25 Best Mexican Restaurants In NYC For Tacos And Tequila (2024)

NYC is one of the premier destinations in the world for delicious food from different cultures and regions. We proudly boast some of the best Mexican restaurants, which can be found all over the city. With nearly 1,000 Mexican restaurants within the five boroughs, you’re bound to come across something tasty, whether you’re looking for an al pastor burrito or a plate of arroz con pollo. Since there are so many options, we narrowed it down to our favorite 25. Here’s what makes our list of best Mexican restaurants in NYC.

1. Casa Enrique, LIC

Casa Enrique is a Michelin-star-rated Mexican cantina in Long Island City, Queens. Led by chef Cosme Aguilar, their menu explores delicacies from different regions across the country, including traditional Mexican fare and more experimental dishes. Some of their most popular items include de pollo con mole de piaxtla enchiladas and the chile relleno, which offer a modern take on classic dishes.

Where: 5-48 49th Ave, Queens

🚇: 7

2. Cosme, Flatiron

Cosme is another Michelin-star-rated restaurant in Flatiron that offers contemporary Mexican cuisine and an impressive selection of tequila and mezcal co*cktails. Their menu contains delectable items like duck carnitas and soft-shell crab with chile morita and avocado. What we love though is that despite its upscale menu, the restaurant features a laidback atmosphere that is great for intimate conversation with friends!

Where: 35 E 21st St

🚇 6, N, Q, R, W

3. Casa Azul, Park Slope

Casa Azul is a Mexican restaurant in Park Slope that focuses its dishes on recipes from the Oaxaca region. Named after Frida Khalo’s former residence, the restaurant has a fun, artsy vibe that is high-end yet casual! Their menu features a unique take on classic dishes like their barbacoa adobada with avocado salsa, jalapeno-onion escabeche, and homemade corn tortillas. It has a great atmosphere that is relaxed, yet refined, making it the perfect place to bring a date or stop by for a drink after work!

Where: 369 7th Ave, Brooklyn

🚇 F, G

4. La Barca Cantina, Hell’s Kitchen

What could be better than a floating Mexican restaurant? La Barca Cantina is a waterfront eatery serving up some of the best co*cktails and Mexican fare around. This three-level boat floats off Pier 81 and welcomes New Yorkers from all over for some delicious meals and picturesque Hudson River views. Their co*cktails are strong and delicious (try the Bucket List Golden Margarita!) and their food options make it all worthwhile. We recommend their most famous item, the Tony’s Campechano tacos made with beef, pork, and roasted scallions!

Where: Pier 81, W 41st St

🚇 A, C, E

5. Empellón, West Village

Empellón is a Michelin-star restaurant in the West Village that specializes in small bites and tacos. Run by chef Alex Stupak, the multilevel restaurant offers a large bar with a modern look and a mezzanine level for a more intimate experience. Their eclectic menu features crowd favorites like lobster tacos and surf and turf fajitas so if you’re in the mood for delicious Mexican food made with advanced culinary techniques, Empellón is the place to be.

Where: 230 W 4th St

🚇 1

6. Los Tacos No. 1, Various Locations

Los Tacos No. 1 is a street-style taco joint with a few locations throughout the city. The brand was started by three friends in Tijuana who envisioned bringing authentic Mexican cuisine to New York. The menu isn’t extensive, but what they do, they do exceptionally well, and Los Tacos No.1 is among the best for tacos and quesadillas.

Where:

Grand Central – 125 Park Ave

Chelsea – 75 9th Avenue

NoHo – 340 Lafayette St

Midtown – 229 W 43rd St

Tribeca – 136 Church St

🚇 Various Trains

7. Móle, Various Locations

Móleis a casual Mexican eatery with a popular happy hour menu and three locations across the city. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and has a delicious brunch menu too with breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros. Our favorite time to go to Móle is on a Sunday afternoon for a margarita and a snack!

Where:

West Village – 57 Jane St

Williamsburg – 178 Kent Ave

Upper East Side – 1735 2nd Ave

🚇 Various Trains

8. Tacos Güey, Flatiron

Tacos Güey is a modern Mexican restaurant located in Flatiron that offers an updated take on traditional Mexican cuisine. Seafood fans in particular will love Tacos Güey because of dishes like their octopus tostada and prawn ceviche. If seafood isn’t your thing, check out their carnitas tacos or lamb shank birria.

