Mexican Chains That Have The Highest And Lowest Quality Food, According To Customers

While Mexican and Tex-Mex food is popular today and found just about everywhere, this was not always the case. In 1972, a cookbook, "The Cuisines of Mexico" by Diana Kennedy, made spicy, Mexican dishes accessible to American cooks, who were not accustomed to Mexican seasonings like chili peppers and cilantro. Today, there are limitless options for fast food, quick service, and dine-in Mexican, and Tex-Mex restaurants. Foods that were once unheard of in mainstream America, like barbacoa, are now commonplace. According to Pew Research, one in 10 American restaurants serve Mexican food.

However, some Mexican restaurants are better quality than others. And, some that used to be the favorite among diners have dropped in quality, while other new businesses are cropping up to take their place. The competition among quick-service Mexican food is higher than it has ever been. And this is amid consumers getting more sophisticated and knowledgeable about cultural dining. Foods like birria, which used to only be found in Mexico are becoming popular in places like New York City. So where can you get the best quality Mexican food around America? We looked to customers to find out.

Since 1982, Chuy's has been serving American Tex-Mex cuisine to people around the country. Located in 16 states, and founded in Austin, Texas, Chuy's is famous for fresh food, eclectic decor, and fan favorites like the Creamy Jalapeño dip. Founders Mike Young and John Zapp opened the first Chuy's with little money and funky decor. The two based their menu on dishes they had come across while traveling through small villages in Mexico. The restaurant was a big success and quickly expanded beyond the first Austin location. In 2006, the original owners sold the chain to a private equity company. The company has since changed hands again and was recently acquired by the same restaurant holding company that owns big chains like Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse.

Although Chuy's beginnings were based on fresh ingredients and an eclectic vibe, customers are worried the quality has gone downhill. One Reddit user said of their latest visit to Chuy's, "I was disappointed. The quality has deteriorated. The chips were stale." This commenter agreed, "I'm with you, their salsas are horrible, used to be awesome quality. They cut their menu to the bone." Other customers have expressed disappointment that Chuy's has cut menu items since the pandemic. A former employee took to Reddit to explain, "The reason why they took advantage of the pandemic and removed these items permanently is because the 'specials' for Chuy's was never profitable nor was it ordered as much compared to the other items."

Condado Tacos is on Mashed's list of Mexican chains that we think you're about to see everywhere. Founded in 2014 near The Ohio State University, this growing Tex-Mex taco chain has plans to open 12 new locations per year. Condado Tacos uses ingredients that are preservative and GMO-free. The menu also contains many gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian choices. The restaurant goes beyond the usual taco combinations with some unique options including Korean BBQ tacos, steak tacos with jicama and pickled jalapeños, and Buffalo chicken with queso blanco.

A restaurant review from the University of Pittsburgh's student newspaper, The Pitt News, describes the taco options as "practically endless." Additionally, the reviewer says the pork is "very tender and juicy" and the roasted chicken is, "tender, not dry." Another reviewer, from the Knoxville News Sentinel ordered a variety of tacos and had this to say, "I thoroughly enjoyed everything I took a bite from." However, if you're on the hunt for spicy food, Condado Tacos may not be what you are looking for. Some customers looking for spicy tacos have expressed disappointment, with this Redditor saying, "You can get some stuff there that has a bit of a zing, but if you're looking for anything remotely hot there just aren't any options." Overall, Condado Taco's fresh ingredients, vegan options, and varied menu make it a fan favorite in the Midwest.

The first Chipotle opened in Denver in 1993 and had a staggering rise to the top of fast-casual food chains. The company was one of the frontrunners for using meat from naturally raised animals free of antibiotics and hormones, transitioning completely to naturally raised pork and chicken by 2002. In 2014, Chipotle's chief marketing officer, Mark Crumpacker told Time, "Chipotle is quite well-known for having higher quality ingredients." Chipotle's success came at a time when consumers were looking for more health-conscious, quick-serve food options. Today you can find a Chipotle in every state in the nation, with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii. 

However, with many more choices in the Mexican and Tex-Mex fast-casual realm these days, Chipotle's popularity appears to be on the wane. First, Chipotle stores were struck by a severe E. coli outbreak in 2015. And further, some customers have complained Chipotle prices have gone up while quality has gone down. This Redditor said, "The food is objectively worse than it was a few years ago, often my corn is frozen, the rice is stale to the point you can break a tooth on it, your portions are far less, the meat is 50% of the time inedible." With another person agreeing, "Yup ever since they had those food safety scares Chipotle just has never been the same. They put less and less trust in their employees to serve fresh food safely so now we have this stuff that comes precooked off site."

Torchy's Tacos is a growing chain specializing in fresh and flavorful tacos. Beginning as a food truck in Austin, Texas, in 2006, today, the company has numerous locations in multiple states. Torchy's Tacos has the phrase "Damn Good" in its logo to signify the word-of-mouth growth the restaurant has enjoyed since its first days handing out tacos from the food truck. The tacos are assembled on-site and include unique combinations like Baja Shrimp, Fried Avocado, and the Hog Father (pork carnitas with teriyaki sauce and bacon.)

CEO Mike Rypka told Nation's Restaurant News, "Our food is very fresh, and we really focus in on those flavors and freshness." This Redditor agrees, "Torchy's is my fav rest[aurant] I have never gone and been unhappy." While this customer loves the queso, "I think the Hillbilly Queso might be the best queso in DFW and that's really saying something as Texas could be the queso capital of the world." While another person said, " I used to drive an hour to get Torchy's when I first discovered them. They're definitely a unique craving vs normal tacos though. I'd recommend em!"

