Where to find the best tacos al pastor in Mexico City
Updated May 2026
Tacos al pastor are probably Mexico City’s most iconic dish — the most chilango of all chilango dishes. Found throughout Mexico, they are at their best here, and the gap between the best and the rest is considerable. The meat is pork, marinated in dried chiles, vinegar, and achiote, skewered on a vertical spit and slow-roasted in front of a flame in a method that arrived in Mexico with Lebanese immigrants in the early twentieth century. The taco is served on a corn tortilla with thin-shaved meat, chopped onion, cilantro, and a slice of pineapple cut from the top of the tronco with the knife.
A note on the gringa: this is a preparation of meat al pastor with cheese, served on a wheat tortilla rather than corn, and it is a specific joy of its own. I ate them regularly until I stopped eating cheese. I still miss them.
Here is where to go, across different budgets, times of day, and parts of the city.
El Vilcito
BENITO JUÁREZ — THE BEST IN THE CITY, NIGHT ONLY
By day, the corner of Petén and Universidad in Colonia Narvarte is an auto repair shop. By night, it becomes El Vilcito, and the tronco — the rotating spit of marinated pork — goes up. This is, without qualification, the best spot in the city for tacos al pastor. It has been for as long as I can remember, and the fact that everyone knows it has not diminished it.
Two troncos roast slowly at the front of the shop. The taqueros work fast, shaving the pork in thin layers directly onto the tortilla, catching the pineapple slice from the top with the knife in the same motion. Order a gringa if you eat cheese. Get the guacamole — it is very good by itself and on top of the tacos. Order a torta de pastor if you want to understand what the filling tastes like when given room to breathe in something larger.
They open at 8 p.m. and serve until the early hours. The crowd peaks around midnight and continues until the meat runs out.
El Vilcito — Petén 248 esq. Av. Universidad, Col. Narvarte // Opens 8 pm, no reservations
El Huequito
CENTRO HISTÓRICO AND THROUGHOUT — THE ORIGINAL, SINCE 1959
El Huequito claims to have invented the taco al pastor in Mexico City in 1959, and the claim is taken seriously. The original location is literally a huequito — a tiny opening — on Bolívar in the Centro Histórico, barely wide enough for two people to stand at the counter. The tacos are smaller and more delicate than the thick, generous versions at El Vilcito, and the marinade is distinctly their own: lighter on the chile, more citric, more achiote-forward. They now have several locations across the city.
This is the right stop if you are spending time in the Centro and want to understand the dish’s history alongside the food. The Bolívar original is worth experiencing for its scale alone — the idea that something this small has been doing one thing this well for sixty-five years is its own kind of argument.
El Huequito — Bolívar 58, Col. Centro Histórico // also Ayuntamiento 21 and additional locations
La Casa del Pastor
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS — RELIABLE, ACCESSIBLE, DAYTIME
When the craving hits before 8 p.m. and El Vilcito is not yet open, La Casa del Pastor is the dependable answer. It is a chain — multiple locations including a standalone on Alfredo de Musset in Polanco and outposts in several shopping centers — and it operates with the consistency that implies. The pastor is good, the agua de tamarindo is excellent, and they offer a broader menu beyond pastor if you are eating with people who want options.
La Casa del Pastor — Alfredo de Musset 3, Polanco // multiple locations across the city // lacasadelpastor.com.mx
A few things worth knowing
On timing: The best taqueros are night operations. El Vilcito opens at 8 p.m. The best stands in markets and neighborhoods tend to peak between 9 p.m. and midnight. If you are coming from a culture where dinner happens at 7, this requires adjustment.
On the pineapple: Not everyone is a fan, but the acidity of the pineapple cuts through the fat of the pork in a way that makes the whole thing cohere. I suggest giving it a try before you decide to leave the pineapple off.
On the tortilla: Corn, always. The gringa is the exception — wheat tortilla with cheese, pastor meat. Do not confuse these.
On standing vs. sitting: The best taco stands are counter operations. You stand, you eat, you leave. The presence of chairs and a full menu is a more standardized, sanitized, experience.
Where do you go for pastor in the city? I am always taking notes.