Where: 37 W 19th St

🚇 L, F, M, 1

9. Mesa Coyocan, Williamsburg

Mesa Coyocan is an upscale restaurant serving traditional Mexican cuisine in Williamsburg. The spacious yet inviting spot features large communal tables and a charming aesthetic with patterned wallpaper and dangling Edison lightbulbs. The menu offers a carefully curated selection of plates and tacos, including a carne asada plate made with grass-fed beef and rajas con crema. If you’re looking at for a Mexican restaurant in NYC with a warm atmosphere and innovative food, Mesa Coyocan takes the cake.

Where: 372 Graham Ave, Brooklyn

🚇 L

10. Claro, Gowanus

Claro is a Michelin-star restaurant in Gowanus that offers patio seating and modern takes on classic Oaxacan cuisine. All their cheeses, chorizos, and moles are made by hand, and they source their ingredients from local farms in the Oaxacan region! They also offer an extensive menu of mezcal flights, which pair well with their delicious food!

Where: 284 Third Ave, Brooklyn

🚇 F, G, 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R

11. Maya, UES

Maya is a popular Mexican eatery on the Upper East Side that offers a nightly happy hour and bottomless brunch on the weekends! Created by Chef Richard Sandoval, Maya blends traditional Mexican cooking with innovative culinary techniques. If you like tequila, this is one restaurant you won’t want to miss. The menu features over 100 tequilas, which pair nicely with their delicious food.

Where: 1191 1st Ave

🚇 F, N, Q, R, 4, 6

12. La Morada, Bronx

La Morada in the Bronx is a family-owned and community-focused Mexican restaurant that specializes in indigenous Mexican cuisine from the Oaxaca region. Step into this restaurant that’s complete with purple walls, multiples tables, and a doctor’s office aesthetic. They’re far from that though. La Morada’s menu is vast and offers some of the tastiest moles, gorditas, tortillas, and so much more. Plus, they have tons of vegetarian options and even operates a Mutual Aid Kitchen that gives back to the community. We love a restaurant for a good cause!

Where: 308 Willis Ave, The Bronx

🚇 6

13. Oxomoco, Greenpoint

Situated in the popular neighborhood of Greenpoint is Oxomoco, another Michelin-starred restaurant offering wood-fired plates and an expansive front patio. The menu takes inspiration from regions all over the country of Mexico, including the Yucatan, Baja, Mexico City, and more. We recommend enjoying a glass of agave and a shrimp ceviche tostada outside on a nice day!

Where: 128 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn

🚇 G

14. The Cactus Shop, Williamsburg

The Cactus Shop isn’t your normal Mexican cantina and that’s because it’s also a speakeasy! Complete with sugar skulls, ornate tiles, and culturally-rich decor, their elevated street food is served with pride alongside their variety of co*cktails. Choose between their tasty bites like the Pollo Papa (chicken and potato quesadillas), Baja Cauliflower tacos, and more all while washing it down with a tasty co*cktail served in a hand blown cactus co*cktail glass (we personally love the Smoky Royale)!

Where: 231 Kent Ave, Brooklyn

🚇 L

15. Oxido, Times Square

Don’t mess with El Jefe! He’s the one making all of Oxido’s food from scratch every day! This spot proudly serves traditional Mexican food with modern influences. They offer the basics in burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, and more. Many of their options are customizable (think Chipotle style) and can be mixed and matched as you please. But what makes them stand out from the crowd is their sauces. From creamy to spicy, their handmade sauces are an absolute must with whatever you order.

Where: 1450 Broadway

🚇 N, Q, R, W, 7

16. Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos, Bushwick

Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos is a tortilla factory and hidden gem, all in one. When you arrive, you’re asked to jot your order down on a pad of paper before sliding it to a chef who will whip it up in front of your eyes. Their menu is compact, yet encompassing and highly customizable! Their chorizo filling is their speciality (and the one we love the most), but there are tons of meat options and fillings to pick and choose from. Once you have your food, hangout in their garage-turned-restaurant or step outside to their small cantina. What could be more Bushwick than that!

