12 top spots for best tacos in Cancun, Mexico
Over the course of three weeks that we spent in Cancun, Mexico I went on a hunt to find the best tacos in Cancun. After stopping by and trying out more than a dozen taco restaurants, here is the final list of the best, most authentic Mexican tacos in Cancun!
Just so you know what to expect here, traditional Mexican tacos are usually folded hand-sized soft tortillas with a filling that includes some kind of meat or seafood, vegetables (like onions, pineapple), melted cheese (optional), and salsa (usually spicy).
In this blog post, you will find all the best places for tacos in Cancun with descriptions, photos, and locations on the map, so you can choose your favorites and make your trip to Cancun even better with some delicious tacos in your belly! Cheers!
1. El Socio Naiz Taquería
Have you already tried typical tacos and maybe are looking for tacos with some twist? Mexican food but make it a bit gourmet? El Socio Naiz Taquería taco restaurant next to Nader Avenue is the perfect place to go for some very unique flavors and tastiest tacos!
El Socio Naiz Taqueria had more than a dozen different types of tacos but we opted for ‘Del trompo traditional’ (similar to al pastor tacos), ‘El Chuleto’ steak tacos, and our favorites were ‘ Pal’ Atascado’ tacos with chicken, cheese, and caramelized onions.
All of them were fantastic and I would come back here any time if I had a chance! They also served us six different sauces which ranged from not spicy to very spicy. I liked the tamarindo sauce the most – sweet, sour, and a bit spicy!
Here they also had a good list of cocktails. I opted for Berry Naiz – it tasted very much like blackberry mojito (which tastes amazing). Prices here are a bit higher but not at all expensive for what you get. I loved this place and would love to return!
Location: El Socio Naiz Taquería
2. Taqueria Coapeñitos
I loved Taqueria Coapeñitos! It is a great taco place in downtown Cancun that is visited by both locals and tourists alike. It’s a place where you get a good mix of authentic tastes, quality food, good tacos, and that laid-back vacation atmosphere.
Their tacos are a bit bigger than traditional tacos. Normally a taco would take three bites to finish it but their tacos were four-bite tacos. I opted for Taco Suadero (my favorite!), their special Taco Coapeñito, and Taco de Lengua (beef tongue taco).
Although the tongue taco wasn’t really for me, all of their tacos tasted a-ma-zing! Tacos were served with four different salsas and we also ordered guacamole. They have seating outside and inside. Overall I loved it and I’d return here in a heartbeat!
Location: Taqueria Coapeñitos
3. Taquería el Poblano
Taquería el Poblano was the first place we went for tacos in Cancun and it did not disappoint! Although they are located next to the busy Avenida Tulum in the center of Cancun, the traffic never bothered us. They have a big seating area inside and outside!
They offer all kinds of typical Mexican dishes, but we were here for tacos. They have like six different types of tacos. We went with classic options – 5 tacos al pastor and 5 of chorizo tacos. For 10 tacos we paid 200 Mexican pesos (around 6 USD / 5.50 EUR).
When you order 5 of one kind, they bring you all the ingredients on a plate and you can create your tacos yourself. I had tortillas (they brought more than five!), meat, onions, cilantro, and pineapple pieces all on the plate so I could put them all together.
They also serve tortilla chips and two different sauces – one less spicy and one a bit hotter. Overall, I very much liked this place, liked the atmosphere, and food was fresh and tasty. This is a great place to go for lunch or dinner! I would gladly return!
Location: Taquería el Poblano
4. Tacos Villanos
Tacos Villanos is one of the best taco places in the Cancun Hotel Zone. They specialize in tacos with a creative twist. You can choose from more than a dozen different types of tacos including meat, fish, and vegetarian tacos.
We chose different meat and fish tacos to taste as many flavors as possible. Overall they were good but not amazing. Some were great like pork belly taco but some were very average. However, I would go back to this place – worth a visit!
