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GotenRocko t1_it4stxo wrote

There are not a lot of people with Mexican heritage here, it's mostly Dominicans, Puerto Ricans and Guatemalans for Hispanic heritage. I like mi Guatemala on atwells, not sure how close that is to the Mexican food you are used to, but I'm guessing similar to southern Mexican cuisine. Don Jose on atwells is good too and that is a Mexican restaurant.

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gradontripp t1_it4u233 wrote

Dolores on Hope St is the real deal Mexican.

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Amaliatanase t1_it4u5ob wrote

Haven't been in years but back when I lived in Providence my friend from Mexico City loved the Pozole they had on weekends at Restaurant Mexico Garibaldi on Atwells. If you don't like it then Chilangos is just down the hill. I remember Lupita on Dexter St. in Central Falls being great too.

Providence area does fairly well with Mexican food from Mexico, but it does not do Tex Mex, just to adjust your expectations.

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thatbstrdmike t1_it4wsx3 wrote

Olneyvillle. Also mostly run by Guatemalans or Ecuadorians, but they know their business.

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MarlKarx-1818 t1_it4z06g wrote

Chilangos and casa Azul are good. Also if you ever want more upscale service and really good food, check out Dolores, pricier and more of a date night/celebration kinda deal with good cocktails but the food was so good. Highly recommend the Pork Belly Huarache and the lengua tacos.

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LoosieSpot t1_it4z619 wrote

hidalgo in pawtucket is good vibes

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space85 t1_it4z7r1 wrote

If you lived near the Mexican boarder than nothing will compare to the flavors and spiciness you were getting in Texas. With that being said there are good places. Tortilla Flats (great margaritas) , Don Jose, and El Tapatio in Cranston come to mind. Sure others will have good suggestions too.

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PipeLayer2016 t1_it4z8q5 wrote

Not a lot of Mexican or Tex Mex, but the central American shops in Onlyville may scratch that itch. If you are looking for American style Mexican food, there are a couple spots on federal hill on Atwells. Xaco Taco is pretty good on Eddy St, and I have heard good things about California Taco, but Órale Taqueria gets my money.

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Beebeeleen t1_it4zsgx wrote

I usually recommend

Al Son de mi barrio on Atwells and La Lupita on Westminster in Providence.

But, I recently ate great Mexican food from California taco shop. I was very skeptical about the place and was pleasantly shocked by the food's quality. It is legit Mexican food. It actually tastes good.

So, my credentials about Mexican food are the following: I am a Mexican who has lived in California and Mexico. My wife is also Mexican and a good cook and very picky. She really liked California taco shop too.

I can only vouch for those three spots. I have eaten Mexican food (e.g.,menudo, etc) from other places and have been very dissapointed. BTW, I have traveled across Texas too (from Eagle Pass all the way up to Oklahoma!).

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Shubby417 t1_it50jvo wrote

Tallulahs on Ives street is good! But there’s usually a wait.

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ggill1313 t1_it50lhk wrote

Howdy!

Fellow Texan here. Been up here for 5 years.

You’re searching in futility. The closest is Casa Tequila, though.

Go through the grieving process and embrace Indian food as an adjacency which is actually excellent in its own right. Kabob and Curry is my favorite.

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aboondocksaint t1_it50vr3 wrote

Grew up in the RGV, have yet to find anything that’s similar. Like people have said here, there are solid places though.

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monsterinc1995 t1_it51fic wrote

Try going to central falls , we have more Mexican restaurants there

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Locksmith-Pitiful t1_it51l2z wrote

La fogota, Baja's, California taco, tons of mom and pop shops especially right outside prov or on west and south side -- if the menu is in Spanish, a kid is running around or no prices are listed you found a gem

Avoid gringo flats and gentrified Tallulah's they r mid and $$ af lol only rich white people go there

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mbrady24 t1_it539y2 wrote

Viva la Mexico cantina on Washington st has been good every time I’ve been

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Billiam201 t1_it557f2 wrote

Bandidos in Attleboro El Cafetal in Pawtucket

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svaldbardseedvault t1_it59578 wrote

Native Arizonan here. You are looking for Chilangos and Dolores.

I’ve been looking for good Mexican food here for 20 years. These two are it for now. The best place in town - El Rancho Grande - closed over the pandemic, but these two are pretty decent. They’re the best you’re gonna find. Trust me, I’ve been working on it for 20 years.

