Must-Try Mexican Restaurants to Savor Across Tyler

©Journal Communications/Jeff Adkins

Taco trucks on every corner? ¡Chido! Tyler is brimming with great Mexican and Tex-Mex finds; discover some of the best on this list, so you don’t miss out on tastes from Tabasco to Texas. ¡Buen provecho!

Family Fare

Kitchens that feed the whole family – boisterous kids and all – are the heartbeat of the home, and by extension, Tyler’s Mexican food scene.

Ruby’s Mexican Restaurant boasts three eateries in Tyler, all serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in bright surroundings. The kitchen efficiently turns out succulent birria, smothered enchiladas and street tacos from the owner’s native Guerrero, Mexico, alongside a rotating selection of aguas frescas.

The dining room at Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant is welcoming and slightly upscale, much like its menu. Think Sunday supper rather than street tacos. House specialties include a Mexican-inflected surf and turf and sea bass with citrus-cilantro rice.

El Norteño Restaurant isn’t fancy, but its tiny dining room is colorful and welcoming, and the plates that come out of the kitchen are brimming with deliciousness. Try the trio of tortas, menudo and pozole, and seafood cocktails.

The vibe at Soccer Tacos, a small taqueria off I-20, is simple – but the flavors are fire. As the name suggests, tacos perfectly stuffed with fillings like al pastor, chorizo, suadero, brisket and nopales are a substantial part of the menu.

©Journal Communications/Jeff Adkins

Modern Mexican

Diners can rarely go wrong at a casual, old-school Mexican restaurant, but Tyler also has its share of newer establishments bringing modern touches to the game.

Aztec Urban MX’s stylish dining room makes an ideal spot for date night, girls’ night or whatever night you’d like to nosh on tacos in an uber-Instagrammable environment. The expansive menu includes modern mashups like birria ramen and globally inspired tacos.

With its whitewashed interior, lush landscaping and calming patio, high-end Villa Montez evokes a sprawling Mexican hacienda – fitting, since it was once a private residence. Indulge in one of the kitchen’s perfectly prepared steaks and take advantage of the bar’s impressive wine and beer list and creative cocktails.

Humo bills itself as “a Mexican smokehouse,” and while its pristine, minimalist interior doesn’t necessarily bring barbecue to mind, it does allow diners to focus on the flavors at hand. Bold bites like tortillas topped with bone marrow, smoked brisket tacos and a handful of ceviches pay homage to Mexican
heritage as well as Texas tradition.

Upscale Javi’s serves all the things you want at a Mexican restaurant: queso, guacamole, tacos, enchiladas, carne asada. But it also has a few surprises up its sleeve, like a spicy Caesar salad studded with pasta (would it surprise you to know the dish was invented in Tijuana?) and a thoroughly modern Chocolate Piñata dessert (a smashable chocolate sphere dangling from a hook and served with churros, fruit and a mallet).

©Journal Communications/Jeff Adkins

Tex-Mex Menus

Admittedly, the line between Mexican cuisine and its northern cousin, Tex-Mex, can be quite fine; plenty of spots on this list do right by both styles of food. Below are a handful of spots that lay claim to the Lone Star State’s unique culinary fusion.

Mercado’s looks like a theme-park version of Mexico both inside and out, with neon signs and props adorning the sprawling space; it even boasts its own gift shop. The kitchen turns out a half-dozen varieties of nachos, puffy tacos (a true Texas original), fajitas, combo plates and more. Mercado’s sibling restaurant, Posados Cafe, is a more intimate restaurant, but it has the same tasty menu.

Diners could be forgiven for thinking Don Benito’s Mexican Cafe serves only south-of-the-border cuisine, but one look at the eatery will set them straight. From its “Don’t Mess with Tex-Mex” mural to its host stand that boasts “North of the Border,” the family-owned spot is known for its flavorful fajitas.

A local institution – it’s been serving the city over four decades – Papacita’s of Tyler is under its second generation of family ownership. Little ones who once tucked into a corn dog or chili-cheese fries on the children’s menu now bring their own kids to enjoy enchiladas smothered in rich sour cream sauce, airy puffy tacos, build-your-own combo plates and sizzling fajitas.

Across the street from downtown’s county courthouse, Don Juan on the Square serves classic Tex-Mex fare in a dining room raucously decorated in every color of the rainbow. Be sure to sip on an enormous Big Steve Margarita under the multicolored tassels dangling from the ceiling, and try the fiery salsa verde, known for packing a punch.

Inside the Tyler Museum of Art’s Mexican & Latin American Folk-Art Collection

Opened in 1971 on the campus of Tyler Junior College, the Tyler Museum of Art houses one of the largest collections of Mexican and Latin American folk art in the United States. This unique and thoughtfully gathered collection is a treasure to behold for anyone looking to be reminded of the beauty found in the everyday human experiences that unite us all.

Gifted in 2010 by longtime Mexican folk-art collectors, Laura and Dan Boeckman, the collection consists of 800 individual works, representing half of the museum’s permanent collection.

The Boeckmans traveled across Mexico between the 1980s and early 2000s to build the collection, purchasing pieces directly from local artisans with whom they developed close relationships.

Caleb Bell, executive director of the Tyler Museum of Art, describes the collection as a cultural time capsule of everyday life and the state of Mexico.

Because of the Boeckmans’ extensive travels, 30 of Mexico’s 31 states are represented in this diverse collection of creative media and folk art. It spans fiber arts, ceramics, metal and organic materials in forms both practical and playful – including toys, games, kitchenware and intricate masks or figurines used in cultural celebrations.

“Some of the items come from long generational family workshops, while some are more like upstarts or craftsmen of the time,” Bell says.

The most notable artisans represented in the museum’s archives include ceramicist Irene Aguilar of Oaxaca, Mexico; ceramicist and woodcarver Ignacio Soledad of San Martín, Mexico; and Juliana Reyes De Silva of Ihuatzio, Mexico, whose pieces were created by weaving organic straw into complex forms.

Though the collection is diverse, a common thread of vibrant, earthy tones and intricate patterns binds the pieces together. These details grant each object a complex dimension and a warmth that mirrors the deep devotion to family, faith and community found throughout Mexican and Latin American cultures.

Through enduring partnerships and carefully preserved artifacts, the Tyler Museum of Art fosters a profound dialogue between regional heritage and international artistry. Visitors leave with a deeper appreciation for the skilled hands that shaped these traditions. Ultimately, this vibrant sanctuary ensures that the spirited legacy of the Boeckman collection continues to inspire and educate future generations.

While the collection reflects the Mexican states and their people, Bell also acknowledges its connection to the cultures of East Texas and beyond – a link as valuable as the art itself.