After visiting all three El Fogón locations in Playa del Carmen, I can confidently say they're all fantastic. The service is quick, the prices are incredibly reasonable, and the food is consistently delicious. Before your meal even arrives, you're served a plate of fresh radishes, cucumber, and lime wedges, plus a selection of toppings including tomatoes, onions, and both a green and red salsa. Unfortunately this location didn't give us the cactus like the other locations did. The red salsa was my favourite, it paired perfectly with the tacos and had just the right amount of heat and flavour. The standout for me was the al pastor taco. The meat was incredibly flavourful with crispy edges, a smoky char, and the perfect balance of savoury spice and sweet pineapple. It was easily one of the best al pastor tacos I had in Playa del Carmen. I also tried the sirloin taco and the chicken breast plate, both of which were excellent. The portions were generous, everything tasted fresh, and the quality was impressive, especially for the price. El Fogón absolutely lived up to the hype. If you're looking for authentic, delicious tacos and grilled meats that won't break the bank, this is a must visit. I loved it so much that I ended up eating at all three locations and every visit was just as good as the last. read more

We had a fantastic meal at El Fogón in Playa del Carmen! The atmosphere was fun, lively, and felt very authentic. The service was outstanding, and everyone made us feel welcome. My wife and I shared the chicken fajitas, which were excellent. My friend ordered the al pastor fajitas, and his wife had the pork chops--everyone agreed the food was delicious. The guacamole was fresh and amazing, and every dish was flavorful and generously portioned. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food with excellent service and a great atmosphere, I highly recommend El Fogón. We would definitely come back! read more

Great food! Here for a spring break trip. Saw this wasn't too far from our hotel and off the beaten path. Reviews are right. This place is great. My husband got sirloin tacos off the rotisserie. I got a pollo plate. So good! We also added on guac, chips and a potato taco. Everything was great. Will come again. Sorry forgot to take a pic before we dug in. read more

Mi favorita! A must try whenever you're in Playa Del Carmen...any location and wonderful service!

We loved El Fogón so much we came back twice during our trip and that says everything. For a spot that's Michelin Guide-recognized, it still feels authentic, unpretentious, and very local. No gimmicks, just seriously good tacos. The tacos were packed with flavor, perfectly seasoned, and served hot and fresh every time. You can taste the quality and the technique especially in the way the meat is cooked and carved. Everything felt simple but done right, which honestly is what makes a taco stand out. The atmosphere is lively and busy (for good reason), but service moves quickly and efficiently. It feels like the kind of place locals actually eat at, not just a tourist trap with hype. We fully intended to try different taco spots around Playa del Carmen... but after our first visit, we couldn't resist coming back. When a place makes you change your food itinerary, you know it's worth it. If you're in Playa and debating whether it lives up to the hype it does!! read more

El Fogón - Tacos Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

See all

The place was busy. We waited in a short line to be seated. The restaurant feels busy and fast paced, but it took a bit of time to give our order. They give you three salsas and a small plate of limes and radishes. Do they reuse these between guests? I don't know. Doesn't seem very clean. The guac was bland and thin. Disappointing. Tacos al pastor were small and only so-so. The chorizo tacos had nothing on them; they were only chorizo meat. They get great reviews, so I would try them again and order differently. read more

See all

Best tacos, el pastor, Jamaica juice, horchata are all amazing. This IS the place to go in Playa Del Carmen. Don't hesitate. Original, Classic, casual, must try. read more

El Fogón - Food prep and bbq - Tacos Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

See all

I could eat this my entire trip to PDC! Great food. Fun place. Great service. And pretty cheap. What more can you ask for?

The food is excellent. Tried the sampler meal and everything was wonderful. The margaritas, not so much. Kinda syrupy.

Since the restaurant scene is very competitive in Playa del Carmen, we found it difficult to find a restaurant that isn't a tourist trap. El Fogon is located off the beaten path and is a Michelin-recognized restaurant in an unpretentious space. It's a walk-in restaurant and we were seated right away in their spacious dining area. The menu consisted of Mexican old-time favorites and grilled meats and seafood. Our helpful server suggested fried calamari with a bowl of margaritas to start our dinner. We were then given complimentary pork and beans soup with nachos on the side. I added a star for that! I thought that was sweet and my partner loved it! For our main entree, we decided to share chicken fajitas and ribeye steak served with tortillas and garlic rice. The portions are more than adequate for two people. It was delicious and the steak was cooked to our preferred temperature. Overall, we had a lovely dinner here. If you are looking for a non-touristy restaurant serving authentic Mexican dishes in Playa del Carmen, this place is worth visiting! read more

