{"id":144277,"date":"2024-03-11T23:26:31","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T03:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/how-to-order-food-in-mexican-spanish\/"},"modified":"2025-02-19T07:14:54","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T12:14:54","slug":"how-to-order-food-in-mexican-spanish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/how-to-order-food-in-mexican-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"Key Phrases to Order Food in Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re visiting Mexico,<\/a> you\u2019re in luck because it’s a gastronomic paradise.\u00a0Much of the food is grown locally and spices rule, so the food choices? \u00a1Excelente!<\/em> (Excellent!)<\/p>\n

In this post, you’ll find out exactly how to order food in Mexico.\u00a0I’ll share with you the Mexican Spanish phrases to order delicious, authentic food just the way you want it and get that comida<\/em> (food) on your plate!<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Ordering Food in Mexico<\/h2>\n

Deciding Where to Eat<\/h3>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

You may order from a street stand where food is sold. Or you might head to a restaurant. In either place, you may want to take your food with you. If you do, ask for it to go.<\/p>\n

Un puesto<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(A street stand)<\/p>\n

Un restaurante<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(A restaurant)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unos tacos para llevar, por favor.<\/em><\/strong> (Tacos to go, please.)<\/p>\n

Talking to the Waiter or Waitress<\/h3>\n

In a Mexican restaurant you\u2019ll be served by either a waiter or waitress, and you can use these terms in Spanish (see below!) to get their attention during a meal.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s considered rude to say\u00a0\u00bfQu\u00e9?<\/em>\u00a0(What?) if you don\u2019t immediately understand the waiter when you\u2019re ordering.\u00a0\u00bfMande?<\/em>\u00a0is a slang way to ask someone to repeat something if you need to hear it again.<\/p>\n

When asked about something to drink, notice that in Mexico, they don\u2019t use beber<\/em> (to drink) to ask the question.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a beer to go with your meal, chela<\/em>\u00a0or cheve<\/em> are the slang terms for beer in Mexico.<\/p>\n

Un joven<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(A waiter)<\/p>\n

Una se\u00f1orita<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(A waitress)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 precio tiene?<\/strong> <\/em>(How much does it cost?)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00bfGustan algo de tomar?<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(Would you like something to drink?)<\/p>\n

Una chela, por favor.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(A beer, please.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Asking About Ingredients\u00a0<\/h3>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Just in case you have some dietary restrictions or want to make sure what you’re getting, you can also ask some questions about what’s in the food.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Notice that the verb here is llevar <\/em>(to wear, to take, to carry), which has several meanings, but is often used in the context of food ingredients.<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 es eso<\/strong>\/esto?<\/strong><\/em>(What is that\/this?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 lleva el mole?<\/strong><\/em>(What’s in the mole?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfLleva cebollas<\/strong>\/cilantro?<\/strong><\/em>(Does it have onions\/coriander?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfLos tacos llevan queso<\/strong>\/<\/em>carne<\/em><\/strong>?<\/strong><\/em><\/em>(Do the tacos have cheese\/meat?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfTiene algo sin queso<\/strong>\/carne?<\/strong>
\n<\/em>(Do you have something without cheese\/meat?)<\/p>\n

Placing Your Order<\/h3>\n

Ordering is pretty informal in most eateries and you most likely won’t only eat in restaurants. There are a few easy options for structuring sentences and once you get them down you\u2019ll be able to place an order anywhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Traer<\/em> (to bring) is also a very common way to make a request.<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 va a querer?<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(What would you like to order?)<\/p>\n

Voy a querer\u2026<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(I\u2019ll have\u2026)<\/p>\n

\u00bfMe traes una quesadilla con\u2026 ?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(Can you bring me a quesadilla with\u2026?)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ordering Tacos in Mexico<\/h3>\n

\u00a0\"Tacos<\/p>\n

Tacos are a Mexican staple food, and there’s a lot of vocabulary just for ordering this dish and the accompanying fillings and toppings.<\/p>\n

Aside from mixing up the fillings, there are a variety of toppings to choose from so there\u2019s really no \u201cstandard taco\u201d\u2014each can be unique. Some toppings that are readily available are onions, fresh cilantro and avocado sauce.<\/p>\n

Salsa, the type most Americans are used to seeing, comes in either verde<\/em> (green) or roja<\/em> (red) varieties. Sometimes spicy corn or cactus salsa is on the menu, as well.<\/p>\n

The cream isn’t sour cream like Mexican restaurants in the U.S. usually use, but a thinner cream that\u2019s milder and just a little bit sour.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve chosen the basic taco fillings, you\u2019ve still got choices to make. You might request yours a few different ways.<\/p>\n

Me da dos tacos con salsa de ma\u00edz, por favor.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(I\u2019ll get two tacos with corn salsa, please.)<\/p>\n

Con crema, por favor.<\/strong> <\/em>(With cream, please.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Con nopales, por favor.<\/em><\/strong> (With sliced cactus, please.)<\/p>\n

Con refritos, por favor.<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(With a layer of refried beans, please.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00bfCon verduras?<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(With cilantro and onions?)<\/p>\n

For the last one, although verduras<\/em> literally means vegetables, the server is asking if you want cilantro and onions on the taco. \u00a1S\u00ed!<\/em>\u00a0(Yes!) is usually my answer to that question!<\/p>\n

Digging in and Describing Your Meal<\/h3>\n

When the food arrives, Mexicans, along with all Latin Americans, say the Spanish equivalent of “Bon app\u00e9tit<\/em>.” There\u2019s no perfect translation but it\u2019s right up there with the English invitation to \u201cEnjoy your meal!\u201d<\/p>\n

If you still look hungry, you may be asked if you want more of whatever you\u2019ve ordered. Here’s your cue to ask for second helpings from your waiter.<\/p>\n

And of course, no meal is complete until the compliments for the food are offered.<\/p>\n

In Mexico, food is described favorably as rico\u00a0<\/em>(tasty), so a smile and a few of these phrases will show your appreciation. And with all the amazing food choices available in Mexico, you\u2019re bound to say this a lot!<\/p>\n

\u00a1Buen provecho!<\/em><\/strong> (Enjoy your meal!)<\/p>\n

\u00bfMe da otro?<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(Would you give me another one?)<\/p>\n

Rico<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(Tasty, yum, nice)<\/p>\n

\u00a1Qu\u00e9 rica comida!<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(What tasty food!)<\/p>\n

\u00a1Qu\u00e9 ricos tacos!<\/strong> <\/em>(What tasty tacos!)<\/p>\n

\u00a1Est\u00e1 muy rico todo!<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(Everything’s so tasty!)<\/p>\n

\u00a1Estuvo delicioso!<\/em><\/strong> (It was delicious!)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By now you have most of the phrases you need to order delicious meals in Mexico! If you want to get into more detail and learn even more phrases for ordering in Spanish, check out the article below.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to Order Food in Spanish<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n