Every day on a bustling street in Mexico City’s San Rafael neighborhood, a grill is fired up to reach a sizzling 300 degrees. Hungry customers line up and place orders for the stand’s famous tacos: thinly sliced steak nestled in warm corn tortillas, topped with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.
At Taquería El Califa de León, the sheer volume of tacos defies calculation, according to the establishment’s manager, José Luis Rodríguez Ávila, who joked, “We’re cows’ worst enemy.” However, in the past two days, queues have snaked around the block — skyrocketing demand spurred by the news that El Califa became the first and only Mexican taco stand to be awarded a Michelin star.
The star, which is awarded for “high-quality cooking,” puts the popular street food on par with some of the world’s finest cuisines — a recognition some foodies consider long overdue. But Rodríguez, who’s worked at El Califa over the past 32 years, said the award proved the simplest of foods can be extraordinary when they’re crafted with love and quality ingredients.
Foods don’t have to be fancy to stand out, he said. And tacos, in particular, don’t require a lavish sit-down-style restaurant. The right — make that only — way to eat them, according to Rodríguez: “Standing up, elbow-to-elbow with other people and with a can of soda in hand.” (He also recommends a dash or two of spicy salsa for an extra kick.)
Since 1968, Rodríguez said, El Califa has served up tacos from the same stand on Avenida Ribera de San Cosme, a street dotted with markets, businesses, shops and the occasional vendor. Inside, a framed photo of presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta — who was assassinated in 1994 — hangs on the wall alongside a story by journalist Gabriel Parra describing how Colosio was a usual at El Califa.
It’s a tiny 10-by-10-foot establishment decorated with white tiles and a sizable grill, Rodríguez said. There’s just enough space for customers to stand at the counter to devour their tacos and, on a busy day, sometimes not even that. But that hasn’t stopped customers, who come from all walks of life, from flocking to the humble business — and ordering from a menu that has remained unchanged for nearly six decades.
The Michelin guide describes the stand’s specialty — the Gaonera taco — as “exceptional.” The Gaonera, Rodríguez said, was the brainchild of El Califa’s founder, Juan Hernández González, who decided to name his creation after the famous Mexican bullfighter, Rodolfo Gaona.
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“Thinly sliced beef filet is expertly cooked to order, seasoned with only salt and a squeeze of lime. At the same time, a second cook prepares the excellent corn tortillas alongside,” the guide states. “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 housemade salsas is hardly even necessary.”
That recognition, Rodríguez said, came as a bit of a shock. The 10-person team that’s responsible for all the happy bellies that enter El Califa is overjoyed and “never believed our humble establishment could obtain this distinction,” he said. Yet, “I think we deserve it for our long history of great service and great food,” he added, especially for “innovating and changing the taco scene in the city.”
Some food connoisseurs, however, said the taco stand’s Michelin star was overdue — and highlighted a long-standing lack of recognition for Mexico’s diverse street food scene.
There are 157 restaurants in Mexico recognized in the Michelin Guide. A couple have received two stars, which signifies “excellent cooking,” and 16 have one star. More than 135 others are listed for having “good cooking” or “good quality, good value cooking.” (The highest Michelin honor is three stars. The guide was started by the tire company to inform drivers about good places to stay or eat.)
Within the “on a budget” category, El Califa stands alone as the only street food vendor in Mexico awarded one star. The tacos, which can only be purchased with cash, range from 53 to 82 Mexican pesos — or between about $3 and $5 apiece.
In a country teeming with street food, it’s surprising — and disappointing — that only one street food vendor has been awarded a Michelin star so far and just one star at that, said José Ralat, the taco editor at Texas Monthly.
“It’s almost like they’re filling a hole that they have to fill. On one level, it’s about time. On another, why only one?,” Ralat said. Michelin awards stars to street vendors around the world, he added: “Why not Mexico?”
Michelin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mexico is a big country with varied cuisines, Ralat said. States including Michoacán, Sonora and Jalisco “have provided culinary contributions that have impacted cuisines around the world,” he added.
Though El Califa’s Michelin star may signal progress, Ralat said, people will always find delicious dining in Mexico — regardless of what’s in a food guide.
