Eat Like a Local: 10 Best Foods to Try in Mexico City

If you’re curious about the 10 best foods to try in Mexico City, you’ve come to the right place! I recently spent a long weekend in Mexico City, and the name of the game was to fill my belly with as many delicious foods and drinks as possible. Stay tuned for drinking suggestions, but for now, let’s check out the food!

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1 | Tacos

Ok, tacos should always be on a list of the 10 best foods to try in Mexico City, and they should always be at the top. When visiting Mexico City, plan to eat an exorbitant amount of tacos…basically every time you see a taco, just go ahead and eat it. Save some room for tacos al pastor, made from pork, and a Mexico City favorite!

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2 | Queso Fundido

One of my favorite things in life is cheese, particularly when it comes all melted, delicious and with chorizo stirred in. Queso fundido (melted cheese) is pretty much everything you’d ever imagine…make sure to get it as an app at least once in Mexico City!

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3 | Enchiladas

Enchiladas are one of my faves in the USA, and that definitely translates to Mexico City. Whether you prefer them stuffed with chicken, pork, or plain old beans & cheese, you can’t go wrong. They’re definitely one of the 10 best foods to try in Mexico City! I’d recommend hitting up Café El Popular in the city center and noshing on some enchiladas divorciadas…imagine 3 chicken enchiladas, half swimming in delicious green sauce, and the other side in equally amazing orange sauce. My taste buds were seriously in heaven!

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4 | Churros Rellenos

Everything thus far on the list has been savory and cheesy, so to balance out your diet in Mexico City, better add some sugar! My personal recommendation are churros, particularly churros rellenos (filled churros.) Which filling to get, you ask? That’s an easy one…chocolate of course! If you prefer your churro non-stuffed, you can always get a side of dipping chocolate, which is a second runner up to being straight up filled with warm, gooey chocolate. BRB, made myself hungry while writing this and now need to go hunt down some churros at home…

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5 | Tostadas

Tostada literally means toasted, and refers to the base of the meal, which is frequently a toasted corn tortilla. I particularly liked mine topped with seafood, but I’m sure whatever you add on top will be delicious.

6 | Tlacoyo

Tlacoyo is incredibly common in Mexico City; look for a torpedo shaped masa snack stuffed with beans and cheese. Top them off with crumbly cojita cheese and salsa for a delicious bite to eat!

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7 | Tamales

Tamales make my stomach smile, and they’ll make yours smile too, as long as you remember to take off the wrapping before eating it. When I was younger, I possibly tried to eat it with the corn husk… Spoiler alert: it’s not very delicious. Tamales are made of masa dough, stuffed with any combination of deliciousness, and then wrapped in a corn husk.

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8 | Tortas

While tacos are the well-known Americanized version of Mexican street food, the lesser known up-and-comer is the torta (Mexican sandwich). This sandwich takes the flavor of a taco and turns it up a notch by smothering a bun with your favorite spicy meat, beans, butter, cheese, avocado, peppers, etc. They’re a fantastic lunch on the go kind of food, so add it to your must-try list for Mexico City!

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9 | Mole

Mole poblano is one of the traditional sauces of Mexico and is typically served over meat. Be forewarned that it has a chocolate flavor, which can come as a bit of shock if you’re not expecting it (I was not.) However, it’s one of the most well-known sauces, so at least give it a try. I’m still unsure how I feel about it…

10 | Pollo Asado

I had the most delicious pollo asado (roast chicken) with a side of avocado in the most unlikely of places…a river boat in Xochimilco. Imagine being paddled down the river in a super colorful boat (my pic below for reference), and coming upon a kitchen boat…thank goodness, because I was starting to get hangry. There were no menus, but the cook rattled off a list of menu items including this chicken, which I definitely jumped on because hey, I know what pollo means! As far as what the sides were, there was for sure an avocado, and then some other spicy vegetables, and some other kind of beans. All in all, I’d definitely recommend!

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And there you have it, my list of the 10 best foods to try in Mexico City. I’m sure there are SOOOO many more to add to the list, but I had limited time, and sadly, limited stomach space. If you’re in Mexico City for a limited time and want to make the most of it, try checking out this walking food tour or a special dinner with a local chef. Hit me in the comments with some of your favorite food in Mexico or Mexico City…I’ll definitely add it to my list for the next visit!

Logistics

Cheap Flights to Mexico City: I’d recommend looking up eDreams. They scan tons of different travel discount sites and feature special flight deals. You can typically find good flights on Jetblue and AeroMexico. After landing, either grab an Uber or pay for an authorized taxi from the airport. Going from the airport to the city center should cost about 225 pesos (~$12 USD.)

Where to Stay in Mexico City: For higher end hotels, look into Hotel Catedral—the hotel has an awesome location downtown and incredible views over Mexico City. For a mid-range option, I’d recommend One Ciudad de Mexico Alameda; the hotel is located right by Alameda Park, and is one of the best selling hotels in Mexico City.  If you’re looking to avoid hotels and go the hostel route, I recommend checking out Hostel Mundo Joven CatedralThe hostel is conveniently located in the middle of the city, has a restaurant downstairs, and best of all, a rooftop bar.  It can get chilly at night so make sure to bring a jacket! The hostel is incredibly cheap, and also offers a sweet terrace and easy tour booking downstairs. You can show up and book right on the spot! If you’re traveling with friends, another good option here is to do a VRBO vacation rental.

Mexico City Resources: For an awesome guide to Mexico City with all of the best things to do, check out my 3 days in Mexico City itinerary!

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