A Guide to Mexican Food in Springfield and Southwest Missouri

El Cafecito and El Escondite

2462 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield, (El Cafecito),  2528A S. Campbell Ave., Springfield, (El Escondite)

417-665-2486

It was the local Mexican restaurant scene that brought together Shanie and Cristhian Valdez, owners of El Cafecito and El Escondite (both in Springfield). The couple met when they were working at separate Mexican restaurants. On his days off, Cristhian would frequent the restaurant where Shanie worked as a server, and the two quickly forged a friendship and later started dating.

Shanie is from Bolivar, while Cristhian's hometown is Guadalajara, Mexico. “When we got together, his English wasn't fluent, and my Spanish wasn't fluent,” Shanie says. “So we helped each other a lot.”

Cristhian first got his start in the industry as a dishwasher and eventually became a server. During his meal breaks, he'd often go off-menu and flex his culinary skills in the kitchen to whip up his own creations inspired by his mother. Even though she still lives in Mexico, distance hasn't kept her from teaching him new things. “They talk to each other on FaceTime all the time, and he’ll get new salsa ideas from her and learn everything from new ways of cooking certain things all the way down to how to best chop ingredients,” Shanie says.

The two took the leap to open their first concept, El Cafecito, in early 2023. El Cafecito means the little coffee shop in Spanish, and it instantly filled a gap in the Springfield coffee scene. Here, they serve traditional Latin American coffee beverages like café de olla with unrefined sugar imported from Mexico and a blend of spices, as well as decadent signature drinks. For example, the sopapilla cheesecake latte shows off ingredients you don't find often in a coffee beverage, like cream cheese chips.

El Cafecito is first and foremost a coffee shop. However, its food menu definitely holds its own. Aside from breakfast burritos, you can expect filling lunch dishes that turn up the heat like tortas, tacos and tostadas plus Mexican pastries like soft and sweet conchas.

Shanie and Cristhian opened El Escondite right around the corner from the coffee shop in May 2024. El Escondite, which translates as the hideout, is a family-friendly neighborhood bar that serves refreshing Mexican drinks and snacks. Between the cocktails and the small plates, you’ll be sure to receive a vibrant order. For example, the Margarita Coco Azul gets its name from its stunning blue hue, while the fresh fruit cup shows off colorful fruit like watermelon, mango and prickly pear cactus seasoned with tajín. You’ll also find plenty of fresh seafood on the lineup, including oysters topped with pico de gallo.

So whether you start your day at El Cafecito or end it at El Escondite, you'll have a chance to try flavors and ingredient combinations novel to the Ozarks.

Region: The southwest coast of Mexico and Guadalajara

The Must-Try Dishes: Don't sleep on the Chichaloco burrito, which is chock full of chorizo, beans, potatoes, eggs and bacon, all doused in queso fresco and house-made chimichurri sauce. El Escondite's ceviches have quickly become a crowd favorite; it’s a marinated shrimp dish that's full of refreshing flavors like lime, cucumber and cilantro.

The Must-Try Drinks: At El Cafecito, the horchata latte takes the creamy, cinnamon-forward Latin American beverage and kicks it up a notch with two shots of espresso. If you're looking for more of a beverage to unwind, head to El Escondite and order the Guadalajaran. This bright, citrus-forward cocktail features Jalisco Tequila Blanco, Mezcal and freshly squeezed grapefruit and orange juice all served in a traditional Mexican clay bowl.

Cesar's Old Mexico

2627 E. Sunshine St., Springfield

417-881-8252

Dining at Cesar’s Old Mexico in Springfield is an immersive experience. The moment you step into the bustling restaurant, you're surrounded by vibrant colors and lively music as the scent of chorizo, deep-fried tortillas and fajitas wafts in from the kitchen.

César and Sandra Ortiz own the restaurant, where they fused the flavors of their home countries into one menu. Sandra grew up in El Salvador, and César is from the central coast of Mexico. One dish in particular that highlights the merging of the culinary cultures is the So-Pusas, which are sopes meets pupusas topped with your choice of chicken, asada or campechana.

He loves mixing things up with specials, some of which are inspired by his mother’s recipes. For example, the Dos Chiles makes an occasional appearance, which is a grilled steak dish dressed up with green tomatillos sauce and serrano jalapeños.

The tradition of Mexican cooking runs deep in César’s family. He originally settled in Santa Ana, California, but moved to Springfield to help his brother run his family business, Cielito Lindo, in 1996. He branched off to start Cesar’s Old Mexico in 2015, while his sister opened Jose Locos in 2013.

During his time at Cielito Lindo, he met Sandra, who was a regular and worked at a bank at the time. With his culinary talent and her admin experience, the two had just the right skill set to run a successful restaurant. Even though they have a full kitchen staff, César is still very much involved in the cooking process. He comes in every morning to oversee and help with prep while Sandra handles the behind-the-scenes operations like paperwork.

