I Tried Mexico's Most Popular Fast Food Chains

When you think of a Mexican fast food chain in the U.S., a few names probably come to mind. Del Taco, Taco Cabana, and of course, Taco Bell. But what if I told you none of these chains even exist in Mexico? Instead, they have their very own set of famous fast food spots most Americans have never even heard of. So in this video, I've made my way to Mexico to eat at some of their most famous fast food chains just to answer one simple question. What have we been missing out on? All right y'all, the first stop on my Mexico fast food adventure is a restaurant chain known as Pollo Feliz. By the way, I did look up how to pronounce everything in this video, but in case I still completely butcher it, I apologize. Pollo Feliz was founded in 1975 by a man named Arnaldo de la Rocha. It's one of the largest fast food chains in Mexico with over 1,500 locations specializing in charcoal-grilled chicken. Obviously, I have never heard of Pollo Feliz prior to coming here, but since it is very popular, fingers crossed, it'll be good. Okay, so right off the bat, the setup here is very different compared to the usual American fast food chain. I'm honestly not sure if this is common, but from what I can tell, along with selling fast food chicken, it seems like Pollo Feliz is also connected to a panaderia serving some pretty good-looking pastries. As for the menu, like I said before, they specialize in charcoal-grilled chicken, which sounds quite delicious. Sadly, the menu was a bit difficult for me to read since there wasn't an English version. That's my fault, though. But based on some context clues, there's different options to choose from, like how many pieces of chicken you want, sides like beans and rice, and even a way to order the whole bird. Now, although I do wanna order the entire chicken for the bit, because I will be eating so much fast food today, I'm gonna keep things simple by ordering their basic combo. All righty, so my order has been placed, and in total, everything came out to roughly 332 Mexican pesos, which I believe is like 20 USD. If I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure that's quite expensive for Mexico, which is a very important detail because I'll be judging every fast food chain today based on how the food tastes and how much it really costs in order to decide whether I want one of these near me. Gracias. Ladies and gents, my pollo feliz combo has been acquired. Now, I know I said I was not gonna order the entire chicken, but due to a potential miscommunication, I think that's what I got. Who knows, maybe this isn't a whole chicken and instead it's a half chicken. Either way, this is a lot of food. Now, along with this chili-marinated chicken, the combo feliz also comes with a stack of tortillas, this little cup of salsa, and a bag of chips. Now that I know how much food all of this comes with, maybe 20 bucks isn't so bad after all. Before I dig in, another interesting thing to note about pollo feliz in particular is that apparently their recipe actually traces back to the same family who started a very popular fast food chain in America called El Pollo Loco. I have had El Pollo Loco quite a few times, and unfortunately, I am not the biggest fan of it, but since this place is big in Mexico, I'm assuming it's gonna be more authentic and better. Let's find out. If I'm not mistaken, I believe the proper way to eat this is by tearing off pieces of chicken, then pairing it with the tortilla and salsa, so that's what I'm gonna do. Can't lie, this smells very good. Here we go, cheers. That is not too bad. Because the chicken was charcoal grilled, you get a bit of that smokiness in there combined with their chili marinade. I do think they could use a little bit more salt, but overall, the seasoning's not bad. As for the cook, like most fast food chicken spots, it is a little dry, but not to the point of no return. And I know this might seem a bit strange to say, but I think my favorite part of all of this here is actually the tortilla. I'm not sure if it's because this place is like Park Bakery, but the tortillas are nice and soft and not gummy, and flavor-wise, you can really taste the corn. Okay, so I'm officially done with my first fast food meal of the day, which means it is now time to answer the question, do I want one of these chains near me? I hate to say this, but unfortunately, my answer is gonna be no. The chicken wasn't bad by any means, but like I said, it was quite dry, and for $20, I'm just not sure it's worth the price. All right, y'all, I have made it to the next fast food chain, but before I tell everyone what the place is, we need to have a quick history lesson on iconic fast food items. The Taco Bell introduced pizza. It consists of ground beef and beans spread over two flat tortillas topped with pizza sauce and cheese. Now, despite the fact that some Italians may consider this an abomination, Mexican pizza was a huge hit, so much so that when Taco Bell tried to take it off the menu in 2020, the internet rioted, resulting in them finally making it a permanent item. However, what people don't know is that Mexico actually has their very own version of Mexican pizza from a chain that's been around just as long. Welcome to Benedetti's Pizza. Established in 1983 by Felipe Baeza, a man who fell in love with pizza while studying in Germany. What's cool about Benedetti's is that instead of making a pizza that just tastes like Mexican food, they've actually developed their flavors to fit the local palate using ingredients directly from Mexico. I honestly have no idea what to expect from this place because I did not think I would be eating pizza in Mexico, but I'm very curious to see how different it is from the Mexican pizza at Taco Bell, so let's head inside. Again, I really wasn't sure what to expect from a Mexican pizza chain, but one thing's for sure. This