Best Mexican Restaurants in Tempe (2026)

Carne asada tacos are the anchor at this Tempe shop, and the California burrito has its own following. The price point is low, the portions are honest, and the room runs counter service with enough pace to handle a quick lunch stop. Proximity to the Ikea corridor sends a fair amount of first-time traffic through the door, and most of it comes back. The carnitas torta rounds out the short list of things to order.

Tableside guacamole is the opening move here, and the carne asada burrito and chicken flautas at happy hour have built real repeat business. Service is attentive, and the patio works well during Tempe's cooler months. This is a full-service room aimed at group dinners and family occasions rather than a quick counter stop. Chile rellenos and carne asada tacos are the consistent picks across the regular order.

Maskadores operates out of Basha's plaza and keeps the format simple: clean counter service, a focused menu, and carne asada tacos that earn steady loyalty. The taco salad draws unexpected praise alongside the breakfast burrito and chile rellenos. Happy hour brings the price down further on a room that is already operating at the budget end of the register. Staff consistency is a point of pride here.

The torta ahogada is the reason to make the drive: a Guadalajara-style sandwich drowned in chile sauce, not common in the Tempe rotation. Huevos rancheros and a chorizo-and-egg burrito make this a strong weekend brunch address. The kitchen leans toward the kind of regional Mexican preparation that does not get much representation on this side of the Valley. Bring the family; the format is casual and the portions are generous.

Salazar Bros runs a drive-through and keeps the line moving, which is the whole point at the dollar-sign price tier. The carne asada burrito is juicy and consistent; the breakfast burritos move fast in the morning and are a reason to use that drive-through lane. Green chile pork and chicken enchiladas fill out a menu that does not overcomplicate things. Fresh, quick, and reliable are the three words that come up most.

Casa Reynoso sits in a strip center and draws the kind of crowd that fills a lunch room by midday on a weekday. The cooking reads as home-style rather than formula: carnitas tacos, carne asada burrito, and chicken fajitas that taste like someone's kitchen rather than a commissary. Service is fast and the menu covers the familiar ground well. The enchilada plate is a steady order for regulars who come back on the clock.

Anaya's is a family-run room in Tempe that has been holding its corner long enough to develop genuine regulars. The chicken mole is the standout: rich, layered, and the kind of preparation that takes time. Breakfast burritos with chorizo and the carne asada plate are the everyday workhorses. The family behind the room is part of the draw; long-term customers treat it like a neighborhood institution, which at this point it is.

Poliberto's carne asada fries have a following in Tempe that goes back years, and the California burrito and carnitas plate keep the regulars cycling through. This is counter service at the lowest price tier, and the front-counter staff has earned its own reputation for consistency and hospitality. The format is quick and the food is straightforward. Service hiccups show up in the record occasionally, but the kitchen's core output is what keeps people returning.

Cocina Chiwas is the Tempe outpost of Tacos Chiwas, a Phoenix-area name rooted in Chihuahuan-style preparations that stand apart from the Sonoran default. Carnitas tacos and the carne asada plate are the anchors; tres leches cake is worth ordering if it is on the menu. The patio fits large groups during the cooler season. Expectations run high given the brand's reputation, and the kitchen delivers more often than not on a weekend dinner.

La Casa de Juana is a small, colorfully decorated room in Tempe with a bar counter and occasional live music. Chicken enchiladas with mole and the carne asada plate are the consistent orders. The room rewards regulars; first-time visits have sometimes run into slow seating, but the food itself holds up. Beef fajitas are a reliable group order. For a neighborhood Mexican dinner with some character to the room, this address has held its following.

Loreto's is a walk-up window operation in Tempe, and the format is the point. Roll tacos with fries, a green chile burro, and machaca and eggs are the draws, and the breakfast burrito with chorizo has a devoted morning following. The kitchen is consistent across visits in a way that builds the kind of quiet loyalty that keeps a window-service spot running for years. Order to go, the line moves, and the price stays at the low end of the register.

Amado's keeps the price at the dollar-sign floor and the seasoning dialed in on both carne asada and chicken, which is a combination that earns repeat business in Tempe. The California burrito is the most frequently cited order, and the breakfast burritos have a takeout following. Chile relleno rounds out the menu. The room has been around long enough that some regulars have noticed gradual changes in the build-out, but the kitchen's output remains the reason to stop.