El Fogón

We heard from a local worker at the resort we stayed in who lived in Playa that his favorite place for tacos was a place called El Fogon. The driver knew it and pointed it out to us on our way to the touristy shopping area of Playa. There are plenty of restaurants in that touristy area, but it was clearly geared towards visitors. We wanted local flavor — literally and figuratively. We walked around maybe 30 minutes, and then walked the 5 minutes from there to El Fagon. We got there around 8 PM on a Monday and we had to wait for a table maybe 15 minutes. The food was awesome. My 13 year-​old son said it ruined him for eating tacos in CA now (we will have to find some of the Mexican taco places near us that have not been Americanized). The tacos were incredible, as were the nachos. Even my picky 11 year-​old daughter liked their chicken tacos. Four meals, nachos and several drinks all for 500 Pesos (about $ 30). Best meal we had all week. We then walked across the street to the Mega to get groceries. We mostly bought breakfast food and drinks. We had all we needed for the week and the total cost to us was $ 27.
If you are in Playa and don’t make it out to El Fagon, you are missing a treat. Wish they had one in CA!

We found this place through TripAdvisor and it did not disappoint! You get a mixture of locals and tourists who don’t mind going off the main tourist zone. We had the Arrachera Fajitas, tacos al pastor, and El Taco Loco (something similar to a burrito that had a mixture of meats in it). Everything was delicious! Also, you must try their bean soup (sopa de frijoles charros) which my kids absolutely loved! My husband and I ordered it for ourselves and our kids ended up eating it all!
Food, Drinks and Service was great! I’ll definitely be back next time I’m visiting PDC!

Went there in the evening and there was a queue waiting for tables which is always a good sign. Best pork tacos I’ve had so far in Playa and the margeritas and mojitos are pretty good. Will definitely try their other dishes.

As far as food goes in Playa De Carmen … This is the Real Deal Holyfield for Tacos ! Hands Down… Enough Said !

The hottest dinner I have ever encountered. It was literally 100F–110 °F at the table with no breeze from a fan. We were dying from heat, but dealt with it because we heard it was good. I have a new found understanding of what it must feel like to work in a sweat shop.
The tacos were delicious. There were a few other Americans there, otherwise mostly locals. The places next door sell something similar and they were dead. Literally dead.
It was a good price. 6 tacos, 2 beers, $ 11 USD out the door.
It took 15 – 20 mins to get our check. The waiter disappeared. We were melting from the heat at the point and couldn’t handle it. We live in CA where it is hot, but this was ultra hot.
My stomach got sick 28hrs later. So don’t think it was from here, but next time I am not eating the salsa and pickled jaleponeos that are a side dish. I plan to come back! I GF was über impressed.

We were adventurous and tried this place! So good! Legit and a ton of food! We will eat here again and again when we come back!

I went to this place based on the reviews on Unilocal.It was the number one in the area, and also a lot of walking. Alongside we noticed a lot of good restaurants but we all decided to try this one. We waited just a few short minutes to be seated since we came in a big group. They don’t have many tables for big groups so we had to wait for them to accommodate us. We ordered our beverages (micheladas all around) then ordered our meals. Everyone got something different; the food was really okay nothing special. The service, well we had to flag down the waiters a couple time for refills, napkins, bill and such.

Ever since I knew I was going to Playa I knew I would try this place.
This Gem did not disappoint. There is a reason this place is ranked 2^nd on here by Unilocalers.
The sights the smell and the taste take over once you enter this establishment. The fact that this place menu is in Spanish and the wait staff could barely speak English lets you know they cater to their local populace. They seat you with an appetizer of nachos and bean soup. The soup was amazing. I hate beans for the most part but this was something entirely different. The seasonings in this soup is something special. The pictures speak for the entrée.

