That Little Mexican Cafe II

Really slow service we got there at 6 and left at 8 we only spend 30 minutes eating. The rest of the time was waiting for someone to come to us or for the food and drinks to arrive. The only thing that didn’t take long was the bill. The food wasn’t that great. We didn’t even get utensils to eat with.

We decided to come here because of the patio. The house margarita was good and definitely gave me an appropriate buzz! We ordered an appetizer, entrée and two tamales. After 30 minutes, the server came and said the tamales wouldn’t be ready for another two hours. I was disappointed and ordered some tacos instead. Our food arrived about 15 minutes later and the appetizer was nowhere to be found. Oh and also the server dumped water on my foot and brand new shoe. She apologized for the mishaps but didn’t offer any comps. Definitely will NOT be back.

So, the customer service is fantastic. Very prompt, polite and courteous staff; it’s the food that’s, like, middle of the road, for me.
First and foremost, I stopped in here after chilling at Starbucks across the street and needing to both eat lunch and pee real bad (someone was doing God knows what in the Starbucks bathroom and I didn’t want to stick around to see what; but for that, I probably wouldn’t have come to this place). Anyway, It was nearly empty at 12:30 PM on a Monday.
The waitress greeted and seated me right away. She also brought out chips, salsa and water pretty swiftly. She was really attentive.
I ordered the shirmp and peppers — cardone (or something like that). Omgahhh it was so basic. I mean, the shrimp were definitely of the frozen variety. The rice at the bottom was mad overcooked. The shrimp were overdone. And the sauce it all sat stewing in had a cheap taste to it, as well as a stank after-​taste. Then, to add insult to injury, there were random pieces of corn and peas mixed in here and there. The tortillas were warm, but chewy. How sway? How are tortillas chewy? Anyway, the best thing on the table were the chips and salsa, which I give a firm ⁷⁄₁₀; the rest of it tasted and looked like prison food. Dafuq?
Definitely not doing this again; it was as disappointing as the three overall Unilocal stars suggested, yet I went anyway. Yet I went anyway. Don’t be like me.

The food was good but the people who work there are awful and ignore you. I walked in and 2 people who work there walked past me without seating me. I sat at the bar because I got sick of waiting to be seated… The bartender made awesome margaritas but never asked me how my food was when I ordered and they charge 1.25 for a side of sour cream. It was disappointing.

I’ve been here several times… wrote my last review back in 2014. I decided to indulge a craving today (and it just happens to be Cinco de Mayo).
Again, I got the fresh guacamole… and this time, I wanted to make sure to save room for dessert (because I usually can’t fit any in after I’ve pigged out here). So, I only ordered an Azteca salad… and it was delicious… and might’ve been filling all on its own, but I was determined to get some sweets.
So, when I saw the dessert menu, I noticed 3 of the choices had «mini» options… so, I ordered all three! One bite-​sized flan, a tiny order of sopapillas with honey, cinnamon and ice cream… and I saved the best for last… a corner of tres leches cake (topped with a drop of chocolate sauce and sliced strawberry).
The young woman who showed me to my booth, took my order and brought my food was friendly, as she always is.
It was literally a perfect experience.

Not the best Mexican in town… but that’s tough because Chicago has so many so good. But the food is very good (salsa is fresh and fantastic), margaritas are great, staff is welcoming, attentive, and excellent, and great ambience, neighborhood clientele and «feel» — all round very good neighborhood spot!

The bad service reviews must be a late night thing here? I came during the day on Sunday and had such a great meal I’m here again on Wednesday ordering the same thing. The margaritas are CHEAP and very good. I get a shrimp dinner with tortillas for 10.95 – absolutely delicious. I’ve had nothing but prompt service here. This is one of my new favorite spots!

I don’t understand all the 1-​star reviews (unless you’re judging on service alone). The service quality itself can be lacking but I’ve had great interactions with at least 2 staff members who are genuinely pleasant and helpful. That tends to count more for me.
For the food quality, presentation, variety, uniqueness of menu, and price point, TLM is pretty impressive. My two absolute go-​to favorites are the Tropical Bites Platter and Salmon Yucateco; the flavors work very well. I know I’ve had better steak and chicken elsewhere (steak or chicken fajitas at Uncle Julio’s are bomb) but all their tacos, steak chimichurri, or fajitas aren’t necessarily bad.
I certainly wouldn’t be disappointed eating here. Kudos to the head chef for making the menu here more inventive than your average Mexican restaurant. It’s working for me.

I’m from Miami here on vacation and OMG their fajitas tasted delish!!! Real meat and chicken nothing compared to sucky chilis. Their guac was amazing. Prices are good too. I highly recommend it.

Great food and atmosphere. Their salsa was awesome and my steak quesadilla was one of the best quesadillas I’ve ever had! It was kind of pricey but for the quality I would say worth it.

Seriously bad service. We ended up cancelling the guacamole order because it never actually came out. Then our tacos took over 25 mins and the rice and beans were lukewarm. Our water was not once refilled. I used to live in Evanston and was a regular at the one there. I will NOT be a regular at this little Mexican café.

