Atlanta Good Food category interest

When it comes to Mexican restaurants, Chicago has it all. In fact, our Mexican food is one of the main reasons your friends will visit during the winter, and then end up staying on your couch for three extra days. We have cash-only neighborhood places, we have BYOB restaurants for you and 13 friends on a Saturday night, we have birria spots perfect for a date or kicking off a big night out—and in all of those categories (and more), we’ve gathered the best of the best below.

For this guide, we’ve steered away from taco-only spots. (Tacos are just too important to not have their own guide, and you can find that here.) This list is exclusively about full-on Mexican restaurants.

THE SPOTS

Like Alegrias (also on this guide), Mariscos San Pedro is a casual Mexican spot with outstanding seafood and a beach party atmosphere, complete with cute cartoon sea creatures grinning up at you from the menu. Almost every dish is shareable and involves fish or shellfish, including tacos, tostadas, giant seafood platters, and a DIY taco situation highlighting a perfectly cooked whole fish and housemade tortillas of Taqueria Chingon fame. No matter what makes it to the table, expect spicy and bold flavors with an assist from the smokiness of the wood-fired oven.

If Xocome Antojeria were a movie, then the protagonist would definitely be the unbelievable masa, the base for the restaurant’s incredible tacos, tlacoyos, picaditas, enchiladas, and giant quesadillas (which are really more like machetes). And the fillings aren’t just supporting characters—they’re stars in their own right. Xocome uses tender filet mignon for their asada, and everything from the rich red mole to the flavorful huitlacoche ongos, to the steak in their burritos, is perfectly seasoned. The menu at this casual spot in Archer Heights is long, so plan on having an existential crisis deciding what to get. And everything’s made-to-order, so expect to wait a while for your food. But just sit back, enjoy whatever concert they have on the TV, and get ready for some of the best Mexican food in Chicago.

You can find tamales pretty much anywhere in the city, whether in restaurants, sidewalk stands, or from some dude's cooler while he hops from bar to bar selling them at midnight. But the ones at this casual spot in Dunning surpass them all. They’re smooth, buttery, and so fluffy they’d make cumulus clouds jealous. As you sit at Santa Masa’s long diner-style kitchen counter, bites of poblanos and tangy salsa verde, chicken in smoky guajillo sauce, or a dessert tamal with strawberries and caramel will launch you into masa-fueled euphoria. Save room for their tacos or enchiladas, too—they’re made with the same excellent masa that'll get even lifelong Midwesterners excited about corn again.

This very casual spot in Wicker Park feels like it’s one folding chair away from being a takeout joint. But Alegrias is a sit-down restaurant with incredible seafood, and the atmosphere feels like a constant party. What you’re going to want to order here is the shellfish—specifically the prawns (which come in a delicious, spicy broth that you should soak up with fries) and lobster (which has a seafood stuffing). It’s BYOB, great for groups, and perfect for having a good time.

The towering chicharron from Cariño’s 11-course tasting menu makes you gaze in wonder, like you’re reenacting the first scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey—or Barbie. It comes with a side of smoky esquites, and tells you everything you need to know about this Uptown spot: you’re in for a playful, fun-to-eat meal. Other courses follow suit, like huitlacoche ravioli that builds a world of corn on a plate or Tajin-topped oysters with a Modelo foam that channels the spicy, refreshing flavors of a michelada. And despite only having a few seats and its not-inexpensive $210 price, Cariño isn’t stuffy or overly formal—you could totally wear a hoodie and jeans to eat a tetela with a tiny hoja santa hat.

5 Rabanitos is a casual restaurant in Pilsen, and the food here is so good that you’ll find yourself thinking about it when you should be doing other things—like dialing into a conference call, or handing over the rings during your friend’s wedding. The menu has about 3,589 delicious things for you to choose from, with a great selection of tacos, a ton of vegetarian options, fantastic carne asada, and an ahogada torta with carnitas that happens to be one of the best sandwiches in Chicago, period.

The specialty at Huaraches Dona Chio, a tiny spot on a side street in Edgewater, is (unsurprisingly) huaraches. But anything here that involves their housemade masa is delicious—you also want the tacos, sopes, and mole enchiladas. You get to pick your toppings (with options like pastor, steak, or calabaza), plus your salsa (red or green), and there’s really no wrong decision. There are only six tables here, but in the summer they also have a cute side patio which is right next to a park.

