50 Best Mexican Restaurants near Highwood

“Súper recomendado 😋 Toda la comida está deliciosa Y sus aguas frescas excelente sabor sin tanto dulce y un sabor único y especial ♥️el mejor restaurante mexicano en estos alrededores 🤗“

“Delicious! We saw the recommendation on Dine In/Dine Out Lake Bluff /Lake Forest Facebook page. So we decided to try it tonight. We were NOT disappointed. Service was friendly, nice casual dining spot. Great bar choices. The meal was delicious - we had the skirt steak and the flavor was top notch. My meal came with 4 shrimp and prepared well, not spicy. The flavors were yum and truly can’t wait to go back. From reviews the seafood looks delicious. We will try that next time!“

“Best tacos ever!! The taco selection is authentic and a great price! Only place to him for tacos in my mind!“

“Plancha Loca offers excellent service and incredible food quality. Their shrimp tacos are the best! There’s a wide variety of options for everyone, and the customer service is outstanding. The food is absolutely delicious. I highly recommend this place!! definitely worth a visit! 🌮✨“

“We have never had a bad meal at Mean Weiner. We have ordered in and eaten in the restaurant. We have made many changes to our orders and have never had a problem. Everyone is always friendly and super polite. The value is outstanding. I highly recommend trying Mean Weiner. You will not be disappointed.“

“Amazingly authentic, from the food to the environment. I absolutely love this place.“

“We had an awesome girls afternoon out with some great drinks and an awesome server than was full of suggestions and fun entertainment. Jorge G did a great job!“

“Had a private party here to celebrate my 50th birthday 🎉 All the guests loved the atmosphere. Everyone raved about the food and drinks 🥰 Their attentive service was much appreciated. Fabulous experience!!“

“Delicious house-made salsas - some with a great kick if you’re up for it. Lovely people.“

“On top of the food being more then exceptional, the staff, (especially the lady that helps at the register are amazing.“

“Good local food spot for tacos, burritos, quesadillas etc. I went an hour after opening so they didn't have steak or birria available.

Quesadilla was hot fresh and tasted great good cheese to chicken ratio. Salsa was watery so I feel like it didn't pair well with the quesadilla, more like a hot sauce.“

“Guacamole was good The shrimp tamale was good The service was good The churo could have been softer and fresher…… I will be back when in the area.“

“Simply AMAZING! Ochoa’s is easily one of the best Mexican restaurants in the area. We recently used them for catering (25 people), and everything exceeded our expectations. Communication was top-notch, portions were huge, and the food was incredible. Guests couldn’t stop talking about the juicy chicken and steak, the homemade chips and salsas, and guacamole that could honestly be eaten by the spoonful. Mr. Ochoa truly takes pride in his food — you can taste the love in every bite. Highly recommend for both dining in and catering!“

“Delicious Mexican food and creative cuisine.“

“Yo recomiendo este lugar por muy buen servicio y deliciosa comida.“

“I recently started working right across the street from this place! I’ve never had their food but today I decided to give them a try and I got myself the Picadillo Torta and it was exceptional. The cashier was so nice and gave me a complementary small drink since I didn’t have enough money to pay for it.

Definitely will be recommending them💗✨“

“Wonderful to work with Jay to support BMS girls lacrosse. Donated 40 tacos for pre-game meal!“

“The owners are so nice and they treat you with respect. A very good place with very, very good food. My family and I love this place.“

“Tacos de carne asada are the best around! And their walking taco is a fave too. Staff is always friendly, highly recommend this family-owned restaurant.“

“They’re amazing! Great food, strong drinks, reasonably priced & fabulous staff.“

“Best bean burrito in Chicagoland!“

“Nice waitress and great food.“

“Delicious food and exceptionally friendly service. A charming addition to Winnetka’s local, family dining scene.“

“I haven't gone to eat in the restaurant yet but we have ordered several times and the food is so good. Definitely would recommend!“

“The food here is fresh, authentic, and top quality! We had birria tacos, pastor tacos, flautas, and many other dishes. Everything was delicious! The horchata, guacamole, rice, and beans were also best I’ve ever had. I highly recommend this place. The owners and staff are passionate about what they do and are really amiable!“

“I placed an online pickup order, but someone else accidentally took it. The cashier immediately apologized and made me another bowl right away. She genuinely seemed to care and handled the situation really well. Great customer service at this location.“

“This is one of the best Mexican Cuisine Restaraunts I have ever had , very authentic. We had the quesabirrias and they were so good. Fresh food served here . Our server Gina was the best . Since we walked in she had a smile on her face , Her attitude and positiveness caught my attention. I had a wonderful fast service with Gina . I will definitely recommend this place to my friends . Thanks to Gina and the restaraunts amazing food I will definitely come back !“

“We went to their location in Libertyville all the time. Heartbroken when it closed. So glad they have this location. Best chimichanga ever. No on come close.“

