El Caifán
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Recommended Reviews - El Caifán
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3.5 stars. Definitely an interesting spot. It looked nice with the big open windows but the amount of people the approached asking for money or reaching out was unsettling. The food was fine, nothing to write home about (we got guacamole 5/5, a beef taco 4/5, chicken tinga taco 3/5, and a chicken tinga quesadilla 3/5, all the chicken lacked seasoning) & the service was relatively slow but was friendly. They also had self serve stations for sauces and things which seems like a great idea but not sure how clean it was kept. Super reasonably priced with a great beer selection!
This right here has to be some of the best food I ate the entire time in CDMX as the flavors were off the wall good! This was one of the closest restaurants to our hotel and it surely wasn't missed as when you see that huge chunk of pastor spinning around right in front of you know that's one of the things your totally gonna get! First up we ordered the grilled onions appetizer as anything onions I'm always down for and I must say these didn't disappoint as they had a nice cook on them and then the awesome sauce which kinda reminded me of a vinaigrette making some super yummy onions! To drink I ordered one of the flavor waters the one with oatmeal in it and I must say it taste like horchata but like a wayyyyy better version like this was one of the best drinks I had while in Mexico it was soo good that I actually ordered another one because it was that good! Their salsas were all yummy too very much so as each one had a different spice level to add just that much more to everything you put it on. Their pastor quesadillas were seriously the best in that had made corn tortillas it was just soo good and the meat being super flavorful with each bite like this is up there with some of the best I've ever had anywhere, my lady and I both agreed that this was our favorite restaurant that we visited on this trip as the flavors were totally there for both of us. Overall yummy food cool atmosphere right on the street friendly service and some super yummy food like you can't go wrong!
My wife and I decided to come here for dinner tonight, because we had walked passed this placer probably a dozen times. When we got there at around 5pm, the restaurant was nearly full of patrons. We were lucky enough to find a table at the very front of the restaurant, but it still took a bit of time before we were recognized and helped by a friendly server. Their menú Is extensive, and after spending a few minutes we were ready to place our order. I decided to get the horache beef steak which consisted of boneless steak, refried beans, served with their special geen sauce. She went for the torta Cubana and it was definitely a meal and a half. The torta mainly had chicken and sausage along with a special mix of vegetables. For drinks she got the lemon Jarrito drinks, and I justo went for a bottled water. It was a good dining experience and we plan on returning here soon.
This place looks like your regular taco place, just another one of many in the area but trust you have to stop and eat here. They are pretty busy but manage to find seating for you. The staff was friendly and helpful. They do have an English version of the menu. the Al pastor tacos are bite-size but packed with flavor the marinade chicken taco was flavored nicely. Mushroom zucchini flour quesadilla is popular too Flavored water- pineapple // peppermint was refreshing Oatmeal with cinnamon is an alternative to the classic horchata The sauces, oh my, you know I'm a saucy girl, and they offer an array of different kinds to choose from avocado green mild to hot green chili sauce. On the weekends, they stay open till 4 am
Very thankful this place stays open late and to the friendly staff. Not sure what I was expecting, but the bistec and chicken tacos were not it. I'm so used to the meat being cut up and then served in a taco. These tacos had the whole piece of meat placed on top of the tortilla. Flavor was ok and you can add additional tops. The toppings were by the cashier and almost gone due to the time we got there (around 11 pm on a Thursday night). I ordered some sopes and they were ok as well. Needed some extra salt. The best option were the Al pastor tacos. Drinks wise my fave was the mint pineapple agua frescas. That was good! Good music good ambiance just wish the food matched it.
So good and reliable I came here twice during one week in Mexico City. I had the al pastor tacos con queso, which are small but fantastic. I then had the al pastor huarache, which was amazing! They have beer and also agua Fresca (I enjoyed the hibiscus one). Service was amazingly prompt and attentive. They take card and only have indoor seating.
Great ambiance, friendly service and awesome tacos. My favorite ones were by far the carnitas de costilla. There a al pastor taco stands all over the historic centro but this place was one of the best. They also offer a variety of salsas all super spicy!! Definitely worth a visit if you are around el Zocalo.
