A small street food taco stand in Mexico has become an online sensation after earning a Michelin star.
Taquería El Califa de León, located in the San Rafael neighborhood of Mexico City, was awarded the star of the coveted Michelin Guide in May 2024.
It now attracts fans from around the world, who travel to the city to try the tacos, which include beef and pork options.
Among them is Travel TV presenter Alex Outhwaite, from London, who took her instagram to showcase the dining venue, which opened in 1968 and is only about 10 feet wide.
She said: ‘I arrived at 11am when it opens and there was already a small queue. There are only four taco options, three beef and one pork, seasoned with salt and lemon.’
While trying the famous tacos, Alex revealed that the pork option was his favorite, but added that they weren’t the best tacos he had had in Mexico. He also took note of the fact that if you don’t time your visit properly, you may find yourself stuck in a very long queue.
She said: “If they were the best tacos I’ve had in Mexico City, probably not, but I enjoyed the visit and if you time your visit to avoid the lines then it’s a fun experience.”
The presenter also revealed that they cost around “three times” the price of typical street tacos in the capital, saying they cost between £2 and £3 per taco.
However, he did mention that “the quality and cut of the meat” was very high.
A small street food taco stand in Mexico has earned a Michelin star and travel TV host Alex Outhwaite took to her Instagram to show off the popular food joint, which opened in 1968 and is only about 10 feet wide.
In the clip, which accumulated more than 42,000 views, he wrote: ‘Chef Arturo Rivera Martínez has been serving customers for two decades.
‘Setup is simple: you order at the kiosk and the menu is limited to four taco options: three beef and one pork, all simply seasoned with salt and lime.
‘I arrived just at 11am when they opened, and there was already a small queue forming, although I only had to wait a few minutes. I’ve heard that some people queue for over an hour in the middle of the afternoon.
‘You have the option of serving yourself with green sauce, red sauce and lime on the side. There is no seating, but on some days, nearby vendors rent stools if you prefer to sit while you eat.
‘While I enjoyed all of the tacos, the pork stood out as my favorite. Were they the best tacos I ate in Mexico City? Probably not, but the high-quality ingredients and Michelin-starred novelty make it worth a visit, especially if you can time it to avoid long lines.
Speaking to Femail, Alex said: “I really enjoy eating in local places when I travel and it’s great to see a street food stall getting international recognition.”
The thinly sliced beef filet is expertly cooked to order and seasoned only with salt and a squeeze of lime.
A cook prepares freshly made corn tortillas while meat is fried nearby
While trying the famous tacos, Alex revealed that the pork option was his favorite, but added that they weren’t the best tacos he had had in Mexico.
‘I’ve been to Michelin-starred restaurants before, but they’re usually much more expensive and have a fine dining style.
“These tacos were expensive for street food, but relatively more affordable, so more people can try Michelin-recognized food.”
Many were impressed with the clip and rushed to the comments to leave their own thoughts.
One person wrote: “I had no idea street vendors could get Michelin stars, that’s really cool!”
Another said: ‘I totally agree. I really enjoyed these tacos but I didn’t think they were the best I had in town. It’s worth a try! The chef also just opened a taqueria in Oaxaca.
Someone else added: ‘Looks delicious! I love the street tacos in MEX! Thanks for sharing.’
The characteristic taco of El Califa de León is the Gaonera, which was created in honor of the bullfighter Rodolfo Gaona and has been produced without pause since the place opened in 1968.
The essence of this taco is a tender beef filet simply seasoned with salt and cooked with a squeeze of lime on a sizzling grill, before being wrapped in a fresh corn tortilla and served with green or red salsa.
Many were impressed with the clip and rushed to the comments to leave their own thoughts.
in your report Michelin explained awarding the star to the hotspot, saying, “This taqueria may be basic with enough space for a handful of diners to stand at the counter, but its creation, the Gaonera taco, is exceptional.”
‘The thinly sliced beef filet is expertly cooked to order and seasoned only with salt and a squeeze of lime.
‘At the same time, a second cook prepares excellent corn tortillas. The resulting combination is elemental and pure.
‘Other options are few but excellent and include bistec (beef steak), chuleta (pork chop) and costilla (beef rib).
“With meat and tortillas of this caliber, the duo of homemade sauces is almost not necessary.”
León’s El Califa is the only taco stand among the 16 restaurants in Mexico that received one star, as well as two restaurants that earned two stars. Most of them are fine restaurants serving expensive seafood.
The prices at the taco stand, however, are much more affordable: a huge taco costs almost $5.