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 is located on Ave. Rivera de San Cosme 56, a busy thoroughfare where parking can be challenging to find.

We found public parking a few blocks away, so we arrived closer to 11:15 a.m. and weren't first in line as we had hoped. Still, the line looked reasonable, and we joined it without hesitation.

While in line, I couldn't see the taquería even though it was only a few feet away. I mostly saw market stalls covered in white tarps selling colorful men's underwear and designer-inspired hats on both sides of the street.

As I got closer, I could see shiny white tables with red chairs laid out on the street directly opposite El Califa de León and inside some of the neighboring clothing shops.

Patrons are called into the taco shop once it's their turn to place their order.

After 20 minutes in line, I was called inside and I headed straight to the back, where the cashier took my order on a tiny piece of paper. I later handed it to the cook grilling the meat.

I already knew I wanted to try the four types of tacos, and since I was with my dad and my cousin, I ordered three of each.

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.

While in the shop, I liked that I could see the tortillas being pressed and cooked on-site next to the grilling meat.

Being able to watch our food be freshly prepared sets El Califa de León apart from the thousands of other taco places in Mexico City.

I wonder if it's one of the things that swayed the Michelin inspectors in its favor.

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 is the star at El Califa de León. It's a finely cut piece of meat similar to tenderloin.

I could see why it's so popular — it was really tender and full of flavor, even though the meat is only seasoned with salt and a slice of lime.

Like the rest of the tacos at El Califa de León, the gaonera consists of a generous piece of grilled meat on a homemade tortilla. That's it — no toppings except for the salsa.

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.

As such, we each ended up with six generously portioned tacos instead of the four we thought we signed up for. I couldn't finish my order, which made me glad I'd gone with my family, who happily devoured them.

To me, the best taco was the gaonera, followed by bisteck, then the chuleta. My least favorite was costilla because the meat has a rim of fat surrounding it — that was my cousin's top choice, though.

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.

While we were eating our tacos, a woman set up a display of cakes outside the shop we were in, and we bought a slice.

Even though the desserts aren't officially part of El Califa de León, this felt like another example of the ecosystem the Michelin-star taco stand created with its neighbors.

We Mexicans are proud of our resourcefulness — and I also found it clever that the shop we were eating in sold mugs commemorating its neighbor's new Michelin star.

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.