No. 1
Native Tongues Taqueria
This upscale Mexican restaurant remains a go-to for tacos — with both grilled and braised meats and vegetable options — served up with a variety of fresh salsas and traditional Mexican sides, as well as a dizzying array of tequilas and mezcals.
235 12 Ave. S.W., 403-263-9444, nativetongues.ca, @nativetonguesyyc
Runners-up
Añejo Restaurant
This Mission restaurant is a popular destination for Mexican fare. Start with the house salsa tasting for the table before moving on to dishes like the mezcal adobo mussels or some beef barbacoa tacos. Añejo also has one of the biggest tequila lists anywhere in Calgary with more than 200 options. The restaurant even partnered with Patron to create its own premium tequila.
2116 4 St. S.W., 587-353-2656, anejo.ca, @anejoyyc
Con Mi Taco
Operating as a pop-up inside of Meat & Bread‘s downtown space, Con Mi Taco (translation: “with my taco”) is all about house-made ingredients, grinding corn daily to make hand-pressed tortillas, which are then wrapped around authentically Mexican fillings. There is also a large list of exotic margarita flavours like soursop, and, of course, traditional lime.
821 1 St. S.W. (pop-up inside Meat & Bread) 587-890-7192, conmitaco.com, @conmitaco
Tacos Mexico Memorial
This Forest Lawn restaurant is known for its namesake dish — Mexican street-style tacos that come in 19 varieties here. Guests can also enjoy dishes like sopa de tortilla, enchiladas verdes and more in the restaurant’s relaxed, low-key setting.
3725 Memorial Dr. S.E., 403-457-6117, tacosmexicoyyc.com, @tacosmexicomemorial
Fonda Fora
Located in the Westley Hotel, Fonda Fora is a bright, beautiful restaurant designed by Frank Architecture. Offering a contemporary take on traditional Mexican cuisine, the menu focuses more on vegetables and seafood over meat, and include a number of dishes made with homemade masa dough. Fonda Fora also serves breakfast, which is great news for anyone staying in the hotel.
630 4 Ave. S.W. (inside The Westley Hotel), 403-764-6260, fondafora.com, @fondafora