While the debate over whether to use melted cheese or cheese sauce on nachos rages on, Calexico proves that there’s no reason to choose. The California-style Mexican restaurant submerges its chips in both dairy products and completes them with guacamole, roasted corn, black beans, pico de gallo, jalapeños, and sour cream. There are additional locations in Brooklyn, plus a food truck in Soho.

While bar nachos seem simple enough, their execution often leaves a lot to be desired. Valhalla draws in Hell’s Kitchen crowds not just with its top-notch beer selection including 48 craft brews on top, but also with bites that are much better than they need to be. The nachos grande are expertly layered with juicy beef or chicken, onion, sliced olives, jalapeños, and slick, unfussy cheese sauce. The sour cream and salsa on the side ensure everything stays crisp.

Virgil’s is one of the more respectable dining establishments lining Times Square, with its competent barbecue dishes. The nachos don’t skimp on the smoked meats, layering chips with pulled chicken, pulled pork, and Texas-style brisket in addition to cheese, jalapeños, bacon, and scallions.

Though New York is not ground zero for barbecue or Mexican-American food, Hill Country’s excellent, moist smoked brisket makes an ideal accompaniment on its nachos covered in cheese, vegetables, and sour cream. They’re only available on the bar menu, all the better for knocking back with mezcal margaritas.

As nachos are not authentic regional Mexican food, it’s only right that superlative versions come from venues willing to mix up cultures. The barbecue-Mexican hybrid Mexicue offers a classic rendition of nachos with a poblano cheese sauce, black beans, pickled peppers, pico de gallo, and a sprinkling of cotija. But it’s worth the $4 surcharge to get them coated in smoky, sweet burnt ends chili. There are additional locations in Nomad and Times Square.

Started by Californians in 2013, this small East Village taqueria slings reliable tacos, burritos, and nachos that have gained a cult following, allowing the restaurant to expand across the city. Nachos come in six varieties, splayed out on a metal tray for even topping distribution. The crisp, tender carnitas are heaped on the chips with melted Jack, beans, pickled jalapeños and carrots, salsa, plus optional crema and guacamole. There are additional locations in Hell’s Kitchen, Lower East Side, and Williamsburg.

Chef-driven nachos might seem gratuitous for what’s basically a game-day food, but the most casual outpost of Alex Stupak’s gourmet Mexican mini-empire has added nachos alongside the signature spit-roasted pork that suit its bar space. The delicate tortilla chips, made fresh daily, get a generous dousing of crema and pico de gallo.

The tortilla chips at this cheerful beer-focused bar near the BQE are neither artisanal nor house-fried, but that matters little once they’ve been coated in the abundant portion of juicy pulled pork, pungent white cheese sauce, pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole. In warmer months, enjoy them at one of the outside tables with a spicy brew that can stand up to all that flavor.

The nachos in this festive Mexican joint from the Starr Restaurants group (Upland, Le Coucou) come with equally colorful names. The Nacho Mama plate ingeniously arranges the thick tortilla chips in a giant single layer, so each bite gets a helping of melted jack cheese, black beans, salsa ranchera, sour cream, and pickled red onion and jalapeño. The Macho Nacho rendition is the same, but adds chorizo.

This meticulously conceived Williamsburg dive embraces down-home American food with sophisticated twists, from its fried chicken plate to the Cadillac Nachos, a massive pile of fried tortilla chips that are thoroughly layered from top to bottom with piquant cheese sauce, crema, and not one but three salsas. Despite their artery-clogging potential, they also get a vibrant shower of radishes, scallions, and cilantro.

This barebones spot in the heart of Bushwick’s hip Jefferson stop area splits its menu between Puebla specialties, like the sauce-soaked pambazo sandwich, and comforting Tex-Mex go-tos. The thin, crispy tortilla chips in the nachos come topped with beans, sour cream, queso blanco, cilantro, onion, and jalapeño, and work nicely with carnitas. Supplement them with the homemade chili con queso, which improves on the tried-and-true Velveeta and Rotel formula with a sharper cheese flavor. The result is both gooey and crunchy.