In the heart of downtown Ithaca lies what I can confidently call the best taco place in the state. Originally operating from a small metal shack outside the Ithaca ReUse center, Tacos CDMX has grown into a local phenomenon, offering an authentic Mexican experience with meticulously constructed and constantly evolving recipes.
Their new location in Press Bay Alley is spacious and brightly colored, with lots of outdoor seating and room for kids. Pop music blares on the radio as customers meander up to the counter to order. I grabbed two tacos, pollo (chicken) and lengua (cow tongue), and a bottle of Jarritos (a Mexican soda) before sitting down to talk with the owner, Eduardo Acevedo, about the history of the restaurant. Acevedo started Tacos CDMX because he noticed a lack of authentic Mexican food in the area, although he never expected for the restaurant to grow to the extent that it did. Originally, he didn’t even offer seating, intending for the clientele to eat standing up just like in Mexico City. Of course, as his business grew in popularity, he had to make certain accommodations. “Still,” he laughed, “it took me two months to get napkins.”
Acevedo wanted to create a casual, social environment where people could come to eat and chat. “If someone was on their phone in the line, I would kick them out. I would joke, ‘No tacos for you!’” he said. At first, his customers were mostly blue-collar workers on their lunch break, but soon attention grew and the lines got longer and longer.
Of course, a location like the original small hut was not for the faint of heart. “People would ask me, ‘What will you do during the winter?’ And I would tell them, ‘I’ll wear a jacket,’” Acevedo chuckled. Sure enough, Tacos CDMX stayed open nearly the whole winter in the hut, despite having no electricity and very few employees.
Although he originally only offered three meats—pollo (chicken), carne asada (grilled sliced beef), and al pastor (shepherd-style marinated pork)—the menu has greatly expanded since then. Acevedo has even begun to experiment with a vegan option. “I still haven’t found the right combination yet,” he told me. “I want it to be an explosion of flavors in your mouth.” He’s currently playing with mushrooms, possibly in combination with bamboo shoots or hibiscus flowers. Acevedo believes that people crave interesting experiences above all else, so he’s always trying something new. “Every time you try these tacos, they’ll taste a little different. Maybe it’ll be the salsa, maybe the onions.” He’s constantly adapting and improving on old flavors.
Observing the diners chattering around us, he told me, “From the moment you have your first taco, you either tilt your head to one side or the other, and that side never changes.” Smiling, he added, “Americans think they have a square mouth and go straight on without turning their head. That’s why you get it all over your face.”
Needless to say, my tacos were absolutely delicious, in a cosmic, unquantifiable way. And while they can be a little pricey (five dollars a taco), they are filling and delicious enough to be worth every penny.
“Two people have even started crying when they ate the tacos for the first time,” Acevedo admitted to me. They were college students, dismayed to be discovering the restaurant so late in their time in Ithaca. “Pfff,” Acevedo laughed, “it’s only tacos.”