Despite the fact that we got a ticket as we were eating because our car had no front license plate, the food was good. I just thought that the lunch menu on Saturday was a little light on choices. But overall it was a good experience. We usually go back to Adobo every once in a while but it's not our favorite Mexican place. read more

I love Adobo! We frequent this place often (...like, once a week!) and always start off with the table-side guacamole, which is really absolutely fabulous! It is some of the best guacamole I've ever tasted. I have tried many items on the menu, most of them are great, though there have been a few misses. Some of my favorite dishes would be the Gorditas and the Sabultes de Pollo, which are both appetizers, and the Chicken Cazuelas. If you're going on a weekend, be sure to make a reservation or be prepared to wait. It can get pretty busy at times, especially before and after shows at Second City. Service can sometimes be spotty when the place is busy, but the waitstaff is generally great. There is outdoor seating in the warmer months, which is fun! The area is really nice, and Wells is nice to walk around on a bit after your delicious meal! read more

I'm a big fan of the guacamole they make right at your table and their margaritas are pretty good, but as far as the entrees I think there are much better Mexican restaurants in Chicago. read more

I second/third/fourth/nth the opinions about the guac and the margaritas--to die for! I always get the mole chicken, and I love it. Go there now, but make a reservation first so you don't wait 9 years to be seated. read more

3.5 Stars. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the food here. The one big disappointment of the night was the guac - not only did we NOT get table-side service, but the guac had NO flavor. After telling the server that I needed more jalapenos, cilantro, salt, ANYTHING, it was finally edible. Luckily, everything else turned out excellent.. - margaritas were yummy - mojitos came with sugar cane! - entrees were a tiny bit overpriced, but delicious. I had the short ribs, and it was amazyingly tender ! Others ordered the flank steak, and it looked amazing as well. - Dessert-wise, we had a mango dessert and flan - both yummy Overall, a good experience. I'd come back for the margaritas and the short ribs. read more

Their quac and pina coladas are pretty solid. Nice that they customize the guac table side and the pina coladas are in a pineapple and pretty strong! Knocking them down a few stars because they don't let customers make special requests to change the entrees. I'm a big fan of stake enchiladas. They only have chicken enchiladas on the menu. They certainly have steak in the restaurant, but they won't let you order steak enchiladas. I LOVE enchiladas and it's usually the only thing I order when I go to a Mexican restaurant. Yes, maybe I should expand my horizons, but the mix of cheese, meat, salsa and all the rest makes my taste buds happy. I find more and more restaurants won't let you customize and it's a little frustrating read more

I went to Adobo Grill on Wells this past weekend. Excellent drinks! I had the pineapple tequila and rum cocktail, which was yummy. I always order chicken fajitas, which they don't technically have on the menu, but the closest thing was the platos adobados, which was basically the same thing in corn tortillas. My boyfriend ordered the tamales, which he loved. The thing to order is definitely the table side guac made fresh. I also enjoyed the trio of salsas that were served with the chips - not many places give you any variety, it's usually just one salsa, and it always seems to be too spicy and hot for me! The food is average - not the best mexcian, but pretty good. I like the ambiance - lively on a saturday night, pretty spacious and spread out, not too loud, young crowd. I would probably go back again, although I prefer a place with fajitas. read more

(2.5 stars) On our very first night in Chicago, my father and I trekked from The Loop to Lincoln Park to join one of my college friends for dinner at Adobo Grill. We walked in well before our reservation time (Having only been in the city for a day, I was still shaky on estimating the time it would take to get around. Sue me.), so we settled in at the bar until she arrived. I decided to kill time with an Adobo Margarita. Oh. Wow. Phenomenal. Best margarita I had ever tried. Perfect blend of acidity, tartness and sweetness. Save for the fact that its alcohol content was 0%. All the calories without the buzz. Le sigh. When we were seated in the fun, tri-level, salmon-colored space, I followed my friend's advice and ordered the Enchiladas de Pollo. Too bad I forgot that I don't like chicken. Especially flavorless, mealy chicken. read more

The only real reason you need to come here is for the guacamole. Entrees are a bit overpriced and nothing to rave about. As many of the other reviewers have said, come for the guacamole and stay for a margarita. read more

The food was not-memorable, although the restaurant itself was a nice space. The downsides: the prices are way too high and the service left much to be desired. Evidently the valets are not paid well, as they stole about $75 from my car and about $300 in change from another person in my group's car. Went back in and reported the incidents and was informed there was nothing anyone could do. Based on this negative experience, and less than stellar restaurant itself, I will not be returning nor recommending it to any other friends or family. read more

