This place was awesome. Friendly, professional staff, great service, good prices, delicious tacos. Vibe is really chill too. Comfortable and laid back place to grab some great food. 10/10 would go back. The pastores tacos were my fav! read more

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Excellent sitdown taco spot with table service. Al pastor was perfect. Rib eye was also good - but a little pricey / would say it's not the essential order here. Loved the smoky salsa! 4.5 stars. read more

El Califa - Al pastor - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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Taqueria el Califa is a local chain that (according to a friend who lives in CDMX), has been around for years and was one of the original taco restaurants known for bringing delicious Al Pastor tacos to a more modern dining atmosphere. Arriving off the plane and staying at a hotel nearby, this spot came up as an option since it was open at 2pm, not too crowded (maybe 65% full) and was decently rated on G-maps. While not the best tacos I had on this trip, I'm appreciative of this intro to CDMX! We ordered: - Tecate $74*: a local beer that you can also find in the US. It's a crisp and refreshing lager, with a clean malt flavor, subtly sweet. - Mexican Coke $50: a slightly different and sweeter flavor than coca-cola we have here. - Cafe de Olla $50: Mexican coffee brewed with cinnamon and brown sugar...mmmmm. - chicken soup $114: a rich, warm broth with lots of chicken flavor, a little rice. Very tasty. - several different tacos $ varied 32-87: their Al Pastor offerings were the highlight, wholeheartedly recommend these--tender, juicy with good flavor, terrific with pineapple, onions and cilantro. The bistec, pork chop and guana tacos were meat grillled in their natural juices with a pinch of salt. You could taste the freshness of the meat though you really have to add the toppings and salsa to get a balanced taste. The meat by itself on a tortilla is on the blander side (and probably not how it's meant to be eaten lol). Four different salsas are provided with your meal, tamarind, red, roasted, and green sauces which each had a terrific depth of flavors and an increasing level of spiciness. I enjoyed each one with my favorites being the roasted (the roasted tomatoes, chilis and onions really stood out in this) and red sauces. The green one I could only use a few drops--spicy food lovers would appreciate! For the tacos they bring the toppings (diced onions, cilantro and pineapple) out on a separate plate so you can personalize the amount you add. The staff was very attentive and were always watching the tables for finished plates, ready to clean up, pour water, ask if our meal was ok. Very quick service! The restaurant functioned like clean and well-oiled taco machine. If I were hungry and in the mood for a casual bite, would drop by here again! *all prices in pesos. read more

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The vegan food was good. The portion sizes were a little on the smaller side. The dessert was just ok. read more

First meal in Mexico City and I can say it was a success. After a long travel day El Califa was recommended by our concierge as somewhere local good and accessible when we needed it. As a party of 6 we were glad to be able to get immediately seated specially when the restaurant was as crowded as it was. It was busy it was lively it was a place where you felt like you should be. We had meat eaters and we had vegans in our group. They have a full vegan menu page which was refreshing. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the salsas they put on the tables with the chips weren't flavorful and good. read more

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I came to El Califa for a quick solo lunch and ordered a costra with arrachera (skirt steak), taco with costilla (rib) and taco with ribeye. I was most excited for the costra which is a layer of crispy cheese wrapped around a filling like a tortilla. I loved the arrachera which was my favorite meat of the 3. The costilla and ribeye tacos were a let down though as both cuts were very thin thing and a bit overcooked and dry. The meat itself didn't have much flavor either and I ended up wanting more meat and flavor. It's pricer than most other casual taco spots and although the restaurant environment is nicer, honestly there are way better spots to eat in Mexico City I wouldn't come here again. read more

El Califa - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

Biased vegetarian review below (but I hear from the carnivores at my table that everything was good). The restaurant is easy to find and easy to navigate as a tourist. Menu is expansive and filled with interesting things to eat and drink. The place is clean and the services attentive and thoughtful. Our waiter answered my million questions and suggested things based on them. Vegetarian review. The easiest way to figure things out is this: - figure out what filling you want: mushroom, soy protein, etc. - figure out how you want to eat it: in a taco, on a tostada, etc. - try a bunch of stuff to see what you really enjoy, and order more. I think I tried all the vegetarian fillings except the mushrooms. No clue what I was eating, but it didn't matter. All of it was great. There you have it. Great service, great food, lovely place. read more

