Reviews Df Tacos - Shoreditch

Welcoming staff, cute decor and DELICIOUS tacos. We ordered the sweet & smoky chicken tacos and the pork pibil, with two frozen margaritas. Would definitely come again if we pass by London!

I had my first work lunch at DF/Mexico and it’s a joint that’s stuck in my head. For when I need a decent pseudo-Mexican eatery in a hurry, or something for the vegos or gluten-frees. Located around the corner from the Old Truman Brewery, it’s a handy location. The style of the eatery also lends itself to be enjoyable for a long sit-down. The food ranges in success but the tacos are always fair. DF/Mexico’s bottomless agua frescas are another big plus from me.

Such a filling and tasty buritto. I ordered the shredded pork, it was so juicy i had to put it on a plate and devoured it in a deconstructed way. The drink was free flow once you purchased a glass, my favourite had to be the horchata!

I really fancied a Mexican and happened to be at an event in The Old Truman Brewery (a really cool place to visit with lots going on at the weekends). Anyway, I stumbled across DF/Mexico and was NOT disappointed. 

The staff were extremely friendly and welcoming (definitely not basic) - there are self service machines to order, but you can also order with a member of staff and I loved having the option! They went completely out of their way to help me and recommend dishes form the menu. We went for tacos, the buttermilk chicken being the highlight - delicious fried chicken that they prepare in house, with chipotle mayo and a fresh red slaw. The pork pibil tacos were also good, as well as the chilli fries. We had 2 bottomless drinks and everything came to just over £20, which is an absolute bargain really considering we're in London.

I will definitely be back next time I'm in the area - they have a fantastic choice of food and it's a delicious mix of Mexican and American, done in a cool way, and tastes fresh.

The Wahaca founders created DF Mexico after feeling inspired on a US and Mexican road trip. I’m a big Wahaca fan and love Mexican food so I was very excited to try DF Mexico. The name comes from Mexico City (Distrito Federal) and the diner style restaurant combines influences from Mexico and America creating a Mexican version of a Nandos style (pick a main and side combo) menu. The quirky restaurant fits right in to cool Shoreditch and is located just a short walk away from Spitalfields at The Old Truman Brewery. The Old Truman Brewery is home to some of the hippest galleries, markets and restaurants in London.

I’m eating around the world without leaving London and this week I had Mexican food at DF Mexico. DF Mexico, which refers to the country’s capital area, serves up modern day Mexican fare with a little hint of USA. With the risk of finding more Tex than Mex at this place, I decided to go check it out anyways. A taco is a taco after all.

The premise is a modern Mexican diner serving street food. There’s no reservations and an unusual self-service system, so if you’re looking to be treated, then maybe this isn’t the place for you. However, if you’re looking for filling and tasty food and don’t have much time on your hands, this is a good place to stop.

DF/Mexico is a relative newcomer to The Old Truman Brewery crew and I had been looking for an excuse to go and check it as according to my thrifty other half saving money means eating out less!!

Arriving at 7.30 on a Saturday night, without reservations, anywhere in London is never a good idea but lady luck was on our side and despite the restaurant being extremely busy we managed to squeeze onto a large sharing table. I really enjoy eating in this way as I feel that it is more social, you can have a good nosey at other people’s orders and, if your companion is boring, eavesdropping is always entertaining. 

This style is not for everyone, the female in of the couple that came in after us were mortified at the prospect of sitting opposite us, she continued to sigh and pick at her food the entire meal. I think she was looking for some fine dining, not that her date seemed to notice. This sort of comedy drama would never be observed at a private table.

My date was much more content at my casual style and we embraced the family style dining by choosing food that we could share. 

Though the restaurant is named DF/Mexico* it plays on both traditional and American influences to create an interesting fusion style menu mainly of NYC Tortas served burger style, corn tacos, burritos, DIY boards along with a variety of sides and sharers.

*I was informed by my half Mexican boyfriend that DF (which is an abbreviation of Distrito Federal) is what locals refer to Mexico City as.

After placing our order on the self service computer I watched every meal leaving the open kitchen behind us hoping it was ours, the smokey, spicy smells had me salivating. 

Soon our nachos arrived followed by the rest of our order. Made up of colourful tortilla chips and topped with tomatillo guacamole, salsa, refried beans, cheese and pink pickled onions. There was the perfect ratio of topping that there was not a chip untouched but remained crunchy. 

A cup of corn might seem like an odd order but I became a little obsessed with cups of corn when we we travelling in Southeast Asia. Though a little more complex than my favourite backpacking snack with lime, mayo and cheese it was equally appetising. 

The DIY Mexican Ancho Mushroom Sharing Board was [messy] fun and packed with a great balance of smokey, spicy, sour and sweet flavours. 

I love a restaurant where you feel relaxed enough to have fun; the bright colours, quirky decor, chipper staff, large tables and sharing style of food definitely encourage this. 

If I was to compare the food to anywhere I would say it had similarities to Wahacca, in the way that they kept with tradition using corn tortillas and classic flavours but where not afraid to serve food up in a modern manner. It was not only the food that managed to find a the correct balance but also the decor and general vibe. Opening up in a warehouse space in Shoreditch there was potential to be pretentious however they have pulled off cool, open plan in an inviting way. A perfect place for a catch up with friends or a casual date.

