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.
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 chili relleno.
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.
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. Being located in the Westley Hotel means Fonda Fora is 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.
Fortuna’s Row is billed as a Latin American restaurant rather than as straight-up Mexican, but most 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.
Fonda Fora
Fortuna's Row (Photo Credit: Colin Way)
Part of Calgary’s eclectic stretch of restaurants on International Avenue, Golden Cactus is a family-operated restaurant the offers 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.
With both a stand-alone restaurant and a taco stall in the Calgary Farmers’ Market, Los Chilitos offers a couple of different experiences, but either way, you’re getting fresh and flavourful Mexican fare. All the Mexican classics are represented on the taco list (barbacoa, al pastor, chorizo) with hearty favourites like chile relleno, burritos and enmoladas rounding out the rest of the menu.
Alli Said, the chef and co-owner of the Mikey’s on 12th music venue is originally from Mexico. In 2019 he opened a dedicated Taco Shop out of the back of the bar. He opened a second stand-alone Taco Shop location in Highwood soon after, making his incredible food available to people all over the city. These street-style tacos aren’t fancy, but they are made with love, fresh ingredients, and loads of flavour.
This beautiful turquoise restaurant is the playground of acclaimed chef Elia Herrera, who came to Calgary with the mission to show people the wider breadth of Mexican food. The menu is made up of a series of hot and cold small plates all designed to be shared, with dishes like a clever vegetarian coconut ceviche, a trio of irresistible dips served with plantain, taro, and corn chips, and ultra-crispy empanadas. Come thirsty — Milpa also has one of the most creative cocktail programs in the city.
The Moose and Poncho stall in the First Street Market food hall serves up some mind-blowingly delicious street-style tacos. Chef Miguel Cornejo is from Mexico City and he combines the flavours and techniques he picked up there with Canadian ingredients and free-range pork to take his tacos to the next level. The birria, cochinita pibil, carnitas, and other tacos are all near perfect, with a selection of house-made tacos to truly take them over the top.
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 pork belly or beef stripling cooked over live fire, slow-roasted lamb neck, or locally cultivated mushrooms. The carefully crafted cocktails are also a huge draw, specifically Native Tongues’ signature Mezcalgarita, a smoky take on a classic marg.
Milpa
Native Tongues Taqueria
Walk too quickly through the Crossroads Market and you’ll miss this non-descript 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.
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 hidden gems.
This casual and welcoming Mexican restaurant is all about the tacos — in fact, Tacos Mexico serves 19 different varieties of 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.
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.
Mexican cuisine in Calgary doesn’t get more authentic than this — run by a family that immigrated to Calgary from Mexico City, Tu Tierra is your classic friendly sit-down Mexican joint. The food is unlike any you’ll find elsewhere in Calgary: 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.