Wow, one of our favorite places to eat while in Mexico City. Decided for an early dinner around 5PM and the place had a few diners. It seated a lot of people. As we sat the dining area became busier and busier. A good sign. They of course offered us an English menu and we requested on in Spanish so that can learn. It was hard to decide what to order, it was our last night so we knew that we were going to over order. We first orders guacamole. Then added a Pollo Pastor Taco, a pork El Pastor, a Bistec/Queso Taco, and a Chicharron de Quesso. The guacamole arrived first and it was the best we had all week...and we had it at least twice per day! Then the rest of the food just started arriving and we dug in. Everything was outstanding. The Bistec/Queso taco was something I had never tried and trust me I will get it again and again. It was delicious. This restaurant seemed to be a "Happy" place. It was humming with excitement. Service was excellent and prices were reasonable. Highly recommend. read more

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Love el califa for the simplicity of their tacos. They have very tender simple flavored, not over condimented meat that is extremely tender. Even their tortillas are super tender and don't break and I think that's what some ppl don't see. These aren't the typical over sauced tacos but the point is to enjoy the quality of the meat. They provide you with three sauces that aren't spicy but only flavorful. I love the queso tacos that is also served in a thin layer. They have amazing service and their waiters are very attentive! read more

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Great service great food. Tacos do tend to be in the greasy side. So, as long as you know this order away and enjoy. I would have taken pictures but I was too busy eating!! read more

First stop in CDMX and the taco were really good big menu try for your self you won't be dissappointed

Honestly, I don't get the hype. Food is expensive even by California standards. Meats were dry. Taco overall was meh. Also not a fan of the cheese w taco. Overall just a very mid experience and it felt like a tourist trap. There's way better tacos in cdmx for much less! read more

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The food was great! Very tasteful and authentic. A must try! I simply wished there were menus in English, it would've made ordering easier and quicker read more

El Califa - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

Super popular spot for locals and busy even for the later evening. We came for late dinner and grabbed a couple of different tacos each. They were pretty good and I liked how they had a huge selection to choose from. I also tried their cactus to try it. I think it was fine but just personal preference, I realized I'm just not a huge fan of the taste and texture of cactus. Overall, good spot for some tacos and you can grab tables pretty easily as there's a lot of seats read more

Excellent place! Todo súper riquísimo. I really liked doing tacos differently - lettuce instead of tortilla, pita bread instead of tortilla. And the pollo al pastor was really good! My favorite was their tamarindo salsa. Delicious. Service was okay, a little slow I thought but just because it was SO PACKED so I understand. The vibes were great, good music and lots of lively people. La sopa de frijoles con esas tostadas, wow! read more

El Califa - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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Good food, good service and open till 4:00 AM. Gotta love it. Oh and they have a Michelin Star read more

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Best taco ever! Simply outstanding. Went back several times. Nice on the inside. Wait staff was great. Menu in English. The costras tacos (a taco with the meat in the middle surrounded by a wrap of cheese that is caramelized on the griddle - pure magic). Got several other things but kept coming back to the costras. The sirloin one in particular was my favorite. Fantastic! read more

El Califa - Costras with sirloin. Most amazingly wonderful thing I have ever eaten. - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

This is a taqueria chain in CDMX, and it was great! A nice sit-down taco spot. Clean, modern feel. Service was superb, our food was brought out quick. Pretty content with the experience, quick and easy. And the tacos were good! read more

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Honestly the food speaks for itself! Go! You will not regret this spot! Service is amazing! And fast! Ambiance is phenomenal great music! Very modern. A local recommend this and all I can say is I am glad we came! This place is a 10 out of 10 in my books! So just go you won't regret! read more

This is a great and affordable taco place. The beer selection is large. The tacos are fresh made and extremely tasty! read more

