Red or Green? Tacos in New Mexico
New Mexican food is its own cuisine, distinct from both Tex-Mex and interior Mexican cooking, and the defining ingredient is chile — so much so that "red or green?" is the official state question.
New Mexico: 430 taco venues on record across 64 cities, 65 dedicated taquerias, trucks and stands, 75% independent.
New Mexico city by city
Albuquerque and Santa Fe hold most of the venues, with Las Cruces close to the Hatch chile fields that supply much of the state.
- Albuquerque140 places
- Santa Fe31 places
- Las Cruces29 places
- Hobbs23 places
- Farmington18 places
- Roswell17 places
- Carlsbad14 places
- Clovis11 places
- Gallup11 places
- Espanola9 places
- Portales7 places
- Rio Rancho7 places
- Ruidoso7 places
- Los Lunas7 places
- Alamogordo6 places
- Bernalillo6 places
- Lovington6 places
- Deming6 places
- Artesia4 places
- Los Ranchos de Albuquerque4 places
- Chaparral4 places
- Las Vegas3 places
- Los Alamos3 places
- Silver City3 places
- Taos2 places
- Shiprock2 places
- Corrales2 places
- Paradise Hills2 places
- Grants2 places
- Belen2 places
Showing the 30 busiest of 64 New Mexico cities on record.
What to order in New Mexico
Ask for red or green (or "Christmas" for both). The chile matters more here than the protein does.
Styles with venues documented in New Mexico, most-recorded first:
New Mexico is independent country
New Mexico is independent-leaning — 75% of the venues on record are not part of a national chain, which is high by national standards.
- 75% independent (324 of 430)
- 74% close at 11pm or later (28 of the 38 with hours on record)
- 13 have a drive-through
- 1 are tagged vegetarian- or vegan-friendly
- 3 have outdoor seating
Best-ranked taco spots in New Mexico
Ranked by how taco-focused each place is and how complete its listing is, not by who paid. How we rank.
- 1El Paisa TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 2Taqueria El CometaSee hoursCallDirections
- 3Las Villas TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 4El Mero MeroSee hoursCallDirections
- 5Fusion TacosSee hoursCallDirections
- 6Guaca Guaca TacosSee hoursCallDirections
- 7Olé TacosSee hoursCallDirections
- 8Rodolpho's Taco ShopSee hoursCallDirections
- 9Taco BellSee hoursCallDirections
- 10Taco BoxSee hoursCallDirections
- 11El Callejón Taqueria & GrillHours not recordedCallDirections
- 12El Toro Patron TaqueriaHours not recordedCallDirections
- 13Krazy Lizard TaqueriaHours not recordedCallDirections
- 14Oralia's TaqueriaHours not recordedCallDirections
- 15Taqueria AdelitasHours not recordedCallDirections
- 16Taqueria ChavezHours not recordedCallDirections
- 17Taqueria El DoradoHours not recordedCallDirections
- 18Taqueria JaliscoHours not recordedCallDirections
- 19Taqueria Jalisco Inc.Hours not recordedCallDirections
- 20Taqueria Los AmigosHours not recordedCallDirections
Tacos in New Mexico: common questions
Which New Mexico city has the most taco spots?
Albuquerque leads New Mexico with 140 venues on record, followed by Santa Fe and Las Cruces. That is a count of places, not a quality ranking — the ranked list above orders by taco focus.
Are most tacos in New Mexico from chains or independents?
25% of the 430 New Mexico venues on record belong to a national chain, leaving 324 independents. 65 of them are dedicated taquerias, trucks, stands or birrierías.
Where can I get tacos late at night in New Mexico?
Of the 38 New Mexico venues with opening hours on record, 28 (74%) close at 11pm or later. Hours change often, so check the individual listing before driving over.
What kind of tacos is New Mexico known for?
Ask for red or green (or "Christmas" for both). The chile matters more here than the protein does.
Which taco styles are documented in New Mexico?
Breakfast Taco (8), Barbacoa (1), Arab Tacos (1). These are counts of venues where the style is on record, so they undercount rather than overcount.
Last updated September 29, 2026. Venue details refresh with each data import.