St. Paul's Mexican kitchens run from Rice Street counters to a full cantina with a lunch buffet, and this list stays on the West Side, Rice Street, and Como corridors where the city actually eats. Each room here earns its spot on the plate, not the menu size.
№ 01
Homi Restaurant
St. Paul $
864 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · +16512220655
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The chile relleno is the order regulars name first, with carnitas and enchiladas rounding out a menu built for a quick, filling lunch. Homi sits on a busy stretch of Victoria Street near Como Zoo, with parking alongside the building. It draws a mix of neighborhood regulars and visitors passing through for the zoo or a nearby tournament, no frills required.
What to orderchile relleno, carnitas, enchiladas
№ 02
Taco'n Madre Taqueria Y Cevicheria
St. Paul
63 Winifred St W, Saint Paul, MN 55107 · +16513404614
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Flautas top the list of favorites at this counter-service room, alongside menudo and a ceviche worth ordering cold. The menu runs long for a small operation, and tripe shows up as a regular request among locals. Delivery orders hold up as well as anything eaten on site, a rare consistency for a taqueria this size in St. Paul.
What to orderflautas, menudo, ceviche
№ 03
Boca Chica Taco House
St. Paul $
407 S Wabasha St, Saint Paul, MN 55107 · +16512228226
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A budget-friendly taco house in St. Paul built around the essentials: tacos, salsas, and a fast counter turn. Boca Chica Taco House keeps its footprint small and its prices low, the kind of room where a quick lunch or a late-afternoon snack doesn't require a reservation or a long wait at the register.
№ 04
La Cucaracha Mexican Restaurante
St. Paul $$
36 S Dale St, Saint Paul, MN 55101 · +16512219682
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Enchiladas and chile relleno anchor a menu built for slow dinners rather than quick stops. The room in St. Paul splits into a bar area and two smaller dining spaces, with carne asada rounding out the plate. Service moves at its own pace, so this fits an evening with time to spare rather than a rushed weeknight meal.
What to orderenchiladas, chile relleno, carne asada
№ 05
Red Luna Seasons
St. Paul
114 Mahtomedi Ave, Mahtomedi, MN 55115 · +16513507819
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Burritos here come out oversized enough to split, and the cheese quesadilla holds its own against the chile relleno on the same table. Red Luna Seasons runs a small room in St. Paul with a Latin-leaning decor and a staff that keeps drink refills coming. A late lunch on a quiet afternoon is when the room shows its best pace.
What to orderburrito, cheese quesadilla, chile relleno
№ 06
Tromperia El zac
St. Paul
1322 Rice St, Saint Paul, MN 55117 · +16517974575
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Tacos al pastor draw first-timers back for seconds, and carnitas and carne asada tacos round out the counter menu at this St. Paul spot. The setup is counter service, order first and grab a seat after, connected to a nearby market building. Weeknight regulars treat it as the default taco Tuesday stop, parking a few doors down.
What to ordertacos al pastor, carnitas tacos, carne asada tacos
№ 07
EL CHARRITO TAQUERÍA
St. Paul
168 Cesar Chavez St, Saint Paul, MN 55107 · +16513131052
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Steak tacos are the reason regulars bypass the market across the street and come here instead. Carnitas and carne asada tacos round out a menu built for speed, with fast service and friendly counter staff keeping the line moving. El Charrito runs as a straightforward taqueria in St. Paul, built for a quick meal rather than a sit-down dinner.
What to ordersteak tacos, carnitas tacos, carne asada tacos
№ 08
Boca Chica | Restaurante Mexicano y Cantina
St. Paul $$
11 Cesar Chavez St, Saint Paul, MN 55107 · +16512228499
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The chile relleno pulls double duty as a Tex-Mex staple and a weekday lunch buffet regular at this longtime St. Paul cantina. Enchiladas and tacos round out a menu built for consistency over trend, and the room handles group bookings well, from casual family lunches to full-scale celebrations. It has held its footing here for years without needing to chase a new look.
What to orderchile relleno, enchiladas, tacos
№ 09
Zona Cocina
St. Paul $$
4300 Glumack Dr, Ste F2330, St Paul, MN 55111 · +16124308754
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Carne asada and a chile relleno anchor a Tex-Mex menu built for travelers with limited time, not a destination meal. Zona Cocina sits in Concourse F at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, technically within St. Paul's boundary, and works best as a fast, better-than-fast-food option between flights rather than a planned stop.
What to ordercarne asada, chile relleno, quesadilla
№ 10
Taqueria Los Paisanos
St. Paul $
825 E 7th St, Saint Paul, MN 55106 · +16517788062
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Tamales anchor a menu built for feeding a crowd, with al pastor and mulitas rounding out a spread that regulars say covers every appetite at the table. Taqueria Los Paisanos also runs a food truck for private events, making it a St. Paul standby for family gatherings and anniversaries as much as a everyday counter meal. Portions run generous.
What to ordertamales, al pastor, mulitas
№ 11
Tavial Grill
St. Paul $
1199 W 7th St, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16512981000
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Asada tacos come out hot and consistently well seasoned at this small St. Paul operation, with the torta standing out as one of the better versions in the metro. Service stays friendly across visits, though quality on other dishes can vary by order. It works best as a quick weeknight stop for regulars who already know what to order.
What to orderasada tacos, torta, carne asada
№ 12
Nico’s Taco Bar on Como
St. Paul $$
2260 Como Ave, St Paul, MN 55108 · +16514508848
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Carne asada, al pastor, and carnitas tacos headline the menu at this Como Avenue location, where the patio draws a crowd on weekend evenings. Nico's Taco Bar on Como sits near the neighborhood's art fair route, and the room fills up fast on a Sunday night while staying comfortable indoors when the weather doesn't cooperate. Service moves quickly even at capacity.
What to ordercarne asada tacos, al pastor tacos, carnitas tacos
Frequently asked
What is the best Mexican restaurant in St. Paul?
Based on the Insider Score, Boca Chica | Restaurante Mexicano y Cantina and Homi Restaurant rank among the strongest choices for classic St. Paul Mexican cooking, each with a loyal local following. No restaurant pays to be listed here; rankings reflect the Insider Score alone.
Where can I find good Mexican food near me in St. Paul?
This guide covers rooms spread across St. Paul, from Rice Street and Como Avenue counters to a full-service cantina, so a near me search should turn up something close by depending on which part of the city you're in. Each listing names its actual cross-street or corridor rather than a general area.
Is there budget-friendly Mexican food in St. Paul?
Yes. Several counters here, including Boca Chica Taco House, Tromperia El zac, Taqueria Los Paisanos, and Tavial Grill, run at the lowest price tier and specialize in tacos and quick plates rather than full sit-down dinners.
Are these Mexican restaurant rankings paid placements?
No. Every restaurant on this list is ranked by its Insider Score, a measure built from the public review record, and no business pays for inclusion or position on Top of Minneapolis.
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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.
