Top 10 Best Mexican Restaurants in Las Vegas: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
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| Top 10 Best Mexican Restaurants in Las Vegas: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner |
It is hard for the common folk to tell the difference between good Mexican restaurants and bad ones. The menus are usually filled with items that are made to look like authentic Mexican cuisines when in reality they are Americanized Mexican foods. Needless to say, you will need our expert-level knowledge to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Mexican cuisine is one of those types of food everyone seems to have an opinion on. People tend to argue over which place has the best street tacos or enchiladas, which place makes the homemade tortillas, or even which place tastes the best. Fortunately, Las Vegas has a range of good burritos and tacos, as well as mulas, tlacoyos, and pelonas. These 11 spots feature a variety of Mexican restaurants, and while yes, some are more traditional than others, all satisfy that need for South of the Border fare.
What Makes For A Great Mexican Restaurant?
Fake Mexican restaurants are in plenty. There is literally no region with multiple Mexican restaurants that will miss a fake. So, what do we mean by a fake Mexican Restaurant? A fake Mexican restaurant is one that serves Americanized versions of the same Mexican food. They are a knock-off of the real thing, made to resemble and give you the same experience without the correct taste or ingredients.
The sad part about the knock-off menus is that it can be quite hard to identify them since fake restaurants may sometimes call themselves authentic. Here are the few signs you want to keep an eye on for you to identify an Americanized Mexican restaurant:
- The menu includes fajitas – Contrary to popular belief, fajitas aren’t authentic Mexican foods. Fajitas are believed to have come from Texas in the 1930s. The meal began as a payment method to Mexican cowboys from Americans who butchered cattle to make the dish. Fajitas can therefore be referred to as a Tex-Mex dish at best.
- The menu doesn’t have any corn tortillas – Corn tortillas are stapled Mexican dishes that will most likely not be present on an Americanized Mexican restaurant. The fake ones will usually have flour tortillas instead to provide a similar experience without the authenticity.
Moreover, if the tortillas do not taste fresh then beware. Fresh corn tortillas should not feel rubbery or store-bought. The corn tortillas are usually made fresh by hand or bought from an authentic tortilleria.
- The menu only has one salsa – The bare minimum in a real Mexican restaurant when it comes to salsa is the option of red and green salsa. Most authentic places will have more than the two but watch out for those with just one.
- A lot of random Spanish dishes – Menus with items like Mucho Taco Grande and Ole Burrito are not to be easily trusted. These restaurants are aiming to use words that will make every dish sound Mexican and that is a red flag. Real Mexican joints will have real Mexican food names that won’t be confusing or feel exaggerated.
- Tacos look like salad and have a lot of cheese – A lot of cheese is a sign of an Americanized Mexican restaurant. Real Mexican places will use small portions of cheese just to add flavor. Moreover, if the taco looks like a salad with lettuce and tomato then it is not a real taco.
- Lack of cilantro on the menu – There is no Mexican menus without cilantro. It is the most staple item in the Mexican food list which originated from Spain to Mexico a long time ago. It is present in many meals including tacos and enchiladas.
- Tacos can be bought in hard shells or other non–taco forms – Real Mexican tacos are made of corn tortillas, have softshells, and are filled with onions and cilantro. Yes, there are variations but anything that does not include the above items does not count as an authentic Mexican taco.
These are just a few things to look out for. Other considerations may include too many decorations that try to portray the Mexican culture, American items such as chips on the menu, and American drinks such as American Coke or Pepsi.
List of the best Mexican restaurants in Las Vegas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
1. Border Grill Mandalay Bay
2. Javier’s
3. El Dorado Cantina
4. Juan’s Flaming Fajitas & Cantina
5. Chica
6. La Comida
7. Bajamar Seafood & Tacos
8. Casa Calavera
9. Lindo Michoacan
10. Tacos El Gordo
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What are best Mexican restaurants in Las Vegas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
1. Border Grill Mandalay Bay
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| Photo: spectrumnews1 |
Address – 3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119 at the Strip
Business hours – 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Saturday to Sunday
Border Grill at Mandalay Bay is one of the most popular places to dine at the Strip. The restaurant includes catering for celebrations, party on wheels trucks for private events like weddings and birthdays, and dine-in. It serves modern Mexican foods that are made by Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger.
