CHIReview
Chilam Balam is a fun little basement room where you’ll be packed together with other people, all eating shareable Mexican food. The menu shifts regularly, but think ceviches, moles, empanadas, and cuts of meat, all with a unique take. Oh, did we mention it’s BYOB? It’s BYOB, though there are some restrictions: you can bring one bottle of wine or six-pack per couple, or one 750ml bottle of tequila. Yes, the only type of liquor you can bring is tequila because Chilam Balam apparently never had a terrible night as a sophomore in college.
It’s a great spot for a date, and you may even be able to impress said date by providing the translation of the name Chilam Balam, “book of the jaguar priest.” Will your date believe you? Who knows, but as long as you get some of the smashed potato salad with brussels sprouts and chorizo on the table, it will be brushed under the table. Because chorizo cures all ailments. (Except for heart disease - it probably doesn’t cure that.)
So bust out the booze you have lying at home, bring some cash (it’s a cash-only spot), and head out to Lincoln Park to eat quality Mexican small plates.