Highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Raleigh area by diners
Highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Raleigh area by diners
Just like cuisine from any country, Mexican food is not monolithic. It isn't just combo plates and tacos. (Not that there's anything wrong with that style of food; it's delicious and is responsible for popularizing Mexican food in the United States.) But Mexican food means more than that.
It reflects Mexico's diverse population—shaped by waves of immigration—and has proliferated throughout the U.S., showcasing the cuisine in all its complexity and regionality. Mexico has 32 distinct regional styles of cooking, and thanks to immigrant chefs and the rise of promising culinarians of Mexican descent looking to share their signature dishes, Indigenous foodways, and ingredients from various regions, diners are reframing their idea of "Mexican food."
According to a 2024 Pew Research Center analysis of SafeGraph data, 1 in 10 restaurants in the U.S. serve Mexican food, and nearly 9 out of 10 U.S. counties have at least one Mexican restaurant. The analysis also reveals that California and Texas are home to a majority of the Mexican American population and together host 2 out of 5 Mexican restaurants in the country.
These findings serve as a testament to the influence Mexican cuisine has had and continues to have in America. Which begs the question: Where does one go for the best old-school Mexican restaurants, loncheras slinging tacos out of a half-window, and innovative modern Mexican food pushing culinary boundaries?
To help you out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Raleigh area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of February 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "Mexican" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Raleigh were included. As a result, some restaurants featured may serve other food items besides Mexican food. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 50 locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Keep reading to see if your favorite Mexican spot made the list or to discover a new restaurant to try!
#30. Chido Taco
- Rating: 3.9/5 (58 reviews)
- Address: 151 Southeast Cary Pkwy Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Superica
- Rating: 3.9/5 (162 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 25 Fenton Main St. Ste 110 Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Tex-Mex, Cocktail Bars, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Tacos Y Mariscos Vallarta
- Rating: 3.9/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3177 Capital Blvd. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Los Cuates
- Rating: 3.9/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3305 Capital Blvd. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Jose and Sons
- Rating: 3.9/5 (677 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4112 Pleasant Valley Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Dank Burrito
- Rating: 4.0/5 (82 reviews)
- Address: 500 East Davie St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Tacos, fast food, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Torchy's Tacos
- Rating: 4.0/5 (283 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1110 Mercantile Drive Bldg 6 Ste 120 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Tex-Mex, Tacos, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#23. El Taco Market
- Rating: 4.0/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3800 New Bern Ave. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Centro
- Rating: 4.1/5 (397 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 106 South Wilmington St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#21. El Cuscatleco
- Rating: 4.1/5 (204 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1383 Southeast Maynard Road Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Salvadoran, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Los Cuates
- Rating: 4.2/5 (208 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4524 Old Wake Forest Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen
- Rating: 4.2/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 6675 Falls Of Neuse Road Ste 105 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Chicken Wings, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Gonza Tacos y Tequila
- Rating: 4.2/5 (672 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7713-39 Lead Mine Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Taco Bamba Raleigh
- Rating: 4.2/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3518 Wade Ave. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Tacos, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#16. La Victoria
- Rating: 4.2/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2025 Rennaisance Park Place Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican, Beer Bar, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Salt & Lime Cabo Grill
- Rating: 4.3/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4800 Grove Barton Road Ste 106 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Tex-Mex, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Chido Taco
- Rating: 4.3/5 (305 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2330 Bale St. Ste 100 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
#13. bartaco North Hills
- Rating: 4.3/5 (684 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4121 Main At North Hills St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen
- Rating: 4.3/5 (103 reviews)
- Address: 4205 Fayetteville Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican, Bars, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Salt & Lime Cabo Grill
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1419 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6006 Falls Of Neuse Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Tex-Mex, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Esmeralda Grill
- Rating: 4.3/5 (172 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 748 East Chatham St. Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#9. La Santa Modern Mexican Food
- Rating: 4.4/5 (512 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 222 Glenwood Ave. Ste 107 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Bronco Tacos
- Rating: 4.4/5 (75 reviews)
- Address: 3434 Edwards Mill Road Ste 114 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Gym Tacos
- Rating: 4.4/5 (134 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3701 Hillsborough St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Chilango's Restaurant
- Rating: 4.4/5 (66 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2253 New Hope Church Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Taqueria El Toro
- Rating: 4.4/5 (357 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3600 Junction Blvd. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Hank's Downtown Dive
- Rating: 4.5/5 (94 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 111 East Chatham St. Ste A Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Gym Tacos
- Rating: 4.6/5 (171 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 220 East Six Forks Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Tacos, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Street Tacos Cantina
- Rating: 4.6/5 (64 reviews)
- Address: 6325 Falls Of Neuse Road Ste 71 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
#1. 13 Tacos & Taps
- Rating: 4.6/5 (325 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10511 Shadowlawn Drive Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: New Mexican Cuisine, Tacos, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cynthia Rebolledo, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 326 metros.
