The simple combination of melty cheese blanketing a heap of crisp tortilla chips has long made for one magical dish: nachos. These days, chefs across the nation are working their culinary wizardry on the classic recipe by adding in unexpected ingredients such as Korean gochujang sauce, as well as cauliflower or cashew nacho cheese. Read on to find out where to sample stepped-up versions of the stadium staple.

One of the minds behind this 'cue-centric operation, president and COO Geoff Greenspan, has always counted barbecue and nachos as his two favorite foods. It’s no wonder, then, that he found a way to marry the two beloved dishes into one glorious menu item. "I resisted the urge to pile on the guacamole and sour cream and let the barbecue do the talking," said Greenspan. "What we came up with is the Bull Nachos: a little south of the border mixed with a lot of Texas." Those regionally inspired flavors come roaring through, thanks to a blend of smoked brisket, wet beans and gooey Cheddar cheese draped across crisp tortilla chips. A drenching of Holy Cow’s Q sauce lends a little sweetness to the mix.

Photo courtesy of Ghost Media

This Mexico-inspired spot first made a splash with its whimsical, mezcal-forward cocktails, but the bar’s sophisticated takes on the simplest of snacks — nachos — are fast becoming the sleeper hit. Chef Brad Farmerie went all in on luxury with the Truffle Nachos. Fried corn tortilla chips are doused in a three-cheese sauce made with queso Chihuahua, white Cheddar and Cotija cheese, then heaped with a flurry of grated fresh black truffle and finished with a dusting of chives. "We wanted a decadent addition to our all-nacho bar menu at Ghost Donkey, so we went for a reinterpretation of the classic truffle-cheese combo," said Farmerie. "We also liked how they mirrored the simplicity of the original creation with very few ingredients that each bring something special to the finished dish."

Photo by Max Flatow

Crowds flock to this cozy nest of a restaurant in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood to get their fix of fried chicken. The high-quality, antibiotic-free birds come served in a bevy of craveworthy iterations, including the insanely good Fried Chicken Nachos. Juicy morsels of the signature Honey Butter Fried Chicken are loaded onto a mound of tortilla chips, then layered with melty pimento cheese, candied jalapenos, lime crema and corn pico de gallo until the entire creation stretches above the brim of the bowl. Insider’s tip: The Candied Jalapeno Margarita complements the dish marvelously, as this cocktail incorporates the syrup from the very same candied jalapenos used in the nachos.

Photo courtesy of Honey Butter Fried Chicken