Here's a guide to every local Mexican restaurant in Evansville, Newburgh and Henderson
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Tri-State can’t seem to get enough Mexican restaurants. Some have been around for 20 years or more, and new ones are always opening.
Some serve Americanized or Tex-Mex food, and some offer creative plates fusing typical United States ingredients into Mexican dishes. In the past few years, we’ve seen an influx of authentic Mexican restaurants and food trucks serving all or mostly traditional dishes.
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We know you want to try them all, so we made a list. You're welcome. Here they are: Every local Mexican restaurant and food truck in Evansville, Newburgh and Henderson, and a little about their specialties. We’re even starting with a glossary of terms so we don’t have to describe a huarache every time it comes up.
We (obviously) didn’t have room to list every specialty of every restaurant. Most have alcohol service and some have full bars, most have special lunch menus with reasonably-priced combo meals, kids' menus, and vegetarian selections, and some have special choices for family-sized carry out or daily specials on certain drinks or menu items. Peruse the websites or Facebook pages at your leisure -- we linked for you.
Note that due to rising food prices and difficulties in getting supplies, some menu items may have changed.
Glossary of Mexican food terms
Aguas frescas – Beverage made with fresh fruit blended with water and sugar
Birria- Beef or other red meat slow simmered in broth and spices, shredded
Birria ramen – Ramen noodles cooked in birria broth
Carnitas – Chunks of slowly fried pork shoulder
Ceviche – Fish or shellfish cured with lime juice
Chicharrones – Fried pork rinds
Chilaquiles – Fried tortillas cooked with red or green chile sauce and cheese
Gordita – A thick, handmade corn tortilla split and stuffed with fillings
Huarache – A thick, oval shaped hand made corn tortilla topped with beans, meat and vegetables
Mangonada – A mango smoothie with chunks of mango and chile-tamarind seasoning
Molcajete – A stone bowl, half of a Mexican mortar and pestle, often used for serving
Molé – A complex sauce made with chiles, spices, nuts and seeds, and sometimes chocolate
Menudo – A stew containing beef tripe
Paletas – Frozen ice cream bars with or without fruit
Pork al pastor – A traditional dish of pork marinated in spices and pineapple juice, grilled to serve
Posole – Soup of pork and hominy in a red or green chile broth
Pupusas – Soft corn masa patties with cheese, bean or meat fillings, griddled
Quesabirria – Birria tacos grilled with cheese inside, served with a bowl of the birria broth for dunking.
Sincronizadas – Ham and cheese “sandwich” cooked between two flour tortillas
Tamarind - a pod containing a sour paste used to flavor beverages, candies and spice mixtures
Tinga – Shredded chicken breast in a mild chipotle sauce
Torta – Traditional Mexican sandwich on a bolillo roll
Toreado – A deep fried whole jalapeno chili
Tripa – Beef tripe, often boiled, fried until brown and used as a taco filling
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Evansville restaurants
Casa Fiesta
2121 N. Green River Road; 812-401-4000.
This new spot has only been open for about a year and a half, but has built a good reputation and gets lots of mentions on social media. The Fiesta Pineapple is an interesting specialty – half a pineapple filled with fajita steak and chicken, shrimp, a mixture of fajita vegetables and California mix, all topped with melted cheese. The menu is mostly Tex-Mex, but there are some authentic tortas and street tacos.
The Diner by Mele’s
550 N. Green River Road; 812-402-1272.
Mele’s is a new spot that wants to offer something for everyone, and the menu of Tex-Mex and American dishes has it. Breakfast might be biscuits and gravy or pork chilaquiles – tortilla chips smothered in red sauce and cheese with diced pork, salsa, avocado, cheese and eggs. Appetizers include loaded nachos or loaded tater tots. Have country fried steak, fried chicken, fajitas or enchiladas. Soups include chili or chicken tortilla. Lots of choices here.
El Charro
720 N. Sonntag Ave.; 812-421-1986.
At 20 years old, this is one of our longer-lived Mexican restaurants and has a beloved place in the hearts of West Siders. The Anaconda Burrito is two feet long, stuffed with ground beef, shredded chicken, grilled beef, pork, lettuce, rice, beans, sour cream and pico de gallo. The whole thing is doused with red sauce and queso. The huge menu contains all your other favorite Tex-Mex offerings, and you can finish the meal with a fruity margarita or sangria wine punch with chunks of fresh fruit.
