48 Hours Eating INSANE Mexican Street Food in Monterrey!
Monterrey is the city of fire, meat and mountains, and one of the most unique food stops on my 2026 World Cup journey.
In this episode of my 2026 World Cup food series, I’m in Monterrey, Mexico, to find out what people eat in Northern Mexico and why this city has such a powerful food identity.
Monterrey is surrounded by mountains and built around flame, grilled meat, flour tortillas, cabrito, tacos, barbacoa, guisados and proper Northern Mexican cooking. This is a very different side of Mexican food to the one most people expect.
I start at El Rey Del Cabrito, one of Monterrey’s most famous restaurants, to try the city’s legendary cabrito. Cabrito means young goat, and in Monterrey it is cooked over fire until the skin turns crisp and the meat becomes tender, rich and full of flavour. I try it with warm flour tortillas, salsa and beans, and even take on the goat’s head.
Then I head to a local taco spot called Tacos “El Compadre” featured in the Michelin Guide, where I try some of the best tacos in Monterrey. Simple, cheap, packed with flavour and proof that some of the best food in Mexico comes from places that look completely ordinary from the outside.
After that, I visit Los Frijoles, one of the busiest restaurants in Monterrey, for an all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet filled with grilled meat, stewed meat, beans, guisados, tortillas, salsas and local dishes. No labels, no fuss, just a huge room full of proper Mexican food.
Then I go to Tacos Rafa Ahogadas for drowned tacos covered in sauce. They serve a range of guisados, including barbacoa, one of Monterrey’s great specialities, all packed into tacos and drowned until messy, rich and ridiculous.
Finally, I visit Vernáculo, a restaurant cooking Northern Mexican food the old-fashioned way with meat over fire, proper ingredients and a deep respect for Monterrey’s food traditions.
This is part of my 16-part series travelling to every 2026 FIFA World Cup host city in North America to find out which city has the best food.
I’ve visited New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Miami, Toronto, San Francisco, Seattle and Dallas – and now I’m in Monterrey to explore one of Mexico’s most fascinating food cities.
00:00 – Introduction to Monterrey & Northern Mexican Cuisine
00:36 – El Rey del Cabrito: Traditional Baby Goat
03:42 – Eating Goat’s Brain
05:35 – Tacos El Muerto: Michelin-Recognised Street Tacos
10:19 – Los Frijoles: Monterrey’s Busiest Buffet
14:59 – Tacos Rafa: Trying “Drowned” Tacos (Tacos Ahogados)
18:22 – Vernáculo: Elevated Fire-Cooked Dining
23:03 – Final Thoughts: Why Monterrey is a Must-Visit

21 Comments
Tummy Rumbling
Absolutely loved that! Best video so far
gotta love the effort but "los free holes" made me chuckle lmao
Yet again, brilliant! Please don’t stop this series
🤙🤙🌮
I wouldn’t know what “heady” tastes like tbh 😂
Need some of this in my life.. looks so tasty!!!
Sam is not the kinda guy I'd love to have against me haha what a beast! Excellent video again mate, this whole series has been nothing but quality quality quality.
The real kind of Taco Bell us Brits should be devouring!
I'm glad you visited this city, the cuisine looks delicious.
Brother these videos are fire – pun intended
Love from Mexico <3
Amazing food, beautiful country.❤ from Canada.
Happy I found this channel. Good stuff fellas. Cheers
I have no idea why you're not getting half a mill + views, you're the best presenter by far on YouTube for a foody…its got the Anthony Bourdain vibes without the politics, the way you interact with the owners, its very natural… ..
Chile Relleno in a taco or burrito always is a plus. Chile Relleno is my FAVORITE Mexican dish.
Soy de Monterrey, great restaurant picks and representation of what we would normally eat. Love to see it.
Bro just ditched pizza as his favorite lol. Two of my favs as well
Mexican food the best in the world. You capture it beautifully.
It was a pleasure meeting you guys and taking you to all these spots. Always welcome!
i thought that guy next to you was you lol, i thought wtf has happened to your head lol, sorry mate.