Plan your Mexican food adventure in Saint Paul with our picks.
“We had my wife's birthday party catered by El Burrito Mercado. We ordered pork carnitas tacos with rice and beans for 25 people as well as extra guacamole and queso. When I arrived, it was packaged and ready for me. The food was outstanding, drawing raves from everyone at the party. Authentic Mexican food at its finest!“
“I was here last Saturday and I was delighted with there food oh my God the tacos are just amazing there salsa bar it’s incredible I also had a Gordita the was just amazing perfectly cooked. I will mention I am a picky eater! But these place is a 10/10 amazing.“
“There is nothing better than good food with great company. Tromperia El Zac is located off Rice St. There is quite a good amount of parking behind the building, but it may be difficult for those with mobility issues.Our family stopped in and snagged a variety of delicious items. Al pastor tacos are a must try! We also tried the quessbirra tacos, carnitas burrito, and tinga tostada. Food was made fresh, and service was quick. Prices are a bit steep but absolutely worth every penny.We will be placing this on our must have again rotations.“
“Ordered takeout online directly through their website, not a third party. The food was really good overall, but our order wasn’t made as we requested nor as the menu said it would be.The online price for food is about 20% more than in-store according to their menu on their wall when we picked it up. And there is also a service charge. Hard to say if we will be back.“
“We came to El Aguila for a late dinner, hungry and looking forward to settling down for a good meal. The restaurant was empty, quiet and calm. We were seated quickly, and served complimentary crispy chips and spicy salsa while we looked over the menu.The menu was pretty extensive, with many options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The prices were quite high, around $15-$20 per item, definitely a bit much but we decided to give it a chance.We ordered a burrito and a combo that had papusas and tamales, a good amount of food to share. The food came quickly and was hot, delicious, and well-presented.We left happy with our order, though feeling like it may have been a bit overpriced. We hope to come again some time and try breakfast perhaps. ?“
“Google Maps had me turned around a couple of times, but I am so glad I persevered.I am Twin Cities based. For reference, on business, I eat hundreds of meals in restaurants, in scores of cities around the world each year.I was craving Mexican and picked this quite randomly by Google review alone, late on a Sunday afternoon.I had second thoughts when I pulled up, nobody was there. But I persevered again on review alone.My Torta ( al pastor ) was absolutely perfect.The sauces that accompanied were on a different level of fresh and balanced flavor dynamic.I just wanted some Mexican.I didn't dream I would be thrilled.I sit here and look at the empty plate and contemplate.Should I tell everyone or keep this one to myself?I am beyond puzzled as to why I could be the only one here with food this great.I am only telling you for selfish reasons.I want to see them THRIVE even if I have to stand in line next time.This is absolutely as good as it gets at this price point.Homemade. From scratch.The family business vibe makes me realize the great value.Do yourself a favor!!!“
“The burrito weighed in at about 200 lbs, definitely a good deal at the price. The quesadilla was excellent and a bargain also. Everyone working here is cheerful and helpful, and it is just as fast as taco bell, for real food at a good price.“
“Ohhhhhh my Goodnessssss..... the most authentic and amazing food. Their corn quesadilla. Carnitas is amazing freshly made corn quesadilla cheese, melted in to perfection, radishes vegetables, and a fine, seasoned Carnitas or whatever meat you were looking for Cabeza available and more. Roasted jalapeños are so good they make their own green and red sauces and a Sunday buffet you don't have enough room for their huge selection ,my favorite Mexican food in Minnesota.“
“Boca Chica has an awesome lunch buffet! It was a great place for our group of 12 to meet for lunch. There were so many great dishes including two kinds of enchiladas, sopa de puerco, quesadillas, fried tacos, pork guisado, salad, chips, rice, beans plus desserts. Everyone really enjoyed themselves.“
“The food from Neza Tacos is reasonably priced with reasonable portions, by which I mean I can buy a lunch that won't overfill me or empty my wallet. Today, we got four tacos for $16 total that satisfied us without stuffing us. The food was delicious and the staff friendly.“
“Not sure if they’re still in business, every time I’ve called the past 2 weeks it goes straight to voicemail and they haven’t been open. Kinda sucks, their tacos were really great (especially the birria and carnitas) the service was always amazing, and I liked being able to support a local business. Guess I gotta find a new taco place ?“
