Tex-Mex & MexicanTex-Mex$$Sun City canon
L&J Cafe
3622 E Missouri Ave · Central, next to Concordia Cemetery
The Old Place by the Graveyard. Opened in 1927 as Tony’s Place — home cooking, home brew and slot machines through Prohibition — and still the yardstick every other plate in town gets measured against.
Why it is on the list
- Four generations of the same family running the same room.
- The chile is the point — red, green, and the enchiladas that come under it.
- A cross-section of the whole city eats here: judges, roofers, grandmothers, tourists who did their homework.
What to order
Cheese enchiladas with red chile, the green chile chicken enchiladas, a side of queso, and a margarita.
More tex-mex & mexican
Kiki's Restaurant & Bar
A tiny, perpetually packed room opened by Paula Yardeni in 1976, with a machacado plate people plan their week around.
Carnitas Queretaro
Carnitas by the pound since 1986, from a family operation that grew into several rooms across the city without losing the plot.
Julio's Café Corona
A long-running border Mexican kitchen with Juárez lineage and a menu that does not chase trends.