Adobo-marinated pork shaved off a vertical trompo, served on a small corn tortilla with a sliver of pineapple, raw onion, fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime. Mexico City's defining street food, invented in the late 1930s.
Lebanese-Mexican immigrants brought the Levantine shawarma technique to Mexico City in the 1920s to 1940s, replacing lamb with pork marinated in adobo of guajillo, achiote and pineapple juice. The trompo stack and the pineapple finish became the signature in the late 1930s; El Tizoncito on Tamaulipas (1966) claims to have invented the modern small-tortilla version. El Huequito (1959) was an even earlier operation on Ayuntamiento. The 2024 Michelin Guide recognised El Califa de Leon on Ribera de San Cosme as the world's first taqueria to earn a Michelin star.
5 editor picks for Tacos al pastor in Mexico City, ranked by editorial score. All Mexico City signature dishes · Tacos al pastor across every city.
El Vilsito ★ 4.8
narvarte · Peten 248 esq. Av. Universidad, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juarez, 03020 Ciudad de Mexico
El Vilsito in Mexico City is the Narvarte mechanic shop by day and taqueria by night on Peten, a Bib Gourmand spot where the al pastor trompo fires up at 19:00 and runs past 03:00.
El Huequito ★ 4.7
centro-historico · Ayuntamiento 21, Centro Historico, Cuauhtemoc, 06000 Ciudad de Mexico
El Huequito in Mexico City is the 1959 Centro Historico al pastor stand on Ayuntamiento, one of the earliest taqueria operations to plate the trompo-cut pork that defines the city's signature taco.
Tacos El Califa de Leon ★ 4.6
san-rafael · Ribera de San Cosme 56, San Rafael, Cuauhtemoc, 06470 Ciudad de Mexico
Tacos El Califa de Leon in Mexico City is the San Rafael trompo-cut taqueria on Ribera de San Cosme, the world's first taqueria to earn a Michelin star in the 2024 Mexico guide.
El Tizoncito ★ 4.5
condesa · Tamaulipas 122, Condesa, Cuauhtemoc, 06140 Ciudad de Mexico
El Tizoncito in Mexico City is the 1966 Condesa taqueria on Tamaulipas that claims to have invented the modern tacos al pastor served on a small corn tortilla with pineapple shaved from the trompo.
El Califa Condesa ★ 4.3
condesa · Altata 22, Condesa, Cuauhtemoc, 06100 Ciudad de Mexico
El Califa in Mexico City is the Condesa taqueria chain on Altata since 1980, the late-night al carbon counter that runs to 04:00 and is the go-to Condesa post-bar stop.