After having this place recommended by two separate taxi drivers we decided to give it a try. A true locals place with legitimate great atmosphere we could not have been more pleased. We were delighted to see that it is a Michelin rated restaurant in 2024 but two months ago they received a new recommendation for 2025. The prices are super reasonable and the quality is excellent in both service and food..... Gents: Warning. The toilet (water closet) does not have a seat. Ladies: while we were there, being a naturally curious person I took time to check the ladies room and you are awarded a seat! I was with my wife and son's girlfriend who actually asked me to check the conditions. Both restrooms were actually very clean so no real worries. Oh, and gents. We have a urinal...adding ammunition to the "seat up or seatl down dilemma. We will be returning. No doubt about it. You owe it to yourself to give it a try. Also NOTE. There is more than one location in town. read more

See all

Absolutely amazing! A must do when in Playa Del Carmen. Tacos were amazing! They've been awarded a Michelin Star!! read more

See all

Pastor was the best, bistec was delicious! Micheladas are always great and service was great! One of the best taco spots in town is what most locals said and I would agree it was pretty good. Chorizo was good as well read more

El Fogón - Pastor and chorizo - Tacos Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

The best tacos Al pastor we found in PDC They don't skimp on the meat Great horchata as well Sirloin tacos were great read more

El Fogón - Al pastor tacos - Tacos Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

Sirloin tacos are the best tacos in the world. A must try if you're in PDC. Prices are great, walls are yellow with cartoon characters painted everywhere so you definitely don't come for the ambience. read more

El Fogón - Sirloin Tacos - Tacos Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

Fun place, walking distance from the pier, crowded but quick service. Plenty of tables both upstairs and downstairs. We ordered strawberry smoothie, xx, pastors, sirloins, steak quesadillas. Served with tons of nopales, salsa and limes. Quick, fresh, good portions and reasonable price. Just fit the bill and satisfy the taste. Again, check your spice level when you in Mexico. Habanero is no kidding hot read more

See all

This was such an amazing find in Playa del Carmen! I was looking for the best local spot and this was within walking distance of 5th Ave. The menu looked amazing, but I decided to go with the tacos and it was my first time trying Trompo Al Pastor and it was absolutely delicious. Loved the toppings they brought out as well and the decor inside with the cartoons is fun and casual. Would def go back to try other things! read more

See all

One of the best places to eat in Playa! The food came out incredibly fast, everything was fresh and delicious, and the portions were huge. The unlimited tortillas are a great bonus, and honestly, one dish is more than enough for most people. Great food, great service, and excellent value. Highly recommend! read more

Checked out this place after being at Xcaret all day. It's poppin, tons of ppl and uppity musica. Saw great reviews on Yelp so thought I'd check it out.. Ordered: strawberry margarita & Fogon special Skirt steak "norteña", cheese and chorizo with fajitas. Wow, my food was delicious! The strawberry margarita was good/on point too. Easily the best meal I had on the trip and we were in Playa/Canun for 8 days. Hope to come back one day.. read more

See all

This is hands down the best local taco spot in Playa De Carmen with amazing food and excellent service. We had the sirloin and pastor tacos, Ranchera Plate, Quesadillas and Jamaica. Will go back again and again for the perfect ambiance and delicious food! read more

See all

One of the best restaurants in PDC. Huge portions, a good mix of locals and tourists and a bustling atmosphere. Margaritas as big as your head and lots of amazing platters of tacos and meat. Beer was cold, the servers were very nice, even with our limited Spanish and the food was delicious! Recommended read more

El Fogón - Platter of everything good! - Tacos Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

Service was quick yet we didn't feel rushed. No lie - I got a baked potato's with steak - no cheese and it was delicious. I was so surprised. We all enjoyed our food. read more

Are you kidding? Best tacos in town. I live the Tacos Al Pastor. Also, the chorizo con queso. My wife favors the steak. Can't lose. Get a couple of beers and 3-4 tacos and enjoy! read more

See all

Went last night for my first meal in playa and man this place is worth the hype and any wait in line. Luckily I got there just before a big rush, while leaving there was a pretty massive line out of the door. I had the pastor fajitas and also a side of beans... both were delicious! The beans were out of this world best beans I've ever had. Highly recommend and I plan going back before I head back to the states! read more

El Fogón - Beans and pastor fajitas - Tacos Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

This place is popular for a reason. They have a lot of great options. To start, I highly recommend the queso fundido. It's nice that they have the "ordenes" where you can just get a bunch of meat and tortillas and make your own tacos. They have different types of tacos but the main kind is al pastor. They are great and the staff is very quick and attentive. The gringas were very filling, the salsas are good too and they have a lot of drink options - beer, soda, aguas frescas, and smoothies read more

See all

Get ready for the meat sweats. This place rocks when it comes to meat options. And they are not short on portions. Also one of the best guacamole in the area. read more

See all

Definitely did not disappoint. Had not been back here in over 10 years. It's was amazing. Had margaritas. Average. Then we ordered the pastor tacos. Out of this world. And also the corico tacos. I will be back several times during my stay in playa. read more