I've eaten here plenty of times. They stay open kind of late which is why we come here. It's a corner taqueria...tacos are yummy. Staff is pretty nice. On the weekend it can get pretty packed so be mindful. It is on a busy street so its easy to stop by and buy a taco here. They have a variety of food and the salsas are pretty good. Staff is pretty nice and the place is pretty clean. They also have wifi. Happy yelping mis amigos
Tacos de Pastor where absolutely delicious and the steak ones where not bad at all! My kids devoured the steak tacos! Salsas fresh and tasty and cute ambiance! Staff where super nice and helpful! Coming back here next time I'm in the area!! Highly recommend this clean and neat place!! Especially if you're a family traveling with little ones!
6 days ago
5 months ago
It was hard focusing on the menu because the music was a vibe! But I finally did settle on some dishes that I hadn't been exposed to in the states. As well as their version of the fajita. Which I like a lot better because it's less greasy! The tortillas were just freaking Delicious By themselves. But I do believe this is just a natural thing in Mexico versus the us. I did notice my waitress had to snap at another waiter for rudely interrupting him while she was taking my order. read more
Good food, friendly server, food came out fast. 10c better area tonight than walking to China Town last evening. Live music outside so the crowd being entertained were dancing in the street. Inside was bright, clean and colorfully decorated. read more
3.5 stars. Definitely an interesting spot. It looked nice with the big open windows but the amount of people the approached asking for money or reaching out was unsettling. The food was fine, nothing to write home about (we got guacamole 5/5, a beef taco 4/5, chicken tinga taco 3/5, and a chicken tinga quesadilla 3/5, all the chicken lacked seasoning) & the service was relatively slow but was friendly. They also had self serve stations for sauces and things which seems like a great idea but not sure how clean it was kept. Super reasonably priced with a great beer selection! read more
1 year ago
This right here has to be some of the best food I ate the entire time in CDMX as the flavors were off the wall good! This was one of the closest restaurants to our hotel and it surely wasn't missed as when you see that huge chunk of pastor spinning around right in front of you know that's one of the things your totally gonna get! First up we ordered the grilled onions appetizer as anything onions I'm always down for and I must say these didn't disappoint as they had a nice cook on them and then the awesome sauce which kinda reminded me of a vinaigrette making some super yummy onions! To drink I ordered one of the flavor waters the one with oatmeal in it and I must say it taste like horchata but like a wayyyyy better version like this was one of the best drinks I had while in Mexico it was soo good that I actually ordered another one because it was that good! Their salsas were all yummy too very much so as each one had a different spice level to add just that much more to everything you put it on. Their pastor quesadillas were seriously the best in that had made corn tortillas it was just soo good and the meat being super flavorful with each bite like this is up there with some of the best I've ever had anywhere, my lady and I both agreed that this was our favorite restaurant that we visited on this trip as the flavors were totally there for both of us. Overall yummy food cool atmosphere right on the street friendly service and some super yummy food like you can't go wrong! read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
Authentic pastor tacos, the jewel of Ciudad de Mexico cuisine. Amazing flavors, great service. Loved, loved, loved this place! read more
3 years ago
My wife and I decided to come here for dinner tonight, because we had walked passed this placer probably a dozen times. When we got there at around 5pm, the restaurant was nearly full of patrons. We were lucky enough to find a table at the very front of the restaurant, but it still took a bit of time before we were recognized and helped by a friendly server. Their menú Is extensive, and after spending a few minutes we were ready to place our order. I decided to get the horache beef steak which consisted of boneless steak, refried beans, served with their special geen sauce. She went for the torta Cubana and it was definitely a meal and a half. The torta mainly had chicken and sausage along with a special mix of vegetables. For drinks she got the lemon Jarrito drinks, and I justo went for a bottled water. It was a good dining experience and we plan on returning here soon. read more
