Our Favorite Mexican Restaurants in Dallas, TX
It’s around 430 miles to the border, but you don’t need to travel far to get incredible, authentic Mexican food in Dallas. Whether you’re looking for incredible quesadillas, gloriously green guacamole, or a mouthwatering Menudo soup, we’re listing 10 of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Dallas, TX. We also, of course, included a place to get a great deal on a magnificent margarita – check out the full list below!
Mesomaya
When it comes to Dallas’ best fine dining approach to Mexican food, look no further than Meso Maya. Chef Nico Sanchez takes incredible care in the flavor and presentation of every dish, drawing on his years of experience in Vera Cruz and Oaxaca. A three time winner of D Magazine’s best regional Mexican Cuisine awards (plus one for best brunch!), MesoMaya sits at the top of the heap when it comes to authentic Mexican restaurants in DFW.
Mi Cocina
A Dallas staple for 30 years, Mi Cocina started modestly in the Preston Forest neighborhood of Dallas, but are now synonymous with “Dallas Mexican food”. It probably starts with Dallas’ best guacamole. It’s always freshly made, looking bright green and beautiful, with a perfect proportion of cilantro-onions-pepper-lemon. The gaucamole is thicc in all the best ways!
Blue Mesa Grill
With locations in downtown Fort Worth and North of Dallas, odds are there’s a Blue Mesa Grill close enough to try – and walk away from VERY satisfied. With incredible sizzling fajitas, perfectly seasoned sides and fresh, fluffy tortillas, there’s nothing they do badly on this menu. But the best tip we can give you for them is that they might have the best catering services in all of Dallas – consider using them for your next get together!
Cantina Laredo
Cantina Laredo is the friend you can always turn to, reliable and there to make you feel better right away. At every location – including their locations at the DFW airport – you get an authentic, delicious Mexican meal prepared with expertise. In fact, save some space and head there the next time you’re flying in or out of town!
Mami Coco
If you’re on a hunt for Dallas/Fort Worth’s best flautas, look no further than Mami Coco. This modest shop in Old East Dallas also delivers incredible street tacos but the flats are incredible – shredded beef or chicken topped with avocado sauce and mouthwatering Mexican sour cream. Mami Coco is a must-visit on our Mexican Restaurants in Dallas list.
La Popular Tamale House
You can’t have an authentic Mexican food list without mentioning freshly made tamales. La Popular Tamale House has been making incredible tamales in Dallas for nearly 40 years! Family owned and operated, they’ve gone from a modest neighborhood restaurant into a must-visit spot in Texas for terrific tamales!
Cuquita’s Restaurant
If you’re looking for made on the spot tortillas and Dallas’ best menudo, you’ve gotta come to Cuquita’s. We’re not joking about the tortillas – they come to the table piping hot and flawlessly fluffy. And let’s not forget the menudo – this beautiful offal stew is the perfect way to recover after throwing back too many reposados.
La Calle Doce
One of the best open secrets about Mexican cuisine is that Mexican seafood may be the best part of it! At La Calle Doce, they make Dallas’ best Mexican seafood and have been doing so since 1981. They do an incredible whole fish on the grill, scintillating ceviches, and a shrimp dish – Camarón a la Veracruzana – that will make you come back the next day.
El Pueblo
El Pueblo is one of our favorite types of Mexican restaurants – the nondescript, cash only counter service restaurant. The restaurant is modest, yes, but their kitchen should be Michelin starred. They make a chicken mole that is so incredible the Dallas Observer said that “each bite feels like the kitchen took its time”. When it comes to mole, that’s exactly what you want to hear. Plus, they make great Mexican brunch items too, like Huevos con nopales (eggs with prickly pear cactus).
Chimy’s
Texas knows what a good margarita should taste like, and our Mexican Restaurants in Dallas list would not be complete without a margarita feature! So when you see the size and price for the ones at Chimy’s, you may think it’s too good to be true. But these margaritas deliver – especially combined with a surprisingly delicious taco menu to fill your belly as you fiesta.
Gonzalez Restaurant
Venture over to one of Dallas’s finest Tex-Mex restaurants, which has been serving their award-winning “Best in Texas” flour tortillas since 1973. Everything is authentic and, more importantly, delicious, from a hearty bowl of Menudo to their spicy Pork Chop Ranchero
El Ranchito
Fact: Mexican food is best enjoyed while listening to live music. Lucky for you, El Ranchito has a mariachi band serenading you daily, so you can enjoy the festive tunes while scarfing down Cabrito El Horno (grilled baby goat…a Northern Mexican delicacy!) and Parillada Mexicana.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on November 14, 2020 and last updated on April 13, 2022. Please refer to restaurant websites and social media pages for the most up-to-date information.
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