I moved to Old Town about a year ago and Adobo was my first meal in the neighborhood. I'm not sure if it was the magic of being back in Chicago or perhaps the 3 EXCELLENT margaritas I downed over the course of a couple hours, but I walked away pretty sure that I had found my neighborhood go-to dinner spot. Four trips later (including brunch) and I am sorry to say that Adobo has not once since lived up to that first night. Adobo hasn't done anything terribly wrong but just doesn't live up to the type of restaurant it prices itself as. The service is consistently inconsistent, the food ranges from outstanding (tableside guacamole, enchiladas w/mole) to just so-so (salmon, arrachera, everything at brunch), and some dishes have been knockouts at times and just ok at others (lomito). I do give points for location, a lively atmosphere, and for staying true to Mexican (not Americanized tex-mex) inspired dishes. The margaritas and guacamole truly are oustanding and I'm sure I'll be back for these, but I can't give a ringing endorsement for dinner or brunch. If you want fabulous real Mexican food, try Frontera Grill instead. read more

Definitely a different take on Mexican food. From the looks of the menu, you wouldn't think it was your typical selection and you'd be right! This place did not disappoint even though I was skeptical at first. The tableside guacamole was definitely a good choice and the margarita's are good as well. I've had my share of Mexican food after living in San Diego, Austin and New York but everyone has their personal preference. read more

Yet another awesome eatery within walking distance from my new place! It seems to always be hoppin', so i had to try it. One annoying thing is that you have to pay for chips and salsa (but the homemade salsas are phenom). The homemade Guac is out of this world. i could eat buckets of that stuff all day, every day. The cadillac margaritas are also pretty freegin' amazing. Yes, it's not cheap, but it's tasty and a fun place to grab some drinks and good grub. read more

Besides great guacamole this place has some very tasty entrees. I had the grilled tamarind chicken and it was very good. There are a few interesting options for vegetarians such as butternut enchiladas. We went here before going to second city - which is right next door. Be sure to make a reservation because this place is packed. read more

I loved this place! The guacamole was amazing, so yummy. The margaritas were great, shaken at the tables. And for a vegetarian who wasn't in the mood for the typical cheesy bean enchilada or veggie fajitas, I thought their plato vegetariano was really tasty and different. The best part was the zucchini stuffed with goat cheese. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive, and I have to admit, I loved the Cancun-esque music - made me want to dance! read more

This is definitely one of my favorite upscale-Mexican places to dine. The guacamole is a must! While there are always too many great menu choices to order just one, I typically order the Pollo al Tamarindo. HOLY CATS do I love that dish...and I do not love chicken in general, let me tell you. The service has always been on the average side and sometimes the seating arrangements can be a little "cozy" with neighboring diners, but Adobo Grill has never failed me. We use this as a night-out restaurant to get things going--the margaritas are definitely on-point! read more

This review is of only two things there: guac & margaritas. Stopped in with a friend for post-dinner drinks and went with a standard margarita. Typically I'm not a fan of just an original flavored margarita. I usually opt for a mango or raspberry or some other sort of fruity concoction. Not here. Served in a cute little martini glass (I really thought that touch was neat) this margarita went down so smooth. Maybe a little too smooth! Due to our persuasive waiter, we also went with some guacamole. Feeling bold, I ordered it spicy, figuring that most places idea of spicy guac isn't that spicy at all. Wrong-O. Still delicious, but still super spicy. And there goes more of that margarita down into my belly. The chips were also fantastic. I can't vouch and say that they were made fresh - but they were thick and not too salty. 'Ritas & guac - two of my favorite things, and two things done very well by Adobo. read more

We've been to both Adobo Grill locations a few times, but it had been quite a long time before today's lunchtime disaster. I will say the guacamole was as good as ever and our service was quite fine, but the thing my wife got on her plate that was supposed to be a Roasted Vegetable Quesadilla was an all-time disaster, so laughable we couldn't really get angry about it. Imagine, if you will, the sight of three tiny tortillas folded over with nothing but melted cheese and several corn kernals inside them. It might feed an emaciated sparrow. We're very sorry we didn't have a camera on us. My Chicken Torta, meanwhile, was served on crusty old bread and wasn't so much a torta as a fried chicken sandwich with old lettuce and tomato that may have been heated up after spending a few years in a freezer. It was food so bad it defied belief. Keep in mind the service was fine and the guacamole was great but it's clear that coming here is a risk. read more

