Taquería roles
A busy Mexican taquería divides its work among specialized roles, including the pastorero at the al pastor spit, the parrillero at the grill, the taquero who assembles tacos at the counter, and front-of-house workers such as the mesero and garrotero.
Kitchen stations
Larger taquerías split the work by station. The pastorero handles the trompo for al pastor, a job that PBS SoCal's report on Tacos Los Guichos in Los Angeles describes as more demanding, and better paid, than grill work. The parrillero works the grill or griddle; Mexico City job listings from chains such as El Califa ask for experienced parrilleros to cook meats a la parrilla, and some posts combine the two jobs as parrillero pastorero. The general title taquero covers the cook who prepares ingredients and assembles and serves tacos; one listing for a taquero at a Mexico City stand describes attending customers, prepping ingredients, marinating and cooking meat and keeping the station clean.
Front of house
Sit-down taquerías also employ meseros (waiters) and garroteros, the busers who clear plates, glasses and cutlery, as in a Grupo El Califa job posting.
A day's work
A POSTA México report on Mexico City taqueros in 2026 described shifts of eleven or twelve hours. Before opening, workers set up the grill, griddles, birria and steamer and chop cilantro and onion; they serve customers through the day and finish by cleaning pots, griddles and counters. Both cooks interviewed stressed courtesy and getting to know regulars as part of the job.
Who works the spit
Lesley Téllez notes that women rarely make al pastor, and that pastoreros often learn their trade by moving between taquerías, as Rolando Marcelino Martinez of Los Guichos did on his way from Guanajuato through Mexico City to Los Angeles.
Reviews
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See also
References
- "Empleos de Taquero en Iztapalapa, CDMX". Indeed México. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Behind a $1.50 Taco, a Deep Well of Expertise". PBS SoCal (The Migrant Kitchen). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Lo que nadie ve de los taqueros en CDMX: desde armar el trompo hasta atender a los clientes". POSTA México. Retrieved 2026-10-10.