I visited the only taco stand in the world with a Michelin star. The best thing I ordered was only $4.

El Califa de León doesn’t sell alcohol, and there are signs up by the lunch counter stating that alcoholic beverages are forbidden — meaning you can’t sneak off to a convenience store nearby to buy a beer to eat with your tacos, either.

I ordered Sidral, an apple fizzy drink I loved as a kid, and my dad and cousin got a Coke and a Diet Coke. The eatery also had bottled water and Boing, a non-carbonated fruit juice popular in Mexico.

I paid in cash because El Califa de León doesn’t take credit cards, a practice common at smaller eateries and street stalls in Mexico.

I’d read that before El Califa de León got its star, patrons ate inside the taquería standing up, leaning against a thin metal counter across from the grill.

Now, patrons mostly eat at the tables outside and in shops nearby. Once I placed my order, I joined them and sat at a table inside the shop next door.

I learned the people waiting tables aren’t actually El Califa de León staff members — they’re from the neighboring shops. I guess locals chose to lean into the stand’s success and try to benefit from the increase in crowds around their businesses.

Once our order was ready, our server brought the drinks and tacos to our table like we were at a full-service restaurant.

He checked in on us a couple of times to see if we needed anything else and said we wouldn’t have to stand in line again if we did because he’d be happy to bring it to us. We made sure to leave him a tip directly.

Tourists might not see anything special about this service, but it’s definitely not like a typical street-taco experience here.

The gaonera and the bisteck (beefsteak) tacos are served individually, which is why — in retrospect — they’re cheaper than the rest.

We realized we had ordered too much food when our server brought out double portions of the costilla (rib) and chuleta (pork chop) tacos.

They cost more because one order consists of two tacos.

In Mexico, it’s common to drizzle tacos with either salsa verde (green salsa) or salsa roja (red salsa).

At El Califa de León, bowls of salsa were placed on several tables, as well as on the lunch counter. The green one contained chunky pieces of raw onion, which isn’t common.

The salsa verde was my favorite, even though I thought it was spicier than the red. I liked the salsa roja too — it was a bit sour, and I thought it tasted like Tajín, a famous Mexican spice mix made predominantly of lime, peppers, and salt.

Both salsas were a bit spicy to me, but it wasn’t a problem. I always start by adding a few droplets of salsa to my food and tasting it before deciding whether to add more — something I always advise my foreign friends.

All in all, my bill was 960 pesos (around $49), including tax, for the three of us to have 12 orders of tacos and three soft drinks.

Next time, knowing some tacos come in two to an order, I’ll order a bit less. That way, we won’t spend as much, and we’ll still have room for dessert without overdoing it.

Since El Califa de León isn’t exactly around the corner from my family’s home, it won’t become my go-to spot for tacos. But I’ll definitely bring foreign friends here who want a taste of the award-winning taco experience.