El Hidalguense is a traditional Mexican restaurant in the Roma Sur neighborhood of Mexico City. They specialize in lamb barbacoa wrapped in maguey leaves and slow-cooked overnight. They have two stories and we went to the second floor for our table. QUESADILLAS ($135 MXN) - we ordered the potatoes and chorizo which were good. Note that by default these will not come with cheese so you'll have to specify you want it with cheese if the server doesn't ask. 4/5 QUESO FUNDIDO ($150) - this dish came a little late and the cheese was hard quickly making it not too appetizing. Even if it came sooner I don't think it was too memorable. 3/5 CHORIZO CASERO ($190) - these were chorizo pieces grilled and sliced. They were smoky, charred, and delicious. These were the group's favorite by far. 5/5 BARBACOA ($1100) - these are sold by the kg and we got one kg for our group of 8. It was a good amount but we had some leftover. With the rest of the food we ordered we could've gone with less. It was tender but some in our party found the lamb to be too gamey especially after eating more and more of it. 4.5/5 GUACAMOLE ($85) - by default it was spicy but you can also ask for non-spicy. It was a standard good guacamole. 4/5 It's a family-style type of restaurant where many of the dishes are served with tortillas, salsas, limes, cilantro, and onion. You get your hands dirty at a spot that is very local and traditional. read more

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My husband and I had dinner at El Hidalguense on our last night at Mexico City, and I ain't mad at it. The restaurant was first recommended to us by the tour guide on our taco tour. After doing a bit of research I saw that the restaurant was featured on an episode of Netflix's Taco Chronicles (S. 1 Ep. 5). We arrived at the restaurant around 5pm on a Saturday. The place was going to close in an hour, but it was like a revolving door of guests. The restaurant was buy, but we were able to be seated right away. Loved the decor of the place. It was very vibrant, and being able to see into the kitchen attributed to the liveliness of the place. Service was great. Our server was pretty attentive, and there were other servers who came by our table and offered assistance. The food came out in a timely manner. We were in and out of the restaurant way ahead of their closing time. My tour guide recommended we get the consommé, which I got to try. It was too gamey for my liking, but the broth was rich and flavorful. I had the barbacoa tacos, and they were delicious. The lamb was extremely tender and the flavor was far less gamey than the consommé. All the accompaniments that were provided to dress up the tacos were nice. We also ordered the queso fundido for good measure, which I loved because of the fried garlic. read more

This place is so much fun and delicious and the staff was friendly and helpful Order lamb by the kg ( or part-- we got 5oo g and had one serving left for the next days snack ) in addition, you order your sides for about 200 pesos a platter ( like cheese, herbs, nopales, etc). Salsas, onion and lime are free This is one of the few places outside a pulqueria where you can order pulque. Get the "natural" Pulque is made from agave sap. It is fermented and tastes yeasty and crisp. This is also a place you can order chapulenes-- fried crickets--as well as other insects. Don't knock it till you've tried it Don't be put off by a long line. We were there on a Sunday afternoon and it looked impossible, but the host said 10-15 min for a party of two and that's what it was read more

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If you are a foodie , yes, this is for you! They served all lamb related things! Must try the Guava Pulque, so yummm! The Azteca beans were super delish too! read more

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Located in Roma Sur neighborhood is one of the most amazing food places with authentic flavors from Hidalgo Mx. According to our waiter, many of the staff travel from Hidalgo to CDMX to ensure the authenticity and quality of the food! We went around 2pm and waited about 5-8 mins to be seated. We went to the second level and past all the beautiful decor. We ordered a bunch of food and drinks. The Maracya Pulque ( Passion Fruit with Fermented Agave Sap Drink) was sweet with that tang you get from a kombucha or tepache. It does have low alcohol like 4-7% but it's also rich in probiotics so definitely a must try! We also got a Mixtote de Champiñones a dish with mushrooms, poblano chile steamed in an agave leaf. It was sweet and the mushrooms had so much flavor! I also loved the emoladas rancheras with barbacoa. It's a blue corn tortilla similar in shape to a sope topped with spicy and chocolaty sweet mole, a healthy portion of barbacoa meat that was amazing and panela cheese. So good definitely my favorite dish! We also got a variety of quesadillas : huitlacoche, flor de calabaza, and chicharrón. Definantñy a must try not just for the flavor but also cause with the salsas your given it's so good! We got serveral more plates and everything was delicious. Service was impeccable and quick. Unlike in many places however, when we paid with card we had to leave tip in mxn cash so just make sure to take that as well. Loved the experience and the food and I can't wait to go back to CdMX!! read more

