323 Best Restaurants in Mexico

This unassuming spot beside a gas station near the border of Condesa and Roma has developed a loyal following for its hearty and affordable birrias (meat stews). The signature dish is the birriamen, basically a Mexican-Japanese fusion of flavor packed with tender pork carnitas, onions, cilantro, and spices, but other delicious options include quesabirria tacos oozing with melted cheese, and the restaurant's spin on chilaquiles, birraquiles.

With driftwood tables overlooking Half Moon Bay, swings at the lively bar, and salsa music keeping things moving, this might be the perfect beach restaurant. The usual Mexican fare—quesadillas, empanadas, burritos, and fish tacos with handmade tortillas—is perfectly fine, but the food isn't the point. It's all about the location. Directly on the beach, this place takes full advantage with two big upstairs terraces that provide sweeping views of the water. Lounge chairs are scattered on the sand for customers' use, and there's a small pool to keep the kids busy while you have another margarita. Climb the ladder to the two-seater tower table, 15 feet above the sand, where your drinks are delivered in a bucket on a rope.

La Capilla is a truly Oaxacan experience. Sitting under a palm roof listening to the animals play in the petting zoo and the children playing in the gardens, you can enjoy platters of traditional Zaachilan food: mountains of fabulous cooked meats, cheeses, and vegetables will come your way.

For authentic Mexican food visit this spot serving traditional dishes from the southern state of Oaxaca. Try the enchiladas, the memelas, or the amazing guacamole with chapulines (grasshoppers). The food is great, but the traditional Mexican market atmosphere is unbeatable. 

The waiters that dance at night and the faux-rustic Western scheme can come across as a little too Disney, but the Mexican dishes from the kitchen's firewood grill are authentic and excellent. The arrachera (skirt steak) and other regional cuts arrive with kettle beans, quesadilla, and guacamole; the rib eye and American cuts have sides of corn on the cob and baked potato. Fresh-fruit margaritas and piña coladas are served by the pitcher. During the day, clowns come and go, offering children balloons.

The oldest portions of this 16th-century mansion were built using stones torn down from the Templo Mayor, which lies just feet away. At lunchtime, you may want to reserve a table on the atmospheric second-floor terrace overlooking the Zócalo, cathedral, and national palace, or simply stop at the ground floor patio for a drink in the shade of the towering cathedral across the street. The menu is a mishmash of international (Cornish game hen) and Mexican (cilantro soup).

The antique furnishings and lazily turning ceiling fans almost succeed in giving this popular restaurant the vibe of an old-fashioned hacienda, but the insistent street noise reminds you that you're in a busy capital city. Never mind: you'll be focusing on the generous portions of charcoal-broiled steaks and the succulent shrimp and fish dishes, served with frijoles charros (black beans cooked in a spicy sauce).

The place is known for its desserts, which include flan with caramel and bananas flambéed in brandy.

Perched atop Puerto Peñasco's highest point, this restaurant has the best views over the bay and the town below. There's indoor dining, but the long outdoor terrace overlooking the sea is the place to be, especially at sunset, when it can be packed with locals and visitors alike. A wide-ranging menu includes everything from nachos and quesadillas to flaming, brandied jumbo shrimp.

In contrast to the ho-hum meals served at the other cafeterias lining Avenida Zaragoza, La Casona del Beaterio dishes up fine local fare. The restaurant's two spacious rooms, surrounding a courtyard garden with a fountain, have stained-glass windows and plenty of hanging plants. Breakfast specials are a steal, but the house specialty—cazuela de mariscos—draws the crowds. This is java country, so the menu has a dozen different coffee and espresso concoctions.

Locals and expats gather here for breakfasts of migas (scrambled eggs with bits of bacon and tortilla) and the daily lunchtime comida corrida (a set-priced meal with a choice of appetizers and entrées), which is a great deal. Favorite dishes include pollo con mole poblano (chicken in a smooth, earthy chile sauce), chile relleno de camarón (chile stuffed with shrimp), and pork with pumpkin-seed sauce. Taste the yellow salsa with your complimentary chips, and you will be buying a bottle of it to take home. You can sample an array of agua frescas in flavors like hibiscus, but remember to leave room for the chilled avocado pie.

This friendly family restaurant with great Mexican food is easy to spot if you look for the large green-and-yellow building or the mermaid on the sign. Traditional Mexican dishes are the best bargain, but seafood lovers will have plenty to choose from: the menu lists 12 different shrimp dishes, such as Hawaiian-style shrimp wrapped in bacon and served in a sweet apple-and-pineapple sauce.

An outdoor lunch buffet, from 1:30 to 6:30, is a great reason to venture outside the city to this restaurant 3 km (2 miles) east of Oaxaca on the road to Mitla. Waiters bring you a welcome cocktail and a typical appetizer, such as taquitos de pollo (small tacos filled with chicken) or memelas (fried discs of cornmeal topped with goodies). You then select from more than 70 Mexican dishes, including several kinds of meat fresh from the grill. You can linger here, listening to wandering mariachi and marimba musicians—and let the kids loose on the small playground.

For fine regional dishes prepared with a dash of creativity, try this rustic restaurant overlooking the tropical Parque Los Tecajetes. Inside it's cozy, always buzzing with diners feasting on cecina (paper-thin beef fillet) with slices of avocado, and crepas poblanas (crepes filled with chicken or spinach and topped with poblano chilies). The restaurant is tucked into a small strip mall, so it's tricky to find.

