San Miguel de Allende Street Food: 3 Spots You Need to Try

San Miguel de Allende is a charming colonial era city that is 170 mi/ 274 km out from Mexico City. It’s fairytale-worthy cobblestone streets are lined with galleries, restaurants, bars, and courtyards, making for a truly magical Mexico destination. (Check out my rundown of our 2 days in San Miguel de Allende HERE.)

There is a thriving sit-down dining scene specializing in elevated Mexican cuisine. Entrees will set you back around 200-300 pesos ($10-$20usd). Cheap by New York Standards, but pricey for travelers on a budget. Great street food options aren’t as plentiful as they are in other Mexican cities,  but they do exist! We found  three that are a must try regardless of budget.

3 San Miguel de Allende Street Food Must-Tries

1. Tacos San Francisco

As the sun goes down, Tacos San Francisco sets up right around the corner from Jardin Allende. It is quite the operation–  a woman taking orders, another collecting plates, and 4 men busily grilling up all types of meat and assembling tacos in a conveyor line fashion. The star of the show is the giant cylinder of glistening Al Pastor. A flame blasts and chars the impressive spit of meat as natural juices roll down the sides. Pleasant aromas of fire, grease, and meat match the feast for the eyes.

The al pastor was nice and juicy with those dopamine-pumping crunchy bits of charred meat. Onion and salsa roja added a kick, which was balanced out with cilantro and pineapple. The best part? Each taco is less than $1usd, making this stop the Frugal Foodie’s favorite San Miguel de Allende street food stop.

Tip: Tacos San Francisco is loved by locales and tourists alike, and there’s often a line. Don’t let it deter you!  It’s worth the wait.

2. Andy’s Taco Cart

Right down the road from Tacos San Francisco is Andy’s Taco Cart. The rotating spit of al pastor was a bit smaller and a bit less juicy than Tacos San Francisco, but it did have a nice chunk of pineapple on the top. Three loaded tacos were handed to us within 5 minutes of ordering.

The tortillas tasted fresher than the ones from Tacos San Francisco, with a more moist texture and an earthy corn flavor. Plenty of fresh cilantro added a light freshness, and the salsa roja was perfectly spicy without  overwhelming the taco. The meat, however, wasn’t on par with Tacos San Francisco–  salty, and a touch too dry.

Perfect? No. But for less than $1USD each, the tacos from Andy’s Taco Cart are  a can’t miss San Miguel de Allende street food experience.

3. Ice Cream

Ice cream, helado in Spanish, is a popular sweet treat in San Miguel de Allende. Jardin de Allende is home to several ice cream carts that dish up solid scoops. You can enjoy classic flavors  like cookies and cream, strawberry,  and vanilla as well as more unique options like walnut and cheese.

I ordered a double scoop of mamey and cajeta in a cone, which set me back a reasonable $2.50 usd.

Mamey sapote is a fruit with an avocado texture, and the ice cream had a sweet potato meets pumpkin pie meets apricot with a dash of cinnamon flavor. Cajeta is similar to dulce de leche, except it is made with goats milk as oppose to cows milk. The cajeta ice cream had a deep caramel flavor that was intense and satisfying.

Both scoops had a super thick, nearly  gummy, texture, making for a pleasant mouth feel. Not to mention, you can enjoy your ice cream with stunning cathedral views!

Wrapping Things Up….

These three San Miguel de Allende street food stops will satisfy  your belly without taking  a toll  on your wallet.  Must-tires for anyone paying a visit to this charming city!