place definitely looks like a typical spot you'd see in the US. Now, looking at the menu, it seems like they have quite a few different specialty pizzas to choose from, but the one I just absolutely have to get is their Pizza Mexicana. The Pizza Chica, which is their smallest size, comes out to around 139 Mexican pesos. I'll throw the conversion on screen since I cannot do the math in my head, but if I'm not mistaken, these fast food places are kind of expensive, right? Regardless, I placed my order, and after waiting for just a few minutes. Oh, gracias. All righty, everyone, I got the goods, and in this box is what I'm personally considering Mexico's truly authentic Mexican pizza. Interesting. So right off the bat, this does look like the pizzas I'm used to getting back in the States, but at the same time, it's very different. So here we have Benedetti's Pizza Mexicana. From what I can tell, this pizza comes with ham, chorizo, avocado, jalapeno, tomatoes, and onions. The entire crust is also covered in sesame seeds. Oh, and they also gave me this little thing of salsa to dip the pizza in, I'm assuming. I have never seen this at a pizza shop in the U.S. Personally, I am a big fan of every single individual ingredient on this pie. I think I'm just shocked at how different it is compared to Taco Bell's version of Mexican pizza. If I had to guess, I do think I'll prefer this one, but at the same time, I do love me some Taco Bell. First, let's try this with no salsa. Cheers. This has so much going on, and I think I like it. To be honest, I kind of expected it to be a little too much since there are so many ingredients, but somehow, all of the flavors balance each other out. I'm getting that meaty, savory flavor from the chorizo and the ham. There's a good chunk of acidity from the sliced tomatoes. The jalapenos add some heat, and the avocado kind of mellows it all out. I'm also a big fan of the sesame seed crust because it adds like a nice nutty aroma. Next, I wanted to try the pizza with the packaged salsa they gave me since I've never really seen salsa paired like this before. So I don't dislike it with this, but at the same time, I also don't like it either. It's kind of neutral. All it really does is add a little bit of like an herby aroma to the pizza, along with making it more oily since I'm basically dipping it in oil. Okay, pizza time is over, and surprisingly, Benedetti's was a lot better than I thought it'd be. Obviously, it is not the best pizza I've ever had. The undercarriage could use some work, especially if we go based on a New York-style standards. I do prefer my pizzas a little crispier, but other than that, the flavors were solid. Now, despite the fact that the US already has so many different pizza chains, I think I'd actually like a Benedetti's near me solely because of their interesting specialty pies. I think they're fun. Oh, and I do think it's better than Taco Bell's Mexican pizza. On to the next. Okay, so I've made it to the next place on my list, and truthfully, I am very surprised this one even exists. Hidden somewhere in the outdoor food hall behind me is a fast food chain known as Chubby's Burger. If it wasn't obvious by the name, Chubby's specializes in burgers. It was founded in 2020, and at first, was solely operated out of one of the founder's houses. But apparently, the demand for these burgers got so out of hand that they now have over 15 locations all around Mexico City. Now look, I have had various burgers in different countries like China, but I have not had one in Mexico yet, so I am very interested in seeing what they'll do differently. With that being said, let's go figure out where the heck it is in there. I made my way into the massive food hall in search of Mexico's newest burger chain, and low-key got a little confused. I saw a kebab shop, a place for barbecue, tacos, but no Chubby's. Okay, so I'm not seeing it on the first floor, which means it should be somewhere above. So I made my way up the stairs, and once I reached the top, to my surprise, this is actually the first fast food spot that I've been to with a line. I'm very surprised it's for burgers, but a line usually is a good thing. Food-wise, they only have three different burger options to choose from, nothing fancy, so I placed my order, and the total came out to around 256 Mexican pesos, which converts to 15 US dollars. Definitely on the pricier side, even compared to a burger I'd get in the States. But since I paid with my beautiful Chime card, I do get 5% cash back, so it all works out. For everyone watching, if you don't know what Chime is, they're actually America's number one choice for banking, offering a smarter way to manage your money. Plus, they're the sponsor of today's video. With the Chime card, you get 5% cash back in a category of your choice, whether it's groceries, gas, dining, travel, and more. I chose food, obviously, because I love that I can still get cash back when making purchases like this internationally. You can even change the category every month to fit your lifestyle. 