41 Best Mexican Restaurants near Highlands

“Best Mexican...hands down..we come up from Wall all the time. nice happy hour too!“

“I’ve been about 5 times so far and LOVE Emelio’s! The food is fresh and delicious and the portions generous. Even their simple side salad is something special - delicious, light dressing. And the service is great, which is hard to come by these days. It’s clearly a family-run place where Everyone cares about the quality. Also impeccably clean!“

“The best authentic food out there! Love every single meal I’ve had so far! Fresh, homemade and tasteful!“

“When you r in NJ or just visiting try out this clean, Mexican restaurant called Puertoescondido located at 175 Mammouth Road, West Long Branch, NJ....food was awesome,tasty, place was clean and staff“

“Muy limpio , personal muy amable , y lo principal la comida muy rica“

“I’ve lived in the area for quite some time lived in West End when I first moved here after college, and man has it changed (still live right down the way between west end and pier village)! I thought west end lost its “cute/cool” factor-fun restaurants and bars/lounges and cute stores. Welles yesterday showed me it’s still there and I’ve been missing out on some amazing food!!
This place is fantastic. The service is warm and welcoming. The store has a fun, authentic feel-perfect for family. Solid outdoor eating. (Order at counter though still). Prices are fantastic—and then the food! I went with steak quesadilla. Was starving couldn’t think and went for it. The menu is extensive and has your typical favorites. I got this to go and walked back to my condo. When I opened it up, I was just beyond impressed. It smelled amazing and looked even better and tasted phenomenal. This is definitely on my regular list. I will be using this a lot. Definitely DoorDash it when I’m being lazy or just walking down to get a good walk and come back with Amazing authentic Mexican food. Thank you so much can’t wait to get back!!!! 💯👍👍💙🇲🇽🌮“

“Amazing authentic Mexican food. So delicious and the service is fantastic. Sometimes there is a wait but totally worth it.“

“The food is always delicious!!!“

“Excellent authentic Mexican food. Server was great and knowledgeable about gluten allergies as well. If you want great Mexican food definitely check this place out.“

“Delicious, authentic Mexican food! Huge portions and fresh. Very friendly staff. Fun decor. I would definitely recommend if in the area.“

“this food was awesome! We will def be back again! Very Fresh food!!“

“The food is always fresh and very friendly . Great food and attitude Highly recommend“

“Ordered take out tonight, 3 orders of birria tacos, which my kids all loved, and a shrimp burrito which was also very good. The guacamole was a big hit as well. All of the dishes were very well seasoned. Although we got our food to go, when I went in to pick up the order, the restaurant itself was very cute inside. Will definitely be ordering again.“

“awesome authentic stuff! 👌👍“

“We love Tino’s Mexican Kitchen. The food and ambience are amazing.“

“wonderful food and awesome portions and service!“

“I tried it for the first time yesterday and the food was great. Had the s’mores donut and cookie ice cream sandwich. Asked Grace at the register questions and she replied with detailed description, was very helpful and friendly. They also provide a punch card for the visits for a reward and offer Monmouth University students a discount. Good cuisine and amazing customer service. Definitely would come again and try more options :)“

“the food here is AMAZING!! I can’t name a better place than galindos. The tacos here are incredibly good, and everything tastes so fresh! I would definitely recommend this to everyone who’s looking for a taco spot this summer! 10/10 🌮“

“Excellent food kindly very traditional food as if I were at home God bless your staff and business [Original] Excelente comida el personal amablemente comida muy tradicional como si estuviera en casa Dios le bendiga su personal y negocio“

“We went to El Rancho last month and it was absolutely delicious. The guacamole was very fresh and creamy. We also ordered the steak chimichanga and steak tostadas. Highly recommend. We will be back for sure 😊“

“My only issue was the ordering. First, when I sign into the app it keeps on sending me a link to click to get back into the app, which is annoying. Second, I clicked through online based on a coupon and started ordering, but when I signed in the promo disappeared and I had to keep logging out and in to get it. The app needs to be improved.“

“The food is consistent. And DELICIOUS. I’ve tried many Mexican restaurants as it’s my favorite. And this is my go to. Slow-er on the service but that’s due to how incredibly busy they are with take out orders alone. It’s family owned and run. They are so nice and I can’t speak enough about how authentic the food is.“

“I live right across the street and decided I'll give it a try and omg I couldn't stop stuffing my mouth!! the food was fresh great potions and great prices I bought nachos and a cheesesteak and it's real steak not that fake crap everyone else sell they definitely going to get to me great food guys“

“horrible experience & poor food quality. we ordered $90 of food tonight. first when trying to order i asked about the birria tacos in their Facebook post. the woman who answered told me that they dont call them birria tacos, they are called barbacoa. they required us to order from uber eats even though they advertise in town delivery. so we did. the tortillas with green sauce is rico's version of a chalupa. it was inedible. we ordered a steak chimichanga - it was very fatty. the quesadilla was delivered in the form of a taco. somehow an order for nachos we put in uber eats, was deleted. when we called to let them know somethings were not correct in the order and we were really dissapointed we were told this is not taco bell. at the end of the unhelpful conversation about their poor service and food quality, the final response was, "You got everything you deserved." very unprofessional. all around a bad experience. the food was not good. we love to support local businesses but will not be back to Rico Taco Mex 2.“

“Best authentic Mexican food in all of NJ! Lucky to have stumbled in their doorway... Everything is deliciously made and fresh.“

“Mexican restaurant with an exquisite flavor in every dish you taste, very friendly service in a warm family atmosphere.

