14 Restaurants In Texas To Get Mexican Food That Will Blow Your Mind
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Katie Lawrence
Author
If there’s one thing to know about Texans, it’s that we love our Mexican food. So much, in fact, that we put our own spin on it and created an entirely new type of cuisine fusing the two cultures. (Read: chips and queso. Okay, everything and queso. Queso for president.) Keep reading if you want to hear our take on the best places to get enchiladas, tacos, tamales, refried beans, rice, salsa, queso, and all of your other favorites, possibly in the same meal. These are the 14 best Mexican restaurants in Texas, and you’ll want to visit every single one.
This restaurant looks like a Mayan Palace, and rest assured, you'll be eating like royalty. Fonda San Miguel has been around since the '70s and remains under the same management, so they've had some time to perfect their cuisine. Their specialty is uniqueness: their very extensive brunch and dinner menus feature shredded duck enchiladas, shrimp in a spicy chipotle cream sauce, shredded pork chiles rellenos, and many more interesting options. There's something for every palate, that's for sure. Visit them at 2330 W N Loop Blvd, Austin, TX 78756. To learn more, visit their website here.
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Benito's has been proudly serving authentic Mexican food for over 30 years. It has won many Texas Monthly awards and countless praise from customers for its exquisite food. Among peoples' favorite dishes are the chiles rellenos (stuffed poblano peppers), tamales wrapped in a banana leaf, and of course, every variety of enchilada. They also offer breakfast, so you can enjoy some delicious huevos rancheros! Stuff your face full of scrumptious eats at 1450 W Magnolia Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104. To learn more, visit their website here.
SoLuna offers both authentic Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex, so there's something for everyone! Stick with traditional Mexican entrees like mole or find comfort within the vast realm of Tex-Mex, choosing from fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, and the like. Definitely head to their website and check out the menu - everything is so intricately crafted and delicious sounding! SoLuna is located at 7959 Broadway Street St #204, San Antonio, TX 78209. Click here to learn more.
Please note this restaurant is permanently closed.
Taqueria Rico's just has that hole-in-the-wall, really good Mexican restaurant vibe. Their specialty is their guacamole: you're brought chunks of avocado on a plate with all the fixins (tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice) and you mash it all together yourself. Freshest thing you'll find in hot and dry Brownsville. Check them out at 714 Military Road #281, Brownsville, TX 78520. To learn more, visit their website here.
Taqueria Rico's just has that hole-in-the-wall, really good Mexican restaurant vibe. Their specialty is their guacamole: you're brought chunks of avocado on a plate with all the fixins (tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice) and you mash it all together yourself. Freshest thing you'll find in hot and dry Brownsville. Check them out at 714 Military Road #281, Brownsville, TX 78520. To learn more, visit their website here.
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Their menu doesn't offer the most choices, but as far as we're concerned, that just means the items they do have will be that much better. They must be doing something right because everyone in Dallas will direct you here. You can find the traditional tacos, flautas, gorditas, and nachos as well as more exotic fare like beef tongue and pozole (pictured above - a soup of tender pork pieces and hominy in a red broth - DELICIOUS!) Cuquita's is located at 8076 Spring Valley Rd, Dallas, TX 75240. To learn more, visit their website here.
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Desperados is known all over the city, and not just to ordinary citizens, either - they're the caterer of choice for the Mavericks, Cowboys, and the Texas Rangers! Acclaimed for their tacos, (beef/chicken, brisket, adobo chicken, or fish) and ridiculous margaritas (over 10 different kinds!) Desperados really knows how to capture taste buds. They have two different lunch specials for every day of the week, as well! Plus some really interesting dinner options like crab meat enchiladas and tons of steak, chicken, and seafood entrees. Visit Desperados at 4818 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206. Click here to learn more.
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There's so much good Tex-Mex in Dallas! Who would've known? Herrera's has all your standards: enchiladas, tacos, burritos, tamales, chimichangas - and they do it darn well. Anything with sour cream is a win here. Visit them at 4714 Maple Ave, Dallas, TX 75219. To learn more, visit their website here.
Avila's is often called one of the "best kept secrets" in Dallas. Nobody would assume that inside a little house lies some of the greatest Tex-Mex to ever pass your lips - but Avila's has been featured on the Food Network and rated in Zagat, Texas Monthly, and other reputable media. You know love and soul is going into your food because the restaurant was started by retirement age Anita and Octavio Avila, who had been preparing the same foods for their children for years. You'll find quesadillas, tamales, tacos, a huge variety of enchiladas, chimichangas, flautas, gorditas, and pretty much any other Mexican dish you can think of. Oh, the margaritas are to die for, as well. Herrera's is located at 3311 Sylvan Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75212. Click here to learn more.
