Best Al Pastor San Pancho: A Taco Lover’s Guide

I am an absolute sucker for a good al pastor and am forever searching for the best tacos wherever I go.

Something about the pineapple perched on top of that gigantic hunk of meat as it rotates on the spit just exhilarates me. Suffice it to say, the moment our Uber rolled into San Pancho from PVR, I had my eyes peeled for trompos—the vertical, rotating spit. Trompos served as my beacon as I clocked the corners I would soon be visiting on my al pastor taco tour of San Pancho after we dropped our bags and set out to explore.

San Pancho—also known as San Francisco—is a small, unhurried little beach town just over 30 miles north of Puerto Vallarta. Compact and super walkable, it offers a quieter, more mellow alternative to nearby Sayulita.

By day, it’s all sandy beaches and slow mornings. By night, street corners glow, grills fire up, and the smell of al pastor drifts through town.

I knew immediately this would be a great place to continue my great al pastor tour.

Al pastor is a Mexican style of pork marinated in achiote, ancho and guajillo peppers, garlic, vinegar, and spices like oregano, cumin, black pepper, and cloves. The meat is stacked tightly and cooked on a vertical spit.

A defining feature is the pineapple, often skewered at the top and finished with a thin slice shaved onto each taco, then topped with chopped onions and cilantro.

Running a trompo takes space and skill, which is why true al pastor is harder to find than meats like carne asada or carnitas. Getting the seasoning right, stacking the meat properly, cooking it evenly, and keeping it fresh is no small feat.

Taquerias in San Pancho range from mobile carts that establish themselves each night in their location, to full service ‘sit down’ restaurants. No matter the set up, I was bound and determined to suss out the best al pastor tacos.

Al pastor tacos will run you anywhere from 22 pesos and up. Street tacos hovered around 23 pesos , coming in at just around $1.39 USD. They might be the perfect food.

Address: Intersection of América Latina & Avenida Tercer Mundo, San Francisco, Nay., Mexico

This unbeatable taqueria did not have a name posted anywhere, and my online research suggests a different taqueria occupied the space not long ago—so I don’t want to blast an incorrect name.

What I can say is that, at the time of writing, this taqueria sits on the corner of América Latina and Avenida Tercer Mundo. My husband and I stayed at the The Pal.Mar hotel, a mere block and half up from the taqueria, so stopping by spot couldn’t be easier.

They open around 4 or 5 p.m. and close up shop around 10 p.m., running a simple operation with a handwritten menu posted on the wall. A handful of tables are set up on the street, and a server comes by to take your order.

The al pastor tacos here was delightfully flavorful and sliced just a tad thicker than at other taquerias in town. The meat had just the right amount of char, giving each bite a hint of smoke, and stayed wonderfully juicy. The white corn tortillas were doubled up (as they should be!) and lightly crisped. At the salsa table, I especially appreciated the pineapple pico de gallo—for those of us who hanker for just a bit more pineapple.

At first, I was concerned that the meat and spit were smaller than what I was used to seeing, but what it lacked in size was more than made up for by the dynamic flavor of the meat. San Pancho has an astonishing number of places to eat for such a small town, so it makes perfect sense to keep a smaller trompo and ensure the meat stays fresh throughout the day.

While drinks were listed on the menu, they told us they were currently sold out of all beverages—but were totally fine with us bringing our own.

Address: Av. Tercer Mundo 32, 63729 San Francisco, Nay., Mexico

This taqueria opens at 3 p.m. and stays open as late as 3 a.m., with a steady stream of customers dining in and taking orders to go. I was always blown away at how busy this place was- but have since seen that it is often seen as having some of the best street tacos in San Pancho.

The al pastor is tender and thinly shaved onto doubled-up white corn tortillas and finished with a thin slice of pineapple.

What really struck me about the trompo at Tacos Al Pastor Díaz was the onion roasting on top of the meat, with the pineapple perched just above it. Whether the onion was acting as a stabilizer or intentionally flavoring the meat below, I can only imagine those onion juices dripping down into the pork. Insert Homer Simpson drooling meme here.

