Atlanta’s Mexican dining scene has grown dramatically in depth and authenticity over the past two decades, driven by the region’s large and rapidly expanding Latino population, which has brought regional Mexican culinary traditions from Oaxaca, Jalisco, Veracruz, and beyond to the city’s neighborhoods. Buford Highway, running through Chamblee and Doraville northeast of Atlanta, remains the metro’s premier corridor for authentic regional Mexican and Latin American dining, with taqueria-style spots serving handmade tortillas, birria, and mole alongside sit-down restaurants serving the full spectrum of Mexican regional cuisine. The city’s broader restaurant scene has also embraced elevated Mexican concepts from chef-driven operations in Buckhead and Midtown that interpret Mexican flavors through a fine dining lens. Atlanta’s Mexican restaurant landscape now spans neighborhood taqueria, upscale contemporary cantina, and everything in between.
When evaluating Mexican restaurants in Atlanta, look for specific regional identifiers that signal culinary authenticity, such as Oaxacan moles and tlayudas, Veracruz-style seafood preparations, or Jalisco-inspired birria. Restaurants that make tortillas by hand using masa from dried corn rather than commercial flour-based alternatives demonstrate a meaningful commitment to culinary quality. Taqueria-style operations serving a focused menu executed well often outperform large-format restaurants trying to cover every Mexican dish. For restaurants offering margaritas and cocktails, a selection of quality agave spirits, including mezcal alongside tequila, indicates a thoughtful beverage program.
Top Mexican Restaurant Companies in Atlanta
1. Nuevo Laredo Cantina
Founded: 1992
Leadership: Chance Evans (Owner)
Address: 1495 Chattahoochee Avenue NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: 404-352-9009
Website: https://www.nuevolaredocantina.com
Hours: Tue-Thu 11AM-9PM, Fri-Sat 11AM-10PM, Sun 12PM-9PM, Mon Closed
Google Rating: 4.4/5 based on TripAdvisor, ranked #105 of 2,339 Atlanta restaurants
Awards & Recognition: Voted Best of Atlanta by Atlanta Magazine since 1992; Zagat Award of Distinction
Services:
- Authentic Mexican cuisine without Tex-Mex fusion
- Full bar program
- Dine-in and carry-out
About: Nuevo Laredo Cantina opened in 1992 founded by Chance Evans, who first introduced authentic Mexican cooking to Atlanta in the 1980s through his U.S. Bar Y Grill. Evans’s commitment to “authentic Mexican cooking without the Tex-Mex” has been validated by more than 30 consecutive years of Best of Atlanta recognition from Atlanta Magazine and a Zagat Award of Distinction. The restaurant occupies a slightly ramshackle building on Chattahoochee Avenue filled with culturally rich iconography from photos to ornate crucifixes, creating an immersive environment that extends the authenticity of the food. Evans has deliberately not franchised or expanded, keeping Nuevo Laredo a singular, first-class experience. Signature dishes include Chicken Mole, Pork Tender Brisket, Chile Rellenos, Lobster Tacos, and Enchiladas.
2. No Mas! Cantina
Founded: Restaurant opened 2006 (No Mas! Productions founded 1996)
Leadership: Walt Bilinski and Steve MacNeil (Founders)
Address: 180 Walker Street SW, Suite B, Atlanta, GA 30313
Phone: 404-574-5678
Website: https://www.nomascantina.com
Hours: Daily 8AM-10PM (Breakfast daily; Lunch 11AM-4PM; Dinner Sun-Thu 4PM-10PM, Fri-Sat 4PM-11PM)
Awards & Recognition: Atlanta Downtown Design Excellence Award for Best Restaurant/Bar; TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award; named one of Atlanta’s Top Shops by Atlanta Magazine
Services:
- Full-service Mexican restaurant with 350 seats
- Covered outdoor patio
- 80+ tequilas
- Artisan Market with over 500 Mexican artisans
- Daily breakfast and brunch service
About: No Mas! Cantina opened in Atlanta’s Castleberry Hill Historic and Art District in 2006, an extension of No Mas! Productions, which Walt Bilinski and Steve MacNeil founded in 1996 to design and source authentic Mexican artisan furnishings and decor. The combined restaurant and artisan market concept is genuinely unique in the Atlanta dining landscape, offering a 350-seat Mexican restaurant with 80 or more tequilas alongside a curated collection of furniture, lighting, jewelry, and architectural elements sourced directly from artisans across Mexico. Located half a mile south of CNN and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Castleberry Hill, the restaurant earned the Atlanta Downtown Design Excellence Award for Best Restaurant/Bar. The owners have worked with Mexican artisan and culinary communities for nearly 25 years, and that depth of connection informs both the menu and the shopping experience.
