Best Mexican Restaurants in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia — updated August 21, 2026
From a counter-service taco spot on Route 1 to a kitchen operating inside a Forest Hill Avenue brewery, these are the Richmond-area Mexican restaurants with the ratings and review volume to back them up.
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Richmond's Mexican restaurants are spread wide: a taqueria on Route 1 south of the city, a kitchen working out of a brewery taproom on Forest Hill Avenue, a downtown counter on Grace Street, and two long-running sit-down rooms out toward Mechanicsville. Ratings here cluster tightly between 4.3 and 4.6, so review volume does most of the work in separating them. The list below is ordered by how firmly each rating is established, with a note on where the evidence is thinner.
1. Tacos Mexico
The strongest combination of rating and volume in this group: 4.6 across 914 reviews, which is a settled number rather than a promising one. It sits at 4108 Route 1 in South Richmond, with the menu posted above the grill and a long list of options beyond tacos, including tortas, gorditas, menudo, quesadillas, tacos de papas and meat fries. One TripAdvisor reviewer reported ordering the taco platter and getting a large amount of food for under $10. Listed hours run 10am to 8pm on Monday and Tuesday. Order at the counter and read the board before you get to the front.
2. Y Tu Mamá | Mexican Food
A Mexican kitchen operating inside The Veil Brewing Co. at 4910 Forest Hill Ave, which makes it the most unusual setup on this list and one of the better-rated: 4.6 from 328 reviews. That is fewer reviews than Tacos Mexico, so the rating is less thoroughly tested, but it is consistent. The schedule matters more here than at most places, because it follows the taproom: Tuesday through Friday 4pm to 9pm, Saturday from noon to 9pm, Sunday noon to 6pm, closed Monday. Plan around the Tuesday-to-Friday late-afternoon start.
3. Rico's Mexican Grill
A 4.5 rating across 663 reviews puts Rico's among the most thoroughly reviewed rooms in the area, and the score has held. The Brashier Boulevard kitchen in Mechanicsville runs a large menu of familiar Mexican restaurant dishes, with corn tortillas available on request. A TripAdvisor review describes prices as standard for the Richmond market. The business states that every item on the menu is prepared in its entirety in its own kitchen. Listed hours open at 11am and close at 9pm, including Sunday, which makes it one of the easier options for a late Sunday lunch.
4. Mezcal mexican restaurant
Rated 4.6 from 286 reviews, the highest score here but on the smallest sample, so treat it as promising rather than proven. It is at 7500 Jackson Arch Dr in Mechanicsville, and the appetizer list includes the Mezcal Happy Sampler with wings, cheese quesadillas and taquitos, plus cheese dip in two sizes and a bean dip. Hours are worth confirming before you drive out: the restaurant's own site lists 11am to 9pm every day, while Yelp shows it opening at 11am Tuesday through Sunday and closed Monday.
5. Ay Caramba Mexican Food
The most central option on this list, at 204 E Grace St downtown, holding 4.5 from 375 reviews. The menu is built for a quick lunch: taco salad, taco platters, nachos, quesadillas, burritos and burrito bowls, with a kids menu and desserts. The business promotes Taco Tuesdays and Fajita Fridays. Hours are the thing to watch. It is closed Sunday, and Wednesday runs short, with listings showing a 4pm close that day against 8pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday. Doors open at 10am.
6. Mexico Restaurant
The most-reviewed place in this guide by a wide margin, with more than 1,100 reviews behind a 4.3, which is a lower score but the most heavily tested one here. The Forest Hill Avenue location at number 7001 runs a broad sit-down menu organized by section: fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, chimichangas, seafood, and steak and pork. There are happy hour specials advertised. Listed hours are 11am to 9pm on Monday and Tuesday. If you want a full table-service room with a long menu rather than counter service, this is the default.