Mexican food is vastly underrated.
It might be due to the fact that, in other countries, it has been so altered from its original form that it is rendered almost unrecognizable. Authentic Mexican food is deceptively simple; the reality is the cuisine is complex, rich, and vibrant. Nearly everything is made from scratch, no matter the amount of time it takes to make, and the salt, fat, and heat come through to sing in perfect harmony.
That being said, Mexican food varies by region, and of course, varies from maker to maker. The food and information I’m sharing here today stem from our recent three-day trip to Mexico City and this is not intended to be an exhaustive, comprehensive guide to Mexican cuisine. It is simply a demonstration of some of the types of food you may encounter if you visit (and a mouth-watering temptation to return to eat it all again if it’s somewhere you’ve already been).
Looking for more of the best of Mexico City? Find all of my CDMX guides in one place.
Before we jump in, I feel it’s important to note that meal times vary from the general meal times in the States. We found that desayuno (breakfast) occurred early in the morning, a simple pastry and coffee affair.
Later, between say, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., almuerzo (what I learned as “lunch” in my high school Spanish class) takes place. This is a meal heartier than desayuno and might consist of egg dishes or tamales. La comida (literally “the food”) comes next, around 1 p.m. or so. This, the largest of the day, can include many different things. You might find tacos, quesadillas, or tortas on the menu, and you might enjoy this meal from a restaurant or street vendor.
Dinner, la cena, is a smaller, quieter affair often served in the home, though you’ll see plenty of restaurants and cafes open, with tables inside and lining the street and conversation spilling out into the night. It is served a bit later than here in the U.S. as well. It’s also worth noting that just like meal times vary from family to family at home, these are general guidelines and not rule of law.
Even with limited time in the city, we managed to obtain a dynamic sampling of what it has to offer, from small street stands to dimly lit tiny restaurants. Here’s everything we ate over the long weekend:
DESAYUNO Y ALMUERZO
I'm combining these two meals here because we could only bring ourselves to eat one meal each morning. At home, breakfast is a small, quick affair, and it's hard to kick the habit of a light breakfast.
Panadería Rosetta may not be the most authentic or truly local bakery in Mexico City (I’m fairly sure I only heard a smattering of Spanish while waiting in line – most of what I heard were American/Canadian, Australian, and British English accents), however, it’s so delicious that you must visit if you’re in the area. They were sold out of conchas by the time we arrived, but we were easily consoled with our rosemary and cardamom buns. Do as we did and enjoy your goodies in nearby Plaza Rio de Janeiro, people-watching in the shadow of a bronze replica of Michelangelo’s David.
Tamales are commonly sold by street vendors early in the morning, and we were fortunate enough to have tamales oaxaqueños twice during our visit. Rather than wrapping the masa in corn husks, Oaxacan tamales are wrapped in banana leaves and can be sweeter than their counterparts. While they are easy to serve, there is definitely an art to consuming them. First-timers should arm themselves with a few napkins and some hand sanitizer; the reward is well worth the effort. As always, search for street vendors with a crowd and/or dedicated clientele.
LA COMIDA
Hearty portions of the most incredible food, eaten on the street or in a restaurant.
El Parnita was our first stop in Mexico City, and it could not have been a more excellent introduction to the city’s cuisine. We got our first dose of “Vitamin T” here – tacos y tlacoyos – the latter of which is a masa (corn dough) stuffed with beans and topped with melty cheese. The restaurant was busy yet comfortable, and the diners were a pretty even split of locals and visitors as far as I could tell. A second round of tacos and cervezas was ordered before we left because they really were that good.
We stumbled upon an indigenous peoples festival during our visit, and it included two enormous tents of food and crafts. It was nearly impossible to move through the crowds, but we managed to navigate toward a very busy stand serving up quesadillas. We ordered the one that was easily the crowd favorite – campechano – a combination of chorizo and beef with Oaxacan cheese and a sort of slaw and inhaled it on the edge of a curb in the plaza with everyone else. I’m fairly certain this is what Michael sees when he dreams of Mexico City.
