The New Orleans area has more than 150 Mexican restaurants, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from SafeGraph.
Why it matters: The proliferation of Mexican restaurants — once staples only in the Southwest and parts of the Midwest —highlights the growing influence of Mexican Americans on U.S. culture and the effects of increased migration from Mexico over the last 30 years.
The big picture: About 99% of Americans live near at least one Mexican restaurant, the study found.
- New Orleans had 73 Mexican eateries as of 2023, which equates to about 1.9 Mexican restaurants for every 10,000 residents.
- Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany had similar restaurant-to-resident ratios.
Stunning stat: Los Angeles County, California, is home to more than 5,400 Mexican restaurants, or 30% of the nation’s total.
Zoom in: The analysis found that 22% of Mexican restaurants nationwide serve fast food, 12% specialize in serving tacos, 8% are classified as food trucks or carts and 6% offer Tex-Mex…