This place looks like your regular taco place, just another one of many in the area but trust you have to stop and eat here. They are pretty busy but manage to find seating for you. The staff was friendly and helpful. They do have an English version of the menu. the Al pastor tacos are bite-size but packed with flavor the marinade chicken taco was flavored nicely. Mushroom zucchini flour quesadilla is popular too Flavored water- pineapple // peppermint was refreshing Oatmeal with cinnamon is an alternative to the classic horchata The sauces, oh my, you know I'm a saucy girl, and they offer an array of different kinds to choose from avocado green mild to hot green chili sauce. On the weekends, they stay open till 4 am read more
11 months ago
Very thankful this place stays open late and to the friendly staff. Not sure what I was expecting, but the bistec and chicken tacos were not it. I'm so used to the meat being cut up and then served in a taco. These tacos had the whole piece of meat placed on top of the tortilla. Flavor was ok and you can add additional tops. The toppings were by the cashier and almost gone due to the time we got there (around 11 pm on a Thursday night). I ordered some sopes and they were ok as well. Needed some extra salt. The best option were the Al pastor tacos. Drinks wise my fave was the mint pineapple agua frescas. That was good! Good music good ambiance just wish the food matched it. read more
Great service serving typical Mexican fare. Good to share with groups. We had the alambre with beef and chuleta (pork) with peppers and onions. There was a plethora of sauce options available on the table. We also tried their aguas frescas of pineapple and cucumber. read more
4 years ago
So good and reliable I came here twice during one week in Mexico City. I had the al pastor tacos con queso, which are small but fantastic. I then had the al pastor huarache, which was amazing! They have beer and also agua Fresca (I enjoyed the hibiscus one). Service was amazingly prompt and attentive. They take card and only have indoor seating. read more
3 years ago
Great ambiance, friendly service and awesome tacos. My favorite ones were by far the carnitas de costilla. There a al pastor taco stands all over the historic centro but this place was one of the best. They also offer a variety of salsas all super spicy!! Definitely worth a visit if you are around el Zocalo. read more
I've eaten here plenty of times. They stay open kind of late which is why we come here. It's a corner taqueria...tacos are yummy. Staff is pretty nice. On the weekend it can get pretty packed so be mindful. It is on a busy street so its easy to stop by and buy a taco here. They have a variety of food and the salsas are pretty good. Staff is pretty nice and the place is pretty clean. They also have wifi. Happy yelping mis amigos read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
Tacos de Pastor where absolutely delicious and the steak ones where not bad at all! My kids devoured the steak tacos! Salsas fresh and tasty and cute ambiance! Staff where super nice and helpful! Coming back here next time I'm in the area!! Highly recommend this clean and neat place!! Especially if you're a family traveling with little ones! read more
8 years ago
Being the first place I ate in Mexico City, shortly after arrival, it'd be easy to forget Taqueria el Caifán. It was but one of many delicious taco places I'd feasted in during my vacation. I can forget it, but perhaps you shouldn't. While checking into a nearby airbnb I asked the host where to eat. It was evening, and my appetite for wandering unfamiliar streets was nonexistent. Thankfully, there were excellent tacos to be found on the busy Juarez, right around the corner. Taqueria el Caifán sits across from the Alameda, a beautiful park in the Historic District that's also home to the Palacio de Bellas Artes. It's well lit, busy, open late, and an easy place to wander into for a quick meal. The menu is extensive and inexpensive, featuring tacos and tortas and all the things I came to Mexico for. A bevy of tacos and sopas was ordered and consumed. Despite there being no English language menu, it was easy enough to decipher what to order. The Bifstec taco was of particular delight as its appearance was so unexpected: a big, thin slab of beef blanketed the corn tortilla begging the question of which ingredient should be wrapping the other. A lineup of salsas and peppers sits along one wall and I understood one could choose liberally from this array for a small additional fee. I wasn't ready yet to challenge my stomach so I opted only for the salsas which arrived at my table. They were good; the other array was interesting but not necessary. Though it does no catering to a non-Spanish speaking tourist, Taqueria el Caifán is a good choice. I'm uncertain whether there are more branches of this place but it feels, in a good way, like there could be. It's not a little "mom & pop" shop that might leave you feeling loved but confused. This is quick tacos and cold beer in an environment that feels very tourist friendly. I didn't make a return visit but if the opportunity arose I'd have had no problem doing so. read more
4 years ago
7 years ago
