Eating out: It doesn’t have to expensive to be good. It doesn’t have to be fancy to be enjoyable. It doesn’t even have to have chairs!
That is how we roll when we’re eating out. If this is you too, you’ve come to the right place!
In this article, we’ll share with you the best no-frills, all-deliciousness, hot, fast and fresh food we found in Mexico City.
Warning: There is meat. And grease. And carbs. A lot of it.
What’s “Budget” in Mexico City??
It is so much more affordable to eat out in Mexico than to eat out in many other countries, so what the heck do we mean by budget eats?! Isn’t almost everything a “budget eat”?
Okay, okay. There is not much dining in Mexico City that can really break the budget – thank goodness it isn’t Norway – but it’s still nice to save a little here and there so you can travel longer for cheaper.
By budget, we mean filling up on $3 – $7 per meal, not including any alcoholic beverages. Even if we’re eating a little bit from several different places – our “walk-and-snack” approach – it still only takes us about $3 – $7 each to get full at every meal.
Hooray for Mexico!
Mains
These are our favorite mains that we found in Mexico City. While we tried many places, we’ve narrowed down our recommendations to the following.
Esther
We discovered Esther while we were wandering through the street market on a very busy Revolution Day weekend. Even amidst so many street food options, we noticed the line of people outside the door of this little restaurant.
We copied all the locals and ordered a tlacoyo. A tlacoyo is a pre-Hispanic dish made of masa (corn dough) that’s popular in Mexico’s central states. It’s easy to recognize because it’s somewhat oval-shaped, and much thicker than a corn tortilla. To me, it resembles Greek pita bread, but chewier, hardier, and more flavorful because of the stuffing and the char that comes from grilling. Because it’s so thick, it’s conducive to being served with toppings like beans, meat, cheese, and lettuce.
At Esther’s the tlacoyo is stuffed with beans, creamy cheese, potatoes, and a bit of habanero pepper. It’s got a nice kick to it! We also added bistek (beef steak) as a topping.
Cost for a Tlacoyo with Bistek: 35 MXN
Address: letra D, De La Santísima 22, Centro.
When to go: Just east of the Zócalo, Esther is a perfect stop in between sightseeing. Heads up: if you want to eat in, the wait can get pretty long for this tiny restaurant. We ate ours while sitting on the short wall just outside – better people watching!
La Esquina del Chilaquil
La Esquina del Chilaquil (also called La Güera Tortas de Chilaquiles online) is a non-assuming yet very popular food cart that sells chilaquiles sandwiches every morning from 8 am to 12 pm. The sandwiches are a fusion of two different meals: the chilaquiles and the torta. Chilaquiles are corn tortilla pieces that are fried, cooked in salsa, and sprinkled with cheese. Tortas are sandwiches made of a bolillo (bread loaf) stuffed with sauce, meat, cheese, and vegetables.
Combine them and you get super saucy chilaquiles on soft bread rolls. I know – carbs on carbs? How can that be so good? Just trust us.
You choose the chilaquiles you want, either rojo (red) or verde (green), and the meat you want. They’ve got shredded chicken, fried chicken cutlet (milanesa), or barbecued pork (cochinita pibil). Eat it while it’s fresh and warm – there are benches along the lovely, shaded divider in the street. It’s an excellent spot for a quick breakfast picnic before you return to your mid-morning, carb-induced nap.
Cost per Torta: 45 MXN
Address: Alfonso Reyes 139, Hipódromo, Cuauhtémoc
When to go: Early! As a traveler, you may not be out and about in the area of La Condesa in the “early” morning between 8-10 am, but it may be worth it for a taste of this wonderful creation. You can always nap afterward – and with all the carbs, it won’t be that difficult! Brace yourself for a line of others vying for their own portion.
El Pescadito
There are many places called “El Pescadito” in CDMX so don’t make the unfortunate mistake of going to the wrong one. This one is conveniently located in the lovely neighborhood of La Condesa.
El Pescadito offers generously portioned seafood tacos of fish and shrimp, made right before your eyes. The restaurant also offers lightning-fast service, includes a self-service condiment bar with cabbage, pickles, and sauces, and serves traditional Mexican beverages.
Close your eyes, take a bite, and allow yourself to be transported to the beach!
Cost: 35 MXN
Address: Calle Atlixco 38, Colonia Condesa, Cuauhtémoc.
Snacks
Snack vendors are commonplace and also a little nomadic, so instead of recommending specific businesses, we’ll just go through some of the best street food snacks in Mexico City.
Dorilocos
Wowee! This is such a fun and unusual snack, if you get it from the right vendor. This will be the silliest bag of chips you’ve ever had.
