El Mariachi remains near and dear to my Mexican food loving heart for so many reasons, but it still remains my first love for margaritas. I found this place a long time ago with a friend when we were in this neighborhood of Chicago to see a theater show. Luckily for us, we were not swayed by their tiki-esque bar decor and decided to saddle up for some margaritas before going on our merry way. Success lies not only with their traditional lime margs, but their Pineapple margarita is hands down my favorite fruity flavored margs in the city.

Aside from their tasty drinks, like many notable Mexican restaurants, they make their tortilla chips in-house. You automatically get my vote for good chips when you make them in house.  I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of mexican-style chips and I’m telling you these are some of THE BEST I have had here in Chicago. And, if you decide to upgrade from the complimentary salsa, I recommend ordering the guacamole which is prepared in front of you table-side and allows for you to request your preference of spice-level. By the time it comes to actually getting into some entrees, which are always quite good, I’m usually filled up on chips and margaritas!  Highly recommend for a fun gathering with small or large groups alike.