From the start, César was excited to explore his culinary creativity at his new venture. “I wanted to make food that was innovative and more authentic than ground beef and chicken,” he says. “I like to make my dishes different and play with food.”

Region: Between the Border of Michoacan and Jalisco, Mexico and El Salvador

The Must-Try Dish: The carnitas torta, a traditional hot Mexican sandwich featuring a soft bun filled with braised pork, cheese, lettuce and onion.

Señor Julian Mexican Bar & Grill

3405 E. Battlefield Rd. Suite 100, Springfield

417-240-2120

Señor Julian Mexican Bar & Grill in Springfield is a restaurant forged from a strong family bond. Siblings Nelson, Brenda and Edson Villela opened the business in 2023 as a way to give back to their mother, Guille, and their father and restaurant’s namesake, Julian, who immigrated to Missouri from Tampico, Tamaulipas, when their children were in grade school.

“The main reason we opened a restaurant was to take care of our mom and dad,” Nelson says. “They’re getting a little older, so we want to make sure to provide for them like they provided for us.”

Both Guille and Julian love being involved in what their children have built for them, but now they get to work less and by choice. “Our main goal was for them to retire and just be home and enjoy their life now, because they have worked so hard,” Brenda says. “They used to work six days a week to support us when we were going through school.”

Each member of the Villela family plays a crucial role in the restaurant’s success. The three siblings handle the day-to-day management, including customer service and employee scheduling. And now, their parents get to focus on their favorite aspects of running a restaurant.

Julian spent 20 years working in the kitchen of a Mexican restaurant in southeast Missouri, and he’s the mastermind behind the recipes. He also oversees the quality of the dishes and inventory, while Guille ensures things run smoothly in the front of the house.

On the menu side of things, you’ll find a balance of all the classics like enchiladas, quesadillas and tacos, but also some more unique items. For example, the fajita baked potato comes with your choice of protein, bacon, sour cream and a generous helping of queso, and it is one signature dish that you won't find anywhere else in town.

“Most Springfield Mexican restaurants have menus that reflect the central part of Mexico or from the southwest part of Mexico, so they have a lot of similar dishes on their menus,” Brenda says. “But with us being from a different part of the country, our menu has a lot of different dishes that people have not been exposed to.”

Region: The Gulf Coast and northeast region of Mexico

The Must-Try Dish: The Asado de Peurco, which is a traditional Mexican dish commonly served at weddings and quinceañeras. This pork stew’s star ingredient is its delicious guajillo sauce made from red chilis.

Little Hacienda

1370 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield

417-887-3733

In the late 1990s, Fidel Gómez was working as a dishwasher at a taco shop in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he eventually worked his way up to general manager. One November, he found himself with a few extra days off for Thanksgiving, so he decided to head to Branson to make the most of it.

After shopping up an appetite, he was craving some Mexican food. Closed sign after closed sign greeted him, but he only saw an opportunity. “If you know anything about the Branson area, you know that a lot of businesses close earlier or don’t open at all around holidays,” says Fidel’s son, Brandon Gómez. “So my dad said, ‘You know what? I’m going to open a Mexican restaurant here, and we’re going to stay open during the holidays to feed people.’”

And that’s exactly what he did. He opened the first location of Little Hacienda in Branson in 1999. The restaurant has relocated a few times across the city throughout the years, but Brandon notes that their current location on Little Pete Road is now their permanent home.

Brandon runs operations at the Branson restaurant, while his uncle manages the Hollister location that the family opened in 2006.

As for Fidel, he’s still got an entrepreneurial spirit that he puts to good use. In May 2024, he opened T’ÄHÄ, a high-end Mexican kitchen located on the Plaza in Kansas City. Here, you can get a chance to try food that's more authentic to Gómez’s home state of Hidalgo in Central Mexico. “We’re pushing the envelope over there with what kind of menu we’re putting out,” Brandon says. “We took some recipes from my grandma’s cookbook and refined and turned them up a little bit. We’re doing things that we’re really proud of.”

But as for the menu at Little Hacienda, you’ll find all of those Americanized versions of Mexican comfort dishes like enchiladas and burritos, which Brandon is a big fan of himself.

“With all our businesses, we just try to make sure it's good food that reminds you of home,” he says. “When I was in college and I was gone, the only thing I ever wanted was a crispy taco from my dad’s restaurant. So even though my parents didn’t grow up with that type of food, I definitely did, and so did a lot of other people.”

Region: Hidalgo and the northern region of Mexico

The Must-Try Dish: The Pastor tacos, which feature tender pork seasoned in adobe thats equal parts spicy and smoky. It’s topped with fresh ingredients that pack a flavorful punch including pineapple, cilantro, onion and fresh guacamole salsa.

Catrinas Modern Mexican

2925 E. Battlefield Rd. #105, Springfield

417-350-1006

It was a late-night scroll through available commercial properties that led Alejandro and Catherine Hernandez to find the current Springfield location of Catrinas Modern Mexican. The couple had just started a family and had relocated from North Carolina to Columbia, Missouri.

