Foodies in the know will agree that Dallas offers some of the best Mexican restaurants north of the border. The Lone Star State may not be its place of origin, but Mexican food has found its way into the hearts of Texans all over.

Mexican fare ranks with Italian and Chinese as Americans' top-three favorite global cuisines, according to the National Restaurant Association. While tacos and enchiladas may seem commonplace in the U.S. now, that wasn’t always the case.