Taquería Orinoco is a popular spot in Mexico City, known for its delicious tacos, efficient service, and lively atmosphere. Since opening in 2015, Taquería Orinoco has become a must-visit spot for authentic northern Mexican tacos in Mexico City.
Taquería Orinoco opened its first location in Monterrey, Mexico. They focused on authentic northern Mexican tacos featuring bold, meaty flavors, soft flour tortillas, simple toppings, and fresh salsas.
After initial success, the taquería expanded. Today, there are three locations in Monterrey and additional locations in Mexico City, including Roma Norte, Polanco, Condesa, and Zona Rosa.
During my recent visit to Mexico City, I stopped by their Condesa location, which is not far from Parque México.
Table of Contents
Interior of Taquería Orinoco
Because it was a Tuesday night, the restaurant wasn’t as busy as I had expected. However, when I arrived, there was a small line out front.
After a few minutes, I ordered with the cashier, paid, received a numbered placard, and found a table.
The interior of the dining room was bright, with white tiled walls and red accents all around. Overall, the space felt clean and modern but still had the charm of a taquería.
In the open kitchen, a taquero sliced marinated pork off the trompo, a vertical spit used for cooking meats. While it wasn’t too busy, the atmosphere was lively, with the sounds of diners and light music playing in the background.
Taqueria Orinoco Menu
The first page of the Taquería Orinoco menu had Suelto tacos, Costra tacos, and special tacos.
There were three types of Suelto tacos: marinated pork (trompo), beef (res), and crispy pork (chicharrón). You could get them with a flour tortilla (harina), corn tortilla (maíz), or a crispy tostada.
Each taco had different toppings. The marinated pork had onion, cilantro, and pineapple chips. The crispy pork had onion, cilantro, avocado, and cheese. Finally, the crispy pork had avocado, pickled red onion, beans, and corn chips.
Costra tacos had the same ingredients as Suelto but included grilled asadero cheese. One extra option was the Costra Orinoco with chicharrón and hot salsa.
Next, were special tacos, described as large tacos with grilled asadero cheese, crunchy corn chips, onion, cilantro, and avocado. You could order marinated pork, beef, beef and marinated pork, and crispy pork.
The menu’s second page featured meatless options, including a quesadilla, drinks, extras, and desserts.
Extras included fried potatoes (Papas Orinoco), beans with corn chips, onion, and cilantro (Frijoles Charros), and sides like onions, avocado, and tortillas. You could even order a full piece of crispy chicharrón.
Drinks included sodas, agua fresca, fruit juice, and beer.
Assortment of Salsas
Like most taquerías in Mexico, the table had an assortment of salsas ranging from spicy to smoky to creamy. Each salsa was fresh, delicious, and paired well with the tacos.
From left to right:
Dark Green Salsa: Tangy, salty, and spicy with fresh tomatillos.
White Salsa: Creamy, like tartar sauce with cucumber.
Bright Green Salsa: Spicy, sour, and salty with jalapeño and avocado.
Light Red Salsa: Tangy, salty, and bright, but not too spicy.
Dark Red Salsa: Spicy and smoky with chile de árbol.
Assorted Tacos
First, from left to right, was the Costra taco with beef (res). I ordered this taco with a flour tortilla.
While I usually order corn tortillas, these Northern-style flour tortillas were large, thick, and soft. They had a chewy bite and a homemade flavor and held up without falling apart.
Inside was tender, charred pieces of sliced beef. While I prefer pork tacos, the meat had a rich, beefy flavor.
Inside was grilled asadero cheese. The cheese was creamy, crispy on the outside, and soft inside. The cheese added a smoky flavor, which complemented the beef.
On top was diced white onion, cilantro, and a little avocado.
Next up were not one, but two Suelto tacos with crispy pork (chicharrón). These tacos served on a flour tortilla, came with crispy pork, pickled red onion, roasted red peppers, and avocado.
Though the pieces of crispy pork were small, they were full of flavor. There were tender, meaty parts, melt-in-your-mouth fatty bits, and crispy, deep-fried, crunchy pieces.
Complementing the rich pork were tangy pickled onions, roasted red bell peppers that were smoky and soft, and creamy avocado.
Last up was the Suelto taco with marinated pork (trompo), a classic and one of my favorite tacos. As before, I ordered it with a flour tortilla.
I enjoyed the thinly sliced pork, freshly cut off the spit like shawarma. The meat was tender but had crispy, charred edges from being cooked over a flame, giving it a smoky flavor.
The diced white onion added a crisp, sharp bite, while the pineapple added a sweet, tangy flavor that complemented the rich, smoky meat.
On the side were sautéed onions and potatoes. The potatoes, which were boiled, mashed, and fried, were simple with a dense texture. They weren’t crispy, but they weren’t soggy either.
Campechana
And finally, I ordered one of the Especiales options, the Campechana. The Campechana came with marinated pork (trompo) and beef (res), grilled asadero cheese, crunchy corn chips, onion, cilantro, and avocado.
The Campechana was similar to the other tacos but much larger. With the same smoky, gooey grilled asadero cheese, it was almost like a quesadilla.
Other than that, the taco was the same. As with the other tacos, the marinated pork and beef were tender and smoky with crispy, grilled pieces.
And it had crispy onion, fresh cilantro, creamy avocado, and the same potatoes, grilled onions, and pineapple on the side.
As for the crunchy corn chips, neither taco included them.
Service at Taquería Orinoco
On my visit, I ordered at the front with the cashier, paid, found a table, and waited for my food. Therefore, I had limited interaction with the staff.
Despite my limited interaction, I appreciated the efficiency and hard work of the staff at Taquería Orinoco. Each worker moved quickly around the restaurant, whether taking orders, cleaning tables, preparing food, or bringing plates out.
Also, my food arrived only minutes after ordering, ensuring the line never got too long as people ate quickly and moved on.
Conclusion
While I’m no expert on taquerías in Mexico City, I enjoyed visiting Taquería Orinoco. The menu, the clean and modern decor, and the efficient service made it a spot worth checking out.
Though the menu was small, it had everything you could want, from pork to beef to meatless options and sides, including the house-made fried potatoes. And I enjoyed the complimentary salsas, each one more delicious than the last.
Overall, Mexico City is full of fantastic taquerías serving delicious tacos, and Taquería Orinoco is one of them.
Pros
- Delicious meats and toppings
- Soft flour tortillas
- Fresh salsas
- Bright, clean, and modern décor
- Efficient service
Cons
- Limited menu for tacos
- Often a line
Hours
Monday: 12:00 AM - 3:30 AM, 1:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Tuesday: 12:00 AM - 3:30 AM, 1:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 3:30 AM, 1:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Thursday: 12:00 AM - 3:30 AM, 1:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Friday: 12:00 AM - 4:00 AM, 1:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 6:00 AM, 1:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 6:00 AM, 1:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Address
Av. Yucatán 3, Hipódromo, Cuauhtémoc, 06100 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
GPS Coordinates: 19.41646,-99.16726
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