Diners' Choice: Mexican restaurants in Chicago

OpenTable

Updated March 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Mexican cuisine in Chicago? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Cafe El Tapatio

4.7

4.7 (344)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Lakeview / East Lakeview

About the restaurant

The Parra family has owned and operated this cheerful restaurant for 46 years and make frequent trips to Mexico for menu ideas and cook up several family specialties. Beyond the standard tacos, burritos, and chimichangas are dishes such as crepas de pollo.

Top review

KathieVIP

Dined on Feb 25, 2025

Great spot for dinner, cocktails and churros. The service was outstanding. Added this to my favorites list and will visit again

Kie-Gol-Lanee - Uptown

4.8

4.8 (237)

$30 and under

Mexican

Uptown

About the restaurant

Opened in 2016, this Uptown Mexican eatery continues to gather accolades, including a spot on The New York Times' recommendations "36 hours in Chicago" and four straight years of being a MICHELIN Guide Bib Gourmand restaurant right up to the present.

An immersive experience of Oaxacan cuisine featuring layudas (a.k.a. Mexican pizza), tamales oaxaqueños, enchiladas de mole, cornish hen and tacos de birria just to name a few. Their selection of margaritas made with homemade agua frescas with no artificial syrups and mimosas on the weekends is a must! Diners know to leave room too for the Oaxacan nicuatole (a flavored flan) and tres leches cake.

Kie-Gol-Lanee comes from the Zapotec dialect meaning "Piedra Antigua" (old stone). Its Spanish version "Quiegolani" is the name of a small village in Oaxaca, Mexico, where the owners and siblings are from. Maria and Reynel Mendoza run this operation with their spouses, Leo and Sandra, whose mission is to preserve their family’s original recipes.

Top review

Magda

Dined on Mar 2, 2025

Exceptional fresh Oaxacan spin on brunch, with mezcal margarita FTW.

Mariscos San Pedro

4.8

4.8 (29)

$50 and over

Mexican

Pilsen

About the restaurant

Mariscos San Pedro is a new Mexican seafood restaurant located in the heart of Pilsen neighborhood in the former Dusek’s restaurant space. Featuring sustainably sourced seafood, a finely curated wine list, seasonal cocktails, and superb spirit list from the trios of chefs of the acclaimed Le Bouchon, Obelix, and Taqueria Chingon. Within the same walls you will find premier music venue Thalia Hall, cocktail bar Punch House, and piano bar Tack Room.

Top review

Linda

Dined 5 days ago

We all loved the ceviche! I thought the shrimp taco (which is not like traditional tacos!) was fabulous. Two of us had Margaritas which were excellent as well.

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Experience

Weekday Taco Omakase (every Thursday)

Experience

Weekend Taco Omakase (every Friday & Saturday)

Cafe Con Leche

4.9

4.9 (340)

$30 and under

Mexican

Logan Square

About the restaurant

Café Con Leche opened its doors in 2001 on Milwaukee Avenue in the heart of Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. It’s become a popular restaurant for dinner, lunch, and breakfast in Logan Square.

Since then, Café Con Leche has been serving both Mexican breakfast favorites and Latin dinner classics, paired with delectable desserts and coffees. From fresh salsas with a perfect balance of spices, to delicious slow-roasted pork and savory meats, there’s something delectable for everyone.

Top review

Luis

Dined on Feb 14, 2025

Very professional and friendly service with excellent service from the moment you walk in to the moment you walk out

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4.7

4.7 (1026)

$31 to $50

Mexican

West Loop

About the restaurant

Located in Chicago's West Loop, Leña Brava is a culinary gem celebrating the dynamic flavors of Baja California Norte. Our kitchen, devoted to the art of live-fire cooking, breathes life into dishes that embody the essence of Mexican culinary traditions and the diverse tastes of Baja. Influenced by a fusion of Mexican, Mediterranean, and Asian cuisines, our menu transcends conventional boundaries, offering an array of vibrant ceviche, tantalizing agua chiles, succulent flame-kissed Pacifico seabass, and hearty steaks.

Under the skilled guidance of Chef Brian Enyart, with over two decades of innovation in Mexican cuisine, we showcase seasonal ingredients, capturing the essence of Mexico and Baja Norte's culinary landscape. Complemented by our open-plan kitchen and curated beverage program, spotlighting an immense mezcal collection and an array of Baja, New and Old World wines, Leña Brava invites guests on a culinary journey, where Mexican tradition harmonizes with innovation.

