50 Best Mexican Restaurants in Chicago

“BEST TACOS IN CHICAGO“

“Outstanding! Highly recommended Knowledgeable, friendly staff and incredible experience“

“Elegantly casual. LUVED. Counter seat into kitchen view was fun, interesting and worth it.“

“My wife and I had our rehearsal dinner here and had a great time! The planning process was stress free and Anne did a great job answering any questions we had. The service was great and all of our guests enjoyed the food and drinks! The upstairs space is great for small gatherings. We highly recommend Lena Brava for anyone that is looking for a venue to host their rehearsal dinner!“

“The food, drinks, service and recommendations were excellent. We were celebrating a birthday, and everything from the Oaxacan tlayuda to the Cornish hen with mole and the margaritas made with mezcal from the owners’ hometown in Oaxaca made for a great meal.“

“Excellent service very clean very delicious food well recommended 100%“

“Solamente quiero decir que este lugar no lo vuelvo a pisar tres horas, esperando no sirvieron la comida completa, la hostess hizo un comentario. Tienen hambre que se esperen otro manager, quería sentarnos al lado de la basura. Es una falta de respeto más aparte sus cocineros hicieron unas palabras anti sonantes. Otra falta de respeto. Cero recomendaciones enséñales a sus trabajadores ser profesionales“

“Thank you Fernando and Ismael at 5 rabanitos!! Great food, great drinks and great service. Can’t wait to go back!“

“Great taco restaurant, great food and service. Edil, thank you for the great service, very kind and timely service. The best.“

“The best birria I have ever eaten in my entire life. I've just been there for the first time and it's simply incredible. From the first place, I was involved in something difficult to explain, so many years passing and never having given them a chance or knowing the goodness of their food.“

“Highly recommend calling for a reservation as it’s a small space, but very cute inside! Service was great - the owners really care about the people. It’s BYOB, so we brought some tequila and ordered one of their mixers. The food was solid, but not anything remarkable.“

“Great service and the food is delicious!! I've eaten here three times in the last week. 😂 Restaurant was also very comfortable on a hot day. My fav is the shrimp taco, and the morita sauce is nicely spicy and super good. I also loved my pina colada.“

“Very good food. I highly recommend this place.“

“I come here every time I get my nails done. Everything here is so good and always fresh. The lady that’s takes the orders is always so nice and always recommending great things she told me to try the hibiscus and it’s soooo good ! I get it every time I come !“

“Great food/drinks Great service Great prices We will be back.“

“We did the chef's counter tasting menu for our anniversary and it was incredible, every course was a hit and I don't think we could choose a single standout if we tried. Staff were great and super attentive, the wines and cocktail paired with our courses were perfect, overall a 10/10 experience.“

“I highly recommend Manchamanteles Restaurant! My dining experience was exceptional from start to finish. The food was outstanding, with each dish expertly prepared and presented. The staff were friendly, attentive, and made sure we felt welcome. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it the perfect spot for any occasion. I will definitely be returning when in town!“

“5 star food, 5 star horchata, 5 star service!!! This is my weekend splurge almost every weekend.“

“Absolutely incredible! From the moment the food hit the table, everything looked fresh and packed with flavor. The burrito was stuffed with perfectly seasoned meat, fresh pico de gallo, beans, rice, and all the right toppings—every bite was delicious. The chips were warm, crispy, and paired perfectly with the creamy queso, fresh salsa, and homemade guacamole. You can tell everything is made with quality ingredients.

And the margarita? Easily one of the best I’ve had! Perfectly chilled, refreshing, with just the right balance of citrus and tequila—not too sweet and incredibly smooth. It was the perfect complement to the meal.

