Taco Summer: Al Pastor De Trompo in a Phoenix No-Man's-Land

Al Pastorcito D.F. serves a no-nonsense al pastor, shaved from the trompo to order.

September 4, 2017

At Al Pastorcito D.F. they serve true-blue, no-nonsense al pastor. Shelby Moore

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3. El Pastorcito D.F.

Taquería: El Pastorcito D.F., 5060 West Bethany Home Road, Glendale
Open Since: 2014
Style: Iztapalapa borough, Mexico City
Signature Taco(s): Al Pastor de Trompo

The corner of 51st Avenue and Bethany Home Road is a fairly empty stretch, save for the long lines of cars passing the intersection on their way to or from US 60. With no other food options for many blocks, it was a logical place for the family behind El Pastorcito D.F., a little cash-only restaurant with handwritten signs, to open shop.

click to enlarge

Don't let the Al Pastor cardboard cut-out fool you — there's a real one spinning in the kitchen.

Shelby Moore

The owners of El Pastorcito D.F. hail from Iztapalapa, a densely populated urban borough of Mexico City, where al pastor is a street food favorite. Their restaurant on Bethany Home Road seems a little makeshift — well, a lot makeshift — but the appeal needs little explaining after you've had a bite of the al pastor taco meat that is sliced from the vertical spit with each order.

The al pastor is topped with slivers of pineapple and served with a side of a creamy green jalapeño sauce. Among some standard bottled soda options, the shop also offers Boing! brand juices in flavors like mango and guava, either of which make for a perfect foil to the spicy condiment.

On occasion, the tacos are also topped with slices of nopales (cooked cactus paddle), which are chewy and green bean-like.There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason as to when exactly your order arrives, or whether or not it will be topped with bonus nopales, but you're sure to end up with a fresh, excellent plate of al pastor every single time.

Our Taco Summer picks so far:
50. Taqueria Don Beto
49. Kiss Pollos Estilo Sinaloa
48. Tacos Tijuana
47. El Burrito Grande
46. El Horseshoe Restaurant
45. Tacos Sahuaro
44. El Pollo Correteado
43. Adrian's
42. La Fiesta
41. Taqueria Lucy
40. Tortas Ahogadas George
39. Taqueria El Chino
38. Joe's Tacos
37. Taqueria El Gallo de Lagos
36. Tacos Huicho
35. Puffy Taco Shack
34. Ni De Aqui Ne De Alla
33. Mr. Mesquite
32. Senor Ozzy's
31. Tacos Jalisco
30. Ta'Carbon
29. Taqueria Los Yaquis
28: Helio Basin Brewing
27: Sonora Taco Shop
26: Mercado Y Carniceria Cuernavaca
25. Restaurant Atoyac Estilo Oaxaca
24. Paquime Street Food
23. The Rez
22. Asadero Toro
21. La Frontera 1
20. Taquería Yaqui
19. Presidio Cocina Mexicana
18. Mucha Lucha Taco Shop
17. Casa Reynoso
16. Backyard Taco
15. Taquitos Jalisco
14: Waldo's Tacos
13: Moreno's Mexican Grill
12: Asadero Norte De Sonora
11: Taqueria La Hacienda #1
10. Gadzooks
9. Tacos Chava
8. Tacos Kissi
7. Taqueria El Fundador
6. Cahuamanta El Yaqui
5. Tacos Chiwas
4. Gallo Blanco

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