WOW! Now that is a pretty open ended questions – TOO much good stuff. :) But if there is a local, non-tourist place that has tamales [ not the kind we’re used to in restaurants ] thats a must. Also – being on the coast you will have lots of choices for mariscos [seafood]. I would certainly try the ceviche [ shrimp+fish cocktail ] There is also a giant cocktail called the Vuelve de la Vida – usually contains oysters and octopus as well. Milanesa is a pounded flat beefsteak with breading, also found in tortas, etc. Mole – and there are MANY kinds – is great. Its sort of a gravy like topping to meat but many different flavors, etc. And of course, ask around to the residents and see what their favorites are, whats in season, etc. Try to find a local market somewhere as well to take good eats back to the room .

It all depends in what part of Mexico are you going to be…

If you go to Yucatan or Quintana Roo, then you sould try:

- Cochinita Pibil
- Tacos (pastor, gringas, campechanos)

Seafood:
- Huachinango a la talla
(http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/huachinangoalatalla.htm)
- Sopa de Mariscos
- Cocktail Vuelve a la Vida
- Langosta al Mojo de Ajo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/antilo0p/368344425/in/set-72157594498188826/)
- Mojarra Frita
http://www.flickr.com/photos/antilo0p/352790564/in/set-72157594498188826/

yummie, yummie…

just for a start..

It’s all good…see what the special of the day is…maybe a fresh catch? Fresh ceviche is awesome, and I agree with Kiska, only lime juice. Whatever you eat, you’re sure to get fresh salsa and guacamole…to me, that’s Mexico! They use a lot of cilantro, which gives it such a fresh flavour. I think a traditional dish is chicken or beef in mole sauce…molay is more the pronunciation, but that’s how it’s spelled…it’s a sauce made with cocoa or chocolate in it…that would be a very Mexican dish to try I think…

Local favorites are the best dishes. Tortas ahogadas, (a pork sandwich moistened with a mild red chile sauce), Guaraches (a meat or pork grilled sandwich), tacos al pastor (any kind of meat, but specially seasoned. usually on a large rotisserie), atole (a thick , hot, sweetened cornmeal drink), champurrado (a thick, hot, sweetened chocolate drink), and any botana (vendor snack), that you can find! :)

depends on where you are going. i am big on local restaurants not associated with hotels or resorts. – like she says up there, local favorites are the best!

if you are in a fishing area, get the fresh fish! i love pesca veracruzana but that is just me.

avoid goat.

As other people have said, Mexican food is highly regional, so although you can get most popular things everywhere, you’ll get the absolute best if you get the area’s specialties,

Ceviche is best on the coasts, especially the pacific coast
Huachinango (Snapper) a la Veracruzana is best in, well, Veracruz
Tortas ahogadas are best in the Guadalajara, Jalisco area (you may be able to get good ones in Puerto Vallarta which is in the state of Jalisco.

Tamales, there are 3 main types: Norteno (northern), which are skinny and dry, central Mexico tamales, which are more or less like what you get in the US (only a lot better tasting and not nearly as dry), and Oaxacan tamales (known as Central American tamales outside of Mexico), which are short, square, very moist and covered with Banana leaves instead of corn leaves.

Tacos al pastor are best in the center area of the country. Look for the sauce on the meat to be orange-ish in color while on a giant “gyros-style” rotisseirie. The meat is pork.

Other types of tacos are always much better than in the US. You will not find ground beef tacos in the country, and this is a good thing.

Carne asada is very good in-country.

Carnitas is slow-cooked pork. Very slowly cooked with only salt and water (and the pork’s own fat). All the fixins are on the side. Very good stuff.

Cochinita Pibil is another slow-cooked pork dish, but this one slow cooked with a set of spieces based on Achiote (Annato) seeds. Delicious (this is the one that is so good, Johnny Depp has to kill the cook on ‘Once upon a time in Mexico’)

Pozole has 3 regional variations: Jalisco style (Red in color and best around Guadalajara), Guerrero style (green in color and best around Acapulco) and “White Pozole” (Mexico City style).

Tortilla soup is best around Mexico City.

“Tacos acorazados” are also from the center of the country, and they’re typically a main course dish with rice dumped on a big taco. You could call it fast food, except it’s a lot better :-)

If you’re by the Puebla area (halfway between Mexico city and the port of Veracruz on the Gulf coast), make sure you try mole. Mole is typically chicken with a very dark, thick sauce that contains chocolate among other spices. Mole in Puebla is one of those “there’s as many varieties as there’s families and everyone says theirs is the best one” things.

Sopes (or Picaditas, depending on the region) are like deep-fried, thick tortilla boats with refried beans, salsa and cheese (with or without meat on top). Excellent stuff. Most of the things you’d find at a deep-fried-sopes place (huaraches, gorditas, etc) is delicious and like all deep fried food very bad for you. :-)

Champurrado (also called atole) I happen to not like (consistency issues – too thick for me), but a lot of people like it.

I can recommend you more specific restaurants (I’m from Mexico City). Where specifically are you going?

I have to agree with about everything mentioned above. I loved REAL tacos with the meat (lamb) carved right off the huge chunk under the heat lamps.

Try to go to more local and not touristy places, they usually have the best food.

One thing to remember is to avoid water. Of course, everyone knows this, but don’t think about certain things.

- If you order a bottled soda, make sure it comes sealed or send it back.  They could have refilled it from a soda fountain that uses tap water.
- Ask for drinks without ice!  Most people don't think about that.  It's better to drink a warm drink than spend a big part of your vaca in the potty!

Also, try any of the interesting candies you can find. I had a wonderful candy made out of sweet potatoes when I was there and have been craving it since. 17 years later and the sweet potato candy is still haunting me!

Ken

The best thing I ate in Mexico was beef fajitas. The meat was seasoned and cooked perfectly.

Authentic fajitas are really hard to beat.

Like others here, mariscos is the way to go!! I dont know why folks think a plate of brown mush from Garcias in Denver constitutes Mexican food. LOL! Ceviche is wonderful. I was in Ixapta and had an amazing grilled red snapper. The seafood is so fresh. I took a small catamaran cruise while in PV many many years ago. The crew was fishing off the back of the boat catching “bonitas”. We arrived in PV on T-Giving Day and had shrimp fajitas and Dos Equis on the beach for our Thanksgiving celebration. What a memorable holiday…

My favorite food was the homemade tortillas and hot sauce we ate while we were in a small town. They were the best tortillas ever, they only had hot sauce on them which is much different than im used to but it was still very good!

oh i just found this…
quesadillas and tacos is a must although u gotta know where to eat them cause if not u can get a stomachache…
liquados is a drink..yup, they can be made of pretty much evrything.
like allmonds with chocolate and milk, or orange,lemon and apple etc
very very recomendable!