Coyotes
The salsa here is seriously good and perfect with thin, oily chips. There are all the Mexican standards, plus a few that the gringos don’t normally get, like chicharrones con verde. Generous tortas are five dollars. They have ice cream and grilled green onions and warm corn tortillas. Being open at 5am lends Coyotes a truck-stop feel, but because of the simple, well-made food, whole families can be clustered around the one big table at any time. If the line at Nuevo Leon is too long, Coyotes is an acceptable alternative in terms of both price and quality (plus, they take credit cards). And if it’s 2am, well, they’re your only option.
1451 W. 18th, 312.243.8550
Best of Chicago 2014