El Hidalguense - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

My first time trying barbacoa as this place is known for it - maybe good for those who are fans, but personally I am not! It just tasted very fatty, with lots of fat dripping out of the taco. I didn't find much flavor outside of that as I prefer a bolder taste rather than subtleness. Lots of salsas and limes and toppings but I think they reuse (at least the limes) between customers which was a bit scary due to some mixing. Check took a bit and they also took my card away to pay, which I thought was not common practice in MX as this never happened anywhere else. read more

El Hidalguense - Barbacoa tacos - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

This place is pretty famous and in the top 50 list of tacos, so I decided I had to check it out. It's very expensive, they would not let me get a liter of pulque for the table. Food was very good but also very filling, a plus. All their sauces were great, but the check ran me at 400 pesos for 3 tacos and 2 pulques. Holy wow. They also had a very bad service and took them half an hour to bring my check. Overall for the price and quality I think you can get better. read more

El Hidalguense - Barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

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Let me tell you...this is the right place to get barbacoa on a Saturday morning! The restaurant is decorated beautifully with architecture and decor specific to the region. The inside is bright with lighting, bustling with activity and you can also watch the orders being made from your seat. We ordered the barbacoa tacos with blue corn tortillas and it was amazing! The meat itself was falling apart, salty, packed with regional seasonings and paired nicely with the crispy tortillas. We also had a serving of salsas and lime which brought the needed balance of acidity. We also had the pineapple and celery agua fresca which was not too sweet and cut through the fat of the meat. Very refreshing to pair with the tacos. Overall, if you come to CDMX you have to come and try the barbacoa here! read more

Delicious authentic Mexican food with such a busy beautiful restaurant vibe. This place gets busy but with two floors our large party was seated within minutes upstairs. As you walk through you get a view of the busy kitchen and vibrant dinning room. We ordered a little of everything but my favorite dish were the chicken sopes and mango gelatina. They also had fresh aguas frescas and I had the pineapple with celery which was refreshing and delicious. The waitress we had was great and handled are large party amazingly. read more

El Hidalguense - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

exceptional service, a little high priced, but lovely place. i came here by myself around 11 am to try the infamous lamb bbq taco. you will be seated and greated with their house salsas - which were HOTT, but chunky, and one of my favorites while i was in CDMX for the week. full disclosure, i havent had lamb in about 25+ years. however, i was being open minded. i tried one for 70 mexican pesos. the meat has a lot of flavor, and its juicy. its served in your traditional blue corn tortilla. i didnt hate it, but didnt love it. its just not for me, but i can tell theres layers of flavor here and well worth the try. i also grabbed the egg taco breakfast platter which comes with 6 blue corn tortillas and beans and eggs. i was BEYOND stuffed. this is easily sharable between people. hit the spot! read more

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Amazing food. Very authentic. Ambience is really nice. Very quick service. They helped us with good recommendations. read more

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Great authentic Mexican meal that was close to our Air BnB during our stay in Mexico City. Mostly all locals that were frequenting the restaurant and little to no English was spoken by the staff. They're famous for their Barbacoa, but we had their enchiladas and Sopes as well as guac and chips (and authentic salsa). Definitely recommend if you want an authentic meal. Accept VISA and Mastercard (no AMEX). Full bar and fast service! read more

