**** (4 stars)
Good Mexican food in a nice environment with excellent service. The complementary salsa has a nice kick and fresh cilantro.
For brunch I had the Chilaquiles, which were served with a nice green chili sauce, although the chips weren't dried tortillas in the classic fashion.
Queso fun dodo was a good appetizer, although it would have been better with the poblanos I ordered rather than chorizo.
El Nuevo Mexicano
2914 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
***** (5 stars)
I've been to the Cesar's that was on Clark many times, but this was the first time I've been to this one. I was expecting it to be the same, but it is much better. It's more intimate, and cuter, with smaller dining rooms on different levels.
Note that the online menus don't really reflect the current menu for food or drinks. It's not a problem, it's just different.
To start, the signature margarita was fantastic, with just the right balance of lime, tequila, and sweetness.
I never liked the nachos at the other Cesar's, so we tried the queso dip, and it was very good, even though it looked a bit like movie theater nacho cheese rather than true queso blanco.
But the show stopper was the Costillas en Salsa Verde, which was a half slab of baby back pork ribs simmered in green sauce and topped with onions. Wow! I'm originally from Southern California, and have had thousands of Mexican meals in hundreds of Mexican restaurants, and this is the single best thing I have ever had in any of them. Order it!
Cesar’s Killer Margaritas – Broadway
2924 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cesars-killer-margaritas-broadway-chicago
**** (4 stars)
We ordered delivery from El Mariachi, and I was very impressed by the condition the food arrived in. Everything was hot, and didn't look like it had been shaken.
For me, the highlight was the tortilla chips. They're extremely light and crisp, yet sturdy enough for dipping. And the guacamole we dipped them in was quite good.
All of the standard Tex-Mex dishes were very good, and the tamales were a real stand out.
El Mariachi
3420 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
**** (4 stars)
We loved Carol Guytan's original one-star Michelin, Mexique, so I was hoping for similar finesse and subtlety at Tzuco. While Tzuco also thinks outside the regular Mexican restaurant box, it's not the same creative culinary experience. Admittedly, we wnet for bruch, which can always seem a bit pedestrian, but we avoided the traditional brunch dishes and concentrated on the more Mexican-influenced items.
The guacamole and ceviche we just okay, but the Mushroom Cazuela and Tsuco Shakshuka were both noteworthy. The various tacos (masa) were also okay. If I go back I would try the pibil and the chilaquiles.
The margaritas were very good. Ask for anejo tequila for some extra flavor. My favorite item was actually the Horchata Latte!
Tzuco
720 N State St
Chicago, IL 60654
**** (4 stars)
This little space on Broadway features very good Mexican American food in a low-key environment. They do a bustling to-go business, and also have a handful of tables.
The nachos were good, and almost like chili on refried bean-covered chips, served with a corn tortilla cop of sour cream and guacamole.
The mole sauce is quite good.
Perhaps our favorite item was the tamale, which was definitely the most authentic Mexican preparation of anything we tried.
Food prep is very fast, and service is friendly. It's BYOB.
Buena Vista
3147 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
**** (4 stars)
Excellent food, boisterous atmosphere. Extensive outside seating would be quieter, if you're sure it won't rain, as they can't reseat you. Table seating is limited to 90 minutes. Half price cocktail and guacamole before 6pm.
Now that the rules are out of the way, the food is quite tasty. Guacamole was better than the Queso Fundido, which didn't have enough chorizo.
Snapper ceviche bites and firecracker shrimp were both great. Cordon Bleu Quesadilla was so unexpected, it ended up being my favorite, even though it wasn't remotely Mexican food: ham, chicken and cheese, with a honey mustard dipping sauce!
Tuna Poke Tacos and Korean Short Rib tacos were also excellent.
Churro Empanadas needed something like ice cream or a spicy sauce to offset the cloying sweetness.
Service was very responsive, and the kitchen and bar are fast.
Barcocina – Chicago
2901 N Sheffield Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
***** (5 stars)
This counter-serve place is a lot better than many of the sit down Mexican restaurants in the area.
Nachos are particularly good, with a hearty serving of real cheese and plenty of jalapenos.
The fire-grilled quesadilla is also excellent, but beware that the habanero sauce is not messing around!
I also really enjoyed the Al Pastor toca prepared in authentic Mexican style. I prefer my Pastor without pineapple chunks, which is how this is made.
Service was friendly and everything was prepared to order quickly.
Mixteco Mexican Grill
847 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 904-9723
https://www.yelp.com/biz/mixteco-mexican-grill-chicago-3
*** (3 stars)
This place is divided into a number of varied seating areas, including dining rooms, a bar, and a garden.
The margaritas all seem to be made with lemon juice rather than lime, which is odd; I needed to order a shot of Cointreau to restore the balance.
The appetizers were the best part of our meal. We ordered the nachos without the beans. As described, they came with exactly seven large tortilla chips! They also come with a dab of guacamole, so we really didn’t need the extra order of guacamole, but it was good.
The entrees were less exciting. Chicken enchiladas had a rather odd flavor, and the contents seemed to be ground up. Chilaquiles were also unusual, in that instead of being topped with a fried egg there was a scrambled egg mixed in; the chile verde sauce was good, though.
Service was not particularly attentive considering we were the only table seated for Thursday lunch.
El Jardin
3335 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 528-6775
https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-jardin-chicago
***** (5 stars)
While the emphasis in the name is on the drinks, the food here is good, too. The free chips are delicious, really crisp and with a strong toasted corn flavor, and the accompanying salsa has lots of cilantro.
The nacho starter was good, if not my favorite style.
Fish tacos were excellent, with grilled fish in double corn tortilla wrappers. The black beans that came with it were some of the best I've had. I also tasted the refried beans, which I normally prefer, but these black beans were amazingly complex and flavorful.
Of course margaritas are the highlight, and there are a dozen to choose from. We went with a pitcher of the Cadillac, a standard lime margarita plus Gran Marnier.
The service was good, and the ambiance is relaxed.
Cesar’s Killer Margaritas – Clark
3166 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 248-2835
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cesars-killer-margaritas-clark-chicago-2
**** (4 stars)
Good Mexican food and a delightful outside dining area. The bartender seemed overwhelmed, but was turning out good stuff. Ceviche was huge and delicious.
Dos Carlitos
3544 Sagunto St
Santa Ynez, CA
93460
(805) 688-0033
https://www.yelp.com/biz/dos-carlitos-santa-ynez