Mala Pata, the masa-focused Latin American spot tucked into Gateway Plaza, has been named the best Mexican restaurant in North Carolina by Tasting Table. The shoutout lands less than a year after the team opened in May 2025 and comes on the heels of a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand honor announced last fall. Regulars have already been buzzing about the kitchen’s daily nixtamalized masa, vivid sauces and a cheeky Cheerwine mole that shows up on the rajas enchiladas.
Tasting Table's pick: why Mala Pata stood out
Tasting Table pulled together a state-by-state rundown of standout Mexican restaurants and zeroed in on Mala Pata for its masa-driven menu and creative flourishes. The feature notes the restaurant’s May 2025 opening and calls out dishes that lean into southern Mexican techniques while pulling in other Latin American influences. It also highlights the playful details, including that Cheerwine-spiked mole, as a key part of what makes the menu feel different.
From pop-ups to a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand
The MICHELIN Guide lists Mala Pata as a Bib Gourmand honoree, according to the MICHELIN Guide, praising the restaurant’s house-ground masa and value-focused cooking. That recognition arrived after the restaurant’s May opening and helped lock in its fast rise in the Triangle dining scene. Michelin’s entry underscores the kitchen’s traditional nixtamalization process and the team’s focus on corn sourced from Oaxaca.
The team, the masa and the neighborhood
Mala Pata was opened by local restaurateurs Angela Salamanca, Marshall Davis and Eric Montagne, with Zack Gragg running the kitchen as executive chef, per Eater Carolinas. Gragg told Eater, "We are a Mexican restaurant, but we're not," a nod to the group’s pan-Latin style and comfort with blending traditions. As reported by The News & Observer, the owners celebrated the Tasting Table recognition with a social media shoutout that lifted up North Carolina’s wider Latin restaurant community.
What the nod means for Raleigh
Local coverage and tourism boosters say the latest recognition adds fuel to Raleigh’s growing culinary reputation after the MICHELIN Guide tagged a substantial slate of Triangle restaurants, per Visit Raleigh. A Bib Gourmand paired with a national list spot typically brings a spike in reservation requests and attention from out-of-town diners. For a neighborhood-minded restaurant that leans on traditional technique and casual pricing, the pileup of accolades has already translated into steady crowds.
Reservations are a smart move, as Mala Pata has been filling up quickly since its May debut; the restaurant opened with dinner service Wednesday through Saturday and a Sunday brunch, according to Eater Carolinas. Peyote, the seven-seat agave minibar connected to the space, serves as the cocktail sidekick for pre- or post-dinner drinks. For more on the pick and local reaction, check out coverage from The News & Observer and the original feature in Tasting Table.
