7 Mexican and Latin taco restaurants inside Durham city limits, from Brightleaf and Perry Street to East Geer Street, University Drive and NC 54.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Durham’s Mexican restaurants sit in three groups: near downtown (Brightleaf Square, Ramseur Street and Perry Street by Duke’s East Campus), in East Durham on East Geer Street, and in south Durham along University Drive, NC 54 and Page Road near Research Triangle Park.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records inside Durham’s city limits, the same data behind our local directory, checked against each place’s own website on Oct. 12, 2026. National chains with several Durham stores (Chipotle, Moe’s, Taco Bell, Del Taco, Chili’s) are left out; use each chain’s store finder. El Tesoro and Monterrey give Chapel Hill addresses on their own sites, so they are not listed here. The Torero’s, Los Tres, El Rodeo and Uncle Julio’s sites did not load or no longer resolve, the TaTaco site returns a missing page, Hatch Burritos does not post an address on its site, and La Mala’s site lists only its Raleigh bar. Many Durham taquerias have no website of their own; they are left off until a second official source confirms them. 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

Name Address Hours as published Phone
Cosmic Cantina 1920 Perry St. 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily; closed Dec. 24 to Jan. 1 919-286-1875
Fonda Lupita 905 W. Main St., Suite 21A 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday 919-294-4773
Mez Contemporary Mexican 5410 Page Road 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday; 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday 919-941-1630
Mezcalito Durham 706 Ramseur St. Not posted in full on its site 919-937-9416
NuvoTaco 2512 University Drive 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday 919-489-8226
Olmeca Tacos 2142 E. Geer St. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily 984-217-5722
Sabor Latin Street Grill 105 W. NC 54, Suite 201 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily 919-908-8044

The places

Cosmic Cantina on Perry Street, a block off Ninth Street near Duke’s East Campus, is a burrito and taco counter with a second location in Chapel Hill. Its late hours, to 4 a.m. every night, are the latest on this list. It takes pickup and catering orders online. See also our directory listing.

Fonda Lupita in Brightleaf Square describes itself as a casual spot for Mexican food made fresh, for a quick bite or a sit-down meal. It also has a location in Sanford and takes pickup and delivery orders online. See also our directory listing.

Mez Contemporary Mexican on Page Road, near Research Triangle Park, calls its cooking contemporary Mexican, with local ingredients and regional influences. The menu names chipotle chicken tinga, guacamole, tacos, enchiladas, salads and desserts, and it caters. See also our directory listing.

Mezcalito Durham on Ramseur Street downtown is one of a group of Mezcalito restaurants in North Carolina, with others in Apex and Beaufort. It takes online orders through its site. See also our directory listing.

NuvoTaco on University Drive, formerly NanaTaco, calls itself a modern Mexican eatery serving tacos with a range of specialty meats, plus queso and margaritas. Dine-in and takeout are available six days a week, and it caters Tuesday to Sunday. See also our directory listing.

Olmeca Tacos on East Geer Street is the Durham location of a taqueria that started in Carrboro. It is open every day and takes online orders. See also our directory listing.

Sabor Latin Street Grill on NC 54 in south Durham serves Latin street food, tacos among it, and has several other locations in the Triangle and beyond. It takes online orders for pickup. See also our directory listing.

More where-to-eat lists

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get Mexican food in Durham?

This list has seven places inside Durham city limits: Cosmic Cantina on Perry Street, Fonda Lupita in Brightleaf Square, Mezcalito on Ramseur Street, Olmeca Tacos on East Geer Street, NuvoTaco on University Drive, Sabor Latin Street Grill on NC 54 and Mez on Page Road.

Which Durham Mexican restaurant is open late?

Cosmic Cantina at 1920 Perry St. lists hours of 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily. It closes every year from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1.

Where can I get tacos in downtown Durham?

Mezcalito is at 706 Ramseur St. downtown, and Fonda Lupita is at 905 W. Main St., Suite 21A, in Brightleaf Square on the west side of downtown.

Which Durham Mexican restaurants are open Monday?

Cosmic Cantina, Fonda Lupita, Mez, Olmeca Tacos and Sabor Latin Street Grill list Monday hours. NuvoTaco is closed Monday.