Read at 3 different speeds

Tacos bar transforms car workshop - 4th August 2023

Tacos and tyres are typically obtained from different establishments, but in Mexico City, a vehicle repair garage doubles up as a tacos bar, except that the mechanics perform by day and the chefs by night. Needless to say, the oils used for frying and fixing are kept well apart!

Drawing thousands of ravenous tourists each year, this quirky tacos venue is a sought-after hub on the city's foodie trails, as experienced taqueria tour guide Tonalli Palomino well knows.

Tonalli Palomino: "Suddenly the tourists stumble upon this really authentic and unique place, afterwards they leave having discovered something completely different."

The El Vilsito manager remains astounded at the distances the various diners have covered simply to appreciate the range of tacos on offer.

Isidro Hernandez Trejo: "They come from all over the world; from the United States, Germany, Japan, Brazil, Colombia, from everywhere."

Whatever their origins, the main feature that captures the visitors' imagination is the undeniable uniqueness of the set-up, which distinguishes it entirely from the other 2,800 taquerias about town.

Rebecca Avila: "I’ve never experienced anything like this before, it is totally unique here."

Christian Avila: "It is a place that you would never have imagined to be something completely different in the daytime, from what it is at night."

Come early afternoon, this popular haunt starts to rev up its engines, when it's partitioned from the workshop by a metal curtain, with a wide opening for customers.

If your motor's being serviced, don't waste your time wondering if these very same mechanics are moonlighting as chefs, since there's a whole separate team intent on fresh food preparation in the lively kitchen.

Gastronomy tours have emerged as a thriving part of the tourist industry in Mexico, and this idiosyncratic setting is a perfect pitstop.