Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Lakeland

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Most of Lakeland’s Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants sit along South Florida Avenue, between Dixieland and Lake Miriam, and on U.S. Highway 98 North near Lakeland Square Mall. Others are in Lakeside Village, on East Memorial Boulevard and North Wabash Avenue, and in The Joinery food hall downtown.

How we made this list. We started with OpenStreetMap records inside Lakeland’s city limits, the same data behind our local directory, and added restaurants from the state’s restaurant inspection records and from the chains’ own store pages, keeping only addresses inside the limits and leaving out food trucks. We checked each place against its own website on Oct. 10, 2026. Four places whose websites we could not find or load are here because the state inspected them between July and September 2026. 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 add or correct your entry.

The list

The places

Abuelo’s in Lakeside Village is a Mexican restaurant chain that offers dine-in, takeout, curbside pickup and delivery. Its Lakeland page lists party rooms and a happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays and again from 8 p.m. to close Monday to Thursday.

Azteca D’Oro on North Parkway Frontage Road is a Mexican restaurant whose website did not load when we checked. The state’s restaurant inspection records list it at this address, last inspected in September 2026.

Chipotle Mexican Grill has two Lakeland restaurants, on South Florida Avenue and on U.S. Highway 98 North. Their store pages offer online ordering and delivery.

Costilla Grill Mexican Restaurant on North Wabash Avenue has no website we could find. The state’s restaurant inspection records list it at this address, last inspected in September 2026.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop on South Florida Avenue is a taco and margarita chain. Its Lakeland page offers takeout and curbside pickup.

Gallito is the taco counter in The Joinery food hall on Lake Mirror, which describes it as chef-driven street tacos. Orders go through the food hall’s site.

Moe’s Southwest Grill has two Lakeland restaurants, in Lakeside Village and on U.S. Highway 98 North. The chain describes itself as a Mexican restaurant and Tex-Mex grill.

Mr. Pollo Mexican Grill on U.S. Highway 98 North has no website we could find. The state’s restaurant inspection records list it at this address, last inspected in July 2026.

Plaza Mexico on South Florida Avenue is a Mexican restaurant and bar. Its site talks up burritos, tacos and marinated meats made with respect for Mexican tradition.

Taco Bell has three drive-thrus inside the city limits: on East Memorial Boulevard, South Florida Avenue and U.S. Highway 98 North. The two on Florida Avenue and U.S. 98 stay open until 4 a.m. or later.

Tapatio’s Restaurante Mexicano on East Memorial Boulevard says in its Lakeland Chamber listing that it is family owned and has served Lakeland for more than 20 years. Its own site did not load when we checked; the state inspected it in September 2026.

Tijuana Flats near Lake Miriam serves burritos, tacos and Tex-Mex, with catering through its site. It is open seven days a week.

Related lists: wings, pizza, barbecue, breakfast and coffee, burgers, sushi and Asian, ice cream and desserts, bakeries, patios and outdoor dining and every list by category. Also: brunch, date night, the business directory and restaurant inspections.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get Mexican food in Lakeland?

Twelve Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants at 16 locations inside the city limits, from sit-down restaurants such as Abuelo’s in Lakeside Village, Plaza Mexico on South Florida Avenue and Tapatio’s on East Memorial Boulevard to the Chipotle, Moe’s, Taco Bell and Tijuana Flats chains.

Which Lakeland Mexican places are open late?

The Taco Bell drive-thrus at 4165 U.S. Highway 98 N. and 3605 S. Florida Ave. list 4 a.m. closings, and both Chipotle locations list midnight every day.

Where can I get tacos in downtown Lakeland?

Gallito, a street taco counter, is one of the vendors in The Joinery food hall at 640 E. Main St. on Lake Mirror.

Is there a Mexican restaurant in Lakeside Village?

Abuelo’s is at 3700 Lakeside Village Blvd. and Moe’s Southwest Grill is at 1326 Town Center Drive. Abuelo’s runs a weekday happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m., its site says.