Food Guide for Photographers
Of course, no trip to Mexico City would be complete without diving into its world-class street food and regional cuisine.
Spend your nights eating at small taquerías and street stands, or go cheap with market stalls and neighborhood fondas. You might find yourself standing on the sidewalk eating tacos al pastor, sipping atole, or grabbing a late-night torta. There’s more food here than one guide could ever cover, so I’ll let you discover it on your own—but trust me, you’re in for a treat.
Tacos
The people’s food. Simple, affordable, and deeply tied to everyday life in Mexico City.
You’ll find endless variations—corn or flour tortillas, grilled meats, slow-cooked stews, crispy fried fillings, topped with onions, cilantro, salsas, or lime.
Tacos are everywhere: tiny street stands, neighborhood taquerías, late-night spots, markets, and even outside Metro stations.
You’ll eat them standing on the sidewalk, perched on a plastic stool, or straight from the paper plate—and they’re just as essential to the city as ramen is to Japan.
Tamales & Tortas
Stepping away from tacos for a moment, tamales and tortas are everyday comfort foods in Mexico City.
Tamales are steamed corn dough filled with meats, cheese, or chilies and wrapped in corn husks. They’re commonly eaten for breakfast, often with atole.
Tortas are hearty sandwiches served on crusty bread, stuffed with meats, beans, avocado, cheese, and sauces—filling, affordable, and perfect on the go.
Enchiladas & Chilaquiles
These are classic comfort dishes and staples of everyday eating in Mexico City, especially for breakfast and lunch. Enchiladas are tortillas filled with meat or cheese, covered in salsa, and topped with cream, cheese, and onions.
Chilaquiles are lightly fried tortilla chips simmered in salsa—red or green—then finished with eggs, chicken, or steak. You’ll find both everywhere, from neighborhood fondas to cafés and markets. Simple, filling, and deeply local—these are dishes you’ll eat again and again once you try them
Also try:
• Tlayudas
• Tacos de canasta
• Barbacoa (weekends)
• Mole (varies by region)
• Cochinita pibil
• Fresh juices & licuados
• Atole & champurrado
As you can see, I am indulging in all sorts of delicious fish dishes like aguachile, tacos de pescado, and sopa de pescado at La Merced.
Be careful though, I ate a shrimp empanada from a street stall later in the afternoon and got viciously sick for a week and went to see a doctor. I still mantain it was the mayonaisse being out all day in the sun. But lesson learned, only eat pescado meals at highly reviewed places.
Average food prices
120–180 MXN – Restaurant meal
30–50 MXN – Beer (convenience store)
15–25 MXN – Water, 600ml bottle
20–30 MXN – Taco al pastor (per taco)
80–120 MXN – Torta or large street-food meal
120–150 MXN – McDonald’s meal
15–25 MXN – Tamal
40–60 MXN – Fresh juice (jugo) from a vendor
Regardless of the style or where you eat, don’t be shy—eat with your hands, lean in, and make a bit of a mess. Messy tacos usually mean good tacos, and no one’s judging you for dripping salsa down your wrist.
My favourite taco spots in Mexico City:
El Vilsito – Classic al pastor, especially late at night.
Taquería Los Cocuyos – Rich, flavorful cuts and a true local staple.
Taquería Orinoco – Simple menu, perfectly executed, and easy to find.
El Huequito – One of the originals for al pastor, with multiple locations across the city.
Planning a photography and filming trip to Mexico City?
I put together a free Creator's Call Sheet for Mexico City — a complete one-day photography and filmmaking itinerary designed to help you shoot the city's best locations in the best light while avoiding the biggest crowds. Also a food stop ready for every post-shoot meal.
It's built to minimize planning so you can spend more time creating and less time figuring out where to go next.
Download it free here → Creator's Call Sheet for Mexico City
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