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L&J has been voted the best Mexican restaurant in El Paso - which is saying something because there's practically one on every corner. The food isn't anything exclusive or particularly special, but the passion and attention to detail that goes into every dish certainly is unique. If you're ever in El Paso, L&J's is an experience you can't miss out on. Visit them at 3622 E Missouri Ave, El Paso, TX 79903. Click here to learn more.
La Fonda is the oldest Mexican restaurant in San Antonio, so they've had a few years to fine-tune their craft - and boy, does it show. They've adopted a more contemporary approach to Mexican food, and it's a unique experience you'll never forget. Maybe try some spinach, mushroom, and sundried tomato enchiladas with poblano cream and asadero cheese, or perhaps sweet potato enchiladas with roasted tomato chipotle sauce. Or maybe you're in the mood for something fancier, so you abandon the confines of traditional Tex-Mex and go for some gulf shrimp in a garlic butter sauce with nopal (cactus) infused rice. The possibilities are endless! La Fonda on Main is located at 2415 N Main Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212. Click here to learn more.
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Everybody who's anybody has heard of Hugo's. Let us preface by saying their menu is extremely vast, so head on over to their website if you want to know what you're really in for. They stray from tradition by incorporating seafood into many of their dishes, from lobster tacos to a cocktail named "return to life" with shrimp, octopus, snapper, oysters, crab meat, avocado, and tomato sauce - Mmmmm. You can stay safe with something like chicken taquitos or chiles rellenos instead (but maybe the adventurer in you is dying to try chapulines, aka grasshoppers). Finish with a steaming mug of Mexican hot chocolate and fluffy churros and your belly and taste buds will be in heaven. Hugo's is located at 1600 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006. To learn more, visit their website here.
Of course we had to include the original Ninfa's. You'll find all your favorites here plus a few fun Texas twists, like a Fajita burger. The chicken enchiladas with poblano mole, avocado and sour cream are delicious, too. And with every meal comes a slice of history too rich to pass up. Visit them at 2704 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX 77003. To learn more, visit their website here.
This popular Mexican joint has been serving up authentic Tex-Mex since 1935, and their expertise definitely shows in their cooking. Their menu is rather limited, but they cover all your favorites and do it well. Specialties are beef and chicken fajitas. Joe T. Garcia's is located at 2201 N Commerce St, Fort Worth, TX 76164. Click here to learn more.
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Rounding out the list is the famous Mi Tierra in San Antonio. Even if the food was mediocre (which it isn't), the experience would make it all worth it - mariachi bands, dancing...the whole nine yards. And the dessert case is more than impressive. Mi Tierra is located at 218 Produce Row, San Antonio, TX 78207. Click here to learn more.
Have you been to any of the best Mexican restaurants in Texas? Which one is your favorite? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
If you’re hungry for more amazing eats, check out these 11 small-town barbecue joints in Texas.
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More to Explore
best Mexican restaurants in Texas
Where can I get the best tacos in Texas?
Everyone has a different idea about where to find the best tacos in Texas, but there’s no denying the delicious appeal of Vera Cruz in Austin. This tasty taco truck sprouted from humble beginnings. Now, people can’t get enough. Start your day with one of their excellent migas breakfast tacos. There’s nothing better.
What are the best Tex Mex restaurants in Texas?
As you can see, there’s no shortage of incredible Tex Mex restaurants in Texas. In addition to the businesses listed above, Matt’s El Rancho is a wonderful place to indulge a little. This Austin restaurant is so good, their food has been sent to the White House! That’s right --- President LBJ just couldn’t get enough of their epic chile rellenos, and he needed them sent to him by helicopter.
What are the most famous restaurants in Texas?
Franklin Barbecue, located in Austin, is one of the most famous restaurants in Texas. People line up at the crack of dawn just to get a good spot in line. Believe us, their juicy brisket and tender ribs are so worth the wait. The Big Texan, located in El Paso, is another iconic Texas restaurant. They’re most known for their giant steak eating competition, but their entire menu is full of soul-satisfying fare.
Featured Addresses
2330 W N Loop Blvd, Austin, TX 78756, USA
1450 W Magnolia Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104, USA
7959 Broadway St, San Antonio, TX 78209, USA
Military Rd, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA
8076 Spring Valley Rd, Dallas, TX 75240, USA
4818 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206, USA
4714 Maple Ave, Dallas, TX 75219, USA
3311 Sylvan Ave, Dallas, TX 75212, USA
3622 E Missouri Ave, El Paso, TX 79903, USA
2415 N Main Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
1600 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006, USA
2704 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX 77003, USA
2201 N Commerce St, Fort Worth, TX 76164, USA
218 Produce Row, San Antonio, TX 78207, USA