Taquería

A taquería is an establishment that sells tacos, ranging from a sidewalk stand to a sit-down restaurant; in Mexico it usually specializes in one style of taco, and the 2019 economic census counted more than 10,000 in each of the State of Mexico, Jalisco and Mexico City.

Definition

Larousse's dictionary of Mexican gastronomy defines the taquería simply as an establishment devoted to selling tacos. It adds that a taquería generally offers a single kind of taco, and that the most popular types are al pastor, grilled meats and tacos de guisado; in Baja California, taquerías sell fish and shellfish such as shrimp, squid, stingray, oysters and clams. In practice, the word covers everything from a fixed street stand to a large restaurant with tables and waiters, and the line between taquería and taco stand is often blurred.

History

Historian Jeffrey M. Pilcher told Smithsonian magazine that taquerías first appeared in the working-class neighborhoods of Mexico City, as industrialization drew migrants from the provinces. Several of today's best-known taquerías date from the mid-twentieth century: Mexico News Daily reports that El Huequito opened in the Centro in 1959 and El Tizoncito in Condesa in 1966, both claiming the invention of al pastor. In Tijuana, Tacos El Poblano grew from a late-1950s cart into a formal taquería in 1974, and in Ensenada, Tacos Fénix has sold fish tacos since 1970.

In the United States, Pilcher found that Mexicans serving Mexican customers rarely called their businesses taco shops; putting the word taco in the name was a way of marketing Mexican food to outsiders.

Numbers

Tus Buenas Noticias, citing the 2019 economic census, counted 13,113 taco businesses in the State of Mexico, 12,425 in Jalisco and 10,335 in Mexico City. Food & Pleasure, citing INEGI data for 2024, put the number of registered taquerías in Mexico City at about 10,915. Uber Eats reported roughly 12,000 taquerías on its platform nationwide in 2024, with Mexico City, Nuevo León and Jalisco leading in orders.

Specialization

Because most taquerías focus on one kind of taco, many are organized around the equipment that style requires: the trompo for al pastor, the plancha or comal for bistec and suadero, the cazo of lard for carnitas, the charcoal grill for carne asada, the pot for beef head, or the earth pit for barbacoa. Many also keep hours tied to their specialty. México Desconocido observes that barbacoa is a midday food rarely found at night and that tacos de canasta are almost never sold in the evening, while Discover Baja notes that Ensenada's fish taco stands often sell out by early afternoon.

Recognition

When the Michelin Guide launched in Mexico in May 2024, Taquería El Califa de León in Mexico City became the country's only taquería with a star, a distinction it held through 2025, and several taquerías, including Los Cocuyos, El Jarocho, Tacos Charly and Tacos Los Alexis in Mexico City and Tacos Doña Mary La Gritona in Monterrey, received Bib Gourmands. Texas Monthly reported long lines and sharp increases in business as a result. In the 2026 edition El Califa de León lost its star while La Once Mil, also in Mexico City, received one, and Bib Gourmands went to Taquerías Kisín in Mérida, Los Camellos in Puebla and Tacos y Gorditas Elvira in Guadalajara.

Reviews

See also

• Taco
• Taquero
• Taco stand
• Tacos al pastor
• Tacos in Mexico City
• History of the taco

References

1. "Taquería". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
2. "Where Did the Taco Come From?". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
3. "State by Plate: Mexico City & Tacos al Pastor". Mexico News Daily. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
4. "Tacos El Poblano: How A Band of Taqueros From Izucar de Matamoros, Puebla Changed Baja California". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
5. "The mystery behind the invention of the Baja fish taco". Mexico News Daily. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
6. "¿Cuál es el estado con más taquerías en México? Te decimos qué estado tiene mas puestos de tacos en el país". Tus Buenas Noticias. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
7. "Se dice que este es el taco más antiguo de la historia, y te decimos dónde probarlo en la CDMX". Food & Pleasure. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
8. "De norte a sur: Uber Eats revela la entidad de México más taquera". adn Noticias (adn40). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
9. "¡Para tacos, sólo México!". México Desconocido. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
10. "Baja Fish Tacos: Born in Ensenada of Debated Origins". Discover Baja Travel Club. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
11. "Taquerías mexicanas recomendadas en la Guía Michelin México 2024". UnoTV. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
12. "The Michelin Guide Brought Scrutiny, Crowds, and Stress to Mexico City. Does Texas Want That?". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
13. "Guía Michelin 2026: reconocen a las taquerías de México". Vanguardia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
14. "Mexico's Most Affordable Restaurants in 2026". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
15. "Guía Michelin México 2026: Estos son los 225 restaurantes en la lista". Excélsior. Retrieved 2026-10-10.