Many of the things we ate in Mexico City were consumed in the street and for good reason. Street food in Mexico City is cheap, quick, and delicioso. This quesadilla was purchased from a busy street vendor (for the equivalent of USD 0.75) after discovering that our initial destination, Taqueria Orinoco (best website, ever), had adjusted their schedule for the day.
There is an unquestionable art to ordering correctly from a street vendor – you need to know what you want (in Spanish, but I know you know that because you’re not the kind of person who travels to other places expecting everyone to speak your language) and you need to be ready to pay when it’s time. The person making your food is busy balancing making the food and taking payment, so now is not the time to try to break a large bill.
Once you receive your order, you’ll have the chance to add whichever salsas you please. Unsure of what’s what? Add one or two of the most popular salsas on the side and give them a fair shot.
Sadly we were never able to score a reservation at Pujol during our stay in Mexico City, but you know what? Maybe that was for the best. (Update, April 2019: We did finally make it to Pujol and you can read about our experience here).
Instead, we ducked into Molino el Pujol for lunch one day during our visit. The focus here is clearly on the corn (as you would expect from Olvera’s tortilleria), and in fact, everything we ordered included the grain. Both of our tacos were delicious, and the enmoladas – enchiladas made with (the chef’s famous) mole – were intensely complex and flavorful.
A side dish of esquites (similar to elote, an ear of corn smothered in mayonnaise and fresh cotija cheese, but off the cob) and a glass of aqua de maiz completed the meal. And the price for a meal created by one of the most-awarded Mexican chefs? Less than USD 13.
LA CENA
With so many tempting mid-day meal options, we admittedly had little room for an evening meal. What we ate may not be indicative of a traditional meal (we had more late-night bites), but was every bit as delicious as we could have hoped.
Clearly, our late-night cravings steer us toward queso. Queso fundido, in fact. This oven-melted cheese is not the same thing your local Mex joint serves as a dip with their store-bought chips (that drippy stuff, while being its own kind of delicious, is made from a pasteurized cheese product).
Queso fundido is made with the real stuff, and is a bit slippery and rubbery and oily – in all of the best ways, of course. Our late-night food adventures took us to El Palenquito, La Clandestina, and Páramo, enjoying delicious bites and cocktails made with local ingredients.
POSTRES Y BEBIDAS
I hope you have a sweet tooth - or at least are thirsty during your visit!
My sweet tooth is insatiable, and while we were in Mexico City there was nothing I said “no” to. Having the chance to indulge a little (even if it means we order one of something and share), is my favorite part of travel because it differs drastically from our everyday lives at home.
Twice we visited Churrería el Moro, once at the original location near the heart of the city, and once in Roma Norte. At each location we ordered a set of four churros and a hot chocolate to share; surprisingly, the churros at the newer location seemed fresher.
From a street vendor, we ordered a cup of champurrado – a hot chocolate beverage spiced with cinnamon and thickened with masa (corn flour). Silky and rich, it was the perfect antidote for the chilly morning air.
Other beverages making an appearance in the mornings are the aguas frescas and jugos; stands and carts pop up all over the city offering a variety of fresh fruit juices for a fraction of the cost back home. For less than USD 1, we each were able to start our day off in a delicious and healthy way.
Our final CDMX food item was a horchata popsicle from the airport – not your typical food destination, that’s for sure, but a surprisingly sweet way to end our trip to Mexico City.
DIRECTORY
So many of the items above are from the city's street vendors, which often lack a web presence, and sometimes shift locations. But rest assured, these B+M shops should be on your list:
Panadería Rosetta
Panadería Rosetta | Colima 179, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
El Parnita
El Parnita | Av. Yucatan 84, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Molino el Pujol
Molino el Pujol | Gral. Benjamín Hill 146, Hipódromo Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06100 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
El Palenquito
El Palenquito | Av. Álvaro Obregón 39, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
La Clandestina
La Clandestina | Av. Álvaro Obregón 298, Colonia Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06140 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Páramo
Páramo | Av. Yucatan 84, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Churrería el Moro
Churrería el Moro| Multiple Locations
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Have you ever visited Mexico City? What’s your favorite way to get your “Vitamin T?”