EL Mariachi
1919 N. Green River Road; 812-777-0111.
Newly-opened El Mariachi Mexican Grill and Bar is following the current trend of offering both long-time local Americanized Mexican favorites such as loaded nachos and taco salad in a fried flour tortilla shell, while adding plenty of authentic specialties we're starting to expect, such as tacos with nopales and grilled onions to the side, chicharron cooked in green or red sauce, torta sandwiches, and homemade red molé.
El Paisano
311 S. Green River Road; 812-437-5089.
El Paisano is one of our more authentic Mexican restaurants, although there are some Americanized offerings. The tacos are great, and you need to try the arrachera – grilled skirt steak with grilled cactus, grilled onion, fresh cheese and a toreado jalapeño. The restaurant was for years inside inside El Paisano Mexican grocery, which houses a very cool meat counter offering hot fried pork belly, fresh chicharrones, house chorizo, marinated meats and more. Recently, the restaurant moved up the street to 311 S. Green River Road.
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El Patron Mexican Restaurant
943 North Park Drive; 812-402-6500.
This long-time American-Mexican restaurant was established in 2013. The menu offers Tex-Mex favorites and some traditional Mexican dishes such as pork al pastor. We must mention the Anaconda Burrito, a two-foot burrito with beef, chicken, pork and all the toppings, topped with cheese sauce.
Family meal deals with fajitas, tacos, chimichangas and more that feed five people are offered for carry-out for $24-$29.
Guadalajara
601 E. Boonville-New Harmony Road; 812-612-0481.
A second location for a restaurant originally from Grayville, Ill.,Tri-state residents no longer have to drive to eat traditional and Tex-Mex favorites at Guadalajara. And they did. From the authentic weekend specialties such as menudo and posole to chimichangas and a huge variety of fajitas, this restaurant was already a favorite with locals and has gained even more of a reputation since opening in October of 2022.
Hacienda
711 N. First Ave.; 812-423-6355; 5440 Pearl Drive; 812-422-2055; 990 S. Green River Road; 812-474-1635; 600 E. Boonville-New Harmony Road.
Hacienda is a small Indiana chain with only 14 locations, four of which are in Evansville. People love it – it was founded in the late 1970s and is still going strong. The restaurant gleefully owns the fact it is far from authentic and does what it does.
It’s a place for fruity margaritas, white chili, and jalapeño poppers. It’s known for homemade ranch dressings atop salads with fajita meat or chicken tenders, or inside a wrap with Mexican rice and grilled chicken. “Food truck tacos” are made inside an American-style hard shell encased in a flour tortilla slathered with refried beans.
That said, you may also have guacamole made tableside, a burrito, taco or quesadilla, and Hacienda has recently added a trendy and somewhat authentic quesabirria taco with shredded beef, cheese and dunking broth to the menu.
Herradura
4610 Bellemeade Ave.; 812-402-0355.
With a huge menu with a mix of Tex-Mex and authentic dishes, Herradura has specialties for everyone. The guaca-rolls are a fried appetizer of guacamole inside a crisp fried shell. Nachos come topped with anything from simple cheese or beans to the deluxe version with chicken, steak, shrimp, veggies and cheese sauce.
The tortilla soup entrée is worth a stop – shredded chicken is served in a rich chile broth with avocado and crisp tortilla strips with white cheese. Pineapple lovers will enjoy the Pollo Hawaiiano, a grilled chicken breast topped with pineapple, cheese and ham. Herradura also has a full bar with an impressive tequila list and plentiful whiskey and rum choices.
Jalisco Taqueria
6840 Logan Drive; 812-602-3042.
This new spot is the child of Jalisco Restaurant in Newburgh, with a smaller and more authentic menu. While you can get Chicken on the Beach and wings here, the tortillas are handmade and the menu concentrates on traditional dishes such as tacos and tortas, beef and chicken soup, posole, quesadillas with your choice of classic taco fillings, homemade tamales and daily specials. Any dish can be enhanced with additions from the fresh salsa bar.