However, they found themselves in Springfield nearly every weekend visiting Alejandro’s family, who owns El Maguey and immigrated to the States from Jalisco. Alejandro and Catherine had moved to Columbia during a harsh winter, and being away from family was starting to wear on them. “We finally got to the point where we decided we either needed to move to Springfield or go back to North Carolina,” Catherine says.

Alejandro grew up helping in his parents’ restaurant, and he had actually opened a slew of modern Mexican restaurants in North Carolina as a member of a hospitality group. He was well-versed in the ins and outs of the industry, so when the prime location opened up in Springfield, the couple decided to seize the opportunity to open Catrinas.

“[Alejandro] always said that if he opened another restaurant, it would be modern,” Catherine says. “So when we opened Catrinas, we were really sure on what style it was going to be. We said that we would be persistent and consistent with it, and we knew it might take a while to catch on.”

And catch on it did. Catrinas introduced Springfield to traditional Mexican cuisine with a modern twist through dishes like its shrimp-stuffed poblano, which marries fresh veggies like mushroom and zucchini with Monterey cheese and spicy guajillo crema.

There are also several dishes on the menu influenced by family recipes. Catherine’s family is from Oaxaca, and the mole poblano is inspired by a labor-intensive Oaxacan dish that her mother used to make on weekends. Her mother always makes sure to keep the restaurant stocked with mole paste she brings back from Mexico.

As for drinks, you’ll find cocktails bursting with flavor from fresh ingredients and spirits from small-batch producers based in Mexico.

Catherine encourages Catrinas first-timers to come ready to try something new. “We have a great clientele now, and we love all of our clients,” she says. “We know that there’s still a big amount of Springfield that doesn't know about us or maybe isn’t really ready for us yet, but we definitely want to welcome everyone to allow us to give them a new experience.”

Region: Across Mexico, with an Emphasis on Jalisco and Oaxaca

The Must-Try Dish: The Churrasco steak, a 12-ounce hanger steak served with sweet plantains and chimichurri pesto.

The Must-Try Drink: The tequila old-fashioned, which swaps the whiskey for Añejo Tequila and the simple syrup for agave. It comes garnished with a fresh orange slice.

El Quetzal Restaurant & Bakery

129 S. Main St., Carthage

417-358-7708

Mildred and Jose Guzman both grew up in Coatepeque Quetzaltenago in Guatemala. But as fate would have it, the two wouldn’t meet until they each moved more than 2,300 miles away from home.

Both of their families settled in Carthage in the late ‘90s, which was a time and place where it was hard to meet a stranger. The two became instant friends, and fast forward to 2004, they opened El Quetzal Restaurant & Bakery together.

It was their love of baked goods from home that inspired the opening. “We first started with the bakery only,” Mildred says. “Around here, there were no Guatemalan bakeries.”

But there was one big hurdle they had to overcome before setting up shop. Neither Mildred nor Jose knew the first thing about baking Guatemalan bread, and the internet at the time was devoid of any recipes. “[Jose] even went to Guatemala to try to learn how to make bread, but no one there wanted to teach him,” Midred recalls. Determined, Jose made up his mind to teach himself the art. After several failed loaves, he nailed his very own perfect recipe.

The bakery was a hit in the community, and its popularity and offerings continued to expand. Now, it serves a full menu of baked goods and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The pupusas are a fan favorite, and Mildred says they sling out hundreds on the weekends. This savory dish includes fillings like pork rind and cheese and gets cooked to perfection on the grill. Tacos, tostadas, empanadas and sopes also dominate the menu, so there’s a good variety of all things spicy and fried.

After you finish your meal, be sure to shop the pantry goods on the shelves. You’ll find grocery items from Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador, allowing you to take home a taste of Latin America to play with in the kitchen.

Region: Southern Guatemala

The Must-Try Dish: The Desayuno Chapin, which is a classic Guatemalan breakfast. It comes with three eggs served your way, tortillas, black beans and fried plantains with a perfectly crisp exterior and soft interior. Central American cream and queso fresco round it all out.

An Ode to Mexican Villa

Mexican Villa has stood the test of time in the Ozarks. For me, the family-owned restaurant is a nostalgic place. It reminds me of dinner with my own family at my parents’ house after a long day, chatting about anything and everything while fighting over the queso.

Mexican Villa has stayed true to its roots over the years, maintaining its classic flavors and menu items. When it comes to food, Mexican Villa is one of the only places I know that piles their crunchy tacos with grated white cheese, and I love them for that. I also like my hot sauce hot, and Mexican Villa’s fits the bill. Mix it with their taco sweet sauce, and it’s the perfect pour-over consistency. Plus, did you know Mexican Villa has margaritas for $6? They call it the Villa-Rita. Honestly, what’s not to love?

With six locations in Springfield and one in Ozark (my home restaurant), Mexican Villa is a staple in the community. In fact, I’m going to order the three taco basket now, extra sauce, please!—Jordan Blomquist