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The Mexican influence in the United States is vast and significant due to the large community of Mexicans who settled in the country. Thanks to this, their cuisine is one of the most popular in the U.S., and you can find Mexican food stands in every corner of the country.
How is Mexican gastronomy regarded in the United States?
Mexican gastronomy was named by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is a great indicator of the influence that Mexican cuisine has around the world.
In the United States, given the geographic proximity and the number of Mexican migrants, Mexican gastronomy is deeply rooted in its culture. There are records indicating that the taco arrived in the U.S. at the end of the 19th century.
Over the decades, Mexican dishes evolved and adapted to American culture, leading to the emergence of Tex-Mex, a fusion of the culinary customs of Mexicans and Texans.
In this way, Mexico's gastronomy managed to enter both fast food and fine dining in the United States, being considered one of the most delicious culinary traditions.
How does it work?
Most of these places specialize in Mexican fast food, with the taco being the most famous and in-demand dish among them. However, this cuisine has blended with other culinary influences, increasing the popularity of other Mexican products, such as Hatch chiles, produced in New Mexico, or canned tamales.
Furthermore, **Mexican restaurants are much cheaper** than American fast-food restaurants. This data was gathered from the Yelp app, where users have rated Mexican food establishments as the cheapest, with just one dollar sign out of four.
Mexican food is on the rise in the United States
Mexican food has grown so much in the United States that, currently, 99% of citizens can access Mexican food from anywhere in the country. This is due to the number of Mexican migrants in the country: the Mexican community is the largest in the U.S.
A study published in 2024 by the Pew Research Center indicates that 85% of U.S. counties have at least one Mexican restaurant, with the states of Texas and California housing the **highest concentration of Mexican gastronomy**: they account for 40% of all Mexican restaurants in the country.
It is estimated that, according to the latest studies, around 37.2 million U.S. citizens are of Mexican descent. This is why their cultural influence is reflected, primarily, in their gastronomy.
Compared to other regions of Central America, Mexican food has the greatest presence in the United States.
Places to eat Mexican food in the United States
In the United States, there are many notable restaurants **in fine dining** that offer traditional recipes or Mexican food alternatives. Some options are:
- Cocina Madrigal, Phoenix,
- Cosme, New York,
- Puesto, San Diego,
- Besito, Boston,
- Cala, San Francisco
On the other hand, there are also **numerous Mexican food chains** throughout the country. Among them, we can name:
- Capital Tacos,
- Tijuana Flats,
- Ori’Zaba’s Mexican Grill,
- Del Taco,
- Taco Bell.
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