Location: Tacos Villanos
5. Tacos Los Parejas
Tacos Los Parejas is a small taco restaurant chain in Cancun serving incredibly tasty tacos. It is the perfect spot to go for authentic tacos in Cancun! Although all their restaurants are located outside the city center it was very much worth the trip!
There are many good taco places in Cancun but nothing can beat a simple grilled street taco with meat prepared right in front of your eyes and all the restaurant tables wrapped in a mild cloud of grilled meat scent!
If you are looking for great tacos and authentic tastes then ask your taxi driver to take you to Tacos Los Parejas. Try to arrive later after their opening times as they sometimes don’t have all the flavors available yet. We tried suadero, chorizo, and pastor tacos here.
There are tables outside and inside which is a big plus for a place like this as not everyone wants to sit at a table on a sidewalk. They served plates with plastic bags on them (for hygiene?) and brought lime, onions, cilantro, and two salsas to go with tacos. Overall, I liked this place!
Location: Tacos Los Parejas
6. Tacos de la Yaxchilan
Tacos de la Yaxchilan is a street food taco place in downtown Cancun. It is located in a small street adjacent to Avenida Yaxchilán. In the evening, this street is filled with many street food stands grilling meat and selling tacos, tortas, gringas, etc.
One of the most popular stands is Tacos de la Yaxchilan. They grill the most flavorful, juiciest meats for your tacos. Once you get your order you can go and add many different toppings to your tacos – as many as you like!
We opted for classic tacos – chorizo and pastor tacos and added some onions, cilantro, and salsas. Overall, these are some of the best authentic tacos you can get in Cancun and I highly recommend visiting this place!
One thing to know about them is that their working hours on Google Maps are incorrect. They do not open during the day so don’t even try to go there for lunch. We tried once and the street was empty. Go there in the evening after 6 or 7 PM!
Location: Tacos de la Yaxchilan
7. TACO y TEQUILA
TACO y TEQUILA is a popular taco restaurant in the Cancun hotel zone inside the La Isla Cancún open-air shopping complex. The restaurant proudly boasts a waterfront seating area where you can enjoy the views over the Nichupté water lagoon.
Their popularity comes at a price as you might have to wait longer for a table or for your order to be brought to the table, but if you like the buzz then this is the place to go. Plus their drinks and food menu is extensive so you will definitely find something you like!
For tacos, we chose their sampler plate that comes with eight tacos so we each got to taste four tacos of three different tastes. We also ordered guacamole (great!) and churros (yum!). They also brought three salsas for tacos and tortilla chips.
Overall I liked our experience. Taco tortillas, however, were a bit too cold and hard as if they had too many orders and ours was left waiting for too long (we did have to wait for a while for tacos). Normally you’d wish for your tortillas to be soft and warm.
If you are looking for a laid-back place to have drinks and some Mexican food in the hotel zone, this is a great place to go! I especially loved the view and that they offer taco sampler plates – great for sharing! The tacos could have been fresher though!
Location: TACO y TEQUILA
8. La Parrilla Plaza La Isla
In case the TACO y TEQUILA spot is too crowded and busy, there is another place right next to it at the waterfront where you can get great tacos, great drinks, and even better views especially if you come here around sunset hours like we did!
La Parrilla is a small restaurant chain that you will find in many places around Cancun serving Mexican food including very decent tacos. If you want to sit down at a table and enjoy simple Mexican food in a relaxed atmosphere, this is the place for you!
We happened to arrive here right before the sun went down and it was magical. They offer different plates of tacos that come with 4 tacos accompanied by black bean paste and rice. The order came with two salsas and tortilla chips.
I ordered al pastor tacos and they were quite good although the tortillas were a bit fragile. They should serve them with double tortillas. My husband got chorizo tacos and was satisfied. Overall it was a simple, nice place – nothing extraordinary.
Location: La Parrilla Plaza La Isla
9. Dons Tacos and Burritos
Dons Tacos and Burritos is a trendy Mexican food and cocktail spot in the hotel zone in Cancun. They serve the best burritos and other Mexican foods like tacos, nachos, and quesadillas and a selection of drinks – cocktails, beer, tequila, and soft drinks.
