Nachos are arguably among the best appetizers ever, whether you're sharing them with the table or enjoying a plate all to yourself. They're also deliciously customizable, with mouth-watering toppings including silky queso, sour pickled jalapeños, fresh guacamole, punchy salsa, spicy chili, or even fresh crab. Feeling hungry? We've found the best place for a plate of nachos in every state.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover where to find the tastiest nachos in your state and beyond.
Our selections are based on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.
Customers rave about the plantain nachos at Mexican restaurant El Barrio – and with good reason. Crispy plantain chips are topped with roasted pork, plantain ribbons, pickled jalapeños, dried poblano chilies, Cotija, and lime crema. They might be different from your traditional nachos, but it's a combination that really works.
Jack Sprat calls its Nachos Libre 'adventurous vegan nachos' and we can see why. Corn tortilla chips are topped with chilled mushroom and walnut 'meat', avocado purée, scallions, radish, fresh salsa, and spicy serrano peppers for an extra hit of heat. Whether you follow a plant-based diet or not, these are utterly delicious.
The JT Nachos are a customer favorite at casual taqueria Just Tacos and More, and it's easy to see why. Crisp and crunchy nachos are smothered in house-made chorizo queso sauce, refried pinto beans, pico de gallo, freshly made guacamole, and Mexican crema. If you're feeling particularly hungry (or fancy), you can also add shrimp or steak on top for an extra couple of dollars.
The Macho Nacho dish at Table Mesa Bistro comes festooned with all your favorite familiar toppings including poblano cheese, black beans, corn, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. The chips are made in-house and there’s the option to add beef, chicken, or shrimp if you want to make these your entrée. That said, you might want to leave some room to sample the tacos, enchiladas, and burritos elsewhere on the menu.
Serving LA residents since 1946, Gus’s BBQ is where you can find the best nachos in town. Its version is topped with pulled pork, three-cheese sauce, barbecue baked beans, smoked mozzarella, Monterey Jack, tomatoes, onion, pickled jalapeños, guacamole, and barbecue sauce. Pure comfort food! The restaurant also has two more locations in Claremont and Porter Ranch.
La Loteria Taqueria started as a food truck before finding a permanent home in Denver and the cozy restaurant is popular with locals and visitors alike. Its Solo Nachos combine pepper Jack, Cheddar and nacho cheese, pickled jalapeños, pinto beans, and salsa, plus a refreshing sour cream. If you want to make a meal out of your nachos, you can add chicken, carne asada (grilled steak), or camarones (shrimp).
The goal for the team at Dew Drop Inn in Derby has always been to be a go-to neighborhood hangout. And what's a hangout if there's no decent food available? You might be tempted by the award-winning chicken wings here, as there are a staggering 100 varieties on offer. But we'd advise going for the loaded nachos. The cheese pull alone is immense!
The nachos at cool spot Stitch House Brewery are served in an extra-large sizzling skillet, making them look even more appealing. They come smothered in melty cheese, Cheddar Jack, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, and scallions. You can also add chicken, pulled pork, or chili.
The oldest deli in Florida, Kush by Stephens serves up nachos with a difference – the pastrami nachos sees tortilla chips loaded with Cheddar, pico de gallo, sour cream, and the restaurant's signature hand-sliced pastrami. The lively Jewish-themed joint from Miami restaurant group Kush Hospitality also serves up no-meat nachos, as well as chicken or pork options.
The nachos at family-owned site Taco Cantina will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Loaded with black beans, two types of cheese, pico de gallo, jalapeños, and guacamole, there's also a long list of meat toppings you can add. Choose from al pastor (grilled pork slices), chicken tinga, shredded brisket, grilled chipotle steak, grilled chicken, pulled pork, steak, or shrimp al diablo.
The Duke of Duke's Waikiki is Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, a gold medal–winning Olympian who represented the US in swimming between 1912 and 1932. We're not sure of his exact feelings about nachos, but he would no doubt approve of the Duke's Nachos served at this laidback joint. The dish comes with all the usual toppings – black beans, jalapeños, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, cheese – with the possible additions of fire-grilled chicken or kalua pork.
The hottest happy hour in town can be found at The Matador, a Mexican restaurant and bar with a smattering of outposts across Idaho. Every day from 4pm-6pm and from 10pm until close, you can get Grande Nachos loaded with Cheddar, Monterey Jack, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro, and lime crema for around $7. For an extra charge, you can add house chorizo, carnitas, ground beef, or marinated steak.
