Restaurant in Mexico City, Mexico
OAD-ranked al pastor, no reservation needed.

Tacos El Huequito is one of Mexico City's most consistently recognised cheap-eats taquerias, ranked #80 on the OAD Cheap Eats North America list for 2025 — up from #195 the year before. No reservation required, no dress code, and open seven days a week in Centro Histórico. Walk in for al pastor and expect to pay very little for something done seriously well.
If you are eating tacos in Mexico City's Centro Histórico, Tacos El Huequito belongs on your list. This is one of the few taquerias in the city with consecutive Opinionated About Dining recognition — ranked #80 on the OAD Cheap Eats in North America list for 2025, up from #195 in 2024, and recommended in 2023 — which puts it in serious company for a street-level operation. You do not need a reservation, you do not need to dress up, and you will not spend much money. The decision here is not whether to book; it is whether to show up, and the answer is yes.
Tacos El Huequito has operated out of Ayuntamiento 21 in Colonia Centro for long enough to become a reference point for al pastor in the capital. The name itself , "the little hole" , signals what this place has always been: a small, no-frills counter where the cooking does all the talking. The OAD rankings are notable precisely because that list skews toward venues that overdeliver for their price tier, and a jump of 115 places between 2024 and 2025 is not noise. It reflects a venue doing something consistently right.
The kitchen runs Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 9 pm, with the same hours on Sunday , a full seven-day operation that makes it accessible whether you are in the neighbourhood for a weekday lunch or a weekend afternoon. Centro Histórico operates at its own tempo, and El Huequito fits that rhythm: open early enough to catch the lunch crowd, running late enough for an afternoon detour after the nearby Zócalo or Palacio de Bellas Artes.
With a 4.2 rating across 3,082 Google reviews, the quality signal is broad-based, not manufactured. High-volume taquerias in Mexico City routinely accumulate reviews, but maintaining a 4.2 across that many data points in a category where opinions run strong indicates a floor of consistent execution rather than occasional brilliance.
On the OAD Cheap Eats scale, the jump from recommended to #195 to #80 in consecutive years places El Huequito among the most-improved venues on the list for North America. For context, OAD Cheap Eats rankings are driven by diner submissions from a well-traveled, often industry-adjacent audience , the kind of crowd that eats widely and compares carefully. Landing in the top 100 at this tier matters.
For a special occasion framing, this is not the place for a long tasting menu or a quiet dinner with service. What it offers is different: the satisfaction of eating something done extremely well at a price that removes all friction. If you are showing someone Mexico City for the first time, or marking a visit to the centro with something that is actually good rather than just convenient, El Huequito is the call. Pair it with a longer, more formal meal elsewhere , Pujol or Quintonil , and El Huequito becomes the honest, grounding counterpoint to the high-end side of the city's dining scene.
Other strong taquerias and casual spots worth knowing in the city include El Farolito, El Hidalguense, and Tacos Álvaro Obregón. For a broader look at where to eat and drink in the capital, see our full Mexico City restaurants guide, our Mexico City bars guide, and our Mexico City hotels guide. If you are planning a wider Mexico trip, notable destinations include Animalón in Valle de Guadalupe, Le Chique in Puerto Morelos, KOLI Cocina de Origen in Monterrey, Levadura de Olla in Oaxaca, Lunario in El Porvenir, and HA' in Playa del Carmen. For taqueria reference points elsewhere, see Leo's Tacos Truck in Los Angeles and Taqueria Del Sol in Fayetteville.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tacos El Huequito | Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America Ranked #80 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America Ranked #195 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America in Recommended (2023) | — | |
| Pujol | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Quintonil | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Rosetta | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | $$ | — |
| Em | Michelin 1 Star | $$$ | — |
| Lorea | $$$ | — |
A quick look at how Tacos El Huequito measures up.
Al pastor is the reason to come. Tacos El Huequito has built its reputation in Centro around that single preparation, and the OAD Cheap Eats ranking (top 100 in North America for 2025) reflects consistent execution rather than novelty. Order multiples — this is a volume-friendly format and the price-per-taco makes it easy to.
Wear whatever you walked in from the street with. This is a working taqueria at Ayuntamiento 21 in Colonia Centro — there is no dress expectation beyond being a paying customer. Comfortable footwear matters more than your outfit, especially if you are exploring Centro Histórico before or after.
A traditional al pastor taqueria is not structured around dietary customisation. If you avoid pork or meat entirely, this is not the right stop — the menu is built around one protein. Vegetarians and those avoiding gluten would be better served elsewhere in Centro.
Yes — it is arguably the ideal format for solo eating. Counter and street-adjacent dining at a taqueria like this has no social awkwardness, no minimum spend, and no wait for a table. You order, you eat, you leave. Solo diners can arrive at any point during the 10am–9pm window without friction.
No booking required or available. Tacos El Huequito operates as a walk-in taqueria, open every day from 10am to 9pm at Ayuntamiento 21. Peak lunch hours in Centro run roughly noon to 2pm — arriving outside that window keeps waits short.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.