Birria is the newest arrival on St. Paul's Mexican corridor, and the city already has plenty of counters and cantinas ready to fold it into the tortilla. This list runs West Seventh to the East Side, from steam-table taquerias to sit-down rooms with a full bar, all in St. Paul proper, none of it borrowed from across the river.
№ 01
Homi Restaurant
St. Paul $
864 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · +16512220655
Photo via 
Homi sits on a busy stretch of Victoria Street near Como Zoo, and the chile relleno and carnitas carry the menu for anyone drawn in after a day at the park. It runs as a straightforward neighborhood room, parking along the side street, the kind of lunch stop locals rely on without needing a reason. The enchiladas round out a menu built for repeat visits, not novelty.
What to orderchile relleno, carnitas, enchiladas
№ 02
Taco'n Madre Taqueria Y Cevicheria
St. Paul
63 Winifred St W, Saint Paul, MN 55107 · +16513404614
Photo via
Flautas are the order to know at this counter-service room, though the tripe and menudo pull their own following. The menu runs long for a small space, and delivery orders hold up as well as anything eaten on site. It rewards regulars willing to work past the familiar tacos into the deeper end of the list, ceviche included.
What to orderflautas, menudo, ceviche
№ 03
La Costa Mexican Sports Bar & Grill
St. Paul $$
194 Cesar Chavez St, St Paul, MN 55107 · +16513308743
Photo via
The barbacoa tostadas arrive packed with meat and stay the reason to sit down here rather than grab tacos elsewhere. La Costa runs as a sports bar with patio seating, attentive service even close to closing, and a guacamole made fresh enough to notice. Chicken tostadas and a full bar round out a room built for lingering, not rushing.
What to orderbarbacoa tostadas, guacamole, chicken tostadas
№ 04
Boca Chica Taco House
St. Paul $
407 S Wabasha St, Saint Paul, MN 55107 · +16512228226
Photo via
Boca Chica Taco House keeps its footprint small and its price point low, a straightforward taco house on the value end of St. Paul's Mexican lineup. It fits the quick-stop tier of this corridor, the kind of counter where the tortilla does the work and the bill stays modest. Details on the current menu are thin, but the name has stood on this list for a reason.
№ 05
La Cucaracha Mexican Restaurante
St. Paul $$
36 S Dale St, Saint Paul, MN 55101 · +16512219682
Photo via
Enchiladas and chile relleno anchor a menu that leans toward the homemade end of St. Paul's Mexican rooms, with carne asada rounding out the plates. The bar area and two dining rooms stay open late into the evening, giving it a sit-down pace rather than a quick-counter one. Service has been inconsistent on slower nights, worth knowing going in.
What to orderenchiladas, chile relleno, carne asada
№ 06
Carnitas don Tacho
St. Paul
1193 Payne Ave, St Paul, MN 55130 · +16517769561
Photo via
The name states the specialty plainly, and the carnitas tacos come stacked with enough meat to justify the trip on their own. Chiles rellenos back up a menu built around one dish done well, with street parking the only real friction. Service has stretched to let diners in minutes before close, a small sign of how this room runs.
What to ordercarnitas tacos, carnitas, chiles rellenos
№ 07
Los Ocampo Restaurant & Bar
St. Paul $$
615 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · +16513405311
Photo via
Beef fajitas and beef nachos lead a menu at this family-friendly bar and restaurant, with a second location on Lake Street giving regulars a choice of rooms. The chile relleno holds steady across visits even when other plates land inconsistent, particularly on nacho temperature. It runs as a group destination first, built for tables of family rather than solo counter stops.
What to orderbeef fajitas, beef nachos, chile relleno
№ 08
Red Luna Seasons
St. Paul
114 Mahtomedi Ave, Mahtomedi, MN 55115 · +16513507819
Photo via
The burritos arrive oversized enough that two people often split one, and the cheese quesadilla stays a reliable order for anyone unsure about diving into heavier plates. Red Luna Seasons runs small but keeps portions generous, with a decor that leans into its Latin roots. Chile relleno and steady, improving service round out a lunch or dinner stop worth the visit.
What to orderburrito, cheese quesadilla, chile relleno
№ 09
Tromperia El zac
St. Paul
1322 Rice St, Saint Paul, MN 55117 · +16517974575
Photo via
Tacos al pastor draw first-timers in, and the counter-service setup keeps the line moving on a weeknight taco run. Carnitas and carne asada tacos round out a short, focused menu, greasy in the way good al pastor should be. Parking sits near a connected market a few doors down, making it an easy stop for a quick meal.
What to ordertacos al pastor, carnitas tacos, carne asada tacos
№ 10
EL CHARRITO TAQUERÍA
St. Paul
168 Cesar Chavez St, Saint Paul, MN 55107 · +16513131052
Photo via
Steak tacos and carnitas tacos keep regulars coming back even with a market across the street offering its own food stalls. Service moves fast, and the counter has built a reputation for hospitality that outpaces some sit-down rooms nearby. Carne asada tacos round out the order, straightforward and traditional, though diners with billing disputes should confirm charges before leaving.
What to ordersteak tacos, carnitas tacos, carne asada tacos
№ 11
Boca Chica | Restaurante Mexicano y Cantina
St. Paul $$
11 Cesar Chavez St, Saint Paul, MN 55107 · +16512228499
Photo via
Chile relleno and enchiladas anchor a menu that has run steady for years, with a weekday lunch buffet that draws its own following separate from the a la carte tacos. This is a group-friendly room, the kind that hosts baby showers and family gatherings without fuss. It skips trend chasing entirely, built instead on consistency across a long run on the same block.
What to orderchile relleno, enchiladas, tacos
№ 12
Zona Cocina
St. Paul $$
4300 Glumack Dr, Ste F2330, St Paul, MN 55111 · +16124308754
Photo via
Carne asada and chile relleno cover the basics for travelers passing through Concourse F, with a quesadilla as the safe fallback order. Zona Cocina runs as a Tex-Mex bar built for the between-flights crowd rather than a destination meal, service and food landing fine for what an airport stop asks of it. Worth knowing before boarding, not worth planning a trip around.
What to ordercarne asada, chile relleno, quesadilla
Frequently asked
What is the best birria taco spot in St. Paul?
This guide ranks Mexican restaurants across St. Paul by Insider Score, a measure built from the full review record rather than any single dish. Birria specifically is not confirmed on every menu here, so check the current offerings at a given spot before making the trip, particularly at smaller counters where menus shift.
Where can I find birria tacos near me in St. Paul?
St. Paul's Mexican restaurants run from West Seventh to the East Side to Rice Street, and the rooms on this list span that range, from counter-service taco houses to full sit-down cantinas. None of these restaurants paid to be included; placement reflects the Insider Score pulled from the public review record.
Are any of these restaurants actually in Minneapolis?
No. Every restaurant on this list is located in St. Paul, a separate city from Minneapolis with its own downtown and its own dining identity. Zona Cocina sits inside Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which is technically unincorporated but served here as part of the St. Paul-area lineup for travelers.
How is the Insider Score calculated?
The Insider Score aggregates the public review record for each restaurant into a single ranking figure. It is not a star rating handed out by this site's editors, and no restaurant pays for placement or a higher score. It reflects pattern and consistency across a large volume of independent customer feedback.
ƒ
The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Kou Thao
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Kou Thao is the St. Paul & Corridors Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born in St. Paul and raised in Frogtown, he grew up working the family egg-roll stand at Hmongtown Marketplace. He covers the marketplaces, University Avenue, the East Side and West Side, and every corridor counter worth the trip across the river.
