Chicago Magazine Picks the City's Top 12 Best Mexican Joints

In the year of its 40th anniversary, we're surprised that Chicago only selected the top 12 best Mexican restaurants instead of creating a list of 40 things related to all things nacho-rific. Ok, fine, to their credit, they do have their 30 favorite Mexican dishes, so if you pull both lists together you actually get 42. But we're not counting.

That said, it's no big surprise that three of Rick Bayless's spots (Xoco, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo) made the list, but we were thrilled to see Lakeview's Chilam Balam and West Town's Mexique make the cut.

But another place that really deserves to be here is Amelia's Mestizo Grill near the former Union Stockyards. We hit it shortly after it opened and were blown away by the fresh ingredients and the incredible flavors. The location is a tad tricky, but it's worth the trip.

The rest of the top 12 include La Casa de Samuel, La Fonda del Gusto, Mom's Old Recipe Mexican Restaurant (which might be the best name ever), Nuevo Leon, Salpicon and Xni-Pec de Yucatan, a Brookfield newcomer focusing on the flavors of the Yucatan Peninsula.
· Best Mexican Restaurants in Chicago [Chicago]