I have to say… do not let the pictures of their food fool you. This place is delicious! Obviously, with all the stars and reviews, you can surmise this conclusion. Yet, I know some might be like myself, and if they saw these pics, they’d wonder if it were in fact true.
Let me confirm that these stars are well deserved. If this is authentic Mexican, I’m buying! I’ve been down here a few times but this was my first time eating off resort. Can’t wait to come back and explore others that are highly recommended.
Cheap food, but excellence in taste.

After a day of exploring some local ruins, we were famished. We had originally tried to come here for lunch, but they were not open yet, so returned after our day of adventuring. We tried a bunch of tacos al pastor (AMAZING!!! The meat here was complex and so flavorful!!), nachos al pastor (I usually don’t like refried beans, but these were soo good and a huge portion), and the queso fundido with chorizo was good as well — I think we went overboard with all the cheese, but despite the mass amount of cheese we consumed, somehow it was still very light and didn’t feel like an oily blob in my stomach nor gave me food coma afterwards. That was a welcomed awesome! The horchata drink was the best I’ve ever tried as well. Like drinking a light and tasty dessert. Yum! Definitely try the tacos al pastor if you come here! Delish and the prices are definitely more than fair!

I dont remember exactly what I ordered — just remember that both dishes we got were amazing !!! Food was amazing — was cooked to perfection and has great portion for the price !!!

A locals favorite and a tourists favorite (as proven on Unilocal and tripadvisor). This place was recommended to us by a cab driver, our tulum excursion tour guide, and one of our bartenders back in our hotel. We knew we had to leave our all inclusive resort for the real deal after all the recommendations and boy did El Fogon not disappoint.
El Fogon was around a 5 minute walk from Gran Porto Resort where we stayed and was obviously the busiest restaurant on the block. The scent from all the meat had my group of 4 salivating while we were waiting to be seated. This spot gets PACKED and we were lucky to be seated in less than 10 minutes. The queue got much longer as the whole block started filling up after my group got seated at approximately 10pm.
Onto the food! We had:
One order of Beef Tacos — This comes with 4 beef tacos and ran us less than 90 pesos.
One order of Chicken Tacos — Same as above.
One Taco Chorizo — Luckily this was allowed to be ordered individually because I was the only one who wanted it. This one meat filled taco came with three tortillas and ran me 17 pesos. I was able to make 3 smaller sized tacos with the tortilla wraps too.
One Taco Loco — A giant taco filled with all the meat such as al pastor, chicken, beef, chorizo, with bacon on top. It’s wrapped up like a large burrito, just sans rice. Not my personal favorite since I couldn’t taste the items individually, but bf digged it.
Everything was absolutely delicious and yes, as authentic as it can get in a an area filled with all inclusive resorts. Our bill for four people with 3 coronas and one bottled soda totaled up to around $ 20 USD. What a steal and much better than what one can get back in the states for double the price.

You’ll start reading through the Unilocal reviews when the first pang of hunger hits you. By now, it’s too late. The line at El Fogon will already be up the block. But you’ll read the reviews – you’ll waffle around about your choice, you’ll check out some «other options.» They won’t look so hot. And by now, you’re so hungry, you’re ready to punch the next dude who offers you a good deal on a conch shell.
Just get in line, already. The good news is that you can order drinks from the bar and start sipping them in line – it makes the experience better.
The line may or may not move quickly. You’ll start salivating over people’s tables, full of food. You’re so, so hungry now. You’d abandon your kids (who you didn’t even want to bring with you to Mexico, anyway – this was SUPPOSED to be a vacation with an emphasis on the two of you, as a couple) and beat down the line in front of you to be able to sit down and order.
Sip that margarita.
Finally, you’re seated. You’ve been watching the al pastor master for a while now. You’ve probably taken a couple of photos. Now order what he’s dishing up!
AND DO NOT JUST GET ONE OR TWO TACOS! Foolish foreigner. You’ve waited in line for HOW LONG, and you want ONE taco? You have no idea how many people do this, and how scoffed at they get. Don’t be an idiot.
«Cinco tacos al pastor, por favor, y uno mas margarita. Gracias.» That’s all you need to remember.
Also, their nopales are killer. Get those too. But that’s it. Do the tacos, do the nopales, do the drinks, and the guac if you’re super hungry.
And tomorrow, you’ll arrive SO much earlier, and your grumbly little tummy (and family) with thank you for it.