Dorilocos explained: a bag of chips (usually Doritos) slit open on the side. Add shredded vegetables like carrots, jicama, and cucumbers. Throw in some peanuts and gummy candy. Drizzle salsa, lime, chamoy, and salt. Enjoy!
All Dorilocos are not created equal. While I get excited whenever I see a Dorilocos sign, I always scope out the vendor first to see what ingredients they have. If they don’t have enough of the fun ingredients, I’ll pass. I don’t want Dori-plain-os!
Our favorite Dorilocos came from a very touristy spot, at a stand outside of the Museo Nacional de Antropología (the National Anthropology Museum) in Mexico City. This particular vendor faces Paseo de la Reforma (instead of facing the museum). You can see from the picture that she had all the fun stuff!
Cost for Dorilocos: 45 MXN. More expensive than other Dorilocos, but the quality is worth it.
Location: Outside the National Anthropology Museum. The museum allows re-entry with your ticket, so take a Dorilocos break to recharge your blood sugar.
Sliced Fruit with Lime Juice & Chamoy
I love walking by fruit and juice stands, with their naturally beautiful rainbow of colors in clear plastic cups. When I feel dehydrated or I just need a sweet pick-me-up after a long museum visit, I look for the fruit and juice vendors.
The prepared fruit cups can include mango, papaya, pineapple, watermelon, melon, grapefruit, jicama, coconut, and even cucumbers. Common fruit juices are orange, carrot, papaya, pineapple, mango, and strawberry, in whatever combination you want to request.
Try them with a squirt of fresh lime juice and some chili powder. I’d previously thought lime and chili powder were added just for flavor – it turns out that this combination is also thought to help counteract the digestive issues of eating raw fruit.
Lime and chili powder all the way!
Cost for Sliced Fruit or Fruit Juice: 15-20 MXN
Ponche
If you’re visiting during the colder season (about November – February) you’re in luck! As the night gets colder, vendors will start rolling out carts with large, steaming pots of Ponche (punch).
Ponche is a warm, tropical fruit cider. Starting with a base of water, brown sugar, and cinnamon, each vendor then adds their own combination of fruits. Fruits like apples, pears, oranges, guavas, tejocotes, and tamarind are most common. Hibiscus flower, if added, gives the ponche a beautiful pinkish color.
I’ve always loved warm apple cider around the holiday season, so picking up a vaso (cup) of ponche on cool nights always hits the spot.
Cost for Ponche: 20 MXN per vaso
Desserts
I didn’t forget to include desserts!
Churrería el Moro
El Moro is now a chain with several locations in Mexico City. The location pinned on the map is the original storefront (opened in 1935). Churrería el Moro specializes in churros and hot chocolate – a classic Mexican combination – though a surprising number of people like their tortas too.
Hot chocolate: pick your favorite depending on richness, thickness, and flavor. We tried the Español and the Mexicano. The Español was dreamy, a super thick and rich hot chocolate with chili flavor. The Mexicano is much lighter and similar to regular hot chocolate.
Churros: the churros here are fantastic, especially if you can get a fresh batch. They have the chewy outside/soft inside combination down to a science. You have the option of churros in plain sugar or cinnamon sugar, and you can choose between three different dips: chocolate, caramel, or condensed milk.
It’s the combination of quality churros and luscious hot chocolate that really makes it worth the wait time.
Cost for Español hot chocolate + 4 churros = 85 MXN
Address: Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 42, Centro (the original location)
Pan Dulces (Sweet Bread)
The smell of freshly baking bread from a panadería (bread shop) will stop you in your tracks.
Panaderías are a part of the landscape in Mexico. They sell everything from everyday bolillos (loaves of white bread) to melt-in-your-mouth, fruit-filled, flaky pastries that you’ll eat much quicker than you anticipated.
While there are many delectable bread and pastry shops scattered all around Mexico City, you will undoubtedly find yourself by the Zócalo at some point during your visit. If so, the appropriately named Pastelería Ideal is a great place to try an array of different breads and pastries.
Pastelería Ideal knows how to do it right. Their bread and pastries are soft, flavorful, and sweet. Pastelería Ideal is actually a cake shop (hence Pastelería instead of Panadería), but that doesn’t take away from the quality of their breads. Bonus: don’t miss the chance to gawk at their elaborate multi-tiered wedding cakes on the second floor.
I usually try to linger over pastries, stretching out my bites to savor the indulgence. But here I think I went through two pastries in one very short sitting – oops!
Cost: 10-13 MXN each. This is among the high end for traditional bakeries, but the quality speaks for itself. If you buy enough treats, you’ll get your very own neatly packaged box to carry home, just like one of the locals.
Address: 16 de Septiembre No. 18, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro
