Sayulita may have gained its recent fame from bachelorette parties and Instagram influencers, but this Mexican beach town’s real charm lies in its abundant street food. From fresh seafood to steaming elote, nowhere is this more evident than at Sayulita’s al pastor prince, Tacos El Talivan.
Carved from a three-way intersection near the bridge leading into Sayulita’s colorful downtown, the al pastor shop sits hidden under a leaning awning, surrounded by plastic chairs. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to even notice the place if it weren’t hungry patrons snaking into the street at all hours of the evening.
But get to the front of the line and it all clicks. Steaming seasoned pork cut from an oversized rotisserie drops into a homemade tortilla, the sleepy taco chef adding two perfectly carved pieces of pineapple in a single artistic flourish. From there, homemade salsas of all colors, flavors and spice levels are at your fingertips, with pickled onions that are nothing short of sonnet-worthy. Did we mention each one of these masterpieces is under $1?
Yeah, it’s that good. But don’t take our word for it, go and give these taco legends a try, or five. Just don’t forget your pesos, this al pastor paradise is plastic free.
Where: While its original location is on Avenida Revolución, Tacos El Talivan has expanded to a second location in Sayulita’s main plaza. Twice as nice.
Extras: We would describe Tacos El Talivan as standing to-go. There are only a few chairs, so don’t expect a seated dinner, but people tend to hang around and eat their tacos around the rotisserie flame.