This is an excellent restaurant that works for any occasion—whether it’s date night, catching up with a few friends, or dining solo when you need to cure a really bad mood. The menu primarily focuses on small plates, like a refreshing burrata and cactus salad, rich peanut butter lengua, and some excellent tacos. There’s a high likelihood the chef will come out and ask you how everything is—and you’ll be too busy stuffing your face to answer, “Great!” On top of all that, the space is bright and upbeat, making this a perfect choice for a summer hang (especially if you can get a seat on the patio).

Don Pedro has been in Pilsen for over 30 years, and clearly they’ve spent every day of those three decades perfecting their carnitas. This spot is small and very casual, and on the weekends you can expect a line out the door. Once you claim your table, order the carnitas platter, with pork that’s perfectly crispy from being fried in its own fat. It comes with tortillas and chicharrones, so keep making tacos until someone stops you and/or you can no longer move.

This casual spot in Humboldt Park has birria that we can only describe as transcendent. While we ate it, time stopped and the restaurant dissolved around us like pixels in The Matrix and nothing existed besides the truth of braised meat and flavorful red consomé. Birria is (obviously) the specialty, but the menu also includes incredibly pliable handmade tortillas, delicious quesabirria, fajitas, chilaquiles, and a short beer list. Plus, it’s decorated with a fun mural that will help cheer you up even after your food is gone.

In case the name didn’t give it away, this upbeat Mexican spot in North Center specializes in mole. As soon as you sit down, you’ll be presented with chips and a complimentary flight of their three incredible sauces: rojo, pipian, and verde. And this little spread is a perfect start to what will be a wonderful meal. From enchiladas baked in the aforementioned moles to tacos made with pliable handmade tortillas to camerones in a spicy diablo sauce, we haven’t eaten anything from Mis Moles we didn’t enjoy. The restaurant is way bigger than it looks from the outside, brightly lit and colorful, and has a spacious main dining room with lots of tables for small groups. Another reason we really like this family-owned place? Great drinks and live music on the weekends.

El Xangarrito means "tiny shop"—an appropriate name for a restaurant whose tables are so close to the kitchen that it feels like you should bring your chef's knives and start cooking, too. But this BYOB spot makes up for its tinyness with a menu full of great Mexican dishes. Like their savory al pastor tacos or the shrimp ceviche with just the ideal amount of citrus and sweetness from mango. The steak enchiladas are also delicious, and come with a rich smoky mole. The inside is so small it's best for solo diners and couples, but a sidewalk patio provides some additional seating.

​​If La Luna’s bright orange exterior isn’t enough to catch your attention, the food definitely will. This fun Mexican restaurant in Pilsen serves delicious enchiladas, flautas, carne asada, and quesabirra full of shredded beef, lined with wonderfully caramelized cheese, and weighing about five pounds each. And thanks to the colorful murals, fantastic hip hop soundtrack, and occasional live music, this place feels like a party. It also doesn’t hurt that they have tasty cocktails and Happy Hour from Tuesday-Friday with $10 margaritas and $3 tacos.

Sol De Mexico is located in Belmont-Cragin. The space is charming, and there’s a menu of very good food that changes seasonally (you’ll find things like sweet tamales with chilaca cream, lamb in Oaxacan mole, and an adobo marinated duck breast). The atmosphere is quiet, which makes it perfect for a date—or any other kind of occasion when you actually want to hear the other people at your table.

The original Carnitas Uruapan in Pilsen is great, but it’s more of a carry-out operation. The one we’re talking about here is the Gage Park location, which is newer and much, much bigger. The menu is still the same, and it focuses on carnitas—which you can get in a taco or by the pound, with fantastic homemade tortillas on the side. Because pigs are magical animals and every part of them is somehow delicious, you can’t go wrong choosing the rib, belly, or shoulder.

Tzuco is an upscale restaurant that feels a little like a trendy installation at a desert art museum, and we mean that in the best way possible. The food here is flavorful and well-executed, from their tetela with tinga de pollo, to chorizo and mussels in a saffron beurre blanc, to delicious cochinita pibil. This spot is a nice alternative to the usual suspects in River North if you’re planning a business dinner or a group outing.

Frontera has been around since 1987, and it’s Rick Bayless’ first Chicago restaurant. We’re not crazy about the location, since it’s in River North and can get crowded with tourists, but the tasty Mexican food is worth sitting in a busy restaurant full of people carrying shopping bags from Michigan Ave. You’ll find guacamole, tacos, carne asada, enchiladas, and much more—all of which is done exceptionally well. It’s a good spot for when you have plans downtown after dinner and/or you find yourself at the AMC on Michigan.