Serving the Rogers Park community since 2007, as “the best of Guerrero,” it seems fitting that this destination for freshly made tamales from different Mexican regions serves one of Guerrero’s most cherished plates. Available in the traditional green, white, and red versions, try the green’s flavorful broth made with ingredients including poblano chilis and pepita seeds. Pulled meat (with pork or chicken) is a perfect vehicle to sop it up. Onion, oregano, chilies, pork rinds, avocado, and tostadas come with the dish. You may order from a few ounces to a gallon (or two) for parties.  Pozole is available only on the weekends.

Lulú Álvarez and her husband Joaquín Lara have spent the last 11 years catering to Portage Park with a selection of Mexican street food staples from tacos and tortas to gorditas and pambazos. With their warm hospitality, curated menu, and a little bit of showmanship, it is easy to understand why their clients are so loyal. According to Álvarez, their clients visit from as far as California when they are in town. Pueblo Nuevo is a nod to a small city in Guanajuato, where green pozole is prepared with chicken and tomatillos instead of the pumpkin seeds found in its Guerrerense counterpart. Pozole is usually mild, and heat is adjusted with the chilies that come as garnishes. Save room for a pambazo or a tongue taco.

This Belmont-Cragin BYOB establishment opened its doors in August. The restaurant’s offerings already creating buzz include a Guerrero-style pozole with pork meat in the traditional green, white, and red. Also on the menu is a Morelos-style version with a boiled egg. The headliner — pozole Mixteco or mole pozole — a complex, hyperlocal version of pozole from the Huajuapan de León region of Oaxaca. This variation features chicken and a mole sauce made with nearly 20 ingredients. Its preparation entails a very complex and lengthy process, which according to one of the co-owners, Karla Rodríguez, takes about nine hours to complete. This pozole is served with crispy tostadas and sour cream. Pozole Mixteco is a rare dish that is difficult to find even in Mexico.

At this Logan Square eatery, patrons can enjoy Guanajuato-style pozole. Tomatillo and jalapeños give color, flavor, and consistency to a broth topped with chicken, lettuce, chopped onion, oregano, and chilies. According to co-owner Lorena Ramírez, some of her clients (who hail from as far away as Wisconsin and Indiana) have learned how to eat Guerrero-style pozole and bring pork rinds to add to their food. 

For added posada vibes, the eatery will toast its clients with a cup of the holiday fruit drink known as ponche on December 23rd. El Habanero is cash only, but they do accept Zelle.

Craving pozole at all hours of the night? No problem! This Humboldt Park favorite is open until 1 a.m. on most nights and is open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays. The self-proclaimed “house of pozole” has some serious word of mouth and brings in crowds from Chicagoland and beyond. The team prides itself in the quality of the ingredients they use to prepare their Guerrero-style pozole (green, white, and red), which they make from scratch.

Hailing from Guerrero, Mexico, and following their home state tradition, the Ramírez family follows a family recipe to bring to life their green and white pozole on Thursdays. Patrons can choose from chicken or pork options, and the accouterments are generous. Complete your order with the mildly spicy potato-stuffed taquitos, which are a delicacy in their own right. Rubi’s team is active on social media, with up-to-date information on their schedule and offerings. Pozole can be ordered starting on Mondays.

An established destination for authentic regional Mexican plates and featuring an array of seasonal celebratory dishes available year-round, chef Arturo Linares at La Casa de Samuel features green pozole with chicken during the week and with pork only on the weekends.  Chef Linares pays special attention to the quality of the ingredients and makes everything from scratch, and he recommends pairing pozole with mezcal. There’s also a location in suburban Waukegan.

Born as a modest underground operation in the Macedo family living room, this Archer Heights pozole destination is always busy. The green, white, and red Guerrero-style pozole — available by the plate or by the gallon — follows traditional cooking techniques, including the use of slaked lime to cook the corn, which gives the hominy a soft and chewy consistency. Served with generous portions of avocado, pork rinds, radishes, cabbage, and oregano, the meal is topped with pulled meat, with the perfect consistency to enjoy with the broth. Prompt service and warm hospitality are even more impressive when you learn that the owner is only 19. Other regional offerings include pigs’ feet (by themselves or on tostadas).