El Hidalguense - Front of Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

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Came here for lamb barbacoa after seeing it feature on Netflix's taco chronicles and had a great experience here! The restaurant is only opened Friday - Sunday as the barbacoa is cooked in Hidalgo (known for it's barbacoa) and transported to CDMX. We cam around 10am and seated quickly. We were helped by a server who spoke English and recommended that for 2 people, we order 1/4 kg of barbacoa which comes with tortillas and salsas. We also got an order of queso with cheese to start as we wanted something to eat with the barbacoa without having a full meal. The 1/4 kg is definitely enough for 2 people (makes about 4 tacos per our server) and you can also order single tacos. The barbacoa comes in lean, medium and fatty and we got the medium to get a mix of lean and fatty meats and it turned out to be super juicy and just the right about of fat! We loved the barbacoa which has a good lamb flavor which I love but may turn off people who are not a fan of the gamey taste in meet. The accompaniments are also great and the cheese we got was also good but a but heavy as the queso isn't a melty cheese but more of a sturdy dry cheese (almost similar to the texture of paneer). Will definitely be back for barbacoa the next time we're in CDMX and would love to try the other dishes if we come with more people / a bigger appetite! read more

El Hidalguense - 1/4 kg Barbacoa and Corn Queso - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

We happened to be staying down the street from El Hidalguense and luckily discovered it on a Sunday since they're only open on weekends! Everything from the pulque, to the sopes, to the barbacoa was amazing. But don't make our mistake! We watched the Netflix Taco Chronicles on barbacoa AFTER our visit (Hildalguense is featured on that episode). Watching before our meal would've been so informative - but we appreciated our experience either way! read more

El Hidalguense - Sopes and barbacoa tacos - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

We went early around 10:30. Wait was 5 minutes. Food, service, and atmosphere were all great. We loved the barbacoa. read more

El Hidalguense - Barbacoa 0.5kg - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

Choosing restaurants in Mexico City can pose a huge challenge. The city offers an overwhelming amount of options for excellent food. Barbacoa made in the traditional method (cooked underground with agave leaves and with lamb or goat rather than beef) is exceedingly difficult to find in the US. Netflix famous El Hidalguense repeatedly shows up as a great place to get this dish, so we decided to have our first meal of the trip here. The restaurant was busy even during the off peak time of 3:00 on a Sunday, but we nonetheless got seated immediately. The crowd here mostly comprised locals with a few scattered parties of gringos like us, which was a good sign of deliciousness to come. We ordered 1/4kg of barbacoa with "medium" fat, guacamole, and the house sopes. This represented the perfect amount of food for two (very) hungry diners. The guacamole tasted fresh and possessed excellent, balanced seasoning. The sopes comprised rich refried beans, crumbled spicy meat (I think chorizo), and fresh Mexican cheese on crispy yet fluffy thick masa cakes, which made for a hearty overall bite. Of course, the star here is the barbacoa and the delicious lamb meat we sampled lived up to the hype. The meltingly tender meat possessed ample flavor from the slow cooking process and carried the perfect amount of rich fat in each bite. The meat is awesome enough to eat on its own, but of course arrives with accoutrement to make tacos. Each of the three fresh salsas enhanced the meat and, frankly, also tasted good enough to eat by the spoonful. Furthermore, the homemade blue corn tortillas brought their own characteristic masa flavor and offered enough sturdiness to make well stuffed tacos. This place also has a reputation for good pulque, and we enjoyed the drink which tasted like a cross between a fruited sour beer and a margarita. We found the slightly sour, fresh tasting beverage went quite well with the food. If you're not so adventurous, El Hidalguense offers a standard selection of cheap, cold domestic beers as well and other more classic cocktails as well. Our total ended up being about $30 US (550 pesos). This may be a tad expensive by local standards but to our American wallets was a steal for the quality and quantity of food. Service here was great, and despite the language barrier we received help with ordering and our food arrived swiftly and correctly. Overall, the meal we had here represented the highlight of our short trip to CDMX. If you're in the city on a weekend, this famous barbacoa house is well worth a meal, especially if you love lamb. read more

