In vitro antibacterial activity of herbal products commonly used by the Mexican-American community was analyzed in this study. Traditional uses for these herbal products include general tonics and over-the-counter medications used to treat specific conditions or diseases. The present study examined the antibacterial activity of 74 herbal products using the disk diffusion method as part of the process of understanding the chemistry, toxicity and efficacy of these plant products. Ethanol extracts of the herbs were examined using a standard antimicrobial disk diffusion method. Extracts were tested against both Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. This present pilot study data with herbal products from Phoenix resulted in 4 plants being active against Staphylococcus aureus and 1 active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa out of the 74 plants tested. These results served to validate our procedures and indicate the need for the present study. Implications of these results for bioactivity and drug discovery potential of herbal products are discussed. This study serves as basis for further research on these herbs.