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Taquería El Califa de León

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taquería
Also known as: El Califa de León

Taquería El Califa de León is a standing-room taco counter in the San Rafael neighborhood of Mexico City, known for the gaonera steak taco and as the first taquería to receive a Michelin star, which it held in 2024 and 2025.

Contents
  1. History
  2. Menu and service
  3. Reviews
  4. See also
  5. References

History

The stand was opened in 1968 by Juan Hernández González on Avenida Ribera de San Cosme, near the border of San Rafael and Santa María la Ribera. Its name honors the bullfighter Rodolfo Gaona, nicknamed the Califa de León, and the house steak taco carries his name as the gaonera. The business has remained in the founding family.

In May 2024 the first Michelin Guide Mexico awarded the counter one star, which made it the first taco stand anywhere to hold the distinction. Long lines followed, and the shop added a doorman and overflow seating. It kept the star in the 2025 edition but lost it in the 2026 selection, announced in May 2026, though it stayed among the guide's recommended restaurants without a distinction. That year La Once Mil became the only starred taquería in the guide.

The space is tiny, with a metal shelf for a counter and room for only a few diners, who eat standing. A cook sears meat to order on a plancha with lard, coarse salt and lime, while tortillas are pressed and cooked by hand beside the grill. The menu is short: bistec, chuleta (pork chop), costilla (beef rib) and the gaonera, a thin, whole slice of beef served on a single tortilla. Two house salsas are offered, and payment is cash only.

Reviews

Reviews on WikiTacos open at launch. Until then, read what diners say on Google and Yelp.

Google Maps reviewsYelp

See also

References

  1. "Taquería El Califa de León – MICHELIN Guide restaurant page". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Mexico's MICHELIN One Star Taqueria: Taquería El Califa de León". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "Taquería El Califa de León". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  4. "The Michelin Guide Brought Scrutiny, Crowds, and Stress to Mexico City. Does Texas Want That?". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  5. "List of Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  6. "Guía Michelin México 2026: Estos son los 225 restaurantes en la lista". Excélsior. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  7. "Taquería El Califa de León pierde su Estrella Michelin, pero se conserva en las recomendaciones de la Guía". Gastrolab. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico Taquerías Taquerías in Mexico Taquerías in Mexico City