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InfiniteChicken t1_it5bbwn wrote

I moved here from the southwest and I feel the pain. The Mexican food is different here. I have to make my own Hatch green chile, and my own beans. Chilangos is ok, and there’s a new place called Piñata opening soon. Keep the flame alive.

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sgtaxt t1_it5d0zh wrote

Tienda y taqueria puebla, Orale taqueria 2, both on Chalkstone in Elmhurst

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andylion t1_it5d3kk wrote

Full disclosure, I am a gringo from the northeast so my palette isn't very refined, but there's a little mom and pop place down in Riverside called Taconando that feels very authentic, has good food and absurd portions.

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Whambamglambam t1_it5fcpg wrote

I moved here from Texas a few months ago and I weep for breakfast tacos

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EColli93 t1_it5gq8o wrote

Dolores for more upscale and authentic.

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BingBong022 t1_it5h02t wrote

Lmao, how has nobody mentioned masa Taqueria on God all day fam

−1

KobaiaIssDeHundin t1_it5lejg wrote

Tallulah’s Taqueria - they’re a little on the pricier side and may appear inauthentic on the outside, but the food is delicious and super fresh. IIRC they were actually founded by a chicano chef from Texas, so this could be a taste of home for you

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Unlucky-Sir322 t1_it5o7yi wrote

I don’t care about tacos. Where’s the fire mole?

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TheGreyVicinity OP t1_it5pk9e wrote

Replying to Beebeeleen (#159,356)

As a Texan, it’s against my morals to go to anything with “California” in it

Not looking for tacos, but if your wife ever wants to have a law student over for dinner…. 👀

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TheGreyVicinity OP t1_it5pvdf wrote

Replying to ggill1313 (#159,404)

Ah, you commented on my last post!

Thanks! Not a fan of Indian food. I worked in Plano, which has a very large Indian population and plenty of Indian places! I tried multiple times but I just can’t. 😭 Afghani food tho… that’s where it’s at!

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TheGreyVicinity OP t1_it5qde9 wrote

Replying to Locksmith-Pitiful (#159,483)

Oh I’m all for the shitty looking hole in the wall shops. The best Mexican food I’ve had was in this old shopping strip. Out dated building. No AC - they literally had a barn fan in the restaurant. Was still sweating my ass off, but damn. Best food I have ever had.

Fancy Mexican places are usually terrible, I think most Texans prefer the hole in the walls. Thank you!!!

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LogicalEye4578 t1_it5qno6 wrote

There is a place in the back of Sanchez Market on the corner of atwells and academy. It is a convenience store in the front and there is a stand in the back. Authentic as it gets and so good.

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TheGreyVicinity OP t1_it5qpes wrote

Replying to Whambamglambam (#160,538)

Same, I make pretty good breakfast tacos but they are NOT the same as waking up and stopping at the small hole in the wall shop down the road… the salsa 😭

also, is it just Dunkin here? Like are there no mom & pops donut places?? i miss those donuts

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brazil7085 t1_it5rw6i wrote

La Herradura and El Paso (both in Central Falls), Cantina del Rio in Warwick, Al Son De Mi Barrio in Prov and El Charro in North Prov. Best of luck on your quest!

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Alternative-Bat-8453 t1_it5xi40 wrote

Emmanuel’s on Dyer Ave Cranston, it’s also a panderia and market Chilangos is also great, my boyfriend loves the enchiladas Potosinas and I usually do a couple of tacos with rice and beans Tallulahs can be good for a quick bite

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rubylily7 t1_it64o15 wrote

Tacos don nacho in Pawtucket, get the corn too! Also chilangos

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delta_cephei t1_it69y6n wrote

Replying to TheGreyVicinity (#161,372)

There's a couple of popular local donut places- pvdonuts if you want towering creations of anything sweet you can find in a kitchen (I've really liked some of them, but a lot of their stuff is too much for me), and knead for fantastic basics with some nice flavors.

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Old-Kaleidoscope-480 t1_it6pl8h wrote

We have better Mexican food here than Texas and Mexico. You just have no taste

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laterbacon t1_it6srvg wrote

Come to Central Falls. It's no South Texas, but there are multiple restaurants from just about every Latin American cuisine. For Mexican I like La Herradura and El Paso. El Paso even has Mexican breakfast.

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RJC02134 t1_it6v39d wrote

Have you visited Viva Mexico in Providence?

