Best Mexican Food in Chattanooga
If you're craving tacos or a margarita, Chattanooga does not disappoint! Check out our insider's guide to the best Mexican food in the Scenic City.
Most Authentic
Taqueria Jalisco
1634 Rossville Ave
Chattanooga, TN 37408
You might have eaten at their food truck at the Chattanooga Market, but you can also check out their teeny tiny location just off Main Street. In our opinion, this is the most authentic spot in Chatt and surprisingly has really great prices. Don’t miss the guacamole, and be sure to have your meal with a Mexican coke for the full experience. We recommend the Flautas with three flour tortillas rolled with chipotle chicken, lettuce, tomatillo avocado salsa, pickled carrots, queso fresco and sour cream or the Carne Asada with skirt steak, grilled onions, rice, beans and tortillas.
Menu: Not available online (see what we mean by most authentic?), but you may be able to find one taken by a customer on Yelp.
Good to Know: This is the teensiest hole-in-the-wall place, so be prepared to struggle for seating during peak lunch hours. But don’t worry—it’s totally worth it.
Best Tex-Mex
Mojo Burrito
3950 Tennessee Ave
Chattanooga, TN 37409
This is one of Chattanooga’s favorite spots—and you’ll know it if you come during peak lunch hours! Even though they have three locations in town, they’re consistently packed with people looking to score some yummy Tex-Mex. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, this is the place to go with lots of fresh options like the Papa Bear’s Vegetarian Chili, a savory blend of fresh peppers, onion, tomato, black, pinto & kidney beans, shoepeg corn and fresh herbs and spices, topped with Monterey Jack cheese or sour cream and green onion. For the meat eaters out there, try the Shrimp Po-Boy with shrimp hand-breaded to order and fried, black beans, Spanish rice, lettuce, pico de gallo, cilantro-lime slaw, remoulade, guacamole, Texas Pete in a grilled garlic herb tortilla or make your own burrito to get everything you want made fresh for you!
Menu: http://www.mojoburrito.com/pdf/the-menu-new2.pdf
Good to Know: Although this is a Chattanooga-owned restaurant, there are locations in St. Elmo, Red Bank, and East Brainerd open seven days a week for you to choose from! If you text “MYMOJO” to 90210, they’ll send you coupons for your visit.
Most Family-Friendly
Taco Mamacita
109 North Market Street
Chattanooga, TN 37405
One of Chattanooga’s favorite Mexican food hubs is Taco Mamacita, a Mexican-Peruvian eatery featuring tacos, rotisserie chicken and cocktails with a cool ambiance. Although not necessarily the go-to for authenticity, this is a great place to bring the kiddos or to enjoy the nice weather on their patio. If you’re super hungry, go for the Peruvian chicken dinner or for a lunch option try the tacos. You can’t go wrong with the California Club Taco with roasted chicken, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapeno lime mayo and chipotle cream sauce or the Caribbean Jerk taco with roasted Caribbean jerk chicken served with shredded cabbage, mango salsa, refried black beans, spicy Caribbean jerk sauce and peach aioli.
Menu: http://tacomamacita.com/menu/
Good to Know: The folks who own Taco Mamacita also own Milk & Honey, a coffee shop just a few doors down, so you can snag a post-lunch latte!
Best Guacamole
Taconooga
207A Frazier Ave
Chattanooga, TN 37405-4003
If you love guacamole as much as we do, this can be a huge deciding factor on where to settle in for lunch. Taconooga has mastered the art of guac with their Guaca-Mex with fresh avocados chopped up with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime juice. It’s made to order so you know it’s coming to you fresh. Mmm. Beyond this menu staple, Taconooga lives up to its name as far as its taco selection goes. You can’t go wrong with any of the choices there, but we also recommend the tamales or the Quesadilla de Flor de Calabaza which has sautéed squash flowers, onions, bell peppers and seasonings served with rice and beans.
Menu: http://www.taconooga.com/menu
Good to Know: Taconooga has some odd menu items such as the Fried Cactus, which is cactus battered and fried and served with a spicy mayo dipping sauce. Someone try that and let us know how it goes!
Best Hole-In-The-Wall
La Altena
314 W Main St
Chattanooga, TN 37408-1138
It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but don’t let that fool you. This place has some seriously authentic Mexican eats. Be sure you try the salsa, which is made fresh in house. And if you love it as much as we do, this eatery is attached to a grocery store where you can buy a tub of it to take home for later. You’re welcome in advance.
Menu: http://places.singleplatform.com/la-altena/menu?ref=google
Good to Know: Located close to the Chattanooga Football Club field, this is a great place to grab a bite after a game.
Best Margarita
Poblanos Mexican Grill
551 River St
Chattanooga, TN 37405
Poblanos, located near Coolidge Park, is the perfect locale for a patio dining experience. They have a great outdoor seating area, and the menu definitely doesn’t disappoint! Try the Longhorn Quesadilla with your choice of meat, queso, black beans and corn, topped with sour cream and avocado slices. Also, you don’t want to miss Poblanos margaritas! These are hands down the best margaritas in town.
Menu: http://www.poblanoschattanooga.com/menu.html
Good to Know: Download their app for the occasional coupon and frequent buyer card. It’s a little glitchy, but worth the effort to save a bit on your meal.
