Have you ever craved tacos so badly that you’d walk across the city in the rain just to get the real thing? That’s how Dublin feels about Mexican food now, much like the city’s sudden obsession with tracking down the best bakeries Dublin has on offer.
For years, options stayed limited. Finding decent Mexican cuisine meant settling for whatever was available. Then something changed. People discovered what authentic tacos actually taste like, what properly seasoned carnitas should smell like, and how fresh guacamole transforms a simple burrito. The city responded. Mexican restaurants and taquerias started appearing across Dublin, from Temple Bar’s cobblestones to the Docklands’ modern streets.
My friend who moved here five years ago remembers this shift. She used to drive to the same burrito bar every week because nothing else came close. Now she stands paralyzed outside Clarendon Market on Tuesday afternoons, unable to choose between three excellent spots within walking distance.
Some of you might face the exact same problem, so this guide covers everything from quick burrito bars serving California-style Mexican food to sit-down restaurants pouring proper tequila flights and mixing award-winning margaritas!
Top 3 Mexican Restaurants in Dublin
| Restaurant | Best For | Price Range | Location |
| 777 | Sit-down dining, cocktails, weekend specials | €12-30 per dish | 7 South Great Georges Street, Dublin 2 |
| Pablo Picante | Quick burritos, student deals, California-style | €12-15 per meal | Multiple locations (Clarendon Market, Baggot St, Dawson St) |
| Boojum | Massive portions, casual dining, fast service | €7-12 per burrito | Multiple locations (Abbey St, Kevin St, Liffey Valley) |
What Makes Mexican Food in Dublin Different
Dublin Mexican food carries its own personality. Walk into most places and you’ll find more Tex-Mex influence than traditional regional Mexican cooking. Burritos outnumber moles, chipotle shows up more often than adobo, quesadillas dominate over tlacoyos. That’s not a criticism, just the reality of what works in this city, similar to how the best BBQ Dublin scene has developed its own local spin on international flavours.
The best Mexican dining spots in Dublin share a few things in common regardless of style. Fresh salsas get made daily, never from jars. Meats slow-cook for hours rather than getting reheated from frozen. Nobody’s reaching for microwaves when your order comes through. Those details matter more than claims about authenticity that nobody can verify anyway.
Prices stay reasonable compared to other international cuisines. A solid burrito with all the fillings runs €12 to €15 at most spots. Sit-down Mexican dinners with margaritas or Mexican beer usually land between €25 and €40 per person. Student deals drop weekday lunch prices even lower at burrito bars across the city centre.
Best Burrito Bars for Quick Mexican Food Dublin
Quick Mexican food in Dublin used to mean compromise. Not anymore. Several burrito bars now deliver California-style quality without the California prices, and two spots consistently rise above the competition.
Pablo Picante (4.4/5)
Pablo Picante took home the 2025 Deliveroo Restaurant Award for Best Mexican restaurant in the region. Anyone who’s tried getting a spot at their Clarendon Market location between 12:30 and 2pm already knew they’d win something eventually. Lines wrap around the corner most days.
Students who discovered it last week queue alongside office workers who’ve been coming for years and tourists following Google ratings. Everyone converges on this tiny counter where California dreams meet Dublin prices.
The Cali Carnitas (€13.15) represents everything they do right. Slow-cooked pork falls apart when you look at it wrong, long-grain rice stays fluffy even after sitting with salsa, black beans taste like someone’s paying attention to seasoning. That tortilla gets toasted just enough to hold structural integrity without turning into cardboard. Attention to detail like this separates decent burritos from the ones you think about at 11pm on Wednesday.
Burritos run €12.50 to €13.99 depending on your protein choice. Student deals drop the price to around €7.50 for a burrito and can when you show your ID. Hot sauce selection climbs from mild jalapeño to genuinely fiery habanero levels. Skip the Naga salsa on your first visit. Seriously. That one exists for people who already know they can handle serious spice.
Card payments only at all locations, no cash accepted. Baggot Street opens 12 to 8 Monday through Saturday. Clarendon Market runs 12 to 9 Sunday through Wednesday and 12 to 10:45 Thursday through Saturday. Dawson Street operates 12 to 8 daily.
Pablo Picante delivers California-style precision at student-friendly prices. Sometimes though, precision isn’t what you’re after. Sometimes you just want massive portions and assembly line speed that still delivers quality.
Boojum (4.4/5)
Nobody walks into Boojum accidentally. You go because you heard about the size, doubted the stories like everyone else, and decided to find out yourself. That burrito landing in your hands, wrapped tight in foil and heavy enough to be a weapon, immediately proves every legend true.
My sister tried tackling a carnitas burrito at the Kevin Street location last month. Halfway through, she looked like she was reconsidering her lunch decisions. The guy next to her took one look at her struggle and switched his order to a bowl. Smart move on his part.