Tacos mejicanos de verdad! Eramos un grupo de 6 personas, ordenamos un plato de 4 cuatro personas y trajo tanta carne deliciosa! Chorizo, chuleta de cerdo, chuleta de res y bifstec, tortilla de maíz fresca, queso fundido mantequillososl. Mi esposo ordenó el taco loco y es enorme, con todas las carnes y en tortilla de harina. Nos hartamos de comida! Altamente recomendado.

Hard to argue with the convenience, quality and value of el fogon. If you like Mexican food you like el fogon. Can get quite busy during dinner and can get a second wind after hours as the clubs and bars shut down. You will see locals, Mexican tourists and gringo tourists all queue up and indulge. The food is served fresh and quick. The queue moves fast so don’t be intimidated, nor should you feel rushed once seated.

Jesus Christ has come to Mexico and opened a restaurant. Holy moly this place is good. For $ 62.50 usd, four of us got 11 drinks, 4 tacos, and the four person sampler entrée which included soup, chips, and guac. We were stuffed to capacity, 3 grown big me and myself. The food was incredibly flavorful. Like you’ll feel inadequate in your own kitchen forever. The atmosphere is exactly what you want, outdoor, authentic, open pit, mariachi singer, authentic Mexican. I’m so delighted.
Drinks weren’t the best but the piña colada was great. The Lima bean soup was so delicious

Super awesome authentic Mexican tacos food without being ripped off at one of the tourist restaurants along 5^th. avenue. I was staying in the area and accidentally stumbled across El Fogon, it was packed with people, I figured it was worth a try. They have an extensive menu with all different types of Mexican dishes. I had the Taco Loco, it’s a wrapped taco (not a burrito) packed with several types of marinated meat. I saw the other dishes coming out of the kitchen, everything looked great. If you’re visiting Playa, put this at the top of your list.

**NO-​FRILLS, GOOD, CHEAP EATS TAQUERIA**
Popular choice for locals and tourists to enjoy authentic Mexican food here.
AMBIANCE
==========
Open air where you can either
watch the shawarma spit-​grilled meat or the
people passing by on the main street.
FOOD
=====
SALSA AND CHIPS (complimentary)
Good, there is mild, medium, and HOT.
Very good.
RATING: ⁴⁄₅
LOS MAS ESPECIAL
Had the beefsteak chuleta with baked potato, queso (cheese), guac,
and came with fresh tortillas.
Nice flavored meat and delicious fresh sides.
RATING: ⁵⁄₅
– DON’T FORGET TO ORDER A COLD BEER –
OVERALL
=========
Nice, cheap dinner. It was around $ 20 USD for 2.
Recommend the combo platters, but staff recommends the tacos al pastor, the frijoles charros, and the Fogoncito, a huge platter of grilled meats, frijoles charros and queso fundido.
Eat this with a cold beer and you’re set.
RECOMMEND.

Repas authentique avec les mexicains, meilleur tacos de Playa! Gouter le tacos à la pastor :)

Fantastic little place with lines out of the door during dinner time (best to go around 3pm when one could get a table without a wait)
Taco al pastor is the most original — tender meat sliced directly from roast. Skip taco de chorizo — too greasy.
Also order the grilled steak with tortilla on the side. Excellent.
Make sure that you keep your mobile phone nearby but don’t forget it at this place.

