Cinco de Mayo: Durham’s Mexican-owned Restaurants
Come hungry for classic Mexican dishes and regional favorites.
The Bull City’s diverse roots run deep, and the history, culture and stories of our residents give Durham life. The Hispanic and Latino/a community in Durham has roots originating in 33 countries, each with distinct histories and languages. As we celebrate Cinco de Mayo, we want to honor the rich heritage of Mexican culture.
Join us in showing our appreciation for the local business owners and community members who share their Mexican heritage with visitors and residents alike. Let’s take a moment to explore the history of the holiday.
The Origins of the Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is not a holiday to mark Mexican Independence as pop culture might have you believe. Instead, it represents the powerful victory of an underdog and their unexpected win over European colonizers. It’s meant to commemorate the Battle of Puebla, which was fought between the Mexican and French armies in 1862. With half the number of their opponents, the Mexican Army won, proving their strength and sending a powerful message to the rest of the world.
Here’s a list of some of the Mexican-owned restaurants in Durham that we love.
La Monarca Michoacana
2000 Avondale Dr.
The Morales family opened up La Monarca Michoacana, a traditional paletería serving Mexican-style popsicles and ice cream, to bring a taste of their home in Mexico to Durham. Known for its consistency and fresh ingredients, La Monarca, a style of ice cream, is wildly popular throughout Mexico. This ice cream is made in-house with fruit and ingredients sourced from local vendors.
Head on over for a sweet treat or two, and enjoy flavors like Coco Bongo and Pina Colada Mimada. If you can’t decide between popsicles or ice cream, just get both.
Mi Calvillo Antojitos Mexicanos
748 9th St.
Mi Calvillo is run by mother-daughter team Esmerelda and Valeria Lopez. The food you’ll get at Mi Calvillo is the same as Esmerelda’s hometown of Calvillo in Central Mexico.
Enjoy their wide selection of tacos and other entrees like gorditas, tortas, sopes, pozole, menudo, tacos, chicken flautas, enchiladas, quesadillas and much more.
Super Taqueria & La Superior
2842 N Roxboro St.
3325 N Roxboro St.
In 1990, Roselia Flores left Mexico and journeyed to California. Eight years later, she found herself in Durham with a dream.
In 2001, she was able to secure grants and a loan from Mechanics & Farmers bank, a historically Black-owned community bank, to open a restaurant that would help Latinos succeed and integrate into the greater Durham community. Super Taqueria, which continues to operate today, serves tacos and other authentic Mexican food. As Durham’s Hispanic population grew, so did Flores’ business. Years later, she opened La Superior, an expansive Latino grocery, bakery, meat shop, and tortilleria. You can visit both locations on Roxboro Street.
Tacos Nacos/Don Gallo
3411 University Dr.
Marco Ginez Ramos is from the Puebla region in Mexico. He has more than eighteen years of experience in Mexican and Italian cuisine.
He opened Tacos Nacos, also known as Don Gallo, so Durhamites can enjoy good food and the flavors of Mexico. Head on over for authentic Mexican food which includes delicious homemade tortillas.
Cocoa Cinnamon
2013 Chapel Hill Rd.
Areli Barrera de Grodski was born in Tijuana, Mexico. She moved to San Antonio as a child and then later wound up in Cherokee, NC. In 2011, Areli and her husband Leon moved to Durham with $75 in their bank account and hopes for a community-centered coffee shop that would reflect their values of inclusion, diversity, activism, and tradition. They started with a custom-made coffee bike and now have opened three successful coffee shops and a coffee roasting business.
For amazing coffee, hot chocolate, and churros, head to Cocoa Cinnamon’s third location in the Lakewood neighborhood. You will find nods to Areli’s Mexican background in the bilingual menus, signage, and brightly patterned decor and tile work.
Restaurante Guanajuato de Durham
2103 N Roxboro St.
When you see the sign with a smiling chili pepper wearing a sombrero, you know you’ve made it to the right place for authentic Mexican food. Guanajuato has many different dishes from Mexican classics to regional favorites. Try their bistec encebollado, steak with onions, and menudo, a traditional Mexican soup. The menus are in Spanish and they have an English version by request.
Don Becerra
2301 N Roxboro St.
The phrase “hidden gem” gets thrown around a lot, but Don Becerra Taqueria certainly qualifies. Javier Becerra moved to Durham from Michoacan, Mexico. In 2003, Javier opened a butcher shop and started serving sheep barbacoa tacos on Saturday mornings. His tacos were so popular that he opened a restaurant attached to the store.
Stop by the butcher shop and restaurant for tacos and a fresh cut of meat.
Taqueria La Vaquita
2700 Chapel Hill Rd.
Second only to Major the Bull in the heart of downtown, the fiberglass cow on the roof is easily the most iconic bovine in Durham. La Vaquita, also affectionately known as “The Cow Store,” is a source of amazing burritos, tacos, and more. The Rodriguez brothers, who own the taqueria, are from Veracruz, Mexico. They grew up in a family that loves cooking, and it shows.
MEZCALITO GRILL & TEQUILA BAR
706 Ramseur St.
Durham's location of Mezcalito is one of a handful of the NC-based company's restaurants that celebrate the heritage of its ownership with "Mexican cuisine with a Tex-Mex heart." A generous menu of flavorful, authentic dishes pairs with cocktails ranging from a classic margarita or paloma to 40-ounce margs stacked with sky-high garnishes. Crowds gather for the party-like atmosphere, and we're all in on supporting the growing success of these entrepreneurs.
If your favorite spot isn’t listed, it’s either because they didn’t meet the criteria for a Mexican-owned restaurant or we simply missed them. Know of another amazing Durham restaurant owned by someone from Mexico? Please send it to blog@discoverdurham.com.