Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Lexington: 19 places

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Lexington’s Mexican restaurants cluster downtown around Short Street, Broadway and Maxwell Street, along South Limestone by the University of Kentucky, and out on Richmond Road. The chains add stores in Hamburg and along Nicholasville Road.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records inside Lexington-Fayette, the same data behind our local directory, checked against each place’s own website on Oct. 16, 2026. Where a restaurant’s website no longer works, we kept it only if the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s inspection records show it at that address in 2026, and we give the phone from our directory records. We left out El Buen Taco, a food truck, and El Cid, Buenos Nachos and Taqueria Ramirez, which we could not confirm. Where a chain has several stores, the hours are from the store named in the table. The list is alphabetical. It is not a ranking or a recommendation, and nobody paid to be on it. Run one of these places? Write to us to correct your entry.

The list

The places

Agave & Rye. A taco, tequila and bourbon restaurant chain with a downtown restaurant on the Square at North Broadway and a second near Fayette Mall.

Chili’s. The restaurant chain has two Lexington restaurants; its site shows only the current day’s closing time.

Chipotle. The burrito chain’s other stores are at 1869 Plaudit Place, 2212 War Admiral Way, 2325 Remington Way, 2905 Richmond Road, 1584 Leestown Road, 3900 Fountainblue Lane and 2270 and 3565 Nicholasville Road. It offers in-store pickup and delivery.

Chuy’s. The Tex-Mex chain’s Hamburg and Nicholasville Road restaurants both have 2026 health inspections on record.

Cinco de Mayo. Health records show three restaurants: 122 W. Maxwell St., 3031 Richmond Road, Suite 120, and 4101 Tates Creek Centre Drive, Unit 162.

El Charro. A Mexican restaurant with three Lexington locations: 4371 Old Harrodsburg Road, Suite 180 (859-219-0200), which has a private dining room; 3090 Helmsdale Place, Suite 260 (859-368-9553); and 561 S. Broadway, Suite 110 (859-309-0565). South Broadway is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed Sunday.

El Huarache, El Patio, El Rancho Tapatio, Mexico Mi Amor, Mi Pequeña Hacienda, Sabor Latino and Santa Fe Taqueria. Each has a 2026 inspection at the address shown. Call ahead for hours.

girlsgirlsgirls Burritos. A burrito bar at South Limestone and Avenue of Champions, open since 2016, with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free items, a full bar, live music and a dog-friendly patio.

The Local Taco. An independently owned Tex-Mex restaurant that mixes in Southern cooking, with restaurants on South Limestone and in Hamburg.

Mama Tequila. A downtown Mexican restaurant and nightclub that says its food draws on Guadalajara. It has three outdoor seating areas and happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m. daily.

Moe’s Southwest Grill. The burrito chain serves free chips and salsa with every meal and has kids, vegetarian and catering menus.

Qdoba. The chain’s other stores are at 101 E. Tiverton Way, 3735 Palomar Centre Drive and on Sir Barton in Hamburg. The Avenue of Champions store serves breakfast.

Viva Mexico. Health records show two restaurants, at 400 Old Vine St., Suite 106, and 2573 Richmond Road, Suite 170.

More places to eat

All the lists · Wings · Pizza · Barbecue · Burgers · Breakfast and coffee · Sushi and Asian · Ice cream and desserts · Bakeries · Patios · Restaurant inspections · Local directory

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get Mexican food in Lexington?

This list has 19 Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants, including Agave & Rye on North Broadway, Mama Tequila on West Short Street, Cinco de Mayo on West Maxwell Street, The Local Taco and girlsgirlsgirls Burritos on South Limestone and El Charro’s three restaurants.

Which Lexington Mexican restaurants are open late?

Agave & Rye on North Broadway lists hours to midnight Friday and Saturday, girlsgirlsgirls Burritos to midnight Thursday to Saturday, and Mama Tequila’s bar stays open from 10 p.m. to close.

Where is there Mexican food with a patio in Lexington?

girlsgirlsgirls Burritos at 395 S. Limestone has a dog-friendly patio, and Mama Tequila at 367 W. Short St. says it has three outdoor seating areas.

Where can I get tacos near the University of Kentucky?

The Local Taco at 315 S. Limestone, girlsgirlsgirls Burritos at 395 S. Limestone, Chipotle at 345 S. Limestone, Qdoba at 265 Avenue of Champions and El Charro at 561 S. Broadway are all close to campus.