El Fogon Playa del Carmen Review: Best Local Tacos

Playa del Carmen is home to an incredible variety of restaurants. In fact, you will find a much wider and more authentic selection of dining options here compared to the typical Hotel Zone in Cancun.

Since you are in Mexico, trying authentic local tacos is an absolute must, right?

After doing some research, I decided to check out a popular local spot called El Fogón. I walked away incredibly satisfied, and I highly recommend adding it to your foodie itinerary!

El Fogón: First Impressions

To be honest, the location is a bit of a walk from the main tourist strip of Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue)—about a half-mile away.

Isn't this place charming? From the moment you see it, you get those vibrant, authentic Mexican restaurant vibes.

The Menu

They hand you a wonderfully worn-out, traditional menu. We decided to focus our attention entirely on the "los tacos" section.

Complimentary Starters

First, they set up the table with a colorful array of complimentary side dishes and salsas. You get a tray with three different house taco sauces.

They also serve fresh lime wedges, totopos (crispy tortilla chips), guacamole, and a unique side of cooked nopal (cactus). If you have ever eaten aloe vera, nopal has a very similar slightly gelatinous texture. Taste-wise, it is relatively mild and simple—not amazing, but a cool traditional element to try.

The totopos are those classic, crunchy tortilla chips that go perfectly with the house salsas.

What to Order: Recommended Tacos

On the left is the legendary Al Pastor taco, and on the right, we have the Sirloin and Chorizo tacos.

The Al Pastor is the star of the show. You know that giant, rotating vertical spit of seasoned pork topped with a pineapple that you always see in taco videos? That is exactly how they prepare the pastor meat here. It is highly recommended!

For the plate on the right, the top taco is beef sirloin and the bottom is chorizo. There is a distinct difference between Spanish chorizo and Mexican chorizo, but both are incredibly flavorful. These were delicious.

Una Cola y una Cerveza por favor! (A Coke and a beer, please!)

Compared to the street tacos I tried in Mexico City, the corn tortillas here had a slightly less intense corn flavor, which was a minor downside. However, the fillings were incredibly generous, and the overall quality was top-notch. If you ever run low on salsas or toppings, just ask the staff for more.

One thing to keep in mind: the restaurant is completely open-air. That means it gets quite warm inside, especially during the humid summer months. But honestly, that just makes a freezing cold Mexican beer taste ten times better!

Some of the staff members speak English, while others only speak Spanish. But don't worry—pointing and basic hand gestures work perfectly fine here. Language barriers won't stand between you and great food!

Bonus Find: Euro Grill

This spot is a bit too small for a dedicated blog post, but it is a fantastic street-side hot dog and sausage stand that you should definitely check out if you are nearby.

We stumbled upon this little stand right on the side of the street. The smoky, savory aroma of sausages sizzling on the open grill was so intoxicating, we were practically pulled in by our noses, cartoon-style, to place an order.

They cook the sausages over a real charcoal grill. Interestingly, even though the stand's name and menu are in English, the staff member working there did not speak any English at all. Each sausage costs 85 pesos (which is about ~$4 USD). The menu lists the different sausage varieties available.

Once you choose your sausage, they grill it up and slide it into a fresh bun. They have a selection of sauces and sliced jalapeños sitting on the counter, so you can customize your hot dog exactly how you like it.

Despite its simplicity, this was incredibly delicious! We weren't super hungry, so we only shared one, meaning I couldn't sample them all to tell you which is the absolute best. However, for your reference, here are the options they offer:

- Chorizo Argentino (Argentinian-style chorizo)

- Bratwurst & Frankfurter (Classic German-style sausages)

- Italiana (Italian sausage)

- Polaca (Polish sausage)

- Chistorra Española (A thin, flavorful Spanish-style sausage)

If you happen to pass by Euro Grill during your strolls around Playa del Carmen, make sure to stop by for a quick, satisfying street food snack!