Andale is an must-visit Mexican restaurant that’s open until 3 a.m. Friday through Sunday (11 p.m. weekdays). There's a reason fans flock here at all hours of the day: it's the tamales, carnitas and the seriously spicy avocado salsa.

Lorenzo Azria first opened Salsa a La Salsa on the edge of downtown Minneapolis in 2003 serving Minneapolis cuisine from central Mexico. The made-from-scratch dishes are deeply satisfying. The incredibly rich and zesty sauces just make everything already good even better.

Serving up traditional Mexican sandwiches in two locations on Lake Street. Try the Manny’s Special, a torta filled with grilled steak, onion, mushroom, tomato, jalapeño, ham and cheese, avocado, refried beans, lettuce and chipotle pepper mayo.

Central Avenue is dotted with fabulously authentic, Mom and Pop Mexican spots. El Taco Riendo is one of the best, but also one possessing the a robust menu. Don’t fret, it’s hard to go wrong here. Catch their lime green food truck out in the warmer months.

On Washington Avenue at the U of M campus, Bar Luchador stands as an homage to owner Angelo Pennacchio's obsession with the art that is wrestling. The food here is not trying to be authentically Mexican. Angelo, along with co-owners Regan Haffele and Josh Zavadil are clearly having fun, experimenting with a long list of taco options like sliced steak with fried black beans or buffalo shrimp tacos with bleu cheese crumbles.

Owners Hortencia and Miguel opened Homi (a combination of their names) in 2010, serving family recipes in a sunny, recently updated space on University. Most items, including salsas and tortilla chips, are homemade with the same ingredients used in the beloved comida of their favorite childhood dishes.

The Los Ocampo family of restaurants includes counter service taquerias as well as sit down eateries. The menu is familiar and deep, with enough options to please everyone. There is a special for every need practically every day of the week as well, like dollar tacos on Mondays or $4.99 Palomas on Fridays.

Run by two experienced fine dining chefs, Pajarito on West 7th is perfect for special occasion and a quick lunch of fantastically fresh Mexican dishes. Don’t miss the savory torta, their twist on a Philly cheesesteak or the succulent carnitas. On the weekends, there’s a brunch menu worth lingering over.

Even after years in business, these are still the best tamales in theTwin Cities. Additionally, this stand inside Midtown Global Market serves tacos, and chilaquiles, but don’t leave without one each of the chicken, pork and Oaxacan tamales.