El Pica I

A must visit for lamb barbacoa if you happen to be in Texcoco (or if you're in Mexico City or Puebla and have the time and inclination for the drive / Uber trip, it's really worth it). If you're tourists like us, you've probably seen the videos on YouTube. Believe the hype!

Sunday is supposedly the day to go but we visit on Saturday arriving at about 11am. We were able to find a table with relative ease. You have to buy everything individually (we already brought paper plates and napkins) so my tip is to get all your other bits before you get the lamb do it doesn't go cold. We bought 2 salsas, 2 small bags of onions and coriander, a portion of corn tortillas (received 12) and cutlery from the other traders that are easy to find.

As for the barbacoa... wow. We had a kilo of boneless meat ("sin huesos") which cost 538 pesos (about £25 or $30 US at the time of writing) and they take cards. I believe you can order it by the quarter of a kilo as they weigh it and the local in front of us got 3/4 of a kilo. There was a small line of people which moved quite quickly. You get in the line to the left hand corner of where the barbacoa pits are to pay first, you'll get a ticket and then line up to collect your meat.

We asked for it "sin pancita" or "without stomach" as we weren't brave enough to try that. You'll essentially get lamb leg and shoulder in chunks that fall apart/shred with minimal effort. We weren't fans of the consommé, as you're essentially drinking lamb stock with bits of onion and pepper floating about.

The gent serving also gives you a sample of the meat with a bit of salt when packaging it for you. It doesn't need the salt, the meat is truly phenomenal and you'll most likely add salsa when you construct it. We finished the final few bites of lamb on their own.

The kilo of barbacoa and 12 tacos from the nearby stand was enough for 3 hungry guys. If you have room for anything else, the place has other meats and traditional Mexican foods. There are a few desert stands and some stands selling Piña Colada, which we annoyingly missed as we were too focused on the barbacoa.

Other than that there are mariachis wondering about if you want to pay for some songs while you eat, there is some entertainment for children and a parking lot if you're driving. All in all, this is a must visit if you love lamb barbacoa.

Late Post: I was there last month. If you have a spare day in Mexico city, do take a drive and visit this place. It's perfect for brunch on weekends as I reached there around 11.30 AM. It is full of different and taste good options. I went for the thing that is most well known for Barbacoa and it was definitely worth it. I also ordered Pansita and Consomé along with the Barbacoa, and both were good. Lastly I did try the Champurrado drink as well. There are few band members around playing music on request.

I'm a bias contributor because I love culture however, for delicious traditional prepared barbacoa, deep fried plantains (ripe and unripe), roasted chicken, fried fish among other delicious options with an amazing scenic view on your way in, then this is your place.

A must for any foodie. It's a good trek out from Mexico City (hour+ from center) but entirely worth it. Get a kilo of barbacoa, roasted in underground clay ovens for $20 and split with 3-4 people. Other vendors sell tortillas, salsas, beans, drinks, etc. It is a bit of a mission to get all the ingredients, but part of the fun. I recommend going with others, as it will make gathering all ingredients a bit easier. The sensation of the first bite is worth all the troubles.

Best Barbacoa. I've had! the scenery is natural and I highly recommend you visit if your in the area!

Super delicious foods. Everything had flavor from the coffee, barbacoa, consome, salsas, and drinks. Highly recommend it. Get there early

El mejor lugar para barcoa. Best place for slow cooked lamb

Possibly the best barbacoa experience in Mexico.

A must! If you like Barbacoa this is the right place! Loved it!

One of the most authentic experiences I've had. The food is incredible and the atmosphere is like no other. Pro tip- get here early on Sunday to secure a great spot.

It's a cool place in the middle of nowhere. A bunch of vendors selling different things. The lamb is what you come here for. They cook it in a large pit. Pretty cool to see. Friday morning was not busy. Heard Sunday gets crazy. There is 1000 tables here so pretty easy to find a place to sit.

This place is amazing! You can ask for a kg of barbacoa with our without bones. The Barbacoa is made inside an oven that is inside the Earth! And they use the leaves of a Mexican plant called maguey to cover the walls of the oven and that gives the meat a really special flavor. You collect your meat and broth they prepare, your hand-made tortillas, and vegetables from different families and then you go find a place to sit and eat among the trees and vegetation. It's a really cool experience.

Amazing place to be, the barbacoa is amazing

If you are looking for the world's best barbacoa, Texcoco is A MUST, I remember hearing about this place as if it were a legend and when i got to experience it, it was so unique and extraordinary, everything from how they cook it to all of the local dishes by the community of food vendors make this a memorable and exquisite trip, go if you have the chance, you wont regret it!

Absolutely loved everything I ate here highly recommend 👌🤌

I enjoyed the food, the environment and the whole experience. I truely recommended. You must go prepare as if you were going on a picnic.

Honestly idk what the hell was happening when I was here but somehow I got food and it tasted very good

Great place to enjoy with family or friends, love the food but you have to go early there is a lot of hungry costumers waiting!!

Lovely food good prices, just don't let anyone helo you the first time in there, go search

Amazing place, full of vendors and food. Bring your own table cloth, plates, cutlery... Picnic style.