3.5 Good tacos, good tortas, etc. Nothing mind blowing, but I ate there twice because of its convenient location. The prices are fair also. You definitely won't be disappointed, but you also won't write home about it. Just stop in and decide for yourself. ENJOY!!! read more
7 years ago
During my visit to Mexico City, my very first tacos (and certainly not my last!) were at Taqueria El Caifan. I selected tacos al pastor having never tried them in Upstate New York...(we're kind of limited on that kind of thing). El Caifan is famous for tacos, but also services a ton of other goodies like huaraches, carnitas, soups and other delectables. These little nuggets of joy were so addictive I could have stayed all day and continued to graze. They brought us a selection of sauces and guacamole and we downed them with cold Mexican Coca Cola. Totally satisfying and delicious. I can't wait to go back. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
This place is the bomb!!! 10/10 my family and i ordered the following -al pastor -Huitlacoche -flor de calabaza -carne asada -carnitas masiso y mixteca -michelada azulosa -clamachela Great costumer service, serving size is great, and food is delicious. read more
From just about every angle Taqueria el Caifan looks like a tourist trap, but you might be surprised to find that the tacos here are right on par with some of the better known options in CDMX. Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere? Taqueria el Caifan is contemporary and caters to both locals and tourists/expats alike. It's clean, there are TVs, they accept major credit cards, and there's always at least one server who speaks English. Star. Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost? Taqueria el Caifan could get a away with charging well above market rate for their smaller street tacos, but at 15 MXP per taco they're actually underpriced compared to what you'll find elsewhere in town even at local dives. Star. Stars 3 and 4: How was the food? Across the board these were good tacos, and my friend enjoyed his grilled quesadilla as well. In addition to good tortillas and exceptional meats, you've got a huge bar of peripheral salsas and toppings. Two Stars. Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could? Good stuff, but not quite so elite that they put themselves a head above the local competition. No Star. read more
8 years ago
4 years ago
8 years ago
The carnitas tacos and the slopes were amazing! The service was great-super fast-super friendly....the vibe was also laid back, sort of grungy. Overall, amazing food for good prices. read more
8 years ago
An amazing first meal in CDMX. We stayed at the Hilton Reforma, on the suggestion of a friend who travels frequently to this city on business. She also frequents this taqueria. Everyone was super friendly, the food came out fast and everything was delicious. I'd recommend sticking to the teeny tacos. I highly recommend the pastor. read more
5 years ago
7 years ago
Good and reliable taqueria that is open late! There is a lot of seating as well as workers. The service is decent, it all depends on what waitresses you get. The menu is organized and easy to understand. I recommend the Taco de Chile Relleno, I had one one night and two, another night- delicious! One thing that we did not know is that all the extra toppings along their front window is free when you walk up to put them on top of your tacos or any other dish, but if you grab the orange plates to put them on the side, each plate is 30 pesos! Why not just add the toppings on top of your tacos then!? Good place to try one item from each category: tacos, huraches, quesadillas read more
Great tacos al pastor! The size is pretty small, but I was full enough with two of them. I'd say that the average person might need at least three or four to be satisfied. There are more toppings on the windowsill area near the entrance, but sadly my dining partner and I finished eating before realizing this. Make sure to stop by with your plate before you start eating to fill up on toppings if you so desire! The tacos al pastor came with the typical toppings, with my favorite topping of pineapples. I probably could have used some cilantro, but that's nothing new. I'm sure they would have had some on the windowsill... but it's fine. I survived. And with a generous layer of hot sauce from the sauce tray on our table, my stomach was happy as well. read more
7 years ago
Visited Mexico City a week ago and this place was highly recommended. If you want some homemade corn tortillas and great food this is your place!! The food was awesome. I gave it a 4 star because I was not pleased with their service. read more
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More info about El Caifán
Balderas 34
Col. Centro
06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX
Mexico
Centro Poniente
Directions
55 5512 2512
Call Now
Visit Website
http://caifan.com.mx
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Review Highlights - El Caifán
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8 years ago
El Caifán - tacos - Updated July 2026
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