When it comes to Mexican restaurants, Chicago has it all. In fact, our Mexican food is one of the main reasons your friends will visit during the winter, and then end up staying on your couch for three extra days. We have cash-only neighborhood places, we have BYOB restaurants for you and 13 friends on a Saturday night, we have birria spots perfect for a date or kicking off a big night out—and in all of those categories (and more), we’ve gathered the best of the best below.

For this guide, we’ve steered away from taco-only spots. (Tacos are just too important to not have their own guide, and you can find that here.) This list is exclusively about full-on Mexican restaurants.