Where to find Dallas’ best Mexican food

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You wouldn’t know it was there unless someone told you. Even the website is blank until you scroll down. Walk to the back of Xaman Café, open the door, and you’ll find yourself in a dimly lit speakeasy in the South of Mexico, complete with burning copal, a well curated collection of agave spirits, Day of the Dead art, and a wine list populated exclusively by Mexican wines. The place is dark and moody and the bites are unlike anything you’ll come across north of the border—bone marrow, pan-seared pork loin in peanut mole, and something called ‘Ancestral Soup’ that your server will make tableside on volcanic rock.

A Dallas icon, Javier’s opened in Highland Park in 1977 and remains one of the most beloved institutions on the city’s dining scene. No other restaurant looks quite like it. It’s cozy and elegant and quirky all at once—multiple dining spaces set up like a railroad apartment (you have to walk through each to get to the next), trophies of bears shot by the owner, and a posh cigar bar. Dinner starts with fresh tortilla chips and warm tomato salsa.

The cash-only Taquería El Sí Hay in Oak Cliff feels like a gem you’d find tucked into a sleepy Mexican town—no frills, no seating area, just the perfect street tacos delivered in a Styrofoam clam shell. Long lines have been forming outside for nearly 30 years, and on the weekends, you might wait 45 minutes to order at the window. It’s worth it.

Another taquería that deserves a nod: From its unbeatable prices to its fresh horchata to its salsas that aren’t for the faint of heart, this counter-service taquería with six locations around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex will do the trick if your lunch break doesn’t leave you time to fly to Mexico City. Tacos La Banqueta is the real deal, beloved for its gringas, sopes, and tacos that never skimp on filling. [Various locations]

This swanky spot in the Design District is at the opposite end of the spectrum from three-dollar tacos through a window: The Mexican has a dress code and a $250 margarita with citrus gold salt. Ambiance reigns supreme—rich leather and jewel-toned furniture, tasteful drop lights, and tequila bottles displayed behind glass. The meal starts with chips and an array of five salsas. Try the lobster elote and then move on to the king crab enchiladas.

For truly kitschy, delightful Dallas Tex-Mex fun, the recently relocated (by just a few blocks) Mia’s has been a go-to for over 40 years. The décor includes walls painted solid Barbie pink or bright yellow, neon sign art, and tablecloths in loud prints. In classic Tex-Mex fashion, the huge plates include neatly compartmentalized entrees, rice, refried beans, and sometimes a salad dominated by avocado slices.

_{Kevin Marple}

Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman racks up James Beard nods, constant placements on best-of lists, and general recognition among Dallas’s top chefs for her contemporary Mexican restaurant on Lovers Lane. José’s ambiance is chic and bustling, with its spacious bar, many ceramics, and a black-and-white tile wall mural. Come for the top-shelf margaritas, stay for the braised short rib enchiladas in guajillo sauce. And the churro bread pudding, of course.

It’s hard to add a national chain to the list, but also hard not to add a national chain to the list. It would be unauthentically Dallas not to include a Tex-Mex chain because every Dallasite has a favorite—Gloria’s (technically ‘Latin,’ but it still shows up on Tex-Mex lists), Torchy’s, Chuy’s. Uncle Julio’s has 31 restaurants in the US, a third of which are in Texas, and all the Tex-Mex comfort foods are on offer—sizzling fajitas, tacos salads, and queso that stands out in a city of queso. Even their gimmicky offerings, like Taco Bar Tuesday, don’t disappoint. [Various locations]

_{Douglas Friedman}

The ambiance is chic, the service is impeccable, and it’s impossible to order the wrong thing. That’s why critics and diners rave about the newest restaurant in Duro Hospitality’s collection. Menu items offer unusual flavor combinations and elevated takes on the classics. Think duck confit with cherry mole and tamarind halibut with huitlacoche rice.

For neighborhood Tex-Mex way off the beaten path, this little spot in Melissa (about 40 miles north of Downtown) where sombreros adorn the walls serves up cheesy enchiladas, all-day Mexican breakfast, small-town charm, and a chance to hide from everyone you’ve ever met. Needless to say, the prices are about half of what you’d pay for Tex-Mex in the city.

From the casual grab-a-seat vibe to the papel picado traversing the ceiling to the shrimp cocktail that resembles a shrimp bloody Mary, this Oak Cliff spot feels like a hole-in-the-wall in Guadalajara—nothing fancy, but the portions are enormous, the food is addictive, and the regulars are accordingly enthusiastic. The menu offers all of the best dishes from the Mexican state of Jalisco and some Tex-Mex, too.