18 Mexican Restaurants in Minnesota Worth the Trip

By Mike Marcotte

Updated September 2026

Minnesota has no shortage of great Mexican restaurants. You’ll find everything from neighborhood taquerias and Mexican markets to longtime family-owned restaurants, Tex-Mex favorites and contemporary spots putting their own spin on Mexican cuisine.

This list started after I collected hundreds of votes from Give Me The Mike followers for a segment on KSTP-TV’s Twin Cities Live. The five restaurants that received the most votes are featured first, followed by more Minnesota Mexican restaurants that made the original list.

The restaurant information below has been updated for 2026, so whether you’re looking for tacos in Minneapolis, margaritas in Stillwater or a Mexican restaurant worth a road trip across Minnesota, there are plenty of places to try.

How These Mexican Restaurants Were Chosen

This guide originally came together after hundreds of people voted for their favorite Mexican restaurants in Minnesota. I shared the five restaurants receiving the most votes on Twin Cities Live and included other popular submissions in the original article.

Since then, restaurant locations, menus and businesses have changed. I’ve updated this guide with current information while keeping the restaurants that made the original list whenever possible.

Quick Guide to Mexican Restaurants in Minnesota

Click the name of the restaurant to learn more

Five Favorite Mexican Restaurants From the Original Vote

Boca Chica | Restaurante Mexicano y Cantina — St. Paul

• Address: 11 Cesar Chavez St., St. Paul, MN 55107
• Known for: Traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes, margaritas and a longtime presence on St. Paul’s West Side
• Good to know: Boca Chica has been serving St. Paul since 1964
• Website: Boca Chica

Boca Chica started with just four tables in 1964 and has grown into one of St. Paul’s best-known Mexican restaurants. Its menu includes tacos, enchiladas, burritos, combination plates and house specialties, along with a full bar and margaritas.

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El Burrito Mercado — St. Paul

• Address: 175 Cesar Chavez St., St. Paul, MN 55107
• Known for: Mexican food, a mercado, bakery and prepared foods
• Good to know: The family-owned business dates back to 1979
• Website: El Burrito Mercado

El Burrito Mercado is much more than a restaurant. The St. Paul institution combines a Mexican market with prepared foods, a restaurant and bar. The menu includes tacos, burritos, quesabirria, tamales, chilaquiles, ceviche and mole made with a blend of more than 30 ingredients.

Pajarito — Edina

• Address: 3910 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424
• Known for: Contemporary Mexican cuisine and craft cocktails
• Good to know: The original St. Paul location has closed
• Website: Pajarito

Pajarito describes itself as a neighborhood restaurant and bar inspired by the regional cuisines and cooking traditions of Mexico. It’s a good option if you’re looking for Mexican flavors in a more contemporary, full-service setting, along with a strong cocktail program.

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La Plaza F!esta — Madelia

• Address: 15 W. Main St., Madelia, MN 56062
• Known for: Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, margaritas and its neighboring Mexican grocery store
• Good to know: The restaurant rebuilt after a devastating 2016 fire
• Website: La Plaza F!esta

Krystal Hernandez purchased the former Plaza Morena restaurant in 2012 and renamed it La Plaza F!esta. Today, the Madelia restaurant serves everything from birria and enchiladas to its Molcajete Fiesta, seafood and a full vegan menu. Fiesta Market, a Mexican grocery store, is also part of the business.

Pablo’s Mexican Restaurant — Shakopee

• Address: 230 Lewis St. S., Shakopee, MN 55379
• Known for: Mexican-American favorites, combination dinners and margaritas
• Good to know: Family-owned Pablo’s opened in 1986
• Website: Facebook

Pablo’s has been a downtown Shakopee staple for decades. Its menu includes tacos, burritos, enchiladas, chimichangas and combination plates in a casual, family-friendly setting. The restaurant is closed Sundays.

More Mexican Restaurants in Minnesota Worth the Trip

Las Tortillas — Rosemount

• Address: 15051 Crestone Ave. W., Rosemount, MN 55068
• Known for: Scratch-made meats, enchiladas and chef-inspired specials
• Good to know: Las Tortillas also offers take-and-bake meals and meats by the pound
• Website: Las Tortillas

Las Tortillas gives diners plenty of ways to enjoy its food. In addition to its restaurant menu, you can pick up carnitas, barbacoa, chicken tinga, chorizo and other meats by the pound, or bring home family-sized enchiladas and tamales.