Border Grill was started as one of the first regional Mexican cooking restaurants back in 1985. The dishes in the hotel are inspired by cooks from Oaxaca to Mexico City, Yucatan coast, Tijuana, and Baja coasts. The Chefs, Mary, and Susan, are award-winning curators who have played a huge role in popularizing Mexican cuisines.
Their menu includes tacos made of hand-pressed corn tortillas with organic rice and black beans. The lunch shared starts include border guacamole, queso fundido, green corn tamales, plantain empanadas, and tortilla soup. The tortas include chicken poblano torta, Mexico City Torta, and Chile Relleno burger.
Another plus at the Border Grill is the Vegan Dining month menu. The menu includes plant-based and meat-free options that are served during the first month of each year. A part of the proceeds from the month is happily donated to the Churchill Foundation which helps in supporting all breeds. The dessert option for the vegan month is apple pie and the entrees include meat nachos, wild mushroom tacos, and smoked tofu enchiladas.
2. Javier’s
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| Photo: javiers-cantina |
Address – 3730 Las Vegas Blvd S at the Strip in ARIA resort and casino
Business hours – Monday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Javier’s Mexican restaurant is located at the ARIA resort and casino in City Center. The authentic Mexican restaurant is self-proclaimed to provide you with the finest foods of Mexico. Javier’s is popular throughout the US with its Southern California locations being the most visited and praised.
The Las Vegas location has one of the largest selections of fine tequilas and consists of the main dining room, al fresco patios, a bar, and a few intimate and private dining rooms. Enter the premises to have fun with hand-shaken margaritas, craft cocktails, and several selections of fine wine.
Javier’s only uses sustainable seafood to make dishes like the Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo, Callitos Mazatlan (fresh wild scallops), enchiladas pueblo, Camarones con rajas, and Salmon Al Sarten.
The salads on the menu include the house salad that has house ranch dressing, Javier’s Special house salad with shaved parmesan, enslada de asada, and Javier’s Chopped salad that has fresh greens, cucumbers, avocado, roasted corn, tomatoes, and champagne vinaigrette.
3. El Dorado Cantina
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| Photo: lasvegassun |
Address – 3025 Sammy Davis Jr Dr Las Vegas, NV 89109
Business hours – Open every day for 24 hours
El Dorado Cantina is a restaurant and lounge serving authentic Mexican cuisine. All their foods ranging from beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, and fish originate from selected farms in the US and are free from pesticides.
As one of the top Mexican restaurants in the United States, El Dorado Cantina is guaranteed to satisfy. This high-quality spot is located down the strip near Resorts World and uses only the best organic, non-GMO ingredients to make their dishes as nutrient-rich as possible. El Dorado Cantina is open 24 hours, which means you can indulge your Mexican food craving at any hour of the day. They also have great happy hour specials and multiple weekly drink discounts like Margarita Mondays and Tequila Tuesdays, where you can try high-end tequila shots for affordable prices.
4. Juan’s Flaming Fajitas & Cantina
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| Photo: waterstreetdistrict |
Address – 9640 W Tropicana Ste 101, Las Vegas
Business hours – Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Wednesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The name says a lot at Juan's Flaming Fajitas, where heaping plates of fajitas are delivered in little cast-iron containers that get set on fire with a flourish right before delivery to your table. This family-friendly restaurant in southwest Las Vegas serves up a menu full of Mexican favorites with all of the accompanying sides. The two-person fajitas come in such a generous serving size that you'll almost certainly need a take-home box. Other menu selections include traditional combination plates, house favorites like steak picado and carne asada, Jalisco style plates and vegetarian specialties. Enchiladas, burritos, tacos and chimichangas each come in several styles. Juan's also has a full bar, including a tasty house Margarita.
