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The Best Mexican Food and Tacos in Berks County

Where to eat Mexican food and tacos across Berks County, from the West Reading taquerias to the tortillerias and bakeries in the city.

Berks Connect Blog|Published August 31, 2026
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Two Berks County taquerias made both the Mexican category and the Taco category on the Reading Eagle's Readers' Choice Awards 2026 ballot, and both sit a few blocks apart in West Reading: Comālli Taqueria and Let's Taco Bout It. The rest of the county's Mexican cooking runs from the taqueria counters inside Reading out to Temple, Kutztown, Robesonia and Mohnton, plus the bakeries, tortillerias and grocery counters that do the quiet work behind all of it. Below is where we would send you, what to order when you get there, and where to buy the tortillas on the way home.

Two taquerias made both the Mexican and the taco ballot.

The Reading Eagle's Readers' Choice Awards 2026 dates its final voting round August 16 to August 31, 2026, with results announced Sunday, October 11, 2026. The Mexican category listed four finalists: Alebrije Mexican Restaurant, Comālli Taqueria, Let's Taco Bout It and Plaza Azteca Mexican Restaurant. The Taco category listed Castañeda Mexican Restaurant, Comālli Taqueria, Let's Taco Bout It and Tlacuani Mexican Restaurant Bar and Grill.

Two names sit on both lists. These are finalists and not winners, so treat the overlap for what it is: a county that was asked separately about its best Mexican restaurant and its best taco, and named the same two taquerias both times. Our own review evidence points the same direction.

Here is what we did before writing any of it. We read the review evidence our listings carry for Mexican restaurants and taquerias across Berks County, said so plainly where a listing carries none yet, cross read the county ballot and local food coverage, and ran every place below through a current operating-status check. Nothing here is ranked and no listing was bought, and if you would rather scan than read, more Mexican restaurant listings across the county live on our Berks County Mexican food page.

Comālli Taqueria, the West Reading taqueria on both county ballots.

Comālli is a taco counter at 701 Court St in West Reading, and it is one of only two names carried by both ballot categories. It runs to 11:00 p.m. most nights, to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8:00 p.m. Sunday.

Order the El Brole taco. One reviewer called it "out of this world" and said the banana and mole flavor was something they had never tasted before, which is a sentence you do not often get about a taco. If you want volume instead, Da Big Papa burrito is the play; one reviewer described burritos the size of your head and wrote that "the ratio of rice, guacamole and meat was perfect."

Add the habanero corn salsa, which one reviewer called "drool worthy" and made a point of saying it was not just the heat talking. The aguas frescas are made in house, and one reviewer who ordered the jamaica reported it "was delicious."

One reviewer described the room as "warm and inviting, with a cozy, relaxed vibe," and another called the setup beautiful and unique. One reviewer notes the parking is off the street, so you may need to take a walk from wherever you find a spot.

Let's Taco Bout It, the other name on both county ballots.

The second name on both ballots is an easygoing quick serve counter at 616 US-422 BUS in West Reading, serving Mexican classics like tacos and hearty burritos. It is closed Mondays, runs 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and opens noon to 7:00 p.m. Sunday.

Get the elote. One reviewer called the street corn "a must every time" and another shouted it in capital letters and scored it 10 out of 10. Reviewers also name the Stretchy Pants gordita and the Torta Campechana, and one wrote that the campechano mix of meats "is insanely flavorful."

The Señor Ramon is the pork and pineapple taco, and one reviewer reported that the bits of grilled pineapple go well with the meat. On the question of authenticity, one reviewer answered it flatly: "The tacos are delicious, they have the same flavor as in Mexico."

The room is hung with luchador film posters, which is not decoration for its own sake. One reviewer named the El Santo posters as "such a cool nod to Mexican pop culture," and another liked the vintage flair of the wrestling posters. One reviewer, a Nacho Libre fan, said they loved the menu names.

The other Readers' Choice finalists across the county.

The remaining four finalists are spread across the county and they are not the same kind of place. One is a bar and grill with a patio, one is a Robesonia counter that shows up on the Downtown Reading Taco Fest vendor list, one is a dining room and bar, and one is a chain.

Tlacuani Mexican Restaurant Bar and Grill, the taco finalist in Temple.

Tlacuani is the taco finalist up in Temple at 5005 Kutztown Rd, and it is the full service option on that ballot: a bar, a patio and a long menu. It runs 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. most days and closes at 8:00 p.m. Sunday and Monday.

Order the chimichanga lunch special. One reviewer who orders it every visit called the value "frankly unbelievable," and another kept it shorter still: "Try the Chix Chimchanga!" Portions run large, and one reviewer wrote that the food arrived in "bigger portions than we had expected" with leftovers to carry home.

