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Tacos in Mazatlán

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Regional taco culture
Also known as: Mazatleco tacos

Mazatlán, Sinaloa's Pacific port, is the birthplace of the shrimp-and-cheese taco gobernador and a center for smoked marlin tacos, aguachile and battered seafood tacos, eaten from early-morning market stalls to evening stands along the malecón.

Contents
  1. Tacos gobernador
  2. Marlin and the market
  3. Other seafood tacos
  4. Signature tacos
  5. Reviews
  6. See also
  7. References

Tacos gobernador

The taco gobernador combines shrimp sautéed with onion, tomato and poblano chile with melted cheese in a corn tortilla browned on the griddle. Mexico News Daily and Luz Noticias attribute it to the Los Arcos restaurant in Mazatlán during the administration of governor Francisco Labastida Ochoa, which ran from 1987 to 1992; in their version, owner Eduardo Ángulo asked his chef for something to impress the governor and named the result after him. Luz Noticias places the event in 1987 and presents it as local legend. The Los Arcos group's own account credits the dish to an improvised campaign-dinner quesadilla of shrimp machaca made by Labastida's wife, María Teresa Uriarte, and the singer Lola Beltrán. Mexico Travel & Leisure notes that the taco is now found in Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo and Cabo San Lucas, and Taste Atlas has ranked it among Sinaloa's best dishes.

Marlin and the market

Smoked marlin is shredded and sautéed with onion, tomato, serrano chile and garlic, then served in corn tortillas with avocado and salsa. Mexico Travel & Leisure describes stands near the fishing pier and breakfast stalls around the Pino Suárez market that begin selling around seven in the morning and often run out by noon. Taste Atlas, as reported by Luz Noticias, ranks ceviche de sierra, made with lime, carrot, onion, cucumber and serrano chile, as Mazatlán's top dish.

Other seafood tacos

Luz Noticias names Mazatlán, with Los Mochis, as the best place in Sinaloa for capeados, battered fish and shrimp tacos made in the Baja style, and for caguamanta, a stew of manta ray. Mexico News Daily identifies Mazatlán as a major aguachile center. Pescado zarandeado, butterflied fish marinated with chiles and grilled over coals, comes from the fishing communities around the port.

Mazatlán is also home to the Pacífico brewery, founded by German immigrants in the early twentieth century and acquired by Grupo Modelo in 1954, whose beer is the customary companion to the city's seafood.

Signature tacos

Reviews

Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.

See also

References

  1. "State By Plate: Sinaloa". Mexico News Daily. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Así nació el Taco Gobernador, el mejor platillo de Mazatlán, según Taste Atlas". Luz Noticias. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "The Tradition Begins in 1977". Restaurant Los Arcos. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  4. "What to Eat in Mazatlán: 15 Dishes, Aguachile & Where Locals Eat (2026)". Mexico Travel & Leisure. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  5. "Estos son los mejores platillos de Mazatlán y Culiacán, según Taste Atlas". Luz Noticias. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  6. "¿Cuáles son los mejores tacos de Sinaloa?". Luz Noticias. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  7. "Estos son los platillos que nacieron en Sinaloa y hoy son famosos en todo México". Luz Noticias. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: City taco cultures Mazatlán Seafood tacos Sinaloan cuisine Taco regions