Great food, amazing drinks, generous portions, and a fun atmosphere. If you’re craving authentic Mexican food and an outstanding margarita, this place is definitely worth the visit. I’ll absolutely be coming back!“

“the food is always delicious and service is always so kind! I've ordered something different each visit and have never been disappointed! margaritas are great too! love this place so much!“

“Don't let the fact that its in a gas station fool you! Best Chilaquiles east of the Chicago River!“

“As Islanders living here, this place is a piece of of home. Onolicious grinds!“

“I live in mn but this is Always my go to spot when I go through Chicago, best tacos no hands down carnitas fresh and taste on point and they aint stingy they literally give you a big handful of meat in your tacos this ain't no medicore carnitas, only time I've never stopped there is when they've been closed during our trips. 💪🔥“

“The food is always delicious and the service is always excellent.“

“I visited this place on yesterday randomly looking for breakfast spots. As soon as we entered, all of the employees greeted us with a smile, and a hello the atmosphere was extremely welcoming and made us extremely excited.. We let our waitress. Maria know that it was our first time she assured us that we would be satisfied. We were indeed satisfied I highly recommend this place. Please go check them out.“

“My wife and I dined at Mariscos San Pedro for a special birthday dinner. We dine out a fair amount and this is one of the best restaurants that we've been to this year. This Mexican seafood restaurant has it all: amazing expertly prepared, unique, adventurous, appetizers and entrees, and an amazing house staff. Thanks Taylor for guiding us on our dining adventure! If you love seafood, this is your spot. We will be back again.“

“I finally got to try Rubi’s on 18th and let me tell you. OMG! I do believe these are the BEST tacos, I've EVER had. The cashier was super nice and friendly, the food was fresh and there was a lot of it for the price. I can’t wait to go back already. I got 4 steak tacos, strawberry horchata, and guacamole and chips. Thank you guys! Monica Miranda! See you next time.“

“The restaurant was very nice, and great service. I ordered the Birria tacos and they were honestly some of the best Ive ever had, no joke. My wife got the Steak quesadilla and complimented how tender and flavorful the steak was. I rated the service a 4 because at the end I got my bill of 58 dollars and put 80 bucks cash. The bartender asked me if I wanted change. Felt that was a bit rude to ask. Overall a good restaurant and I would recommend to anyone who is in the area.“

“I visited El Milagro for the first time during a work trip and really enjoyed it! I ordered the steak platter, which came with steak, rice, beans, cabbage slaw, and their delicious corn shells. I didn’t realize they don’t serve cilantro and onions, but the salsas—especially the spicy one—were really good. The chips were delicious too!

I also tried the pineapple juice, which wasn’t overly sweet or acidic—just a really good, refreshing juice.

The steak plate was around $12, which I thought was very reasonable for the portion. Overall, a great experience, especially if you already love El Milagro’s corn shells and chips. Definitely check them out!“

“Let me start whit the taco truck 🚚......amazing asada tacos the steak is just what steak need to be,soft juicy and grilled flavor one of the best steak tacos all over little village this is not steak ala plancha the flavor test grill steak definitely I recommend 100%“

“Tacos con sazón muy buenos . Y servicio excelente. Precio justo .“

“Carbon has been my favorite Mexican restaurant in Chicago for quite a few years. I don't live anywhere close to either location, but I gladly make the trek any time I get the Carbon crave. There hasn't been a single thing on the menu that I didn't like. Their steak is marinated/grilled to perfection and even their sides like their elote is fantastic. Their roasted red pepper sauce is one of the many things I HAVE to get when I visit. I'd buy it by the gallon if they'd let me!“

“Estimados encargados de El Solazo: Espero este mensaje les encuentre bien. Me dirijo a ustedes como un cliente frecuente y admirador de su restaurante, en el cual siempre disfruto de una comida deliciosa y un servicio excepcional. Sin embargo, en mi última visita, experimenté una situación que considero importante señalar para su atención y mejora. El día de hoy, martes 26 de noviembre, llegué a cenar a las 8:45 pm confiando en la información publicada en sus redes sociales, donde claramente se especifica que el horario de cierre es a las 11:00 pm. No obstante, a las 9:30 pm ya se estaba anunciando el "último llamado" para bebidas alcohólicas. Además, durante mi estancia, fui testigo de cómo dos familias fueron rechazadas para cenar por el mismo motivo: el restaurante estaba cerrando antes de tiempo debido a "la falta de clientes". Entiendo que puedan surgir situaciones operativas, pero considero que este tipo de decisiones impacta negativamente en la experiencia de sus clientes. Cuando se anuncia un horario de cierre, los clientes planeamos nuestras visitas en base a esa información. De no ser posible mantener el horario anunciado, sería más transparente ajustarlo oficialmente en sus plataformas para que las personas puedan planear con anticipación y, en caso necesario, optar por otras opciones. Por último, quiero mencionar que esta inconformidad fue compartida con nuestra mesera, quien nos escuchó con amabilidad. Sin embargo, creo que esta situación requiere un ajuste desde la gerencia para evitar malentendidos en el futuro. Agradezco de antemano su atención a esta situación y espero que se tomen las medidas necesarias para garantizar que su excelente servicio sea consistente en todos los aspectos. Atentamente, Jesus Jesse Hernández“