One reviewer called the margaritas fabulous, and another singled out the spicy margarita as amazing. Start with the cheese dip con chorizo, which one reviewer called "out of this world."

The chairs are hand painted and there is an outside bar with tables on the patio. One reviewer wrote that "the decorations inside are done really well and give a great atmosphere," which is a fair summary of what the place is going for.

Castañeda Mexican Restaurant, the taco finalist in Robesonia.

Castañeda's is the Robesonia name on the taco ballot. The City of Reading's own Downtown Reading Taco Fest vendor list carries both Castaneda's Mexican Restaurant and La Botanera by Castaneda's.

It sits at 225 E Penn Ave and runs 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. Go hungry: one reviewer describes more food than one person should eat and calls it fair priced.

Our reviewers also name the service. One wrote that the staff "are so nice and helpful," and another reported that a lunch order arrived "quicker than ordering from a Taco Bell."

Alebrije Mexican Restaurant on State Hill Road.

Alebrije is the Mexican category finalist on State Hill Road: a casual, upbeat dining room and bar pouring handcrafted margaritas, by its own description. Its hours run to 9:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

One reviewer described live music from a gentleman with a guitar as "a great experience," and another said the live music was a bonus on a quick, efficient visit.

If you are ordering for the table, one reviewer recommends the shrimp nachos, and another named the chips and guacamole as their favorite dish there.

Plaza Azteca in Wyomissing, the familiar sit down room.

Plaza Azteca at 955 Woodland Rd is a big sit down Mexican dining room in Wyomissing, and Berks readers put it on the Mexican ballot. It is a chain with locations in several states, which is worth saying plainly: this guide is not a local only list.

Get the guacamole made at your table, which the restaurant describes as made tableside and which one reviewer calls a must every visit. Another wrote that the queso fundido appetizer was "fantastic," and a third said the Piña Loka skillet was the best they had had.

One reviewer described the flavors as bold and authentic with generous portions, and another named the pace: told to expect 15 to 20 minutes, they were seated in 5. Hours run to 10:00 p.m. most nights, 11:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

The taquerias in Reading and West Reading.

Inside the city the taquerias cluster north and east of Penn Square, and the 800 block of Oley Street alone holds two of them facing each other across the street. These are counters and lunch rooms rather than dining rooms, and one of them is a Mexican bakery as well.

If you are working through the city's eating more broadly, our roundup of the best restaurants in Reading, PA covers the rest of it.

Taqueria Jimenez, the Oley Street taqueria on a statewide bucket list.

Taqueria Jimenez sits at 810 Oley St. Speaking to WFMZ ahead of the 2025 Downtown Reading Taco Fest, a member of the Jimenez family said of their restaurant, "We were the first taqueria in Berks County." WFMZ's own framing is more careful, calling it one of the county's first taquerias and reporting that it has been serving traditional street style Mexican food since 1991.

It is also the only Berks County restaurant on PA Eats' statewide Pennsylvania Taco Bucket List, published in May 2023 and updated in May 2024. PA Eats points readers to the al pastor and nopales street tacos and to the huaraches.

Our listings do not carry extracted review detail for it yet, so everything above is outside reporting rather than our own read of what diners say. Order what PA Eats named.

Taqueria El Carreton, the early and late one on Oley Street.

Directly across Oley Street at 817 sits El Carreton, and the hours are the headline. It opens at 9:00 a.m. and runs to 10:00 p.m. most days, and to 11:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which covers both a breakfast plate and a late dinner on a Sunday night.

Its own listing describes a sizable menu of traditional Mexican plates served in a hacienda styled interior. We do not have review detail for it yet either, so the address and the hours are what we can hand you with confidence.

Archie's Taqueria, the birria counter on Penn Avenue.

Archie's is at 448 Penn Ave in West Reading. It is closed Mondays, runs to 9:00 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and to 7:00 p.m. Sunday.

Order the birria. One reviewer said simply to try the birria tacos, that they are amazing. Another described "birria style beef with melted cheese inside a fantastic shell," and two reviewers called the birria pizza phenomenal, one of them naming it the best thing on the menu.

The carnitas taco has its own advocate: one reviewer called it "probably the juiciest carnita taco I've ever had in the best way possible." The salsas get named too, with one reviewer writing that "the salsa verde is especially good" and another praising the heat in the red sauce.

One reviewer named the flora tacos, made with hibiscus, as something they had never had or even heard of before, and could not recommend them highly enough. Finish with the horchata, which two reviewers single out, one of them calling it almost a dessert.

