10 Bucket-List Mexican Restaurants in America

Mexican cuisine in the United States is more than tacos and margaritas. Across the country, chefs are pushing boundaries while honoring tradition, creating restaurants that feel both timeless and fresh. Whether you are craving street-style tacos, complex regional dishes, or elevated fine dining, these bucket-list destinations prove that Mexican food in America is as diverse and flavorful as the culture it represents. From coast to coast, here are ten restaurants worth planning a trip around.

1. Cosme (New York, NY)

Flatiron’s Cosme is Chef Enrique Olvera’s exploration of refined Mexican cuisine in New York City. Signature dishes include slow-braised duck carnitas served with tortillas, delicate pickled and tempura squash with hazelnut mole, and sharply executed ceviches. The menu changes with the seasons and emphasizes texture, balance, and high-quality local ingredients. The dining room is elegant but not stuffy, making it ideal for special evenings where the food is as much about innovation as it is about tradition. The restaurant is also featured in the Michelin Guide and regularly praised in current dining reviews.

2. Casa Enrique (Long Island City, NY)

Casa Enrique was founded by Chef Cosme Aguilar, who brought flavors from Chiapas, Mexico to Queens. Signature items include Mole de Paixtla, Suadero taco, lengua (beef tongue), and Pozole de Mi Tía. The dessert menu shows treats such as tres leches and Mexican chocolate. The restaurant’s brunch offerings include flautas, chilaquiles rojos, and menudo. Patrons praise the balance between authenticity and approachability. It won a Michelin star shortly after opening and receives continual praise for its craft and flavor.

3. El Cholo Spanish Cafe (Los Angeles, CA)

El Cholo is one of the oldest Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles, with roots going back to 1923, founded by Alejandro and Rosa Borquez. Among its claims to culinary fame are nearly introducing the first restaurant-style burritos in the U.S. and being the place where nachos were popularized in L.A. in 1959 by waitress Carmen Rocha. The menu includes nostalgic classic Mexican items like enchiladas, tamales, albóndigas, chile rellenos, green tamales, and more, all served in multiple Southern California locations under family ownership. Its century-long heritage adds weight to both its food and ambiance.

4. Nixta Taqueria (Austin, TX)

Nixta Taqueria in East Austin is a vibrant, chef-driven spot that highlights heirloom corn tortillas prepared through nixtamalization. The menu balances tradition with creativity, offering duck confit tacos, beet tartare tostadas, and inventive vegan options. Its casual vibe belies the James Beard–level acclaim and Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition it has earned. Nixta has become a gathering place for adventurous diners who want to experience Mexican street-food roots elevated with artistry, while staying true to corn as the heart of the cuisine.

5. Californios (San Francisco, CA)

Californios is a fine-dining landmark in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, led by Chef Val M. Cantú. It moved from its original Mission District space to its present location in 2021 and holds two Michelin stars. Its tasting menus showcase Mexican roots; expect inventive items such as nixtamalized sweet potato, artisan corn presentations, refined moles, and flavor combinations that reflect both northern Mexican influence and California produce. The experience emphasizes course pacing, design, and sensory detail, making it a destination for those searching for artistry and elevated Mexican cuisine.

6. El Charro Café (Tucson, AZ)

El Charro Café, established in 1922, is recognized as the oldest continuously family-operated Mexican restaurant in the United States. Located in Tucson, it is famous for introducing the chimichanga, along with signature dishes like carne seca, tamales, and chile relleno. The restaurant embodies Sonoran culinary traditions, with recipes passed down through generations of the Flores family. Guests love the warm atmosphere, historic building, and authentic flavors that blend Mexican heritage with Southwestern character. Nearly a century later, El Charro Café remains a landmark of Mexican dining in America.

7. Maíz (Seattle, WA)

Maíz began as a celebration of nixtamalized corn and masa, offering street-food styled items such as sopes, gorditas, tacos, tamales, and chalupas. The original Pike Place Market location led to expansion into multiple spaces, including Maíz Molino. Corn is treated as central, not peripheral, with non-GMO heirloom varieties, ground at a molino, featured in many dishes. The ambiance is casual and vibrant, embracing both tradition and fresh-ingredient honesty. It is often praised locally for the quality of masa, texture, and flavor.

8. La Taqueria (San Francisco, CA)

La Taqueria opened in 1973 in San Francisco’s Mission District by Miguel Jara. It helped define the Mission-style burrito: large flour tortillas filled with meat, beans, salsa, cheese, often without rice, and sometimes finished dorado-style (grilled to crisp the outside). Its carnitas and tacos are legendary, and it has been awarded “America’s Classics” by the James Beard Foundation. The simplicity of its menu, the quality of its ingredients, and its long history contribute to its status as a must-visit.

9. Taqueria Los Puñales (Portland, OR)

Taqueria Los Puñales is a vibrant, queer-owned restaurant in Portland’s Sunnyside neighborhood (Belmont Street) that opened in 2020. It stands out for its colorful interior, including artwork and community-inspired decor, and for its creative fillings: classic adobada, barbacoa, chile relleno, guisados, and house-made tortillas. The taqueria has been highlighted by Portland food critics for both its bold flavors and welcoming atmosphere. It’s beloved not only for its menu but also for being an inclusive, community-centered gathering place.

10. Papi Chulo’s (Portland, OR)

Papi Chulo’s began in December 2019 in the Pearl District of Portland, then expanded to a second location in the city. Chef Antonio Javier Palma Caceres crafts his menu around birria, tacos, burritos, nachos, and Mexican comfort items, paired with cocktails and micheladas. Reviewers and locals praise it as a late-night destination with strong flavors, good value, and fun atmosphere. Its interiors are lively, and the food reflects both traditional techniques and bold flavor combinations.