Cinco de Mayo: Durham’s Mexican-owned Restaurants

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. As Durham’s Hispanic population grew, so did Flores’ business. Super Taqueria offers a mouth-watering selection of sopes, tacos, burritos and gorditas, plus a loaded salsa bar. Pair your food with an agua fresca for a stellar meal.

After the success of Super Taqueria, Roselia she opened La Superior, an expansive Latino grocery, bakery, meat shop and tortilleria. As one Yelp reviewer wrote about La Superior Carniceria (La Superior for short), "You may think it is just a grocery store when you drive by, but it is so much more." Beyond the market is the bakery, which offers fresh tortillas and other baked goods. You can visit both locations on Roxboro Street.

El Huarache

2001 N. Roxboro St.

El Huarache specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine, specifically huaraches, the popular Mexican street food often filled with beans and topped with various ingredients like meat, salsa, cheese and cilantro, where the restaurant derives its name. You can also order birria, caldos, tacos and more. Step through the doors for unassuming vibes, great food and classic Mexican desserts.

Don Gallo

3411 University Dr.

 Originally from the Puebla region in Mexico, owner Ginez Ramos opened Don Gallo to bring the flavors of his home to Durhamites. When you pull up to the red and yellow house and see "Cely's Casa De Cambio" outside, you might think you're at the wrong place. But don't worry. Don Gallo shares the space with a currency exchange store. Walk by the service counter at the front of the store to find the restaurant serving delicious Mexican food in the back.

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.

Torero's Mexican Restaurant

604 Fernway Ave.

This Downtown Durham staple is a go-to spot for Mexican food in the Warehouse District. Established in 1994, Torero's has an extensive menu packed with all of your Mexican food favorites like tortas, tacos de birria and chilaquiles. Co-owned by Emmanuel Martinez, Jose Arias and Francisco Equihua, this is a great place to drop in midday for their special lunch menu or to have cater your next event.

Fonda Lupita

905 W. Main St.

This Sanford, NC Mexican restaurant opened up a second location in Brightleaf Square and Durhamites couldn't be happier about it. Serving up traditional, homemade recipes originating from the central Mexican state of Queretaro, Fonda Lupita is truly one of a kind. Indulge in stews, gorditas and slow-cooked birria beef while the smell of freshly made corn tortillas wafts through the air.

México Lindo y Querido (Formerly Guanajuato)

2103 N Roxboro St.

The local favorite Guanajuato recently changed its name to México Lindo y Querido. But don't worry, it's exactly the same in every way. Where the sign used to have a smiling chili pepper wearing a sombrero, you'll now see a mariachero (a member of a mariachi band).

México Lindo y Querido 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, but the staff speaks English and are happy to help.

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.

Little Bull, Aaktun, TaTaco

810 N. Mangum St., 704 Ramseur St., 620 Foster St., Ste B

Owned by two time James Beard Award Semifinalist Chef Oscar Diaz, in partnership with Mezcalito group, these three restaurants are each love letters to place, tradition and flavor. As a Mexican-American, Chef Diaz has crafted the menu at Little Bull to feature comfort food inspired by "the palates of first-generation immigrant kids". Aaktun gets even more specific, as a dual-concept Tulum-inspired cafe and bar. Spend a morning there sipping coffee, escaping the business of the world outside. As the afternoon turns to night, turn things up a notch with Aaktun's tiki-inspired cocktails and delicious small and large plates. Chef Diaz's latest concept, TaTaco blends all the hallmarks you'd expect of a taqueria with uniquely inspired dishes.

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.

Los Tres Mexican Restaurant

6905 Fayetteville Rd., #104

If you're in search of a classic Mexican restaurant with a big menu and even bigger flavor, look no further. This family owned business takes food seriously, and the end product proves it. Enjoy the classics like A.C.P., fajitas, tacos and burritos and wrap your meal up with churros, flan or fried ice cream.

La Buena Vida & Tacos Number Juan

4416 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd; 910 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy

Under the same ownership, these restaurants serve up a celebration of Mexican flavors. Head to La Buena Vida for the best of brunch, lunch and dinner. Offering classics like ACP and fajitas while also crafting limited time specials like Bigmak tacos and Octopus Aguachile, this restaurant is sure to have a little something to excite your palate. Tacos Number Juan is built off a passion for real Mexican cuisine. Everything is handcrafted, from the thirst-quenching margaritas to the delectable quesabirrias. While the tacos are a must-try, the menu features a whole host of options ranging from tortas to burritos and everything in between. 

Sofia's Pizza

2201 Angier Ave.

An East Durham staple, Sofia's Pizza serves up some of the best pies and wings in town. Their hand-tossed, specialty pies like the "East Durham" and "La Güera"are Bull City delicacies you won't want to miss. Hungry for more? Add some oven-baked wings, wedge potatoes, a specialty salad or even a sub sandwich to the order.

Azteca Grill

1929 Chapel Hill Rd.

Treat yourself to a delicious meal at Azteca Grill, where the recipes are inspired by family tradition and the food is meant to make you feel at home. Share a meal with friends or family or enjoy a solo feast. Everything is made with fresh, quality ingredients, from the Caldo de Mariscos to the Asada Gorditas, and the pozole is a local legend.

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.