Travel Foodie: Cancun

Food is a very important part of our trip and a major reason we came to Mexico. Being from LA, Mexican food is an everyday experience for me and my favorite thing to eat aside from sushi. Harry became a huge fan of Mexican food as well after living with me last year. Together, we’re in search of the best food in Mexico.

One of our favorite things about staying in Downtown Cancun was the abundance of food stalls with tasty inexpensive items. The empanadas, sopes, and tacos were all so GOOD – we couldn’t get enough! Unlike the food in the Hotel Zone, we could also eat cheap! An average meal cost $1-$3.

During our week in Cancun, we sampled as many eateries as our budget could handle.

Tacos in the making: tortillas, meat, and grilled onions

Love the topping options!

Tostada de Mariscos 25 pesos

Chorizo Burrito 20 pesos; less than $2

Sopes: Chicharron and Chorizo $12 pesos; $1 each

Chorizo and Egg Breakfast 28 pesos; $2.50

These are some of our favorite things to eat in Cancun:

Favorite Food : Empanada

The empanadas in Cancun are made differently than any empanadas we’ve ever had – they’re bigger, crunchier, greasier, and filled with your choice of flavorsome meat. The empanadas at Quesadillas Tierra Del Sol were especially out of this world good!

While Los Angeles has a wide assortment of Mexican food available, nothing compares to the real deal. The variety of meats have a delectably distinct flavor. Our favorites are chicharron and chorizo.

Favorite Taco: Porki’s

In our daily quest to try as many food stalls as possible, we came across Porki’s Tacos. Located in the same place for more than 20 years, he knows how to make one GOOD taco.

Topped off with cheese, grilled onions, and an avocado based salsa, the carnitas and chorizo tacos were our favorites.

Local Beverage of Choice: “Propofol”

We met a few local guys hanging out at the beach one afternoon that were drinking an horchata-type alcohol beverage. Curious about the interesting ingredients going into this mixture including Vodka, evaporated milk, and condensed milk we started chatting with them.

They called it “Propofol” after the anesthetic drug. Jorge explained that it tasted good and left you feeling great. The guys were super cool and hooked us up with a few drinks. It was pretty tasty!

Food Shocker: Seafood

Seafood was surprisingly expensive even in the local eateries. Rosarito has cheaper seafood than downtown Cancun! Thankfully, we discovered the seafood section at the supermarket Comercial Mexicano. 15 pesos ($1.15) for fish ceviche. Score!

We frequented this market and enjoyed a few tranquil meals in the comfort of our patio.

The Tapatio hot sauce isn’t found in Mexico. We bring our own wherever we go

What’s your favorite Mexican food?