El Pica I

Late Post: I was there last month. If you have a spare day in Mexico city, do take a drive and visit this place. It's perfect for brunch on weekends as I reached there around 11.30 AM. It is full of different and taste good options. I went for the thing that is most well known for Barbacoa and it was definitely worth it. I also ordered Pansita and Consomé along with the Barbacoa, and both were good. Lastly I did try the Champurrado drink as well. There are few band members around playing music on request.

I'm a bias contributor because I love culture however, for delicious traditional prepared barbacoa, deep fried plantains (ripe and unripe), roasted chicken, fried fish among other delicious options with an amazing scenic view on your way in, then this is your place.

This hidden gem is a foodies dream place to visit. This beautiful little marketplace sells barbacoa made in large clay ovens, fresh made blue corn tortillas, tlacoyos, roasted chicken served with fresh nopales, onions and red and green salsas. They also make fried plantain, fried mojarras, quesadillas and menudo. Bring your own tablecloth, utensils, plates and napkins. Choose a picnic table and then order your favorite dish! Hire the mariachi or small norteño band to serenade you while you eat and bring money to buy other goodies like fresh honey or chicharron!

A must visit for lamb barbacoa if you happen to be in Texcoco (or if you're in Mexico City or Puebla and have the time and inclination for the drive / Uber trip, it's really worth it). If you're tourists like us, you've probably seen the videos on YouTube. Believe the hype! Sunday is supposedly the day to go but we visit on Saturday arriving at about 11am. We were able to find a table with relative ease. You have to buy everything individually (we already brought paper plates and napkins) so my tip is to get all your other bits before you get the lamb do it doesn't go cold. We bought 2 salsas, 2 small bags of onions and coriander, a portion of corn tortillas (received 12) and cutlery from the other traders that are easy to find. As for the barbacoa... wow. We had a kilo of boneless meat ("sin huesos") which cost 538 pesos (about £25 or $30 US at the time of writing) and they take cards. I believe you can order it by the quarter of a kilo as they weigh it and the local in front of us got 3/4 of a kilo. There was a small line of people which moved quite quickly. You get in the line to the left hand corner of where the barbacoa pits are to pay first, you'll get a ticket and then line up to collect your meat. We asked for it "sin pancita" or "without stomach" as we weren't brave enough to try that. You'll essentially get lamb leg and shoulder in chunks that fall apart/shred with minimal effort. We weren't fans of the consommé, as you're essentially drinking lamb stock with bits of onion and pepper floating about. The gent serving also gives you a sample of the meat with a bit of salt when packaging it for you. It doesn't need the salt, the meat is truly phenomenal and you'll most likely add salsa when you construct it. We finished the final few bites of lamb on their own. The kilo of barbacoa and 12 tacos from the nearby stand was enough for 3 hungry guys. If you have room for anything else, the place has other meats and traditional Mexican foods. There are a few desert stands and some stands selling Piña Colada, which we annoyingly missed as we were too focused on the barbacoa. Other than that there are mariachis wondering about if you want to pay for some songs while you eat, there is some entertainment for children and a parking lot if you're driving. All in all, this is a must visit if you love lamb barbacoa.

It is a little market where you can find tlacoyos, fried bananas, fried chiken, fried fish and the main dish baked lamb (barbacoa). The barbacoa is delicious. If you go on weekend be early, around 9:00 am beacause it gets crowded. By 10 am, it will be very difficult to find a parking spot or a table.

A must for any foodie. It's a good trek out from Mexico City (hour+ from center) but entirely worth it. Get a kilo of barbacoa, roasted in underground clay ovens for $20 and split with 3-4 people. Other vendors sell tortillas, salsas, beans, drinks, etc. It is a bit of a mission to get all the ingredients, but part of the fun. I recommend going with others, as it will make gathering all ingredients a bit easier. The sensation of the first bite is worth all the troubles.

Best Barbacoa. I've had! the scenery is natural and I highly recommend you visit if your in the area!

Great getaway experience, amazing barbacoa, live music, pulque & beer. Recommend to come early 8-9 am and stay for couple of hours. It's Six Flags of Barbacoa.