Juan's Flaming Fajitas delivers flavorful dishes, from the literally flaming fajitas to a large selection of traditional Mexican plates.
5. Chica
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| Photo: timeout |
Address – 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Las Vegas, NV 89109
Business hours – Sunday - Thursday: 11:00 AM - 10:30 PM , Friday - Saturday: 8:30 AM - 2:00 AM
If you watched the TV show "Top Chef Masters," surely you'll remember the beautiful and energetic chef Lorena Garcia from the fourth season. (It's just one of many appearances she's made on cooking shows and television over the years --- it made her entrepreneur and television personality Randy Jackson's protégée.) Travelers have been able to sample her food in the international airports serving Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Atlanta, but now she's joined the ranks of celebrity chefs with restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip.
Located on Restaurant Row in between The Venetian and The Palazzo, Chica encompasses a large space divided into various sections, including the cocktail bar, lounge, and ceviche bar, with tables all around. The vibrant décor has a feminine touch. Garcia was born and raised in Venezuela but has lived in Miami for years and embedded herself in the Latin American culinary sphere in the U.S. She is proud to say that everything here is made from scratch, including the sausages. Her menu is composed of dishes inspired by her native country, as well as Peru (ceviche --- grab a seat at the ceviche bar), Brazil (beef tenderloin roasted on Brazilian rodizio) and Argentina (marinated churrasco steak). Standouts include the grilled corn lollipops from the small plates section, and the lentil and quinoa bowl with Argentinean shrimp, marinated corn poblano pico, and Guayanés cheese from the mains. Garcia considers the Cubano sandwich to be a highlight from the lunch menu (served on weekdays, with brunch taking over on weekends). Lemon buñuelos (Venezuelan donuts) and churro fried ice cream pops are just a few of the temptations from the desserts. Cocktails step out of the box with options like a sweet and spicy margarita with watermelon juice, chili and cilantro.
6. La Comida
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| Photo: cntraveler |
Address – 1615 Las Vegas Blvd
Business hours – Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 am to 9 pm
This creation of Michael Morton and the Morton Group dishes up authentic Mexican cuisine just steps from the Fremont Street Experience and the burgeoning Fremont East Entertainment District. The restaurant's focal point is a bar showcasing 100-plus tequilas, and eclectic décor is comprised of stained glass and pews salvaged from a church, with additional touches of rosaries, statues, rustic wood flooring and tables, colored light bulbs, and natural lighting.
La Comida is recognizable by the giant grasshopper statue out front. There is also a seven-foot-tall pink neon monkey clasping to the rooftop to mark the restaurant’s entrance. The restaurant is open between Tuesday and Sunday from 11:30 am to 9:30 am.
I ordered the pozole, elotes asados, and a michelada for lunch, and it was great! Try the al pastor Taco with pineapple topping or the carne asada taco with guacamole. The chicken tamales with sour cream are a great addition to any meal. Try the Guava Margarita for a refreshing beverage.
7. Bajamar Seafood & Tacos
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| Photo: postmates |
Address – Monday - Saturday: 12pm to 8pm
Business hours – Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 am to 9 pm
Borrowing inspiration from the coastal regions of Mexico (and a hint of style from San Diego), Bajamar takes pride in having exceptional seafood, which arrives fresh every two days. Tacos, tostadas, and ceviche are the main vehicles for delivering shrimp, octopus, tilapia, and other bites. Everything is made to order—even individual servings of soup—and the restaurant is eager to accommodate any dietary or allergy restrictions. Tortillas are cooked with just a hint of crunchiness and mozzarella is the only cheese used (which sounds a bit odd at first, but allows the natural flavors of the seafood to emerge uninterrupted). La Paz is a taco made with smoked tuna in the style of carnitas. Wash it all down with a Michelada, prepared with a house mix and your choice of Mexican beer.
