Best Mexican restaurants in Greater Cleveland, according to Yelp

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Finding great Mexican cuisine is not always an easy task.

We know. In 2019, cleveland.com’s Best of Cleveland team went in search of the best Mexican fare in Northeast Ohio. Blue Habanero came out on top, but after a long search, fueled by lots of input from readers, we found plenty of other great spots to satisfy south-of-the-border cravings.

Cleveland’s Best Mexican Restaurant winner is Blue Habanero! See Top 20 rankings

But that was then — before the pandemic. What about now? We’ve teamed up with our friends at Yelp Cleveland for a fresh, new spin.

Whether you are looking for the perfect spot to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, or just hankering for a great street taco or overstuffed burrito, we are certain you’ll find a new favorite cantina on this list.

Methodology:

This is an all-time list of the best Mexican restaurants in the Greater Cleveland area, according to Yelp Cleveland. Yelp Cleveland identified businesses in the Mexican category, then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews.

This list looked at businesses in the following counties: Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit.

If a local chain appeared on the list more than once, we only included the highest-rated location.

We worked directly with Yelp Cleveland on this list to reflect accurate data. Want to see your favorite spot make the list next time? Pen your first review and apply for the Yelp Elite Squad today: yelp.com/elite.

Here are the results, broken down by county:

CUYAHOGA

No. 1

La Plaza Supermarket

Chicken Burrito from La Plaza Supermarket, Cleveland
– Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

13609 Lakewood Heights Blvd., Cleveland, 216-476-8000

Yelp rating: 4.5 stars

Sample review: “I recently moved from Texas, where tacos are readily found in food trucks on street corners everywhere. I was happy to give this place a shot, and even happier that it tastes great! The prices are fair, and the meats are delicious. They even have menudo on the weekend! The grilled onions and jalapeños in the salsa bar are also a favorite of mine…” – Brian T.

No. 2

Tapatia’s Taqueria

Steak fajitas from Tapatia’s Taqueria
– Photo courtesy of Marianne L., via Yelp

12501 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, 216-600-5505

Yelp rating: 4.5 stars

Sample review: “My fiancé and I loved everything about this place! Great service, very clean, good atmosphere and delicious tacos!! We tried a bunch of different tacos – chicken, barbacoa, chorizo, and steak – all of which were very good; the chorizo being my fiancé’s favorite and chicken mine! We will be back!” – Katie B.

No. 3

Mamacita’s

Mamacita’s opened on Aug. 30. (Photo by Anne Nickoloff, cleveland.com)Anne Nickoloff, cleveland.com

6164 Broadview Rd., Parma, 216-712-6904

Yelp rating: 4.5 stars

Sample review: “Great food! Had a Cali burrito which was authentic and brought me right back to SoCal. So tasty and filling. Affordable pricing with great value. Also very convenient with ordering online. Most definitely coming back again.” – Andrew D.

No. 4

Momocho

Dos Equis braised Beef Short Ribs with salsa divorciadas and crema Mexicano is one of the entree especiales at Momocho Mod Mex restaurant in Ohio City
John Kuntz, cleveland.com The Plain Dealer

1835 Fulton Rd., Cleveland, 216-694-2122

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “Love this place! We walked in randomly and we’re so happy we did! Delicious enchiladas, tacos, margaritas. Decor is so adorable, too. Definitely will be back!” – Lisa L.

No. 5

Cilantro Taqueria

Cilantro Taqueria
(Photo by Laura Demarco, The Plain Dealer)

20090 Van Aken Blvd., Shaker Heights, 216-465-2002

Yelp rating: 4.5 stars

Sample review: “DELICIOUS EXCELLENCE! Cilantro Taqueria will make Chipotle seem like vending machine food. Their quesadillas are amazing and unlike the paltry thin tortillas with melted cheese, meat and cut into 4 pieces that most people think are the standard. Their delicious Mexican Street Corn is served on the cob with a stick, and their chips, salsa and queso fundido are so addictive, you may not be able to stop! My family and I can’t wait to return!” – Jim L.

No. 6

Cozumel

Organic Pineapple Margarita from Cozumel
Photo by Brenda Cain, cleveland.com

16512 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216-228-1415

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “Always have great consistent meals at Cozumel. Expect standard American-Mexican dish’s but with great flavor and a reasonable price. They usually have interesting specials, great happy hour, and amazing salsa. Best chips and salsa in town. Quick friendly service.” – Steven V.

No. 7

Maya

Fajita Quesadilla from Maya
– Photo courtesy of Ashley K., via Yelp

368 W Bagley Rd., Berea, 440-239-0559

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “Consistently great Mexican food! Always clean and the staff is always friendly. A hidden gem right on Bagley Road.” – Bryan F.

No. 8

Las Americas

Mojarra, whole fried fish from Las Americas
– Photo courtesy of Steven B., via Yelp

25650 Aurora Rd., Bedford Heights, 440-439-9378

Yelp rating: 4.5 stars

Sample review: “What a gem find, courtesy of Yelp lists. I love that the setup for Las Americas almost looks secret. You come in through a Latin grocery store, find your way through a door in the back, go through an hallway and finally enter this temple of food. Everything was absolutely delicious. The guacamole is a huge portion as you can see in the picture and is some of the best guacamole I’ve ever had in Northeast Ohio. The ceviche was out of this world, highly recommended. My wife had the shrimp with garlic and mushrooms and I had the tacos, and you don’t need me to emphasize again that they were perfect and delicious, right? Service is great as well, this is a must-try place, you won’t be disappointed.” – J.P. L.