El Califa - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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So this place is very popular. The food was delicious however my experience not so much. Our waiter was an older man who after taking our order pretty much forgot about us. Others brought our food over. They forgot two items and that was not so much a big deal as the place was super loud and busy. We thought maybe he forgot or just did not hear us when ordering. We told another server that they forgot my grandsons beans so if it was left off the order to please add. He placed it and never arrived so we finally caught someone else and asked them to package up to go instead. So finally original guy came by with bill and it had now 2 orders of beans and the quesadilla that never made it to our table. He said he brought it himself and that he would only take off the extra order of beans. So he fixed the check and again I said we never got the quesadilla, he wanted to argue so I politely let him know that I don't need a free quesadilla so why would I lie about such a small item price? He upset and all finally took it off 68 pesos then said Oh you probably don't want to tip then. I get life and life's struggles especially in other countries so I let him know not tipping was never my intention and I was still going to tip 10% which in my opinion his attitude should have canceled that out but like I said that is not me or my personality. Although the food was very delicious I will not go back. Plenty other places that treated us better read more

Delicious tacos al pastor and quick service, but a bit overpriced compared to other similar places nearby. Very cool location near the Angel de La Independencia. Good spot for people watching. read more

El Califa - Trompo al pastor - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

Cute and easy to get to from my hotel. We wanted a quick inexpensive bite to eat. The service was fast and they have plenty of space for the visitors. As someone who is not used to traditional tacos I was confused about the ordering process and the tacos. They are tacos that don't come with the toppings unless you ask. You have to ask for them gringo style for the toppings us on the US are used to. Regardless the tacos tasted great just a learning curve when first ordering! read more

El Califa - Pollo con queso - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

We are retired English speaking Americans who like to travel. Eating local foods is one of our big pleasures. I plan to eat tacos all over Mexico City and this place is highly rated and near our hotel. We stumbled along with Google translate and our few words of Spanish. Friendly staff, clean place, and tacos unlike we have ever seen. Delicious and didn't have to wait long. We would go there again. read more

Taco options are diverse. Competition for taquerias is tough so I rate this as more of an average spot. They offer some interesting combinations and add ons. Service is prompt. Cash and card accepted. read more

Every time we go to Mexico City, we eat here. The food is always amazing and fast and fresh. The staff is very warm and services excellent. The food comes quickly and the portions are just right. The prices amazing. The fig tart is also very good. This time we were able to sit outside, which was really nice to be able to be outside because it's pretty hot indoors and noisy. read more

I would call this an upscale taco spot with the prices to match. Nice ambiance and very clean space. Friendly staff and table service. The food itself was ok. The tacos al pastor are tiny and the pineapple had zero flavor. I also ordered a costilla taco, it came as a plain tortilla with meat on it, you have to order any toppings as sides. The crateres are the highlight, i would skip the rest of the menu and order a few of these instead. A nice place, but with all the amazing taco options in the city, i wouldnt make this my first choice. read more

One of the pricier restaurants we visited while in CDMX. The place was busy on a Saturday night around 12am, with a Solomun dj set playing on the tv that set the vibe for night owls. Service was prompt and our server was cordial but not friendly. We ordered an appetizer of guacamole that came with tostadas. The guacamole was mediocre and could have used more salt. For entrees, we tried a pita gaona (res) and tacos al pastor. I was curious to see how pita bread compares to tortilla with same ingredients, and tortilla takes the win by a long shot. Both the res and al pastor were flavorful and tender. For dessert, we ordered a guava cheesecake. This was easily the highlight of the meal with it's subtle flavoring and texture combination of gelatin like topping, mousse filling, crunchy pie crust, and almond shavings. While the entrees and dessert were great, there are plenty of other restaurants that offer quality food at a much lower price. read more

El Califa - Pita gaona, guacamole, and four tacos al pastor - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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Had a good experience at this restaurant. Food was good and the atmosphere was great. Love that they give you 3 different salsas with chips to start off. We ordered the steak and chicken tacos with a side of beans which didn't disappoint. I will definitely be returning when I'm back in town read more

El Califa - Menu - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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Delicious food, good atmosphere, great, quick, attentive service! I got the ribeye y queso taco and it was so delicious I ordered another one! One of the best tacos I've had in 6 days in Mexico City! I also had the consome de pollo chicken soup and that was SO flavorful! One of the best chicken soups I've ever had, anywhere! The prices are a little high but I personally think it's all worth it for the ambience, service and good food! I would/will definitely come back! read more