The taqueria has several tables outside along with additional seating indoors. The condiments table is fully stocked—sliced radishes and cucumbers, diced pineapple, pickled onions, limes, and an impressive lineup of salsas.

Address: C. México, 63729 San Francisco, Nay., Mexico

Just off Avenida Tercer Mundo, Taqueria El Patrón serves up delicious al pastor tacos at street-side tables. While the portion of meat on each taco felt slightly leaner than at other spots, the pork was flavorful and cooked just right.

This was also the only taqueria on my taco tour that served grilled onions with every plate. As customary, the tacos came on doubled-up white corn tortillas and were topped with a generous helping of onions and cilantro.

Service is friendly and swift, and I will forever remember this taqueria as “Shaky Tree”—because every ten minutes or so, the women working the stand would shake the tree overhead to keep the birds from lingering above the tables.

Address: América Latina 7, 63729 San Francisco, Nay., Mexico

This restaurant is a good-sized operation on América Latina, just across from the Pal.Mar Tropical Hotel where we were staying. It made for a perfect late-night snack stop on our first night in town.

The al pastor here was listed as “Shepard Style”—a term I hadn’t encountered before, but one that explained the different preparation and flavor profile. Instead of being shaved from a trompo, the meat was softer, shredded, and either roasted or pan-fried.

I was initially confused—and a little disappointed—until I realized that “Shepard style” explained both the lack of a trompo and the absence of pineapple. The tacos were served on a single corn tortilla, which is a knock for me, as I’m a firm believer in the double stack—especially since these tacos were substantial and could have used the extra support.

After doing a bit more research, I better understood the distinction and laid off the judgment. On a future visit, I’d happily try other items here, as the place was constantly packed. As a fan of shaved meat straight from the trompo, I now know that Shepard style al pastor simply isn’t my preference.

Address: Av. Tercer Mundo 22, 63729 San Francisco, Nay., Mexico

Plaza de Hermandad is a small park at the corner of Asia and Avenida Tercer Mundo and home to several food carts—Tacos Yeyo among them. Since these carts move in and out daily, I can’t fault them for not having a trompo, but after watching them wheel past me earlier in the week, I had pledged to give their pastor a try.

The cart is brightly lit, sparkling clean, and lined with a dazzling array of salsas, sliced radishes, cucumber, and cabbage neatly arranged along the front. The chefs were kind enough to point out which salsas packed the most heat.

I’ll admit the al pastor tacos themselves weren’t especially memorable—which means they were neither terrible nor life-changing, and honestly, that’s pretty okay. It’s also possible I couldn’t fully focus on the tacos because I was distracted by what was printed on the side of the cart:

“You can imitate me, but you’ll never equal me because my style is 100% original.”

HELL yes.

I need to channel this level of energy and confidence. I cannot deny that this kind of conviction is admirable.

Address: Asia 7, 63729 San Francisco, Nay., Mexico

I’m cheating here, as El Rinconcito doesn’t serve al pastor at all—but it would be criminal not to mention their shrimp tacos.

The shrimp were plump and tender, and the use of blue corn tortillas added an extra dimension to the dish—more heft and body than their white or yellow corn counterparts. Hands down the best shrimp tacos in San Pancho.

Wash it all down with an impressive goblet of agua de jamaica, a caffeine-free, non-alcoholic burgundy beverage made from dried hibiscus.

If you’re a fan of fish, read my previous article where I go over some of the favorite ceviche and fresh fish dishes and where I had them.

Tacos. More tacos. Is it the perfect food? Maybe.

Focusing on al pastor turned out to be a wonderful way to experience San Pancho, even if it meant missing out on other tempting flavors at each stop. Still, a taco tour is rarely a bad idea, and I loved sampling the subtle differences in salsas and condiments from place to place—each one just a little distinct from the last.

Experiencing other cultures through food is by far one of the most rewarding parts of traveling. Weeks later I am still thinking about those blue corn tortillas from El Rinconcito and wishing I had al pastor here in Portland that got me as excited as my no name taqueria just steps from where I was sleeping during our stay in San Pancho.