La Campirana
724 N. Burkhardt Road; 812-550-1585.
The restaurant that ushered in truly authentic Mexican cuisine to mainstream Evansville, La Campirana has been open for six years and still is scrupulous about offering only traditional dishes. You’ll find some you’re familiar with, such as quesadillas and street tacos, and others that may be new, such as cactus salad, sopes, and alambres, which is your choice of meat filling cooked with onions, peppers and melted fresh cheese. On the fruteria side of the business you may find smoothies, fresh fruit salads with or without yogurt, mangonadas and paletas.
Las Americas
1016 S. Weinbach Ave.; 812-475-3483.
This restaurant is tucked away inside a Hispanic grocery store and serves a blend of authentic and Americanized dishes. So, if someone wants a chimichanga or lunch combo plate they are there, but you’ll also find mojarra frita, which is a whole fried tilapia garnished with fresh vegetables and lime; tacos and tortas with a full compliment of meat choices from beef tongue to tripe; and pupusas, which are Salvadoran rather than Mexican but so very good.
Los Alfaro’s
1021 S. Weinbach Ave (After July 21 it will be at 5201 Kratzville Road); 812-550-1186.
Famous for footlong tacos and the 14-inch papa taco, Los Alfaro’s offers Mexican dishes and other traditional foods from around Latin America. Try authentic Mexican and Salvadoran breakfast dishes and other favorites from all over Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Peru, and other countries. A new menu will be introduced at the upcoming North Side location; we’ll share details on that when it arrives.
Los Bravos
6226 Waterford Blvd.; 4630 Lloyd Expressway; 3534 N. First Ave.; 3311 Liberty Blvd., Boonville, Indiana.
One of the first family-owned Mexican restaurants to move into the area in the early 1990s, Los Bravos paved the way for the surge in good Mexican food we enjoy today.
Over the years the menu has grown from mostly Americanized food to include many authentic specialties such as ceviche and tortas. The Enchiladas Rancheras have been on the menu from the beginning. These are melty cheese enchiladas doused in mild red sauce with chunks of slow-cooked pork, served with salad and guacamole.
You should also try the nachos al pastor, topped with juicy pork al pastor, cheese, onions and avocado.
Los Portales Mexican Grill
3339 N. Green River Road; 812-475-0566.
A Mexican-American spot with a big menu of local favorites, Los Portales offers goodies such as burritos, fajitas and Chicken on the Beach. Fry lovers will enjoy the fries topped with chicken or steak on the beach-style with cheese dip. Lighter eaters will be thrilled to find the Bowl California – a bowl of lettuce topped with grilled chicken or steak, greens, pico de gallo, black beans and avocados; and seafood dishes sauteed with squash, red bell peppers, green onions and mushrooms
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Los Tres Caminos
12100 U.S. 41 North; 812-868-8550.
Another spot going strong after 20 years, Los Tres Caminos serves mostly Mexican-American dishes with some unique twists.
One such dish is the Pollo Ixtapa – grilled chicken and shrimp topped with sauteed poblano chiles, onion, corn and pineapple with cheese sauce. Lighter eaters will enjoy their chicken “light” with rice, lettuce, tomato and avocado. Carnitas are served in a hot molcajete with onions, cactus and green sauce with avocado and tortillas.
Nachos Grill
821-B S. Green River Road; 812-909-0030.
A great stop for authentic dishes, Nachos Grill offers many such as huaraches with beans, meat, veggies, fresh cheese and sour cream; ceviche shrimp or tilapia in lime juice with tomato, onions and chiles; sincronizadas; and, on the weekend, menudo, posole stew, beef soup and homemade molé. If you have a less adventurous person in your party, they may enjoy fajitas or Chicken on the beach, but they should be encouraged to sample a stuffed gordita with pork at the least.
2004 Washington Ave.; 812-814-8037.
This Mexican bakery is a wonderland of sweet and savory goodies. Molasses pigs and other cookies, tres leches cake, decorated specialty cakes, fruit-filled turnovers, pastries from shell-shaped conchas to besos (kisses) stuck together with icing; cheese-filled bread rolls and freshly baked bolillo rolls are only a few.
