Panaderia Nuevo Leon has been a neighborhood favorite for almost 50 years. Stop in and pick up a tray, a set of tongs, and browse the overwhelming selection of pastries to pick out your two or 20 favorites. This family-owned spot carries a wide variety of Mexican pan dulce, and your tray is sure to be full of fresh cookies, conchas, fruit-filled empanadas, and more by the end of your tour around the bakery.

This might be the best spot in Pilsen for mole. In fact, La Esperanza won the 2021 People’s Choice Award at Mole de Mayo, a summer event that gives local Pilsen cooks and restaurants a chance to highlight their best recipes, with two winners crowned at the end of the fest. The owner, Rosita Camarena, takes influence from her mother’s cooking and uses chiles imported directly from Mexico in everything from their chilaquiles de mole for breakfast to her classic lunchtime chicken mole.

Our appreciation for 5 Rabanitos grows every time we come here - and we come here a lot. This Mexican restaurant has a long menu filled with delicious food. We like the tacos, anything from the huge vegetarian menu, the short ribs in mole manchamanteles, the torta ahogada, enchiladas - basically everything. Come on a weeknight for a casual date night, or on the weekend with a group of friends so you can share the entire menu.

It’s hard to definitively classify the food at S.K.Y., but everything is excellent. You can expect things like lobster dumplings in a buttery lemongrass broth, foie gras bibimbap, and hot and sour duck confit. The space has an industrial feel, with exposed ductwork and brick, and plays the kind of low-key indie rock music that will make you feel like you’re at a chill house party.

HaiSous serves Vietnamese food in a nicely designed modern space with really friendly service. You’re here for things like papaya salad, crispy chicken wings, and mussels in a fantastic coconut broth. Along with ordering a la carte, they also offer a $65 and a $40 family-style tasting menu. And if that isn’t enough for you, they even have Cà Phê Dá - Dang Good Wings, their cute cafe next door.

The giant display of chicharron by the door is a good indicator of how you should be ordering at Don Pedro. The carnitas, chicharron (clearly), and brain tacos are all excellent, and get the mixed plate so you can sample a bunch of stuff. There’s always a line, and there are only a few tables inside, so plan on stopping by for a quick lunch or dinner.

Dusek’s is in Thalia Hall, and the food on their recently revamped menu is still good. Order the schnitzel, the roast chicken, or the oysters. Then go next door to Tack Room, where there’s live music on the weekends - both places are owned by the same people.

If La Luna’s bright orange facade isn’t enough to catch your attention, then the quesabirria or horchata espresso martinis should do the trick. This Latina-owned restaurant serves classic dishes like enchiladas, flautas, and carne asada, but also does a Sunday brunch with things like an excellent chihuahua cheese and egg-topped chorizo breakfast sandwich, which goes great with any of their micheladas. You can also stop by for Happy Hour from Tuesday-Thursday with $10 margaritas and $3 tacos.

As if you needed another reason to enjoy a cocktail and some live music in the neighborhood, Pilsen Yards is here. This place rebranded from the former Monnie Burke’s and transformed into an expansive spot for Mexican street food like carrots al pastor and pina colada ceviche, along with plenty of cocktails to choose from. Their indoor/outdoor patio is a great place to spend a night out with a few drinks and listen to their live vinyl DJ sets that happen every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Birrieria Zaragoza, in Archer Heights, is our favorite place for goat tacos in Chicago. But this spot is a close second. The beef tacos are a solid order, too, but you’re mostly here for the goat (which also comes in stew form). Just come with cash - they don’t take credit cards.

An upbeat spot with a stage and live music throughout the week - plus some solid barbecue. Try to get here early, before the rib tips run out, and make sure you also order the brisket chili that comes with mac and cheese in it. Just don’t count on actually doing any dancing. If you eat the appropriate amount of barbecue, you’ll probably want to go home and sleep instead.

Tres leches cake is all the rage at this place, and it absolutely lives up to the hype. This place is mainly a bakery, but you can also sit down with some coffee and a sweet snack from the short menu. It’s perfect if you like cake and need to get some work done - just don’t think you’ll be the only one with that idea, since there’s wifi and plenty of available outlets.

Cafe Jumping Bean is a neighborhood institution that’s been around since 1994. It’s colorful, with lots of local artwork, and a popular spot for coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. Try their Mexican hot chocolate and a mollete, Mexican bolillo bread sliced open and topped with refried beans, cheese, salsa, and avocado. Their second location, ‘L’ Cafecito, is a quick, walk-up-only spot for coffee if you’re looking for an iced horchata before catching the train.

You might have noticed that Pilsen has a lot of great carnitas spots and Carnitas Uruapan is another one of them. It’s been around since 1975, is consistently busy, and there are no signs it’s slowing down anytime soon. Eating a whole plate of carnitas here is likely to slow you down, though. In a good way.

This is a classic neighborhood dive bar with great burgers, cheap beer, crispy tater tots, and live music on Monday nights. You can’t go wrong with a quick drink and a casual dinner here.