On The Border's website tells the story of how three friends opened the first location in 1982 in Dallas. The restaurant became a popular gathering spot to sip margaritas and eat sizzling fajitas on the outdoor patio. The inspiration for the restaurant came from the smoky mesquite that flavored the food from burning the mesquite wood of the trees that once grew along the drylands in the border area between Mexico and the United States. Today, the restaurant chain is owned by the private equity group, Brinker International, which also owns Chili's and Maggiano's Little Italy.

Despite its success, sales were down, and some customers took to social media to complain that the restaurant's quality had dropped in recent years. One frequent diner recently took to Reddit to say, "We eat regularly at an OTB and the decline there has been steep the past 12 months and is now approaching free-fall." While this Redditor stated, "The tap water had more spice and flavor than the salsa." However, the company has been working on a comeback since 2022 with an upgraded menu, improvements to ingredients, and more convenient online ordering. We'll have to wait and see if the comeback efforts can change the minds of its customers.

Velvet Taco is known for its fresh ingredients and creative food infusions. Its tacos are not the usual Tex-Mex fare but flavor mashups of ingredients such as roasted pork with Gruyère cheese, flank steak with a chimichurri sauce, or beer-battered cauliflower with queso. According to its official website, the company makes everything from scratch, slow roasts its corn and chicken, and adds plenty of tequila to its margaritas.

A restaurant review of a location in Chicago from Windy City Cosmo praised the restaurant's Picnic Chicken Taco and Grilled Flank Taco. However, the favorite of the day seems to have been the Tater Tots with Avocado Crema and a Fried Egg, "I won't be getting tired of that avocado crema or those tater tots anytime soon, that's for sure." Although Velvet Taco wouldn't be considered an authentic Mexican restaurant, fans enjoy trying the different flavor combinations. This Redditor said, "I really like Velvet Taco for their creative combos. Obviously not remotely authentic, but it is flavorful and delicious."

Taco Bell has been serving up Mexican-style fast food since the 1960s. One of the first Mexican chains to offer crispy tacos (although not the first) the fast-food taco joint has over 8,500 locations in 32 countries around the world. Taco Bell has always been known for its convenience and speed of service. Nobody goes to Taco Bell expecting a fine dining experience. However, with all of the fast-casual and fast-food options for Mexican food these days, Taco Bell has to compete with brands offering fresher ingredients and made-from-scratch menu items.

For one thing, customers of Taco Bell were dismayed when an employee revealed the inner workings of how Taco Bell makes its refried beans. A TikTok video shows the beans in dehydrated form, looking like pellets before hot water is added to rehydrate them. It's not just the beans that customers complain about. This Redditor said, "Not only is it double what it was like two years ago. It tastes awful. I'm positive they have a different kind of refried beans and they are awful and bland. They aren't filling the shells as much as they used to which is leaving too much shell and the shells, soft and hard, taste awful now."

Qdoba's website claims to have no can openers or microwaves in any of its locations. Meals are prepared on-site, and ingredients are free of artificial colors and many other additives. Additionally, the company only buys cage-free eggs and uses suppliers that ethically source their produce and meat. This commitment to freshly prepared menu items must be making a difference to customers, as USA Today readers rated Qdoba the number one fast-casual restaurant in the country.

This customer took to Reddit to say they preferred Qdoba over Chipotle, "The beef was so moist and flavorful I was shook?! Also there were so many meat options to choose from. Like 10! Love they offer the good ole ground beef. "The rice was delicious and fluffy. It actually tasted like cilantro lime." Another Reddit user commented, "I had Qdoba for the first time yesterday and was blown away. So ... good. The chile crema sauce is so, so good." While another person agreed, "Had it recently again finally after years of Chipotle. My gosh it's so good and better value."

Uncle Julio's is a dine-in Mexican restaurant that opened its first location in Dallas in 1986. Today, the chain has grown to over 30 restaurants and can be found in 11 states. Uncle Julio's is known for its made-at-the-table fresh guacamole and Tex-Mex offerings such as sizzling grilled fajitas. However, the restaurant has been struggling in recent years and is now operating with a substantial amount of debt. The EconoTimes has reported that Sun Holdings, a major Burger King franchise owner, hopes to buy up Uncle Julio's debt and acquire the company. 

Customers have been complaining the restaurant has changed for the worse with one person saying, "It felt like everything that made it unique was taken just to be replaced by something generic." One former employee agreed and revealed that since the pandemic, the restaurant has been in decline, "I used to work there before Covid, and they were all about fresh food. Everything was made in house just about ... They took away a lot of dishes during Covid and never brought them back. Got rid of some of their more labor intensive products like agave queso sauce."

Moe's Southwest Grill opened its doors with its first location in Atlanta in 2000. Moe's is not named after a guy named Moe but is an acronym for Musicians, Outlaws, and Entertainers. Moe's website states the restaurant uses 20 fresh ingredients, including its house made guacamole and fried crispy tacos and chips. The menu includes burritos, tacos, bowls, salads, quesadillas, and stacks (crispy taco shells wrapped inside a grilled tortilla.) 

Moe's is looking at future expansion and has offered franchisees cash incentives for opening new locations. Moe's is often compared to Chipotle, but this Redditor explained why they prefer Moe's over Chipotle, "Moes queso is amazingggg," and, "My food is still hot when it's delivered." Another Moe's fan on Reddit said, "It's better than any burrito place I've ever had." While another commenter agreed, "Never gonna go back to TB or even Chipotle. The home wrecker bowl with tofu is amazing ... and the free chips and salsa is clutchhh ... love the green salsa verde with garlic they got."