Back in 2003, when I’d just arrived in Chicago, my first apartment was in Hermosa on the city’s northwest side. One evening, when I was in the back porch relaxing after a day of work, the street was suddenly filled with the sound of the revving engines. Motorcycles and cars with Mexican flags appeared out of nowhere and raced down the street as ranchero music blasted. I had no idea what was happening, and later learned that my very Mexican neighborhood was celebrating Mexican Independence Day.
Another memory from those early days was my first time shopping at a Mexican supermarket and purchasing a jar of jalapeno peppers. Not really knowing what I’d bought and ignoring my roommates’ warnings, I confidently tried to eat one whole and burned my mouth so badly that I nearly cried at the kitchen table.
My time in Hermosa was limited—only a couple of months—but after I moved out, Mexican culture started to quickly grow on me. With approximately 20% of the city's population, Mexicans are the largest ethnic group, and Chicago is a very Mexican city. Exploring my own city, it was impossible to overlook or ignore this part of its identity. And soon, I fell in love with it. I discovered other Mexican neighborhoods, as well as Mexican restaurants, museums, and sights. My love for Mexican culture culminated when I got serious about and learned Spanish during the pandemic.
To fully experience Mexican Chicago, you’ll need more than a day. The opportunities for exploration are endless, and below, we just want to share a couple of our favorite things.
Pilsen
Chicago doesn’t have one “Little Mexico” neighborhood. But if you ask me to pick my favorite barrio, Pilsen will be my choice. Once populated by Czech immigrants, Pilsen has been a heavily Mexican neighborhood since the 1950s. This part of town is vibrant and has a strong sense of identity. Full of bold socio-political murals and street art, it shows off its creative side mixed with blue-collar roots. The main artery, 18th Street, is lined with great Mexican restaurants, including Chef Alfonso Sotelo’s Cinco Rabanitos and Netflix-featured Carnitas Uruapan.
In the heart of the area is one of the best city museums—the National Museum of Mexican Art. The museum is free and features a fascinating permanent collection and rotating temporary exhibits. The museum is the center of Mexican culture, hosting workshops for kids and adults and an annual artisanal market with high-quality products from Mexican artists. The most exciting event happens in the fall, when the museum hosts the Day of the Dead celebration. Typically, there is a temporary exhibition dedicated to this holiday in the museum, and for one night, the celebration spills outside, with people setting up ofrendas to honor departed loved ones and enjoying traditional Mexican dance and music. The event is getting more and more popular. This year, despite the threats of potential ICE raids, the celebration attracted bigger than ever crowds. We were there in the middle of the action, singing Mexican songs and munching on pan de muerto purchased at the nearby Mexican bakery.
Little Village
Just a few miles west of Pilsen, you can find another epicenter of Mexican life—Little Village or La Villita. If Pilsen has an artsy feel to it, La Villita is a blue-collar immigrant barrio at its core. The main thoroughfare, 26th Street, is filled with Mexican businesses and stores selling everything from cowboy hats to quinceañera dresses. There are plenty of cheap eateries and street food carts offering delicious elotes, paletas, and chili-covered fruit.
Known for its trademark entrance arch, La Villita is where the largest Mexican Independence Day parade in the United States takes place. Drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators each September, the parade is the true celebration of Mexican culture. Colorful floats with catrinas and alebrijes, dancing chinelos, and marching portrayals of Aztec warriors and Mayan gods proudly showcase Mexican traditions and culture with passionate “¡Viva México!” chants echoing along the parade route. It’s one of the most memorable and not-to-miss events in Chicago. We usually arrive early to claim a spot in the shade and to eat at one of our two favorite restaurants in the area: Nuevo Leon and La Catedral Café.
Cicero and Berwyn
These neighborhoods are further west. Like Pilsen, Cicero was historically a home of Czech immigrants. Nowadays, it’s a predominantly working Mexican neighborhood with some of the best gorditas. Las Gorditas De Don Angel offers tasty, thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, beef, and vegetables. Is it worth driving for nearly an hour from our northern suburbs for them? Absolutely!
For the last few years, Berwyn has been hosting a fun run called The Corrida del Mariachi 5k. Held in August, participants run/walk 5k through this Mexican neighborhood. And as you’re passing the neighborhood’s distinctive bungalow homes, you are serenaded by mariachi musicians along the route. Once you cross the finish line, the festivities continue with ballet folklorico and musicians performing for the runners and the guests. Last year, we both ran and finished, and had a lot of fun at the event.
Restaurants
When people ask for Chicago-specific food recommendations, I’m always tempted to add Mexican restaurants to the mix. Deep dish pizza, Italian beef, and Chicago hot dogs are iconic, but Chicago is also the place to try Mexican food. From cheap street tacos at the Maxwell Street market to sophisticated and elegant Mexican fusion establishments in River North, Chicago has options for every taste and wallet. It’s impossible to list all our recommendations—and we still explore the city for new joints—but in addition to the restaurants listed above, these are our favorite spots: Tzuco (River North), Matilda Restaurant (River North), Mariscos San Pedro (Pilsen), Cantón Regio (Pilsen), Santa Masa Tamaleria (Dunning), and La Autentica Doñita Oaxaqueña (Des Plaines).
Festivals and Events
In such a Mexican city, there are plenty of other events year-round celebrating Mexican culture. Each summer, Chicago hosts Tacos and Tamales Festival and Fiesta del Sol. Mexican musical acts can be found performing at Allstate Arena, Thalia Hall, and other venues across the city. Local theaters occasionally do performances in Spanish with English subtitles. And when the Mexican national soccer team or any of the Liga MX teams come to play against a local team, all hell breaks loose, and the game turns into one big Mexican fiesta before, during, and after the game.
From my first days in the city, Chicago has been a great place to experience Mexican traditions and culture. And two decades later, Mexican neighborhoods, food, and celebrations are still one of the biggest reasons I love calling this city home.
