What this section covers. The way this city actually eats: standing up, from a stall, with a paper plate.
The rules that matter. Eat where there is a queue and where turnover is fast — high volume means fresh product and no time for anything to sit. Watch whether the person handling money is the same one handling food. And taste the salsa with the tip of the taco before pouring it on: the range runs from mild to serious with no warning and no labelling.
What to look for. Tacos al pastor carved off the vertical spit, with pineapple, onion and coriander. Tacos de canasta, steamed in a basket, sold from bicycles in the morning. Quesadillas — and in Mexico City, famously, a quesadilla does not necessarily contain cheese, so say con queso if you want it. Tamales at breakfast, often in a bread roll as a guajolota. Esquites and elotes, maize in a cup or on the cob. And tlacoyos, pre-Hispanic and older than any of the above.
Food trucks. A newer layer, concentrated in the Roma, Condesa and the south, usually gathering in fixed parks on fixed evenings.
Practical notes. Cash and small change only. Bottled drinks rather than tap water or ice from a bucket. Busiest and best between 20:00 and midnight.
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