Portions like these require two hands, serious jaw commitment, and possibly a strategic eating plan mapped out before you start. Since opening in 2007, Boojum has expanded across Dublin with a simple formula that works: massive portions ranging €7 to €12, assembly line efficiency that somehow maintains quality, and locations everywhere you might need emergency burrito intervention. Abbey Street for city centre cravings, Kevin Street when you’re near Portobello, Liffey Valley for shopping trip fuel, Tallaght for southside convenience.
Carnitas and chipotle chicken get mentioned most by regulars, though choosing protein matters less than understanding what you’re getting into. Everything gets made fresh in-store every morning. Meats, salsas, guacamole, even taco shells. No freezers humming in the back, no microwaves beeping, no shortcuts that compromise quality. Just volume and speed working together.
Opening hours run 11:30am to 10pm daily at most locations, with some closing at 9pm on weekdays. Card only across the board, no cash accepted anywhere.
Burrito bars like Pablo Picante and Boojum dominate Dublin’s weekday lunch scene with speed and value. Friday nights though, Friday nights demand something different. Mexican food that feels like a destination rather than a pitstop between errands.
Sit-Down Mexican Restaurants Worth Your Time
These spots aren’t competing with Boojum for your lunch break. They’re after your Friday night, your anniversary dinner, your first date that needs to impress.
777 (4.1/5)
Finding 777 on South Great Georges Street feels intentional. The entrance doesn’t scream for attention like neighbouring spots. Step inside though and everything changes in an instant.
Music hits first, loud enough that conversations require leaning across the table and reading lips occasionally. White tiles bounce light and sound around the room creating energy that feels barely contained. Rustic orange furniture adds warmth to what could feel sterile otherwise. It’s designed for chaos, the kind that makes you order a second margarita before finishing the first because the atmosphere demands participation rather than observation.
Small sharing plates like totopos with guacamole and fresh salsa cost €12. Pig’s head carnitas get shared between groups, arriving with enough tortillas and toppings that everyone builds their own tacos at the table. Everything comes with bold seasoning and thoughtful plating that respects the food without making it precious. Main dishes climb to €30 for premium options, though most plates hover between €15 and €20.
Sundays change the entire equation. Every dish on the menu costs €7.77, a deal that fills the restaurant from opening to close. Margarita Mondays and Taco Tuesday specials run throughout the week, giving regulars reasons to visit beyond the weekend rush.
The cocktail program takes tequila and mezcal seriously in ways most Dublin bars don’t bother with. They stock 100% blue agave tequila exclusively, with tequila flights like the Don Julio running €40 and the Mezcal flight costing €30. Mexican beer like Modelo runs €7.50 per bottle.
Both the indoor Main Dining area and the outdoor Afuera space operate a walk-in policy for parties of up to five people. Groups of six or more need bookings. Call +353 1 425 4052 or check their website for current hours since they vary by day of the week.
Afuera works well for groups wanting cocktails and smaller bites without committing to a full Mexican dinner experience. More casual vibes, same quality drinks and food.
While 777 handles the cocktail-focused date night crowd with loud music and Instagram-worthy presentations, El Grito serves a completely different audience with different priorities.
El Grito (4.5/5)
You know a Mexican restaurant has something genuinely authentic when actual Mexicans living in Dublin call it their regular spot. That’s El Grito’s reputation across the city’s Latin American community.
Menu offerings stick to Mexican street food basics done properly. Tacos with various fillings, loaded nachos, tortas which are Mexican sandwiches layered with refried beans and guacamole and your protein choice, gringas stuffed with cheese in flour tortillas, alambre served as a vegetable mix with soft corn tortillas and rice, plus chimichangas for anyone craving deep-fried burrito satisfaction. Fillings range from smoky chorizo pork and tender carnitas to slow-cooked barbacoa beef, with chicken, vegan pastor, and even cactus options for different dietary needs.
A recent meal for three people including five tacos, a burrito, burrito bowl, guacamole, two sour creams, two Cokes and a rum cocktail came to €69 total. Most main dishes run €12 to €18, keeping prices accessible despite the quality jump from typical Dublin Mexican fare.
Mountjoy Square keeps convenient hours: Monday through Wednesday 12pm to 9pm, Thursday 12pm to midnight, Friday and Saturday 12pm to 1am, Sunday 12pm to 9pm.
Acapulco (4.2/5)
Acapulco has been serving Mexican food on South Great Georges Street for over 25 years, making it Dublin’s longest-running Mexican restaurant. The space feels lived-in and comfortable rather than trying too hard with décor. Walls carry that familiar Mexican colour palette without feeling theme park fake.