Fans of trying something a little different will love the roasted sprouted nachos at Broken Barrel Bar. The restaurant loads roasted Brussels sprouts, sliced radishes, a jalapeño-Cheddar sauce, salsa, and sour cream over tortilla chips. You can also add brisket, pulled pork, and grilled or crispy chicken to the mix too.
It might be called The Tamale Place, but visitors in the know order the steak nachos when they’re here. Succulent steak sits atop fresh, thick tortilla chips, whole black beans, house-made white cheese dip, and shredded lettuce. You can also add two extra toppings including red and green salsa, jalapeños, and guacamole.
Mullets is the place to go when you're feeling particularly hungry or are out to eat with family and friends. Its brisket nachos with tomato, lettuce, onions, jalapeños, banana pepper, and cheese are large enough to feed six people. The restaurant also has an outdoor patio with amazing views of downtown to gaze at while you work your way through the ginormous dish. If you're visiting pre-lunch, the restaurant also serves breakfast nachos, topped with scrambled eggs, onions, sausage, bacon, and jalapeños.
Chef Fernanda Reyes created a menu that celebrates the vast regional tastes of Mexico for Taco Naco KC. Originally opened in Kansas City, Missouri, Taco Naco KC now delights customers in Overland Park. The nachos come in two varieties: simple or loaded. The simple version is the classic combination of corn chips, nacho cheese, jalapenos, and crema, while the loaded nachos see beans, corn, pico de gallo, and your preferred protein added to the mix. Either way is great.
Mussel and Burger Bar has a different take on nachos, using regular potato chips instead of the traditional tortilla chips. They're loaded with tender and flavorful braised beef short rib, guacamole, pico de gallo, black bean purée, Monterey Jack cheese, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, and a cheese dip. It may be different, but it's definitely tasty.
A Caribbean food heaven, The Rum House happens to serve seriously good nachos, and they're so popular with customers the restaurant named them 'Damn Good Nachos.' Expect a plate of tortilla chips layered sky-high with pulled pork, black beans, jalapeños, tomatoes, red onion, lime crema, cilantro, and melted cheese. One portion will easily feed two.
Fans of Taco Escobarr – a lively Mexican restaurant where the music is always playing and the staff are always friendly – say the nachos here are the best in the state. There are two varieties to choose from: El Nino's Nachos, with queso, pickled jalapeños, scallions, radish, pico de gallo, cilantro, crema, queso fresco, and guacamole; and El Jefe's Nachos, with chips, cabbage, onion radish, pico de gallo, and scallions.
The signature appetizer at homey pub The Outpost American Tavern is its 10 Can Nachos. Every ingredient in the dish is made in-house, including the fried flour tortilla chips which are topped with pinto beans, pickled jalapeños, tomatoes, chorizo, queso, sour cream, cilantro, and scallions. The nachos come served in a huge tin can, which you then tip onto the plate, hence the name.
You can choose from buffalo chicken, cheesy, veggie, steak, shrimp, and pulled pork nachos at Orale Mexican Grill, but they all come laden with refried beans, pico de gallo, cheese, crema, jalapeños, and guacamole. Whichever you opt for, the restaurant's regular customers say you'll be coming back for more.
Taqueria Mi Pablo is loved for its traditional Jalisco-style dishes, hailing from the owners’ hometown in western Mexico. A particular favorite is the meat and vegetarian botanas, the Mexican version of appetizers. The dish is basically nachos – corn tortilla chips smothered with beans, melted cheese, tomato, avocado, onions, green peppers, and jalapeño peppers. Customers say these alone are worth a visit to the restaurant.
The star dish at Nacho’s Mexican Grill is, of course, nachos. They’re topped with queso, beans, sour cream, lettuce, pico de gallo, jalapeños, and guacamole. Extra toppings such as asada, barbacoa (pulled beef), chicken tinga, and chorizo are optional, but the steak option has received standout reviews.
The BBQ Nachos from award-winning barbecue joint The Pig & Pint are a firm favorite. After all, they come loaded with your choice of smoked chicken, brisket, barbecue pork rind, or pulled pork. And that's not to mention the queso, beans, pico de gallo, jalapeños, pickled onions, sweet barbecue sauce, and sour cream.
Seoul Taco blends Mexican and Korean cuisines with delicious results. Their nachos are topped with queso blanco, green onion, roasted sesame seeds, kimchi, and sour cream. Customers say the flavors complement each other perfectly. The restaurant has three locations in St Louis, plus a food truck making stops around town. There are outposts in Chicago and Columbia, too.
