22 Essential Mexican Restaurants in Cleveland You Should Have Tried By Now

Chili Peppers

869 East 185th St., Cleveland

There’s really no place in town like this build-your-own burrito joint in North Colinwood. With more than 30 items, you can customize your burrito exactly the way you want. So if you don’t like it? You’re probably to blame because all the ingredients are fresh and delicious.

Photo via Chili Peppers Mexican Grill/Facebook

Camino Taco and Tequila Bar

1300 West Ninth St., Cleveland

This contemporary taco and tequila bar, that opened in 2014, fits right into the Warehouse District neighborhood it calls home. This locally owned spot keeps things simple with a streamlined menu that focuses on snacks, small plates and tacos. A great meal can be made just from the starters, paired with a cold Mexican beer or Margarita.

Photo via @CaminoCleveland/Instagram

Villa Y Zapata

8505 Madison Ave., Cleveland

Don't let the plain decor fool you: All the excitement you need waits on your plate at this no-nonsense Mexican restaurant, starting with the first tongue-tingling taste of the table salsa and ending with the last bite of the soft, caramely cajeta for dessert. Other faves include homemade guacamole and some of the best chiles rellenos north of the Rio Grande.

Photo via Scene Archives

Blue Habanero Mexican Street Tacos and Tequila

6416 Detroit Ave., Cleveland

For 15 years, Rafael Ayala has operated Tres Potrillos in the Akron area. He later added locations in Medina and Beachwood, which opened a few years back in the former Charley's Crab space on Chagrin. Ayala recently opened Blue Habanero Street Tacos and Tequila, which took the space of the vacated Arcadian in Gordon Square, and is not a simple reproduction of those popular Mexican eateries. The food is tasty, modern and adds a flare to your typical Mexican-American restaurant.

Photo via @BlueHabaneroCleveland/Instagram

Barrio

Multiple Locations

Yeah, Barrio has blown up in recent years with locations all over town. But their expansion has just made them more beloved in the eyes of Clevelanders. And for under 20 bucks you can probably swing 3 tacos and nachos and a margarita. Well worth it.

Photo via Scene Archives

El Carnicero

16918 Detroit Rd., Lakewood

Chef Eric Williams, of Momocho, opened this Mexican joint back in 2013 to expand on the Mexican taste that he mastered at Momocho. El Carnicero is a step-down in price from Momocho, but not in quality. Tamales and taquitos are the staples of the menu here.

Photo via Scene Archives

Si Señor

Multiple Locations

With three locations around town, including Kamm’s Corner, Seven Hills and Westlake, Si Señor serves up delicious burros to many around Cleveland. And the vegetarian, filled with zucchini and other veggies, is one of the better vegetable burritos in town.

Photo via Si Señor Kamm’s Corner/Facebook

La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant

783A Alpha Dr., Highland Heights

The year was 1952 when Antonia Valle finally realized her dream of opening a restaurant specializing in the foods from her home state of Michoacán in Mexico. When La Fiesta began serving enchiladas, tostadas, tamales and moles at its modest Ohio City restaurant, located at the corner of West 25th Street and Walton Avenue, it offered many Clevelanders their very first taste of Mexican food. In the mid-1970s, that pioneering operation, which many agree was the region’s first Mexican restaurant, relocated to Richmond Heights, where it had been for decades until a recent move

Photo via ram_arkae/Instagram

Avo Modern Mexican

2058 West 25th St., Cleveland

In four short years, Gabriel Zeller and Julie Mesenburg have gone from operating a single taco bar in Sandusky to overseeing a multi-concept portfolio of popular eateries that spans counties. The husband-and-wife team’s hands-on approach has propelled a rapid expansion eastward with stops in Amherst, Rocky River and now Ohio City with Avo. Whereas Barra is a casual taco- and tequila-fueled restaurant, Avo is more of a finer-dining style modern Mexican bistro. There are tacos, sure, but they’re just one item tucked into a broad, diverse and appealing menu.

Photo via Scene Archives

Las Americas

25626 Aurora Rd., Bedford

Las Americas moved locations to their new Bedford location a couple of years back, but kept the same devoted Mexican food lovers. Fans will recognize the same menu and pricing as before, but with options for take-out or full-service dining. Burritos are stuffed to the breaking point, quesadillas are cooked on a flattop until hot and melted, and those authentic street tacos are as good as they get.

Photo via Scene Archives