Easily the most famous---though also touristy---dining option in the area, this hulking restaurant dates to 1906 and is set within an immense cave with dramatic rock ceilings. The traditional Mexican fare served here is consistently good, including hand-made corn quesadillas filled with seasonal ingredients, tortilla soup, albóndigas (meatballs) in a tomato-chipotle stew, and traditional barbecue. There's a pretty good kids' menu, too. Reservations aren't required, but they're a good idea on weekends and holidays. Although open every day of the year, La Gruta closes at 7 nightly.

Soaring stained-glass windows, a fountain, artwork, and beautiful furniture from the central part of the country lend drama to this restaurant. The food is both traditional and creative, with dishes like grilled Tampiqueña-style beef or sea bass wrapped in maguey leaves. The chicken mole and cactus leaf with roasted grasshoppers from Oaxaca will appeal to adventurous eaters; for something less exotic, try the sampler of mini cochinita pibil–style tacos. Performances by a 10-piece Mariachi band add to the ambience.

This hole-in-the-wall, with its red plastic tables and chairs, is a perennial local favorite. Expect enormous portions of the beloved sopa de frijoles (black bean soup made with onions, tomatoes, lime, and fresh cheese) and chiles rellenos (stuffed chiles lightly battered, fried, and served with a side of pickled cabbage and rice). Fish fillets are moist, and the chicken mole is the best on the island.

After picking up somewhat of a cult following in San José del Cabo, La Lupita opened this location that's just as fun---there's a prominent stage overlooking the restaurant floor for bands to perform on and free-flowing cocktails. Just one block from Médano Beach, it feels less touristy than many of the neighboring establishments serving up gourmet tacos (the santo pastor is their specialty, but you'll want to try a variety), flights of mezcal, and an unbeatable ambience.

Calle 8, which runs along the north side of the historic center and roughly follows the route of the old sea wall, is now a bit of a restaurant row, home to this and other eateries. Seafood is the specialty here, though it also has a number of signature cocktails, like the Pregonero, made with a chile liquor, tamarind, and pineapple.

You can gaze out over the lake and the town's red rooftops at the Michoacana, which is just a short walk from the zócalo. It's one of the town's best sources of regional fare and a great place for a family meal—and open from 9 am to 11 pm 365 days a year. You can't go wrong here—all the typical Mexican plates you'll recognize are available, but the house specialties include a terrific chamorro (lamb shank) and pre-Hispanic dishes that you won't find everywhere else, such as chapulines con cebolla y chili de arbol (toasted grasshoppers with onion and a spicy red chili sauce), and escamoles a la mantequilla (ant eggs lightly fried in butter).

Locals and visitors come here for tasty traditional Mexican food in a simple family-friendly restaurant. Try the pozole, which starts with hominy and a protein as the base, and comes in three types of broth. Red pozole is a thinner broth that uses dried, red chilies; green pozole broth is rich and calls for fresh, green peppers; and white pozole is a thinner broth without chilies.

This cantina at the corner of Calles 62 and 49 is popular with locals, expats, and visitors thanks to its large courtyard and likewise large cocktails. You'll be offered free bar snacks as long as you keep ordering drinks, though it's worth trying some of the delicious (if basic) ceviches, enchiladas, and tacos, too. Live bands play most evenings. 

With a calm beachside atmosphere, fresh seafood, and attentive service, it's hard to top this local favorite at the west end of Playa Agustinillo. Begin your afternoon by settling into one of the comfy loungers, where you can sip on a La Ola cocktail, a mojito of mezcal, cucumber, and lime that tastes as healthy as it is delicious. Good options for lunch are dorado tostados or arrachera (grilled steak) served with a perfect trio of black beans, tortillas, and rice. There's also a wide selection of ultrafresh salads. You'll appreciate the spiffy clean washrooms, showers, and prime views of bodyboarders riding and wiping out on the waves.

The service is a bit distracted at chef Pilar Cabrera's combination gallery-café, so you'll have plenty of time to admire the works by local artists that adorn the walls. The food makes up for any shortcomings, however. Start with the tlayuda azteca, a Mexican-style pizza topped with chicken, avocado, and stringy Oaxacan cheese. The sampler plate includes everything from strips of beef to seasoned pork to chapulines (fried grasshoppers). They also serve a different comida corrida, or prix-fixe menu, every afternoon. Cooking classes are also available.

With its flamboyant live mariachi music and energetic waiters, this place is a Cancún classic. The menu isn't fancy, but it offers good, basic Mexican food—including sizzling fajitas, thick burritos, and 30 different taco dishes. Two reliably tasty choices are the mixed grill (with chicken, beef, and shrimp) and the Tampiqueña-style steak. Combining entertainment and cuisine, waiters flame broil lobster, salmon, shrimp, and filet mignon directly at your table. There’s also a wide selection of tequilas to accompany your meal. In the hotel zone, visit its La Isla Shopping Mall location.

If you want to try authentic Mexican and pre-Hispanic cuisine, La Perla Pixan is the place for you with its wide variety of traditional specialties such as pozole (and its vegetarian option), barbacoa, enchiladas, tlayudas, and more. Look for the weekend brunch buffet, and the extraordinary variety of mezcal cocktails. At night, live music and pre-Hispanic shows make La Perla one of the favorite spots of locals, expats, and visitors alike.

Residents of Mérida have strong opinions on who makes the best salbutes and panuchos, two signature Yucatecan dishes, and La Poderosa is at the top of many lists. All the seats at this restaurant in the southern part of Centro—near San Sebastian's square and market—are outdoors, and it's an especially lovely spot on warm evenings. Its evening hours also make it stand out from some other popular casual eateries, which are often open for breakfast and lunch only. A meal of three or four empanadas, panuchos, or salbutes, accompanied by a soda, will only set you back about $5. Note: There are several restaurants in Mérida named La Poderosa. The one you want is the one in San Sebastian.