Que sabrosa!
While in thee good ‘ol Mexico, one must venture from off of the resort, right? I mean do what the locals do, eat where the locals eat. I mean it is only right. So, when asked and two folk said El Fogon, plus the words cheap, and you will get full, I knew that this would be a winner.
Located in Playa Del Carmen right on the corner of 6^th and I believe 30^th, this is definitely something that you won’t miss. With its bright yellow signage and it’s open, airy feel. Seat yourself and take a peak at the menu. What a delight, from traditional tacos, to carne asada, and fajitas. The pork was roasting about a toss away from the table, right next to the grill.
We tried the pollo and carne asasda tacos, con queso. What you receive is a plate full of deliciousness, splattered with that good ‘ol Mexican queso and five tortillas. At first, I was slightly skeptical as to whether or not this would fill my empty belly, but chilllle did it.
The tacos came with a nice trio of salsas; two spicy, one pico, and a lovely salad of radishes and cucumbers.
Service was chill, he was knowledgeable about the menu and could answer our questions, in Spanish (duh) and of English too… lol. They accept dollars or pesos, I can’t recall if they accept credit.
I left happy and full. Totally reminiscent of my time living there.

THE place to go for an authentic taqueria experience!
Recommended by a local, I first came here four years ago. My friend and I were the only gringos, so we knew this was legit. Just came back last night and it is still a popular place for families to come after school or work, but there were a couple of tourists there now too (some Canadians sat next to us).
Everything’s good, but you must get tacos al pastor, of course. It’s a beautiful sight watching the al pastor pork spin on a spit and watching the chef slice some off without dropping a single morsel. As good as that is, you MUST try the arrachera tacos. This is deliciously marinated beef that is extremely tender. With our without cheese, this is a superb taco.
A side of guac can’t be beat, and they leave you some pico de gallo, salsa verde, and spicy salsa roja to spice it up to your liking. Our tacos also came with traditional slices of radishes and limes, as well as some sliced grilled nopales (prickly pear cactus).
Lots of good local beers available. I got a Montejo, which I’d first tried in Merida, and my wife loved her glass of sangria (not traditional Mexican, but still good).
The service is great, and the place often crowded, and the experience will undoubtedly be inolvidable!

Restaurant mecicain que tout le monde conseil.
Commandé un agua del mango en boisson qui était très bon et généreux.
Puis les fajitas qui m’ont drôlement déçues. Elles n’étaient pas mauvaises mais pas bonnes non plus.
Par contre, il y a plusieurs accompagnements et l’assiette était relativement grande donc c’est plutôt chouette. Un seul repas n’a pas suffit pour en venir à bout ^^

La cantina de Playa ! Quasi exclusivement fréquenté par les locaux (presque blindé à 17h!!), il semble que ce soit un incontournable pour manger un bon repas mexicain.
Nous avons pris burritos et fajitas, aucune déception. Hyper copieux, nous avons même du prendre un to-​go. La piña colada en revanche était très moyenne, et il semblerait que ce soit la pénurie de menthe en ce moment dans le Yucatan, impossible d’avoir un mojito (idem dans plusieurs autres lieux). Les jus de fruit sont en réalité des aguas de fruitas, donc mélangés à de l’eau et probablement du sucre, mais le résultat est une bonne surprise ! Et la quantité est au rendez-​vous, de quoi se réhydrater comme il faut.
Service souriant et plutôt rapide.

Un clásico de playa del carmen
Adoro este lugar, de hecho, mi sueño sería que haya uno en la esquina de mi trabajo abierto las 24hs. Mis favoritos son los tacos al pastor y las quesadillas de arrachera, aunque todo lo que he probado me gustó. La carta tiene bastante variedad de comidas típicas mexicanas, cervezas, gaseosas, cocteles y aguas frescas (el agüita de jamaica está increíble). La atención es súper esmerada y rápida.

Muy buenos tacos, precios muy decentes, si no es que baratos.

