Taquería Orinoco — Restaurant in Mexico City

Very confused about the reviews claiming these to be the best tacos in Mexico City. I’m not from CDMX (Brit living in LA) and we decided to give this a go simply bc we were having a drink at a nearby bar. The other days of our 10 day trip we ate at various street taco stands and a local sit down taqueria - all were far superior.

Suffice to say, it was a big mistake. We ordered two of the specials (large tacos), Gringa and Pirata. The order took 40 minutes to come out. My husband and I joked that we should’ve ordered while we were at the bar.

It was a Monday night during holiday season so there was a fair amount of people but for a chain with all this hype they should be much more organized. We saw a lot of people who were dining in waiting for their food for the entire duration we were there.

In terms of service, we saw a lot of staff just standing around. I get it if the food isn’t ready there’s probably not much to do but it felt odd to have them just standing around doing nothing while patrons are sitting/standing for 30+ minutes. Maybe they should check on tables/check on people waiting for orders more often.

The food itself was fine. As someone who lives in LA, it very much felt like the kind of Mexican food you get in LA catered towards Americans. We walked by the place a lot since our accommodation was nearby and it is always filled with English-speaking foreigners.

The meat itself lacked flavor. It was chargrilled but there wasn’t actually flavor/seasoning. The potatoes were fine but cold, so they felt extremely stodgy. I think if they were hot it might’ve been nice, and was a unique thing as I hadn’t seen that at other places. I did like that they gave a tonne of salsa options, cilantro and onion for take out.

Price wise, it’s very inflated but I guess you’re supposed to be paying for the vibe. For the big tacos we paid 139 pesos each. It very much is a taqueria for foreigners, so you’ll pay that premium.

Overall, confused about the hype. I get the vibe people who are scared of trying street food/taco stands eat here.

Some taco stands we tried during our trip we enjoyed that I’d recommend instead:

Tacos Los Juanes (10 pesos and very flavorful, tacos on the smaller side but well filled) Gorditas de Sevilla (great size + flavor, 25 pesos) Tacos y Burritos El Jarochito (really flavorful, good size tacos, I think 25 pesos per taco but don’t remember)

All of these places will have your tacos ready in 5 minutes max, likely quicker, and we saw many...

I went here to order takeout tacos. I paid by credit card, and during payment, the person taking my order never gave me an opportunity to see the screen of the machine. After the transaction was completed and I was waiting for my order, I noticed on my phone that I was charged in USD, which is unusual since I’m typically charged in the local currency or in CAD since I used a Canadian card. This was unusual, as throughout the rest of my trip, all card transactions had gone through as MXN or I was given the option to select my preferred currency, and I was not notified at the till that this was going to be charged in USD. When I respectfully inquired about why I was charged in USD, which is not a favourable conversion for me, the three workers at the front were incredibly dismissive and rude, and were insistent that I was charged in pesos even though my Apple Pay clearly indicated otherwise. They even reprinted my credit card receipt and insisted I was charged in pesos even though it clearly indicated I was charged in USD. Additionally, the individual who took my order (possibly Hernandez Garcia Alejandro Ivan according to my receipt) looked quite annoyed when I declined to tip for takeout, and was noticeably cold through the end of the interaction. Overall, I was disappointed with the service I received, and quite frankly, felt scammed.

Edit: Customer service followed up with me after this review and addressed the issue directly. I appreciate their responsiveness and consider the...

If you’re wandering through Roma Norte and craving tacos that hit hard, Taquería Orinoco is that late-night gem everyone talks about — and for good reason.

From the second you walk in, it’s got a cool retro vibe: white-tiled walls, bold red tables, and a glowing neon sign that simply says “TACOS.” It’s fast-paced, loud in the best way, and filled with people who clearly came for something special. The menu is short and confident — just how a taco spot should be. You have to try the trompo taco (basically al pastor done to perfection), and if you’re feeling bold, go for the chicharrón taco — crispy, messy, and unforgettable. People rave about their Orinoco potatoes, too — smashed, golden, and made for dipping into their five different salsas.

It’s a counter-service setup, so expect to order quickly and wait a bit for your food (especially late at night). The lines can get long, but the payoff is solid. Prices are super fair — most tacos fall between 30–60 pesos, and even the bigger “special” tacos like the pirata or gringa won’t set you back more than 175 pesos. Grab a guava-jamaica-cinnamon agua fresca or a Boing, and you’re good to go.

Bottom line: Orinoco is fast, no-fuss, and wildly tasty. Locals, tourists, taco fiends — everyone ends up here eventually. Come hungry, and don’t skip...