This place is fabulous. We were allowed our puppies on the patio. We had for appetizer the chicken flauta, then followed by the carne asada, and then the tres leches cake. I haven't had Mexican food so good in awhile that this was an absolute treat. I recommend this restaurant to anyone in the city. If you want to hang out for the day, then by all means bring your dog and enjoy the patio together. read more

Adobo Grill - My dog Rico enjoying beef gorditas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pretty average mexican joint that operates under the cover of high prices and overused words such as "Authentic." Sometimes a place really nails the three star rating, and Adobo is one such spot. Wait service was neither bad nor particularly attentive. Drinks were fine though small. Food was decent though not terribly memorable. Really the only note-worthy aspect of our dining experience was how fast the bill at an average mexican restaurant could equal that of a nice steak house. read more

Ironically enough, Adobo needed way more adobo in their food! Everything was so bland and tasteless. Carne asada literally had no seasoning at all. The meat was laid on a sauce that was also bland. There was also a bed of greasy spinach with a potato/chorizo timbale-didn't add anything to the dish. Not much chorizo, mostly greasy potatoes. We ordered two desserts to share because we had heard that they were very good. We tried the chocolate tamal and the flan. The chocolate tamal was extremely tiny first off for $6 with the smallest scoop of ice cream I've ever seen. It was basically like a gooey uncooked brownie. The flan was very bland, tasted like something out of a box. Overall, this is definitely not authentic Mexican food. Absolutely horrible experience and our check was way too high. Go to Ay Chiwowa instead! Their food is fresh, authentic, flavorful and definitely not greasy. Stay away!!! What a waste of money. I wanted to cry when I saw the check, might as well have eaten dog food. read more

First of all, I've lived in quite a few places around the country and one of those places was Texas and Adobo might have the best guacamole i've ever had. This place is fantastic. From the atmosphere, to the drinks, to the food, it's a can't miss. Reservations are highly recommended as it can get packed especially before and after Second City comedy club lets out. Great food, strong margaritas, and a knowledgeable staff. What more could you want? read more

Went for a Saturday dinner to this place. They have a nice seating arrangement outside as well. Inside, the walls are decorated with paintings. Ordered for the usual Guac with chips, the server prepared the guacamole in front of us! It was great!! We ordered Mango Daiquiri to drink, it was lovely. For the main course came Chicken Enchiladas which didn't turn out as expected, there was too much curry and the wraps had turned soggy. The overall ambience was good, music was okay and wasn't too heavy on the pocket. read more

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Holy table side guacamole!! I have eaten here before and came back recently with my boyfriend to show off the amazing guac here. This place is always crowded and even with a reservation on a Wednesday night we had to wait. The entire menu is over priced and I think the restaurant in general is a tad over rated. But I do think the drinks are tasty - I had the red sangria and the table side guac is fun to watch and even better to eat. My boyfriend had the enchiladas which to him were mediocre and I tried the Cazuelas which are Earthenware casseroles right out of the oven, topped with cheese and tortillas for making tacos. You can get cheese, chicken or chorizo with pork or a combo of all 3 for $15.99. I tried the combo but really the cheese is where its at. For dessert, we shared the Pastel de Tres Leches which is three milk soaked pecan-cake in a phyllo cup; canela strawberries, coconut-caramel mousse. This was VERY tasty! I'd go back to Adobo for drinks and guac but that's probably it. read more

Guacamole and drinks are delicious, but not as good as Las Palmas. Unimpressed by the entrees, nice ambiance though. Apparently they have gluten-free menu choices, so I'll have to check back and give them a shot. Maybe their wheatless goodness will impress my palate:) read more

An overall Meh. I wasn't incredibly hungry so split the cod tacos with a friend (16$ for 3). The tacos came with some "fiesta rice" which reminded me of cafeteria veggies and terribly steamed rice. The chips and guac were wonderful (8$), and some artfully displayed enchiladas also proved to be good as well. Was the food fine? Yes. Was it incredible? Far from it. While I did not hate Adobo or it's wonderful little patio, there are so many other good authentic Mexican restaurants for about half the cost. The patio is perfect for the summer, but I left feeling unsatisfied and unsure if I'll be returning. read more

Although the price was a little high and the service was a bit slow, my roommate and I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. Their guacamole is delicious. The medium was perfect for my sensitive Minnesotan taste buds. They offer fresh squeezed orange juice, but I could have passed on it. Their enchilades de pollo were much better than the ones I had at another restaurant the night before. The red sauce perfectly complimented the shredded chicken and they didn't skimp on it. We would have tried the dessert pastel de tres leches, but our service was so slow that we had to decline and try not to get a parking ticket at our meter. My roommate didn't get his Pepsi until the third ask. Those are the only real complaints. read more