Hay amplia variedad de opciones a la parrilla, la imagen no es de mi agrado, pero la comoda es muy buena y rica. No esperes estandares de restaurantes con operación mas elaborada, bueno rico y barato. Yo pido los frijoles charros, tacos al pastor y ahua de horchata frapé.

tienen un menu muy amplio de tacos, cortes y tortas. abren hasta las 6 de la mañana, nosotros fuimos en 2 ocasiones y es bastante accesible, un poco batallamos por el estacionamiento, siempre esta muy llenos por lo que hay que esperar un poco, pero la comida es buena y sabrosa… ideal para salir de la rutina de comer en buffets y hoteles…

Venimos aqui en nuestra Luna de miel y estubo esquisito!!! Las tortas los tacos los tragos super delicioso! El servicio a cliente estubo bien tambien muy amables!
Gracias!
Came here on our visit to playa on our honey moon and this was delicious! The meat was super tasty! The drinks and the service were all perfect! I wish we could have come down for tacos here more than once but it was definitely a treat :-)

mmmm no son tan buenos la carne tiene muchos gorditos de grasa, pero pues son de los 2 o 3 mejorcitos que se pueden rescatar en cuanto tacos al pastor en playa del carmen

Le meilleur restaurant de playa del Carmen. Service ultra rapide. J’adore !!

Soy como buen Mexicano taquero hasta las trancas, soy del D.F. bendita tierra del taco y aquí encontré lo mio.
No hay que ser tan extensos… los tacos al Pastor de este lugar, son de los muuuy pocos que he comido en toda la Península de Yucatán, que me la he recorrido completa, donde el sabor es lo mas auténtico que he probado. Casi. podría decir que lo único que le falta es la ambientación de mófles para estar en los tacos de Eugenia, Coyoacán o División del Norte…
Las tortillas, saben idéntico. las salsas… wow! Los tacos de bistec, arrachera, chuleta y al pastor con esa barra de salsas, nopalitos, papas cocidas en cuadritos con su cebolla en rodajas, cebollitas asadas, quesos fundidos…
Bonito es haber nacido Mexicano caray! Antes yo lo conocía este sitio como el fogoncito de Playa o al menos así siempre lo identifiqué, me fijé que ya se llama el sabrosito del fogón, da igual, sigue lleno de clientes durante toda la noche hasta las 6:00 am …
La verdad, es que se que hay enchiladas también y otras opciones, pero yo, mis tacos, no me pregunten mas…
Atienden rápido… en materia de pastor, a veces me concentro solo en esos y recuerdo cuando los pedía en Coyoacán casi por tiempo mas que por unidad… quiero media hora de tacos!!! …
La salsa esa rojita para los del Pastor, es esa y ya! Es especial, es para esos tacos, son todos libres de ponerles lo que quieran, pero la salsa tipo chile de árbol con su pastito y su trocito de piña… es un taco verdaderamente exquiso.
Destaco que las aguas son muy buenas también, no siempre tienen de otras frutas o variedades que no sea la se siempre de horchata, Jamaica y tamarindo, pero he llegado a tomar de piña y en otra ocasión tuvieron de mango, imagino que depende de temporada. Nunca pido refrescos embotellados, rara vez lo hago y solo Sidral Mundet o sangría Señorial acepto, ningún otro.

Tacos y ponchis, ponchis en El Fogón.
¿Te imaginas alguna vez comer tacos en El Fogón mientras disfrutas de un mano a mano con Dubfire Vs Richie Hawtin? ¡Pues sí, eso sucedió!
A principios de este año, estaba en Playa del Carmen y mi hermano me invitó al Fogón, vimos una carpa y mucha gente, en su mayoría extranjeros, pero hasta ahí no sabíamos qué onda…
Y al cabo de unos minutos… ¡Ponchis, ponchis, ponchissss! y la gente gritando.
Aquello de verdad era de no creerse, pero bueno, es Playa del Carmen y en México todo puede suceder.
Mientras yo disfrutaba de un choriqueso delicious y una torta de pastor, mi hermano se echaba un taco de ojo, ¡pero de ojo con las gringuitas que estaban baile y baile!
Toda la taquería no dejaba de mover ni el bigote, ni su cuerssspo al ritmo de los tamborazos aquellos (Diría mi abue)
Los meseros igual, sangoloteándose por toda la taquería, mientras tomaban la orden de los comensales y les llevaban sus «taquesh»
Estuvo bueno y surrealista.
Y si no me crees, checa esto:

