Taco Stand, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

In Praise of the Local Taco Stand in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

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When we asked locals in San Miguel de Allende (that is, the actual locals from Mexico, not the expat ‘locals’) where to eat Mexican food, we were often met with a deafening and sometimes embarrassing silence and mumbled directions to a taco stand.

I’m guessing it was the fact we used the words ‘good’, ‘local’ and ‘authentic’ that prompted the awkward pause. Some reluctantly and half-heartedly mentioned a couple of places before changing the subject.

Others, including a couple of chefs, refused to put any recommendations in writing when we asked, while others just shook their heads and said that while they go out for drinks in San Miguel, they mainly eat at home.

In Praise of the Local Taco Stand in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

It was only when we raised the subject of ‘street food’ not ‘tacos’ in San Miguel de Allende that the locals’ eyes lit up!

Taco Stand, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Buoyed somewhat by our fabulous Mexico City street food tour, as we wandered around San Miguel we kept an eye out for street food stands that were popular with locals. One that immediately caught our eye was a van that set up every afternoon on the cobblestone street in front of Mesones 8 just around the time the sun was going down.

The first time we spotted the taco stand, we watched the guys setting up and beginning to prep for the night. They had a lot of food ready to go and were still working hard to get ready as the locals began to line up. We had a dinner appointment that night so we made a note to return the next day.

Taco Stand, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

When we went back around 7pm the following evening, tacos were already flying over the counter. Big 4WDs full of cowboys and local families were pulling up, putting on their hazard lights, and picking up huge pre-orders.

Other locals were arriving at the taco stand and ordering big bundles of take-out, and getting stuck into a couple of tacos while they waited. The guys making the tacos were chopping up meat so fast their hands were a blur. We’d found our taco nirvana.

The first night we visited, we tried the tacos al pastor. The meat from the vertical spit was being sliced so often that there was little time for the meat to even sit in the bottom of the tray.

Tortillas were being heated in the fat of the meat for the carnitas or ‘little meats’ and locals were slathering these with a salsa verde. We did the same. About 30 seconds later we ordered the same again!

Taco Stand, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

After a few visits, we had tried every type of taco on the menu – well, there was no actual menu – but we worked our way through the different types of tacos on offer. Occasionally a local expat would saunter up to the counter.

Some expats knew the place well and knew how to order, but one night, around midnight, a group turned up too late for the tacos al pastor. The vertical spit stood forlornly without a shred of meat on it.

Taco Stand, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Confused by the rest of the mouthwatering treats on offer the group walked off, much to the bemusement of the guys running the van. These boys know they have the best Mexican food in town at their taco stand, whether the gringos are into it or not!

We joined them in their laughter, because, after all, it meant more for us. Before a more savvy group turned up, we quickly ordered another round of tacos!

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Terence Carter is an editorial food and travel photographer and infrequent travel writer with a love of photographing people, places and plates of food. After living in the Middle East for a dozen years, he settled in South-East Asia a dozen years ago with his wife, travel and food writer and sometime magazine editor Lara Dunston.

7 thoughts on “In Praise of the Local Taco Stand in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico”

  1. I love these places the food & the characters you meet huh as everyone stands around chomping, ordering a bit extra. Would love to see a doco on your street food finds, would be amazing (do it…. lol)

  2. Hey Anna, thanks for your comment. We are working on some video projects – it’s just very time consuming to make them to the standards that we’re happy with – and neither of us want to be ‘hosts’ and ‘personalities’ like Aussie Bill Granger so the doco format is what we’re working on. As both ex-UTS Sydney film grads, we’re a pedantic couple when it comes to moving pictures!
    But in reference to the taco stand, we also really love it when people come up, order a few tacos, quickly inhale them and then decide they want a couple more and go from tacos al pastor to chorizo tacos. That’s how to eat street food!

  3. It took us 3 months to get out of Mexico. We fell hard and we fell fast. I miss so much about it. Food is just so bad in Central America. :(

  4. Don’t worry, we share your pain. It was the first country we travelled to together when we were young – did a 6-wk backpacking trip all over – and everything about it was wonderful. When we returned to Sydney I decorated our Potts Point apartment like Frida Kahlo’s house, we drank copious Coronas and Terence made sopa de tortilla. Eventually we got over the heartbreak, but our passion was definitely rekindled on this trip. We hear you on the food front too. The fantastic food in Mexico made Costa Rica’s ‘cuisine’ disappointing to say the least. Got to hatch a plan to return! When will you get back?

  5. Yum, I love street food, and i LOVE tacos.
    Reading this post is making me miss Mexico and San Miguel immensely!

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