The 38 best Mexican restaurants in Chicago

What is it? A Logan Square standout serving inventive dishes inspired by chef Diana Dávila’s Mexican American heritage.

Why we love it: Open since 2017, this Logan Square restaurant puts a one-of-a-kind spin on classic Mexican dishes. Upon opening the menu, your eyes will go straight to the tacos (and you should order a few of those), but the antojos section is where you'll find Dávila’s best work—discover an ever-changing menu of dishes like masa-battered fried enoki and braised pork shank in luscious mole. The steak burrito is a splurge, but one of the best in town.

Time Out tip: All bottles of wine are 50% off on Tuesdays.

Address: 2800 W Logan Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 5-10pm; Sun 5-9pm

What is it? A Mexican fine-dining trailblazer.

Why we love it: Consistently earning a Michelin star since 2015, Topolobampo is the fanciest and most upscale of Rick Bayless’s Mexican restaurants. As with all of his restaurants, the products used here are local and seasonal. So whether you’re tucking into fresh oysters or ceviche or one of the beautiful moles, you know you’re eating the best the season has to offer. An ever-changing menu means it’s hard to predict exactly what will be on offer day to day—but because Bayless is involved, it never really feels like a gamble.

Time Out tip: Topolobampo is an ideal setting for a celebratory dinner or a memorable night out, but if you’re looking for a more casual meal, consider Frontera Grill next door instead.

Address: 445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

Opening hours: Wed, Thu 6-11:30pm; Fri, Sat 5:30-11:30pm

What is it? A mom-and-pop spot specializing in delicious, delicious goat.

Why we love it: Thick handmade tortillas, salsas made to order, cinnamon-laced coffee—you can get all of that here. Their only purpose, however, is to accompany this Bib Gourmand-rated restaurant’s signature platters of chopped roasted goat meat. As opposed to other birrierias, this goat doesn’t touch a consommé until it’s plated, when some of the tomato-based broth is spooned over it. At that point, a good dousing of the restaurant’s intricate hot sauce, and maybe a squeeze of lime and some onions and cilantro, is all you need for one of the city’s best goat tacos.

Time Out tip: The original Archer Heights location is currently closed following a fire, but you can still get your birria fix at the Uptown outpost.

Address: 4800 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 11am-7pm; Fri, Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 11am-9pm

What is it? A River North spot for contemporary Mexican cooking with French influences.

Why we love it: Chef Carlos Gaytán, who became the first Latin American to earn a Michelin Star for his French-Mexican restaurant Mexique, continues to prepare the flavors of his native Mexico with haute cuisine techniques at this River North restaurant. The menu is full of extraordinary dishes like a perfectly prepared guajillo-roasted octopus and ultra tender cochinita pebil (pork shank)  served with pickled red onions and habanero salsa. While the crispy red snapper filet is recommended for two, it’s light enough that you can order if solo.

Time Out tip: Leave room for the incredible seasonal desserts, which are cleverly designed to look like colorful fruits, corn and more.

Address: 720 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 4-10pm; Fri 4-11pm; Sat 10am-2pm, 4-11pm; Sun 10am-2pm, 4-9pm

What is it? A neighborhood corner store and taqueria hybrid in Little Village.

Why we love it: Chicago’s best all-around taqueria specializes in tacos de fritangas, or fried meats cooked on a wide metal stovetop called a charola. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, from the extra beefy suadero to the intricately spiced longaniza sausage. But the showstopper—and perhaps the best taco in the city—is the tripa. Order it crispy, and these little hunks from the cow’s intestine (not, as you would assume, the stomach) arrive as golden-hued and glistening crunchy nuggets.

Time Out tip: Wash down the tacos with a cup of creamy horchata.

Address: 2500 S Whipple St, Chicago, IL 60623

Opening hours: Mon-Wed 11am-9pm; Fri-Sun 11am-8pm

What is it? A West Loop restaurant for creative, chef-driven tacos.

Why we love it: A tasty homage to the streetside eateries of Mexico City, Taqueria Chingón is a partnership between Oliver Poilevey (Le Bouchon) and Marcos Ascencio (Bar Lupo)—two men with a shared passion for the classics. The tacos al pastor are a must, with tender bits of pork finding their match in creamy avocado salsa, sweet pineapple and flecks of cilantro; the duck carnitas and skirt steak are equally impressive.

Time Out tip: Stop by on Wednesdays for Taqueria Chingón's take on the Crunchwrap.

Address: 817 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 10am-10pm; Sun 10am-9pm

What is it? A family-owned restaurant for tender, slow-cooked pork.

Why we love it: This Pilsen temple to pork attracts neverending lines and it’s not hard to see why. All parts of the pig are rendered in pork fat until it’s juicy, crisp and melts in your mouth. Order it by the pound and build your own tacos with the provided assortment of condiments and tortillas, or try the deep-fried brain tacos for a real treat. 

Time Out tip: Make sure to get there early, especially on weekends—the restaurant closes once it sells out for the day.

Address: 1113 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 6am-4pm; Fri 5am-4pm; Sat, Sun 5am-3pm

What is it? A Pilsen go-to for Mexican comfort food.

Why we love it: XOCO alum chef Alfonso Sotelo's dishes are delightfully comforting with just the right amount of personality. Whether you order a big plate of tacos or a warm and hearty bowl of pozole, you’ll feel welcome at 5 Rabanitos. Expect thoughtful plating (with slivers of radishes on every dish—hence the name) and potentially a visit from Sotelo himself.

Time Out tip: Make the most of your visit by checking out the nearby National Museum of Mexican Art, which is free to enter.