El Califa - Flan cajeta - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

Five stars for the food, 2 stars for the service. But really, we Yelpers care about the food, amirite?? And you need to come here for that. It's not a full on restaurant nor is is a corner pastor stand. It's more like a taco diner with the most ginormous menu ever. The Costra stole the show, with your pastor, I mean choice of meat ;) ) inside a gigantic thinly fried cheese case with a tortilla to hold it all in. The salsas are all good, though I can tell if they are geared towards gringos as none were spicy enough. But the pastor was the star of the show, as you knew it would be as soon as you walked in past the gigantic trompo. Note that they have many vegetarian options, if you need to satisfy a dining companion :) Service: sure, my Spanish isn't perfect, but it's good enough. The issue was they served me everything except my Costra and I waited - no joke - 30 minutes to get that because it fell off the orders and my waiter would not make eye contact with me for the longest time. Eventually got it and worth the wait, but very annoying. Would have been 5 stars otherwise. read more

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This was one of the best taco places my friends and I went to (Besides the street tacos). We got the famous tacos, and nopales (cactus). Despite this place being a chain, it was filled with locals and very little tourists. It opens late into the night, and was reallyyyy packed when we went at around 10pm. The salsas were also fantasticccc. My favorite was the salsa with all the chiles chopped up in there. I highly recommend the Al pastor taco! read more

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Fantastic food and beer! Atmosphere was awesome! Service was quick and the tacos were the best we've had! $65 for 4 people!!

Amazing!!! Some of the best pastor tacos I've had. Came with my family during our stay at CDMX. We had a great time and ate so much! We tried the pastor tacos, sopa de frijoles, quesadilla de rajas, flan, and some local beers. Definitely recommend this as a dinner spot. A bit pricier for the area but not too bad. The service was quick and very attentive! We were seated quickly after arrival and had an amazing dinner read more

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Taco chain spot with average tacos. Truly you're better off getting some from the streets. The food just don't wow me. The service is fast though but it feels as if they are microwaveable the way they are presented to you. No fine dining ambiance as it's a regular food spot but it is a clean establishment and open late at night. Get the salsa verde! It will bring life to the tacos. read more

Los tacos deliciosos Excelente comida y servicio Te atienden rápido y muy amables todos read more

The food here is really good and tasty. I was skeptical at first because it's a chain. Glad we ate here to try it out. I like rotating meat spit it was sorta next to us. We ordered a bunch of stuff to taste test and was satisfied. Seemed like fresh ingredients with unique combinations you do not see to often (well I don't for that matter) read more

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Food was great but service was below average . They kept messing up our orders repeatedly we finally gave up and just ate whatever they brought us! A very busy place so be prepared to wait for your table and food ! read more

don't get me wrong, this place is good, but for mexican tacos, i think its better to stick to the streets or at a least cheaper option. We ended up getting 5 tacos, 4 meats no cheese and one mushroom with cheese. Interestingly enough, the best one was the mushroom. I don't know if it was because i was hungry that made it taste amazing, but the mushroom one was really really good. I also like the fact that they give you lots of sauces to try. i think 2 out of the 4 were really spicy for me, and were not enjoyable. The sauce i liked the most was the chipotle style one. This place is a fancier taco joint, and thus prices will be more than the typical tacos you'll find elsewhere. The ambiance is nice, but next time i go to CDMX, i'll skip on sit down "fancy" taco restaurants. read more

El Califa - Mexican Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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I can't really decide my rating here. Between 3/4 stars. El califa is a hip newer restaurant near the Angel of independence. It has beer and wine but no cocktails. The food here is an interesting blend of Mediterranean + Mexican so they have things like pitas! Overall the flavor is okay. The tacos were good but don't have the traditional onions + cilantro. Some of the cheesy dishes were also good, just very salty. The salsas they offer range from spicy to mild. I guess I was slightly underwhelmed given the high caliber of food around but if you are looking for a clean and probably stomach friendly establishment it's worth a shot. read more