alambres.
OrderTacos al pastor and a gringa, then an alambre or a volcán to share; the menu also lists tortas.
TipThis is the Bonampak branch, 13:00 to 00:30 by the operator's list; the Party Center and Calypso branches open from 10:00 until 02:00.
Tacos al pastor makes more sense with someone from Cancún explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Private tour · 5.5 hours
Explore Tulum ruins with your private guide, then swim Gran Cenote's clear waters. Enjoy authentic local tacos. History, nature, and flavor, tailored exclusively for y...
Guided tour · 2 hours
Join a local guide to explore and sample some of Cancun's finest tacos. We will accompany our tacos with a choice of jamaica, horchata, or water. Later, we'll indulge ...
Guided tour · 6 hours
Discover the laid-back town of Puerto Morelos and taste different varieties of tasty traditional tacos on a guided tour. Sample various tequilas at a professional tast...
