Expendio de Maíz
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founder | Jesús Salas Tornés |
| Headquarters | Mexico City , Mexico |
| Products | Mexican street food (antojitos), maize-based dishes, beverages |
Expendio de Maíz, also referred to as Expendio de Maíz Sin Nombre, is a Mexican dining establishment located in Mexico City. Established in 2018 by chef Jesús Salas Tornés, it is situated in the Colonia Roma neighborhood within the Cuauhtémoc borough.
This restaurant provides an informal, shared dining atmosphere centered around traditional Mexican street food made primarily from maize (antojitos). It operates without a fixed menu, reservations, or waitstaff, and transactions are cash-only. Patrons gather around one of four communal tables while chefs work in an open kitchen to craft surprise dishes tailored to guests’ dietary preferences and restrictions, continuing to serve additional items until diners are fully satisfied.
In 2024, Expendio de Maíz was honored with a Bib Gourmand distinction in Mexico’s inaugural Michelin Guide and subsequently received its first Michelin star in 2025.
Description
Specializing exclusively in Mexican street cuisine, this venue functions without a predetermined menu or advance bookings and accepts cash payments only. Seating consists of four shared tables; guests wait their turn if all seats are occupied. The open kitchen focuses on maize-based creations such as tortillas, tacos, sopes, and gorditas. The chefs also act as servers, customizing surprise plates according to individual dietary needs and offering successive servings throughout the dining experience.
The interior design evokes a rustic Mexican kitchen ambiance, featuring a cooking area made from volcanic rock surrounded by stools and benches positioned around a clay comal. Ingredients are sourced seasonally and locally from milpas, including corn, beans, wild amaranth, squash, and occasionally chapulines (grasshoppers).
Signature offerings include tacos filled with fresh cheese, hoja santa leaves, squash blossoms, and a standout taco that incorporates whole nixtamalized corn kernels fried in coconut butter topped with hoja santa, cheese, and edible flowers. Beverage options include aguas frescas, coffee, fermented drinks, and corn beer. Masa and tortillas are also available for take-home purchase.
History
Jesús Salas Tornés inaugurated Expendio de Maíz in April 2018 on Avenida Yucatán in Colonia Roma, collaborating with partners Paulino Martínez and Ludwig Godefroy—the latter responsible for interior design. Initially operating without an official name, the establishment was colloquially called "" ("nameless maize stand"). Tornés sought to establish an "unpretentious space" inspired by traditional rural Mexican fare. Martínez contributed the location adjacent to his taquería El Parnita. Decorations included papayas and bananas sourced from Tornés’s hometown of Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero.
During its first year, Tornés utilized a black stone metate to grind nixtamalized maize into masa. Early clientele primarily consisted of international visitors. Monthly consumption of nixtamalized corn increased from approximately initially to over by 2020. In April 2019, chef Ana Dolores González assumed the role of head chef, introducing signature dishes developed from limited ingredients available at the end of service shifts.
Reception
A reviewer from Time Out awarded Expendio de Maíz four stars, emphasizing it as more than just a novelty spot celebrating origin cuisine within Colonia Roma. The World's 50 Best Restaurants described it as a fusion between a street food stall and a trendy urban dining venue. Naomi Tomky of Condé Nast Traveler recommended the restaurant for small groups seeking a relaxed dining pace. Daniel Hernandez from Los Angeles Times lauded its authentic translation of rural Mexican culinary spontaneity into an urban context.
In 2019, Le Fooding and Mastercard recognized it as Mexico City's Best New Bistro. The Michelin Guide awarded Expendio de Maíz a Bib Gourmand in 2024 for "exceptionally good food at moderate prices" and elevated it to one Michelin star in 2025 for "high-quality cooking worth a stop." Chef Tornés remarked on the evolving openness toward local gastronomic narratives within culinary awards.
External links
- (archived in 2022)