Birmingham people who love Mexican food need no prompting to visit El Barrio, a welcoming restaurant that serves bold and imaginative food.

The grilled chorizo meatloaf tends to speak for itself, along with dishes such as Masa roasted trout, roasted chile relleno, chicken mole and carne asada.

But if new converts to El Barrio are needed — or out-of-town visitors need a nudge — Tasting Table is ready to spread the word. The foot and dining website included El Barrio in its recent list of “The Absolute Best Mexican Restaurant in Every State in The US.”

“We wanted to find the restaurants that are making tortillas and salsas from scratch, importing ingredients from Mexico, and sourcing the freshest local produce and meats,” writer DB Kelly said. “The best are promoting traditional dishes and cooking methods, and offering options that you might not find on the menus of less dedicated restaurants.”

El Barrio was the top pick in Alabama, lauded for its creativity and carefully sourced ingredients.

“El Barrio has two locations — in Birmingham and in Homewood — and it’s upfront about serving dishes that are inspired by the various regional cuisines of Mexico, rather than being authentic reproductions,“ Tasting Table said. ”And that’s fine, especially when it’s being done with a focus built around seafood sourced from the Gulf and local produce. The result is outstanding potato taquitos, masa cornbread, farm-to-table veg, and plantain nachos that keep customers coming back to this super-fun spot.”

See the full list of restaurants selected by Tasting Table here.

This isn’t the first time El Barrio has made a “best” list, of course.

Fans include of the eatery include loveFood.com, which named it the best Mexican restaurant in Alabama in 2024. The plantain nachos and carnitas are standouts, writer Jessica Morris said.

AL.com has lauded El Barrio, as well, naming it one of the top 5 Mexican restaurants in Birmingham. El Barrio also earned a mention in our opinionated lists of “5 terrific restaurants in Birmingham that visitors will love” and “5 fabulous restaurants we could eat at forever in Birmingham.”

“Repeat visitors may find themselves simply going down the menu and ordering something new each time,” AL.com said. If you’re fond of dipping — and who isn’t? — the guacamole, queso and salsa are top-notch here.”

El Barrio’s downtown location at 2211 Second Ave. North opened in 2011 and became an immediate hit. A second location followed in 2025, at 195 Oxmoor Road in Homewood.