| Restaurants |
| Guide - Restaurants - Mexican |
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Adobo Grill
1610 N Wells St, Piper's Alley, Chicago, IL 60610 312-266-7999
Description: OLD TOWN. You haven't tasted guacamole until you've had it at Adobo Grill. Made tableside, it includes the freshest ingredients chopped right in front of you. It's smooth and tangy and hard to beat. Well-made margaritas abound to accompany the famous guacamole. This very popular restaurant is located in the Piper's Alley building and draws a young, upwardly mobile crowd.
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Blue Agave
1050 N State St, at W Maple St, Chicago, IL 60610 312-335-8900
Description: GOLD COAST. Head south of the border at this popular Mexican restaurant/bar, where savory food and strong tequilas keep locals happy. The walls are adorned with colorful stuffed burros and large sombreros, and bright blue and yellow accents make for a festive environment. Cacti dot the room, and both the bar and the menu are well-stocked with authentic favorites. Burritos, enchiladas, and tacos can be washed down with any one of numerous Mexican beers offered.
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Cafe 28
1800 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613 773-528-2883
Description: LAKEVIEW. Exposed brick walls and quaint marble-topped tables greet diners at this Cuban-Mexican place. Chipotle-grilled chicken, plantains, tacos, enchiladas, and grilled shrimp quesadillas are just a few of the tempting goodies that figure into the menu. Salsa music plays in the background, perfectly setting the stage for a south-of-the-border experience.
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Don Juan's Restaurante
6730 N Northwest Hwy, Chicago, IL 60631 773-775-6438
Description: NORTHWEST. This Mexican eatery is simple and sparse, almost pub-like, without the typical trappings often associated with Mexican restaurants. The innovative, fresh cuisine promises exciting takes on old favorites like enchiladas and tacos. Daily specials are always showstoppers, as seen in six-chili Amish chicken or pepper-crusted filet mignon with blue cheese ravioli. You'll also find lots of tequilas to choose from, in addition to an extensive wine list.
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El Barco Mariscos
1035 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 773-486-6850
Description: WEST TOWN. A popular West Town destination, El Barco Mariscos is swarmed daily by denizens who can't get enough of the mid-scale Mexican seafood restaurant. Get here early because it tends to become packed. The menu encompasses fish, steak, and chicken dishes, and they're accompanied by limes and various hot sauces that reside on the table. Portions are huge and come with beans and rice. The alcohol flows, too, thanks to giant margaritas and bottles of Corona.
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Frontera Grill
445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60610 312-661-1434
Description: RIVER NORTH. This eatery, a more casual sibling to fantastic Topolobampo, is considered among the best restaurants in the country. The dining room boasts folk art and vivid colors inside and sunny sidewalk seating outside. The ever-changing menu offers artistic dishes from award-winning chef Rick Bayless, including stuffed poblano peppers, tamales, charcoal-cooked lamb, and desserts like almond cake and buttermilk-lime ice cream.
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La Pasadita
1132 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 773-384-6537
Description: WEST TOWN. "The Best Tacos in Town," touts the superlative on the three eateries of this family-owned enterprise, all of which are located on the same block. The places are slightly different: The original has a spare dining area; the second one (1140 N Ashland Ave; phone 773-278-0384) has a small menu of meat tacos and burritos, including tongue; and the third (1141 N Ashland Ave; phone 773-278-0384) serves plate dinners and veggie items. Cheap, authentic, and tasty Mexican food.
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Lupita's
700 Main St, Evanston, IL 60202 847-328-2255
Description: EVANSTON. This restaurant serves up nouveau Mexican dishes along with a few traditional American ones as well. Notable menu items include the sautéed lemon sole, the pork with verdolagas, and the roasted 1/2 duck served in pipian sauce. The dining room is warm and welcoming with prints of Mexico lining the walls and potted plants dotting the room.
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Maiz
1041 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 773-276-3149
Description: WEST SIDE. Maiz might be a tiny restaurant, but the owners have big ideas, and the food has big taste! Carlos and Margaret Reyna's cozy little Mexican restaurant is based on the idea of "pre-Hispanic cuisine." The staples of this diet, and of the restaurant's menu, are maize (corn), beans, chilies, and zucchini. When you dine at Maiz, you first choose one of the six basic tortilla options and then choose your fillings or toppings. The chicken chalupa with rice and the daily tamale special are especially popular. Don't miss the "special sauces" that are sitting out on the tables. They are homemade and pack a kick!
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Nuevo Leon
1515 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608 312-421-1517
Description: WEST SIDE. This Pilsen area Mexican standby has been in the neighborhood for over 40 years. The basic Mexican food served here includes a home-style breakfast as well as late night eats. Try the pork ribs cooked in a zesty red sauce or baked chicken that's battered and served alongside potatoes and carrots. A jukebox that includes Spanish entries makes for a lively atmosphere.
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Salpicon
1252 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610 312-988-7811
Description: OLD TOWN. The wild decor of this contemporary Mexican restaurant is the first clue that chef Priscilla Satkoff is set to deliver wonderful cuisine to your table. Satkoff's passion for innovative flavors and fresh ingredients is evident in everything she creates. Grilled pork tenderloin and tequila halibut are house favorites. Bright yellow and blue walls, hot pink tablecloths, high ceilings, and Alejandro Romero paintings along with personal attention from the owners give the place a warm, inviting feeling.
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Tamales - A Mexican Joint
493 Central Ave, Highland Park, IL 60035 847-433-4070
Description: HIGHLAND PARK. Fulfill your cravings for south-of-the-border eats at this unpretentious, festive restaurant. Order a pitcher of passion fruit margaritas to enhance the flavor of spicy entrees, including barbecue chicken enchiladas, duck tacos, and burritos stuffed with salmon, black beans, and goat cheese. As you'd expect, tamales are noteworthy, packed with unexpected ingredients like mushrooms and red pepper sauce or pumpkin. Sidewalk seating allows for a more relaxed experience than does the often-crowded dining room.
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Tecalitlan
1814 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 773-384-4285
Description: WEST SIDE. This friendly Mexican eatery serves heaping helpings of homemade south-of-the-border fare. Try traditional huevos rancheros, any number of enchiladas, or chicken fajitas. Top-notch steaks sizzle as well and go perfectly with one of the specialty mole sauces and a margarita. The comfortable interior features a lovely ceiling mural and a fountain. You'll love the low prices, too!
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Topolobampo
445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60610 312-661-1434
Description: RIVER NORTH. One of the best Mexican restaurants in Chicago according to many fervent admirers, Topolobampo manages to accommodate growing ranks of patrons. The menu changes every other week and always includes great dishes whipped up by famed chef Rick Bayless, who has been named "Chef of the Year" by the James Beard Society. The complimentary guacamole no chips, only fresh vegetables for dipping is stellar. After you've sampled it, try the chef's tasting dinner, which offers five courses of exotic creations like trout served in a corn husk and perfect carne asado.
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