Who Has the Best Mexican Food in Kalamazoo? Locals Weigh In
I've been in Kalamazoo for nearly a year. That being said, there's still plenty to learn and discover. And, most importantly, more food to try!
The question was asked on Kalamazoo's Reddit,
Best Mexican food in Kalamazoo? I have been in Kalamazoo for a few years now and would really like to know what Mexican restaurant in the area is the best.
The user, Halostar, went on to list a number of different Mexican style restaurants that they had already tried. Apparently, they're from Southeast Michigan and were looking for more of a Tex Mex style restaurant. I'm not sure the given suggestions followed a 'Tex Mex' style per se, but people gave plenty of options.
There's a couple of Mexican restaurants in Kalamazoo that I've personally tried but, since I'm always on board with trying new restaurants, I paid close attention to the suggestions from the locals. There were about 49 comments the last time I looked. I'm going to list 6 of those suggestions most of which were suggested multiple times. You can see the full post here.
Keep in mind, a lot of things have shifted during the pandemic. Should you go to visit any of the restaurants listed either here or on the Kalamazoo Reddit thread make sure you double check their hours and other policies before visiting.
With that being said, here are at least 6 places in the Kalamazoo area that serve some delicious Mexican food according to locals:
1. La Familia Cafe
I'm not the least bit surprised that La Familia Cafe was one of the first suggestions. I've only had their Birria tacos but they were delicious. This suggestion comes from Reddit user Nazaki who said: La Familia downtown is my favorite. I strongly recommend, just make sure you review their hours. You can see La Familia Cafe's website here or check out their Facebook page.
2. Acapulco Mexican Restaurant
Acapulco is located about 30 minutes outside of Kalamazoo in Lawrence. While they don't have a huge social media presence, they came highly recommended on the Reddit thread. User Braggs222 said: A little bit of a drive but Acapulco in Lawrence is awesome! This was seconded by user HAL-over-9001 and by user Neilthemick who said: I was raised in Hartford/Lawrence and this comment has me drooling. You can see their hours and menu on their website.
3. Pure Mex Mexican Cuisine
Located in Richland, Pure Mex was suggested by Reddit user triplevbanana who wrote: I’ve heard good things about Pure Mex in Richland. 10-15 min drive from Kzoo. Family that owns it used to operate in Bay City/Saginaw under ‘Los Quatros Amigos’ and received awards for how good the food was. I would imagine it still holds up under a new name. Their menu offers a pretty wide variety of choices. You can see it online or find them on Facebook.
4. Lolita's Tacos
Lolita's Tacos if off Main St. in Kalamazoo. They also don't have a strong social media presence however, before writing this article I called to make sure they were still in operation. They confirmed that, yes, their dining room is open to the public. While they don't have a website listed they do have their full menu posted to their Facebook page which you can see here.
5. Nina's Taqueria
Nina's Taqueria has two separate locations and was suggested by Reddit user bakedjaker1738 who commented: Nina's Taqueria in Augusta and in Battle Creek. They also have very good authentic mole. One location is in Augusta and the other in Battle Creek. The Battle Creek location is currently undergoing some renovations with the hope that they'll be open again in September. They're family owned and operated and have been serving Southwest Michigan for the past 12 years. You can see their menu online and make sure you follow along on their Facebook page for all remodeling updates.
6. Buen Provecho
This suggestion was given by Reddit user, orangelillyjupiter. Their menu looks delicious however, something that I haven't seen from any other restaurant listed above is the 'Lunch Express' that Buen Provecho offers. On their website, it says,
Short time for lunch? Not a problem! Call us every day and ask for our "Lunch Express". We will have a different dish ready for you every day.
They offer their Lunch Express every Monday - Friday from 11am - 3pm. Find out more by following them on Facebook.
Again, these were just a few that I grabbed from the very long list of suggested Mexican restaurants. You can see the original Kalamazoo Reddit thread here.
If you happen to be in Holland be on the lookout for the brand new location of Fat Burrito which just opened. Read more below;
Whatever restaurant you decide to try (go for all of them!) I guarantee it'll be better than those lunches we public school kids had to suffer through back in the day. Have you ever wondered how those cafeteria meals have changed over the past 100 years? Check it out:
See How School Cafeteria Meals Have Changed Over the Past 100 Years
At least those who worked in school cafeterias never had to deal with this nonsense: