Frontera Grill

Frontera Grill opened in River North in 1987 and is the flagship of Rick and Deann Bayless's restaurants. It focuses on regional Mexican cooking, with flavours built on ingredients such as tomatillos, black beans and chiles, and it suits both a casual lunch and a celebratory dinner.

The menu changes with the seasons and draws on dishes from different parts of Mexico, so it is worth asking staff for recommendations. The restaurant's own pages mention dishes such as enfrijoladas, and the menu is worth reading closely, as it highlights regional specialities that are less common elsewhere in the city. The kitchen is led by chef de cuisine Richard James, with Jennifer Melendrez as pastry chef, and the restaurant belongs to the same family as Topolobampo and XOCO.

Opening hours are specific, so check before you go. Frontera is closed on Sunday and Monday. From Tuesday to Friday it serves lunch from 11:30am to 2:30pm, and dinner runs from 5:20pm on Tuesday and from 5pm on Wednesday to Friday, until 10pm midweek and 11pm on Friday. On Saturday there is brunch from 10:30am to 2pm and dinner from 5pm to 11pm. The restaurant also closes on several holidays and takes an annual break in early January.

Only a limited number of reservations are taken, and most of the dining room is kept for walk-ins on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want a booked table, call the restaurant or use the reservation link on the website; otherwise arrive early, particularly for dinner on Friday and Saturday, and expect a wait at peak times.

Frontera suits groups, couples and families who want a relaxed, convivial meal, and it is a good introduction to Mexican regional cooking for first-time visitors to Chicago. Prices are mid to upper range for a casual restaurant. Allow around 90 minutes for a meal. Private events can be arranged through the restaurant's events team.

The restaurant is on North Clark Street in River North, within walking distance of the Magnificent Mile, the Riverwalk and many downtown hotels. Three Dots and a Dash, the tiki bar a few doors away on Clark Street, makes an easy stop for a drink afterwards.