The Club Tavern & Grill is a sleek sports bar loved by locals who come to watch a game on the many screens, while enjoying a menu filled with comfort food. The nachos are a customer favorite and come topped with cheese sauce, pepper Jack, Cheddar, black beans, pico de gallo, olives, jalapeños, ground beef, and fire-roasted salsa. Add a side of guacamole for around $2.
If you want a Mexican fix in Nebraska then head to Javi’s Tacos, a laidback joint with three branches in the area. The nachos come topped with meat (chicken or birria), really good queso, and your choice of garnishes such as radishes, sweetcorn salsa, onion, cilantro, lettuce, and sour cream. Some people ask for their nachos 'Javi's Way,' which means all of the above.
Local chain Nacho Daddy is the place to go for gourmet nachos, with a menu dedicated to the popular dish. Options include lobster and crab, Thai chicken, and pork carnitas. The firm customer favorite is the filet mignon, though. These nachos are topped with tender, grilled filet mignon sautéed with peppers, tomatoes, and garlic in a red enchilada sauce, Cheddar and Jack cheeses, refried beans, queso fresco, sour cream, and scallions.
Liquid Therapy set up shop in the 150-year-old firehouse in central Nashua because the building has always served as the heart of the community. That's why the place takes its food and drink so seriously. There's a whole section of the menu devoted to nachos, with hungry guests invited to choose between seven different varieties. The bacon cheeseburger nachos are particularly enticing.
Trendy taqueria Tacoria Mexican Street Kitchen, which has eight locations throughout the state, is the ultimate spot for vegan nachos in New Jersey. Its Viva La Nachos takes hand-cut tortillas and loads them with black beans, salsa, cheese, crema, and marinated peppers. You can also add fried avocado, Beyond Tacoriza (vegan chorizo), or charred Brussels sprouts in chipotle sauce.
The Nacho Mama Platter from Casa Taco has been named the best in the city by multiple customers. This huge dish keeps it fresh and simple with cheese, pinto beans, queso, lettuce, and tomatoes. Then there's the loaded version that adds ground beef, sour cream, guacamole, and jalapeños to the dish. And as much as customers rave about the food, they also love the friendly service.
The nachos at trendy Mexican Bar La Contenta are a work of art and loved by customers who can't get enough of the tasty dish. Thick tortilla chips are topped with layers of stretchy pepper Jack, Oaxaca cheese, Cheddar, black beans, pico de gallo, avocado sauce, and sour cream.
Owners Ken and Katie Smith took inspiration from their travels in the Baja peninsula when they opened Salt & Lime Cabo Grill. Their motto has always been to keep the menu modern, bold, and fresh, and the nachos deliver on all those fronts. Baja crema is added to the fan-favorite toppings of queso, black bean purée, corn succotash, queso fresco, and pico de gallo. Those looking for more of an entrée than an appetizer can also add short ribs, chicken tinga, carnitas, or steak.
The Irish Nachos at Blarney Stone Pub are especially good if you're after something a little bit different. This version of the dish uses waffle fries instead of tortilla chips and they're topped with a choice of seasoned beef or chicken, plus melted Cheddar, Monterey Jack, tomatoes, jalapeños, scallions, and salsa. The pub has two locations in South Dakota.
The Atlas Tavern in Columbus sells itself as the ultimate hangout joint for casual meet-ups with friends and loved ones. It makes sense, then, that nachos form a cornerstone of the sharing section of the menu. You can get them in small or large, depending on the size of your group, and enjoy all the classic toppings, as well as house-made avocado chimichurri and beef chili or salsa. Buffalo chicken or Buffalo cauliflower comes at an extra cost.
OSO Paseo adds a dash of Californian Bajan flair to everything it does. Keep an eye out for the joint's mascot, a blue bear, who just might be peeking into the restaurant to keep an eye on its cubs. Aside from the bear, tacos are the main attraction of the place, but what's a plate of tacos without first indulging in a bowl of tasty nachos? These combine all the classic flavors in a bowl of simple perfection.
Jalisco-style taqueria, Papi Chulo’s, is known for its house-made, spicy birria stew. However, customers say its nachos loaded with fresh pico de gallo, jalapeños, pinto beans, and a Mexican cheese blend are not to be missed. Make a meal of it by adding shrimp, veggies, pork, steak, or chicken.
Rosy's Taco Bar is the place to go for nachos in Philadelphia. The nachos here are covered in delicious chihuahua (a soft, white Mexican cheese), Monterey Jack, refried beans, sour cream, tomato, pickled red onion, and jalapeños. You can also add chicken, shrimp, carnitas, veggies, steak, or chorizo.