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So here we have Chubby's Especial Burger, AKA their special burger. To my understanding, this comes with a smashed patty, two slices of American cheese, garlic dressing, and a bacon onion jam. Hopefully I'm not being too harsh here, but based on first impressions, I don't really understand why there was a line. This burger does not really look that appetizing. Not only that, all of the ingredients this comes with feels very, very reminiscent of a burger you can also get in the States. I don't know, I was kind of assuming that there would be some type of like special twist similar to Benedetti's. It's just very surprising to see that the newest craze in Mexican fast food literally is not Mexican food at all. I'm still going into this with an open mind because at the end of the day, looks can be deceiving. So without further ado, let's eat this Chubby Burger. Cheers. Yeah, so it turns out looks were not actually deceiving. This is not it. Genuinely, I feel so mean for what I'm about to say, but the first word that came to mind when I bit into this burger was mushy. Even though this patty is supposed to be smashed, there is like no crisp texture at all. Both slices of cheese mixed with the garlic dressing and bacon jam kind of all just like merged together into like one cohesive blob. I was really hoping this would be good. Unfortunately, the texture is not the only thing I dislike about this. I'm not sure if the onions in the bacon jam were just like caramelized for too long or they burnt. They just kind of have that bitter aftertaste that overpowers the entire thing. Maybe the fries will be good. Ooh, all right, hold on. These fries are actually very, very nice. They're like super fluffy, but the outside is still crispy. Why couldn't the burger be this good? Sadly, I'm gonna have to be a bad person right now and throw the rest of this away because I don't want to finish it. Let's go ahead and get this over with. Chubbies, I don't want you. I really hope the next fast food chain is a lot better. All right, everyone. I've officially made it to the next location and I am very excited for this one because this is the only restaurant in this entire video specializing in tacos. Behind me is Taqueria Orinoco. According to interviews online, this restaurant chain was started in 2015 with the goal of building a cult taqueria that could expand throughout the country. And although they only have nine locations in Mexico, they have gone mega viral because celebrities like Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, and Rosalia have all been seen eating here. I have no idea what all the hype is about, especially considering you can get a taco from basically anywhere in Mexico, but let's go find out, shall we? I will admit, although I was excited to eat some tacos and it seems like this place is very popular, I was a bit nervous because of the burger I had just eaten. With that being said. I really do like the vibes in here. All of the decor looks pretty cool. And if I could, I would definitely buy one of these Coca-Cola tables. At the end of the day, I'm just praying this place is not a celebrity fast food tourist trap. On the menu, they have a few different taco options to choose from, but I believe that their signature ones are the trompo and the chicharron. Okay, so I just placed my order and they gave me lucky number 44, which I am praying is a good sign. Awesome, gracias. Provecho. Ooh, ladies and gents, my tacos have arrived. Over here, we have the trompo tacos on a corn tortilla. And over here, the chicharron tacos, also on corn. Obviously a tray of tacos would not be complete without all of the little toppings. We got some cilantro, onions, avocado, some pickled onions. And I think that little bit right there is cheese. Not entirely sure. In total, everything in front of me, including this little Coca-Cola, costs about 123 pesos. I believe that converts to a bit over seven USD. At first glance, that might seem like a really good deal. But when I take into consideration the fact that you can buy tacos for way cheaper just about anywhere else in Mexico City, I do have a hard time believing that the ones here, regardless of how good it looks, can justify the price. I do want to start with the pork tacos because not only are they the most similar to the ones you'd find out on the streets, but when I look over in their kitchen, the big spiraling thing looks absolutely delicious. And that's basically what this is. Let's give this a shot. Cheers. Because I live in Texas, I am blessed with the opportunity to get good tacos in the US. But I don't know. These are low-key on a different level. First off, these are some of the best tortillas I think I've ever had. They're extremely thin and flavorful. The pork is seasoned and cooked perfectly. Very tender. The medium spicy salsa is fantastic. I think it adds just the right amount of heat. And at the same time, you're also getting acidity from the lime and the pickled onion, which brightens the entire taco up. I might be speaking too soon here, but this is like the polar opposite of my experience at Chubby's. Now let's try the chicharron tacos. They gave me so much of this, it barely fits in the tortilla. Now real quick, for those of y'all who do not know what chicharron is, instead of the typical deep fried pork rinds you'd buy at the store, this is a chicharron de cachete, which essentially is pork cheek meat that's been deep fried in fats until it's extremely crispy on the outside, but still tender on the inside. Basically, it's just delicious fried goodness. Now that we're on the same page. Cheers. It is very difficult to put into words, but the crispy fried texture of the chicharron is unbelievable. Because it's fried, you'd expect it to be on the heavier side, but somehow the taco as a whole still felt very light. Let me try a bit of it by itself. Oh man. Dude, the savoriness here just like coats your mouth. That is fantastic. Yeah, as y'all can see, even though I've eaten a ton of fast food today, there was no way I can let these tacos go to waste. So my meal is complete. And for the first time ever, I am absolutely devastated. I did not order more food. Those tacos were fantastic. After eating the food here, I am no longer skeptical of the price. It was worth every dollar. And if it wasn't obvious by all of this praise, I would very much like to have a Taqueria Orinoco near me. Owners of the chain, if you are watching this, please come to Dallas. I will be here every day. Okay, on to the next spot. Ladies and gents, behind me is arguably one of the most famous chains here in Mexico City. And it's called La Casa de Toño. They have over 81 locations here in Mexico, which