Oro by Nixta

Nominated for the Best New Restaurant in the 2024 James Beard Awards cycle, the Oro by Nixta crew is making waves with their upscale Mexican fare. Their work incorporates corn into nearly every dish on their menus, including drinks and desserts. Oro honors pre-colonial preparations of masa, meats, and vegetables and often hosts guest chefs who share their values, commitment to high-quality ingredients, and cultural preservation. For those seeking the familiar, their tacos are served on scratch-made tortillas, and for the adventurous make sure to check out their masa menu featuring tamales with fillings like rabbit, chochoyotes (masa dumplings), or sopes (thick fried masa) topped with octopus.

El Sazon Cocina y Tragos

Co-owned by a married couple featuring a Mexican wife and Guatemalan husband, El Sazon Cocina y Tragos is a delicious spot to taste a combination of their cuisines along nods to their shared pedigrees in French cuisine. While their occasional coursed prix-fixe menus are themed and worth checking out, their regular dinner menu is perfect for a night out. Find classic tacos and hearty mains like pistachio-crusted salmon with a zippy poblano burre blanc, or a chamoy glazed pork chop, or vegetarian chile relleno.

Sonora

This Longfellow mainstay serves Sonoran-style “caramelo” tacos, which feature a flour tortilla, melted cheese, beans, and marinated skirt steak. Their other tacos come served on corn tortillas and feature flavors like spicy and succulent tempura shrimp, juicy carnitas, earthy mushrooms, and more. Their menu of balanced, agave-forward drinks is slimmed down for their Monday-Friday Happy Hour, and all tacos are only $3. For an additional bonus, their “Taco Tuesday” special features the $3 taco deal all day. If you miss the happy hour, no need to worry! The rest of their menu is satisfying and features authentic dishes like the famous corn on the cob, elotes, burritos, flautas, and another Sonoran specialty, bocadillos–sandwiches served in baguette-style bread.

Centro

If you’re looking for a modern take on Mexican classics, look no further than Centro’s two locations in Northeast and Central Minneapolis. Nowhere else in town can you find mole verde wings alongside fancy crunch wraps, enchiladas, and…oysters! Centro is neither a low- nor high-brow joint and has sips, snacks, and meals for omnivores and vegetarians alike. Their happy hour is Sunday through Friday 3-6 PM and has several mixed drinks, beers, and wine for under $8. Oysters are half off at $2 a pop, and you can grab a snack of chips and house-made salsas for $6.

Los Ocampo

A Lake Street staple, this restaurant in the heart of the East Lake Street Cultural District is a knockout for any time eats, but especially late nights. With a large seating area and a long list of meats and veggie fillings for their dishes, your food is made fresh to order on the grill. Although the wait can be a little longer, it’s well worth it for the quality and flavor, especially when the late-night cravings kick in. They’re open until midnight on weeknights and until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Taco Taxi

While Taco Taxi may not have the most fancy ambiance, this cozy, no-frills taco joint owned by two brothers from Mexico instead focuses on quick service and freshly made food. Their menu is streamlined and features all of the greatest hits: tacos, burritos, tortas, and a few specialties, too, like menudo and birria. They’re open until 2 a.m. during the week and 3 a.m. on weekends.

Masa & Agave

If you’re looking for a late-night spot to wait out the post-show downtown traffic crunch, walk over to Masa y Agave. Located in the basement of Hotel Ivy, this classy Mexican-inspired restaurant features over 300 bottles of agave-based spirits for a delicious nightcap. Their late-night menu features $5 taco specials, bottomless guacamole, and craft cocktails. Check out their late-night specials on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until 1 a.m.

Manny's Tortas

Tucked inside of the Midtown Exchange building, family-run Manny’s Tortas has been racking up accolades for their delicious, filling, and cost-effective sandwiches. While tortas are classically a humble sandwich, the way they are prepared at Manny’s ensures each bite is balanced, savory, and delicious. A pillow bolillo roll is piled high with refried beans, cheese, avocados, and more, along with fillings like ham, marinated pork and pineapple, eggs and chorizo, or veggies. These sandwiches travel well and make for a perfect portable meal for those on the go.

Maya

Maya is a shining jewel in a stretch of incredible food along the Central Avenue Cultural District corridor. A brightly lit area full of booths leads into a dark loungey area for sipping margaritas and eating freshly steamed tamales. This authentic Mexican restaurant lays out their menu in an accessible way that lets your choose your vessel (tacos, burrito, quesadilla, nachos, and more), toppings, and extras like elotes and desserts. Perhaps one of the best parts of Maya is its extensive house-made salsa bar, so be sure to make a few trips to try them all.

While this is merely a small taste of the incredible Mexican restaurants Minneapolis has to offer, there are several other options to enjoy that specialize in regional flavors, desserts, and dishes. From no-frill holes in the wall with authentic flavors to special agave-based drinks to inventive spins on traditional Mexican fare, be sure to check out a few others, too, like Nico’s, Barrio, Jefe Urban Cocina, El Taco Riendo, Tacos El Kevin, Lagos Tacos, Taberna Tacos, Taqueria y Birrieria las Cuatro Milpas, Orale, Chilango, Pineda (and Pineda Tacos Plus), Taqueria el Primo 2, Habanero Tacos, Marsu, Taquera La Hacienda, Yeah Yeah Taco, and more.