Andale Taqueria & Mercado — Richfield

• Address: 7700 Nicollet Ave., Richfield, MN 55423
• Known for: Street-style tacos, tortas and Mexican groceries
• Good to know: The taqueria and adjoining mercado are both open daily
• Website: Andale Taqueria & Mercado

Andale combines a taqueria with a full Mexican market. The restaurant specializes in street-style Mexican food, including tacos al pastor, tortas and platillos, while the mercado stocks tortillas, spices, salsas, sweets and other Mexican groceries.

Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant of Hastings — Hastings

• Address: 2100 Vermillion St., Hastings, MN 55033
• Known for: Mexican classics, combination plates and margaritas
• Good to know: Las Margaritas has been serving Hastings for more than two decades
• Website: Facebook

Las Margaritas is a longtime Hastings option for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas and other familiar Mexican restaurant favorites. The restaurant has operated locally since the early 2000s.

Fiesta Cancun — Oak Park Heights and Lino Lakes

• Locations: Oak Park Heights and Lino Lakes
• Known for: Large portions, seafood dishes, fajitas and margaritas
• Good to know: The former Maple Grove location is no longer open
• Website: Fiesta Cancun

Fiesta Cancun has been known for an extensive menu of Mexican favorites and seafood. Menu highlights have included molcajetes, fajitas, burritos, seafood soups and freshly made guacamole.

El Loro — Coon Rapids, Eagan and Lexington

• Locations: Coon Rapids, Eagan and Lexington
• Known for: Fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, molcajetes and tequila
• Good to know: Online reservations are available
• Website: El Loro

El Loro serves a broad menu of Mexican favorites across its Twin Cities locations. Look for sizzling fajitas, birria tacos, enchiladas, fish tacos and molcajetes, along with a sizable selection of tequila and cocktails.

Maya Cuisine — Minneapolis

• Address: 1840 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
• Known for: Scratch-made Mexican food, tacos, tamales and house salsas
• Good to know: Maya Cuisine opened in Northeast Minneapolis in 2012
• Website: Maya Cuisine

Maya Cuisine prepares its Mexican food from scratch, including meats, tamales and salsas. Tacos can be customized with house meats and selections from the salsa bar, while the menu also includes pozole, quesadillas, elotes and other favorites.

Nacho Mamas — Stillwater

• Address: 312 Main St. S., Stillwater, MN 55082
• Known for: Mexican, Southwestern and Caribbean-inspired dishes
• Good to know: Located along Main Street in downtown Stillwater
• Website: Nacho Mama’s

Nacho Mama’s mixes Mexican and Southwestern dishes with Caribbean influences. The menu ranges from street tacos and chimichangas to shrimp tacos, fajitas and bacon-wrapped shrimp, and the downtown Stillwater location also has patio seating.

El Molino Mexican Restaurant — Waseca

• Address: 214 State St. N., Waseca, MN 56093
• Known for: Large Mexican menu, fajitas, chimichangas and seafood
• Good to know: El Molino serves both lunch and dinner
• Website: El Molino

El Molino has an especially large menu. Choices include carne asada, fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, chimichangas, molcajetes, seafood dishes and combination dinners, along with several dishes created by the restaurant.

Casa Rio Tex Mex Restaurant — Anoka

• Address: 201 Jackson St., Anoka, MN 55303
• Known for: Tex-Mex food, tacos, carnitas and margaritas
• Good to know: Located in downtown Anoka
• Website: Casa Rio

Casa Rio leans toward Tex-Mex, with a menu that includes carnitas, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, burritos and mesquite-grilled dishes. Its downtown Anoka location also makes it an easy stop before or after exploring the city.

El Taco Riendo — Minneapolis

• Address: 2412 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
• Known for: Mexico City-style tacos, burritos, tortas and sopes
• Good to know: “El Taco Riendo” translates to “The Laughing Taco”
• Website: El Taco Riendo

El Taco Riendo brings the flavors of Mexico City to Northeast Minneapolis. Tacos are an obvious place to start, but the menu also includes burritos, tortas, tamales, sopes and other casual Mexican favorites.

