The best Mexican restaurants on Long Island

Street tacos and made-to-order guacamole are only the beginning of the draws at Long Island's venerable Mexican taquerias and restaurants. Authentic fare abounds in this fast-growing segment of eateries. Among the standouts:

Ruta Oaxaca

30 E. Main St., Patchogue

Oaxaca may be thousands of miles away, but under an umbrella on the back patio of its Patchogue namesake, a grilled pineapple mezcal margarita in hand, you could be transported to Mexico’s culinary capital. This stylish offshoot of the Astoria original opened in spring 2022, highlighting the artful side of Mexican cuisine. Chefs Carlos and Felipe Arellanos finely tune cochinita pibil tacos and shrimp-calamari ceviche, quesadillas jammed with rajas and Oaxaca cheese, melting seafood enchiladas that fuse the ocean with creamy habanero-spiked salsa. There are multiple spins on mole (a complex sauce that can have dozens of ingredients), from chocolate-tinged mole negro served with chicken buñuelos (fritters) to mole verde to smoky, guajillo-fueled mole Coloradito draped across NY strip steak. The slow-cooked baby back ribs, sheathed in a guava-chipotle glaze, practically fall apart under your gaze — the kind of transcendent dish that leaves you planning a return. More info: 631-569-2233, rutaoaxacamex.com

Besito

402 New York Ave., Huntington; 1516 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn and 399 Montauk Hwy., West Islip

Sometimes you want more than a taqueria, and these sophisticated siblings, boosting Mexico’s cuisine to refined but still festive levels, are only too happy to oblige. At each, a blissfully chunky guacamole is prepared tableside and tuned to your choice of heat. The chicken or carne asada quesadillas are consistently solid starters, along with the chile rellenos and tacos of various meats delivered in an iron skillet. When you want to get serious, though, Besito obliges, cinching together regional Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes with flair: The enchilada suizas and mixtas will make you long for bread and sauce sopping, while the pistachio-crusted salmon, as well as jumbo shrimp with mashed sweet potatoes, are among the larger plates, backed by a supporting cast of fine salsas and excellent cocktails (don’t miss the house pomegranate margarita). More info: 631-549-0100, besitomexican.com

Hermanas

136 S. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst

It hasn’t been the smoothest road: Opened weeks before the first pandemic-era lockdown, the three friends who own Hermanas (which means "sisters" in Spanish) powered through with vibrant, imaginative Mexican, Tex-Mex and central American food that, even in a takeout container, exuded style and pulsed with flavor. The bleached coastal vibes of the tiny dining room and bar are a serene backdrop for layered, technicolor tacos, from slow-cooked pernil (pork shoulder) or tequila-lime marinated shrimp to novel vegetarian versions, such as roasted carrots sheathed in al-pastor sauce. The pernil reappears in a robust Cubano sandwich, but those who simply want to sip exceptional cocktails (think Spanish gin and tonics or mezcal Palomas) can snack on small plates until day turns to night: Crunchy tostones, empanadas filled with manchego cheese and mushrooms, cotija-showered elote and a changing roster of ceviche and quesadillas with bright, racy accents. More info: 631-991-8999, hermanaslindy.com

Dirty Taco & Tequila

32 W Main St., Patchogue; 201 Sunrise Hwy., Rockville Centre; 3261 Merrick Rd., Wantagh and 8285 Jercho Tpke., Woodbury

This popular eatery from AnnMarie and Tom Cataldo has done something impossible: convince an island already awash in taco joints that it needs one more. Five years (and three additional locations later), the taco roster still includes beef, chicken, fish, pork and vegetables, all of which can be ordered individually. The Baja fish number, blah elsewhere, here becomes something to exalt, courtesy lightly fried fresh cod, cabbage slaw and drizzles of lime-zested sour cream. A flour tortilla filled with ginger-marinated salmon accented by garlic sauce is wonderful. A jerk-spiced chicken taco dressed with tangy chunks of pineapple dances on the tongue as nimbly as a kung pao chicken variant, dusted with bits of crispy wontons and peanuts, and comes beautifully presented with curls of scallions. Best of all is the Thai meatball taco, a rowdy mix of ground beef, coconut curry and mint. Eating one, you feel as if a brand-new comfort food has been loosed upon the world. More info: 516-785-5300, dirtytacoandtequila.com

