Six of the greatest Mexican restaurants in the United States can be found in California, The New York Times says.
PAUL KITAGAKI JR.
pkitagaki@sacbee.com
Craving Mexican food? California has some of the best spots for tacos, burritos and more in the United States, according to a new ranking.
The New York Times recently showcased 41 of the greatest Mexican restaurants across the country, from taco trucks to elegant eateries with tasting menus.
“There has never been a better time for Mexican food in the United States,” Times staffers wrote in an Aug. 13 article. “A culinary renaissance over the last 15 years has expanded the American palate well beyond Tex-Mex, tacos and game-night nachos.”
See which Mexican restaurants in California landed on the New York Times list:
What are greatest Mexican restaurants in Bay Area?
Baracoa Mejía in Richmond was among six California restaurants highlighted by The New York Times.
Restaurant owner Omar Mejía, who hails from the Mexican state of Hidalgo, serves up family recipes including “tender pit-roasted lamb, delicious consomé and regional salsas such as a salsa verde that includes … prickly pear,” The New York Times said.
The best time to go to the food stand at a Richmond flea market is on Sundays, when Omar Mejía serves pancita blanca, a beef tripe soup, and ximbo, featuring whole spatchcocked chicken wrapped in maguey leaves, slathered in adobo and covered with pork rinds.
Baracoa Mejía is open at 716 West Gertrude Ave. in Richmond on Saturday and Sunday.
Also in the Bay Area, Californios conjures up “mesmerizing ‘aha’ moments with each plate on the tasting menu,” The Times said.
The restaurant at 355 11th St. in San Francisco has three Michelin stars.
“Combining a passion for Mexico’s rich heritage, an electric jolt of imagination and masterful technique, Chef Val M. Cantú has created a truly singular gastronomic destination,” the Michelin Guide said, offering a “dizzying variety of Mexican flavors” in a “festive” space.
Menu highlights at Californios include a mezcal-battered black cod with a “pillowy” sourdough tortilla, smoked quail in mole and a cocktail that uses California strawberries, a tajin rim and cactus foam to mimic the color and look of a strawberry, according to its Instagram.
Where are best Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles?
Three Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles were highlighted by The New York Times.
Tucked inside the Maydan Market at 4301 West Jefferson Blvd., Lugya’h is inspired by the Oaxacan community in southern Mexico.
“The term ‘lugya’h’ translates to “the face and heart of the plaza” in Zapotec, capturing the essence of the bustling street markets throughout the Oaxaca highlands,” the restaurant says on its website.
Lugya’h earned the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand Award in 2026, awarded to restaurants that serve high-quality food for affordable prices.
The menu includes moronga blood sausage, memela masa cakes and traditional Oaxaca chips.
Another Los Angeles restaurant featured on the Times list was Holbox, serving specialities from coastal regions of Mexico.
The restaurant inside Mercado la Paloma at 3655 South Grand Ave. has a service counter and offers an eight-course tasting menu on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The restaurant’s menu has six different ceviche options, including bluefin tuna, wild Mexican shrimp and halibut.
In 2025, Holbox was named one of Yelp’s top 100 places to eat in the United States, the Sacramento Bee previously reported.
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Holbox is among the greatest Mexican restaurants in California, according to The New York Times. Screengrab from Holbox’s Facebook
Another Michelin-recognized restaurant in Los Angeles was featured on The New York Times list.
With multiple locations, Mariscos Jalisco is known as being a “rite of passage,” according to Michelin.
“The menu is the same everywhere, limited to tostadas piled with various lime-kissed ceviche and the signature fried shrimp taco tinged with spicy salsa and avocado,” the Michelin Guide said.
Mariscos Jalisco has a restaurant and food trucks around the Los Angeles area:
Restaurant: 753 East Holt Ave., PomonaFood truck: 1830 South La Cienega Blvd., Mid-CityFood truck: 3040 East Olympic Blvd., Boyle HeightsWhat makes Southern California Mexican restaurant a favorite?
In Southern California, Valle serves up “award-winning contemporary Mexican cuisine,” according to its website.
The restaurant at 222 North Pacific St. in Oceanside has three Michelin Stars.
Valle draws on traditions from Mexico’s Baja California region to create a tasting menu that includes dishes with Imperia Royal Ossetra caviar, San Diego bluefin tuna and Santa Barbara rock crab minilla.
Signature dishes include “locally caught fish in mole chichilo, a rolled etixtamal set over a red pipián (and) a Pueblan Wagyu chancla,” according to The New York Times.
What are New York Times’ favorite Mexican restaurants?
The New York Times featured Mexican restaurants across the nation.
The list included these Mexican restaurants in the western United States:
How did The New York Times rank top spots for Mexican food?
A team of New York Times reporters, editors and photographers traveled the United States for more than a year to identify their favorite places to eat.
The resulting list is not a ranking but “a mosaic of great places to eat, from food trucks to corner restaurants to tasting-menu counters,” The Times said.
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Alexiah Syrai Olsen
The Tribune
Alexiah Syrai Olsen is a service journalism reporter for The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and design from The New School in New York City.
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