There is a wonderful Mexican institution commonly known as Cocina Corrida, also known as Cocina Rapida. You can see these often enough as taco stands with giant circular skillets, sizzling away at a small variety of meats.

You may also find Cocina Economica, and Cocina Casera. These two are often found in homes with big front rooms or on front porches in small towns. There is not much of a menu — the family prepares large amounts of meats, toppings, salsas and cold drinks. The food of the day.

What Cocinas basically amount to is cheap home-style cooked food. The important part of this whole strategy is that the fare is like eating food only mom could have cooked, filled with flavor and unique to each establishment.

There are common basics which you can find at each Cocina. Meats come in varieties like pastor, chorizo, barbacoa, longaniza, pollo or carne asada, our favorite is often the pastor, stacked and speared in a cone shape in front of a heat source for hours, resulting in a tender, succulent cut of meat. Sometimes you can find less common meats like tripe, if that is what you’re in to. There are pickled onions, chopped onions, cilantro, lime, radishes and usually a white cheese. There is always salsa and it is almost always unique and muy caliente.

These fixings are then places on one of the handy tortilla-based delivery devices: sopes, tacos, panuchos, salbutes, huaraches, gringas and for variety, the bread-based tortas. Each establishment seems to have their own exact formula for every item. Sometimes sopes look like panuchos and sometimes tacos, but whatever way they come, we are usually rewarded. One of our favorite and most common versions is a pastor taco with a slice of pineapple and salsa; sweet, tender and spicy all at the same time.

The best thing about these Cocinas is that whether you are on a budget or just love good food, these are the places for you. They are cheap and you can find them anywhere in Mexico. In small towns, look for where the locals are eating and in big cities, look for the crowds.

The text-book definitons (courtesy of Wikipedia and others)

Sope: A base made from a thickish, small circle of fried masa of ground maize soaked in lime (also used as the basis for tamales and tortillas) with pinched sides. Lightly fried.
Salbute: A small amount of black bean purée is kneaded into the masa before making the tortillas, which are then fried.
Taco: Composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling.

Panucho: A layered tortilla stuffed with beans.

Huarache: An oblong, fried masa base, with a variety of toppings. The name “Huarache” is derived from the shape of the masa, similar to the popular sandals of the same name. Huaraches are similar to sopes but differ in shape.
Gringa: Basically another level of taco, corn or flour tortilla smothered in cheese, onion, coriander and cream.

Torta: A torta is a Mexican sandwich, served on an oblong 6-8 inch firm, crusty white sandwich roll, called a bolillo, telera or birote. Tortas can be served hot or cold.