When you think of Mexican food, tacos are one of the first things that come to mind. These versatile and delicious delicacies have a rich history and here in Cancun you are spoiled for choice with the number of places that sell them, but before you go aimlessly in search of your taco fix, we’d like to point you in the direction of these five taco places to satiate your hunger and delight your taste buds:

Tacos Rigo

An institution in Cancun, Tacos Rigo has been feeding happy Cancunians since 1988 with a menu full of all kinds of delicious beef tacos. Its main location, with a large colorful wall full of superheroes and children’s TV characters, is on Avenida Palenque. Here you’ll find a cross-section of the city’s inhabitants: young and old, families and couples, groups of friends and solo diners, all looking for a quick bite to eat. A smaller branch is located at kilometer 9 of Kukulcan Avenue, in Cancun’s hotel zone.

Los de Pescado

An alternative to the more common meat-based tacos, Los de Pescado offers fried fish tacos or fried shrimp, here you can add your own garnish such as chopped tomatoes, coleslaw and lime juice, plus a delicious variety of salsas. Los de Pescado is just a 5-minute walk from our Oh! and Smart hotels on Avenida Tulum and, like Tacos Rigo, they also have a smaller branch in the hotel zone at kilometer 7 of Boulevard Kukulcan.

Los Tarascos

Just across the street from Los de Pescado, Los Tarascos is the ideal place to eat tacos at night, as they are open until 3 a.m. most days and until 5 a.m. on Saturdays. Their fast service will have you eating tasty tacos in no time. The tacos al pastor are one of my favorites: pork loin marinated with spices, topped with chopped pineapple, onion and cilantro. They also offer large glasses of horchata (rice milk) and jamaica (hibiscus water), which is worth trying if you haven’t done so before.

La Polilla

A local favorite, Polilla would be easily overlooked with its small and unpretentious location if it weren’t for the large crowd that regularly congregates for its early morning fuel. They offer pork tacos and two options; all white meat or a mixture of pork parts – whichever you choose you won’t be disappointed. These loaded tacos will keep you full and happy for the rest of the day. There is no seating here, so you either eat them standing up or find a spot on the nearby stairs, and although they officially close at 2pm, we recommend you arrive early because when they run out of meat for the day they run out.

El Socio Taqueria Naiz

The most modern of the five, El Socio Taqueria Naiz, is located on a side street off Avenida Nader (a 5-minute walk from La Polilla). El Socio offers more elaborate tacos, with ingredients such as caramelized onions and salted hibiscus petals, which are not found in the typical taqueria, as well as vegetarian options. In addition, you can accompany them with a wide variety of local beers. ¡Salud!

Let us know where you had your favourite tacos!