DF Mexico opened on Hanbury Street (just off Brick Lane) on 24 July and is owned by the same people who own Wahaca (you can read about my first trip to Wahaca here), but rather than playing to the colourful masses, DF Mexico is the East London hipster sibling, a place that's not into table service, small plates and big bills but is big on atmosphere, portions and value for money. 

We made our way to DF Mexico for a late lunch via some of the best street art spots at the south end of Brick Lane and because I can't help taking a million pictures, I thought I'd share a few here.

After I'd been steered away from the art and through the hipsters, we found ourselves at DF Mexico's door, where we were ushered past a wall of succulents and to a table for two at the back of the restaurant.

We'd already perused the menu at home and so the ordering process was super speedy, my boyfriend went to order at the counter (you can use a computerised system to eliminate all human interaction but given that he was born in an era when the wheel was a novelty, he went for the person option) and came back clutching two juicy waters for us - lime and chia for him and hibiscus for me. Both were lovely, although I possibly preferred the lime and chia. The best thing is that they were bottomless, which in my opinion is always a good idea for soft drinks, because really, who wants to spend a fortune on something that's not even going to get you happy tipsy?

We started with veggie nachos to share. These are topped with tomatillo guacamole, salsa, refried beans, cheese and pink pickled onions and unlike many nachos which come with dollops of separate ingredients, these had the toppings evenly spread across them which meant that you got a good mix with every nacho rather than having to dip into the toppings of your choice. My boyfriend declared that he was not a nacho expert but that these were the best he'd ever had, whilst he can sometimes be prone to hyperbole, they were very very good.

We each ordered a torta - a Mexican sandwich served NYC style (whatever that is) served in a brioche bun with smashed guacamole and slaw. He went for a crumbed cod one and I went for the grilled chicken. I can't speak for the cod but I can for the chicken. The chicken was beautifully tender but in my meat loving opinion was a little overwhelmed by the amount of slaw.

The steak tacos were the star of the show for me. These weren't tiny tacos, these were big beefy things that you needed two hands for. The steak was slightly pink inside which was perfect and they were generously filled. They were also messy. This is not first date food, this is the kind of food you can only eat with people who love you because it's tie your hair back, finger licking stuff (and not just your fingertips but right down inbetween your fingers).

There were also two kinds of fries - regular and chilli fries (the main difference being chilli salt).

We were definitely a bit ambitious on the ordering and I blame Wahaca for that as we ordered lots of plates there and so I was expecting to do the same at DF Mexico - mistake. These are good sized portions and very filling. I would have liked to try dessert which are some interesting sounding ice cream flavours but I fear it would have been my wafer thin mint.

Our gorging done, we headed out for a slow stroll to watch the Tour of Britain and to wonder whether we'd ever eat again. We wouldn't eat again that day but it was only the next day that I was craving more tacos and wondering when I could visit again. Given that the whole thing cost us about £35, it's definitely not one of those places to save for a treat but the sort of place I'm very liable to head to after a late night at work, which is possibly very dangerous as there are quite a few long days and late nights at work after which I can't be bothered to cook. Oh dear.

Really enjoyed the food and atmosphere here. The music was also nice but the food was delicious. The frozen margarita was my fav!

Mmm! Very tasty! I have over-evaluated my eating force but tried two options from another side - fish taco and OG chicken taco. Both were very nice. Cool atmosphere, friendly staff and super fast serve. There is interesting way to order food via your phone. Like it 👌

The tacos are really good. Surprisingly so. We had the pork and beef tacos. They are a good size but as with all tacos in the UK a little over priced. The nachos were fine. Wouldn't order them again but if they are a something you enjoy, then you might like them. The -1 star mostly comes from the Frozen Margarita which was disappointing. Bottom shelf flavour and the paper straws tended to freeze in the glass. Staff were friendly and prompt. Suggest getting a booking for peak times.

First of all the service is amazing. I tried meatless ‘OG’ tacos - those were the most delicious tacos I’ve tried so far. Also they have a selection of spicy sauces (not very spicy though if you got used to spicy food😅). I’d really recommend this place.

Amazingly good tacos and special drinks (free refill) on top. Very recommended.

First time eating here and I was completely shocked by how good it is. I had the Steak burrito which is a pretty decent size portion. It comes with rice, beans, slaw, cheese and salsas. Also with tomatillo salsa and pickled cucumber. It's very tasty and if you add some habanero sauce, it makes it even better. I also had some plantain tacos because I was starving and these were incredible. I thought Wahaca had the best plantain tacos in this city but wow, these topped them. They come with slaw, feta, crema and smoky salsa. So good, tasty and generous portion. I'd recommend this place 100% as it's a perfect tex mex place. I paid £17 for these two dishes, so pretty affordable too.

Delicious, fresh and flavourful tacos. Went for the sharer plate. 3 different fillings, all fab. Shared a hibiscus margarita pitcher which was a good mix of fruit flavour vs alcohol essentially as a slushie.

Fresh food. Good taste simple decor. Light and airy. The menu and all orders via an App so no interaction with a waiter and chat.

For an unforgettable Mexican dining experience, look no further than this restaurant. The flavors are exceptional, transporting your taste buds straight to Mexico. The menu features a wide array of dishes, each meticulously prepared and bursting with authentic flavors. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, offering excellent recommendations and ensuring your needs are met. The attention to detail and passion for Mexican cuisine are evident in every aspect of this restaurant.