A tortería in Mexico City. Photo © Ismael Villafranco, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.
Throughout the city, in any neighborhood, you’ll find a plethora of puestos, or street stands, often crowded around areas where there’s lots of foot traffic, like outside a Metro station. A step up from balancing your plate in one hand and taco in the other, taquerías are simple sit-down eateries (sometimes with a bar and barstools only) that serve tacos and other snacks, while a tortería is the same, but for tortas. All cantinas serve food in addition to drinks, and some have become so popular for eating that they are more like restaurants than bars.You can have a very inexpensive sit-down meal in the city’s many fondas or comedores, small independent restaurants that usually serve breakfast, almuerzo, and comida. At many of these places, the main offering is an inexpensive afternoon comida corrida: a three- or four-course meal that usually includes a beverage, soup, rice, entrée, and dessert. Tasty and well-priced fondas can get overrun at lunchtime. There are some excellent fondas in the city.All cantinas serve food in addition to drinks, and some have become so popular for eating that they are more like restaurants than bars. Many offer free botanas (snacks) when you order drinks, which, in some places, can easily become a filling meal after a few beers or tequilas. On the most formal end of the spectrum, restaurantes serve more formal meals, with menus divided into appetizers and platos fuertes (main dishes).
Excerpted from the Fifth Edition of Moon Mexico City.
