Al Pastor Taco Tour: Todos Santos, Baja California Sur

Another town, another round of mouth-watering al pastor to discover.

I was not at all quiet about my disappointment at the sheer lack of street tacos in Los Cerritos — I was indeed pretty salty about the whole affair. So when we rolled into Todos Santos in our rental van, I was vibrating in my seat as I eyed various food carts parked along the streets.

If you’re wondering where to eat tacos in Todos Santos, you’ve come to the right place — this town delivers.

A quick caveat: since I was traveling with family on this one, I couldn’t do as much street taco exploration as I would have liked. I could only eat so much in a day, and not everyone in the group was on board with street food — so unfortunately I left plenty of al pastor on the proverbial table. Nonetheless, I did what I could with the time I had, and here is what I found, in descending order of subjective tastiness.

Alma de Pueblo

This quaint little spot is one of several eateries in Plaza Amigos, an open-air courtyard on Calle Benito Juarez between Calle Zaragoza and Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon, across the street from Ristorante Tre Galline. Despite walking past it several times a day, I would have missed it completely had a man working there not been standing out front holding a menu with a trompo image on it. That single laminated photo changed everything.

They don’t serve alcohol, but were happy for us to bring back whatever we wanted — common at eateries throughout this trip.

The tacos arrive on a single chewy, thick blue corn tortilla. I ordered two al pastor and a chorizo for good measure, and was thrilled. All the other al pastor I’d tasted in Todos Santos had been heavy-handed with the cinnamon and skewed sweeter than I prefer, but not here. The pastor had excellent flavor and texture, accompanied by slices of grilled pineapple with lightly charred edges, finished with diced white onions, cilantro, diced tomatoes, and a heaping spoonful of guacamole.

The chorizo was equally good — well-salted, which I always love. Others at the table raved about the flautas and enchiladas, and the limes were generous: fat, juicy halves served alongside.

Tacos run around 45 pesos (~$2.50 USD) — making Alma de Pueblo one of the better cheap eats in Todos Santos, Mexico, especially given the quality. Pricing like this is typical for the town, a reality I had to make peace with given Todos Santos’ popularity and the current state of the US dollar.

The service was spectacular, the server had a great sense of humor, and I was genuinely sad not to make it back for breakfast. Google lists them as open 8am to 9pm, closed Wednesdays — though I’d recommend confirming before making the trip.

Mi Rey

Mi Rey on Manuel Marquez de Leon was our very first stop after landing in Todos Santos, and it holds a special place in my heart for that reason alone — but the tacos earned their keep too. It’s a simple operation: one picnic table, just enough space for our family of five, and a server who quietly ran to the store to fetch cold Pacificos and Coronas when we ordered beer off a menu that didn’t carry it. True customer service.

The al pastor came on a single tortilla — apparently standard in Todos Santos — without pineapple, but the meat was flavorful, chewy, and salty in exactly the way I wanted. Topped with grilled onion, fresh diced white onion, and a thick layer of smashed avocado, with little plates of sliced cucumbers, quartered limes, and ramekins of salsa making their way around the table.

The shrimp tacos are also worth ordering — pico, smashed avocado, salsa, lime, and a slice of cucumber. Do it. And order the guacamole. The chips are out of this world.

Read the full Mi Rey review here.

Tacos El Poblano

Late one evening — after 9pm — a few of us ventured out for a casual bite and stumbled upon Tacos El Poblano. The unfinished concrete building has a large open kitchen, plastic and folding chairs, and a menu listed on the wall. No frills, no pretense.

The al pastor was heavy-handed with the cinnamon and skewed sweet — the meat itself was on the dry side, served on a single tortilla. Tacos ran 40 pesos each, in line with Todos Santos pricing. The platter of accoutrements that came alongside was perhaps the most exciting part of the meal — an overflowing dish full of radishes, limes, pico, salsas, and cucumbers.

For a late-night taco fix in Todos Santos, it’ll absolutely do the trick. Just don’t come here specifically for the al pastor.

Honorable Mention: Carnitas Tadeo

Look, I’m a bit of a slut when it comes to tacos, and Carnitas Tadeo was genuinely delicious despite not serving al pastor, so I have to give them a shout out. On Calle Degollado, one of the main roads into town (technically Carretera 19), Carnitas Tadeo is a clean and simple operation and worth the stop if you have a hankering for good carnitas in Todos Santos.

Each table had a big tub of their house made chili crisp- a surefire shortcut to my heart. I ordered two carnitas tacos, and although disappointed at their lack of al pastor, was genuinely impressed with the juiciness of the meat and the mouth feel of the tortillas.

Final Thoughts on Tacos in Todos Santos

It’s been genuinely fun experiencing the same dish across different spots and seeing the flair each place brings to it. In Todos Santos, my main takeaways: smashed avocado or guacamole is a standard topping, and the warming spices tend to run heavier and sweeter here than other places I’ve toured.

Alma de Pueblo was the clear standout for the best al pastor tacos in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur — lighter on the spice, better on the char, and the kind of authentic Mexican street taco experience in Baja California Sur that makes the whole hunt worthwhile.

And don’t skip the shrimp tacos while you’re in Todos Santos. We are on the coast, for god’s sake. I’d point you straight to Mi Rey. Or, if you’re up for a little field trip, make the 10-minute drive to Los Cerritos and hit up La Tuna for their Tierra y Mar tacos.