My Favorite Places to Eat Barbacoa in Mexico City

ByJulien Casanova Updated on

I’ve been on a mission to find the best barbacoa in Mexico City. The kind that makes you set an alarm earlier than you’d like, skip your coffee, and rearrange your whole weekend morning around it. It’s a quest I’ve taken on during more than a dozen trips to CDMX.

What I found is that the best barbacoa rarely comes from a restaurant. It’s found at the stands that only exist on weekends. And it comes down to the details: the cut you prefer, the richness of the consomé, and whether you order by the taco or by the kilo.

Below are 5 Mexico City barbacoa spots that are worth planning your weekend around. I’ve also included tips on how to order barbacoa de borrego (lamb) as if you’ve done it before, even if you haven’t.

And if a weekday works better for your travel itinerary, keep reading. I’ve included an option to eat lamb tacos during the week too.

Two tacos de barbacoa in Mexico City topped with onion and red salsa, lime wedges on the side, with a bowl of consomé and a larger bowl of chopped onion and cilantro in the background.

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A quick note: One name that comes up regularly is El Hidalguense (map), a spot that grew from a streetside barbacoa stand into a full restaurant. I’ve never actually eaten there myself as it’s not quite the barbacoa experience I set out looking for. But it’s become popular enough that it deserves a mention.

You’ll also notice nearly everything on this list is located in Roma Norte or La Condesa. That’s partly convenience as it’s where most travelers are already staying. Neighborhood barbacoa joints exist elsewhere in the city too, but from my experience their opening hours are less reliable.

1. Barbacoa Los 3 Compadres

📍 Location: Roma Norte (map)

A menu sign reads "Barbacoa y Consomé Los 3 Compadres" beside a red awning shading long tables full of diners seated on stools at one of the best places to eat barbacoa in CDMX.

This Mexico City barbacoa stand sets up along the sidewalk in front of an OXXO store, with tables and chairs taking over the corner like it’s just part of the block.

The tacos here are meaty and the consomé has a rich flavor that puts it among the best barbacoa I’ve eaten in the city. Three salsas come standard: a smoky chipotle, a fiery red habanero, and a green salsa that’s fresh but doesn’t skimp on heat.

Los 3 Compadres also offers a taco dorado: a long, skinny, deep-fried taco stuffed with barbacoa. It’s not something I’ve seen before at a barbacoa stand. I noticed a pattern with the locals eating around me: work through your regular tacos and a bowl of consomé, and only then order a taco dorado. Almost like a crispy, savory dessert.

2. Rica Barbacoa Capulhuac

📍 Location: La Condesa (map)

This barbacoa stand takes its name from Capulhuac, a town in the State of México about an hour outside the city, considered one of the true birthplaces of barbacoa de hoyo.

Two barbacoa tacos on blue corn tortillas topped with onion, cilantro, and red salsa, with a bowl of consomé blurred in the background.

The technique is similar: lamb wrapped in maguey leaves, sealed into an underground pit, and cooked low and slow for hours. What sets the Capulhuac style apart is that some cooks there layer in avocado leaves along with the maguey, adding a subtle depth to the flavor that’s specific to the region.

Rica Barbacoa Capulhuac is a family-run operation, set up with a couple of long tables under a tent. They use blue corn tortillas, which isn’t unusual in Mexico City, but it is for barbacoa.

Love tacos? Check out my favorite street tacos in Mexico City

3. Barbacoa Dani

📍 Location: La Condesa (map)

A man chopping off some lamb barbacoa meat and preparing tacos for customers in Mexico City.

Barbacoa Dani is located on the south end of Parque España, one of two oval-shaped parks in La Condesa, one of my favorite areas to stay in Mexico City.

When you order, you’ll be asked which cut you prefer: costillas, maciza, espadilla, pancita, or campechano. If it’s your first time, go with espadilla, it’s mostly meat without the extra bits.

A barbacoa taco for breakfast is topped with onion and green salsa sits on a plate next to a bowl of consome.

The lamb tacos are generous and flavorful. Top them with onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and their green salsa, which might be the best I’ve had in the city. The consomé is lighter than some of the others on this list, but still full of flavor.

This was one of the first places I ate barbacoa in CDMX, and it remains one of the best. It’s also one of my top picks for breakfast in Mexico City.

Did You Know? Making barbacoa is a multi-day process that traditionally involves cooking lamb in an underground oven. The meat is salted the day before, then washed and lowered into the pit oven lined with maguey leaves. It cooks overnight while a pot below catches all the drippings to make a rich consomé (broth).

4. Barbacoa Los Toños

📍 Location: Roma Norte (map)

Eating at Barbacoa Los Toños was a happy accident. I was aiming for a huarache stand nearby, part of my ongoing hunt for the best street food in Mexico City. But it looked unappetizing on arrival, so I pivoted and found this barbacoa stand instead.

A styrofoam plate with two barbacoa tacos at Los Toños Barbacoa in Mexico City. One is topped with onion and cilantro, the other with long strips of nopal cactus, a tray of salsas blurred in the background.