Loncheria and Panaderia Doña Tere, a lunch counter and a Mexican bakery.

The name is the business model: a loncheria and a panaderia, a lunch counter and a Mexican bakery, at 800 N 13th St. It opens at 9:00 a.m. every day and runs to 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. depending on the night.

Come for the chilaquiles. One reviewer called them simply the best; another described the green salsa as spicy and the amount on the tortillas as exactly right. A third reviewer put their recommendation as an instruction: "You have to get the pork tacos."

One reviewer wrote that it carries "traditional Mexican dishes you normally can't get at Americanized Mexican restaurants," and reviewers praise the portion sizes for the price. One called the menudo the best ever.

Mexican kitchens in Temple, Kutztown, Mohnton and the townships.

Not everything worth the drive made a ballot. The kitchens below carry some of the strongest review records in our Berks listings, and two of them make their own corn tortillas, which is the tell we trust most in this category.

Best Taco Mexican Food, where they make the corn tortillas in Temple.

Best Taco makes its own corn tortillas, and one reviewer thinks that fact should settle the matter: it "should be enough to know this place knows what they're doing." It is a small room at 423 Water St in Temple, open 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day of the week.

Another reviewer listed the case for the place in fragments, "Seared HOUSE MADE tortilla. HOUSE MADE salsas. Friendly team. Festive atmosphere," before calling it a gem. A third called them "the best tacos I have ever had."

Do not stop at tacos. Reviewers name the huaraches, with one calling them their favorite item on the menu, and the Cuban sandwich, which one reviewer called the best they had had in a long time. One reviewer called the birria tacos great and the meat really tender.

The room is small, so calling ahead is the easy play. One reviewer reports: "Every time I call and they give me a time to pick up! Order is always ready."

La Cocina Mexicana, the spicy green sauce in Kutztown.

La Cocina Mexicana has been on West Main Street in Kutztown long enough that one reviewer dated a first visit to 2001 and counted 24 years of coming back. Another wrote that the host "knew BY NAME every group that came in to dine," which is a thing you cannot open with and cannot fake.

The thing to order is whatever the spicy green sauce comes on. One reviewer gets the Burritos Supremos with it every time; another called it "a very tasty and spicy green sauce I cannot find elsewhere."

The room is small, brightly colored and hung with artwork, and one reviewer counted "many colorful and brilliant hand painted pieces of artwork" on display. Another called the fajitas "without exaggeration, by far the best I have ever had."

Two things to plan around. It runs split hours, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and closes Sunday, and one reviewer noted in May 2025 that payment there is cash and Zelle only.

Casa Cortes Mexican Grill, birria and BYOB in Mohnton.

Casa Cortes is the birria stop in Mohnton, at 360 E Wyomissing Ave. One reviewer called them "hands down the best birria tacos in Berks County," and another described the braised beef as "tender, juicy and full of flavor."

It is BYOB; one reviewer called bringing your own margaritas a reprieve from paying high alcohol prices. It runs 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closes Sunday.

Reviewers describe large portions, quick service and a clean, colorful room. One wrote that "the two rounds of salsa with the fresh chips was heaven on earth."

It also accommodates. One reviewer who ate vegetarian said the kitchen "gladly accommodated" a request for beans instead of meat, and reported the torta was very good made that way.

La Chona Mexican Food, handmade tortillas on the Fifth Street Highway.

La Chona sits on the Fifth Street Highway north of the city, and it makes everything from scratch, tortillas included. Two reviewers say exactly that, one writing that "they make everything from scratch including the tortillas" and another that the "corn tortillas homemade and soo good" were the proof. It opens at 10:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and 11:00 a.m. the rest of the week, running to 9:00 p.m. most nights and to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Order the quesabirria. One reviewer called them "the best I've had around," and another was impressed by how much consomé came alongside. If you are hungry rather than curious, one reviewer recommends the torta Mamalona and says it could easily feed two people.

The tamales have their own advocate: one reviewer called them "hands down the best I've ever had." Reviewers describe a clean, bright room hung with Mexican art, and the horchata gets named twice.

Tacos Guac N Bowl, the quesabirria on Lancaster Avenue.

Tacos Guac N Bowl sits at 1040 Lancaster Ave south of the city, and the name is not overselling the guacamole. One reviewer had it cater their wedding and reported the guests agreed the food was delicious. Another wrote that multiple people called the guacamole the best they had ever had.

Order the quesabirria tacos, which one reviewer described as a quesadilla and taco hybrid and called fantastic, and which another admitted to being addicted to. Finish with the churros; one reviewer names the chocolate filled ones, another just calls them the bomb.

