Mexican Restaurants in Nashville

June 14, 2026

Mexican cuisine is one of the most visible parts of Nashville’s dining landscape, ranging from scratch-made taquerias along Nolensville Pike to full-service restaurants with bar programs across Davidson County. Nashville is Tennessee’s largest city, with a population of roughly 715,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and decades of population growth have brought a deep community of family-owned Mexican kitchens that cook regional dishes rather than a single generic menu. For diners, that means a real distinction exists between a sit-down restaurant built around tableside service and a counter-service taqueria built around tacos, tortas, and house salsas, and it is worth knowing which experience a given spot offers before going.

The practical questions most diners weigh are cuisine and specialties, whether a place leans toward dine-in or takeout, and how food safety is handled behind the counter. In Tennessee, every restaurant must hold a food-service establishment permit and pass routine inspections. In Davidson County those inspections are conducted by the Metro Public Health Department under standards set by the Tennessee Department of Health, and inspection scores are public record. A restaurant that prepares food on site, whether it is a taqueria griddling al pastor or a kitchen simmering birria, operates under the same permit-and-inspection framework, which gives diners a consistent baseline for cleanliness and safe food handling.

Taxes and alcohol licensing also shape the experience. Prepared restaurant food in Nashville is taxed at the full combined sales-tax rate of 9.75% in Davidson County, which is higher than the reduced rate Tennessee applies to most grocery food, so a restaurant check will reflect that rate on food and non-alcoholic drinks. A restaurant that serves margaritas, beer, or a full bar needs the appropriate license or permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), and liquor-by-the-drink sales carry an additional state tax. Diners will notice the difference between a taqueria that serves only aguas frescas and horchata and a full-service restaurant with a cantina, a distinction that often tracks with how the menu is built.

Authenticity in Nashville often comes down to regional cooking and made-from-scratch preparation rather than marketing language. Several of the city’s long-running establishments grew out of family grocery operations or tortilla production, and many still press their own tortillas or make salsas in house. The Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs administers the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), which covers deceptive business practices and is the avenue for complaints about advertising or billing. For food-safety concerns specifically, the Metro Public Health Department handles restaurant inspection complaints. The three restaurants below are established, locally owned Nashville operations whose details were verified against their own published information.

Top Mexican Restaurants Providers in Nashville

1. Taqueria La Juquilita

Address: 5913 Morrow Rd, Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: (615) 524-9053
Website: no dedicated website; listed on Yelp at https://www.yelp.com/biz/taquer%C3%ADa-la-juquilita-nashville
Services: dine-in, takeout, street tacos, tortas, carne asada, aguas frescas, counter service
Description: Taqueria La Juquilita is a family-run Nashville taqueria on Morrow Road known for authentic, scratch-cooked Mexican food with Oaxacan-leaning specialties. The husband-and-wife operation runs a small, casual counter-service kitchen rather than a full-service dining room, with a menu built around street tacos, tortas, carne asada, and house aguas frescas, alongside dishes such as al pastor, mole, and tlayuda. Portions are generous and prices are modest, and the kitchen leans on fresh preparation rather than a large format. Its small-footprint, scratch-cooking model is representative of the taqueria side of Nashville’s Mexican dining scene, in contrast to the larger full-service restaurants in the city.

2. Las Palmas Mexican Restaurante

Address: 6688 Nolensville Pike, Suite 105, Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: (615) 941-4756
Website: https://www.laspalmasnashville.com
Services: dine-in, takeout, delivery, full bar and margaritas, fajitas, seafood dishes, catering
Description: Las Palmas Mexican Restaurante is a locally owned full-service operation that has grown to nine locations across the Nashville area, including stores on Charlotte Pike (5821 Charlotte Pike), at 1905 Hayes Street downtown, on Franklin Pike, and the Nolensville Pike location serving south Nashville and Brentwood. The restaurant serves traditional Mexican fare in a sit-down setting with a full bar, and its menu spans fajitas, soft tacos, seafood dishes such as the seafood jicama taco, and signature plates including the Quesadilla Rellena and Chori Pollo. Each location offers dine-in, takeout, and delivery, and the bar program features a range of margaritas, which places Las Palmas firmly in the full-service-with-cantina category rather than counter-service.

3. Mas Tacos Por Favor

Address: 732 McFerrin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206
Phone: (615) 543-6271
Website: https://www.instagram.com/mastacos (Instagram; no dedicated website)
Services: dine-in, takeout, scratch-made tacos, soups, aguas frescas, counter service
Description: Mas Tacos Por Favor is an East Nashville taqueria in the McFerrin Avenue area that began as a food truck operating out of a 1974 Winnebago and grew into a permanent brick-and-mortar counter-service spot. The kitchen is known for scratch-made Mexican cooking, with a menu built around tacos, soups, and house-made aguas frescas rather than a large full-service format. The restaurant has been featured nationally, including on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and remains a counter-service operation focused on made-to-order tacos and quick, casual dine-in and takeout. Its small-footprint, scratch-cooking model is representative of the taqueria side of Nashville’s Mexican dining scene, in contrast to the larger full-service restaurants in the city.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mexican Restaurants in Nashville

Q: Do Mexican restaurants in Nashville need a permit to operate?

Yes. Every restaurant in Tennessee must hold a food-service establishment permit and pass routine inspections. In Davidson County, those inspections are carried out by the Metro Public Health Department using standards set by the Tennessee Department of Health. Inspection scores are public record, so diners can check a restaurant’s most recent score through the health department.

Q: How much is sales tax on a restaurant meal in Nashville?

Prepared restaurant food in Nashville is taxed at the full combined sales-tax rate of 9.75% in Davidson County. That is higher than the reduced rate Tennessee applies to most grocery food. Restaurants that sell liquor by the drink also collect an additional state alcohol tax, which appears on checks that include cocktails, beer, or wine.

Q: What is the difference between a taqueria and a full-service Mexican restaurant?

A taqueria is typically a counter-service operation focused on tacos, tortas, and house salsas, often with aguas frescas rather than a bar, while a full-service restaurant offers tableside service, a broader menu, and frequently a cantina with margaritas and other cocktails. Nashville has strong examples of both, and the distinction usually tracks with whether the restaurant holds an alcohol license and how its menu is structured.

Q: Do Nashville Mexican restaurants serve alcohol, and is it taxed differently?

Many do. A restaurant that serves margaritas, beer, or a full bar needs the appropriate license or permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). Liquor-by-the-drink sales carry an additional state tax on top of the regular sales tax, so the alcohol portion of a check is taxed differently from the food portion.

Q: How can I tell if a Nashville Mexican restaurant serves authentic regional food?

Authenticity often shows in scratch preparation and regional dishes rather than marketing claims. Several Nashville establishments press their own tortillas, make salsas in house, or grew out of family grocery and tortilla operations, and many serve regional specialties such as al pastor, birria, and house-made aguas frescas. Reading the menu for these items and noting whether tortillas and salsas are made on site is more reliable than any single label.

Q: How do I file a complaint about a Nashville Mexican restaurant?

For food-safety concerns, contact the Metro Public Health Department, which handles restaurant inspections in Davidson County. For complaints about deceptive business practices, advertising, or billing, the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs administers the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Keeping receipts and notes about the visit strengthens any complaint.