Best Mexican Restaurants in Calgary

Whether it’s tacos, burritos or enchiladas, a hole-in-the-wall taqueria or a sit-down fiesta dinner, Calgary loves its Mexican food. The number of choices has definitely grown over the years, but these are some of the best places to hit when you want to satisfy a craving for great Mexican food.

AÑEJO

Fun and lively, AÑEJO is the place for a party, thanks to its contemporary Mexican décor, extensive list of high-end tequilas, and some of the tastiest margaritas in town. There are plenty of tacos on the menu, but even better, Anejo specializes in authentic Mexican entrees like camarones rancheros and chile relleno.

Address: 2116 4 St SW

Blanco Cantina

A casual but festive sports bar/cantina, Blanco Cantina is all about the margaritas and tortillas. The customizable nachos, fish tacos and fajitas are all worth checking out, but the house specialty as are the formidable burritos, stuffed with anything from blackened fish to crispy cauliflower and black beans.

Address: 1140 Kensington Rd NW , 723 17 Ave SW , 8537 Broadcast Ave SW

Don Taco

Alli Said, the chef and owner of Don Taco is originally from Mexico and started selling tacos from a window at the back of the bar while he was the chef co-owner at Mikey’s on 12th in 2019. When he and Mikey parted ways, Said rebranded his business as Don Taco, running a takeaway location in Highwood. These street-style tacos aren’t fancy, but they are made with love, fresh ingredients, and loads of flavour.

Address: 4121 4 St NW

Fonda Fora

A modern contemporary Mexican restaurant that is both chic and delicious. Fonda Fora boasts a “corn forward” menu built around masa, the corn dough used to make tortillas and other staples of Mexican cuisine, with an added emphasis on seafood. Its location in the Westley Hotel requires Fonda Fora to be an all-day affair, with breakfast in the morning and a lunch and dinner menu full of delicate Mexican seafood dishes, hearty meats, and other flavourful bites.

Address: 630 4 Ave SW

Fortuna’s Row

Fortuna’s Row is billed as a Latin American restaurant rather than as straight-up Mexican, but many guests will associate chef Mikko Tamarra’s food with Mexican fare. This cool and cavernous restaurant falls into the higher end of spectrum and its combination of inventive small plates, opulent sharing platters and artistic cocktails make for a truly magnificent dining experience.

Address: 421 Riverfront Ave SE

Golden Cactus

Part of Calgary’s eclectic stretch of restaurants on International Avenue, Golden Cactus is a family-operated restaurant offering the full gamut of Mexican favourites. The list of tacos is lengthy and the restaurant also specializes in ceviche and shrimp dishes, enchiladas, and tortes. Don’t miss out on the signature Golden Cactus mocajete with layers of meat, cheese, and cactus served in a hot stone bowl with a side of tortillas for the ultimate Mexican meal.

Address: 5315 17 Ave SE

Masa Mama

Masa Mama started life as Con Mi Taco, a wildly clever pandemic-era pop-up celebrating the art of the taco. Their bricks and mortar restaurant is just as good, with creative and flavourful tacos served on either fresh masa (a.k.a. Corn) or duck fat flour tortillas. There are some classic taco fillings, but the kitchen also leans towards fusion, with Asian flowers as well as a killer smash burger-style taco. There are also plenty of great appetizer and Mexican-inspired cocktails.

Address: 3429 22 St SW

Milpa

This beautiful turquoise restaurant was originally founded by acclaimed chef Elia Herrera, who opened a restaurant in Calgary with the mission to show people the wider breadth of Mexican food. The menu is made up of a series of large and small plates all designed to be shared, with dishes like a trio of irresistible dips served with housemate chips, ultra-crispy empanadas, bright and citrusy ceviche, and large format meats, as well as a variety of tacos. Come thirsty — Milpa also has a fantastic cocktail program, including multiple flavours of margaritas.

Address: 1531 5 St SW

Native Tongues Taqueria

One of Calgary’s most esteemed Mexican restaurants, Native Tongues is part authentic taqueria and part chic foodie hangout. Don’t expect any gloppy cheese burritos or Tex-Mex here — the kitchen is more about sumptuous tacos filled with braised pork, slow-roasted lamb neck, or juicy mushrooms, as well as specialty items like Papas Norteñas baked potatoes smothered in taco fillings. The carefully crafted cocktails are also a huge draw, specifically Native Tongues’ signature Mezcalgarita, a smoky take on a classic marg.

Address: 4014 University Ave NW , 235 12 Ave SW , or 829 49 Ave SW

Molcajete

Walk too quickly through the Crossroads Market and you’ll miss this unassuming stall, which just happens to serve what may be the tastiest traditional tacos in town. The thoughtfully prepared meals are a big draw, but the real superstars at Molcajete  are the shop’s homemade sauces and salsas, particularly an intensely addictive creamy cilantro sauce. Be sure to buy a tub to take home — you’ll be putting that stuff on everything.

 Address: 1235 26 Ave SE

The Spicy Amigos

The street tacos at Spicy Amigos , filled with traditional choices like beef tongue, beef skirt, pork belly, and al pastor, are pretty irresistible, but they’re just a small part of the restaurant’s menu. Other standouts include stone bowls of molcajete regio with chorizo, carne asana and gooey cheese, as well as sopes, which are available with the same fillings as the tacos. All of the food is incredibly fresh and the service is friendly, making this downtown spot one of Calgary’s true underrated gems.

Address: 821 4 Ave SW

Tacos Mexico Memorial

This casual and welcoming Mexican restaurant is all about the tacos — in fact, Tacos Mexico serves approximately 20 different varieties of street tacos. Get your lengua, barbacoa, camaron, or nopales (cactus) fix or mix and match by sharing multiple orders with a group of friends. If you’re not in the mood for tacos, Tacos Mexico also cooks up all the regular Mexican favourites — fajitas, flats, enchiladas and more — available individually or as part of a platter.

 Address: 3725 Memorial Dr

Tres Marias

Tres Marias is a Mexican food market located in friendly Marda Loop , but in addition to selling fresh tortillas, salsas, prepared meals and imported grocery items, the shop runs a counter serving daily hot meal selections. There are different specials every day, including tacos on Tuesdays, as well as home-cooked tortilla soup, tostadas, enchiladas and other favourites.

Address: 2006 34 Ave SW

Tu Tierra

Mexican cuisine in Calgary doesn’t get closer to the real deal than this — run by a family that immigrated to Calgary from Mexico City, Tu Tierra is your classic friendly sit-down Mexican joint. Local favourites include the steak and pineapple quesadillas, deliciously complex chicken mole enchiladas and the street sopes with a trio of different fillings. The biggest problem with this place is simply deciding what to order.

Address: 8995 Bonaventure Dr SE