13 South Carolina Mexican Rooms Where Tradition Leads The Menu

South Carolina’s story isn’t only barbecue pits and shrimp boats; it’s also masa slapped on hot griddles and peppers roasted until the air bites back.

Mexican dining rooms here feel lived-in and unhurried, filled with color, music, and the rhythm of recipes carried across borders and decades. In Columbia, mercados bustle with tamales unwrapped like presents. Charleston hides taquerías that burst with salsa and smoke.

Greenville counters tower with tortas, Hilton Head kitchens pour family history onto plates. These places don’t imitate. They translate memory into flavor, reminding you that heritage can sit boldly at any Carolina table.

1. Real Mexico Restaurant Y Tienda — Columbia

Step through the door and it’s loud in the best way: plates clatter, Spanish mixes with laughter, and the smell of grilled meat settles in like a blanket.

Half-restaurant, half-market, Real Mexico stacks its shelves with imported sodas and masa harina while sending out platters of carnitas and enchiladas big enough to demand strategy.

I love that double-life. You eat until you’re full, then browse the aisles with greasy fingers, leaving heavier in both belly and grocery bag.

2. Santi’s Restaurante Mexicano — Charleston & Mt. Pleasant

Santi’s isn’t shy. The walls are neon-bright, the patio pulses with music, and the plates arrive like they’re running late, fast and hot.

Burritos spill, tacos lean heavy, margaritas glow faintly radioactive in the evening light. The room feels less like dinner and more like a neighborhood festival on repeat.

I came once, thinking “just a quick taco,” and returned the next day because the pull was magnetic. Charleston has polish, but Santi’s is pure heartbeat.

3. El Molino Supermarket (Taquería) — North Charleston & Charleston

The grocery aisles are almost a disguise. Stacks of canned chiles and bulk beans lull you into shopping mode, until the smell of roasting pork jerks your head toward the taquería.

It’s humble: counter, grill, handful of tables. But the tacos? Carne asada juices drip down your wrist, and the tortillas scorch your fingertips before you can fold them.

I swear it’s one of the best errands in the state. Grab onions, grab laundry soap, grab three tacos. Life, improved.

4. Comal 864 — Greenville

The name is the giveaway. A comal isn’t decoration, it’s the flat griddle where tortillas puff like little moons.

In Greenville, Comal 864 leans on that tool as its center of gravity. Birria simmers dark and rich, carne asada hisses when it hits steel, and tortillas slide off hot enough to leave steam trails.

I watched one tortilla rise like it was breathing. When it landed under slow-braised beef, I stopped caring about anything except finishing it before the second bite cooled.

5. Mextizo Tortas & Tacos — Greenville

The torta is the heavyweight champion here, layered until gravity threatens collapse. Chicken milanesa, avocado, beans, and cheese, all mushed into one glorious handheld tower.

Tacos get their due, but the tortas dominate. They’re half meal, half dare, designed to silence a table with chewing before anyone remembers to talk.

I grabbed one between meetings once, thinking I’d nibble. Fifteen minutes later I was staring at crumbs, plotting excuses to skip the next appointment entirely.

6. Papi’s Tacos — Greenville

Papi’s hides below the Peace Center like a speakeasy that swapped cocktails for tacos. Neon chalkboards, close tables, and that unmistakable scent of barbacoa drifting through the door.

Street-style tacos arrive in twos and threes, small enough to vanish quickly, seasoned enough to make you wish you’d doubled your order.

It feels like a secret you’re almost reluctant to share. The first time I brought friends, they accused me of gatekeeping. They weren’t wrong, I had wanted it to myself.

7. La Minerva Cocina & Tequila — North Charleston

Step inside La Minerva and you get a glow: bottles lined like soldiers, colors sharp enough to feel electric, plates steaming before they touch the table.

The food keeps it grounded, enchiladas layered, fajitas sizzling loud enough to turn heads, tacos dressed but never overdone. Tequila lists stretch longer than the menus themselves.

I stayed too long once, picking through dishes slowly just to justify another margarita. It’s the kind of place where “quick dinner” becomes a full evening.

8. Señor Tequila — Charleston

Señor Tequila doesn’t whisper, it runs full volume. Combos big as trays, burritos wide as wrists, and margaritas swirling in frosty glasses that barely fit your hand.

The menu feels like a roll call of Mexican-American comfort: enchiladas, chimichangas, tacos, each portion aiming to cover the whole plate.

Locals shrug and smile when you mention it, it’s the reliable friend in Charleston’s lineup. Everyone’s been, everyone goes back, and that’s how a spot earns its staying power.

9. Villa Cantina — Summerville (Area Locations)

Villa Cantina wears its celebration openly. Lights strung, laughter climbing over the music, families and coworkers settling in like the night has no curfew.

Plates arrive sizzling or fried crisp, dripping queso or layered with beans and rice. Even the menus look party-sized, sprawling with options.

I once came in by accident, looking for coffee, and ended up with chimichangas and a table full of strangers who toasted me in. It’s that kind of place, community disguised as dinner.

10. Rio Chico — West Ashley (Charleston)

Rio Chico greets you with the sound of sizzling skillets before you’ve even sat down. The place hums steady, like a machine built to feed its neighborhood on autopilot.

Menus cover every craving: tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, even seafood plates big enough to share but rarely shared. Portions lean generous, service leans fast.

I noticed tables full of regulars, chatting with servers like old friends. That’s when you realize it’s less a restaurant than a kitchen for half the neighborhood.

11. Tacos Nayarit — Columbia

The menu at Tacos Nayarit doesn’t play it safe. Lengua, tripa, and al pastor sit side by side, daring you to stretch your comfort zone.

Tortillas taste handmade, each taco landing with that soft, just-charred texture that makes fillings shine. The spice leans bold without losing balance.

I loved the mix of diners: one table kept it simple with chicken, another dove headfirst into tripe. Watching that split made me grin, this is food that welcomes curiosity.

12. Mi Tierra Restaurant — Hilton Head Island

Mi Tierra looks like a family gathering dressed up as a restaurant. Walls painted bright, tables packed close, the hum of kids’ laughter mixed with clinking glasses.

Plates lean coastal: seafood woven into tacos and enchiladas, big margaritas anchoring the table with a festive weight. Everything feels a little larger than life.

I came once on vacation and left wishing it were my local. It manages the trick of feeding both tourists and townies without losing its heart.

13. Fiesta Mexicana — Grand Strand (Myrtle Beach Area)

Fiesta Mexicana bursts with color and sound, the kind of room where fajitas crackle like fireworks and margaritas hit the table before the condensation even forms.

Tourists pour in, locals mix easily, and the plates stay consistent, chimichangas fried golden, tacos stacked, enchiladas swimming in sauce that tastes both rich and sharp.

I expected “tourist food” the first time, but left impressed. The depth of flavor felt anchored in tradition, not gimmick, and that’s why regulars keep coming back.