Found out about El Hidalguense on Netflix's Taco Chronicles. They live up to the hype! It was an amazing culinary experience. Our waiter gave excellent recommendations. We tried the Sopes Huastecos, Escamoles, Tacos de Barbacoa, Pulques de Fresa, Guanábano, y Guayaba. Everything was so authentic! The Barbacoa tacos came with blue corn tortillas and were even wrapped in a Maguey leaf that was still warm. I had no idea what to expect when it came to the pulque we had heard it's not to everyone's taste because of the texture. I would describe it as a yogurt-like drink that tastes similar to flavored kombucha. Good companion to the tacos and a must have local specialty! Edit: Being from Northern Mexico/United States my family is used to Barbacoa de Rez (Beef) but here they have Barbacoa de Cordero (Lamb). I'm not usually a fan but this was a great exception! read more

El Hidalguense - Sopes Huastecos - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

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One of the most memorable meals of our trip! This place is only open Friday through Sunday because the process of cooking their barbacoa is so intensive. It was fun to see the open prep stations in the front and we were happy with the 1/4 kg we ordered for 2. Make sure to order it "with fat" :p The guayaba agua fresca was also really nice. Would recommend this place to anyone. read more

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Hands down one of the best meals I've had in Mexico City. The sopes were to die for! I can't wait to go back next time I visit Mexico City. read more

El Hidalguense - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

Parking either street or they have a parking location 3 houses up to the right. Service at the door already very kind and super clean. Very chill vibe family oriented and of course the 1st World Cup game going on. very soft and FRESH along with my coffee... won my soul Excuse me Yelp where is the 10 button at!!!! You want home made food come to this place. Variety galore everything that was ordered was amazing! I don't know what else to say about this place. 10/10 pictures can't say enough. If you're in the area try it out. read more

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El Hidalguense is the famous barbacoa spot featured on the Netflix taco chronicles. Had it as one of my first meals when arriving in CDMX. Overall it was solid barbacoa. The waitress was very informative in explaining the different options, and I decided to order 500g barbacoa "fatty". Also ordered a side of escamoles, pulque as drinks, and rice pudding at the end. The barbacoa was decently juicy and flavorful. I always enjoy the lamb barbacoa in Mexico, having been accustommed to only beef barbacoa in the states. There were definitely some lean areas that were not as easy to chew but overall a decent order. The escamoles are pretty much a novelty thing to me. 20$ for like 2 tacos worth, they remind me of soggy corn kernels with a slightly funky after taste. The pulque was an interesting drink, kind of ropy in viscosity as it's from a sap I believe. The rice pudding was pretty standard. Overall it was a decent start to the Mexico trip but I felt 3 los reyes was a much stronger spot if you are looking for serious barbacoa alone and less about ambiance/interesting sides. read more

Read so many blogs about this place had to check it out. Went for their barbacoa and from next time will stick to that and maybe more meats. The vibe was very Spain like. Nice and open, lots of light, sunny and airy. Barbacoa was tender, melting in your mouth types. Their salsa was flavorful, full of spices and nice heat. Tortillas was fresh and delicious. And blue corn. Also tried ant larvae for the first time. It was fine. Had a corn texture. The chorizo was lovely but maybe a tad salty. The broth from the barbacoa was delicious but I saw hooves in it so couldn't eat it. Maybe order just the soup without the leg. They have a decent bar menu. Lovely service. Ask for an English menu if you don't read Spanish. Nice service and lovely ambiance. Will definitely visit again. read more

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Came on a Sunday morning (10am) and got seated relatively quickly! It was a little hard to order for someone who didn't speak any Spanish. Based off of some Yelp reviewers recommendations we ordered: - 1/2 kg of barbacoa without the fat - Plato Hidalguense - I loved the nopales and herbs that were included, so refreshing when eating a bunch of meat - sopes - consommé - corn dessert - cafe de olla My partner loved the corn dessert. The lamb was really good but drier than expected due to us choosing the no fat option. It was only the two of us and 1/4 of a kg would have been a better option since we ordered so much food. The consommé was not my favorite, it has a slight bitter taste to it and wasn't super flavorful. The cafe de olla was very tasty if you're a fan of sweet coffee. read more

