Highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Merced area by diners

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February 28, 2025
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Highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Merced area by diners

Just like cuisine from any country, Mexican food is not monolithic. It isn't just combo plates and tacos. (Not that there's anything wrong with that style of food; it's delicious and is responsible for popularizing Mexican food in the United States.) But Mexican food means more than that.

It reflects Mexico's diverse population鈥攕haped by waves of immigration鈥攁nd has proliferated throughout the U.S., showcasing the cuisine in all its complexity and regionality. Mexico has, and thanks to immigrant chefs and the rise of promising culinarians of Mexican descent looking to share their signature dishes, Indigenous foodways, and ingredients from various regions, diners are reframing their idea of "Mexican food."

According to a 2024 Pew Research Center analysis of SafeGraph data, , and nearly 9 out of 10 U.S. counties have at least one Mexican restaurant. The analysis also reveals that California and Texas are home to a majority of the Mexican American population and together host 2 out of 5 Mexican restaurants in the country.

These findings serve as a testament to the influence Mexican cuisine has had and continues to have in America. Which begs the question: Where does one go for the best old-school Mexican restaurants, loncheras slinging tacos out of a half-window, and innovative modern Mexican food pushing culinary boundaries?

To help you out, compiled a list of the highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Merced area based on diners' reviews on as of February 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "Mexican" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Merced were included. As a result, some restaurants featured may serve other food items besides Mexican food. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 50 locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

Keep reading to see if your favorite Mexican spot made the list or to discover a new restaurant to try!

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#30. Villa's Mexican Food

- Rating: 3.8/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 900 Loughborough Drive Ste C Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican, Latin American
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#29. Costa Restaurant

- Rating: 3.8/5 (87 reviews)
- Address: 1857 Bellevue Road Atwater, California
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
-

#28. Isabella's Bar & Grill

- Rating: 3.8/5 (324 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2811 Shaffer Road Atwater, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

#27. Jose's Taco Shop

- Rating: 3.9/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3250 G St. Merced, California
- Categories: Latin American, Mexican
-

#26. El Asadero Taco Shop

- Rating: 3.9/5 (350 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3532 G St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

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#25. Los Gordos

- Rating: 3.9/5 (134 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6698 North Winton Way Winton, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

#24. Marie's Mexican Kitchen

- Rating: 3.9/5 (115 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 259 West Main St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

#23. Agaves Mexican Grill

- Rating: 3.9/5 (234 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 779 East Yosemite Ave. Ste A Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

#22. Guacamole Burrito

- Rating: 3.9/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 3144 G St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

#21. Tacos De La Torre

- Rating: 4.0/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 1800 East Childs Ave. Merced, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
-

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#20. Titos Tacos & Grill

- Rating: 4.0/5 (77 reviews)
- Address: 240 South Center St. Turlock, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Mexican
-

#19. La Morenita

- Rating: 4.0/5 (135 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1352 West 13th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

#18. Cortes Tacos

- Rating: 4.1/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 15TH West 15th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
-

#17. Ostioneria Guadalajara Restaurant

- Rating: 4.1/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1220 West 16th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
-

#16. Tacos Hidalgo Taco Truck

- Rating: 4.1/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 550 East Main St. Merced, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
-

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#15. El Tlahualil Casa del Molcajete

- Rating: 4.1/5 (163 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1277 V St. Ste A Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican, Coffee & Tea, Seafood
-

#14. Tacos El Pollo merced ca

- Rating: 4.1/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 371 South CA-59 Merced, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
-

#13. El Palmar Taqueria

- Rating: 4.2/5 (128 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1127 Martin Luther King Jr Way Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
-

#12. Phantom's Food Truck

- Rating: 4.3/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 1930 Airdrome Entry Atwater, California
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
-

#11. La Patrona Taqueria

- Rating: 4.3/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 3115 Stratofortrees Ave. Atwater, California
- Categories: Tacos, Food Trucks
-

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#10. Lupian's Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (119 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3355 G St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

#9. Tacos Al Mando

- Rating: 4.4/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 900 Martin Luther King Merced, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Mexican
-

#8. Silva's Taqueria

- Rating: 4.4/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 1419 Mitchell Road Modesto, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
-

#7. Marco's Tacos

- Rating: 4.4/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 99 East Donna Drive Merced, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
-

#6. Sinaloense Mariscos & Taqueria

- Rating: 4.5/5 (224 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4820 Salida Blvd. Salida, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Mexican, Seafood
-

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#5. El Sabor De Oaxaca

- Rating: 4.5/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 900 Loughborough Drive Ste East Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

#4. Carniceria Y Taqueria Superior

- Rating: 4.6/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1725 West Hwy 140 Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican, Latin American
-

#3. Mariscos El Nacho

- Rating: 4.6/5 (61 reviews)
- Address: 1560 Yosemite Pkwy Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

#2. Lonchera el pan de vida

- Rating: 4.7/5 (23 reviews)
- Address: 6061 North Winton Way Winton, California
- Categories: Mexican
-

#1. Veekiind

- Rating: 5.0/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 221 El Roya Ave. Modesto, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cynthia Rebolledo, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 326 metros.

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