The cozy Brick Alley Pub, which has walls crammed with historic artifacts, is famous for its nacho platters. The Ultimate Nacho Platter consists of house-fried corn tortillas covered in a blanket of Cheddar and Monterey Jack, with refried beans, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Other options include marinated chicken or beef brisket.
Whoever first thought of combining barbecue and Mexican cuisine needs a medal. Pitmaster John Lewis brought his slow cooked Texas barbecue food to South Carolina in 2016, and the joint has since been hailed by critics and customers alike. Nachos might not be a mainstay on most barbecue menus, but it makes perfect sense here: topping crispy tortilla chips with pulled pork or brisket results in a thing of beauty.
You'll feel as if you've stepped into a traditional pub in Dublin thanks to Victorian-era features such as a copper ceiling and stained-glass windows at McNally's. The nachos also have Irish charm, swapping the traditional tortilla chips for kettle chips. These are topped with both sirloin and chicken, plus shredded pepper Jack, Cheddar, pico de gallo, and sour cream.
When you have a nacho craving in Memphis, head to Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos, a chilled diner with locations in Midtown and Downtown. The dish is heavy on the salad, loading tortilla chips with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, carrots, cilantro, jalapeños, sour cream, chipotle, and cheese, and it always hits the spot. If you're looking to add more protein, spicy shrimp or chicken tinga are the favorites, but there's also pork and steak.
Tacos A Go Go modestly admits that when the joint first opened in the mid-2000s, almost nobody noticed. But authentic Mexican chef Mari Gomez kept putting out plates of tacos, and customers kept coming back. Now, Tacos A Go Go has five locations around Houston and a loyal fan following. The appropriately named Nachos A Go Go is a big pile of all the classics: tortilla chips, refried or black beans, queso, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, scallions, and sour cream. Taco meat or guacamole is extra.
Lake Effect is a fine dining restaurant, but the nachos are just as popular here as they are in more casual establishments. Baked in a tin can to keep them assembled straight, the nachos are topped with Cheddar, black beans, pickled jalapeños, tomato, salsa verde, scallions, guacamole, and sour cream. You can swap the cheese for vegan cheese or add pulled pork or flank steak depending on your preference.
Chic American restaurant The Gryphon serves sweet potato nachos and customers are big fans. Made with sweet potato chips loaded with black beans, fresh jalapeños, tomatoes, onions, guacamole, sour cream, and green tomato salsa, the dish feels healthy and fresh – a far cry from the greasy, game day staple sometimes offered up by places. You can also add chicken or pork to the dish.
Charlottesville's South Street Brewery wins rave reviews for its great food, but it's the twist on nachos that really gets people talking. The Pork Wonchos feature crispy fried wontons topped with pulled pork, jalapeño-corn coleslaw, wasabi goats' cheese, roasted red peppers, and chives. In short, the dish is packed full of flavor. Totchos are the spot's take on nachos with, you guessed it, tater tots instead of chips.
Jackalope Tex Mex & Cantina serves chips and warm salsa at lunch, but you'll have to stop by for dinner if you want the real-deal nachos. What makes Herrera's Flat Nachos stand out from the crowd isn't just the bacon refried beans or the Cheddar and Oaxaca cheese mix. The most startling thing is that the chips don't come piled high on top of one another. Instead, each chip is lovingly topped with the fresh flavors of Mexico.
For Tex-Mex fans in West Virginia, street food joint Black Sheep Burrito and Brews is a must-visit. Its nachos are made with fresh tortilla chips, house-made chili, queso, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, and lime-sriracha crema. You can also add grilled steak, chicken, chorizo, or pulled pork.
For outdoor dining and Caribbean-inspired dishes, check out San Pedro Café in Hudson. Even its much-loved duck nachos have a tropical twist with sweet mango salsa, spicy lemon habanero aioli, pico de gallo, and stretchy mozzarella loaded between the chips. It's one of the most popular dishes on the menu. The restaurant also offers chicken nachos and roasted tomato and sweetcorn nachos.
The Bueno Nachos from charming, old-fashioned Mexican restaurant Merry Piglets come highly recommended. Corn chips are topped with a blend of cheeses, mashed pinto beans, onion, tomato, fresh jalapeños, black olives, sour cream, and guacamole to create a satisfying dish that's full of flavor. Add shredded beef, chicken, or pork if you want just that little bit extra.
Now discover where to find the best Mexican restaurant in every state
Last updated by Luke Paton.