Long-time El Rey chef Dionicio Jiménez opened his brightly tiled Kensington operation last year to much acclaim, including a nomination for a 2023 James Beard Award for best chef, Mid-Atlantic. Jiménez doesn’t mind playing with tradition; at Cantina La Martina, he marries flavors from other cuisines with Mexican staples for delicious outcomes such as Chilaquiles Italianos — crispy tortillas with salsa verde, Parmesan, herbs, eggs, and burrata — and Trufa y Remolacha Asada, a tilapia cured in lime juice and finished with cherry tomatoes, roasted beets, and black truffles.

This modern Mexican spot is in the predominantly Russian and Polish neighborhood of Port Richmond where few Latin American restaurants have gone before. Nemi offers an elegant dining experience complete with unexpected dishes like duck confit for two and bright ceviche with a mango passionfruit puree. The bar complements the refined menu with a wide selection of margaritas and cocktails made with house syrups and fresh juices.

A bright and airy space, a fresh and polished menu; nestled between Norris Square and Olde Kensington, Sor Ynez is worth the trip off the beaten path. Chef Alex Tellez spotlights sustainability, sourcing locally from Green Meadow Farm and Masa Cooperativa, a mission-driven corn co-op from South Philly Barbacoa’s Cristina Martinez and Ben Miller. The recipes feel familiar but with a contemporary bent, like tlacoyos — blue masa cakes filled with refried beans, nopales, queso fresco, and salsa verde — and bold shrimp al ajillo con mezcal. The bar also features the likes of rare Mayan liquors and bright blue butterfly pea cocktails that are as beautiful as they are delicious.

When this beloved West Philly spot took over the old Rx space, it satisfied a desire in a neighborhood previously devoid of Mexican flavors. Don Barriga’s unpretentious cantina feel and comprehensive menu (breakfast, soups, tacos, platters, and specialty dishes) keep locals happy and coming back for more. Standout savory dishes include the fajitas Don Barriga and California burrito but don’t overlook delicious desserts like flan, tres leches, and churros.

Las Bugambilias served Veracruz-style dishes and classic Mexican street food on South Street for 15 years before moving to its current Old City location in 2021, where you can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner surrounded by warm colors and coastal decor. Pair a rose margarita with the signature dish, molcajete, named for the traditional stone mortar that comes piled high with your choice of meat or veg and the likes of nopales and queso panela with freshly made corn tortillas.

The four siblings who run Blue Corn, an Italian market operation, put their family recipes on full display. Tortillas, huaraches, chips, and even cheesecake are made with special blue maize for which the restaurant is named, from their hometown of San Mateo Ozolco in Puebla. Daily specials and a full bar round out the experience at this homey and inviting restaurant.

By now, you’ve probably heard the buzz about James Beard Award winner Cristina Martinez’s labor of love in the Italian Market. South Philly Barbacoa’s lamb tacos with consomé coupled with Martinez’s activism in the immigrant community have garnered awareness from all across the country. If, however, you find yourself outside of South Philly Barbacoa’s limited hours or you’re in the mood to skip the ever-present line, hop next door and check out Martinez’s new restaurant, Casa Mexico. It offers an expanded menu including Pueblan delicacies like chicken in peanut sauce and stuffed plantains. If you hurry, maybe you can get in before the rest of the country catches onto this place too.

Any day of the week, you’ll find that Tamalex, just a block and a half off East Passyunk in Little Saigon, is humming with neighborhood folks as well as those who have journeyed out of their own corner of Philly to get a taste of flavorful platters, savory tortas, gorditas, huaraches, and more. On weekends, the staff makes over 1,000 tamales overnight so that they can be picked up or delivered at peak freshness the next morning.

Sometimes the best spots are barely on the map. Walk into Café Ceviche, a recent endeavor by STARR Restaurants alum Blas Popoca, and you’re greeted by an exceptionally warm staff, a tall case of pristine pan dulce baked on premises, and lively cumbia music brightening the modest South Philly spot. You can stop by during the week and have a huitlacoche (aka corn truffle) quesadilla with a fresh smoothie, but weekends are when the real magic happens: aguachile verde, ceviche mixto, and tamales with chicken mole or rajas style with tomato, jalapenos, epazote, and queso Oaxaca.

What started as chef Jennifer Zavala’s unlicensed tamale pop-up in a van grew into a permanent BYOB location and fast favorite on East Passyunk Avenue. Focused on punchy flavors and fair wages, Juana Tamale boasts long lines and some of the best birria tacos in town, not to mention piping hot bowls of birria ramen, a fantastic fusion. Although this is mainly a takeout restaurant, there are a couple of tables if you can’t wait to tuck into the tamales that started it all.

Looking for unique tequilas, agave cocktails, and a very chill vibe? La Llorona Cantina in West Passyunk has got all of that. For a laid-back and flavor-packed dinner with friends, snack on some shareables like crab tostadas or a chorizo tlayuda while sampling a flight of mezcal.

The traditional enchiladas slathered in mole may be the main draw at this South Philly restaurant, but the menu contains multitudes, including tacos two ways: de la casa (traditional) and rancheros with sour cream, lettuce, avocado, pico de gallo, and queso fresco. The portions are generous, the menu is well-priced, and Los Gallos is also a BYOB, making this one of the more budget-friendly options.