“I love this family and I love this food truck!The Mexican steak tacos are my favorite.Realistically, though everything that I order off of this truck is fresh and delicious.If you want authentic Mexican food they have it. If you want a hamburger and fries they have it. I ordered the nachos today and will order them again.The sauces are my favorite and if they ever bottle the sauce I will buy it!“
“Good prices for a good sized meal. Very tasty. Friendly Staff. I love coming to eat here when I’m in the area.Vegetarian options: Chilaquiles, tamales, burritos, tacos, anything you want cooked up she will make it for you.Kid-friendliness: Homemade chicken soup, chicken strips“
“This restaurant is such a hidden gem in White Bear Lake. Staff is attentive, friendly, and hard working. The food was great, and they accommodated our large group wonderfully, in such short notice. Support your local business, you won't be disappointed!“
“I loved it, if I could I would give them up to 100 stars ? the food was delicious and the waiter who served us was also very good, we will return from now on more often ?? Something I want to add is that they also have baby changing facilities, and the bathrooms look very clean.“
“My birthday party was at Pajarito in Saint Paul last week. We had about 25 in attendance. The staff did an excellent job keeping drinks flowing and the food refreshed. They were friendly and easy for my husband to work with on the planning. The food was good and we were able to bring in a cake. Thank you!“
“I was mind blown at how great all of the food tasted. This restaurant is authentic, legit, and the best Mexican restaurant in MN. I've been to many and rarely have I been so impressed at all of the food a single place has to offer. The flavoring of everything had so much depbt and I can't wait to go back for more. I ordered $90 worth of food and about one of everything on the menu . There wasn't a single item that was okay. I literally mean everything was near the top or the best I've eaten when compared to all of it's competition.I highly recommended so I'm so happy it's only a few blocks from my place.“
“The service itself could have been rated as a 5+. We had a nearly perfect experience based on a recommendation from a friend who had grown up in this neighborhood. Excellent spicy Mexican/New Mexican entrees even on the breakfast menu. Very exhaustive and creative breakfast menu in general. From the time we entered the door to the team staff concept this was pretty much as good as a place could do. Food was delicious served extremely efficiently and the crew helped me find a missing phone with utter diligence as I was wrapping up to leave. I planned on going over for a good experience based on a suggestion; I instead had a great one. Love this place and it’s vibe and will certainly return!“
“This location is awesome! Love Janet’s customer service!!! She makes the experience so much better.The Los Ocampo on Suburban and Arcade are in a tie for the worst ones. They need to do a little retraining.The arcade location takes maybe 30 mins WHEN ITS SLOW to make your food. Let’s not talk about it in the summer time… usually takes 45+ mins.The suburban location just has attitude as a whole.The one on University is honestly my fave. I’ve never had not one bad experience here.“
“You order at the counter. The food is good, authentic Mexican flavor. Served fast but because of that I think the gorditas lack cooking time. The staff is not super friendly but hey, the food is cheap. You clean up after yourself. ESTABLISHMENT is within a small mall.Parking: Street parking can be hard on winter. If you walk a little there is a free lot.Kid-friendliness: Very kid friendly“
“Absolutely fantastic food! Service was impeccable! I normally do not take left-overs home but this was just as good and fresh on a reheat. Do not pass up your chance at an amazing meal for you and your family- ❤Parking: Found a spot on the street very easilyKid-friendliness: Very family friendly with great energy“
“I love coming here and it’s my favorite spot for fast food tacos. It’s consistently tasty, affordable and I would say it is comfort food.My go-tos are the soft shell beef tacos (add tomatoes for free) and the potato burrito. The shells are tasty and don’t fall apart very easily. The beef is well seasoned and not dry. The toppings are always fresh. The burrito is really tasty, it’s in a flour shell which is also good. The potatoes inside the burrito stay crispy which is impressive!The interior has changed a lot since the pandemic. There’s no more salsa bar, you need to request salsas when you order (which is fine) One per item. It’s a really good salsa so do not miss out on that. The seating areas have changed as well and I hope they revisit making the interior look nicer. There used to be booths; they’re now swapped with tables and bar style seating. There aren’t as many tables as there used to be and there’s a to-go window that was established during the pandemic where there was seating and the salsa bar. The main room has very few spots for sitting.I also noticed that the cups and wrapping have changed. There used to be purple cups with a bull on it: it was cute.I do miss the ‘old’ taco house but the food is still really good, affordable and comforting.“
