My Favorite Restaurant Is on the Sidewalk

“Did you know that red tables at a restaurant mean the food is going to be good?” a friend asked me as we walked toward the place where we were going to have dinner.

There was no line when we arrived, but the place was as packed as always; still, we managed to get the last available table, a red plastic one with four chairs around it, and three salsas in the middle, each with a different level of spiciness.

We looked over the menu, although there isn’t much to think about here. The star of the show is the suadero taco, a cut of beef that’s hugely popular in Mexico City and surprisingly hard to find in Playa; at least, a good one.

This cut comes from the lower part of the cow’s abdomen and is cooked slowly for hours until it reaches that tender, juicy texture that makes it so tasty. It’s no wonder that, in the pursuit of a great taco, we Mexicans have perfected the art of eating standing up, balancing a plate and a soda in one hand and, in the other, this little masterpiece with our pinky finger sticking straight out.

Away from the touristy part of town, we arrive at Taco Rey, greeted by the warmth of a blazing-hot trompo al pastor, getting smaller and smaller as the night goes on. There’s also a huge griddle piled high with all kinds of meat: the famous suadero, bistec and longaniza for those who like to stick to the classics, and tripe for the more adventurous. And it’s not just tacos, you can also order a torta, because, as good Chilangos, we love putting our food in a bolillo.

And this is where you get the full Mexican experience: sitting outside, listening to the street singers, the hum of the city, cars passing by and, of course, the occasional little dog casually wandering between the tables, hoping someone will share a bite of their taco or, by some kind of miracle, that something will fall from the sky for them.

There are no pretensions nor elaborate decorations here. Just plastic tables, good salsas, meat cooking right in front of you, and an atmosphere that feels completely local and familiar. Maybe that’s why it’s one of our favorite places to have dinner. Because sometimes, the best table in the restaurant is the one on the sidewalk, with the city all around you.