El Burrito Mercado sits in a sun-drenched spot on Cesar Chavez Street in St. Paul. Since owners Tomas and Maria Silva opened in 1979, the restaurant and market, now run by daughters Milissa Silva-Diaz and Suzanne Silva, and granddaughter Analita, has become a pillar of Mexican cuisine in the Cities. There are a few ways to eat here: Hop in line at the cafeteria-style El Cafe Express, have a seat in the El Cafe Y Bar dining area, or choose from an array of hot and cold items in the deli. For dining in, try the fluffy tamales or the molcajete Mexicano, which combines ribeye steak, chicken, chorizo, shrimp and vegetables in a hot stone mortar.

Restaurateurs Armando Ocampo and Lilia Zagal first opened Los Ocampo in 2003 — today, the couple operates seven restaurant sites around the metro, from casual sit-down options like this University Avenue location to express cafes at Midtown Global Market and City Center. Try the pozole, the tripa tacos, or the huarache, made with a handmade masa cake and refried beans plus meat (Mexican sausage, lengua, chipotle beef, and more). Pair lunch with horchata or agua de jamaica.

Owners Hortencia Reyes and Miguel Lopez opened Homi (a combination of their names) in 2010. More than a decade later, their son chef Miguel Lopez leads the kitchen, serving family recipes in a sunny, recently updated space on University Avenue. The whole menu — from the chille relleno to the empanadas to the fried beans — is made from scratch. On the weekends, stop by with Hidalgo-style barbacoa de Borrego served with consomé; menudo and pozole are available every day of the week.

Follow Nicollet Avenue all the way south to Richfield for a stop at Andale Taqueria & Mercado, one of the Cities’ most-loved taquerias. From the specialty menu, try the sopa de mariscos, made with crab legs, squid, and other seafood in a tomato-based broth, or crispy, golden chimichangas. Andale made an appearance on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2020: Guy Fieri heartily endorses chefs and owners Fernando Mellado-Barboza and Jorge Rangel Castro’s al pastor tacos, made with dense blocks of achiote paste, guajillo peppers, cumin, and orange juice.

Colita, an upscale spot in Linden Hills by chef Danny del Prado, focuses on Oaxacan flavors and smoked meats, weaving subtle Tex-Mex influences into the mix. The tamarind Kansas City Ribs are topped with a tortilla crumble; the lamb barbacoa tacos prepared with anchovies. Marco Zappia’s cocktail list is citrus-forward and bright.

Tacos El Kevin, owned by Saturnina Valdez and Estevan Olivares, serves some of the Cities’ best Mexican cuisine out of a small, brightly painted storefront in Minneapolis’s Powderhorn neighborhood. The taco menu here, led by chef Armando Dominguez, is immensely popular: Try the crispy tacos dorados, or the al pastor or carne, served with whole grilled green onions, and grab a cup of sliced mangos or a passionfruit shaved ice.

Valerie’s Taqueria, a cozy spot just south of Eat Street, is a neighborhood favorite for fresh sopes, tamales, and, of course, tacos. The Aguirre family serves their tacos — from lengua to carnitas to milanesa — street-style or norteno. Try the cecina: thin-sliced, salt-cured skirt steak that’s lightly grilled. Save room for churros and ice cream.

Manny’s Tortas was one of the first tenants at Midtown Global Market — years later, chefs and owners Manny and Victoria Gonzalez, a brother-sister duo, are still serving juicy tortas on Lake Street. Try the Manny’s Special, a hefty torta filled with grilled steak, onion, mushroom, tomato, and jalapeño all grilled together, then topped off with ham and cheese. Save room for sweet arroz con leche and flan.

La Loma serves some of the best tamales in the Twin Cities. Chefs and owners Noelia and Enrique Garcia came to Minneapolis from Quebrantadero, a town in south central Mexico — today, they run several La Loma retail locations around the Cities. Their stand at Midtown Global Market on Lake Street also serves tacos and chilaquiles, but don’t walk away without one each of the chicken, pork and sweet corn tamales. For something sweet, grab a pineapple or sweet raisin tamale to go.

Reputed to be the first restaurant to bring birria tacos to Minneapolis and St. Paul, Las Cuatro Milpas is a mainstay of East Lake Street’s food corridor. Chef and owner Hector Hernandez, originally of Mexico’s Zacatecas state, serves cups of hot lamb, beef, and goat birria stew — the birria and quesabirra tacos are a must, and the pizzabirria, loaded with generous amounts of cheese, is worth sampling.

Chef Gustavo Romero preserves and celebrates heirloom corn varieties at this tortilleria and takeout operation in Northeast Minneapolis. Romero’s tortillas are stunning shades of slate blue, pale yellow, and rosy brown — hand-shaped and fried, they make an excellent base for dishes like adobo pork belly tacos, tostadas with head cheese and black bean puree, and camote frito (fried sweet potatoes with piloncillo glaze and escabeche relish). Check Nixta’s Instagram page for the latest updates on takeout offerings.

Owner Isela Perez Pacheco first opened Maya Cuisine on Central Avenue in 2012: Stop by for elotes, pozole, and tacos. The restaurant has both cafeteria-style and sit-down dining options in a colorful, courtyard-like space — don’t miss out on the extensive salsa bar, or the popular Sunday brunch, which offers everything from tamales, buttered codfish, and sopa de mariscos to pancakes, French toast, and desserts.

El Taco Riendo is a mainstay of Northeast Minneapolis’s Central Avenue. During the pandemic, the restaurant was burned down in a fire — it’s since been resurrected in full form. Owner Miguel Gomez’s menu features standouts like massive chimichangas, crispy flautas, chile relleno, tacos dorados, and caldo de res, a red Mexican beef soup. Catch the lime green food truck out and about in the warmer months.