Manchester’s Mexican food scene has grown from a single Piccadilly Gardens burrito bar in 2005, which went on to become the UK’s first national burrito chain, into one with a Liverpool-and-London pedigree restaurant at Kampus, a market stall run by a Mexico City native for over a decade, and Britain’s first birria tacos served a short walk from where it all began. Here are the eight best Mexican restaurants in Manchester worth seeking out in 2026.

Barburrito opened its first-ever branch in Piccadilly Gardens in 2005, founded by Morgan Davies and Paul Kilpatrick as the UK’s first dedicated burrito bar. Two decades later, that original Manchester site is still trading, even as the chain has grown to 11 stores across seven UK towns and cities.

The build-your-own format — a choice of protein, rice, beans and salsas wrapped fast to order — was a genuine novelty in the UK when it launched, and Barburrito’s success helped pave the way for the wave of fast-casual Mexican chains that followed it into British high streets.

Barburrito — 1 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 1RG | barburrito.co.uk

Madre was assembled in 2019 by the teams behind Belzan in Liverpool and Breddos in London, before bringing that combined Mexican expertise to Manchester’s Kampus neighbourhood. The 90-seat restaurant and bar occupies Minshull House within the Kampus development, open daily from lunchtime until midnight.

The menu runs from tacos and quesadillas to wood-grilled seafood, steak, oysters and ceviche, giving it a broader, more restaurant-style range than most of the taco specialists elsewhere on this list. It’s built a strong reputation quickly, drawing on lessons from two well-regarded Mexican kitchens in other UK cities.

Madre — Minshull House, 47 Chorlton Street, Manchester M1 3FY | thisismadre.co.uk

Ocasa opened in Spinningfields on Good Friday 2025, taking over the former site of Sunset by Australasia opposite Dear Sailor. It brings a contemporary, design-led take on Mexican cuisine to one of Manchester’s most competitive restaurant strips.

The kitchen applies Asian techniques to Mexican classics, resulting in dishes like yaki-tacos that sit somewhere between the two cuisines rather than committing purely to either. The designer interiors and mood lighting set it apart from the more casual taquerias found elsewhere in the city.

Ocasa — 1 The Avenue, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3AP | ocasamcr.com

The Mexican opened in Fallowfield in August 2023 as a small, family-run cantina and cocktail bar in the heart of one of Manchester’s biggest student neighbourhoods. Colourful wall murals and a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere set the tone throughout.

The menu sticks to Mexican street food and Tex-Mex staples — burritos, tacos, quesadillas — backed by a bottomless brunch on Saturdays that’s become one of the restaurant’s biggest draws. It’s built a strong local reputation in a short space of time, with consistently high praise for its food and service.

The Mexican — 248 Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6LD | themexican.co.uk

Don Tacos was established in 2016 and spent years building a following in Bolton before expanding into Manchester’s Curry Mile and, more recently, a flagship unit in Piccadilly Gardens. It claims to be the first restaurant in Britain to serve birria tacos, made with meat cooked for more than eight hours with Mexican chillies, tomatoes and herbs.

Everything is made to order on-site, with most ingredients sourced directly from Mexico, and the format is built for speed and convenience rather than a sit-down meal. The Piccadilly Gardens location puts it at the centre of the city, a short walk from Barburrito’s original site.

Don Tacos — Unit E3, 1 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 1RG | dontacos.co.uk

Birria Brothers started life as a viral social media sensation before opening a permanent home on Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter, building its entire menu around a single specialist dish rather than a broad Mexican menu. It’s walk-in only, with last orders taken 15 minutes before closing each night.

The birria tacos come with a rich consommé for dunking and dipping, alongside Mexican-inspired cocktails and beers to match, and gluten-free options are available throughout. It’s one of the most tightly focused Mexican menus in the city, doing one thing rather than attempting everything.

Birria Brothers — 84-86 Oldham Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 1LE | birriabrotherstacos.co.uk

Pico’s Tacos is run by Luc Egret, a former Westminster think-tank researcher turned chef who spent three years in London’s Michelin-starred kitchens before heading north in 2016. It trades from a stall inside Mackie Mayor, the Victorian produce market on Eagle Street that reopened as a food hall in 2017 after more than four decades standing empty.

Tacos and nachos are made with homemade tortillas rather than bought-in ones, a detail that’s earned it a strong reputation among Mackie Mayor’s dozen-plus food vendors. It’s since expanded with a second stall at Altrincham Market, though the original Mackie Mayor pitch remains the one most closely associated with the name.

Pico’s Tacos — Mackie Mayor, 1 Eagle Street, Manchester M4 5BU

Pancho’s Burritos has traded from the same stall inside Manchester Arndale Market since January 2010, run by Enrique, who grew up in Mexico City, and his wife Collette, who met in Manchester in 2006 before the couple spent two years living in Mexico together. The recipes on the menu come directly from Enrique’s family.

Tortas, enchiladas, sopes and burritos are all made fresh to order, offering a genuinely home-cooked alternative to the faster, more standardised burrito chains found elsewhere in the city centre. Over 15 years in the same spot have made it one of the Arndale’s most enduring independent food stalls.

Pancho’s Burritos — FC1, Arndale Food Market, 49 High Street, Manchester M4 3AH | panchosburritos.co.uk