17. Best Mexican Restaurant

Milpitas sure has lots of choices when it comes to Mexican dining. The Best Mexican Restaurant category always gains the highest vote counts among our 200-plus offerings.

La Milpa, Casa Azteca and Baja Cactus are probably the city’s best-known Mexican eateries. La Milpa and Casa Azteca seem to always be Nos. 1-2 in the balloting. This year, Casa Azteca took the outright crown for the first time in many years. Casa Azteca is under new ownership and has recently completed a remodeling and an expansion. La Milpa, first runner-up, places a strong emphasis on authenticity and the restaurant is always jammed for lunch.

But there are many other Mexican favorites worth a visit, each with a special flair, readers said: downtown Baja Cactus, El Torito, Taqueria Las Vegas, Lina’s Place, Royal Taco, El Alazan, Taqueria Los Cunados and Burrito Factory.

Locations:Casa Azteca: 20 N. Abel. St. La Milpa: 107 N. Milpitas Blvd. El Torito: 477 E. Calaveras Blvd. Baja Cactus: 338 S. Main St. Taqueria Las Vegas: 1417 N. Milpitas Blvd. Royal Taco: 1469 Landess Ave. Burrito Factory: 52 S Abel St. El Alazan: 75 S. Abbott Ave. Lina’s Place: 1362 S. Main St. Taqueria Los Cunados: McCarthy Ranch.