St. Paul does not have a torta counter on every corner the way it has taco trucks, but the city's Mexican kitchens keep the sandwich in rotation alongside tacos, enchiladas, and carnitas plates worth building a meal around. This guide runs West Side counters, Payne Avenue and University Avenue rooms, and even the airport concourse, all in St. Paul or named for the municipality that actually holds them.
№ 01
Homi Restaurant
St. Paul $
864 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · +16512220655
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Homi sits on a busy stretch of Victoria Street near Como Zoo, an easy stop for anyone spending the day at the park. The chile relleno and carnitas anchor the menu, with enchiladas rounding out a plate built for a full sit-down lunch rather than a quick grab. Parking runs along Victoria, and the room stays low-key through the dinner hour.
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 are the order to start at this counter-service room, though the menudo and ceviche pull their own following. It runs small and casual, the kind of place where the menu reads longer than the space itself, and delivery orders through DoorDash come out as reliably as the in-house plates. Tripe shows up on the menu too, for anyone looking past the usual tacos.
What to orderflautas, menudo, ceviche
№ 03
La Costa Mexican Sports Bar & Grill
St. Paul $$
194 Cesar Chavez St, St Paul, MN 55107 · +16513308743
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Barbacoa tostadas come packed full at this sports bar, and the guacamole gets made fresh rather than pulled from a tub. The patio, informal as it is, becomes the draw once warm weather hits. Service runs attentive even close to closing, and the chicken tostadas hold their own next to the barbacoa version for anyone splitting a table order.
What to orderbarbacoa tostadas, guacamole, chicken tostadas
№ 04
Boca Chica Taco House
St. Paul $
407 S Wabasha St, Saint Paul, MN 55107 · +16512228226
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Boca Chica Taco House keeps things simple on St. Paul's West Side, a straightforward taco house built for a fast plate rather than a long sit-down. It fits the neighborhood's counter tradition, priced for a regular lunch stop rather than an occasion meal, and holds its place among the West Side's older Mexican rooms without needing to compete on size.
№ 05
La Cucaracha Mexican Restaurante
St. Paul $$
36 S Dale St, Saint Paul, MN 55101 · +16512219682
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Enchiladas and chile relleno carry the menu at La Cucaracha, where the dining rooms stay small and a bar area handles overflow seating into the evening. The kitchen leans toward homemade-style plates rather than fast turnover, and the room fills a later dinner slot when other St. Paul kitchens are already slowing down for the night.
What to orderenchiladas, chile relleno, carne asada
№ 06
Carnitas don Tacho
St. Paul
1193 Payne Ave, St Paul, MN 55130 · +16517769561
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The name gives away the specialty: carnitas here get stacked heavy onto tacos, with chiles rellenos as the other reason to stay for a full plate. Street parking runs tight, though a back lot reportedly helps. The kitchen has kept the door open for late arrivals close to closing, a detail regulars mention when recommending it to newcomers.
What to ordercarnitas tacos, carnitas, chiles rellenos
№ 07
Los Ocampo Restaurant & Bar
St. Paul $$
615 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · +16513405311
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Los Ocampo runs as a family room built for groups, with beef fajitas and beef nachos leading the order sheet alongside chile relleno. It operates as one location in a small local chain, and the room handles a lunch or dinner crowd comfortably, though the nachos in particular depend on timing to arrive hot rather than lukewarm.
What to orderbeef fajitas, beef nachos, chile relleno
№ 08
Red Luna Seasons
St. Paul
114 Mahtomedi Ave, Mahtomedi, MN 55115 · +16513507819
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Burritos come out oversized at Red Luna Seasons, big enough that two people regularly split one, while the cheese quesadilla and chile relleno round out a smaller-format menu. The room itself stays compact, decorated with a Latin sensibility, and service has been described as steadily improving, with a greeting and prompt drink order even during a slow lunch.
What to orderburrito, cheese quesadilla, chile relleno
№ 09
Tromperia El zac
St. Paul
1322 Rice St, Saint Paul, MN 55117 · +16517974575
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Tacos al pastor lead the order here, a counter-service stop attached to a market building with parking a short walk from the entrance. The kitchen runs on the greasier side by design, which is part of the draw rather than a flaw, and carnitas and carne asada tacos round out a menu built entirely around the taco format.
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
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Steak tacos and carnitas tacos move fast at this taqueria, which sits across the street from a mercado yet still pulls its own loyal counter traffic. Service runs quick, plates come out traditional in style, and the room favors speed over sit-down formality, built for a lunch break rather than a lingering meal.
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
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Chile relleno leads a menu that leans Tex-Mex at this longtime room, which also runs a weekday lunch buffet for anyone wanting to sample enchiladas and tacos in one sitting. The space handles family gatherings and larger private events comfortably, and the kitchen has kept a steady identity over years rather than chasing trends.
What to orderchile relleno, enchiladas, tacos
№ 12
Zona Cocina
St. Paul $$
4300 Glumack Dr, Ste F2330, St Paul, MN 55111 · +16124308754
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Zona Cocina operates inside the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, a Tex-Mex counter and bar built for travelers with a layover rather than a destination meal. Carne asada, chile relleno, and quesadillas cover the basics for a concourse stop, serviceable for a quick bite between flights rather than a planned trip across the metro.
What to ordercarne asada, chile relleno, quesadilla
Frequently asked
What is the best torta in St. Paul?
St. Paul's Mexican kitchens run heavier on tacos, enchiladas, and carnitas plates than dedicated torta counters, but rooms like Carnitas don Tacho and El Charrito Taquería build sandwiches and tortas around the same carnitas and steak fillings that anchor their tacos. Check the Insider Score on each listing; no restaurant pays to be listed here.
Where can I find good Mexican food near me in St. Paul?
This guide covers rooms spread across St. Paul, from the West Side to Payne Avenue to a stretch near Como Zoo, plus one counter inside the airport. Search by neighborhood on the listing pages to find what is actually close. Every entry carries an Insider Score, and placement is not paid.
Which St. Paul torta or taco spot is best for groups?
Los Ocampo Restaurant & Bar and Boca Chica | Restaurante Mexicano y Cantina both run as family-style rooms suited to larger tables, with buffet and banquet-friendly setups mentioned by regulars. La Costa's patio also handles groups well in warm months. Insider Scores reflect the full review record, not paid placement.
Is Zona Cocina at the airport worth a stop?
It is a reasonable option in Concourse F if a traveler wants something beyond fast food, though it is priced and positioned as a convenience stop rather than a destination meal. Its Insider Score is listed alongside the others here; no restaurant, including this one, pays for placement.
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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.
