El Califa de León Becomes First Taco Stand to Win Michelin Star

Need one more reason to book a trip to Mexico City? Easy. You need to go taste the food at El Califa de León, the very first Mexican taco stand to earn a Michelin star. 

In May, a Michelin representative presented chef Arturo Rivera Martínez with the award, including the coveted white chef’s jacket, which the Associated Press noted he didn’t even bother putting on. He was just too busy searing his daily meats. 

The taco stand, located in the San Rafael neighborhood, only serves four tacos, but those four tacos, Michelin explained, are done to absolute perfection.

“The Gaonera taco is exceptional. Thinly sliced beef filet is expertly cooked to order, seasoned with only salt and a squeeze of lime,” the guide wrote in its new entry. “At the same time, a second cook prepares the excellent corn tortillas alongside. The resulting combination is elemental and pure. Other options are few but excellent, and include bistec (beef steak), chuleta (pork chop), and costilla (beef rib). With meat and tortillas of this caliber, the duo of house-made salsas is hardly even necessary.” 

And really, at least according to Rivera Martínez, that’s the magic in his meals: Simplicity. 

“The secret is the simplicity of our taco. It has only a tortilla, red or green sauce, and that’s it. That, and the quality of the meat,” Rivera Martínez told the AP, adding that “Coke” is the perfect pairing to his Michelin meals.

There are a few things you need to know if you plan to visit and order a taco. First, it’s a tiny place where only about 10 people can fit inside at once, so you may have to wait outside, which people seem to happily do as they chow down on their orders. Next is it’s firmly cash only. But that’s also OK because the prices are all relatively affordable. According to El Sol de Mexico, the steak taco is 53 pesos (about $3.17), the rib is 82 pesos (about $4.90), the Gaonera runs at 70 pesos (about $4.19, and the Chop is another 82 pesos (again, just under $5). That Coke to wash it down with will cost you a little extra.