Los Tacos Ferrocarril, Mexicali,B.C.-Grand Taco Station

Begun in 1976 with a few stands on the side of a Mexicali train station, Los Tacos de Borrego Ferrocarril(train station lamb barbacoa) has remained an institution long after the railroad station closed in '95.

It was a woman from the state of Aguascalientes, Juana Wong, who brought the recipes for lamb barbacoa and beef head tacos to one of the original Stands. Today 12 red canopies give some protection to a row of taco carts from the oppressive Mexicali heat along H. Ferrocarriles between Lopez Mateos and De la Industria.

All of the stands have the same pair of stewed cabeza de res(beef head), and lamb barbacoa. I don't think you could get two cachanillas(people from Mexicali)to agree on the best stand, but you might want to start with the 3 originals: #1, #5, and #6.


The mornings and afternoons are the prime hours for this delicious assembly of vendors. Some of them come later in the day and a couple even work the graveyard shift for the after hours crowd.


Taquero Martin Avila has the honor of working one of the originals--cart no. 5. The lamb is cooked with an adobo(marinade)using only lamb neck and rib meat, stewed not pit-roasted.This cart has been around for 28 years.

What once fed hungry travelers coming and going, Los Tacos Ferrocarril now nourishes cachanillas in on their way to work,play, and drink.


Simple and delicious lamb barbacoa tacos from cart #5.


The cabeza de res tacos are soupy, fatty bites that melt in your mouth. I grabbed these one night from cart #2, a perfect way to cap the night in Mexicali.

This is one of those taco gatherings you fantasize about when traveling to Mexico. It's the mother load, the jackpot. Don't miss the famous train station tacos in Mexicali's Grand Taco Station--All Aboard!


Tacos de Borrego Ferrocarril
Ferrocarril between Lopez Mateos and De la Industria
mornings, afternoons, 'til around 3AM
Mexicali, Baja California