It seems to be difficult to diverge from what other Yelpers have repeated endlessly: 1. Outstanding guacumole made fresh 2. So-so food 3. Great atmosphere For the herbivore, there are only two or three choices here and even then, they're not so impressive. read more

I came here a few years ago with some friends, and fondly remember their butternut squash enchiladas. Even though they're no longer on the menu, I couldn't pass up a spectacular Groupon for the restaurant. Starters: Tableside guacamole and the empanadas potosinas. The guac was AMAZING. There was a little confusion, as the lady who was supposed to make our guac ended up making it for the table next to us (who hadn't ordered it yet). But, it wasn't a big deal and she promptly made ours when we requested it. The empandas were good. They were sitting in this amazing tomatillo salsa. Perfectly crispy and cheesy. Entrees: I ordered the Platos Vegetarianos because I was tired of the same old enchiladas. For $16, I was expecting a bit more food. There was a small asparagus and tomato salad to the side, a tiny goat cheese filled zucchini, a normal sided tamale, and one empanada. I could have gotten more food at any other Mexican place for half the price. I guess you pay more for quality. It was delicious, but the portions were just really small. The boy got the Pechuga, which was adobo marinated roast chicken breast with sautéed chayote, mushrooms, corn, rajas and ancho salsa. He seemed to like it. Desserts: Man oh man, you can't go wrong with the Tres Leches. Unbelievably moist, in a phyllo shell covered in chocolate, strawberries and caramel. I was a happy camper after this. The ambience is good. The tables are a bit packed together, but it wasn't a problem for us. Our server was nice, but seemed a bit flaky. The only times he ever came to our table were when we signaled for him (even to order). read more

Contemporary Mexican in a clean restaurant with excellent service? Yes, please. Several friends recommended we check out Adobo Grill prior to our show at Second City. We enjoyed delicious guacamole made tableside and perfect margaritas. My husband ordered the pork dish which was actually seasoned slices of pork. I had the chicken enchilladas (how gringa). Our servers, Christian and Eduardo, were johnny on the spot with refilling our drinks, answering our entree questions and suggesting tequilas. They even got down on the floor and fixed our wobbly table. Our entrees were above average, good not great, but the margaritas and guacamole are what made our evening. I'd say Adobo is a little bit more expensive for Mexican but given the location/neighborhood our bill was what I was expecting. read more

Adobo Grill - Guacamole is made table side. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Adobo Grill gets lots of business because of it's great location(s) and bomb margaritas. The problems with Adobo outweigh the positives. The food is sub-par for the price range. Order a $15 pork chop and it's dry just like mom used to make. How about the tilapia- it sure sounds great on the menu, but it's bland and boring. The soups are decent, and the guac is cool to see made table side- but good guac depends on good avocados, not a chef's skill. The margaritas are nice, but they come at a cost- $10 for the house margarita with the extra half shot on top in a small martini glass. If you wanna drop some dough on tequila drinks and an appetizer or two, then Adobo is nice, but for a meal there are better options (mayan palace) read more

My friend treated me out to dinner for the new year and I was glad she chose this spot. We started out with the guacamole; and I had myself a mojito. It was really, really good (but I can make better!~ ;-) ) I was happy to see it made in front of us. Our server was also really, really friendly and great with the suggestions. I had chicken tamales and shrimp ceviche. The ceviche was perfectly balanced with the guacamole. And the tamales were awesome. My friend enjoyed her dish (I forgot what she ordered because I was too busy with my own). But the real highlight was the dessert. We split the churros and chocolate. My goodness...I forgot how good churros could be dipped in melted chocolate! Our bill came up to $75 for two. read more

Went here last summer - one of the first restaurants I went to after I moved to Chicago. My boyfriend and I had a great table outside. My margarita was shaken tableside and was basically perfect - it was sweet and not too strong, so it had a great flavor. The guacamole didn't get prepared tableside (because we were outdoors) but it was absolutely delicious, and we had a huge portion! It wasn't too spicy or lime-y, just very creamy and great with the crispy chips. My entree (arrachera adobada) was flank steak in a mole sauce, with some beans and grilled tomatoes/onions on the side. I first tried to put the food in a tortilla, but was unimpressed by the results. The steak was MUCH better on its own, without being masked by the tortilla. The steak was very flavorful and juicy, and was paired wonderfully with the just-spicy-enough mole sauce. None of the side items were memorable, though they were a decent accompaniment to the entree. The churros we had for dessert were excellent - they were hot and just covered in cinnamon and sugar. I didn't care for the rich chocolate sauce (with cayenne pepper in it!) but the churros didn't need it. The service was outstanding. Our waiter was knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. He made recommendations and suggestions and always lead us toward something that we ended up enjoying. He made it a really enjoyable experience. read more