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Dinosquid t1_it6v782 wrote

Mexico up on Atwells is great!

Pretty surprised nobody has mentioned it! Great mole!

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Far-Soup5169 t1_it70qe8 wrote

Replying to Amaliatanase (#158,974)

In my experience, any place with pozole on the menu tends to be trustworthy for Mexican food. Have yet to be disappointed by looking for that on the menu first, before going somewhere.

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D-camchow t1_it768tq wrote

Come try out La Piñata on Westminster. Brand new, friendly people. Food was great and almost every time I walk by it there's almost no one in there. They are in that super young stage of new restaurants and I'd hate to see them go away.

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[deleted] t1_it7kq5f wrote

It's mentioned a few times here but just another vote for it, Mexico on Atwells ave. The mole is so good and they might have the best refried beans I've ever had

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FlashbackBob t1_it7o4f1 wrote

What are people’s thoughts on Tortilla Flats? It’s been my go-to for Mexican for years. Dolores is better? Chime in, I’d like to know more.

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pbNANDjelly t1_it7wi1w wrote

It's not Mexican, but Two Angels is one of my favorite taquerias of all time. The food is consistently amazing. Highly recommend if you wind up in Cranston

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Peacanpiepussycat t1_it7wnzw wrote

You’ve got to go to the hood Try central falls The best food is aways in the hood

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Hot-Muscle-9202 t1_it7za9e wrote

Replying to InfiniteChicken (#160,237)

If you like pinto beans, try California Taco Shop. When I don't have the energy to make chips, I buy a bag of chips and an order of beans for nachos. And then the rest of the beans with eggs the next day.

If your preference is black beans, then homemade is best. I have to make my own frijol colado.

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Hot-Muscle-9202 t1_it80yi7 wrote

Being married to a Mexican who came to the US as an adult and also having lived in Mexico myself and now running a restaurant ourselves, we have completely given up and have settled for mediocre. Disappointment after disappointment when looking for tacos. I would give my left arm for tacos de arrachera or at the very least carne asada and al pastor.

A couple of things I WILL seek out are:

-- empanadas from Tortilleria Mexicana on Plainfield

--mole poblano from Mexico Garibaldi or Viva Mexico

-- torta de milanesa de pollo from Capitol Hill Taqueria

--breakfast at La Hacienda on Plainfield or Mi Ranchito on Westminster (though they are both actually Guatemalan)

We just make do until the next trip to Mexico.

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jackodn t1_it8rejg wrote

i just moved here (Narragansett) from Texas. too. i’m enjoying food i couldn’t get in Austin. i’ll miss tex mex and bbq soon enough though.

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Mountain_Bill5743 t1_it9ly78 wrote

Replying to automaton11 (#159,909)

It took me way too long to learn that they opened Dolores. It's not exactly the same and it is more expensive, but I found the menu has all the same sauces and is just sort of reworked into new menu items.

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BingBong022 t1_ita0959 wrote

Replying to mantisMD97 (#173,014)

Lmao, I know the owner John personally. He cooks with his soul. He worked his entire life in kitchens with cooks from central and South America. His food is good af and more authentic than 99% of the ish out there on God fam.

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Marshmalowlady t1_itbq26x wrote

Replying to TheGreyVicinity (#161,372)

Knead has the best approximation of a mom and pop donut shop menu here although it is pricey. They have a good basic glazed and decent cake donuts. I have tried every donut shop in the state and they are not the same as what I imagine you are looking for. Been looking for years and unfortunately you won’t find it. The northeast in general is a tough market for donuts- Dunkin’ has such a stranglehold on the entire region. The closest I have found in the entire northeast overall is Peter Pan but that’s in NYC.

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jahvape000 t1_itcblu5 wrote

South side is only thing remotely Spanish. Im talking hood. Thats where the good thai place is too. Apsara on hope st is shit. The one in s prov is bomb.

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TheGreyVicinity OP t1_itcpgb6 wrote

Replying to Beebeeleen (#173,743)

Good! Probably the closest thing to TexMex I’ll find.

I had COVID in 2020 and it screwed up my smell and taste, still struggle with it. Haven’t been able to eat chicken since, so I always go with cheese enchiladas now. I was so shocked that they have them on the menu there, literally nowhere here does.

Only complaints: they need to learn what cumin is, and work on the enchilada sauce. It tasted like it came straight out of the can.