For tacos, you can choose a plate of four tacos of two different tastes (or all of the same type). I went with arrachera tacos with cheese and carnitas tacos (‘little meats’ tacos made of pork meat). We also got guacamole with tortilla chips.
The tacos were big and we ate very well but I wanted to like those tacos more than I did. The tortilla was very thin and ripped open almost every time but for arrachera tacos, the cheese wasn’t melted at all. However, they served 10 different salsas with tacos!
For seating, they only have these bar counter style seatings outside under a reed roof. Overall this is an okay place to go if you are staying in the hotel zone and want a quick lunch. But not the place for authentic tacos, or if you want to be served at a table.
Location: Dons Tacos and Burritos
10. Taqueria Bonampak
If you are looking for a real Mexican taco and not afraid of going off the beaten path then Taqueria Bonampak is the right place to go to satisfy your taste buds. It is a small authentic taco place serving some of the tastiest tacos we had in Cancun!
They even had an option to choose between tacos of corn tortillas and wheat flour tacos. We went with the typical corn tortillas and ordered pastor tacos (their specialty), arrachera steak tacos with cheese (they were to die for!), and chorizo tacos (yum!).
They also brought two salsas, pickled onions, and lime to go with tacos. They added extra punchy flavor and made them even tastier! Despite the delicious food, sitting and eating at a table on a sidewalk while cars are passing by might not be for everyone.
Besides I was brought a drink in a glass that looked like it hadn’t been washed at all for a while. Luckily I have a strong stomach. If you are a fan of very good hygiene then this is not for you. If you love exploring authentic street foods, then you must visit this place!
Location: Taqueria Bonampak
11. Tacos Rigo
Tacos Rigo is an iconic authentic taco restaurant dating back to 1988. They offer all kinds of typical Mexican dishes including a variety of tacos. The restaurant stands out with its laid-back atmosphere, festive decorations, and colorful murals on the walls.
It is the most festive-looking restaurant we visited in Cancun! For tacos, I went with their famous Suadero Taco, classic Pollo Taco (chicken taco), and the authentic Tripa Dorada taco which is a fried beef gut taco – considered a delicacy!
The meat of suadero taco was a bit too sour for me. I’m not sure the taste of the marinade has to be that strong, but overall it tasted good. The unique tripa dorada taco (beef gut) was crunchy and unusual but not that special to be something unforgettable.
What I liked the most about their tacos was that they served all of them with a lot of onions and cilantro – made them taste fresh and added extra flavor. The tortillas were also nice. They only served two salsas with tacos – both spicy. Overall I enjoyed it!
Location: Tacos Rigo
12. Gory Tacos
Gory Tacos is a cozy eatery in downtown Cancun. They offer a good variety of tacos including fish tacos and shrimp tacos as well as plenty of options of other Mexican dishes and drinks.
This is more of a basic eatery but with very decent tacos. We opted for bistec tacos and chorizo tacos with cheese. They came on a plate with black bean paste and we had to put them together. They also brought lime, tortilla chips, and marinated pepper.
The tortillas and meat were nice, however, I was hoping for more flavor. They only brought one salsa for tacos which is a big downside. Salsa quite often is what really makes the tacos good. Some taco restaurants brought us five or even six salsas!
Location: Gory Tacos
Happy exploring!
Cancun was such a gem! This buzzing coastal city in Riviera Maya is all about enjoying the sandy beaches with blue water, trying different tasty Mexican foods, and fun nightlife. It is also the perfect place for exciting day trips around the Yucatán Peninsula!
We had the privilege of spending a few weeks in Cancun enjoying the famous beaches as well as the local cuisine. We also spent a couple of months traveling around the Yucatán Peninsula and exploring everything it had to offer.
From white-sand beaches to dark underground cenotes, and ancient pyramids – there’s just so much to see! I hope you enjoy your time there as much as we did and I hope you get some travel inspiration from this blog post for your travels too! Happy exploring!
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