One reviewer who moved here from California called these "the most authentic tacos you're going to get," and another who had lived close to the border in California said the food is authentic and delicious. It is small, clean and bright with off street parking, and it runs 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. most days and to 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Mexican bakeries, tortillerias and market counters in Berks County.

This is the part of the county's Mexican food that gets skipped, and it is where the tortillas and the pan dulce come from. Reading's Latin food is not only Mexican, either: if you are after mofongo, chimis or a frituria instead, our guide to the best Puerto Rican and Dominican food in Reading covers that side of the city.

  • La Fidelita Mexican Bakery Bake Shop, 367 N 12th St: a finalist in the Readers' Choice Bakery category, where reviewers name the bolillos, the conchas and the churros.
  • El Gallito Panaderia, 350 N 10th St: a panaderia two blocks down, where one reviewer recommends the merengues, the pan queso and the salsas.
  • Tortilleria El Ranchito, 424 N 6th St: two reviewers praise the tortilla itself, which is the whole job of a tortilleria.
  • La Huasteca Tortillas, 1034 Elm St: a tortilla maker on Elm Street, where the one reviewer we have called it a good place and left it there.
  • Jalisco Supermarket, 925 Green St: a grocery with a taqueria connected to it, where reviewers name the tacos and the tamales.
  • El Puerto Mexican Grocery, 800 N 10th St: reviewers praise the fresh meat and the range of Mexican and Hispanic groceries, and one names the Oaxaca cheese.
  • Durango Food Market, 1200 N 9th St: a market counter to take away from, where reviewers name the tacos and one names the breakfast burritos.
  • Sunset Mexican Ice Cream, 835 Hiesters Ln: Mexican ice cream, which is a different errand entirely, and one we do not yet carry review detail for.

More Mexican restaurants across the county.

Several of these came into our listings recently and do not carry extracted review detail yet, so they appear here as pointers with an address attached rather than as verdicts.

Frequently asked questions about Mexican food in Berks County.

Where is the best Mexican food in Reading, PA?

For tacos inside the city, the 800 block of Oley Street is the concentrated answer, with Taqueria Jimenez at 810 and Taqueria El Carreton at 817 facing each other across the street. For a lunch counter that is also a Mexican bakery, Loncheria and Panaderia Doña Tere on North 13th Street. Just over the line in West Reading, Comālli Taqueria on Court Street and Archie's Taqueria on Penn Avenue are the two rooms we would send a first time visitor to.

Which Berks County Mexican restaurants are Readers' Choice finalists?

On the Reading Eagle's Readers' Choice Awards 2026 ballot, the Mexican category listed Alebrije Mexican Restaurant, Comālli Taqueria, Let's Taco Bout It and Plaza Azteca Mexican Restaurant, and the Taco category listed Castañeda Mexican Restaurant, Comālli Taqueria, Let's Taco Bout It and Tlacuani Mexican Restaurant Bar and Grill. La Fidelita Mexican Bakery Bake Shop is a finalist in the Bakery category. The ballot dates final voting August 16 to August 31, 2026, with results announced Sunday, October 11, 2026, and these are finalists rather than winners.

Where can you get birria tacos in Berks County?

Archie's Taqueria on Penn Avenue in West Reading, where reviewers name both the birria tacos and a birria pizza; Casa Cortes Mexican Grill in Mohnton, where one reviewer called the birria tacos the best in Berks County; and La Chona Mexican Food on the Fifth Street Highway, where one reviewer was impressed by the amount of consomé served with the quesabirria. Tacos Guac N Bowl on Lancaster Avenue does a quesabirria as well, and one reviewer there described it as a quesadilla and taco hybrid.

Which Mexican restaurants in Berks County are open late?

Comālli Taqueria in West Reading runs to midnight Friday and Saturday and to 11:00 p.m. most other nights. Taqueria El Carreton on Oley Street opens at 9:00 a.m. and runs to 11:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Xoloitzcuintle Mexican Restaurant Sports Bar on Exeter Street posts hours to 2:00 a.m. Friday through Sunday and to midnight Tuesday through Thursday.

Where can you buy fresh tortillas and Mexican bread in Berks County?

Tortilleria El Ranchito on North 6th Street and La Huasteca Tortillas on Elm Street both sell tortillas. For pan dulce, La Fidelita Mexican Bakery Bake Shop on North 12th Street is a Readers' Choice Bakery finalist, and El Gallito Panaderia sits two blocks down on North 10th Street. Two of the restaurants above make their corn tortillas in house: Best Taco Mexican Food in Temple and La Chona Mexican Food on the Fifth Street Highway.

Sources.