The Taqueria Company
800 N. Green River Road inside Eastland Mall food court; 812-550-1505 and 2519 N. First Ave.; 812-602-4041
This spot combines modern fast-casual service with authentic Mexican dishes. Choose your meat from one of ten choices from shredded tinga chicken to crumbled chorizo sausage, then choose what vehicle you’d like it in – a taco, burrito, quesadilla, torta and so on. Then choose veggie toppings, salsas and other sauces to your taste from the cold bar. A new Taqueria Company will soon be opening in the upcoming Guadalajara market at the corner of Green River Road and Washington Avenue.
Taqueria y Pupuseria Miranda
2008 Washington Ave.; 812-492-9992
While technically a Salvadoran restaurant, many Salvadoran dishes overlap with their Mexican counterparts and the tacos, tortas, quesadillas and burritos at this new spot are worth a stop, especially because there are 15 filling choices including grilled chicken, barbacoa made with beef cheek meat, vegetarian poblano pepper rajas with cheese, beef tripe and cactus strips. While you’re there, do try a pupusa, the Salvadoran specialty of fresh corn masa griddled with fillings of cheese, pork, beans, loroco blossoms and more.
Tiki on Main
524 Main St.; 812-424-5020
Take good pub grub and give it a Mexcian twist and you have Tiki on Main, a new restaurant combining favorites from the former Tiki Time barge restaurant and Jalisco Mexican restaurant in Newburgh. At Tiki, diners may enjoy a burger, wings or a pork tenderloin sandwich… or a soft-shell taco with fish, shrimp or chicken; or nachos, a burrito or Chicken on the Beach.
Newburgh restaurants
Fiesta Acapulco
8480 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh; 812-858-7777.
This restaurant, open since 2010, has become a favorite because of the pretty patio overlooking a lake with ducks. It also boasts tasty food.
One interesting appetizer is Salchi-Papas, French fries topped with Mexican salchichas sausage (similar to a hot dog) and shredded cheese. After an appetizer like that, a light entrée such as the Cancun salad with spring mix, fresh veggies and grilled shrimp is appropriate. Complete the meal with fruity frozen margaritas.
Jalisco
4044 Professional Lane, Newburgh; 812-490-2814.
With a menu of mostly American-Mexican dishes with some authentic choices such as street tacos, Jalisco has developed a loyal following in Newburgh. The version of Paella served here is particularly intense – it’s a bed of rice topped with chicken, steak, shrimp, peppers, onions, broccoli, zucchini and a blanket of cheese dip. Shrimp lovers will appreciate the shrimp in garlic sauce, shrimp ceviche, shrimp stuffed poblano chilies, shrimp fajitas and Mexican shrimp cocktail.
La Yunta
7799 W. Indiana 66, Suite 102B, Newburgh; 812-518-3297.
From combination platters to a stunning selection of nachos, all your favorite Tex-Mex dishes are on the menu at this new restaurant, but you’ll find some unique twists too. Have creamy chipotle pasta with chicken or shrimp; the camaron fundido, which is shrimp with bacon and chipotle; or a pineapple stuffed with shrimp, scallops, fish and veggies with cheese.
Riviera Mexican Grill
10604 Indiana 662 West, Newburgh; 812-490-9936.
This popular spot is conveniently located between Evansville and Newburgh. Some specialties include ribeye tacos with pico de gallo, cheese and beans; Maria’s Special, which is on-the-beach style chicken or shrimp with fresh pineapple; and the Burrito Riviera with eggs, home fries, chorizo and rice topped with cheese.
Henderson restaurants
Agave’s Mexican Grill
2003 Stapp Drive, Henderson; 270-957-5028.
The menu at Agave’s is mostly Tex-Mex with American twists. Some fun house specials are the Fajita Potato, which is fajita chicken or steak atop fried potatoes with cheese sauce; Juan’s Burrito with steak or chicken and French fries inside, topped with cheese sauce and served with sour cream; the Vallarta fajita with imitation crab meat, chicken, shrimp and steak with pineapple; and carnitas pork served in a hot molcajete with grilled onions, cactus and green sauce with fresh avocado.
Burrito Express Mexican Grill
2630 US 41 N. Suite B, Henderson; 270-577-1225.
Right over the bridge in Kentucky, Burrito Express is the new brick-and-mortar incarnation of the Burrito Express food truck. This spot offers authentic Mexican dishes in a modern fast casual format. Street tacos come with your choice of meat from birria to pastor pork or have your birria as a quesabirria taco griddled with cheese and broth for dipping. Have street corn coated with mayo, cheese and spices; or have a torta sandwich or a sweet aguas frescas. If you’re feeling California, have a Cali burrito with steak, shredded cheese and fries inside or a cheesesteak burrito doused in yellow American-style cheese sauce. The food truck is still operating, so watch for it out and about.
