Mexican cuisine has already conquered the United States, so it’s no surprise that restaurants based in Mexico are opening locations here.
La Lupita Taco & Mezcal, which has operated in Mexico since 2015, has announced plans to open its first U.S. outpost in Dallas in Spring 2026, and a second in Scottsdale, Arizona at a later, still-undecided date. The restaurant currently has locations in San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico and is popular for its upscale tacos and a vast mezcal list.
“Guests can expect hand-pressed tortillas, mezcal-forward cocktails, and daring dishes like wagyu tacos and grasshoppers, all served in a lively cantina setting,” a press release about the plans stated. “Opening celebrations will feature taco tastings, mezcal mixology showcases, live music, and chef-curated pairings that highlight the spirit and flavor that made La Lupita a culinary icon in Mexico.”
Los Cochinitos opened its first U.S. location last year in Spring, Texas, near Houston. The restaurant, which traces its roots to a taco stand launched in 1959, has eight locations in central Mexico. It’s known for carnitas, but the menu also includes a wide range of traditional tacos such as the El Minero made with costilla (pork ribs) and buche (pork stomach).
RosaNegra, which opened its first U.S. location in 2024 in Miami, is a high-end pan-Latin restaurant that is part of Grupo RosaNegra. The company also operates restaurants in four cities in Mexico, including Mexico City and Tulum, and in Madrid, Spain.
“Grupo Rosa Negra is on an exciting journey of global expansion, extending its influence and distinctive seal beyond the borders of Mexico,” the company says on its website.
Several other popular Mexico-based restaurants are already established here and growing.
La Popular, an upscale Mexico City-based restaurant, opened its first U.S. location in 2023 in Ros- eville, California. It has since added locations in Claremont, Hollywood and Porter Ranch, California, and one in Austin, Texas.
La Popular is known for taking simple dishes of ancestral Mexican culture to another level, using authentic ingredients that create adventurous flavors. The U.S. location is a collaboration between Grupo Carolo, which owns 27 restaurants in Mexico, and the Eureka! Restaurant Group, a chain of casual dining restaurants.
Los Arbolitos de Cajeme was launched in 1988 in Sonora, Mexico, and has 18 locations there. It opened a location in Phoenix in 2019 and since in Glendale, Arizona then has added two more locations, one and one in Las Vegas. The restaurant’s menu leans heavily into Sonoran seafood, such as Tostada de Chiltepín with shrimp, octopus and tuna.
One of pioneers of the Mexico-to-United States route — and probably the most successful — is El Pollo Loco. The company was founded in 1974 in Mexico and opened 85 restaurants in Mexico in the following five years. In 1980, it opened its first U.S. location in Los Angeles. Today the company is traded on NASDAQ and has more than 500 locations in the United States.