3. Taqueria La Oaxaquena
Address: 6768 Tara Boulevard, Jonesboro, GA
Website: https://www.taquerialaoaxaquena.com
Hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 10AM-10PM
Awards & Recognition: Top 50 restaurants in Atlanta by Atlanta Magazine; voted Best Mexican Restaurant in Atlanta by Creative Loafing
Services:
- Authentic Oaxacan Mexican cuisine
- Traditional moles, tlayudas, and regional specialties
- Dine-in and carry-out
About: Taqueria La Oaxaquena has earned recognition from both Atlanta Magazine, which placed it in the city’s top 50 restaurants, and Creative Loafing, which voted it the Best Mexican Restaurant in Atlanta, validating its commitment to authentic Oaxacan culinary traditions in a market where Oaxacan cuisine remains relatively rare. The Oaxaca region of Mexico is known for its complex moles, grasshopper-topped tlayudas, and distinctive preparations that differ substantially from more common Tex-Mex or generic Mexican restaurant menus. The taqueria’s focus on a specific regional culinary tradition rather than a broad “Mexican” menu reflects an authenticity-first approach that Atlanta’s increasingly sophisticated dining public has recognized with sustained critical and popular support. The restaurant serves the Clayton County and south Atlanta market area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the best areas in Atlanta to find authentic Mexican food?
A: Buford Highway in Chamblee and Doraville is Atlanta’s most authentic corridor for regional Mexican dining, with taqueria-style restaurants serving handmade tortillas, regional stews, and preparations rarely found elsewhere in the city. The Castleberry Hill and Downtown area hosts No Mas! Cantina’s distinctive experience. The northwest Atlanta neighborhoods near Chattahoochee Avenue are home to Nuevo Laredo Cantina, one of the city’s longest-running authentic Mexican institutions. For Oaxacan-specific cuisine, Taqueria La Oaxaquena serves the south Atlanta and Clayton County market.
Q: What is the difference between authentic Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Atlanta?
A: Authentic Mexican restaurants focus on regional Mexican culinary traditions using masa-based tortillas, complex moles, achiote-marinated meats, regional salsas, and preparations specific to states like Oaxaca, Jalisco, or Veracruz. Tex-Mex is a distinct culinary tradition developed along the Texas-Mexico border featuring items like nachos, fajitas, and combination plates with yellow cheese that are less prevalent in interior Mexican cuisine. Nuevo Laredo Cantina explicitly identifies its approach as “authentic Mexican cooking without the Tex-Mex,” while Taqueria La Oaxaquena’s regional specialization offers an even deeper dive into a specific Mexican culinary tradition. Both approaches have merit, but buyers seeking regional Mexican authenticity should look specifically for that language in restaurant descriptions.
Q: What should I expect to spend at Atlanta’s top Mexican restaurants?
A: Casual taqueria-style dining at places like Taqueria La Oaxaquena typically runs $10-$20 per person, making it one of Atlanta’s best value dining propositions. Nuevo Laredo Cantina averages $25-$40 per person for a full dinner with drinks, while No Mas! Cantina’s larger format with a full bar runs $30-$50 per person for dinner including cocktails. Upscale Mexican concepts in Midtown and Buckhead like Alma Cocina can reach $50-$70 per person for a complete experience with premium mezcal cocktails.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s Mexican restaurant landscape delivers genuine culinary quality from the Oaxacan-focused Taqueria La Oaxaquena, Creative Loafing’s pick for best in the city, to the 30-plus-year authentic Mexican institution Nuevo Laredo Cantina on Chattahoochee Avenue, and the distinctive dining and artisan market experience of No Mas! Cantina in Castleberry Hill. Each represents a serious commitment to Mexican culinary authenticity that goes well beyond the generic Tex-Mex options available on every suburban strip. Reservations are recommended for No Mas! Cantina and Nuevo Laredo Cantina on weekend evenings.