Updated: The Raleigh NC Food Guide to Mexican Food

Updated: July 17, 2023

1. Lobos Tacos y Pupusas

Recently Raleigh was voted the #2 Food truck scene in the United States. The food truck scene is everywhere here, but it's very low key and unforced. Up and down major streets, there are food trucks, especially those with Mexican food. I expect many still start appearing on this list, but the big call out goes to this truck on Glenwood, in the corner of a gas station parking lot. The staff was generous and gave my kids suckers. The burritos were hot and delicious, and their tacos were incredible. Most authentic tacos we've had here. They also have the native favorites like cabeza and lengua. They even have guaraches, which I'm personally looking forward to trying.

2. Pupusas La Estrellita

Here's another food truck along Glenwood Ave. with great tacos and pupusas. Their meat is good, their chicken is good, and their torta bread is also silky smooth. Their salsas are not overly spicy, which my kids like. There is no seating here, so plan to take this meal somewhere else.

3. La Santa Modern Mexican Food

The flavors are spot on, although some of their food will feel adapted from the purely authentic. Their menu has a little bit of something for everyone - from burritos to mole.

Typical of our visit was my mole dish. The chicken was broken up a little chunkier than you would find at a mexican household, but the mole flavor was one of the best I've had. Well done.

Their pozole is also easy to miss on their menu, but tastes rather fantastic. The broth is a clear success - spot on.

The decor is very well done and refined. If you go multiple times, try to get a seat at a different part of the restaurant as the decor can vary.

This place does get full and has a wait list, so plan ahead.

4. Dos Taquitos

This place is one of the the closest Mexican restaurants to our house. It is also the best. It has quirky decorations that not only look authentically like central Mexico, but it also feels comfortable, homey, and like a local family restaurant.

The food is great - it centers along what I would call mainstream Mexican food - enchiladas, mole, chiles rellenos, and more. I have gotten something different each time I visit, and I have been impressed with their ability to step up the dish and make it restaurant-class.

If you're there, they have chickens! They don't use the eggs in the restaurant, but they do keep them, and can be picked up for free.

I've recently docked this place a couple of spots on the list for a few reasons: they get really busy now and are not pleasant to work with if you're eating last minute (whereas La Santa is pretty accomodating), and that they seem to have high turnover. Which isn't itself a problem, but you can get a different experience depending on when you come. And over many things, La Santa has a much better pozole rojo.

4. Gonza

First of all, don't go the to one in Cary. It's not unique, it's located in suburbia, and Alex had a bad time here.

These are probably the best tacos we've had in Raleigh. The tortillas were well-prepared, and each taco had a unique pairing of meat, toppings, and salsa. Each was unique, and worth the money.

This place also gets very busy. Plan ahead with a reservation!

5. Bronco Tacos

This place just cropped up in west Raleigh. We went for lunch and got a mix of tacos, nachos, and tortas. The results were a little mixed.

First, the torta. I got a chorizo torta. It was the best torta I have had in years. The beans, chorizo, lettuce, and jalapeños were fantastic.

The tacos were made with supermarket-grade tortillas, which is not great for $4 tacos. The meat was hit and miss - carne asada was good quality and topped appropriately with onion and cilantro. We got an al pastor taco and the meat was not well marinated. (It also did not come from a spinning tower of meat.)

The nachos were interesting. My niece enjoyed them, but putting shrimp in nachos is not my jam.

Honorable mentions

Los Cuates

This place is on the far side of town from us, and we've been to it a few times when we were at a nearby Walgreens getting our COVID shots! Their burritos are good, but they're a little flat. If you're up for burritos alone, this is a great place to eat.

Chuys

We like Chuys, but this is definitely TexMex to us, and therefore not super Mexican. The enchiladas are good - but they get spicy. Their salsa is really great.

The location overlooks a great open area, which is nice. The outdoor seating is great. The service is really good - our servers have been some of the best. However, this assumes that you can even get parking. The North Hills area where it is is nice and walkable, but the parking can be really frustrating. So while the restaurant is nice, I may not go there more because of the parking.