New York Times names 2 Oregon restaurants among 41 greatest Mexican restaurants in 2026

Two Oregon restaurants have landed on a 2026 list from The New York Times highlighting “41 of the greatest Mexican restaurants in the United States.”

The list includes restaurants from across the country serving everything from regional Mexican specialties to Mexican American dishes.

“There has never been a better time for Mexican food in the United States,” the New York Times said. “A culinary renaissance over the last 15 years has expanded the American palate well beyond Tex-Mex, tacos and game-night nachos.”

Both of the Times’ Oregon picks were in Portland.

Here’s what to know about each restaurant and what The New York Times highlighted.

Mis Tacones

Mis Tacones is a vegan Mexican restaurant in Northeast Portland founded by partners Polo Bañuelos and Carlos Reynosa, two Los Angeles natives who wanted to bring the Chicano food they grew up with to the Pacific Northwest.

The business started as a pop-up before developing into a colorful brick-and-mortar restaurant filled with Chicano influences.

New York Times reporter Bill Esparza described Mis Tacones as “vibrant restaurant full of Chicano iconography in a rainbow of pastels,” that “serves remarkable Mexican food that happens to be vegan.”

The Times highlighted the restaurant’s nachos, which come topped with al pastor seitan, cashew cream, and vegan beans. It also singled out La Chimi, a fried chimichanga.

Visitors can also find tacos, burritos, tortas, and other plant-based dishes inspired by the Mexican American food of Southern California.

Mis Tacones is located at 1670 NE Killingsworth St. in Portland.

Ki’ikibáa

Ki’ikibáa also made the list, with The New York Times highlighting its Yucatecan specialties.

Chef Manny Lopez specializes in Yucatecan cooking, bringing dishes from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula to Northeast Portland.

The New York Times noted that the restaurant’s burritos have plenty of fans, but recommended that diners focus on Lopez’s Yucatecan specialties.

Times’ reporter Brian Gallagher particularly recommended the cochinita pibil, a citrusy, slow-roasted pork dish associated with Yucatán.

The list highlighted the panuchos and salbutes, which can be ordered with several toppings, and noted that the relleno negro and menudo are also worth watching for when available.

The Times suggested sharing several smaller dishes as one of the best ways to experience more of Ki’ikibáa’s menu.

Ki’ikibáa is located at 3244 NE 82nd Ave. in Portland.