“Great food and wonderful atmosphere!!“

“Best Carne Asada in the Midwest!because it’s al carbon! My family has been coming here since before I was born 🫶🏼“

“Delicious food! The carne asada pambazo is something I will for sure be coming back for. The bread was amazing and I would’ve been happy just eating that. The service is amazing and makes you feel well taken care of and right at home. I will be coming back for sure and recommending this to others as well!“

“Try as many tacos as you can! The fish tacos are a much but the birria tacos blew me away!“

“Oooooorale’! We found another hidden gem! (Well not really hidden, lol) este restaurante está riquísimo! For all of you non-Spanish speakers, this place is delicious! It looks small from the outside, but it’s enormous in flavor! It’s a very cute and nicely decorated place. Staff is incredibly nice and helpful. But the food… it rocks! We ordered the Orden de Quesobirria and a Carne en su Jugo and a Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus water) and a Horchata (rice water). The Carne stew was delicious! So many levels of flavors. The birria was fantastic! Levels and levels of flavor. Will definitely be back for the Menudo this weekend. See you all here!“

“They have a great combination deal with two or three tacos. I love that you get a little bit of everything and the price is unbeatable. The shrimp taco is one of the best I’ve had. Will be back for this deal. I picked up, but it was super cute inside. Will be back.“

“We love Mercadito!! The atmosphere, the special mood…..and especially the food What a variety of spectacular dishes! Add a warm and welcoming staff and you’ve got just spot for a great dinner for two or a special evening with friends. We visit whenever we’re in Chicago.“

“the best food in town 😋😋😋“

“Excelente food and great service“

“Katie was our server and omg she was amazing. Half of our group was a lil buzzed from the cubs game and she handled it like a pro!!! Food was amazing but the service was better!! We will come back because of her!! Thank u Katie!!“

“Food was amazing and prepared with care. Meinl Coffee is a huge plus! We will return.“

“Beautiful lighting service was great and please don’t get me started on this steak. I enjoy every bit of my night. Yes, I recommend Matilda.🩵🩵🩵“

“Yesterday was my first time visiting this location, and overall I had a really good experience 😊 The food was super delicious and full of flavor, and the portions were very generous - definitely more than enough to feel satisfied 🍽️👌 I’ll absolutely be coming back again!

One small thing that could be improved is clearer signage. There wasn’t anything indicating that you can seat yourself, so I assumed I needed to order at the counter and wait for a number 🤔 Turns out I was completely wrong, and for a moment I thought I was about to get scolded 😅 The lady at the counter helped fix my order and guided me, and then I was able to sit down.

Aside from that little confusion, everything else was great, and I still really enjoyed my visit 🙌✨“

“This restaurant is such a hidden gem! They offer a delicious mix of Mexican, Guatemalan, and Salvadoran food, and everything we tried was fresh and full of flavor. The pupusas and tacos and steak burrito were absolutely amazing authentic, flavorful, and cooked perfectly.

The owner was incredibly kind, welcoming, and helpful, making us feel right at home from the moment we walked in. The customer service was just as impressive as the food.

We also ordered fresh juices, and they were so refreshing! The passion fruit juice was sweet and delicious, and the cucumber-pineapple juice was light, crisp, and perfect with our meal.

If you’re looking for authentic Central American and Mexican cuisine with excellent service, I highly recommend stopping by. We’ll definitely be back!“

“The food and staff were amazing! Such a friendly staff who were extremely welcoming and attentive. I have never ordered ‘seconds’ at a restaurant until today! The tostadas were out of this world and the shrimp taco was delicious. A must try!“

“Iris was such a wonderful waitress! Amazing drinks and food. 10/10 will be back and recommend. 💓“

“Husband and I both housed our delivered three taco meals with rice and refried beans in about 10 minutes (chicken for me, pastor for him). Exceptionally delicious, every detail was fresh and tasty...I'm already thinking about my next order from here if that tells you anything.“