Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Knoxville

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Knoxville’s Mexican restaurants cluster on Gay Street and Market Square downtown, on Cumberland Avenue by the university, on Cedar Lane in North Knoxville and along Kingston Pike from Bearden west. A handful more sit on North Broadway and around Northshore Town Center in the southwest.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records with a Knoxville address, the same data behind our local directory, checked against each place’s own website or chain location page on Oct. 18, 2026. We added the Bearden and Northshore Soccer Taco restaurants and the Cumberland Avenue Moe’s from the chains’ own location pages. We left out places with no website of their own that we could not confirm another way, and two whose sites no longer belong to the restaurant or would not load. 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

The places

Barberitos at Brookview Centre is a Southwestern chain serving tacos, burritos and nachos, with dine-in, takeout and delivery.

Cataleya Cantina on Kingston Pike in west Knoxville takes online orders through its own ordering page, which carries its menu.

Chipotle on Cumberland Avenue offers in-store pickup and delivery during store hours.

Chismoso on Gay Street describes itself as a restaurant celebrating Mexican American heritage, with a focus on additive-free tequila and mezcal. It opens in the evening.

Chivo Taqueria on Gay Street serves tacos, a long tequila menu and margaritas, and takes pickup, delivery and catering orders, with an online waitlist.

Country Burrito at Northshore Town Center calls its food fresh Mex, made with fresh ingredients.

El Chico on Cedar Lane is the Tex-Mex chain’s Knoxville restaurant, serving fajitas, fresh tortillas and margaritas.

El Metate on Sam Walton Way in north Knox County serves fajitas, from-scratch enchiladas, street tacos and chiles rellenos, for dine-in or to go. Its site says it takes reservations.

El Mezcal in the Forest Park Shopping Center in Bearden has served the Knoxville area since 2004 and offers carryout. Its site lists happy hour all day Monday and Tuesday.

Moe’s Southwest Grill has a store across from campus on Cumberland Avenue and one on South Northshore Drive, both open 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily with online ordering and catering.

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant on Cedar Lane has served Knoxville since 1992, by its own account.

Señor Taco on North Broadway has served Mexican food and seafood since 1998, with daily lunch and dinner specials.

Soccer Taco has three Knoxville restaurants built around televised sports. Its site lists covered, pet-friendly patios at all three; the Market Square restaurant adds an upstairs bar and weekend live music.

Taco Bell on Clinton Highway has a late-night drive-thru and serves breakfast.

Taqueria Mares on Cumberland Avenue takes orders through its own online ordering page, which showed late-night hours when we checked.

Zalate Taqueria on Stekoia Lane, off Cedar Lane, serves Mexican street food, house-made sides and margaritas, and calls itself dog-friendly.

More places to eat in Knoxville

All the where-to-eat lists, patios and outdoor dining, wings, pizza, date night, the local directory and restaurant inspection scores.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get tacos in downtown Knoxville?

Chivo Taqueria (314 S. Gay St.), Chismoso (131 S. Gay St.) and Soccer Taco (9 Market Square) are downtown. Chivo is open from 11 a.m. daily; Chismoso opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.

Which Knoxville Mexican restaurants are open late?

The Taco Bell drive-thru at 6789 Clinton Highway lists 7 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. daily, and Chipotle on Cumberland Avenue is open until 11 p.m. every day. Chivo Taqueria and Soccer Taco stay open until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Where is there Mexican food with a patio in Knoxville?

Soccer Taco says its Market Square, Bearden and Northshore restaurants have covered, pet-friendly outdoor patios, and Zalate Taqueria on Stekoia Lane describes itself as dog-friendly.

Where can I get Tex-Mex in Knoxville?

El Chico, 116 Cedar Lane, serves Tex-Mex with fajitas and fresh tortillas. It is open from 11 a.m. daily, closing at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.