Tacos el vilsito, where a handful of key spots get repped for the best pizza or Austin, where the top BBQ is hard to pin down, Mexico City’s 600-square-mile federal district (Distrito Federal, or DF) is home to many excellent taco restaurants and stands. From bustling street vendors serving up traditional favorites such as al pastor and Tacos El Vilsito, to innovative taquerias that are pushing the boundaries with creative fillings and gourmet twists, there’s something for everyone in CDMX.

The Best Tacos in CDMX: A Food Lover’s Guide

The first in a projected series of 10 books by Guia Domingo, this hefty volume illuminates the depth and complexity of the city’s taco culture through profiles of some of the best restaurants and taquerias. Each location, ranging from a taqueria that serves a specialty cut of beef to a place that sells the most iconic offal taco, has been carefully selected by Reyes and offers a glimpse into the heart of Mexican culinary creativity.

Reyes’s picks include Taqueria Orinoco, the creator of the “gaonera” taco, a variation on tacos al pastor that features juicy pork marinated in pineapple and shaved directly from the trompo and served on a soft corn tortilla. The fried chicharron here, prepared norteno-style, is also delicious. The taqueria Los Cocuyos, known for its legendary offal tacos, is another must-visit. And don’t leave without trying the cochinita pibil taco at El Turix, which comes on an open-face panucho that’s thicker than a regular taco and adds a delightful crunch.