How Many Mexican Restaurants Are There in the US?
There are over 85,000 Mexican restaurant businesses across the United States as of 2024, according to Restaurantji data. This is a 1.5% increase from the previous year. These Mexican restaurants are heavily concentrated in a few key states. Over half (51%) are located in just six states - California (19,5%), Texas (16,8%), Florida (4,1%), Illinois (3,9%), New York (3,6%) and Arizona (3,2%).
Big national restaurant chains serving Mexican food are also very common. Taco Bell has the largest share with over 7,550 locations across the country. Taco Bell accounts for 8,8% of all Mexican restaurants and almost a half (45,7%) of the Mexican chain (i.e. more than 5 locations) restaurant market. Other top national Mexican chains serving their takes on burritos, Mexican rice, elote, and other favorites include Chipotle, Qdoba, Moe's Southwest Grill and Del Taco.
Looking at the different styles, 22% of Mexican restaurants nationwide are considered fast food places, while 12% specifically serve tacos. 8% are food trucks or carts, and 6% offer Tex-Mex cuisine. The majority (52,4% or 44,716) are reasonably priced restaurants rated as one "$" on Restaurantji.
While Americanized Mexican dishes like hard-shell tacos, overstuffed burritos, and lots of melted cheese are very popular menu items, there are differences from authentic Mexican food. Traditional Mexican uses more corn tortillas instead of flour, fresh cheeses like queso fresco rather than heavy cheeses, and more subtle, complex flavored sauces and seasonings.
Mexican food is extremely popular and common all across the United States. It is deeply rooted in American food culture in every part of the country. Let Restaurantji guide you to great Mexican restaurants every day.
7 Mexican Culinary Regions
The North
With a strong ranching tradition, Northern Mexican cuisine revolves around beef. Grilling is very popular, along with staples like refried beans, rice, and dried beef machaca. The cattle industry also produces a variety of cheeses like queso fresco. Flour tortillas enabled the invention of the burrito in Sonora. Other famous dishes include marinated arrachera skirt steak, cabrito roasted baby goat, and capirotada bread pudding.
The North Pacific Coast
Stretching along the Pacific, this region supplies much of Mexico's produce, cheese, chiles, and seafood. The cuisine showcases the abundance with many vegetable, fruit, grain, and seafood dishes cooked with chiles and European spices like parsley, thyme, and cilantro. Guadalajara is the cultural center, known for stews like birria and pozole. The Pacific coast also produces tequila.
The Bajio
Very similar to Spain's central plains from the earliest settlers, the Bajio cuisine features rice, pork and spices. Popular dishes include morisqueta (sausage and rice), carnitas (fried pork), and typical sweet treats like cajeta (goat's milk caramel), arroz con leche (rice pudding), and bunuelos (fritters). The town of Cotija is known for its namesake aged cheese. The local spirit is charanda from fermented corn.
The South Pacific Coast
The indigenous cuisines of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Chiapas feature staples like chicken, pork and Oaxaca's string cheese. Oaxaca is famous for its seven distinctive mole varieties using chiles, chocolate, nuts and cinnamon. Other specialties include tamales, enfrijoladas (tortillas in bean sauce) and diverse fiery chiles like the chile de siete caldos. In Chiapas, corn is the main staple used for tortillas, empanadas and more, often with very spicy chile condiments on the side.
Central Mexico
As a cosmopolitan capital, Mexico City offers foods from all regions like barbacoa lamb, birria goat stew, cabrito kid, carnitas pork, and complex moles from Puebla. Street food is hugely popular with taco stands, torta sandwich shops, and lunch counters everywhere. The city is also home to restaurants serving pre-Hispanic cuisine with ingredients like insects. For haute cuisine, this is the place to go.
The Gulf
With influences from indigenous, Spanish and Afro-Caribbean cultures, Gulf coast cuisine makes use of tropical fruits, vanilla, citrus, olives, capers and annatto seed. Seafood like Veracruz's signature snapper dish is emblematic. The flavors extend to dishes with peanuts, plantains, yuca and sweet potatoes. Tabasco offers incomparable seafood variety including crab and crayfish.
The South (Yucatan)
Based on Mayan food with Caribbean, European, Asian and Middle Eastern influences, the Yucatan peninsula's cuisine is distinct. Corn is the staple used for liquids and solids. Annatto seed adds color and flavor, used in recado pastes for pit-cooked dishes like cochinita pibil. Other specialties include tropical fruit salsas, habanero condiments, honey drinks and seafood like conch.