I feel like I’m kinda having some culture shock here lol. I grew up Catholic—white Catholics in the rural south are not common. I went to catholic school for 10 years and most of my teachers had recently immigrated from Mexico or Honduras, and we were taught Spanish starting in pre-k to aid with the language barrier.

When I went to public school in HS, the white southern baptist parents didn’t want their kids hanging out with a catholic because they didn’t understand the difference between saints and gods. 😂 Every time someone found out I transferred from catholic school, they’d say “but you’re not Mexican???” So 90% of my friends were Mexican, most being anchor babies (not sure if this is the socially acceptable term, correct me if not) or dreamers.

Mexican culture has had a huge presence in my life for as long as I can remember, so food aside, this is a difficult adjustment. 🥲 Again, I’m white and I don’t like, identify myself with the culture, so naturally I just didn’t think it would be an issue when I moved.

Sorry for the rant - homesick and my vyvanse just kicked in. 😂 One more question tho: are there any fruterias around here?

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jahvape000 t1_itcqj86 wrote

And I cry nightly thinking of real Viet food. So...sigh.

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jahvape000 t1_itcqpmj wrote

I went to school in TX and RI so im versed.

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Beebeeleen t1_itejz6o wrote

Replying to TheGreyVicinity (#179,984)

You definitely are a real Texan if you enjoy cumin on Mexican food! The Northern Mexicans use it. We don't!

You provoked my foody PTSD with the sauce from a can bit. I had a similar experience in the midwest (Michigan). It was a Sunday morning. I ordered menudo in a small Mexican restaurant (that mostly served Non-Mexicans). Well, the menudo broth tasted like tomato sauce from a can. It was horrible.

Your upbringing (save for the Catholic part) closely resembles a few White kids I knew in California. They were raised around Mexicans and pretty much fit in.

Yeah, culture shock happens. When I first moved here, I complained about the food and stuff. But, I like it here.

Re fruterías, Idk... if there are any in this state, I haven't seen them.

P.S. LOL anchor babies! The soap box type social justicey Chicanos would be soo pissed about that term. In general though, I don't think people outside the border areas use it. Even then, I think many people consider it a put down. Dreamers sounds so damn corny to me that I think its just as bad if not worst than wetback or border buddies or etc. lol

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ggill1313 t1_itix7s7 wrote

Replying to AgedParmy (#194,197)

Chilangos is fine proper Mexican food, but IMO, still lacks a bit of the nuance and depth of the sort I’m familiar with. I wonder why that is, because generally speaking, Mexican food is pretty “simple” overall. I think I should quickly caveat that generally when Texans say ”Mexican food,” we’re actually referring to Tex-Mex. Thing is, Mexican food just isn’t really that common in Texas, even amongst the Mexican diaspora, outside of things like tamales and perhaps tortas. This isn’t to say it doesn’t exist, but OP is almost certainly looking for Tex-Mex and just didn’t articulate the distinction because colloquially, “Mexican food” is an umbrella term in Texas. I just responded in kind with the terminology they used.

The closest thing to what OP is looking for are going to be the enchiladas verdes at Casa Tequila.

I’m pretty “take it or leave it” on most Mexican food, but Tex-Mex kicks it up to 11, where it’s one of my favorite cuisines. I still do find it a bit odd that it’s so lacking - even just one restaurant - up here. Although like I mentioned, I think Indian food rather fills that niche of “flavorful, spicy, deep, nuanced, comfort food featuring strong spices, protein, rice, and soft bread.”

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Amaliatanase t1_itjhw3o wrote

Replying to ggill1313 (#195,252)

This response makes a lot of sense to me. Back when I lived in Providence I had some friends from Texas and Colorado and they would complain about there being no Mexican food. I also had some Mexican friends who would take us all out to IMO great taquerias and restaurants all over the PVD area and the Texans and Coloradoans would still complain. Fast forward to my first trip to Texas and I get it. There's a very specific type of Tex-Mex restaurant that all have a very similar menu and make up 1/3-1/2 of restaurants out there. Its not Mexican food from Mexico, which does exist in Providence, its a whole other category, and one that is as omnipresent as pizza or grinders in Providence.

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Amaliatanase t1_itji7hl wrote

Replying to TheGreyVicinity (#161,372)

There's a chain called Marylou's that's a bit more mom n pop feeling than Dunkin. Some of the Italian and Portuguese bakeries also have donuts on weekends...but you're right, PVD area is not major donut country.

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