Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Wilmington

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Mexican food in Wilmington clusters downtown, where four taco and fresh-Mex spots sit near the river, and along Oleander Drive and College Road in Midtown, where a local burrito shop, a local fresh-Mex chain and the national chains share the corridors. More stores are on Market Street and South 17th Street.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records inside Wilmington’s city limits, the data that also feeds our local directory, plus places in the Downtown Wilmington dining directory and the chains’ own store lists. We checked each one against its own website on Oct. 11, 2026, and checked each address against the city limits with the U.S. Census Bureau’s address lookup. Tacobaby and Tequila’s Waterfront have no website we could find; both are listed from the downtown directory. 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 correct your entry.

The list

The places

Block Taco on Greenfield Street, next to Satellite Bar & Lounge, is a downtown taco shop with barbacoa, pork and fish tacos, chips and dips and a taco “pizza box” for groups. It shows movies in its backyard on Monday and Tuesday evenings and takes online orders.

Chili’s Grill & Bar on South College Road is a location of the Tex-Mex and American grill chain.

Chipotle has two burrito and bowl restaurants inside the city: on International Drive and on Fordham Road off Oleander Drive.

Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn at 4002 Oleander Drive was started in 2000 by Amy and Jay Muxworthy. It sums itself up as “hot, fast, cheap and easy” and says its line moves quickly. It has a second burrito barn in Carolina Beach.

Islands Fresh Mex Grill is a Wilmington chain with four locations inside the city: downtown on North Front Street, on Oleander Drive, on Market Street and on Racine Drive near UNCW. It offers takeout, delivery and catering, and has two more stores at Monkey Junction and in Leland.

Moe’s Southwest Grill has two restaurants inside the city, on Oleander Drive and on Market Street.

Taco Bell has four stores inside the limits: on Market Street, on South College Road and two on South 17th Street. All list hours into the early morning.

TacoRoos at 429 S. College Road is the first location of a two-store taco chain whose second shop is in Thomasville. Its site lists the address and an online menu but not hours or a phone number.

Tacobaby at 125 Grace St. has no website we could find. It is listed in the Downtown Wilmington dining directory at that address. Call before you go.

Tequila’s Waterfront at 14 Harnett St. is listed in the Downtown Wilmington dining directory as a collaboration between Tequila Comida & Cantina and Marina Grill. It has no website we could find.

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 tacos in downtown Wilmington, NC?

Downtown taco spots on this list are Block Taco at 120 Greenfield St., Tacobaby at 125 Grace St., Tequila’s Waterfront at 14 Harnett St. and Islands Fresh Mex Grill at 310 N. Front St.

Which Mexican places in Wilmington are open late?

The Taco Bell restaurants list the latest hours: 4 or 5 a.m. at 4101 Market St. and 630 S. College Road, and 2 or 3 a.m. at the two South 17th Street stores. Block Taco stays open to midnight Friday to Sunday.

Is there a local burrito place in Wilmington?

Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn at 4002 Oleander Drive was started in 2000 by Amy and Jay Muxworthy and says it is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. almost every day of the year. Islands Fresh Mex Grill is a local chain with four locations inside the city.

Where is there outdoor seating at a Wilmington taco place?

Block Taco on Greenfield Street shows movies in its backyard on Monday and Tuesday evenings. The other sites on this list do not mention outdoor seating.