Estaba de paseo por Playa del Carmen con una amiga, ella como buena mexicana estaba con grandes e impresionantes antojos de tacos al pastor y le habían súper recomendado un lugar llamado «el Fogón», yo como no soy carnívora, pero sí buena amiga, acepté acompañarla, pero había un problema importante, yo también tenía hambre. Llegamos al local, al ver la carta NO había nada vegetariano, pero le pregunté al mesero si me podían hacer una torta sin carne y cuánto costaba, el muy amable me dijo que si y que me cobrarían la de menor precio, así que la pedí. Mi amiga estaba feliz comiendo sus ricos tacos, mi torta estaba bien buena, nada que decir. Llegó la hora de pagar y adivinen qué pasó. Me cobraron la torta más cara, yo muy enojada reclamé, porque me habían dicho una cosa y luego fue otra. Además, SON VERDURAS SALTEADAS CON VERDURAS Y PAN, no puedo entender que cueste más que una torta con carne, siento que vivo en un mundo al revés, ¡OMG! Al final, el local no se hizo cargo, me sentí robada. Este, es de esos lugares que no vale la pena a ir por su muy mala atención, aunque la comida esté buena. Así que Don Fogón, todos los clientes son igual de importantes, cuídelos.

Debería de hacer mis memorias en las taquerías, soy fanática de los tacos, mi sangre me lo exige. Recién llegando a vivir a Playa, fui al Fogón, la taquería que todo mundo me decía que era buenísima y tienen razón. Los tacos al pastor, que son mis favoritos de la vida, están riquísimos, ¡estilo chilango 100%! Es un sabor… ¡un señor sabor! Abren hasta tarde, como para llegar a bajar la fiesta y dormir como bebé, panza llena, corazón contento. Hay órdenes de cebollitas, guacamole y montón de platillos todos deliciosos. Hay unas tortas de costillita deliciosas, ¡las tienes que probar! Los precios son un poco caritos para ser una taquería equis (en cuanto a decoración, pero aquí la sazón cuesta) ¡pero están deliciosos y la neta si valen la pena! Lo único que no me agrada mucho, es el personal porque es medio apaticón, cero buena onda, es por lo que no regreso tan seguido, pero bueno, sigo y seguiré hasta encontrar el taco de mis sueños.
Son súper turísticos y con justa razón, es una cadena local, se come muy bien y los platillos está muy bien servidos. Se puede pagar con tarjeta y emiten facturas, no tienen wifi propia.
Tip: llega temprano porque se llena a partir de las 7pm

Esta taquería es la más famosa de Playa del Carmen. No está exactamente en la zona turística, aunque puedes llegar caminando desde la quinta avenida. Se llama El Sabrocito del Fogón, pero todos lo conocemos como el Fogón.
Esta es la típica taquería que encontrarías en cada esquina de la Ciudad de México pero en Playa del Carmen, son escasas.
La típica pared con un Piolín mal dibujado y un Bugs Bunny pirata, esto es una taquería señores. Por supuesto el centro de atención, como debe ser, es el trompo de pastor.
Si vienes de vacaciones con un presupuesto ajustado, o vives en playa y quieres ir por unos tacos, este es el lugar. El lugar no es para nada chico y aún así se llena todas las noches, más que los elegantes restaurantes de la quinta avenida.
Los tacos están ricos, el pastor es bueno. Los de bistec (sic) con queso no pueden faltar, y las salsas: el pico de gallo, la verde y la roja, cumplen.
Y si piensas que solo vas a encontrar locales aquí, te sorprenderás de ver que la mitad de los comensales son extranjeros, que vienen aquí a probar la comida autentica mexicana.