Companeros Mexican Restaurant — Dorset/Park Rapids

• Address: 20427 MN-226, Park Rapids, MN 56470
• Known for: Mexican and Tex-Mex food
• Good to know: Located near Dorset in the Park Rapids lakes area
• Website: Facebook

Companeros is a longtime Mexican restaurant in northern Minnesota’s lake country. Its location makes it a convenient stop when visiting the Park Rapids and Dorset area.

Acapulco Restaurante Mexicano — Multiple Twin Cities locations

• Locations: Andover, Blaine, Ham Lake, Ramsey, Stillwater and Woodbury
• Known for: Mexican classics, fajitas and its signature cheese sauce
• Good to know: The family-owned restaurant group dates back to 1996
• Website: Acapulco

Jesus and Maria Leon opened the first Acapulco restaurant in 1996. The family-owned business has grown to several Twin Cities locations and serves a large menu ranging from fajitas and birria-style beef to enchiladas, tacos, chimichangas and its well-known cheese sauce.

Colita — Minneapolis

• Address: 5400 Penn Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55419
• Known for: Tex-Oaxacan cuisine and creative cocktails
• Good to know: Colita is considerably different from the traditional Mexican restaurants elsewhere on this list
• Website: Colita

Colita describes itself as a Tex-Oaxacan restaurant. Its menu puts a contemporary spin on Mexican flavors with dishes such as tuna tostadas, tlayudas, carnitas tacos, lengua tacos, mole and elote, making it one of the more modern dining experiences on this list.

Which Minnesota Mexican Restaurant Should You Try?

If you’re in St. Paul, Boca Chica and El Burrito Mercado are only a short distance from one another on Cesar Chavez Street, making it easy to experience two longtime Minnesota Mexican food institutions in the same neighborhood.

For a Mexican restaurant outside the Twin Cities, consider La Plaza F!esta in Madelia, El Molino in Waseca or Companeros near Dorset.

And if you’re looking for something more contemporary, Pajarito in Edina and Colita in Minneapolis offer very different approaches to Mexican-inspired dining.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mexican Restaurants in Minnesota

What are some popular Mexican restaurants in Minnesota?

Popular options featured in this guide include Boca Chica and El Burrito Mercado in St. Paul, Pajarito in Edina, La Plaza F!esta in Madelia, Pablo’s Mexican Restaurant in Shakopee and Colita in Minneapolis.

Where can I find Mexican restaurants in St. Paul?

Boca Chica and El Burrito Mercado are both on Cesar Chavez Street in St. Paul and are two of the city’s best-known Mexican food destinations.

What Mexican restaurants are worth a road trip in Minnesota?

If you want to get outside the Twin Cities, consider La Plaza F!esta in Madelia, El Molino Mexican Restaurant in Waseca or Companeros near Dorset.

Which Minnesota Mexican restaurants also have a market?

El Burrito Mercado in St. Paul and Andale Taqueria & Mercado in Richfield both combine prepared Mexican food with a market. La Plaza F!esta in Madelia is also connected to Fiesta Market.

Where can I find contemporary Mexican cuisine in Minnesota?

Pajarito in Edina and Colita in Minneapolis both offer more contemporary takes on Mexican flavors, with creative menus and strong cocktail programs.

Where can I find Mexican restauran

ts in Minneapolis?

This guide includes Maya Cuisine, El Taco Riendo and Colita in Minneapolis, each offering a different style of Mexican food.

Are there Mexican restaurants on this list outside the Twin Cities?

Yes. The guide includes restaurants in places such as Madelia, Waseca, Hastings, Shakopee and the Park Rapids/Dorset area.

Which restaurants on this list are good for tacos?

Several restaurants are known for tacos, including Andale Taqueria & Mercado, El Taco Riendo, Maya Cuisine, El Gordito Market and El Loro.

More Minnesota Food Guides from Give Me The Mike

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• The best restaurant, brewery and winery patios in Minnesota
• The best margaritas in the Twin Cities
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While you’re here, take a moment to read how I adapted after losing both parents before I was 25 years old and my journey with epilepsy.

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