Mexican-style grilled corn, cut off the cob into a cup, layered with mayo, cotija cheese, chilli powder and lime: Chicago's ballpark and street-cart staple.

Elote (corn on the cob) and esquites (the same flavours in a cup) crossed from central Mexico into Chicago via Pilsen and Little Village paleterias and pushcarts in the 1980s. The cup format took off because it was easier to eat on the move: corn cut from a grilled cob, butter, mayo, cotija, chilli powder and lime juice, scooped with a spoon. By the 2010s the elote cart became as much a part of the Chicago summer streetscape as the hot dog wagon. Wrigley Field added a stand in 2018 and the AT&T Plaza outside the United Center followed. La Michoacana Premium and the carts along 26th and 18th Streets are the canonical references; the Wrigley cup is the visitor's gateway.

2 editor picks for Elote in a cup in Chicago, ranked by editorial score. All Chicago signature dishes · Elote in a cup across every city.