8. Casa Calavera
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| Photo: pinterest |
Address – 4455 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas at the Virgin Hotels
Business hours – Sunday to Thursday 11:30 am to 10 pm, Friday to Saturday from 11:30 am to 11pm
The most praised items on the Casa Calavera menu include the carne asada, shredded beef, coconut tres leches cake, chicken tacos, huevos rancheros, grilled shrimp and baja fish. The happy hours at Casa Calavera starts from 3 pm and ends at 6 pm from Wednesday to Monday while the live music performances are only on Sunday at 12:30 pm and Friday from 8 pm.
Casa Calavera has a taco Tuesday that run from 3 pm to 6 pm and brunch every Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. You can opt to order your food to be undercooked or have raw/undercooked ingredients at the restaurant which makes it more convenient.
The tacos include roasted chicken tacos, shredded beef, pork carnitas, portobello and rajas, carne asada, grilled shrimp, baja fish, guacs, classic-V (tomatillo, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime), pomegranate-jicama, and chipotle bacon.
9. Lindo Michoacan
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| Photo: lasvegasweekly |
Address – 3715 S Decatur Blvd
Business hours – Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lindo Michoacan's food comes in generous portions and is served in an adorably designed area full of authentic décor. The original location on East Desert Inn is known as a favorite stop for locals and tourists. The original owner learned to cook while studying at a seminary in Michoacan, Mexico, and brought those dishes to the restaurant. The menu is broken out by seafood, pork, beef, and chicken dishes. Within each of those categories, you'll find several Lindo-only specialties, like the Toro a la Coca-Cola, a dish made with a family recipe and the popular soda pop. In addition to the large selections of unique recipes, there's also great selection of combination plates and lunch specials. It's a fun, casual atmosphere that's suitable for families.
Lindo Michoacan's extensive menu of home-style Mexican food includes family recipes and dishes found nowhere else.
10. Tacos El Gordo
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| Photo: cntraveler |
Address – 3260 Losee Road North, Las Vegas
Business hours – Monday-Sunday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Tacos El Gordo is a family-owned company serving the community for more than forty years, with the Las Vegas location operating since 2010. The restaurant opens at 10:00 am daily and offers extended late-night hours on the weekends. The eatery takes pride in serving authentic Tijuana tacos using corn tortillas and fresh ingredients.
Want a taco made with meat from a cow's head—and want it to go? Well, Tacos El Gordo is your kind of place. In addition to the cabeza option, you've got nine choices of meat for your taco, from sesos (cow brains) to more familiar fillings like carne asada. It's just one of the many ways this family-owned business combines authenticity with convenience—although navigating through multiple lines before paying can be a bit tricky. Tacos El Gordo was one of the few signs of activity on the Las Vegas Strip when the surrounding casinos and hotels temporarily shut down last year—and the crowds continue to line up outside. The locations in North Las Vegas and Downtown have noticeably shorter wait times.
Las Vegas IntroductionLas Vegas, located in southern Nevada near the Colorado River, is the largest city in the state. Discovered by Spanish explorers in 1829 and settled by Mormons in the 1850s, the area that would become Las Vegas developed as a stopping point for settlers on their way to California. At the turn of the century, railroads helped grow the city, but the most significant development came in 1931, when gambling became legal in Nevada. Casinos and hotels sprung up in the downtown area; after World War II, "the strip" was created, with huge hotels, restaurants and entertainment and gambling complexes that lure vacationers and fortune seekers from both coasts. Las Vegas now has more hotel rooms than any city in the world, and 19 of the world's 20 largest hotels. Those looking to visit should have no problems finding a travel agent that is well equipped to highlight all that Las Vegas has to offer. With no city or state taxes and new hotels constantly creating jobs, Las Vegas attracts young transplants seeking fortunes from its bustling economy. |
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