Five Mexican restaurants on Redwood Road worth dining at

Editor’s note • This is the first in an occasional series, the Redwood Road Challenge.

In January, I set out to complete an ambitious task: To eat at every locally owned restaurant on Redwood Road in 2024.

Three months into that project, I’m reporting back with some recommendations for noteworthy Mexican restaurants and taquerias along that west-side state highway.

These are the parameters I set in January for the Redwood Road Challenge: I’ll stick to the stretch of Redwood that goes through Salt Lake County, and all local spots count — they just have to have “Redwood Road” in their address.

These five Mexican restaurants aren’t listed in any particular order, and I can’t say whether they’re the best on Redwood because I’m still exploring. But they’re all places that made me sit up and notice their food for one reason or another.

Most of the time, the Mexican restaurants I’ve visited on Redwood are homey and unassuming. Redwood can be traffic-filled and exhaust-choked, and it was nice to be able to duck into a place where I felt welcome. These eateries — with their Mexican music, saint cards on the walls and soccer matches on TV — were my respite from rumbling semis and honking cars.

If you have a Mexican restaurant on Redwood you’d like to recommend to me, let me know by emailing me at kpeterson@sltrib.com.

Hacienda Mexican Restaurant • 1248 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City; 801-973-0738 • When I started this Redwood Road project, I was fairly new to street-style tacos, so this restaurant set the precedent for me that all tacos must come with chopped white onions and cilantro on top, and fresh lime wedges on the side.

I got four asada tacos that day in January, with a piña agua fresca on the side. The food was warm and fresh, and the meat was seasoned well. The tacos were served with green and red salsa, and everything was so flavorful.

One thing I liked about this place is it was decorated like someone’s house, with little knickknacks like ceramic elephants and pottery placed all around. Numerous plants in the window contributed to the feeling of eating in someone’s home kitchen. It was a busy spot for lunch.

Chunga’s • 1895 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City; 801-973-6904; ChungasSLC.com • Chunga’s is known for their tacos al pastor, which features thin slices of marinated pork usually grilled on a spit. I couldn’t not get their signature tacos, so I got the tacos al pastor combo, which came with rice and beans with queso fresco on top.

Chunga’s serves their tacos al pastor sprinkled with chopped white onions, cilantro and (delightfully) bits of pineapple, which combined with the meat for a bite that was savory, smoky, sweet and tangy. Al pastor and I are best friends now, and I make sure to get something with al pastor on it at every Mexican restaurant I get to visit.

The word is out about Chunga’s, by the way; as soon as it opened, people start streaming inside. If the Redwood location isn’t convenient, there’s a second Chunga’s in the Fairpark neighborhood, at 180 S. 900 West, Salt Lake City.

La Villita • 2711 S. Redwood Road, West Valley City; 385-549-1902; LaVillitaRestaurant.com • Another homey spot in a building that literally looks like a little orange house. Its name means “the little village,” and this tiny restaurant — with its yellow interior walls and little stained-glass lamps — just exudes a vibe that’s warm and welcoming.

I got the al pastor burrito and a mandarin Jarritos to go with it, and I loved that burrito. The meat inside was combined with creamy pinto beans and melted Monterey Jack cheese, and it made for a burrito that was satisfying and filling. This was comfort food to the max.

Taqueria el Rey de Oros • 7096 S. Redwood Road, West Jordan; 801-255-9641; TaqueriaElReyDeOros.com • When driving to this restaurant, I missed it and had to double back — that’s how tucked away it is in a strip mall. But the food makes the search so worth it.

I ordered three tacos: asada, carnitas and al pastor (just give me all the al pastor), and everything was popping with flavor, especially the carnitas. The plate was also really colorful, with slices of fresh radishes, plus pickled carrots and pickled red onions that are made in-house. And, of course, there was plenty of chopped white onions, cilantro and lime. On the side, I got a tall cup of fresh horchata, which they also make in-house.

I was the only customer here for lunch. Don’t sleep on this hidden treasure.

Tacos Lopez • 3609 S. Redwood Road, West Valley City; 385-420-4732; TacosLopezWestValley.com • This place was loud and bustling in the best way: Cooks announcing orders were ready from the open kitchen, people chatting as they ate their food, multiple TVs going, and one man deciding to stand up to play guitar and sing.

I encountered my first vampiro at this restaurant, something I’d never seen on a menu before. I discovered that a vampiro is something like a taco sandwich, made with two grilled corn tortillas that have lots of melted cheese and meat inside. Loved it!

I also got an asada taco and an al pastor taco, because now I get very real taco cravings. There’s a salsa bar at the center of the main room, but all the tacos already come with mild green salsa on them. So instead of salsa, I grabbed some of the freshest radishes and limes I’ve seen so far. Then I got to the serious business of eating.

A few more

El Calor Taqueria • 2875 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City; 801-973-0377; OrderElCalorTaqueria.com.

El Jaripeo Tacos • 1259 S. Redwood Road (taco truck), Salt Lake City; 801-949-4257; ELJaripeoGrill.com.

Rancherito’s • 1860 S. Redwood Road; 801-972-2610; Multiple locations; RancheritosMexicanFood.com.