See all

This is the best taco spot in Playa del Carmen! If you are in the shopping area, make an effort to walk here. It is a short half mile walk. We ordered our tacos with oaxca cheese. Not a lot of places do this, and it is so worth it and SO GOOD. Not a lot of reviews mentioned this but they also serve horchata which was made to perfection and very refreshing! read more

See all

Yum! We went to two of their locations on our trip and we loved it each time! The el pastor was excellent as well as the quesadillas. Drinks were pretty good too and a super fun ambiance. Staff was super sweet and helped a lot with our questions! read more

There was absolutely no wait time, even though they were fully packed. The service was excellent, and the food was terrific. I am mad at myself for not coming here sooner. I had this place bookmarked, and every time I said I would go, I never did--shame on myself. The kitchen is open, and you can see everything. The place was wide open. Also, I went at night, and there was a man going from tables playing the guitar. It's definitely a must-do for your trip. The taxi cab far exceeded the meal's price per person. You get a lot of food for a really good price. I would recommend going on your first and last day or at least twice during your trip to PDC. read more

Okay no lie, these were some of the best tacos I had in Playa Del Carmen! There was a wait and a line to get in and I can see why. Everything I had was so good. read more

See all

We are up stairs. The food was excellent. You start with a plate of lime cukes and radish. I had the special skirt steak which was served with potatoes onions tortillas Salsa very hot. It was also served with soup Food and service excellent take VISA No handrail in stair l read more

See all

This is a second location of El Fogón The original location a few blocks east of here is a better location that makes better food, but this one is still very good. The pastor and sirloin cuts are the best by far because they come from the trompo. However, unlike the other Fogón location, this location has pretty bad tortillas. They were kinda cold, tasted bland, and were a disappointment. Go to the other location if you can, if not, this is fine. read more

El Fogón - Tacos Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

See all

We only came because tik tok hyped up this place so much. I've had better Mexican food in Los Angeles. However I will say for the price it literally is unbeatable. We got a variety of places the best plate we got was the skirt steak plate which came with a guac, corn tortillas, salad, grilled onions, and a potato. The potato was NASTY. I'm not sure what they were going for but it was full of water once we bit into it- maybe ask to sub that out if y out do try the plate. The torta was pretty decent for the price. The queso fundido was not good at all- you can definitely skip that. Drinks were pretty watered down. Service was slow perhaps because we got so many dishes but overall fast. The place itself is pretty loud so be prepared to shout over each other as the establishment is pretty busy itself. There is a long wait to get in so make sure you look at the menu ahead of time so when you get seated you get your order in! Overall food was decent but definitely better establishments around the area too so check those out! read more

See all

We order a mango and pineapple juice. Super delicious and refreshing. My boyfriend got 3 tacos of al poster and I got a taco of bistek and a gringa of steak. Super delicious and well worth the walk to the restaurant. read more

See all

This place is a must go-to in PDC! This is where locals come and tourists arrive by taxi for tacos. Helps to verify this place. It's the most authentic taco experience. I have seen pictures of very long lines but we came middle of the day during the week which I think helped a lot. We were quickly seated on the outside patio area. The meat was an eye shot away. Straight staring at me. I couldn't help but had to try both spits of sirlon and pastor. Great decision. Both were great, but slight edge to the pastor for me. My wife liked the sirlon. We also ordered the el gringo tacos which were basically a pastor quesadilla. Muy delicioso! Everything was fantastic. From the fixings they give you to start, the fresh agua Fresca and cold cervezas, affordable tasty food. Simply fantastic. So glad we stopped here and would again if I was in the area. read more

The tacos and service were fantastic! Service was efficient and gracious, the al pastor tacos with fresh corn tortillas are the way to go, and the beer was cold. I'm so glad we ventured away from the touristy restaurants to try El Fogón! read more

El Fogón - Tacos Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

Amazing tacos. We went around 3pm and there was a line of around 6-8 people, took maybe 5-8 minutes to get seated. They have those rotisserie spinners with marinated steak and pork on it looks like, and they cut it from there. I had two of the pork tacos, one steak taco, shared the chorizo queso dip thing, and had a chorizo taco too. I thought the steak taco was the best, followed by the chorizo taco and pork taco. Not sure why, but the pork lacked flavor. The chorizo, queso dip was phenomenal, the chorizo was perfectly salty, and I thought better than the trees or taco itself, which was unusual overall would recommend this place, I thought the ambience was very family friendly. Must try in playa Del Carmen. read more

See all

Food is grate place is very popular 30 to 40 min wait at peak times but well worth the wait read more

This is the second time this week we had dinner here. It's not fancy but the food is delicious and a great value. We shared fajitas and it was plenty for two! We will definitely come here again on our next visit to Playa Del Carmen. read more