Philly's Must-Try Mexican Restaurants

Taking its name from a character in a famous Mexican ballad, this family-run BYO in Philly’s diverse Italian Market focuses on dishes from Mexico City and Puebla. The menu is massive yet expertly executed, with can’t-miss offerings that include nearly a dozen different taco options, nine burrito choices and some very addictive chilaquiles.

During Queer Eye’s 2019 visit to Philadelphia, the Fab Five memorably assisted Marcos Tlacopilco, owner and monger at Marco’s Fish & Crab House, with work on a new restaurant. The result: Alma del Mar, named after Tlacopilco’s wife (and complete with a mural of the Queer Eye team inside). This Italian Market spot offers up a varied menu of Mexican and American dishes, including sweet breakfast options (tres leches pain perdu) and heftier entrees (branzino, pulpo al carbon).

Along the otherwise gritty South 9th Street Italian Market, the Sandoval family has been serving refined cocktails, spot-on preparations of huitlacoche quesadillas and Puerto Vallarta tacos since 2014. Much of the fare is served in signature blue corn tortillas, made with corn meal from San Mateo Ozolco, in Puebla, Mexico, the owners’ hometown.

Arturo Lorenzo’s Café y Chocolate, in deep South Philly, pairs its hearty, vegetarian-friendly Mexican breakfast/brunch menu (highly recommend for the chilaquiles) with hard-to-find coffees and hot drinks, such as a cajetuccino, a cappuccino with cajeta, Mexican goat’s milk caramel.

A true bright spot with colorful walls and beautiful murals, 2023 James Beard Award finalist Dionicio Jimenez’s Cantina La Martina is planting the seeds for a brighter future. Menu highlights include the whopping 24-inch quesadilla for two (aptly named Señor Machete because it resembles, well, a machete), Build Your Own Aguachile (BYOA) and a stellar $1 taco happy hour.

Equal parts polished, delicious and cool, Condesa and its rooftop, open-air counterpart El Techo prove that the devil is in the details. Executive chef Alberto Sandoval and his team stone-grind the corn, sourced directly from Mexico, by hand to create the masa for menu items as varied as tortillas and chocolate cake. That intentionality filters through to the top-notch selection of tequilas and mezcals as well as the design of Condesa’s main dining room and El Techo’s hip rooftop bar overlooking Center City.

Don Barriga was one of the first to bring quality Mexican food to West Philly. Now with locations on both the outskirts of the University of Pennsylvania’s campus and in Old City and a comprehensive menu of soups, sandwiches (tortas), tacos, burritos — even a kids menu — Don Barrigas is a great spot for a quick bite.

Born out of chef Carlos Aparicio’s travels across Mexico, El Chingo is one of the city’s coziest all-day cafes and BYOBs. The menu taps into Mexican cuisine’s diversity of flavors and styles, and with so many delicious high points, it’s easy to see how Aparicio nabbed a coveted 2024 James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. Pro tip: Taste one of the restaurant’s cemitas, a type of sandwich that originated in Puebla and is named for the bun that delivers the deliciousness from the plate to your mouth.

Diners come for the margaritas but stay for the pan-Mexican flavors at El Mezcal Cantina. The variety of aguachile options and the traditional guacamole are consistent menu highlights, but the dynamic selection of specials is constantly evolving — and will keep this restaurant in your regular rotation.

There are few things that a stuffed, hot, dripping-in-sauce-and-swimming-in-flavor burrito mojado can’t fix. If you pair it with El Purepecha’s homey and warm atmosphere, you have yourself the perfect prescription for just about anything. The eats at this casual spot just north of Center City will have you ready to take on the world again (or another night out, at least) in no time.

El Vez — Stephen Starr’s popular Midtown Village hotspot — has been holding down the corner of 13th and Sansom for two decades now with margaritas just as bold and bright as their surroundings. The restaurant was recently joined by an equally lively new sibling in Fishtown called LMNO. Start off a night out at either restaurant with a round over chips or grab a more filling meal of tacos.

Settle in for a lively, modern cantina experience at this West Passyunk Avenue spot from Arturo Lorenzo (see Café y Chocolate, above) and Tim Lidiak and Adrienne Salvatore-Markey (Thirsty Soul). Pair tacos, quesadillas and more with a varied bar program that makes use of rare tequilas.

Owned by Karina and Angel Jimenez, Newbold’s Los Cuatro Soles (which translates to “the four suns”) has been dishing out authentic Mexican food to customers since 2016. Burritos, huaraches and quesadillas all get high marks here.

There are hidden gems, there are traveling treasures, and sometimes there are both — and Mi Pueblito sits squarely in the middle of that Venn diagram. You can normally find the family-owned gem parked at Front & Dickenson streets in South Philly on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays serving up mouthwatering Jalisco style birria and consomme to lines that could wrap around the truck. Occasionally, they’ll make an appearance at an area pop up, so keep an eye out for those on Instagram.

The owners of the Center City landmark Oyster House balance Mexican tradition and innovation one floor up, regularly slinging carnitas and wild shrimp tacos alongside top-shelf frozen cocktails, shareable empanadas and other snacks.

Tamales — masa lovingly wrapped in cornhusks or banana leaves — are a year-round favorite throughout Mexico, Central America and South America. In the South 9th Street Italian Market, bright Mole Poblano does an incredible variation on tamales soaked in their titular sauce.

Nemi’s menu follows the traditional flavors of Mexico complete with house-made tortillas, salsas, guacamole and ceviche. As far as tacos go, there’s confit pork shoulder, marinated flank steak, fried cauliflower and other options for the choosing. A full tequila and mezcal bar add to the authenticity of this Port Richmond spot.

Sor Ynez manages to make the corner of this converted warehouse feel warm and welcoming. Chef Alex Tellez puts the fresh and local ingredients that are the keystone of his menu to work, crafting plenty of vegetarian and vegan plates, like poached potato enchiladas, with just as much care as its lamb barbacoa or shrimp al ajillo counterparts. With a beautiful patio space and plentiful on-site parking, Sor Ynez is a perfect low-stress, high-reward dinner experience.

One of the most prominent figures in Philadelphia’s food scene, Cristina Martínez is both an outstanding chef and an outspoken activist. She has racked up numerous national accolades over the years, including a James Beard Award win for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2022. As of 2024, South Philly Barbacoa — Martínez’s critically acclaimed hot spot — now serves mouthwatering lamb barbacoa on select days via a pop-up food cart inside her newest restaurant, Casa México. Located in the Italian Market, the full-service Casa México offers an expanded menu of Martínez’s star-making food, along with beer and cocktails.

Manayunk’s Taqueria Amor is always changing (see its themed pop-up takeovers) but always reliable for a great time. In the past, you might have stepped into a Taylor-Swift inspired “Amor Story” theme for Valentine’s Day with cocktails called Lavender Haze and Champagne Problems and the digs, decor and lighting to match or a “Senor Griñch” focus for Christmas. Head to the restaurant’s Instagram before heading out to see if something special is going on during your visit — or let it be a surprise.