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Highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Iowa City 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 Iowa City 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 Iowa City 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 restaurants with outdoor seating in Iowa City by diners

1 / 19

#19. Pancheros Mexican Grill - North Liberty

- Rating: 2.7/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 650 Community Drive Ste B North Liberty, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 19

#18. Pancheros Mexican Grill - Downtown Iowa City

- Rating: 2.7/5 (92 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 32 South Clinton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 19

#17. Carlos O'Kelly's

- Rating: 2.9/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: 1406 South Gilbert St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Tex-Mex, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 19

#16. Short's Burgers Eastside

- Rating: 3.0/5 (62 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 521 Westbury Drive Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers, New American, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 19

#14. Casa Azul

- Rating: 3.5/5 (222 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 708 1st Ave. Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 19

#13. El Dorado Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 3.6/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 102 2nd Ave. Ste C Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 19

#12. El Senor Cactus

- Rating: 3.7/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1534 South Gilbert St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 19

#11. Los Agaves Mexican Grill

- Rating: 3.9/5 (80 reviews)
- Address: 2208 North Dodge St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 19

#9. Casa Tequila Authentic Mexican Grill

- Rating: 4.0/5 (54 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1100 Andersen Place Ste 350 Tiffin, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 19

#8. El Paso Mexican Taqueria

- Rating: 4.2/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 609 Hollywood Blvd. Ste 2 Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Salad, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 19

#7. Mexico Lindo Grill & Cantina

- Rating: 4.4/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 1857 Lower Muscatina Road Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 19

#6. Estela's Fresh Mex

- Rating: 4.4/5 (110 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 184 East Burlington St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 19

#4. La Regia Taqueria

- Rating: 4.5/5 (503 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 436 Hwy 1 West Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 19

#3. Andale Andale

- Rating: 4.5/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1451 Coral Ridge Ave. Coral Ridge Mall Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 19

#2. Estela's Fresh Mex

- Rating: 4.6/5 (52 reviews)
- Address: 1810 North Coral St. Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 19

#1. la mexicana

- Rating: 4.8/5 (53 reviews)
- Address: 1701 2nd St. suite 4 Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Grocery, Tacos
- 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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