Mexican Food in Riverside (2025)
A Riverside landmark where Michoacán-style plates meet an open-air folk art wonderland. Celebrated by PBS SoCal’s Artbound and covered by KQED for its recycled-sculpture campus, it’s a singular culture-and-cocina experience steps from the Mission Inn.
Serving Riverside since 1963, this multigenerational Medina-family cafe anchors local mornings with chilaquiles, menudo, and classic combo plates. Noted decades ago by The New Yorker and highlighted by Visit Riverside, it remains a true community dining room.
Independent since 1989, Anchos is beloved for mesquite-grilled plates and flour tortillas pressed in view of the dining room. A perennial local favorite, it’s been recognized in readers’ choice roundups and remains a go-to for group dinners.
In a white-tented backyard just east of the 215 in Riverside, I discovered a family-run cenaduría where Efraín and Antonia Toledo have been serving authentic Valles Centrales Oaxacan food for 21 years. Efraín — an aviation mechanic who has worked on Teslas, NASA and SpaceX projects — cooks over a charcoal-fired grill and comal; his scorched tlayudas (made with imported large tortillas) are exceptional, topped with Antonia’s avocado-studded herbed black beans, warmed porky asientos, lightly sour quesillo from Villa de Etla, and shredded cabbage, folded and served with sides like tasajo, cecina, chorizo, and a second basket of pungent wild herbs (pipicha and pápalo), guajes, roasted onions, chile de agua, and grilled nopales. The memelas are frisbee-sized and piled with asientos, black-bean purée, quesillo and a choice of meat or crunchy chapulines; Conchita García hand-forms huge torpedo-shaped molotes stuffed with chorizo and potatoes, fried until crispy, drowned in avocado sauce and black bean purée and showered with queso fresco; the menu also includes tamales de mole, quesadillas with high-quality quesillo and fresh epazote, pan de yema, café de olla and chocolate de leche, plus mezcal with botanas and occasional live music. On Friday and Saturday nights there’s often a line for the picnic-table setup, where the Toledos emphasize artisanal, original products and a customary weekend experience that truly tastes like strolling Oaxaca de Juárez at night.
A family-run favorite dating to the late 1970s, known for hard-shell tacos, big-plate combos, and weekend menudo. Named an editor’s pick for best Mexican by the region’s daily, it continues to anchor neighborhood celebrations.
Once a tortillería, now a home-style kitchen praised by locals for handmade corn tortillas, ranchero-style tacos, and weekend soups. It’s the kind of neighborhood spot where regulars are greeted by name.
Riverside-born and family-operated, Pepito’s blends classic combo-plate comfort with vegan-friendly options and lively atmosphere. City tourism listings and reservation platforms show it humming at both Canyon Crest and Orangecrest locations.
Downtown’s modern Mexican dining room with a serious tequila-and-mezcal list, ceviches, and late-night hours. It’s a locally owned spot that doubles as a lively pre-show option near the Fox Performing Arts Center.
A neighborhood grocery with an in-house tortillería turning out fragrant nixtamal tortillas and a taco counter locals rave about. Spotlighted by the Raincross Gazette for its chicharrón and masa-driven menu.
A lively, independent marisquería pouring micheladas and dishing aguachiles, ceviches, and oyster shots. Online ordering and recent menus show a full slate of coastal cravings anchoring Riverside’s seafood scene.
A dedicated birria specialist with quesabirrias, consomé, and birria ramen drawing steady crowds. Its own ordering site and recent listings confirm steady hours and an all-birria focus.