is very impressive. But the story of this restaurant actually begins in 1978 with an 18-year-old named Marco Antonio Campos originally selling quesadillas and tacos outside his house. It was a huge hit with the neighborhood, but after being shut down by the authorities for selling on the street, Marco moved the business into his family's house. And from there, that's when it really took off. Now this is another one of those really hyped restaurants. So there is a chance that the entire place could be overrated, but there's only one way to find out. So right away, I could tell this place was popular because in order to actually get to it, you had to go up this elevator that was monitored by a lady just in case they go over capacity. Luckily, I went at a not too busy time and was able to get in without any trouble. Okay, so maybe it's because of the location I'm at, but rather than feeling like a traditional fast food spot, this is giving more like fast casual. Kind of crazy in here. The place was kind of set up like a gigantic cafeteria. The tables had the menu permanently encased in glass. And unlike your typical fast food spots, they have waiters here. So I just got seated and right away, I am a little overwhelmed by how large this menu is. I was not expecting this. They literally had just about everything you could imagine from tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas. They even sell beer. Now despite having so many food options, based on my research, I believe La Casa de Toño is most famous for their pozole and their flautas. I think that's going to be the move. This is also the first place that gave me like this little paper and pen to order from, which I kind of like, because that means I should have no problem ordering. Pozole and tapas. Gracias. So as y'all can see, my food has arrived. But before I show y'all exactly what everything is, I would like to retract my statement about this place being more of like a fast casual spot, because all of this came out at fast food level speed. They are churning out orders back there. So here we have an order of chicken flautas and over here, their world famous pozole. I believe I also got it with chicken and it also comes with a bunch of little toppings like onions, shredded lettuce, radish, some tostadas and lime. All of the food in front of me smells absolutely delicious. So I am very excited to dig in, starting with the flautas. Now, like I said before, I believe that these flautas are filled with chicken, then topped with shredded lettuce, crema, and soon one of these salsas that they brought out for me. Y'all, I am praying these will be really good because apparently, according to Bloomberg, La Casa de Toño is in the process of a huge $400 million sale, which is aimed at helping them expand into other parts of Mexico, Latin America, and even the US. Basically, that means there's actually a chance to get one near me. You see the steaks here? All right, I'm gonna eat. Ooh, based on that cut and crunch alone, these flautas are gonna be crispy goodness. Go ahead and get a little bit of everything. I'm gonna go with the big bite. Cheers. Before I say anything else, the texture on these flautas, very nice. I can kind of already tell when I cut into this, but the entire thing is fried very, very well. It's got that nice crispy crunch that you love. Then there's a soft chicken inside for that nice contrast. I do wanna take one more bite now that I'm closer to the middle of it so I can really have an opinion on the chicken itself. Okay, I'm glad I did that because the chicken itself is seasoned quite well. It's nice and salty, but at the same time, it's also a bit dry. Overall, I still like it though. Next, let's try the pozole. I'm a big soup guy, and like I said before, this smells amazing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the proper way to eat this is by scooping a little bit of all of the toppings and kind of just chucking it in there. If this is incorrect, I apologize. Here we go. Cheers. So as everyone could probably tell by my inability to keep a straight face and like make this whole section seem dramatic, I really like this. First off, the broth itself is so comforting and like rich. And then texturally, this entire bowl is a circus of fun. I believe the soup is made with khamani. I actually don't know if I'm saying that right, but basically it's like big corn kernels. I kind of thought they would be like mushy since they've been stewing in the broth for like who knows how long, but they still have like a really nice bite to them. The shredded chicken in here is cooked well, and all the extra toppings are just adding more layers of varying texture and flavor. There's crunch from the tostada, acidity from the lime, oniony flavor from the onions. Now that I know how much I enjoy their pozole, I won't lie, I am a little worried about their big sale slash U.S. expansion. As of right now, all of La Casa de Toño's locations are still owned by the founder. But as we all know, big sales like the one La Casa de Toño might go through are the exact things that ruin all of the restaurants you loved. If they go through with it, I am praying that is not the case here. Ladies and gents, my meal at La Casa de Toño is finally complete, which means it is decision time. Taking into consideration that the price for all of my food only came out to roughly 140 Mexican pesos, and assuming the expansion does not ruin all of the good flavors that they got going on in there, I would very much so like to have one near me. With that, I've officially tried some of Mexico's most famous fast food chains, and I gotta say, I think my favorite one has gotta be Taqueria Orinoco. I kinda just loved everything about it, from how good the tacos were, the vibe was amazing, and ultimately the price, not too bad. Let me know down in the comments which fast food chain y'all like the most.