We went for dessert only. Flourless chocolate cake with dried cherries was excellent. However, the Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream was just plain chocolate ice cream. Service was excellent as they seated my wife and I at a nice private table by the window, and our server was very sweet as well. I'll go back sometime to try their real food out. read more

Came out to Adobo Grill with some friends last night with some friends from out of town. We made reservations for 6:45 and the restaurant was able to quickly seat us when we showed up. Our service staff was awesome. The staff made sure our water glasses were always full. When it came to ordering, our waiter answered all of our questions appropriately. We ordered some gauc and salsa as our appetizers. The gauc, as many have mentioned, is excellent. It's made right at table side and the staff will ask you how spicy you want it (we went with medium this time, I would normally get spicy). The salsa was pretty good as well, but I'm not sure I'd order it next time. My friend and I both ordered a flank steak dinner and the waiter told us that the steaks are cooked "medium rare". We both asked for the steaks to be done "medium" and they actually came out a little more pink than I would have liked. (Now I wonder what medium rare looks like...) Overall though, our food was excellent and service staff was very prompt. One thing though, we did kind of notice that once we indicated that we won't be ordering any desserts, our waiter kind of "disappeared". Not sure if the restaurant got a little more busy or what, but he was really prompt up to that point and then we got stuck waiting around for him to process our credit cards for payment. I think the damage was about $130 + gratuity. That's a little more than what we normally spend, but not bad for an excellent meal. read more

Ultimate tourist trap. I was with a party of 8, we wandered here merely because it was close. It does not deserve 3.5 stars. The menu is pricey, appetizers from 8-15 and mains from 16-25. It seemed like a tourist trap, so 4 of us did not order anything. And were glad we didn't. My GF got this Tamal "Guajillo marinated chicken tamal steamed in a cornhusk with ancho salsa, sour cream, cheese". It was the worst piece of Hispanic " food" that we'd tasted in our lives, I tried a few bites and she didn't finish it. Tasted like BBQ sauce drizzled on a miserable piece of cardboard with some tasteless and flaccid corn husks. It was flavorless and absolutely pathetic. You've been warned! read more

Food was good. So I had to give it 4 stars...Was there for a tequila paring. Really good time but the guy from the tequila company didn't show. All was good, except when they brought the bill, it was an individual bill, and they added a 20% tip and didn't tell you when they brought the bill! I am from NY, and it's a pretty big insult to add a tip to a bill. Like you don't think I will add a tip to your bill? I was shocked.... Pretty insulting.... Probably won't go back because of this... Don't want to hear the excuses... Just don't like being insulted... BS Chicago stuff... read more

Awesome service! Delicious food! Amazing drinks! Best Mexican restaurant! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! read more

The food was delicious! The prices were higher for the entrees but the appetizers were nicely priced and a good portion. I got the Salmon with chipotle sauce.... sooooo good! My friend got the fluatas de pollo, very yum. We also ordered the guacamole at medium temp and it was tasty, fresh lime, chunky but smooth too. The Mojito and Margarita were fantastic. The Margarita was smooth and you could taste the fresh lime juice. Not made from a mix and you can tell. We got the $10 one, not $55. Good service, gave us space when we were talking and took our orders promptly. Did have to flag him done for a refill on the Mojito though ;) Right next to Second City so it is a good option after a show for a place to eat at. read more

I usually write pretty long reviews, but this one will be pretty short. Fantastic, tasty, interesting food. Beyond abysmal service. Went last night prior to the Doug Benson show at Zanie's. Ordered two appetizers for our "entrees" - neither of us were super hungry and didn't want to spring 15+ bucks each for a full meal. We were seated, and it was at least 10 minutes before we were acknowledged for drinks. When the drink order was taken, we ordered the apps. The quesadillas arrived before my diet coke did - quesadilla service was quick at ~10 minutes. Diet Coke probably came 5 minutes later. Our guac didn't arrive until ... well, 15 or 20 minutes after we had devoured the quesadilla. Impossible to get refills, additional chips, and waited far too long for the check. Could have been so much better if they just had a better serving strategy. read more