Top review

aaronwVIP

Dined on Feb 28, 2025

Lamb neck was incredible, guac was also delicious

Tzuco

4.7

4.7 (908)

$30 and under

Mexican

River North (Chicago)

About the restaurant

Located in the bustling River North neighborhood of Chicago, Tzuco, helmed by the Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán, offers a blend of authentic Mexican flavors and sophisticated French techniques. Named after Chef Gaytán’s hometown, Huitzuco, the restaurant boasts a menu rich in ceviche, seafood, and traditional Mexican dishes, served in a spacious dining room, lively bar, lounge, and an all-weather outdoor terrace.

Tzuco’s captivating interiors, designed by the acclaimed Cadena + Asociados Concept Design, tell a story of Chef Gaytán's heritage with preserved materials from Mexico and handcrafted furnishings, ensuring guests not only savor exquisite dishes but also relish an immersive cultural experience.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 2 days ago

Wonderful experience! I’m definitely coming back, from the food to the ambiance everything was great; Tzuco is a gem!

Kie Gol Lanee - Logan Square

4.7

4.7 (16)

$30 and under

Mexican

Logan Square

About the restaurant

Logan Square is home to our second Kie-Gol-Lanee location with the first one being in the Uptown neighborhood, recognized by the Michelin Bib Gourmand since 2020.

Kie-Gol-Lanee is a family owned restaurant, ran and operated by the Mendoza Ramos family since 2016. “Kie Gol Lanee” is the phonetic spelling of “Quiegoloani” and the name of the small village in Oaxaca, Mexico where we are from: Santa Maria Quiegolani, which means “piedra antigua” in our Zapotec language.

We take pride in offering a dining experience that connects you with our rich Oaxacan culture. Each recipe comes from our grandparents and parents with a touch of our own flavor inspired by watching them cook while growing up. We've have been fortunate to be recognized by the Michelin Guide, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine among others, but our highest recognition comes when our client smiles and nods after taking the first bite. Join us for dinner or brunch and see what the fuzz is all about!

Top review

Nick

Dined 4 days ago

Best new place in town. Quality food, amazing wait staff, and relaxing atmosphere. My wife and I have been here multiple times since opening.

Mirra

4.7

4.7 (170)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Bucktown / Wicker Park

About the restaurant

Mirra is centered around the excitement of exploring the South Asian and Mexican culinary and collaboration that is really an unknown story up north.

A la carte service, wine-focused with a small curated cocktail menu. Our chef's counter will offer a casual prix fixe experience for guests to enjoy. Mirra is a space that is warm, cozy, and comforting, whilst simultaneously executing a bold and vibrant food and beverage program. Mirra is a unique representation of how 2 different cultures can be 1 presented to you by Rishi Kumar, Zubair Mohajir, and David Mor.

Top review

GeorgenaVIP

Dined 2 days ago

The food and service were great. We enjoyed all our dishes but particularly the lamb tacos which were outstanding.

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Experience

Westholme Presents Red Sauce Night at Mirra

Broken English Taco Pub - Lake Street

4.7

4.7 (685)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Downtown / Loop

About the restaurant

From the minds of Adolfo Garcia (Son of a Butcher, Pearl Tavern) and long-time restaurateur, Phil Stefani, comes Broken English Taco Pub. Located on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Lake Street, Broken English is steps away from Millennium Park, and in the center of the new vibrant hotel and residential area.

On the name, Garcia says, “I speak English with my friends, and I often find myself mixing in Spanish words because there are some phrases that simply don’t translate to English. This happens in many other languages and cultures, but that is what makes the name ‘Broken English’ fun – it is part of our daily slang.”

Top review

GiannaVIP

Dined on Mar 1, 2025

Loved tasty fish taco, burrito was terrifically tender beef Great for anytime Will definitely return

Big Star Wicker Park

4.7

4.7 (51)

$30 and under

Mexican

Bucktown / Wicker Park

About the restaurant

Big Star's original Wicker Park location offers a taco-slinging atmosphere complemented by an extensive house-selected single barrel bourbon program.

interested in hosting an event or large group with us?
email vipevents@oneoffhospitality.com to book with us today!

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Feb 21, 2025

Great service and food! Atmosphere was family friendly too!

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