23 editor-picked mexican restaurants across 12 cities.
A guide to mexican restaurants worth a trip, by city. We list operators, signature dishes, and the rooms locals book first.
Coba is Amsterdam-Noord's reference taqueria: a former NDSM workshop pressing corn tortillas in-house, with al pastor on a trompo and a sharp margarita programme.
Signature: Al pastor tacos, Birria tacos, Mole tostada
Order: Three tacos al pastor and a tostada de tinga.
Tip: Take the NDSM ferry from Centraal. Book ahead Friday and Saturday or queue for the bar.
El Taco Veloz on Buford Highway in Doraville, Atlanta has run a 24-hour taqueria since 1991 with al pastor, carne asada and lengua on hand-pressed corn tortillas.
Signature: Tacos al pastor, Carne asada burritos, Lengua tacos
Order: Three al pastor tacos and a Mexican Coke. Lengua tacos for the adventurous order.
Tip: Open 24 hours; the late-night hot sauce bar runs five salsas. The Cobb Parkway and Roswell locations close earlier than Doraville.
Matt's El Rancho in Austin is the Martinez family's South Lamar Tex-Mex room, opened in 1952 and home of the canonical Bob Armstrong queso dip.
Signature: Bob Armstrong dip, Enchiladas with chili gravy, Frozen margarita
Order: The Bob Armstrong dip and a frozen margarita; the dip was invented here for a state legislator in 1973.
Tip: The patio under the oaks is huge; arrive 6pm or after 9pm to dodge the 7-to-9 wait.
Matt's El Rancho in Austin is the Martinez family's South Lamar Tex-Mex room since 1952, home of the Bob Armstrong queso dip and a citywide birthday-dinner tradition.
Signature: Bob Armstrong dip, Enchiladas with chili gravy, Frozen margarita
Order: Bob Armstrong dip, beef enchiladas with chili gravy, plus a frozen margarita on the side.
Tip: The patio under the oaks holds 200; arrive 5:30pm to dodge the 7-to-9 family wait.
Anna's Taqueria on Harvard Street has run the city's fast-Mexican benchmark in Brookline near Coolidge Corner in Boston since 1995. Super burrito the order; eight Boston-area locations.
Signature: Super burrito, Carnitas tacos
Order: Super burrito with carnitas, rice, beans, salsa and guacamole.
Tip: Order the super burrito and split it with a friend. The line at noon moves in five minutes.
Rosio Sanchez's Hija de Sanchez Cantina in Nordhavn pairs the original taqueria menu with sit-down ceviches, tostadas and a long mezcal list from a former noma chef.
Signature: Tacos al pastor, Ceviche tostada, Mole-roasted vegetables
Order: The al pastor taco, a ceviche tostada and a copita of mezcal.
Tip: The smaller Torvehallerne and Kødbyen counters are the takeaway play; the Cantina is the sit-down room.
La Loma in Denver is a Castro-family Mexican kitchen since 1973, moved from its longtime Osage Street Victorian to Broadway in 2018, the Denver template for the smothered burrito.
Signature: Smothered burritos, Chile rellenos, Sopapillas
Order: Smothered green chile burrito with sopapillas.
Tip: The bar pours classic margaritas; ask for the Pueblo green chile (hotter than the mild version).
San Pedro Mexican in Denver is Edith Sanchez's South Pearl Mexican dining room with regional Oaxacan and Pueblan plates, a mezcal-focused bar and a Sunday brunch.
Signature: Mole poblano, Carnitas, Mezcal flights
Order: The mole poblano and a glass of pechuga mezcal; carnitas plate is the room's biggest serving.
Tip: Closed Mondays. South Pearl farmers' market on Sunday runs 9 am to 1 pm a block away.
Adelitas Cocina y Cantina in Denver is Adelita Diaz's South Broadway regional-Mexican dining room since 2011, with a mezcal-and-tequila bar and a Pueblan-leaning menu.
Signature: Chiles en nogada, Mezcal flights, Carnitas tacos
Order: The chiles en nogada in fall and the cochinita pibil; mezcal flight pours from rare Oaxacan agaves.
Tip: Walk-in at the bar; reservations for the dining room go on Resy. The cantina pours late on weekends.
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation in Houston is Ninfa Laurenzo's 1973 Tex-Mex room, the birthplace of the restaurant fajita, still serving skirt steak tacos al carbon and Ninfaritas.
Signature: Fajitas (tacos al carbon), Ninfaritas
Order: The fajitas (tacos al carbon) for two. A Ninfarita on the rocks first.
Tip: Sit on the back patio under the strings of lights. The front room is loud and the bar takes 90 minutes to clear at 7pm.
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation in Houston is Ninfa Laurenzo's 1973 Tex-Mex room, the birthplace of the restaurant fajita, still serving skirt steak tacos al carbon and Ninfaritas.