“Got a barbacoa burrito to go, that thing WAS stuffed with meat. I say was in all caps because that burrito was not long for this world and has found a new home in my stomach. Last meal level burrito that came with enough meat in it for you to cry at the idea you ever considered going to any of those other half-butt “burrito” restaurants. Not to mention the cashier warned me about the burrito being a little messy?? Absolutely not. The tortilla held strong against my vicious attacks to. the. last. bite. Amazing food awesome service. Dope barbacoa“

“Excellent margaritas and enchiladas. The outdoor seating is great. #iraeats“

“This is a beautiful place with authentic delicious Mexican food in a perfect location. The chilles rellenos that Í ordered were absolutely delicious along with my margarita made my day. My friend ordered the typical carne asada which was served with rice and beans and she was delighted. We are for sure coming back during the summer to enjoy more of these authentic Mexican dishes.“

“this my wife and I favorite Mexican place since we moved to Illinois we don’t even think about chipotle anymore. Actually, the thought of chipotle makes me wanna throw up lol but on a serious note, this is the best food all it’s consistent. Nice service great food the only thing if I was to say is that usually the locations have the AC running and so he just feels super cold and it makes the food colder so if they could turn the AC down a little bit so it’s not as cold that would be great.“

“The restaurant is wonderful place great food great service is a please for a family very. Very good please thanks for you service my daughter was so happy for her graduation on was so happy to be on the beautiful please thanks so much 🙏“

“muy buena comida todo está muy rico“

“Love the food here thank you ricky“

“la comida es de lo mejorc el mejor restaurante mexicano“

“The Otherdoor is a great neighborhood spot that feels like an upgraded, elevated spin on the standard Chipotle setup.

The Standout Features
- 10 Levels of Spice: They offer a unique spice scale from 1 to 10. The heat ramps up, but it's really about the rich, shifting flavor profiles. An employee mentioned level 9 is technically the spiciest option, but I went for the 10 and my wife tried the 7—both were delicious.
- Top-Tier Meats: I got double meat with barbacoa and the duck. The employee recommended duck as his personal favorite, and both proteins were superb. My wife got the brisket and loved it as well.
- Kid-Approved: Beyond the bowls, they offer tacos that our kids completely devoured for their kids' meals.
- Familiar Setup: The base options follow a familiar flow with your choice of white or brown rice along with black or pinto beans.

Vibe & Location
It’s a bit pricier than standard fast-casual Mexican, but the step up in quality makes it more than worth it. The location itself is in a super cute area right on Main Street with plenty of outdoor seating, making it a hot spot for locals picking up to-go orders. Inside, you actually walk through a massive attached restaurant space to reach the restrooms.

Overall, it's a fantastic spot with great quality proteins and a fun customizable spice scale. Highly recommended if you're in the neighborhood!“

“great restaurant very good food and service“

“Karla at Cilantros is truly a gem! She’s always so sweet, welcoming, and incredibly hardworking. No matter how busy it gets, she handles everything with a smile and makes every customer feel appreciated. Her positive energy and dedication doesn’t go unnoticed. Cilantros is lucky to have her!“

“Absolutely loved visiting Mis 3 Tesoros for the first time! 1000 recommend! Food was delicious 🤤 large portions!! Mint mojitos are AMAZING! Ask for en extra kick🫶🏻“

“Muy bueno el caldo de camarón 🦐 mejor k en los restaurantes de mariscos 🤤😋 se los recomiendo“

“Our server was Trey!! I had the smash burger and a margarita! Everything was so delicious! I recommend this place to anyone! It is a Mexican spot so getting a burger was sorta strange but once I read the beef was mixed with Chorizo I was sold and just had to try it. It didn’t disappoint. The Guacamole/ salsa and chips were as very tasty! A must try“

“Now offering BREAKFAST !! WOW... LOVE IT !!“

“Everything about my visit was great, clean establishment and excellent food, our server was attentive with Table touches to ensure I was being served. The chilaquiles are amazing, Tortilla chips taste fresh with the right amount of salt. I ordered the Huaraches (one chicharron and one al pastor) Al pastor was nicely seasoned and Shoer delicious. They have desserts and a good selection of Mexican cola and (beer 21+)“

“Great people and the best Margaritas 👌“

“They have the best steak tacos. I grab lunch here since I work nearby. I bring my wife when we are in the area becasue she agrees that they are the best tacos around. The staff is always freindly! This is my favorite place in the Chicagoland area for tacos!“

“The best pozole around. Good food, great service and fantastic owners!“

“Very good fresh Mexican food. The usual menu choices were offered along with a few specials. My drink was strong, friends margaritas were pricey for the size but ok. Their chips and salsa were nothing special. We enjoyed the fried calamari but the sauce was a bit odd and we would’ve enjoyed a cocktail sauce more. The empanadas were tasty but I wasn’t sure there was actually any beef inside. \n\nMy chicken fajitas were very good but could’ve used a bit more flavor. The chicken, peppers and onions were grilled just right. The beef tacos were a hit as well as the taco special. Beef fajitas were so so. \n\nService was excellent but the room was very loud and made it hard to converse. Eating outside might be nicer! I’d return.“

“Great food, family owned love to go there for breakfast and support local business“