Where: 271 Starr St, Brooklyn

🚇 L

17. Cantina Rooftop, Midtown

Mexican food on a rooftop simply can’t be beat, and that’s what you’ll find at Cantina Rooftop in Midtown. Come for their eclectic selection of specialty tequila and mezcal co*cktails, and stay for their food that’s crafted with precision and passion. If you’re around on Taco Tuesdays and up for a challenge, consider even giving their “Big Ass Taco” a try, which is an $80, enormous taco that can probably feed a whole table! Catch a view, mezcal-rita, and vibes at Cantina Rooftop.

Where: 605 W 48th St

🚇 A, C, E

18. Rosa Mexicano, Various Locations

Rosa Mexicano proudly brands itself as an “elevated fiesta” deeply infused with Mexican culture. They serve a mix of classic dishes as well as sophisticated and original meals too. From house-made mole and enchiladas to their Camarones Diablos, there’s a little something for everyone! Plus, their atmosphere is buzzing and vibrant at all times. After you order a tequila or mezcal drink from their menu, be sure to order up some guacamole with chips, that’s handmade tableside right in front of you!

Where:

Lincoln Center – 61 Colombus Ave

Union Square – 9 E 18th St

Midtown East – 251 E 52nd St

🚇 Various Trains

19. Estrellita Poblana III, Bronx

Estrellita Poblana III is another Bronx staple that serves some of the finest Mexican cuisine in that borough. Their exposed brick interior in tandem with their polite staff makes gives this spot an incredible atmosphere. As for the food, they have a huge menu with some of our favorite items being the tortas and carne asadas. If you stop here you also need to give their flan a try for dessert!

Where: 5975 Broadway, The Bronx

🚇 2 & 5

20. Tacombi, Various Locations

The story of Tacombi is a beautiful one. They started off as a food van in the Yucatan peninsula back in 2006, which then turned into a restaurant in an NYC garage in 2010, and now, they proudly have multiple locations scattered across NYC! Now, their original taqueria van is a highlight of the Mexican decor on the restaurant interiors. Their menu consists of classic Mexican meals and a solid list of co*cktails and Mexican sodas. Be sure to stop by and see for yourself why they put their pride in their “Mexican hospitality.”

Where: Various Locations

🚇 Various Trains

21. Añejo, Hell’s Kitchen

We’re going to be honest with this one, Añejo is more of a tequileria than it is a Mexican restaurant. While there are small plates of Mexican brilliance to pick from, the main focus is their menu of tequila options that seem to never end. Order a bunch of tacos to share with the table and a flight of their mezcals and you’re sure to have an enjoyable experience.

Where: 668 10th Ave

🚇 A, C, E

22. Toro Loco, FiDi

Last but certainly not least on our list is Toro Loco, the ultimate Mexican restaurant, co*cktail bar, and party spot. This joint is known for their bottomless brunch, authentic Mexican food, margaritas, and extensive tequila and mezcal menu. This is the perfect spot for a birthday dinner, special occasion, or Friday night! The vibes are always on point here and there’s always something going on. They even do drag shows on Sundays.

Where: 15 Stone St

🚇 2, 3, J, Z

23. Yellow Rose, East Village

Technically Tex-Mex, this East Village spot offers some delicious bites inspired by the cuisines in south Texas. We recommend you order the Beef Barbacoa Tacos, Lonestar Beer Queso, and of course, a co*cktail to pair like their Guadalupe Cooler with tequila, Pear Williams, Batavia Arrack, lemon, and pressed parsley.

Where: 102 3rd Ave.

🚇 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R

24. El Nico, Williamsburg

This fairly new rooftop at Penny Williamsburg offers a modern take on Mexican fare with dishes like their Caviar Sope with salsa cruda and crème fraiche to the Pulpo Pibil which is fried octopus with toum, xnipec, potato chips and tortillas. The menu is helmed by Executive Chef Fernanda Serrano, with co*cktails covered by beverage director, Leo Robitschek. Beyond the food, this restaurant is a great choice for views, offering skyline sights of both Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Where: 288 N 8th St.

🚇 G & L

25. tán, Midtown East

Escape to a Tulum-inspired paradise at tán, tucked away in Midtown East. This magical oasis offers up some of the most breathtaking interiors for a restaurant in the city. But let’s get to the food! The seafood-focused menu presents coastal Mexican fare with beautiful flavors and plating. We especially loved the Yucatán Pork Belly.

Where: 209 E 49th St.

🚇 4 & 6