The Best Mexican Restaurants in San Antonio (2026)

We read 200 reviews across 20 Mexican businesses in San Antonio to tell traditional cooking from competent Tex-Mex. With addresses and what customers actually say.

The short answer

If you only read one paragraph: for barbacoa, Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa; for menudo, El Milagrito Café; for mole, Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia.

How we put this list together

We did not sort by stars. We took the 20 Mexican businesses we have mapped in San Antonio, read 200 Google reviews on September 9, 2026, and looked for four specific things in the text: several different customers describing traditional cooking, mentions of a neighborhood or family-run place, regional dishes named outright, and handmade tortillas or nixtamalized masa.

Then we adjusted the rating: a 5.0 with twelve reviews is not the same as a 4.6 with three thousand. And we subtracted points for Tex-Mex markers - legitimate cooking, but not what you came here for.

To be clear: this is not a verdict on who cooks best. It is what the reviews said on one specific day.

Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa

1737 S General McMullen Dr, West Side, San Antonio, TX 78237. Rated 4.3 from 1,305 Google reviews.

2 of the 10 reviews we read mention traditional cooking, family ownership or handmade tortillas; and customers name specific dishes: barbacoa, carnitas, mole, tamales, menudo.

El Milagrito Café

521 E Woodlawn Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212. Rated 4.4 from 1,890 Google reviews.

2 of the 10 reviews we read mention traditional cooking, family ownership or handmade tortillas; and customers name specific dishes: menudo.

Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia

218 Produce Row. Rated 4.4 from 25,442 Google reviews.

3 of the 10 reviews we read mention traditional cooking, family ownership or handmade tortillas; and customers name specific dishes: mole, pan dulce.

Mi Tierra Café y Panadería

218 Produce Row, Market Square, San Antonio, TX 78207. Rated 4.4 from 25,442 Google reviews.

3 of the 10 reviews we read mention traditional cooking, family ownership or handmade tortillas; and customers name specific dishes: mole, pan dulce.

Con Huevos Tacos

1629 E Houston St, East Side, San Antonio, TX 78202. Rated 4.6 from 718 Google reviews.

Pete's Tako House

502 Brooklyn Ave, Downtown, San Antonio, TX 78215. Rated 4.5 from 4,199 Google reviews.

customers name specific dishes: menudo.

Rios Barbacoa

1720 Fredericksburg Rd, San Antonio, TX 78201. Rated 4.6 from 90 Google reviews.

customers name specific dishes: barbacoa, tamales.

Blanco Café

1720 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78212. Rated 4.4 from 3,131 Google reviews.

Teka Molino

7231 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78216. Rated 4.4 from 1,552 Google reviews.

Taqueria Datapoint

4063 Medical Dr. Rated 4.4 from 2,959 Google reviews.

Where to buy the ingredients

If you want to cook it at home, we have 11 Mexican grocery stores mapped in San Antonio. For what you cannot find there, see our guides to Mexican ingredients at Walmart and dried chiles in US supermarkets, both with real prices.

Frequently asked questions

How many Mexican places are there in San Antonio?

We have 20 mapped, 10 of which are covered here. The full list, with addresses and hours, is in our San Antonio directory.

How often is this updated?

Ratings and review counts are from September 9, 2026. Businesses close and change hands: if you find something out of date, tell us and we will fix it.