Signature: Fajitas (tacos al carbon), Ninfaritas
Order: Fajitas (tacos al carbon) for two, a Ninfarita on the rocks, queso and chips.
Tip: Back patio under the strings of lights beats the front room. The bar opens 90 minutes before the dining room.
El Tiempo Cantina on Navigation in Houston is Roland Laurenzo's Tex-Mex room (son of Ninfa Laurenzo) next to the Original Ninfa's, with fajitas, beef rib parrilladas and stacked margaritas.
Signature: Fajitas, Beef rib parrillada
Order: Fajitas, the beef rib parrillada, a stacked margarita.
Tip: The Navigation flagship is the original; other locations exist citywide. Patio in cool weather.
Burritos La Palma in East LA, Los Angeles wraps birria de res in handmade flour tortillas from Jerez, Zacatecas. James Beard finalist since 2018.
Order: Birria de res burrito wrapped in Zacatecas flour tortilla.
Tip: Open 09:00 to 17:00; the burritos sell out by 14:00 on weekends. Eat in the car.
Tito's Tacos in Culver City, Los Angeles has fried hard-shell beef tacos at the same walk-up window on Washington Place since 1959. Cash only.
Order: Hard-shell beef taco and a chile relleno burrito.
Tip: Cash only at the original walk-up window; the picnic tables are 1959 vintage.
Tacos Tu Madre on Westwood Boulevard near UCLA, Los Angeles, is a small walk-up window for tacos, burritos and famous loaded carne asada fries.
Order: Carne asada fries piled with cheese, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo.
Tip: Order at the walk-up window; the line moves fast and the half-portion is a meal for one.
Eduardo's Border Grill on Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, has served carne asada fries, burritos and combo plates from a corner counter for decades.
Order: Carne asada fries and a steak burrito with house red salsa for the table.
Tip: This is a Westwood lunch counter; cash and card both fine, expect a queue around the UCLA lunch hour.
Coyo Taco in Wynwood is the Mexican street-food counter at 2300 NW 2nd Avenue, with hand-pressed tortillas, late-night hours and a hidden mezcal speakeasy in back.
Signature: Al pastor tacos, Cochinita pibil torta, Margarita
Order: Al pastor tacos and a fresh-pressed margarita; the speakeasy room opens after 10pm.
Tip: Order at the counter, sit on the patio. The back-room mezcal bar is the late-night Wynwood pivot.
El Burrito Mercado on Cesar Chavez Street has run a Mexican grocery and counter in Saint Paul's West Side since 1979. Carnitas, tamales, the cafeteria-style counter.
Signature: Carnitas, Tamales
Order: Carnitas plate with rice and beans and a hand-rolled tamale.
Tip: Front grocery sells pan dulce; counter at the back. Sunday brunch buffet runs $14.
Manny's Tortas in the Midtown Global Market has run Mexico City-style sandwiches in Minneapolis since 1999. Telera-bread tortas; the Cubana stacks five meats.
Signature: Cubana torta, Chorizo torta
Order: The Cubana torta layered with ham, sausage, chorizo and queso.
Tip: Inside Midtown Global Market; counter service. Family-run since opening.
Teresa Mason's McFerrin Avenue taco counter in East Nashville opened as a converted Airstream and now runs full kitchen service. Cash-friendly, no-reservations.
Signature: Fried avocado taco, Tortilla soup
Order: Two fried avocado tacos and a bowl of chicken tortilla soup with avocado.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Lunch lines build by 12:00; arrive at 11:00 or after 14:00 for an easy seat.
El Comal in San Diego is the North Park family-owned Mexican kitchen on Illinois Street, a longstanding interior-Mexican counter known for carnitas, chilaquiles and Sunday mole.
Signature: Carnitas plate, Chilaquiles, Mole Poblano
Order: The carnitas plate with handmade tortillas; weekend chilaquiles before noon.
Tip: Cash on hand speeds the counter; the courtyard patio runs warmer than the indoor room.
La Puerta in San Diego is the Gaslamp Quarter Mexican kitchen on Fourth Avenue, the after-bar carne asada fries and Taco Tuesday institution that anchors downtown's late-night Mexican map.
Signature: Carne asada fries, Taco Tuesday, Margarita pitchers
Order: The carne asada fries to share; Taco Tuesday $3 tacos until close.
Tip: Open until 1am Fri-Sat, midnight other nights; the back patio runs heater-and-fan year-round.
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop in San Diego is the Mission Hills Mexican-wrestling-themed taqueria on Washington Street, the Diners Drive-Ins and Dives stop with masked-luchador decor.
Signature: Surfin' California burrito, TJ taco, Champion's burrito
Order: The Surfin' California burrito with shrimp; the Champion's gold booth if you book ahead.
Tip: Book the gold booth on the website 48 hours ahead; the line at the counter moves fast after 1pm.
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