No. 9

El Carnicero

Empanaditas as served at El Carnicero, little pies drizzled with sour cream
(Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer

16918 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216-226-3415

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “Top notch! The food, tequila, and staff are all excellent. Highly recommend the Carne Asada, Crab Guacamole, and Cantera tequila.” – Brian V.

No. 10

Blue Habanero

From the Soup & Salad menu: Baja Mex Salad with grilled chicken, mixed greens, black beans, corn, pico de gallo and spicy chipotle ranch. Blue Habanero Street Tacos and Tequila in Gordon Square has a great selection on their menu. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.comDavid Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

6416 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, 216-465-1818

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “Exquisite. Love the interior aesthetic, the theme, the people, and the service was efficient. They put in your order and in no more than, say 15-20 minutes, your food is out and served to you. I tried the margarita flights and enjoyed them. The food was phenomenal and I ordered the tres leches cake at the end. I gasped at the size of it! It was a large slice but it was incredible and I loved it. Great folks and it’s a cool spot with many other places around to check out.” – Jan L.

No. 11

Forage Public House

Carnitas tacos from Forage Public House
– Photo courtesy of Christina S., via Yelp

14600 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216-226-2000

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “I’ve never had a bad meal at Forage. They have many vegetarian and vegan options, and all of their food is fresh and high quality. My favorites are the cauliflower tacos, and any of their salads. My son said his burger was one of the best he’s ever had. Even their fries are delicious and you can get delicious condiments to go with the fries.” – Gina D.

No. 12

Hacienda Tapatia

Molcajete from Hacienda Tapatia
– Photo courtesy of Luis R., via Yelp

1572 W. 117, Lakewood, 216-862-9893

Yelp rating: 4.5 stars

Sample review: “In a pool of average, commercially Mexican restaurants everywhere, this is the place you should swim. Food and friendly service is always on point and the presentation, quality, and preparation is superb. Great tequila and beer selection, nice interior and even the prices are reasonable!” – Greg P.

No. 13

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar
(Beth Segal, Special to cleveland.com)Plain Dealer

28601 Chagrin Blvd., Ste. 900, Woodmere, 216-896-9020

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “Awesome food!!! Great service!!!! The avocado here is just incredible!!!! And the salads are so fresh!!!! My favorite salad is the mango chicken salad. Also the steak and blue cheese salad is incredible, too. The servers are always so friendly and the food is always so fresh, either in the restaurant or for take out.” – Sadie S.

No. 14

Barrio

Bomba De Tocino Taco from Barrio
– Photo courtesy of Ailin J., via Yelp

806 Literary Rd., Cleveland, 216-999-7714

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “Great place for tacos. I love the Jamerita’s (margarita with Jameson’s Whiskey). I like filling in the cards to make your own custom tacos. Choose soft or hard or other shell, choose meat (beef, chicken, sausage) cheese, salsa and toppings for reasonable price. The nachos and smoked salsa put on table is great. Fun atmosphere.” – Joe B.

No. 15

Gran Fiesta Mexican Restaurant

Fiesta Nachos from Gran Fiesta Mexican Restaurant
– Photo courtesy of Lisa C., via Yelp

18737 Royalton Rd., Strongsville, 440-638-1114

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “Always good food here. I came for the molcajete tonight. It is served boiling hot and the stone crock keeps it that way. There are many flavors hidden in it, from the sauce to the cactus, good to the last drop. Be ready to eat or share. It is big enough for two. The restaurant is usually busy – be prepared to wait. It is worth it, every dish we have ever had has been delicious.” – Carl S.

No. 16

Villa Y Zapata

(photo by Brenda Cain, cleveland.com)

8505-09 Madison Ave., Cleveland, 216-961-4369

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “One of the BEST authentic Mexican restaurants in Cleveland. We’ve been going to Villa y Zapata for 20+ years. Everything on the menu is great…but if you can pull yourself away from the traditional fare such as the burritos and tacos and order some of their tasty authentic entrees, you’ll be in for a real treat! Try the Chile Rellenos, Tinga Poblana or the piping-hot fajitas! The margaritas are pretty fantastic as well.” – Dawn B.

No. 17

Camino Taco & Tequila Bar

(Photo by Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer)

1300 W. 9th St., Ste. 400, Cleveland, 216-267-7878

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “…Highly recommended. Staff were very friendly, food came out quick and was delicious and appropriately priced. Got three different kinds of tacos and all three were just great. Bummed we don’t live here and get to come regularly.” – Scott O.

No. 18

Chili Peppers

Taco Salad from Chili Peppers
– Photo courtesy of Eva L., via Yelp

869 E. 185th St., Cleveland, 216-531-2300

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “…we regularly order the same thing and are thoroughly satisfied with our choices — quesadillas and taco salads. The ingredients are fresh and we can order and get tasty food quickly and be on our way. Although the service is fast, I don’t consider this fast food. It is definitely a step above with the fresher ingredients and ability to customize the meal.” – Mary P.

No. 19

Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant Bar and Grill

Adobo Chicken from Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant Bar and Grill
– Photo courtesy of Jackie F., via Yelp

2175 S. Green Rd., Cleveland, 216-862-6623

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “We went to Los Arcos tonight with our family of 5 and had a great experience!…Great service, great Mexican food and all the right drinks for a Mexican restaurant! Highly recommend!” – Dan P.

No. 20

Ohio City Burrito

(Photo by Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

1844 W. 25th St., Cleveland, 216-664-0908

Yelp rating: 4 stars

Sample review: “We stopped in for a bite while visiting the West Side Market. What a great bite to eat! Fresh ingredients, great veggie options and friendly staff.” – Kelly C.

GEAUGA