Address: 1758 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 11am-9pm; Fri 11am-10pm; Sat 9am-10pm; Sun 9am-9pm

What is it? A Pilsen street-vendor-turned-restaurant.

Why we love it: Longtime Maxwell Street Market vendor Rubi's moved into a brick-and-mortar space in Pilsen in 2021, serving a menu of tacos and quesadillas featuring charcoal-grilled asada and pastor—just like how they used to serve it every Sunday on Desplaines Street. The portions are generous, so even two tacos are enough to satisfy most appetites.

Time Out tip: Don’t overlook the vegetable options like the earthy hongos and huitlacoche, which are equally as satisfying as the meat-filled tacos.

Address: 1316 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608

Opening hours: Wed-Sun 11am-6pm

What is it? A West Loop spot celebrating the flavors of Baja California.

Why we love it: The name Leña Brava means “ferocious firewood,” a nod to the restaurant’s focus on classic wood-fired dishes. Decide between delicious small plates like roasted oysters and grilled octopus or signature entrees including grilled striped bass and a parrillada platter filled with skirt steak, chicken skewers and pork chop.

Time Out tip: Pair your meal with beer from sibling spot Cruz Blanca.

Address: 900 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607

Opening hours: Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30am-10pm; Fri, Sat 11:30am-10:30pm

What is it? A longtime institution for exceptional carnitas.

Why we love it: At this tiny Pilsen storefront, regulars get special treatment (aka refried beans, not always on offer), newcomers just get blank stares, and everybody gets the carnitas. Ordered by the pound, the juicy pork is served to you on a platter with nothing but a side of corn tortillas and a spicy salsa verde so that you can concoct your own tacos. Not leaving any part of the pig to waste, the limited menu also includes fresh, warm, delicious pork rinds.

Time Out tip: The carnitas especial is a great weekday deal, with a half-pound of pork, six tortillas, chicharron, refried beans and a taco dorado.

Address: 1725 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 10am-4pm; Fri 9am-4pm; Sat, Sun 7am-5pm

What is it? A Logan Square joint dishing out some of the best steak tacos in Chicago.

Why we love it: There are multiple reasons why L'Patron is always bustling with activity. The chunky guac is accompanied by fresh-from-the-fryer chips sprinkled with sea salt; fish tacos sport a perfectly fried filet, crunchy cabbage, fresh pico de gallo and a hint of serrano aioli; perfectly-cooked carne asada graces the steak tacos and burritos; and you can get a cup of what might be the least saccharine horchata in Chicago.

Time Out tip: Everything is made to order, so be prepared for a bit of a wait.

Address: 3749 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10am-10pm

What is it? A restaurant focusing on the regional cuisine of Oaxaca.

Why we love it: This Uptown eatery (with a second Logan Square location) serves more than just the standard array of tacos. Feast on tlayudas, tamales wrapped in plantain leaves, comforting barbecued lamb shank and rabbit stew with yellow mole. To start, skip the usual order of chips and guac and opt for the chapulines—crispy grasshoppers—if you dare. 

Time Out tip: You can also save some dough with a $50 three-course prix fixe menu offered Monday-Thursday.

Address: 5004 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60640

Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 3:30-10pm; Sat 10am-10pm; Sun 10am-9pm

What is it? A casual spot for Mexican street food.

Why we love it: You’ll find it all at this mom-and-pop operation in Archer Heights, from tacos and tortas to picaditas and enchiladas. The must-try, though, is the tlacoyo—oval-shaped discs of blue or yellow masa stuffed with beans and cheese and topped with ingredients like carnitas, cochinita pibil and even filet mignon.

Time Out tip: Seating is limited so be prepared to take your food to go.

Address: 5200 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60632

Opening hours: Mon 10am-6:30pm; Tue-Sun 10am-7pm

What is it? A Mexican mole specialist.

Why we love it: From chef Geno Bahena—a legend in Chicago's Mexican food scene—comes this refined Mexican restaurant on Western Avenue in Bucktown. Specialties include the house moles (get the duck breast), sizzling fajitas, chile rellenos and a full carne asada steak. The rotating seasonal menu highlights a variety of dishes that will call you back for more.

Time Out tip: Keep an eye out for weekly specials and happy hour deals on margaritas, guacs and more.

Address: 2009 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Opening hours: Wed, Thu, Sun 11am-9pm; Fri, Sat 11am-10pm

What is it? A restaurant offshoot of the famed El Milagro tortilla company.

Why we love it: This sunny Pilsen cafe, which is covered in bright purple, yellow and orange paint inside and out, is next door to one of the city’s most successful purveyors of corn and flour tortillas beloved by Chicagoans everywhere. Employees clearly know how to put those tortillas to good use: piling them with tender chicken legs submerged in mole rojo, or sumptuous, slow-cooked beef in a rich tomato sauce. Satisfying tamales are available for a more portable meal—but keep in mind that you can’t take the sunniness with you.

Time Out tip: Get the steak tacos, which feature massive pieces of skirt steak with rice, beans and cabbage.

Address: 3050 W 26th St, Chicago, IL 60623

Opening hours: Tue-Thu 8am-7pm; Fri-Sun 7am-7pm

What is it? Purveyor of some of Chicago's best al pastor tacos.

Why we love it: You’ll know Lucido's in Little Village takes tacos al pastor seriously the moment you walk through the door. The red-hued pork is on full display, beautifully stacked on a trompo in the kitchen and waiting to be sliced to order. Complement the marinated meat with chunks of pineapple and a generous splash of salsa for the perfect bite.

Time Out tip: Visit on Tuesdays for $2 tacos or Fridays for $3 tacos.

Address: 4147 W 26th St, Chicago, IL 60623

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10am-8pm