I anticipated dining out at many a fabulous restaurant during our Chicago trip but sadly the reality was that with a group our size ( 6 adults and 4 kids) it was impossible to do a random pop in to many of the restaurants on my list. Of course we could have tried to make a few reservations ahead of time but we were out and about trying to fit so many things into our three day visit that we figured we’d try our luck by going to restaurants that were nearby when we were hungry. Which is how we stumbled on my favourite spot during that visit, Las Palmas, a Mexican restaurant in Wicker Park.

Our original plan was to sample the popular pizza and pint joint Piece Brewery but as luck would have it, just before our group arrived they had two large groups of 14 + walk in and so they were jam packed and a two hour wait was not an option for us. Out came my trip advisor app and I managed to convince our group to swing by Las Palmas where we were greeted warmly, high chairs brought out and ushered to the middle room.

 

 

Whilst we were serenaded by a musical trio I sipped on a Margarita and noshed on the best Guacamole I’ve had outside of my kitchen. It had a lovely spicy kick to it that I’m going to try and replicate. I was eyeing the Coconut Mojito but never got around to sampling it unfortunately. The Little Monkey got juice in a very kid proof cup with a lid and straw. We also had the shrimp, crab meat and Chihuahua cheese Empanadas with a peanut- jalapeño salsa along with the Ahi Tuna Ceviche. Each dish was well made, simple yet authentic and extremely fresh.

 

 

The vibe was very relaxed yet upscale and family friendly. There were a couple groups around us and celebrations were in the air as those behind us had a birthday in the group. Their cake looked unreal! The toddlers and babies were well taken care of here. High chairs and change tables are available. Luckily, as we needed to do a couple diaper changes during our visit.

Figuring out my main was a tough decision as I wanted to sample quite a few but finally I settled on the La Casa Borracha , a Pineapple and tequila soaked skirt steak on a stack of rum-cured plantains and papas fritas with mango pico de gallo. This boozy goodness was the perfect way to wind down a meal with family and friends. You’re getting an authentic Mexican meal with a slight fusion twist here and definitely a spot I’d return to.