Mexican Food and Drink: What to Eat in Mexico's Cities

Cabo San Lucas eating splits into three easy zones: the marina and Medano Beach for seafood with a view, the cliffs toward El Arco for a splurge dinner, and downtown for taco stands and casual local spots. The picks below name the dishes worth ordering at each and how to build a day of meals without a taxi.

Cancún dining ranges from the steakhouse and seafood rooms that dominate visitor lists to the taco spots and affordable taquería meals. This guide names restaurants from each tier, sorts them by splurge, mid-range and casual budget, and covers what to order, when to reserve and how to pay.

Cozumel eating splits into three practical zones: the walkable restaurants inside and across from the Puerta Maya and International Pier terminals, the dining rooms of downtown San Miguel, and the beachfront clubs south of town. Pick your zone by how much time you have off the ship, then choose the dish.

Guadalajara rewards eaters who plan by dish rather than by list. Start with a torta ahogada judged by its birote, then work through carne en su jugo, birria and jericalla, with named stops across the city and the neighborhoods where each dish is concentrated.

Tequila is a small Jalisco town northwest of Guadalajara, and the name also belongs to a Miami agave attraction, a Savannah taqueria and a spirits shop in San José del Cabo. This guide sorts them out, then covers the town itself: how to reach it from Guadalajara, what to walk in the center, and how long to allow.

Mexico City rewards eaters who plan by neighborhood rather than by ranking. This guide organizes taquerías, bakeries, seafood counters and fine-dining rooms across Roma Norte, Condesa, the historic center, San Rafael, Polanco and the city's southern edge, with what to order at each and how to pace a day of eating.

Oaxaca rewards eaters who mix a sit-down mole dinner with a market breakfast and a tlayuda from a street stand. Here are the named kitchens, fondas and stalls worth planning around, organized by dish and by meal, with what to order at each.

Puerto Vallarta's dining spreads across street taco carts, no-view seafood kitchens, vegan counters and garden fine dining, and most of the best of it sits within walking distance of the Zona Romántica. This guide groups the picks by meal and mood, names the dish to order at each, and covers cash, card and tipping so a dinner out does not catch you short.

Tulum's restaurants cluster along the beach road and in the downtown grid, and the ride between them sets the shape of your day. This guide names where to eat in each zone, what to order, which places want cash and when to book.

Traditional Mexican food is built on corn, chiles and beans, then split by region: Yucatán pork and lime soup, Puebla mole and cemitas, Guadalajara's drowned torta, Oaxaca's moles. This guide orders the dishes the way a visitor actually eats them, from chilaquiles at breakfast to a late dinner.