Cancun
341 Green St., Henderson; 270-826-0067.
Some interesting takes on classic favorites at Cancun include the Piggy Burrito, filled with bacon, carnitas, rice and beans, topped with queso cheese.
Tacos with pork al pastor include bits of pineapple and sauteed onions, an authentic take on the pineapple-marinated pork dish not often seen locally. Interestingly enough, you may also enjoy chicken teriyaki topped with pineapple, served with rice, beans and salad.
The bar offers tequila shots, cocktails and frozen daiquiris in addition to margaritas, wine and beer.
Los Toribio’s
1647 S. Green St., Henderson; 270-831-2367.
This long-time Henderson restaurant has never lost its appeal for good Tex-Mex food. Have sizzling fajitas or the “Alamo,” a plate of rice topped with fajita steak, chicken, shrimp, peppers, tomatoes and cheese sauce.
Medina’s (AKA Alondra Mexican Store) – 1035 Washington St., Henderson; 270-830-7130.
The grandmama of local authentic Mexican restaurants, Medina’s has been around for almost 20 years, tucked quietly away in a repurposed convenience store and making fabulous food. The menu is all traditional and includes favorites from tacos to gorditas, sopes, tortas and much more with your choice of 11 meat fillings including tripe, tongue, cesina steak and adobada pork steak. Stop on the weekend for special beef soup or menudo.
Tacoholics
122 First St. Henderson; 270-957-5001.
A blend of local American-Mexican favorites and traditional dishes is on the menu at Tacoholics. Have your favorite nachos, a taco salad, or a ribeye “Steak Gringo” with shrimp, cheese sauce, brussels sprouts and black beans, or go south of the border with esquites (Mexican style corn), a huarache, mole, gorditas, a sincronizada, or of course tacos. A whole menu section is based on pulled pork barbecue in Mexicanish applications, such as the BBQ chimichanga topped with cheese sauce and served with pickles, cabbage and pickled red onion and fries – sounds good, actually. The restaurant just completed a colorful remodel. The Chimi Truck is Tacoholics' mobile arm.
Food trucks
If you’re looking for authentic dishes, you can’t go wrong with any of these food trucks. From a cool mangonada to street tacos to birria ramen to handmade tamales, you’ll find it. Menus may change and special dishes are often offered. Check Facebook pages for daily updates on locations and service times.
Fuego’s Taqueria
812-893-2070.
Tacos and more tacos are on the menu at Fuego’s. If you like a little more oomph to your street taco, ask for it "supreme style" with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese and sour cream.
La Plaza Food Truck
812-499-9416.
La Plaza is particularly known for mulitas, which is a street taco with the addition of cheese, griddled between two flat corn tortillas, and for birria ramen: Tapatio brand ramen noodles cooked in birria broth and topped with slow shredded beef.
Mexico Lindo y que Rico
812-589-1925.
All homemade, all authentic – tamales, egg-coated chiles rellenos, quesabirria tacos, posole and more.
Taqueria Vargas
812-604-9263.
While the weather is hot, grab a raspados or snow cone Mexican style from Taqueria Vargas. Some have sprinkles, some have cream, some are topped with tamarind and chile.
MexEvansville
812-550-1585.
Located at La Campirana and opening when the restaurant closes, MexEvansville offers the most authentic of the authentic, including tacos de higado or liver, pastor on a trompe or rotating spit, and Elote Empapelado: corn loaded with cheese, mayonnaise, meat, lime and a special sauce of chile, oil, sesame and peanuts.
Taco Bar
812-746-3208.
Okay, this truck’s not authentic, but it’s tasty. It bills itself as “Evansville’s best Midwest-Mex on the road.” On the menu are crispy-shell or soft flour tacos, street tacos, loaded nachos, jalapeño popper style egg rolls and, of course, Chicken on the Beach served in a crispy flour tortilla shell.
Contact Aimee Blume at aimee.blume@courierpress.com
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Mexican restaurants in Evansville, Newburgh and Henderson