El Paso Authentic Taco Grill

787 Conklin St., Farmingdale and 990 Montauk Hwy., Copiague

For over a decade, this Farmingdale spot has supplied its surrounds with next-level Mexican and central American food; from pupusas and empanadas to sopes and tacos, it all explodes with flavor and, well, calories. Tacos — whether carnitas, lengua or shrimp — come traditionally adorned with radishes, cilantro and lime. While they are a must, don’t overlook the baleada especial, a giant wheat tortilla folded over a tide of beans, melted queso, avocado and an egg. Pro tip: This spot is so popular that ordering in advance is wise, for the counter gets busy and the waits can be long. Chances are when you show up you’ll see a few other things you’ll want, though — whether tamales, or an al pastor torta, or flan. More info: 516-752-1872

Taqueria Mexico

709 Main St., Riverhead

This authentic Mexican restaurant was the first jewel in a triple crown owned by the Rojas family, who also own Riverhead's Taqueria Cielito Lindo (25 E. Main St.) and East Moriches' El Rodeo (at 130 Montauk Hwy.) The décor is no-frills but colorful, and the food is on point. Tacos, served on homemade tortillas, are exemplary, particularly the campechanos, filled with beef, pork and sausage. Tacos’ stouter cousins, sopas, are also well represented, as are enchiladas, tortas (Mexican sandwiches) and light-and-tender tamales. Meaty mains are consistently fine, as is the pozole, a piquant soup thick with exploded hominy kernels and hunks of braised pork. More info: 631-208-2902

I Am Nacho Mama

7 W. Village Green, Hicksville

Europe, the Caribbean, Central and South America--it took a village of no fewer than a dozen countries for Carlos Juarez to create a menu representing pan-Latin eclecticism at its finest. A bricks-and-mortar reworking of a food truck that took Nassau County by storm a few years back, favorites include the already legendary Mama Cuba sandwich, based on a recipe that goes back four generations, showcasing generous shavings of pernil--slow-roasted pork that takes two baths, one of sofrito, the other of beer--on its way to sharing sandwich space with ham, Swiss cheese and a superb slaw of pickled cabbage. The pork ribs, rubbed with a racy lime and salt mixture and seared on a wood-fired grill are among the best of their kind, and the same grill produces meats that form the winning basis of a dizzying variety of nachos, tacos, burritos and bowls. Best of all are the moments when cultures collide, as with the Chori burger, in which ground sirloin gets a mighty boost from Argentinean chorizo. More info: 516-226-0228, iamnachomama.com

La Fondita and Coche Comedor

74 and 74A Montauk Hwy., Amagansett

Here you'll find the Hamptons’ most authentic Mexican experiences. The more casual Fondita is little more than an enclosed stand with counter stools and picnic tables on the lawn, along with Adirondack chairs around the pond out back, but don’t be fooled. For more than 20 years, the little taqueria has been turning out winning nachos, quesadillas, tacos and a fine tortilla soup, as well as a trio of meat sandwiches on Portuguese rolls. Coche, which opened in 2019, is the upscale, trendy cousin, not to mention the considered choice of those who like duck fat potatoes with their chicken adobo, punch-packing margaritas and celebrity sightings. The ceviches are all first-rate, whether composed of fluke and avocado, tuna tartare or snapper, and the queso fundido is a velvety winner. Among the entrees, pork barbacoa is the standout, although a persuasive case may also be made for the striped bass (with impossibly sweet corn from nearby Balsam Farms), as well as a casserole of seafood, chorizo and Mexican rice. More info: 631-267-8800, lafondita.net and 631-267-5709, cochecomedor.com

Lucharitos

119 Main St., Greenport and 872 Walt Whitman Rd., Melville; Little Lucharitos: 487 Main Rd., Aquebogue; Lucha Farm: 177 Main St., Center Moriches; Mattituck Burrito Bar: 10095 Main Rd. Mattituck

Marc LaMaina started his rollicking chainlet of Mexican spots in downtown Greenport and soon expanded all over the North Fork and as far west as Melville. Whether you're bringing the kids for lunch or settling in with a round of margaritas, this is crowd-pleasing fare. The fearsome poses of Mexican wrestlers known as luchadores adorn the walls; on the plates you'll find dozens of iterations of tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas and bowls with fillings that range from traditional (carnitas, carne asada) to inventive (coconut shrimp, barbecued local duck). Vegetarian options abound. The Center Moriches location sprawls over more than an acre and comprises multiple outdoor dining areas, a working farm and a play area. More info: 631-477-6666, lucharitos.com

Mexican Grill 2000

703 Medford Ave., Patchogue

Tucked near the back of a Patchogue strip mall, the unassuming Mexican Grill 2000 is a quiet monarch of the local taqueria landscape. Both the chef and owner of this bright, perpetually bustling spot come from Puebla, and the fare is always on point, whether crisp fried flounder layered with pico de gallo and house crema or fajita burritos jammed with peppers, onions mushrooms and grilled steak. Costillas, or beef ribs in a green or red sauce, are penultimate comfort food. More info: 631-207-6554, mexicangrillli.com