El Hidalguense - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

After visiting Hidalgo, I really wanted to try Barbacoa tacos and came her per a friend's recommendation without having seen the Netflix special. The Barbacoa did NOT disappoint. I ordered the Barbacoa tacos, soup, and 2 juices (strawberry and pineapple celery), and loved them all. The Barbacoa was juicy with just the right amount of fat to give the meat flavor, and I loved the red salsa. For one of the three tacos I tried the Barbacoa stomach, which I didn't like as much as the standard Barbacoa, but my husband preferred it (so try it if you're adventurous). We were seated without a wait around 11am on Saturday. Definitely recommend making a trip to eat here! read more

This famous Netflix baracoa place is no joke! Luscious and tender lamb that has been cooked for hours in stone pits is something out of this world. No gamey flavors, just hints of flavors that hit you as you chew. The Chef/owner raises his own lambs. He only uses two kinds of breeds, feeds them a special organic/whole grain feed, and grows his own wood for the fire to cook. Those details come thru the meat in the most subtle ways. The blue corn tortillas, side dishes and mild salsas balance and enhance these flavors. For myself I ordered the minimum weight of 1/4 kg (1/2 lb.) of regular lamb meat (if you don't like fat in your meat, order it "masisa" which is lean) and the Plato Hidalguense side dish, that comes with an awesome cold salad of cactus, onions and cilantro, a disk of queso fresco (mild white cheese) and a whole avocado and a fresh herb called papalo (liquorish in flavor). The blue corn tortillas and salsas come with the meat order. I also ordered the small consume, which was just ok. It gets busy so come early or come with patients but it's all worth it. English menus and great service. They accept credit cards. read more

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They were surprised I stopped by given how local it was, guess it's a tough find for tourists given all the options, but it was exactly what I was looking for. Uniquely styled marinated meats, salad options, great cocktails, and vibes authentic to CDMX... I guess I should've taken a picture of the food but I ate it all. I'll remember next time. Definitely recommend! read more

We came to this restaurant specifically to try their barbacoa, the house specialty. We came on a Friday for lunch and it was pretty empty, we didn't have to wait at all for a table. We started off first with an order of gusanos de maguey or mezcal worms. I know it sounds gross but they were seasoned and cooked really well. For the main meal we ordered barbacoa which is sold by weight. We got two different parts, maciza which is the meat, and pancita roja, or the intestines. The barbacoa was really good and different than carnitas maciza, this maciza was pretty moist and tender since there's more fat. We also ordered a consomé, the broth remaining after cooking the lamb. It was ok, not my favorite. For drinks we tried pulque which is quite different, it has a particular fermented, slightly sour/tart taste that may be an acquired taste and definitely is not for everyone, especially if you're not too adventurous. To end our meal we had a cold, custardy type dessert with a caramelized bottom which was so delicious, I wish I could remember the name! Service was very attentive and friendly. Make sure you bring cash. read more

El Hidalguense - Barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

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So good! We walked all the way from the castle and it was worth it! I loved the enchiladas. They were packed with flavor! Parents and kids were happy:) it took a minute for the server to arrive but the food and drinks came out so quick it didn't matter! It felt like we are in Mexico for sure! read more

This is some excellent barbacoa. It's their thing and deservedly so. I got the three taco combo and I think the costilla one was the best of them. But three of those as a meal might be too rich. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to really enjoy it since I got a stomach bug the night before but it was still great. Which is probably the best testament to their quality that I can think of. I'd love to go back when my stomach is in better shape. read more

We were excited to come here to try the barbacoa, especially after having it recommended by the instructor of a cooking class we took, but unfortunately we didn't love what we ordered. Sopes - Tasty! Similar to what we've had at other restaurants, not a stand-out but delicious. Barbacoa (lamb head) - We found this to be quite greasy and gamey which made it difficult to get through. However, this may have been because we went around 9am and are not quite used to eating such heavy foods for breakfast. The salsas and tortillas were delicious. Consommé - Took a sip of this and all I could taste was the flavour of lard. My partner felt the same way. We felt bad that it was basically untouched. Service was friendly and quick, but a little pushy at the start - they basically kept encouraging us to order additional items. The waiter would pass by with a menu item that he was bringing to another table and would ask us if we wanted to order it as well, despite having already ordered. read more

