Where to Find the Best Mexican Food in Charlottesville

Rob Jiranek
4 days ago
6 min read

Mexican Food, as a category, has a long and glorious history in Charlottesville.

Some of our oldest restaurants are also among those that introduced the “South of the Border” taste to local diners beginning in the 1980s. Mexican Restaurants continue to provide a filling and relaxing dining experience suitable for those who crave tangy peppers, creamy guac, toasted corn chips, and luscious queso.

In recent years, however, our Mexican Food has evolved to reflect the diversity of Latin-American influences newer both to Charlottesville and America in general. As a college town we’re often an “early adaptor” of diverse offerings. This is quite evident in the newer restaurants that we more properly categorize as Latin American. Here less familiar ingredients and spices expand our consciousness of the interesting tastes from Mexico and beyond.

In this review, we’ll consider a number of traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants, as well as an emerging list of newer establishments, and invite you to share in their flavors and culture.

Traditional Mexican

Mexican restaurants where tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas served with corn, chiles, rice, and refried beans are brought to booths and tables splashed with a Mexican Rococo sensibility have long been popular in Charlottesville. The service is always friendly. The beer is cold and chips and salsa hit the table instantly. The food is filling in the classic sense of “comfort.” The atmosphere is relaxed, and the bill won’t cause you to choke on a chip. Here are Charlottesville’s best traditional Mexican spots:

Guadalajara – Started in 1988 by Charlottesville’s first Mexican Restaurant family, the Orentes, “Guad” has 4 locations across town, making it hard to miss when a Mexican craving is calling.
El Puerto – Open since the mid 1990s near Barracks Road Shopping Center, El Puerto has long been a trusted destination for classic Mexican cuisine. Their menu includes all the standard fare with fast service in a vintage space where FIFA fans congregate and, occasionally, mariachi music is performed.
Plaza Azteca – With a sparkling new location on 29 North, Plaza Azteca has doubled-down on its long popularity in Charlottesville. It features a lively, colorful central bar surrounded by tables and booths beneath vivid neon art that provides a festive atmosphere. An extensive menu offers numerous classics, and their guacamole made tableside is as fun to watch as it is delicious to share.
Fiesta Azteca – Opened in its new location in January 2024, at the split of Highway 250 and Route 240 west of town, this restaurant has captured the enthusiasm of an appreciative community between Charlottesville and Crozet. With an extensive menu of traditional Mexican dishes, Fiesta Azteca is certain to satisfy your craving.

Tex-Mex
Charlottesville is an ideal place for an Americanization of traditional Mexican cuisine. Like dusty boots and worn denim, Tex-Mex conceptually capitalizes on Charlottesville’s affinity for saddles, bolo ties, and tequila, and we have two of the best Tex-Mex spots in Virginia:
1. Brazos – Locally owned with Ix Park and Barracks Road Shopping Center locations, Brazos serves a la carte tacos, burritos, and a full bar. Make your selection at the bar and quick service arrives at your table indoors or out. Brazos combines the relaxing and the exotic into a fun, casual experience.
2. Continental Divide – Maybe one of Charlottesville’s best loved and most famous eateries, this slender restaurant with a lively bar has been drawing a crowd on West Main since 1994. Opening at 5pm daily, plan to arrive early to find a seat. “Get in Here” has been their slogan from the get-go, and that means now. The menu includes favorites like Red Hot Blues Nachos, Black Angus and Black Bean Chili, and the Santa Fe Enchilada, all washed down with one of the best margaritas in Charlottesville.

Upscale Mexican

When you hear something like, “That’s not what they eat in Mexico,” you’re entering the modern period in Mexican Cuisine. Signals that you’ve climbed a culinary ladder are regional terms like Veracruz, Oaxaca, Yucatan; you can sense a new flair like a coastal breeze.

Conmole – In the center of Belmont, Charlottesville’s top restaurant enclave, Conmole awaits to serve its diners an array of complex and velvety moles – from roasted black bean to to guajillo – that coat delicious dishes like jumbo shrimp, slow-cooked New Zealand lamb or pork ribs. The small interior space holds several tables and can seasonally expand outside for a delightful en plein air dining experience.
The Bebedero – Charlottesville’s first upscale Mexican eatery founded by the late Will Richey and current owner River Hawkins, this exotic restaurant features a stunning interior replete with numerous River Hawkins artworks. Located on the Downtown Mall, Bebedero is a favorite of Charlottesville Food Tours. The Bebedero’s guacamole and ceviche are the best in town, as are their margaritas! Caution: they can be quite crowded during the busy season (i.e. University functions), so plan ahead with a reservation to be safe.
Mejicali – A second offering from respected restauranteur and mezcal specialist River Hawkins, Mejicali is new on West Main Street. Like sister restaurant The Bebedero, Mejicali is a sensational space filled with Mexican and Southern Californian images and symbols, and no one in town spins a better tequila drink than Mejicali. An array of small plates includes Puerco y Jalapenos, Salsa Macha Con Chicharron, and unforgettable Esquite Bombs. Mejicali frequently offers live music inside and seasonally outside on a shady patio overlooking the train station.
Mariscos El Barco -– Also on West Main, this restaurant is renowned for its seafood offerings. Dishes such as Pepinos El Barco and Aguachiles Verdes, Rojos O Mixtos, and others are about the freshest in town.

Latin American Food

“Latin American food” is a broader category that encompasses the cuisines of many Latin American countries stretching from Mexico to Patagonia. This includes “Caribbean” flavors from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, that drift away from the heavier spices of Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. Key ingredients across Latin American food include corn, beans, plantains, rice, and various tropical fruits (like mango, pineapple, and guava), and there’s a big emphasis on using fresh herbs like cilantro and a variety of cooking methods, such as grilling, stewing, and frying.

A number of interesting new Latin American kitchens have opened in Charlottesville in recent years, including:

El Tio (Honduran) – Located in the space that was once home to famed Tokyo Rose, El Tio is a specialty pupusas house upstairs and a rich Latin American grocery downstairs! With chicharron, loca, jalepeno, and more, El Tio is a friendly spot to have a bite and enjoy a soccer game on tv.
Guajiros – One of the hottest restaurants in town and owned by a delightful, close-knit family, this “Miami” eatery tingles with Cuban energy. A central bar overlooks tables in two rooms and an outdoor patio along 10th Street. A DJ station matches spices of pinto and pico to send your skin to tingle and your toes to tap. A delicious breakfast menu featuring Heuvos Rancheros, Sobe Avocado Toast, and several egg dishes makes this one of Charlottesville’s top brunch spots, but an expansive sandwich and platter selection give Guajiros relevance throughout the day.
Arepas – In 5th Street Station, this Venezuelan steakhouse serves delicious grilled meats like no one else in town. The husband-wife ownership team gained wide local fame for their omnipresent food truck before they added this bricks-and-mortar to the menu. Dishes include picanha and NY strips, ribeyes, lamb steaks, and savory grilled chicken. These main courses are served with cheeses, avocado, red onions, and sometimes fried egg.
Al Carbon – Another Charlottesville phenomenon, Al Carbon specializes in charcoal-grilled chicken that falls off the bone like Memphis barbecue! Al Carbon is a rare combination of quick-serve and knock-out delicious so that it becomes both crowded and efficient at midday and early evening. The passion of founder Myriam Ocampo, the service is friendly and quick, the environment is bright and comfortable, and the dishes are delightful and quite memorable. We especially recommend their burrito and para papa!