From taquerias to modern Mexican kitchens, these are the best Mexican restaurants in Charleston, ranked on critic recognition, diner ratings, momentum and staying power.
Updated October 2026
← Back to all rankingsPitmaster John Lewis (of Lewis Barbecue fame) brings West Texas to Chihuahua border food to Charleston. House-made tortillas, smoked-meat fajitas, Christmas burrito (green chile beef), proper margaritas, and cowboy-meets-Mexico flavors in a massive courtyard setting on Upper King Street.
Hours, prices and booking details are from our 2026 checks. Confirm with the restaurant before you go.
Left the podium this month: Taco Boy (was #3, now #5).
Where the top-ranked spots in this category are, from downtown to the islands. The number is each restaurant's overall rank in Mexican this month.
Each card shows the evidence behind the rank: critic and local-guide coverage (linked), diner ratings, recent news and staying power. We log every list, award and rating with its date and source, apply the same rules to every restaurant, and refresh the ranking monthly. Arrows compare each restaurant with last month. Read how TasteSignal ranks restaurants.
As of October 2026, Rancho Lewis is #1 in TasteSignal's Mexican ranking for Charleston, SC, followed by El Molino Supermarket Taqueria and Santi's Restaurante Mexicano. Why it leads: critic recognition from Charleston City Paper, Post and Courier and 3 other outlets in the last five years.
Every restaurant in the category is ranked from named, dated evidence: critic and local-guide coverage, diner ratings on Google, Tripadvisor and Yelp, recent news and how long it has stayed on critics' lists. The data behind this category is still developing, so next month's update could reorder the top 3. Rankings refresh monthly.