Tex-Mex vs Cal-Mex vs Traditional Mexican Cuisine
Traditional Mexican cuisine uses staples like corn, beans, chiles, tomatoes and avocados in dishes like moles and tamales. Tex-Mex originated when Mexican-American communities in Texas blended Mexican recipes with American ingredients like beef, cheddar, wheat tortillas and cumin. It includes dishes like nachos, fajitas and crispy tacos. Cal-Mex from California emphasizes fresh, healthy ingredients like avocados and grilled meats. It features burritos stuffed with non-traditional items and fuses Mexican flavors with other cuisines.
Most Popular Mexican Dishes in The US
Restaurantji has millions of restaurant reviews across the US and Canada. We've taken all the reviews in the Mexican food category to determine Americans' favorite Mexican dishes
Quesadilla - A quesadilla is a simple Mexican dish made by putting cheese between two tortillas. The name means "little cheesy thing." Quesadillas likely started in northern Mexico, especially the state of Sonora. They are a handy finger food that can be dipped in salsa. Common ingredients are cheese (often a mild white cheese) and tortillas.
You can try some of the best quesadilla in the country here:
Talkin' Tacos Buckhead in Atlanta, GA
Guacamole - This avocado dip dates back to the Aztecs in 1500s Mexico. The Aztecs made an "avocado mixture" called ahuaca-mulli from the avocados native to the region. Guacamole became popular due to the high nutrition in avocados - they are full of healthy fats and protein for a fruit. Key ingredients are mashed avocados, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and chili peppers.
Check out these restaurants for a perfect guacamole:
Fat Rosie's Taco & Tequila Bar in Frankfort, IL
Los Sarapes Horsham Mexican Cuisine Margarita and Tequila Bar in Ambler, PA
Chips & Salsa - Salsa (a spicy sauce) and tortilla chips originated in Latin America before becoming hugely popular in the US and Canada. According to Mayan myth, dried corn kernels were used by peasants to make a snack for kings. By 2003, chips and salsa was declared the official state snack of Texas! Common salsa ingredients are tomatoes, onions, chilies, cilantro and lime juice.
These restaurants have the most positive comments on their Chips & Salsa:
Rj Mexican Cuisine in Dallas, TX
Loco Burro Fresh Mex Cantina and Tequila Bar in Knoxville, TN
Chimichanga - While not authentic Mexican food, the origins of the chimichanga are disputed between restaurants in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona. The story goes that a burrito was accidentally dropped in a deep fryer, creating this crispy fried burrito dish. Chimichangas stuff flour tortillas with rice, beans, cheese and meat like beef or chicken.
Restaurantji recommends these places:
Guadalajara Grill, Tucson's Best Mexican Restaurant in Tucson, AZ
Carnitas - Meaning "little meats" in Spanish, carnitas are made by frying pulled pork in milk and orange juice until crispy outside but tender inside. Typically using pig legs, ribs, stomach and tongue. The exact origins are debated between states like Michoacan and Jalisco. Carnitas are often enjoyed with salsas, onions, cilantro, cheese and lime for added flavor.
The best restaurants with carnitas on the menu according to Restaurantji:
Solita Tacos & Margaritas in Orlando, FL
Is Mexican Food Healthy?
Mexican food is quite healthy. Most dishes feature fresh, natural ingredients like lean proteins, grilled chicken, seafood and a rainbow of vegetables. Traditional tacos don't usually have melted cheese, unlike Tex-Mex versions. Mexican cuisine relies on corn tortillas which are naturally gluten-free and are fiber-rich complex carb that aids digestion. Even guacamole, made from avocados, provides heart-healthy fats.
What is National Taco Day?
National Taco Day is celebrated in the US on October 4th every year. It's an unofficial food holiday started by taco chains to promote and sell more tacos. Mexican restaurants, Tex-Mex restaurants and taco trucks offer deals and discounts. Fast food chains like Taco Bell do social media marketing, limited-time offers and giveaways. Grocery stores give discounts on taco ingredients. People celebrate by having taco parties and sharing photos using #NationalTacoDay.
What is the Oldest Mexican Restaurant in the US?
Established in 1922, El Charro Café in Tucson, Arizona is the nation's oldest Mexican restaurant continually operated by the same family. The original owner is said to have invented the chimichanga.
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