“My human gets out of the car and goes to the truck. She comes back with a plastic disk and then we sit there for a while. The disk buzzes and flashes and the my human goes back to the truck and comes back with the best food ever. I don’t get to eat the goat tacos because they give me the midnight poops but the chicken quesadilla is the best.“
“Randy at the bar today around 3: 00 PM was THE BEST!!!! You will never know what you did to help the guy who was medically traveling for the first time in his life. Please know the way you treated him gave him the hope and support he needed for the rest of his life. THANK YOU!!!!“
“I can't stop talking about this place. It's grab and go, heat and serve... AND SO GOOD. Very accommodating to dietary restrictions. Many vegan, gluten free, and dairy free options. They even have vegan queso and chorizo. The atmosphere is like nowhere I've ever been. This is a very welcoming environment. I was helped by a staff member named Atzin and they were awesome, I had called with a lot of questions and they patient and knowledgeable. They were able to give me additional guidance and recommendations when I was in the store.Okay but the food.So I've been gluten free for over ten years and usually I feel like the food I get is -missing something-. Not here. Food is so flavorful. I can't get enough of the queso poblano! I might also be newly addicted to the cilantro salsa.Vegetarian options: So many vegetarian and vegan options. Great place if you're vegetarian or vegan and craving queso with chorizo!Dietary restrictions: Staff is very knowledgeable about allergens. Most items are gluten free. Staff knows what has eggs, dairy, gluten, etc. I'm celiac and ate here safely.“
“My husband and I visited on a Sunday afternoon specifically to try their version of a crunch wrap supreme - The Centro Crunch. This restaurant is so aesthetic! We were seated right away and there was no wait, which was great. Drink and food ordering is via QR code, which was a little difficult trying to time out our appetizer with our main entrees, but it ended up working out just fine. We started with a mimosa and N/A margarita and the N/A margarita tasted JUST like a regular one - I was shocked! It was slightly sweet but tart - YUM. After perusing the menu, we ordered the centro crunch, the chorizo & egg crunch, and the tater tots with ranch. After taste testing both of the crunch wraps, we surprisingly liked the chorizo and egg crunch better than the seasoned beef crunch! Overall, we'll definitely be back for brunch and possibly lunch to try some different menu items!“
“This West Side Sports Bar & Grill was a treat! The food was delicious and the service was friendly and accommodating. We were a party of 6. I had street tacos ala carte. My niece ordered the Menudo and said it was perfect. We also ordered guacamole, queso and chips for the whole table and that made a great appetizer for the whole table. The chips are made fresh and sprinkled with chili-lime salt... Yum! The guacamole was delicious considering it's mid-March in MN! The Horchata was refreshing and cool and was made 'from scratch' - not a mix. I didn't try the marguerita but it was huge and was happily shared around the table. There were 4 screens playing different sports, including futball and women's college softball. The music was recorded - it was lively and loud ... mostly Mariachi (and Mexican rock?).Parking: Not sure if the street parking is free during the day. We went on Sunday evening and both cars found parking easily. The lot surface is bumpy, so I'm not sure how a wheelchair would do. It is on the first floor - no steps at the entrance. One of us used a rolling walker and was easily able to navigate the front door, but I'm not sure if the door is wide enough for a motorized wheelchair.“
“The vibe is perfect the location is very nice an open the atmosphere is perfect I feel this restaurant will take off the food was amazing not a single complaint first time trying this place and they just got a Regular I will be coming back for sure I recommend the Birra taco plate Asada Quesadilla and the carnita nachos you will not be disappointed I cannot stress enough how good the food was“
“Excellent Tex-Mex fast food. Deluxe tacos & taco burritos are very tasty. Chilitos are fast food heaven, get a few extra for leftovers! They reheat well in the microwave. They also have an app for online ordering & earning rewards.“
“Thank you Eddie you the man! Looking for authentic? They got it! Great service, great food, and great atmosphere. They had no pastor so Eddie made us some chorizo tacos with pineapple that were amazing and hit every spot that needed to hit.“
“This is some of the best food I've had in a while! The setup is similar to that of other fast Mexican food places but Catrina's is far superior! The big chain restaurants do not even coming close to the quality of food at Catrina's! The staff are super nice too which is a huge bonus!I came here on a whim because I just needed something quick to eat but I'm so happy I stopped here! Plus lots of Mexican decor that really sets the charm for this place.I will be coming here again and recommending to friends! Not to mention, the portions you get for the price are an amazing deal!“
