Carbondale is known as the hub for Southern Illinois. With the University, and a large town, Carbondale is full of diversity. One way this diversity is shown, is through the restaurants of Carbondale.  In this town, you can go to a variety of restaurants, each with their own menu that correlates with the cuisine from that country.

Out of all of the fantastic options here in Carbondale, probably my favorite is the Mexican food, and I am sure that many people from this town will agree with me. The Mexican food from this town is special because we have over 8 local Mexican restaurants in this town alone. Not to diminish the others, because each of the other restaurants have their specialties, but my personal favorite happens to be Chango’s and here is why.

I love Chango’s because it is quick, cheap, and the food is amazing. The location of the store is on Main Street, which is great for business. Now to focus on the important stuff. Chango’s restaurant itself has a modern theme, and it is constantly playing Mexican music which puts you into the mood to eat their food. It is a Subway-style of ordering, where you pick what kind of meal you would like, and then you add whatever you want to it. My personal favorite is their burritos. When you order a burrito there, you are given options on size, and flavor of the tortilla. I always chose the 14 inch regular tortilla.

The options are what set them apart. They have three kinds of rice, two kinds of beans, 6 different meets, and almost any vegetable you can think of when ordering. It’s not just the food that makes this place special too. The workers there are always friendly, and if you are nice to them, they will not hesitate to add a little more of the ingredients that you ordered for free. Of course they have the classic toppings, like shredded cheese, sour cream, and the other foundations of Mexican food. They do have queso cheese here, but I am sad to say that it is only average compared to their other options.

Like any successful Mexican restaurant, Chango’s has an amazing salsa selection. It ranges from regular, spicy, hot, and flaming. My personal favorite is the hot salsa as it comes with a kick, but still taste good. The chips at Chango’s are another plus as they are made at the restaurant and taste extremely well. As you are paying for your meal, you are given a large choice from drinks. You can choose either a fountain drink, or go old school and get glass bottles of your favorite drinks, or even stick to the Mexican cuisine track and get their Horchata.

If I were to recommend one local Mexican restaurant in Carbondale, it would be Chango’s because they bring in so many different forms of Mexican cuisine. You can go their a hundred times and get something different every time. I would give it a 4.6 out of 5 stars if there was a rating for it. If you haven’t tried Chango’s yet, I encourage you to go try it today.

Feel free to go and check out their website here.