The best Mexican restaurant in NC is in Raleigh, Tasting Table says
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tasting Table names Raleigh’s Mala Pata the best Mexican restaurant in NC.
- Mala Pata opened May 2025 and earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in November.
- Owners shouted out North Carolina’s Latin restaurant scene in response.
It could be the tender tortillas stuffed with pork and cracklings, or the verdant aguachile, punchy and bright, but the best Mexican restaurant in North Carolina can be found in Raleigh.
Not even a year old, the acclaimed Raleigh restaurant Mala Pata has been named the state’s very best Mexican restaurant, according to online foodie magazine Tasting Table. The publication recently put together a list of the top Mexican restaurants in all 50 states.
Mala Pata opened last year after enormous anticipation, boosted in large part because of the chefs involved. The restaurant combined the talents of Ex Voto and Centro owners Angela Salamanca and Marshall Davis and Local Seafood chef Eric Montagne. Shortly after opening the restaurant, Mala Pata added a sister cocktail bar, Peyote, focusing on tequila and mezcal, with an always-fresh frozen drink machine.
Open only a few months, Mala Pata earned Michelin Bibb Gourmand honors, an award recognizing high value casual meals.
Mala Pata menu
Of Mala Pata, Tasting Table praised the playfulness of the menu.
“You might expect a new restaurant to take some time to hit its stride. But Mala Pata opened in May 2025 and was listed in the Michelin Guide in November of the same year,” the magazine wrote. “Corn comes from Oaxaca and is turned into fresh masa that forms the heart of the menu, which includes things like delicious fish tacos and enchiladas. Upscale fun is the name of the game, and Cheerwine makes an appearance, too.”
The Cheerwine comes in the form of a mole in the Rajas Enchiladas dish.
Latin restaurants in NC
North Carolina and the Triangle have no shortage of excellent, inventive and thoroughly flavorful Mexican restaurants. Reacting to the list, the Mala Pata owners shouted out the Latin scene.
“What a compliment! Thanks for including Mala Pata on this all-star list! There are too many great Mexican spots in North Carolina, but we’ll happily hold the flag and represent our state,” they said in a social media post.
Mala Pata will mark one year in business in May. The restaurant is located at 2431 Crabtree Blvd. in Raleigh’s Gateway Plaza shopping center.
Inspired by a story from Mahoning Matters in Ohio.
This story was originally published February 12, 2026 at 4:55 PM.
