You don’t have to leave the country for authentic south of the border flavor. Across Kentucky, locals and visitors alike will find traditional Mexican restaurants serving up all of the classic dishes. Whether you’re in the mood for vegetarian fajitas or zesty enchiladas, you’ll find it at the 9 best Mexican restaurants in Kentucky.
For a local taste of Mexico, visit Casa Grande in Somerset, Kentucky. Appetizers include a choice of cheese, mushroom, beef, chicken, or shrimp quesadillas and spinach, guacamole, queso, bean, or cheese dip and nachos. They have combination dinners that include refried beans and rice when choosing is hard to do, and authentic traditional and grilled specialties like chimichangas, quesadilla rellenas, Mexican pizza, and giant burritos filled with your favorite meats and veggies.
Fast service, generous portions, and reasonable prices. That’s what you’ll find at El Jimador Real Mexican in Bardstown, Kentucky. For more than 11 years, El Jimador has been serving delicious South-of-the-border favorites like taco salad, meat and vegetarian fajitas, and burritos filled with your choice of beef, chicken, seafood, pork, or beans. They have a great kid’s menu, too, featuring favorites for the young ones.
Consistency in service and the same great food time after time is what you’ll find at El Rio Brava. Located in Alexandria, Kentucky, this classic Tex-Mex restaurant has unforgettable margueritas that go with anything on the menu. Chips and salsa are served as soon as you’re seated and while you decide on what to order from the menu. The Spanish and Mexican surroundings will make you think you’re in an authentic diner, and you can eat outside on the patio when the weather is nice. Family owned and family friendly.
Stepping inside the El Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Newport, Kentucky, is like stepping into a lively fiesta. The colorful flags hanging from the ceiling and the brightly painted chairs are part of the charm in this popular authentic eatery. Open every day, you can count on getting traditional Mexican-style food like the Asado, a pork, rice, and beans dish served with tortillas and Mexican hot sauce or a fajita favorite that combines beef, chorizo, shrimp, chicken, onions, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream served with rice and beans. The children’s menu features burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and other kid-friendly favorites and includes a small drink.
If you crave delicious Mexican food, El Tapatio in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, should be your next stop. Opened in 2009, the restaurant has been offering authentic Mexican food made from the freshest ingredients. They have daily specials and a kid’s menu that will please the pickiest eaters. Tuesday is discount night, and they give senior and military discounts.
Family-owned El Rancho Tapatio in Lexington, Kentucky, is a unique venue for authentic Mexican street food. Fresh and easy on the budget, this diner specialized in tacos, sopes, gorditas, fajitas, and empanadas. For those who prefer lighter foods, they have excellent salads, including a specialty Rancho Salad made with grilled chicken, a creamy chipotle sauce, tomato, croutons, bacon bits, and rice on fresh lettuce, and a rich ceviche with shrimp or octopus, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and spices on a tortilla with mayo and avocado.
Sol Azteca in Franklin, Kentucky, is a hidden gem. For reasonably-priced Mexican food and service that’s fast and friendly, this is the place to eat. If you enjoy consistency and know what you like, you’ll likely find it on the menu. Visitors who post reviews on social media recommend the chicken fajitas and beef carnitas.
Faithfully serving the best in Mexican food in the same location for over 20 years, Montoyas in Crescent Park, Kentucky, has the same mission it always had—good food and good people. The rest is easy. Known as a neighborhood favorite place to eat, this authentic Mexican restaurant celebrates good food by offering appetizers, soups, salads, Mexican pizza, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, beans, and rice. And if you like margaritas, you’ll love their famous strawberry margaritas.
No matter what day of the week you visit Cancun Mexican Restaurant in Henderson, Kentucky, there’s always something going on from discounted drinks to live music to free kid’s meals. Cancun Mexican has all your favorite south-of-the-border foods, and signature dishes like their Famous Fajitas that are made from a special recipe, their version of a surf-and-turf, and a well-seasoned 14-ounce Angus Beef T-bone that will melt in your mouth. Open every day.