The 18 best Mexican restaurants in NYC

Michilin-starred Claro shines on Third Avenue, where it makes cheese, chorizo, masa, mole and tortillas on-site for its Oaxacan seasonal tasting menus. A $72 four-course dinner might include tostada de remolacha (beets), uni empanadas, mole almendrado with soft shell crab or mole rojo with pork cheek, and churros or chocolate mole cake for dessert. We highly recommend the accompanying mezcal flight ($54); slightly cheaper prix-fixe options ($45 for food; $38 for booze) are served at brunch. In addition to its bar and dining room, Claro has a peaceful patio in the back.

Enrique Olvera’s elegant high-gear plates—pristine, pricey and market-fresh—are among the most coveted in New York dining. Tacos make a solitary appearance on the menu, in an atypically generous portion of duck carnitas. But Olvera’s single-corn tortillas pop up frequently, beginning with a complimentary starter and accompanying entrées elsewhere.

Another Michelin sparkler, Oxomoco’s wood-fired oven turns out terrific fish, barbacoa and “chorizo” tacos made of beets—not to mention one of the best steaks we’ve had in or out of dedicated steakhouses. We’ve always been partial to its frozen drinks (despite the chill of the season, the apple cider and apricot- and cranberry-based options are seasonally pitch perfect) and plenty of other cocktails, wine and beer options are available as well.

The owners of Bar Henry branched out to Queens with this 40-seat Mexican eatery, specializing in the regional cuisine of Cintalapa, Chiapas. Brothers Cosme and Luis Aguilar pay homage to their late mother with traditional plates, including chicken mole and cochinito chiapaneco (guajillo-marinated baby pork ribs), which are based on her recipes. The white-painted spot leads a garden out back. 

This family-run, neighborhood favorite bodega also makes some of the area’s most excellent tacos. They come two to an order for $6.50-$8.50. Choose from fillings like beef, chorizo, lenuga and fish, or egg ‘em in the a.m. Burritos, quesadillas and nachos are also all on the menu, and, although there are a few seats available in the back, plan to take it all to go, just in case. 

This Park Slope shop named after Frida Kahlo’s famed homebase is run by a tight knit family with origins in Oaxaca. While the menu isn’t extensive, that’s by design – there is an obvious focus on doing things well and with love here. The homemade daily tamales are always a good idea, as are the tequila flights—of which there are several carefully curated options to choose from.

Chef Ivan Garcia (Mercadito) explores his Mexico City roots at this eatery, named for the neighborhood where he grew up. The food echoes the multiregional snacks you might find on the capital city’s streets: A trio of tamales presents versions from Oaxaqueño (chicken and mole), Chiapaneco (pork, fruit and nuts) and Veracruzano (fish of the day with guajillo salsa). Other preparations come straight from the chef’s family, including a secret-recipe ceviche.

Chavela’s is a longtime Crown Heights favorite for fresh and familiar Mexican flavors. It’s as great a spot for just drinks and apps as it is for a multicourse meal. Whatever you do, do not miss the trout guacamole, which is simultaneously creamy and umami-laden.

The East Harlem outpost of this four-location mini chain makes a strong showing for the title of NYC’s best al pastor tacos. They’re sliced to order from a rotating spit crowned with a hunk of grilled pineapple, and the tortilla-to-meat ratio is perfectly balanced. Several other options are also on the menu, along with burritos, quesadillas and nachos. 

Inside the boisterous graffiti-tagged room—clinging to the grit of its ’80s incarnation, punk haunt Alcatraz—servers move tacos from the ordering counter with a speed that would impress a track-and-field coach. Alex Stupak's tacos are unfussy, served on paper plates with sides that come in takeout containers. The tortillas—made from Indiana corn that’s nixtamalized (the grains are cooked in limewater and hulled) and pressed in-house daily—are thin and springy, with a delicate maize sweetness.

Birria has existed for centuries in Mexico, but the beloved red taco dipped in consome (a thick broth) has only recently had its moment stateside. Birria-Landia’s interpretation is by far the city’s best, offering another limited yet outstanding menu of just four items. Turn the experience into a neighborhood food tour with stops at the nearby elotes (corn) and churros carts before and after birria.

The old Tolache space may look familiar, but Kuxé, from that same restaurant team, has a new menu that’s the product of collaboration from its staffers, including tostada de ceviche, chile relleno and several taco varieties. Beer, wine, micheladas and cocktails like the cucumber-infused Kuxé margarita and the mezcal Oaxacan Sunsetsare also available. 

This Cosme spinoff is more casual than the Flatiron megahit, with a smaller but delicious menu. Start with the guacamole and chilaquiles, add a couple shrimp, eggplant or suadero tacos, dip into the selection of three salsas and you’ve fashioned a feast. Imbued with cues from Mexico City’s all-day restaurants, the 60-seat space features sleek black and oakwood furniture, a white terrazzo tiled bar and verdant vegetation lining the walls.

The team behind Colonie pivots from farm-to-table American to regional Mexican cuisine with this 60-seat canteen in Dumbo. The team turns out market-driven South of the Border fare, bolstered by from-scratch ingredients, like homemade chorizo and hand-pressed tortillas made with heirloom corn. 

Small, scratch made corn tortillas puff up on the grill like blowfish at this west coaster–approved Chelsea Market taco counter, deflating before they’re piled with superbly juicy adobada pork. The red-chili-marinated pig is trimmed shawarma-style from a glistening spit, its natural sweetness jacked up with shards of pineapple and a squirt of lime.

The namesake ant is queen at this low-lit East Village cantina from Ofrenda’s Jorge Guzman and Mario Hernandez. Hailing from the Dominican Republic and Cuernavaca, Mexico, respectively, the pair sources ingredients and the modern Mayan decor straight from their home states. Menu highlights include the black ant guacamole, grasshopper tlayudas, fish tacos and braised oxtail. 

With breakfast burritos, tortas and chilaquiles at brunch, nachos, quesadillas and tacos at lunch, enchiladas, fajitas and stuffed poblano peppers at dinner (plus some crossover), this is a terrific spot to snack and sip margaritas any time of day. 

Siblings Leo and Oliver Kremer left the Bay Area to teach New Yorkers a thing or two about Cal-Mex cuisine. Their tiny East Village storefront (Now with three NYC locations) specializes in San Francisco–style burritos—California’s plump, pico de gallo–drenched big bites. Try one stuffed with rice and beans, along with your choice of protein: carne asada, locally raised, brined and grilled chicken, or slow-cooked carnitas.