This MS Coast restaurant has the ‘absolute best’ Mexican food in the state, Tasting Table says
A restaurant located in an unassuming Gulfport strip mall has just been recognized for having the “absolute best” Mexican food in Mississippi, according to Tasting Table.
The digital publication revealed its picks for best Mexican restaurant in each state Jan. 5, looking for restaurants making menu items from scratch, importing Mexican ingredients and sourcing the freshest produce and meats.
In Mississippi, El Chilango — a restaurant with “rave reviews,” — took the top spot, according to the publication.
“Customers love its hand-made tortillas, scratch-made guacamole, uniquely delicious salsa, and authentic flavors, as well as its super-friendly staff,” Tasting Table said.
Some of the top dishes are the street tacos, beef soup, cheese enchiladas, chochinita pibil, taco loco, huaraches and Mexican quesadilla, according to Yelp reviews.
But it’s not just Mississippians that know about El Chilango, it’s movie stars too. Last spring, John Travolta stopped by to dine at the restaurant, according to an April 9 post by the restaurant on Facebook.
How to dine at El Chilango
The laid-back restaurant takes walk-ins and orders in advance online through their website. The restaurant is located at 116 Cowan Rd, Gulfport, MS 39507.
Restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to their website.
How did publication find best restaurants?
Starting by looking for good reviews and ratings, Tasting Table put any restaurant included in the eight different regional cuisines of Mexico, according to the article. The publication also looked at national media attention and awards and freshness of ingredients.
“The best are promoting traditional dishes and cooking methods, and offering options that you might not find on the menus of less dedicated restaurants,” the publication said.
This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