Mi Viejito Pueblito

1687 New York Ave., Huntington Station

The riotous cilantro-and-onion-dressed tacos — house-made flour tortillas with the softness and spring of Memory Foam cradling beef, chicken, tongue, tripe and fish embeds – are no small part of the appeal of this Huntington Station hole-in-the-wall. The menu of unlikely hits by Eulogio and Emelia Valerio that’s as authentically Mexican as it gets. The soup, when available, remains a must, as are the nachos simple, in which rivulets of queso and pico run through a pleasing pile of chips christened by crema in a crosshatch pattern. Dry-cured flank steak blanketed by a fan of nopals make for a fine cecina. Again and again you’ll tear off the lid of that straw sombrero tortilla warmer, bringing floury madness to strips of lovingly marinated beef, pickled cactus and a dripping of jalapeño sauce. More info: 631-470-0396

Mission Taco

371 New York Ave, Huntington

A kaleidoscopic mural of La Catrina, the icon of Mexico's Día de Muertos, anchors the dining room at this buzzing spot billing itself as “authentic but not traditional.” The menu here is tight with starters like requisite guacamole and a couple of quesadillas (steak, veggie), and small plates including more upscale choices like pork belly in a tamarind honey lime glaze and grilled octopus with sautéed chorizo. Tacos are the thing, though, with street varieties like carne asada and chicharrón (pork belly) alongside trendy ones like now-ubiquitous birria and a “gringo”, which features a hard corn shell filled with ground beef, lettuce, tomato and cheese, evoking 1980’s dinner tables on Tuesdays. Churros and tres leches cake tempt those with sweet teeth. Don’t miss the well-curated agave list for margaritas from spicy to sweet. Three sangrias are on offer, and beer lovers will get excited over their impressive selection from niche breweries. More info: 631-614-8226, missiontacoli.com

Taco 'Bout It

40b E. Main St., Riverhead

Wild, tropical colors mark this hidden gem, down a Riverhead alley, where chef and Oaxaca native Alejandro "Chicki" Ramirez lends a masterly touch to Mexican-food staples such as lengua tacos, lush guacamole, husk-wrapped tamales and al pastor tostadas topped with queso fresco. Burritos, quesadillas, chimichangas, nachos — Tex-Mex is well repped, too — but local seafood makes frequent appearances, as do rarer, regional Mexican dishes. Where else might you find a pambazo birria — a sandwich filled with beer-stewed, shredded beef — anywhere else on Long Island? Not likely. More info: 631-574-8787

Taco el Chingon

2809 Merrick Rd., Bellmore and 321 Oak St., Uniondale

This tiny, female-owned takeout spot serves superb Mexican food. Owner Laura Lucero draws on a few of her grandmother’s recipes for quiet showstoppers such as the machete classico, an oversized house tortilla layered with refried beans, melted Oaxacan cheese and sliced avocado, plus a meat of your choosing. Tacos are the main event, from rich suadero (slow-cooked beef) to al pastor as soft as velvet and tinged by guajillo chile. This is one of the rare places on the island to get breakfast tacos, too, and other Mexican breakfast dishes such as chilaquiles. Whichever direction you go — molletes for breakfast, sopas for lunch — be sure to nab a cup of tart jamaica (lightly sweetened hibiscus tea) from the cooler. More info: 516-809-9102, tacoelchingon.com

Verde Kitchen & Cocktails

70 E. Main St., Bay Shore

"Verde" describes the greenhouse dining room at this contemporary Mexican, but also the overarching fresh approach to a cuisine that, too often, relies on canned ingredients and clichéed preparations. Start with one of the eight margaritas, made with fresh citrus and house-made syrups, then head for the tacos whose tortillas come from the vaunted Tortilleria Nixtamal in Queens (and, for certain specials, are made in house). The barbacoa, filled with jiggly, chile-rubbed brisket with pickled serranos is sheer heaven. Groups of two or more should consider the Oaxaca market platter, a huge ceramic plate piled high with grilled skirt steak, chicken thighs and roast pork shoulder; garnished with charred scallions, halved avocados, radishes and roasted chiles; served with tortillas, rice and warm tortillas. Even the green salad here — made with local greens, pickled tomatillo, toasted sesame seeds and tomato-chile vinaigrette —it’s a delight. More info: 631-665-6300, verdekitchen.com

Compiled by Corin Hirsch, Erica Marcus, Scott Vogel & Marie Elena Martinez.