5 Local Chicago Restaurants to Support on Cinco De Mayo
There’s no better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo today than with tacos and margaritas. The city’s best taquerias are always delicious and dependable, but the following restaurants are my favorite local spots in the city. Some are providing DIY taco kits while others are putting together Mexican meals for delivery. Scroll through the options below and support your local businesses.
5 RABANITOS
Chef Alfonso Sotelo, who previously worked at places like Topolobampo and Xoco, opened this casual eatery in 2015. It’s hard to go wrong with the appealing menu of tacos, tortas, caldos, and vegetarian-friendly dishes. Much of the cooking is derived from longtime family recipes and provides a heavy dose of comfort to diners. 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 (which won’t break the bank at $2.75 a piece) or our favorite, the warm and hearty green chicken tamal, you’ll feel like a million dollars after. The menu has about 3,589 delicious things for you to choose from, with a great selection of tacos, a ton of vegetarian options, fantastic carne asada, and a very spicy ahogada torta with carnitas that happens to be one of the best sandwiches in Chicago, period.
CANTON REGIO
Fans of Pilsen’s iconic Nuevo Leon, which burned in a 2015 fire, can take refuge at this spot from the same owners. Here, they offer updated takes on classics from northern Mexico, such as beef sweetbreads, grilled basket cheese, queso fundido, and an array of skewers. The menu focuses on grilled meat, which means you can share things like incredibly tender steaks, brochetas with shrimp or chicken served dangling from medieval-looking hooks, and fajitas. Everything is well-seasoned and perfectly cooked, and this place also makes its own flour tortillas - which are so good I’d consider ordering a meal from here just to eat those.
DOS URBAN CANTINA
Beloved modern Mexican restaurant Dos Urban Cantina is back with family meals on Cinco de Mayo. Two Topolobampo vets — Brian Enyart and Jennifer Jones Enyart — make up the culinary leadership at this restaurant, which touts an elevated menu puntuacted by bold flavors. Case in point: Soft shell crab gets a morita chile and tamarind glaze; grilled mushrooms are covered in red mole; and pork tenderloin is marinated in sour orange. Folks can pick up chipotle chicken tacos ($45, feeds four) or tamal Azteca ($40, feeds four). Each order comes with dessert — either chocolate cake or tres leches — as well. Chips and guac and alcohol are optional add-ons. The only way you can mess up your order here is by skipping Jennifer's famed chocolate cake, which we're convinced is laced with loads of cocoa and pure magic.
TAQUERIA TRASPASADA 2
The signage on this skinny counter-service taqueria touts its fare as the best Mexican food in town, and while the objective truth of that may be hard to determine, it indeed does some excellent things with pork. Tacos al pastor are tender and laced with rich adobo essence; others are stuffed with delicately flavored chicharron (pork skin) and slathered with fresh, chunky salsa verde. Don’t miss out on their specials of menudo and birria (goat soup), the latter featuring forkfuls of soft, mildly gamey meat in a smoky broth.
EL MILAGRO
Chicagoans are likely familiar with El Milagro’s products, as they’re readily available in grocers across the region. The company operates several cafeteria-style taquerias and tortillerias as well, and customers line up for plates of guisados (Mexican stews) and tacos. The steak taco in particular is a feast on its own: A big piece of hanger steak is placed on two tortillas and topped with rice, beans, and cabbage slaw.
