See The Best Mexican Restaurants Across America

May 5th is pretty much the same as any other day in Mexico. A minor holiday south of the border, it marks Mexico’s defeat of France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Few Mexicans outside of Puebla (the home of mole poblano!) bother celebrating it.

But here in the U.S., thanks to those brilliant marketers working for beer companies and other brands back in the ‘80s, we’ve come to embrace Cinco de Mayo as a celebration of Mexican food, beer, tequila, culture, and more food. 

Not that we need a reason to scarf down more tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and whatever other Americanized or authentic Mexican dish we’ve come to love. As a nation, we’ve fueled the growth and popularity of food trucks, hole-in-the-wall taquerias, fast food joints, and white-linen Mexican restaurants across the country. About 38,000 places serving Mexican food have sprung up in every state as of 2011, beating out the number of Italian and Chinese restaurants in the country, according to ABC News and the U.S. Census Bureau. 

To help target the best of those 38,000 (and we’re sure the number’s higher today), Yahoo Food worked with Yelp to formulate a list of 46 of the highest ranked Mexican eateries — based on user ratings and number of reviews— in every region of the country. This is far from a definitive “best of” list, but we hope it serves as a roadmap that will lead you to new discoveries, new food, and new experiences any day of the year. 

Tacos El Gordo’s coveted chorizo taco. (Photo: Tacos El Gordo, Facebook)

California: Tacos El Gordo, 689 H Street, Chula Vista; 4.5 stars, 1687 reviews.

At Tacos El Gordo there’s one line for the famous adobada and another for the chorizo, carne asada, lengua, cabeza, buche, and other meats. Make sure to bring a friend. You’ll want to cover both lines at once (especially on busy nights) and load up on everything. Don’t forget to ask for pineapple with the adobada and the grilled green onions and peppers with everything else. Super-fresh ingredients and tender, tasty meats make these among the very best tacos served in the San Diego area. “It’s everything you could ask for in a taqueria,” says Steve N. of Orange County, echoing the sentiment of most other Yelpers who make Tacos El Gordo a regular stop.