Mexican restaurant with an exquisite flavor in each dish that you taste, very friendly attention in a warm family atmosphere.“

“Disfrutamos de ricos platillos Mexicanos, Todo estuvo muy delicioso!“

“We ordered catering for our son’s graduation party yesterday. It was perfection. Everything was delicious, exactly as ordered, well organized and ready to be served/put in sternos to keep warm. All the guests raved about it, and we have leftovers for today! The pricing was also extremely economical! Yum!!!“

“We had empanadas and tacos, both were excellent“

“We stopped in here for lunch & the entire family loved their meals. We had a nice time here, the place is clean, staff is speedy & professional. We were able to park on the side. Their us outdoor & indoor seating. The food looked presentable and it all tasted fresh. Will definitely be returning here when we’re back in this area.

Kid-friendliness: One of my kids only eats tenders & fries wherever we go. My husband and I were craving tacos from here as highly recommended. Glad we were able to accommodate our child in a taco establishment.“

“Loved this place! food was amazing! Best gauc! I had a chimichanga my husband had tostadas great presentation and great flavors! They gave us house made red and green chile sauce so good! I loved the hot and spicey red! Great atmosphere very reasonable and accommodating. You have to check this place out!“

“Alright, let me tell you something—if you’re looking for some real Mexican food, not that fast-food, drive-thru nonsense, then this is the spot. I’m talking about the kind of food that makes you sit back, loosen your belt, and reevaluate every bad meal you’ve ever had. This ain’t no “let’s grab a quick bite” kinda place—this is “cancel your plans, we eating good tonight” territory!

First off, the nachos? Forget about it! My daughter took one bite and straight-up said she may never eat nachos anywhere else again. And I believe her! This place ruins all other nachos for you! The burritos? Massive. The enchiladas? Smothered in sauce like they just got a hug from their abuela. And the salsas? They don’t play around—there’s heat, there’s flavor, and if you can’t handle it, that’s your problem.

And the staff? Man, they treat you like family—like the kind of family that actually likes each other! They keep your drinks full, your chips coming, and they do it all with a smile. Because let’s be real—if you’re working in a place serving food this good, you gotta be in a good mood!

So if you want real Mexican food, stop playing around and come here. Just be ready to leave stuffed, happy, and already planning your next visit. Oh, and tip your server! Don’t be cheap—if you can afford that extra side of guac, you can afford to tip right!“

“Good place, variety in Mexican food, they deliver, located right on the main road, the rib tacos are excellent, the menu is very varied and the prices are totally affordable, there is no parking but you can leave your vehicle in front of this store. The attention of the staff is acceptable.“

“Juanito's is one of my favorite restaurants when getting Mexican food. Always a good meal. Unfortunately, they add an additional 4% to your bill when paying by credit card. It hurts me to start trying other Mexican restaurants in the area, as there are several, but I will start doing this as I view this fee as an additional tax. I'm taxed enough. Several restaurants in the area started to sneak in these fees. If everyone committed to avoiding these restaurants, you would see the fees go away.“

“If I could give this zero stars I would. Absolutely HORRIFIC. The burrito my husband got tasted like literal chemicals. I tasted 1 black bean and it tasted like it was melted in burnt plastic. It literally could taste it for an hour in my mouth. He was dry heaving in the parking lot after 3 bites. He also was never greeted after 5 minutes of him standing there. I asked for a refund, not to make another toxic chemical burrito and they said they couldn’t do that. The best they can do is make him something else. I don’t want something else from your trash of an establishment. Totally unacceptable. Take my advice and go to another location.“

“Food was very very good!!“

“One of my favorites ever since I was a kid. The chimis are just unbeatable. Chips and salsa (free!) are fresh and out of this world. Prices seem high, but not compared to anything else in red bank and probably because I remember when you could get the same thing for $12 20 years ago. Highly recommend. This is the pinnacle of American Mexican food.

P.s. sorry about the photo, meant to get this before I ate but literally could not resist.“

“This is the best Mexican restaurant in long branch so far that me and my family has visited. We highly recommend it to everyone who is looking to get a taste of good quality Mexican food.“

“I don't live in the area but anytime I am in the area I stop in for dinner or get takeout. The restaurant is a small mom & pop type of establishment. I am not fussy about waiting or service. I just want good tasting food. Prices are reasonable. What I also like is that on my visits I see small families eat here & mostly Mexican/Latino people which tells me the food must be good because they are more familiar with the cuisine than I am. I LOVE their chicken soup and always get a large container to go. I usually get chicken enchiladas. This past visit I got Tinga which is stewed chicken & potatoes, rice & beans = delicious. If I lived anywhere closer, I would definately be getting takeout very frequently. My experiences have always been good,

Vegetarian options: There is something for everyone.

Parking: Park on the street. There is also parking to the right of the building & there is a supermarket across the street.“