I was starving when I finally arrived in Mexico City for my overnight stopover back to the states and the first restaurant I saw was Taquería Orinoco. I could have done this one with my eyes closed; it was all of about 15 steps from the front door of my hotel.
Taqueria Orinoco claims its origin in Monterrey, a city that also owns a unique taco culture. The flour tortillas distinguishes it from the taco traditions in the central part of Mexico where corn tortillas are a staple.
My very first clue it was good was the longest line I had ever seen at a Taquería; it literally extended down the block. The staff told me that YouTube had run a video just that morning on Taquería Orinoco and bingo, taco lovers instantly showed up, and You Tube was the official taco bible today. As it turns out they knew something we didn’t know, putting them ahead of the game on round one.
I immediately devoured three Tacos Al Pastor Trompo on Flour Tortillas at $29 pesos each or a total of 87 pesos for the meal/ $4.66 USD. They also make a great Taco Costa Trompo Harina with cheese and an avocado slice- for $69 pesos each. The staff were super friendly and totally in the know about every single item on the menu.
I found Taquería Orinoco on my list of over 200+ taco spots in CDMX that were recommended to me since I did the call out in May. I’m finally getting around to doing research to narrow the list down to 25 before September. Long lines never lie and with great big beautiful flavors and the proximity of it all, Taquería Orinoco is, at least for now, my #1 tacos al pastor restaurant in Mexico City.
Adding Taquería Orinoco to the list, I now have a total of four favorite taco spots in Mexico; the other three in SMA: the Pork Jowl Taco at Zibu by Chef Eduardo Palazuelos and the Mango and Pork Belly Taco by Chef Odín Rocha at Pirules Garden Kitchen at The Rosewood, along with Andy’s.
And now one last secret revealed: Andy’s full name is Andres Vasquez Laguna; forever the late night king of the streets and still my number one taco spot in Sweet Home San Miguel.
Taquería Orinoco
Av. Álvaro Obregón 100
Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc
06700
Ciudad de México, CDMX
Sunday -Wednesday 1:00 PM - 3:30 AM
Thursday 1:00 PM - 4:00 AM
Friday - Saturday 1:00 PM - 5:30 AM
