5 Best Spots to Eat Like a Local When You Visit Cancun
It's always a joy to dive into some of my favorite Mexican foods when in Cancun.
I have been returning to Cancun time and again for the past decade. People ask why I go to the same spot so often, especially when I could visit new places, instead. They want to know why I enjoy it so much. What's the attraction?
I usually reply with several explanations: the sunshine, the always-warm weather, the beaches and our amazing resort experiences.
But during my recent trip, one of the biggest reasons really became apparent: It's the food and the people.
There is something magical about enjoying a spicy dish and mingling with the friendly and welcoming residents of a country. Mexico — and Cancun in particular — performs this magic better than almost anywhere else.
I'm no foodie by nature, but the simple preparation of fresh, awesome-tasting dishes that make my brow sweat and have me quickly ordering another cold brew to wash it down is my idea of a perfect dining experience.
With that in mind, here are my five favorites ways you can eat like a local in Cancun. This means you get the best-tasting true Mexican food in a friendly and fun environment and often at super-low prices you can't believe.
1. El Fish Fritanga
The roadside stall has a smaller menu of quick and cheap street food. Head out back for a romantic dinner by the lagoon.
Hit the curbside stall for a quick lunch of tacos or head out back and down the staircase to the outdoor seating along the lagoon's edge for sunset dining and a full menu of seafood options that will make your head spin. It's a relaxed atmosphere under umbrellas in chairs and at tables on the sand. Be prepared for a little tableside serenading from the house mariachi band. Note that choices are heavy on the seafood, with fish, octopus, shrimp and more. But you can also get a steak, grilled chicken or heaping skillet of steak or chicken fajitas. El Fish Fritanga is located at kilometer marker 12.6 on Kulkukan Boulevard.
2. Blue Gecko Cantina
We love the casual and friendly atmosphere at Blue Gecko Cantina.
Tex-Mex personified, but leaning much heavier on the Mex. The small hole-in-the-wall bar/restaurant is owned by a Texan, so you'll find American twists on Mexican favorites. Try buffalo chicken tacos, spicy garlic shrimp tacos or pork tacos with pineapple. You sit around picnic tables and enjoy chunky guacamole, strong cocktails, cold beers and energetic and attentive servers. Located at 16 KM on Kulkukan Boulevard.
3. Tacos y Tequila
Crispy chicken tacos is just one of the many menu items you will love at Tacos y Tequila.
A surprise pick in that it's located at La Isla shopping center in the Hotel Zone right across the street from the Westin Lagunamar Resort. The prices are low, and the menu is huge. We love the complimentary salsa wheel that offers six flavors (ranging from mild mango to muy picante habanero!) in which to dip the homemade corn chips. Make sure you ask for a "free drink" coupon before you agree to sit down. We have always enjoyed their enticement of a free margarita to take a seat for lunch or dinner (though, we probably would pick this spot anyways). In fact, all the restaurants packed in near the lagoon in the Las Isla shopping mall are likely to offer some sort of free drink deal, so negotiate for something before you commit to having a meal anywhere.
4. Tacun
The gingham tablecloths and shaded patio seating draw you in. The cheap prices and delicious food make you pull up a seat at Tacun.
Tucked in among all the fancier options in the Hotel Zone and across from the Outback Steakhouse at Flamingo Plaza, pull up a chair at this roadside eatery that serves Mexican "street food" with a few added amenities, like tables, chairs and even a TV. Order the tacos pastor and watch out for the hot habanero in the salsa selections they serve as an appetizer with the complimentary chips. We had a wonderfully filling meal with two entrees, guacamole appetizer and four cold bottles of beer for $22. Located at KM 11.5 on Kulkukan Boulevard.
5. Food Stalls at Parque Las Palapas
Meals are made fresh, and even those who speak only a bit of Spanish can order by pointing to the colorful menus.
Eat alongside residents of the downtown Cancun neighborhood at this town park area that sits next to a small playground where we saw children having a blast. We also happened by as a dance class was working out to festive music. It's a wonderful scene to be a part of. But the food is why we came, arriving via a quick $1 ride on the R1 bus from the resort area.
Your jaw will drop at how little this fresh, delicious, hand-crafted food sets you back. Peruse the row of about eight stalls all serving similar fare, and let your senses take over. You can work on your Spanish while ordering, too, as the workers whipping up your meal probably speak little to no English.
We got three pork tacos, three tacos dorados, a big tamale, all the fresh salsas and onions our taste buds could handle and two Diet Cokes for about $5. You're gonna feel like you got such a deal that you'll want to leave a generous tip. And that's the nice thing to do!
Happy eating!
JR