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Tacos in Monterrey

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Regional taco culture
Also known as: Tacos regios, Regio tacos

Monterrey, Mexico's industrial northern metropolis, is known for tacos de trompo, Sunday beef barbacoa, breakfast tacos of machacado with egg, fried tacos rojos and charcoal-grilled beef in flour tortillas; in 2024 its state, Nuevo León, placed second only to Mexico City in taco delivery orders.

Contents
  1. Trompo
  2. Breakfast and barbacoa
  3. Tacos rojos and carne asada
  4. Scale and recognition
  5. Where to try it
  6. Signature tacos
  7. Reviews
  8. See also
  9. References

Trompo

Monterrey's tacos de trompo are pork cooked on a vertical spit, related to al pastor but distinct from it. In Texas Monthly, José R. Ralat cites scholar Domingo García Garza, who credits taquero Julio Reyna with introducing them to the city in 1962 under names such as tacos griego and tacos Doneraki. The meat is seasoned with an adobo heavy in paprika, sliced onto oiled tortillas on the griddle and flipped so that it crisps against the tortilla, then finished with onion, cilantro and salsa rather than pineapple. POSTA México describes a regio version with pineapple, and local taquerías offer variations such as the black trompo of Tacos del Valle or the Arab-style trompo of Americana.

Breakfast and barbacoa

Breakfast tacos are a Monterrey institution. Local food writer Ernesto Esquivel told CNN Travel that they date at least to the early twentieth century, when workers at the Fundidora steel foundry needed a quick morning meal; machacado with egg, barbacoa and deshebrada are favorite fillings. Tacos Doña Mary La Gritona, a family taquería that has operated for more than two decades, makes them on handmade flour or corn tortillas and is known for barbacoa and for an owner who scolds customers who slow the line; the Michelin Guide Mexico has given it a Bib Gourmand. POSTA México also lists tacos de guisado such as machaca, chicharrón in salsa and beans with chorizo, and soft tacos al vapor, as morning staples.

Tacos rojos and carne asada

Tacos rojos, or dorados, are fried tacos filled with potato or meat and served with cueritos and cabbage. POSTA México places the first ones on calle Zaragoza in the 1930s and associates them with the area around the Fuente Monterrey, long a meeting place for couples and friends. The city's beef tradition appears in carne asada grilled over charcoal and served in flour tortillas, and in taquerías such as Tacos Primo and Taquerías Orinoco, known for beef steak, trompo and costras of griddled cheese.

Cabrito, kid goat roasted over coals, is the city's emblematic dish. Mexico News Daily names El Gran Pastor and El Rey del Cabrito as classic places to eat it with tortillas and salsa.

Scale and recognition

In 2024, according to an Uber Eats report covered by adn40, Nuevo León ranked second after Mexico City in taco orders, with Monterrey cited as one of the most taco-hungry cities. In addition to Doña Mary La Gritona, the Michelin Guide Mexico recommended Tacos El Compadre and Tacos Piedra 1.

Where to try it

  • Tacos Doña Mary La Gritona, Monterrey: Barbacoa and breakfast tacos; Michelin Bib Gourmand
  • Tacos El Compadre, Monterrey: Recommended by the Michelin Guide Mexico
  • El Rey del Cabrito, Monterrey: Classic cabrito restaurant named by Mexico News Daily

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. "Trompo Tacos Are So Much More Than Tacos al Pastor". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Descubre el origen de los tacos regios y por qué son únicos en Monterrey". POSTA México. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "¿Barbacoa o carne asada? 5 taquerías emblemáticas de Monterrey para darle gusto a tu paladar". POSTA México. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  4. "Breakfast tacos: origins in Mexico and Texas". CNN Travel. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  5. "Tacos Doña Mary La Gritona – Monterrey". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  6. "State by Plate: Cabrito of Nuevo León". Mexico News Daily. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  7. "De norte a sur: Uber Eats revela la entidad de México más taquera". adn Noticias (adn40). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  8. "Taquerías mexicanas recomendadas en la Guía Michelin México 2024". UnoTV. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  9. "Guía Michelin 2026: reconocen a las taquerías de México". Vanguardia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Breakfast tacos City taco cultures Monterrey Nuevo León cuisine Taco regions