3.5 stars for sure. Put it this way: I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, but I’m glad I found it.
It was simple — I was craving Mexican but didn’t want to sit at a divey taqueria, or pay $ 20 for enchiladas somewhere fancy. The Café hit that middle ground in almost every respect.
Large seating area, bar, décor… They threw a few bucks at this place, giving it a warm festive atmosphere. The service was on point from start to finish, and very friendly. Great margaritas, and though there are no micheladas listed on the menu, they were happy to make me one.
Ordered the steak and chicken fajita combo, also not listed, but again the Café was more than accommodating. Nothing stood out about the food, but didn’t disappoint either. There’s something a little strange about being neither impressed nor dissatisfied, but the reasonable pricing certainly played a part in me not getting overly critical.
Will I be back? Yes, but only because it’s right by my place. In order for this establishment to hit 4 or 5 stars it’ll need to up it’s fajita game. To be honest, the chicken and steak tasted pre made. It was weird, like leftovers that remind you of how great the original meal was.
In any case, I’ll be back, try other stuff and fill you in.

We visited this location after admiring it from the outside for over a year. We dropped in around 5 PM, and it was mostly empty except for a few tables, and some patrons at the bar. Our drink orders came pretty quickly, as did some chips and salsa which was a nice touch.
One thing about the menu that stood out were the prices; they were quite high. I ordered two chicken tacos, and a side of rice. My boyfriend ordered the chicken burrito.
Once we ordered, service became a little slow. We waited about fifteen minutes for our food, and it came out warm, not hot. My boyfriend requested no lettuce and sour cream in his burrito, but he cut into it and it was bleeding sour cream. It took another few moments to flag down our server — he was at the front conversing with the host — and swap out the dish.
The service got a little better after this. Our server brought our first drink refills, and the second burrito came out quickly and hot. The chicken in both dishes were phenomenal. Marinated with what tasted like lime and just the right amount of spices. I would have liked some hot sauces on the table, but didn’t feel like flagging the server down again to get some.
My only quibble with the food would be the side of rice. The portion was minuscule, and it didn’t taste authentic at all. It kind of tasted like an Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice version of Mexican.
All in all, there are numerous other places in Chicago to get delicious Mexican food. What you’re really paying for here is ambiance. The interior is beautiful, and seasonally decorated.

My first time eating here, and definitely not disappointed. Will definitely return. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Burrito. Five Stars!!!

We go the one in Evanston all the time, and it looks like we will always only go to the one in Evanston from now on.
Took us five minutes to get noticed/​seated even then the restaurant was empty (two other tables), the hostess apologized for seating us at the table right by the host stand because «all of the other tables are dirty right now», and then it took another 10 – 15 minutes for a server to come by. When the server did come by he was apologetic, but the chips were stale and the salsa was watery. The food was OK, but still not as good as it is in Evanston.
The visit ended with my man’s trip to the restroom, where he encountered urine in the sink…

The food here was decent. The shrimp fajitas were flavored well, and the onions and peppers cooked nice and caramelized. The rice was good, beans good, guac good, salsa good.
Service: have no clue why it took 30 mins, but it did. Our server disappeared… everything just took awhile. The fact that she said tor-​till-​a (instead of tor-​tee-​ya) is a bit irksome. She was clearly of eastern European descent, and I know everyone who works there doesn’t have to be Mexican, but… still.
I’m not too unhappy, but considering the slightly higher cost (as compared to other Mexican restaurants in Chicago), the mediocre quality (relative to Chicago), and ridiculous slow service… they get 3 stars.

A review in list format:
1. Staff greeted us politely, and we sat anywhere — restaurant was nearly empty at 3:30 on a Saturday.
2. Salsa and chips as the «table bread» — phenomenal! Warm chips and mild salsa.
3. Drinks — A+. We had a margarita and a mojito. Both were prepared quickly and expertly and deliciously.
4. My boyfriend got the steak burrito: steak was cooked perfectly, medium rare. «Juicy, tender, delicious» (direct quote). Filling.
Wasn’t mind-​blowing, but we would come back here. Drinks alone are yum! Our waitress was very nice, attentive, and professional.

Service here the couple times I’ve come for dinner/​brunch were pretty terrible. I had to hail down my waitresses to get my check or refills on my water/​chips/​salsa. But I come back because the food can be pretty tasty!
A favorite is the chicken tinga burrito. While it’s not the cheapest Mexican food you’ll find in the area, it’s tasty and it’s a very comfortable environment to have a sit down meal. Also, their guacamole is top notch and made tableside. I think $ 8 is expensive for guacamole but this guac is so good it’s worth it!
The one dish I had that I was a bit disappointed in were the duck flautas made of sweet potato tortilla. The «tortilla» was super thick and didn’t really have much flavor. I wish it was thinner and they had more duck inside. It came with a side of rice (which I love here) and papaya salad which I was really excited to try but ended up not being much more than some papaya and mango sprinkled with queso fresco on top. I expected there to be at least some dressing or have the fruit tossed with something but really it was just a side of fruit :(
They have a pretty decent Mexican buffet brunch on Sunday mornings for $ 11 and it includes guacamole and a whole variety of your typical mexican dishes. So if you’re looking to try them out, I’d suggest coming here! It’s more affordable than ordering off the dinner menu and you can find what you like!

This place is so close to 5 stars it hurts. Amazing flavors, probably the best guac I’ve ever had at a restaurant, and very traditionally-​season meats. Quite authentic… would definitely try it again. Great value for the amount of food you get!

For the best quality and expeirence go for dinner.
Fresh made quac is worth the price. Large portion made in front of you but unexcited workers.
I’ve had the chicken fajitas and my boyfriend has had the chicken burrito twice. We’ve found our favorites. The TLMC margarita is a great value but they also have a large tequila menu to choose from too.
Overall it’s a nice spot when you’re craving Mexican and a drink but don’t want to shell out too much cash.