Best Mexican Restaurants In Every State

Above, a plate of enchiladas at Genaro's, my favorite restaurant in Gallup, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here's one for you foodies!

Just before the most recent lockdown was ordered by New Mexico's governor, Russell Azbill (one of the Jamestown, New Mexico gang) and I headed over to the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup to get some Mexican food.

Going out to eat is something everyone enjoys doing and it is a crime for politicians to single out restaurants of any cuisine for some of the most stringent lockdowns. Many have gone out of business as a result.

New Mexico is the "Chile Capital of the World" and there's plenty of Mexican restaurants in the state. The chile rellenos are fabulous here, as are the enchiladas. So far, my favorite Mexican eateries in Gallup, New Mexico are Genaro's, Don Diego's Restaurant & Lounge, Virgie's, The Restaurant at the El Rancho Hotel, Earl's Family Restaurant and Cocina De Dominguez. 

So, while we're waiting to be able to go out and dine again, I thought I would provide some information on the best Mexican restaurants in every state. These are based on Yelp scores.  

These are provided by the fine folks at 24/7 Wall St.

Some pertinent snippets:

The food Americans have missed the most during long months of not dining out — and most look forward to eating again when restaurant-going gets back to normal — is Mexican, according to figures compiled by DoorDash, the nation’s largest food delivery service.

In addition, says the company, three Mexican-style dishes were among the 10 most often ordered items for home delivery in the first six months of this year — breakfast burritos, spicy shrimp tacos, and chicken fajitas.

If any further proof is needed that we love Mexican food in this country, Mexico came in second only to Italy as the country with the best food overall, according to Ranker readers responding to a survey the site conducted last year. And Mexican is the second most popular “ethnic” cuisine in the United States after Chinese — and the number-one favorite in some 27 states — according to an analysis of Google searches for various cuisines conducted by the website Chef’s Pencil.

Of course “Mexican” can mean different things to different people: sea urchin tostadas with bone marrow salsa at Cosme in Manhattan; black mole enchiladas with chorizo at Guelaguetza in Los Angeles; a five-item combination plate at the nationwide Chevy’s Fresh Mex chain; even a keto salad bowl with adobo chicken at the ubiquitous Chipotle or a never-in-Mexico creation like a Quesarito or a Crunchwrap Supreme at the local Taco Bell. (These are the top 15 Mexican chains in America.)

In this listing of the best Mexican restaurant in every state based on Yelp scores, 24/7 Tempo has included establishments of every type — elegant contemporary restaurants, family-style neighborhood places, bare-bones counter-service establishments. Some specialize in the cuisines of specific regions of Mexico. Some offer the standard fare we’ve come to expect, but done particularly well. Some take the Mexican flavor palate as an inspiration and invent dishes of their own. 

These restaurants range from the casual to the sophisticated, the Americanized to the authentic, but every one is a place you’ll want to try.

To see what are the best Mexican restaurants in every state, go here.