“If you're looking for an incredible taco, look no further than this place right here. Their tacos are delicious, and their service is great. The vibe in the restaurant is really fun, and the staff are always happy to help. Whether you're in the mood for beef, pork, or fish, they've got you covered. And their prices are unbeatable. So next time you're in the mood for a tasty taco, head on over to Taqueria Los Paisanos. You won't be disappointed.“
“Everything we ordered is AMAZING! Food came out hot and fresh. half shells Oysters and the oysters shots were fresh and DELICIOUS! The shrimp Carm.. Diablo is flavorful. My husband had their chicken quesadilla and he said it’s probably the best quesadilla he’s ever had. Haven’t had Mexican food this good in a really really long time. Probably the best I had in Mn. Definitely going to come back and try out other items.“
“The marinated pork taco - DELICIOUS!churros - typical.Do not recommend fried ice cream - it's literally cereal flakes Deeepp fried into vanilla ice cream onto a fried tortilla.Wasn't sure how to eat the casamigas special.... but that's one me lolThe especial tacos were BOMB!Overall experience - would recommend except for a few selections.“
“I have been here a few times and have not been disappointed. When you walk towards barrio you see a nice patio area with an ample amount of tables facing Mears Park. Inside is decorated in one of my favorite colors red. There are red booths, red High tops, and red chairs. There is a giant red bull on the wall at the entrance and a giant bar. The bar has a great selection of tequila and they do make a good drink. They have old-school rolling library ladders to reach the libations on the various shelves. They have a good selection of tacos and a fantastic selection of margaritas to quench your thirst. One of the coolest items is the giant brass-looking bull in the back that makes me think of Wall Street. Then the mask collection on the wall that leaves you wondering who would win in this lineup. I have had almost everything on the menu and my favorite tacos include the pork belly taco which is divine. Then the Mahi Mahi and the ahi tuna taco. The carnitas taco is also mouth-watering. I stopped in for some bubbly and Maddie was my server. Maddie was on top of it and a fantastic server. Even though the place was extremely busy she kept an eye to make sure my cup never runith dry. It's a breath of fresh air to get service with a smile and to see the staff having fun while they work making it not look like a sweat shop. I ran into their manager Kate who was fantastic she as well as the other manager Parker were all over the place being a part of the team. It is very rare these days to see management get their hands dirty and these two were serving, cleaning, and bartending. At night barrio has a dance area and a DJ and can be a fun time. There is nothing more fun than tequila and a dance floor. Now that patio season has officially started come down to Barrio and show them some love.“
“I have to admit I love setting up "quests" for myself. Best apple pie. Best gin. My newest quest is looking for the best birria tacos in the Twin Cities. Birria tacos are filled with slow coated meat cooked with spices and served in crispy corn tortillas. They originated in Michoacan in Mexico, and they are delicious!That is how we ended up at Nico's. Last weekend I picked up a batch take-out. Last night we ate at the restaurant.We arrived early and sat at the bar so we could talk about tequila and mezcal with the bartenders. They are incredibly knowledgeable, and I ask a lot of questions. I opted for the flight of repasado tequila. The shots were served in this amazingly cool wooden box decorated with a skull design. They were all good, and generally I don't like tequila! It turns out that the various types of tequila ( white, repasado, anejo) are incredibly different. My husband was ordering a cocktail, and the bartender recommended a different one, with Mexican whiskey and a corn liqueur, and my husband really liked it.Our friends arrived, and we sat at our table. We got their house made chips with a flight of salsas...I loved the roasted corn one but all were good. Of course I ordered the birria tacos - you get three complete with consume and radishes, onions, etc. These really are delicious. They are made with lamb, and it was tender and juicy. My husband and our friends got a mix of tacos. I liked the pescado and pescado asado tacos, but they needed a bit more salt and a bit more topping. The mushroom one was interesting, but rather bland. The single tacos range from $4-5, so it is very affordable. I also had their horchata, which was a very nice version of this classic rice and cinnamon drink. It was not overly sweet, which was very nice!All in all it was a lovely meal. I will absolutely go back for those birria tacos.The service could not have been better. They were attentive, kept the water glasses filled, and in every way made us feel taken care of. I recommend this place a lot.“