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Highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Champaign area by diners

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Robert Briggs // Shutterstock
Robert Briggs // Shutterstock
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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 Champaign 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 Champaign 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!

You may also like: Highest-rated cheap eats in Champaign by diners

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#23. El Toro Bravo

- Rating: 2.7/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2561 West Springfield Ave. Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 23

#22. El Toro Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 2.9/5 (137 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1005 South Neil St. Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 23

#21. Burrito King

- Rating: 3.1/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 408 East Green St. Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 23

#20. El Toro At The Fields

- Rating: 3.2/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 3401 Fields South Drive Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 23

#18. Fiesta Cafe

- Rating: 3.5/5 (151 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 216 South 1st St. Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 23

#17. Toro Loco

- Rating: 3.6/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1601 North Cunningham Ave. Urbana, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 23

#16. Cactus Grill

- Rating: 3.7/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1405 South Neil St. Ste C Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Tex-Mex, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 23

#15. Maize at the Station

- Rating: 3.7/5 (132 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 100 North Chestnut St. Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 23

#13. El Rancho Grande II

- Rating: 3.9/5 (37 reviews)
- Address: 505 Commerce Drive Savoy, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 23

#12. Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 3.9/5 (283 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1407 North Prospect Ave. Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 23

#11. Casa Del Mar

- Rating: 4.1/5 (58 reviews)
- Address: 2870 South Philo Road Urbana, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 23

#10. La Mixteca Restaurant

- Rating: 4.1/5 (73 reviews)
- Address: 510 North Cunningham Urbana, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 23

#8. Signature Grill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 505 East Green St. Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Mediterranean, Indian, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 23

#7. La Bahía Grill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (40 reviews)
- Address: 132 West Church St. Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 23

#6. Encanto Restaurant & Bar

- Rating: 4.3/5 (24 reviews)
- Address: 115 West Main St. Urbana, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican, Peruvian, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 23

#5. Huaraches Moroleon

- Rating: 4.4/5 (332 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 805 Philo Road Urbana, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

21 / 23

#3. Mo's Burritos

- Rating: 4.7/5 (38 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1104 North Prospect Ave. Champaign, Illinois
- Categories: Food Trucks, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

22 / 23

#2. Tres Nopales

- Rating: 4.7/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 114 South Race St. Urbana, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

23 / 23

#1. El Oasis

- Rating: 4.7/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 510 North Cunningham Ave. Urbana, Illinois
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Mexican
- 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.

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