El Califa de León

San Rafael, Mexico City · Tacos · $$

El Califa de León became the first taco stand in Mexico to receive a Michelin star in 2024 - a recognition that caused as much debate in Mexico City as it did celebration. The menu is aggressively simple: beef cuts only, cooked on a steel comal that hasn't changed in decades, served in a flour tortilla with a smear of guacamole or salsa. The star was awarded to Arturo Rivera Martínez, who has been working the same grill since the 1980s. You eat standing, you pay cash, and there is almost nothing else to decide.