Los Toños isn’t as well known as some of the other spots on this list, but the meat is well seasoned. My one complaint is the tortilla. It’s thicker than I like, closer to a commercial tortilla than the fresh, thin ones you’ll find elsewhere.

5. Barbacoa Aguascalientes Tonalá

📍 Location: Roma Sur (map)

This family-run barbacoa stand almost feels like a proper restaurant, with half a dozen small tables set up under a tent and servers taking your order.

A barbacoa taco topped with onion, red and green salsas sits on a blue plate with a lime wedge, next to a bowl of consomé and two bowls of salsa on a wooden table.

Beyond the barbacoa, they also serve quesadillas and tlacoyos. The barbacoa itself has a rich flavor and the salsas have a nice depth. But skip the consomé. My friend and I found the broth to be too light, almost watered down.

Bonus: Taquitos de Mixiote Castelan

📍 Location: Juárez (map)

Mixiote is a close cousin of barbacoa. But instead of whole maguey leaves, mixiote wraps the meat in a thin membrane peeled from the leaf, closer to a Mexican version of cooking en papillote. It’s traditionally made with mutton or rabbit, though chicken, lamb, and pork are common too.

Mixiote lamb tacos topped with grilled nopales, onion, and green salsa, with a lime wedge on the side. Trays of green salsa and cucumber slices sit in the background.

The best part about mixiote is that it’s not tied to the weekend the way barbacoa is, so when I found out I could get lamb tacos on a random weekday, I practically ran to Taquitos de Mixiote Castelan.

The tacos are meaty and flavorful, with the option to order a cup of consomé, just like barbacoa. The table came loaded with more than just salsas: grilled nopales, sliced cucumbers, and pineapple are also available to add to your tacos or eat on the side.

Did You Know? The barbacoa pit is lined with maguey leaves, the same plant behind pulque and mezcal. A 16th-century chronicler called maguey the “tree of miracles” for its many uses beyond food and drink, including fiber, thread, and building material.

A glass case etched with the head of a ram with curled horns frames a cutting board where chopped barbacoa de borrego sits next to a cleaver with a wooden handle, lit in warm amber light.

Tips for Ordering Barbacoa de Borrego

  • Pick your cut. Some stands will ask which part of the animal you want. Espalda (back) and costilla (ribs) are my go-to, though you’ll also hear espinazo (spine) and others offered too. If you’re not sure, espalda is a meaty, flavorful default.
  • Order a small consomé and a taco or two. That’s usually my starting point, and it’s easy to order more once you see the portions in front of you.
  • Be aware of tripe in the consomé. Chickpeas are a common addition, and so is tripe (intestines). It’s not something you can order without. And personally it’s not for me so, I eat around it. But plenty of people enjoy it.
  • Don’t forget to top the consomé, not just the tacos. Lime, onion, cilantro, and salsa all work in the bowl too, not just on the tacos.
  • Go early on weekends. Barbacoa is a Saturday and Sunday thing in Mexico City, made in a finite batch that sells out by early afternoon.
  • Order by the kilo for groups or to go. Locals often order this way, and it comes with tortillas, consomé, and all the fixings. You don’t have to commit to a full kilo either. A quarter (cuarto) or half (medio) kilo is often an option.
A barbacoa taco sits on a plate next to a bowl of consome during a taco tour in Mexico City. Behind is a container of shredded cabbage and cilantro.

What cut of meat is barbacoa in Mexico?

Traditional Mexican barbacoa de borrego doesn’t use a single cut. In central Mexico, a whole lamb is cooked, including the shoulder, ribs, spine, and leg, then shredded together. Some stands let you choose a specific cut when ordering. Beef barbacoa popularized in the US by chain restaurants typically uses cheek or chuck instead.

What part of Mexico is known for barbacoa?

Hidalgo is considered the birthplace of the most iconic style of barbacoa, cooked in an underground pit lined with maguey leaves. Capulhuac, a town in the neighboring State of México, is also famous for its own version of the tradition, with some cooks adding avocado leaves for extra flavor.

How do Mexicans eat barbacoa?

Barbacoa is typically eaten in tacos with onion, cilantro, lime, and salsa, alongside a small bowl of consomé made from the meat’s drippings. It’s a weekend tradition in central Mexico, often eaten for breakfast or brunch. Groups commonly order by the kilo instead of individually, since it comes with tortillas and fixings included.

Finding the Best Barbacoa in Mexico City

Finding the best barbacoa in Mexico City isn’t about tracking down one legendary spot. It’s about knowing what to ask for, which cut to order, how to dress your consomé, and showing up before it sells out. 

You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to know where to start. Any of these Mexico City barbacoa spots will do. And once you’ve had real barbacoa de borrego, slow-cooked underground for hours, you’ll understand what all the fuss is about.

I'm happy you found me. I'm a solo female traveler and the creator of Cultures Traveled. I specialize in Latin America travel with an emphasis on getting out of routine bucket list travel so you can immerse yourself in the local culture, make friends, and experience new traditions.