<p class="ingestion featured-caption">Next time, I'd order less food at El Califia de Leòn.Jennifer Fernández Solano</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>I visited the only taco stand that's got a <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-eating-at-popular-ramen-restaurant-japan-michelin-star">Michelin star</a>: El Califia de Leòn in Mexico.</li><li>I expected a long wait time, but my food only took 20 minutes and it was affordable.</li></ul><p>This year, El Califa de León became the first and only taco stand in the world to earn a Michelin star.</p><p>It received the prestigious title in May, and I knew I had to check it out as soon as I was back home in <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mexico-things-to-never-do-there-according-to-local">Mexico City</a>. </p><p>Founded by Juan Hernández González, El Califa de León has been in operation since 1968, when it opened in the working-class San Rafael neighborhood. </p><p>Even though it's been around for decades, I'd never been. So, I headed over with my dad and cousin on a Saturday morning.</p><p>I'd read when the taquería <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/world/americas/taqueria-el-califa-de-leon-mexico-city-michelin-star.html">first got its star</a>, the lines were so long that waiting times were around three hours, so we tried to get there when its doors opened at 11 a.m.</p><p>Here's what our experience at El Califa de León was like.</p>