Sizzling fajita platters arrive at your table still cooking, letting you build your own wraps with marinated chicken or steak, grilled peppers, onions, and all the usual accompaniments like sour cream and pico de gallo. Interactive dining like this makes fajitas perfect for groups or anyone new to Mexican cuisine who wants control over spice levels.
They’ve spent decades perfecting their chilli recipe and it shows. The menu covers all the Tex-Mex standards: enchiladas smothered in sauce, stuffed burritos, crispy chimichangas, soft and hard shell tacos. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options fill out the menu for different dietary requirements.
Deep-fried ice cream with homemade butterscotch sauce costs around €8 to €10 depending on current pricing. It sounds ridiculous until you try it. Then you understand why people keep ordering this dessert year after year.
Full meals with drinks typically run €25 to €40 per person. Margaritas come in several variations beyond the classic lime. Friday and Saturday evenings fill up quickly, so booking ahead saves you from waiting or getting turned away.
Where to Find Cheap Mexican Food Dublin
Student budgets and Mexican food cravings don’t have to conflict in this city. Pablo Picante student meals include a burrito and can for around €7.50 when you show your student ID. That deal alone keeps college students fed across Dublin’s city centre throughout term time, especially for those already hunting down the best NA cocktail in Dublin between lectures.
Boojum offers similar student pricing and meal deals combining any meat-filled burrito or bowl with a can of drink. Regular menu items hover around €7 to €12 even without student discounts applied.
Most burrito bars keep lunch specials running throughout the week. Visiting between 12pm and 2pm usually means faster service despite heavier crowds since the lines move quickly once everyone knows their order. Skip the peak rush by arriving at 11:45am or after 2:30pm instead.
What to Order When You’re New to Mexican Restaurants Dublin
Starting with a burrito bowl instead of a wrapped burrito makes sense for first-timers. You get all the same flavours and fillings without worrying about structural integrity halfway through eating. Choose chicken as your protein since it’s milder than most other options. Go with medium salsa to test your spice tolerance before committing to hot.
Quesadillas offer another safe entry point into Mexican cuisine. Melted cheese, a grilled tortilla, and your choice of fillings create something familiar yet exciting. Add guacamole if you’re feeling adventurous enough to expand beyond basics.
Fajitas work brilliantly at sit-down restaurants since you build your own tacos at the table. You control exactly how much of each ingredient goes into your tortilla. The sizzling presentation makes it fun even while you’re still figuring out what combinations you prefer.
Skip the Naga salsa at Pablo Picante on your first visit. Trust me on this. Start with mild options and work your way up gradually over multiple visits as your tolerance builds.
Tips for Getting the Most from Dublin Mexican Food
Card payments dominate Dublin’s Mexican food scene now. Pablo Picante and Boojum went card-only across all locations years ago. Most other spots followed that trend, so carry cards rather than counting on cash being accepted.
Lunch hours between 12:30pm and 2pm bring the biggest crowds to every burrito bar in the city centre. Arriving at 11:45am or after 2:30pm saves you from long queues. Evening service around 5pm to 6pm usually stays relatively calm before the dinner rush kicks in around 7pm.
Student discounts apply at most casual Mexican spots. Always ask even when it’s not advertised on menus or windows. Worst case, they say no and you pay full price like everyone else.
Sit-down Mexican restaurants like 777 or El Grito benefit from advance booking on weekends. Midweek dinners often accept walk-ins without trouble, but calling ahead saves potential disappointment when you’re already hungry and standing outside.
Spacing out visits to multiple places across different days makes sense. Mexican food in Dublin tends toward filling portions that leave you satisfied for hours.
Finding the Best Mexican Food Dublin Offers
Dublin’s Mexican food scene keeps improving year after year. New places open regularly with fresh takes on tacos and burritos. Existing spots refine their menus based on what customers actually order. Competition benefits everyone who just wants quality Mexican cuisine without flying to Mexico or California.
Regional Mexican cooking from Oaxaca or Mexico City doesn’t really exist here yet. Most restaurants stick with recognizable Tex-Mex and California-style Mexican food that Dublin audiences understand. Fresh ingredients, proper cooking technique, and bold flavours matter more than strict geographical authenticity anyway.
Start with burrito bars for quick, affordable Mexican meals. Pablo Picante and Boojum both deliver consistent quality. Move to sit-down spots like 777 or El Grito when you want cocktails, atmosphere, and something more special than weekday lunch.
The city finally has enough Mexican dining options that you can eat tacos, burritos, and quesadillas multiple times weekly without repeating restaurants. That variety alone shows how dramatically things have changed.
Important: Prices, opening hours, and locations mentioned in this guide reflect December 2025 conditions. Always verify current details directly with restaurants before visiting since menus and operating hours change periodically.
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