When Mexico met the US: a restaurant guide

A new generation of chefs is intertwining their Mexican heritage with a distinctly localized sense of American food

Spread of mexican food on a yellow table, including chiles en nogada, tacos al pastor, chalupas pozole, tamales, chicken with mole poblano sauce
At these restaurants, coastal Mexican cooking intersects with the foodstuffs of the American Gulf and Southern California
(Image credit: Larisa Blinova / Getty Images)

Mexico and the United States have been inexorably woven together for centuries. The southern border of the States, after all, once existed, in part, at the current northern edge of California. 

It follows then that the food of much of the two countries would flow in two directions. There is Tex-Mex, an American adaptation of Mexican cuisine, and Texas Mexican, which is the unadulterated vestige of Mexican cooking in what is now the Lone Star State. In much of Mexico, you cannot throw a key lime without hitting a hamburger spot. 

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Scott Hocker, The Week US

Scott Hocker is an award-winning freelance writer and editor at The Week Digital. He has written food, travel, culture and lifestyle stories for local, national and international publications for more than 20 years. Scott also has more than 15 years of experience creating, implementing and managing content initiatives while working across departments to grow companies. His most recent editorial post was as editor-in-chief of Liquor.com. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief of Tasting Table and a senior editor at San Francisco magazine.