What a nice place to have a delicious Sunday brunch with the family! The service is excellent, and even though they are a busy business, the wait is very short. read more

Came for lunch around 1:00, a bit of a crowd waiting, mostly locals and families from around Mexico City. The owner runs and makes all barbacoa from scratch. You can watch the story at Netflix Taco chronicles. Of course the consome and barbacoa are the main dishes. Top quality. Good salsas. Enjoy. read more

El Hidalguense - Taco barbacoa con salsa verde y borracha - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

This place is showcased in the Netflix show about great tacos across mexico. Sorry to say but it's nothing spectacular. You have to pay extra for any add-ons. The taco is just tortilla and meat. The meat was tender and juicy but needed salt. The salsas were underwhelming and the service was awful. read more

El Hidalguense - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

Excellent food and service. Mole was great. Band was cool but a bit loud. Parking was easy.

This place has been really hyped up in several guidebooks, websites, etc as one of the best spots in CDMX to sample Barbacoa. Honestly, not really sure why it gets all the hype. The meat was dry, and pretty bland. The consome was... fine, I guess? But also, nothing exciting. Also, they make you walk through this weird machine that blasts you w/ sanitizer or something. I know that Covid is still a concern, but this is the only restaurant I've seen do this in the couple weeks I've been here. read more

Totally overrated!:-( Came here with high expectations after watching the show the actual video portrays a real artesanal barbacoa and here is not ! I asked for shoulder and flap meat they thought I would not notice I didn't get what I wanted ! The Consome was sour!! And is a very small cup they charge you 65 pesos each !! Usually in any barbacoa place the will fill your checking bowl at least once!! Same with coffee! No refills!! Then at the and they come to offer you deserts and you need to pay for a new Coffee? No way to do business!! If you are a tourist come and visit ones there is a band that plays huapangos live !! There is a Barbacoa stand around the corner that we missed just to come here and I'll bet that barbacoa was way better !! The service was great Liliana was our server she went over to please us and give us great service!! And the bus boy Franco !! Good people!! I haven't seen the total check but keep you posted !! read more

El Hidalguense - Upstairs - Mexican Near Me - Ciudad de México, DIF

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Came here in excitement after watching their Netflix episode! Went on a Sunday afternoon since they're only open during the weekend. For how busy it was, my party of 3 only had to wait for about 20 minutes before we were seated. Of course we ordered the barbacoa tacos but added on a variety of juices, consome, pan elote, escamoles (ant larvae - so good) and sopes. Everything was super tasty! Surprisingly, we all agreed the barbacoa wasn't even the best item we ordered which is saying a lot. We left super satisfied and happy to have visited. read more

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The wait wasnt bad for one person on Sunday at around 11 (maybe about 15 mins). The queso asada was great but I was underwhelmed by the birria sadly. If you get it then make sure you get some consomme to dip it in. read more

Lamb barbacoa was AMAZING!!!!! The Frescas are fresh and refreshing. Highly recommend going early or later if large party. read more

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A friend of ours hyped this restaurant up and wow...did it live up to the hype. Barbacoa served by the kg accompanied by onions, limes, authentic salsas, and handmade all you can eat tortillas was the highlight of the meal. Juicy, spicy, and absolutely tasty our group stuffed make it yourself tacos down our throats until abundantly full and extremely satisfied. We ordered two side baked cheese dishes on tortillas that were stringy, cheesy, and everything you could want out of a baked cheese dish. It was touch deciding on which sides to accompany the main meal because everything looked so tantalizing! The hours are a bit unusual and they close at 6 so make sure to plan your day so you make it here on time. A must return for me if I make it back to Mexico City. read more

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