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    Authentico Mexican Restaurant and Bar

    3.3 (190 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Authentico Mexican Restaurant and Bar Photos

    AUTHENTICO MEXICAN RESTAURANT AND BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Authentico Mexican Restaurant and Bar

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    Reviews With Photos

    Karyn M.

    We had a very enjoyable meal at Authentico restaurant. We didn't have reservations, we stopped by and were able to secure an outside table. I don't understand the negative reviews. They brought us chips and two salsas right away and took our drink orders. The guacamole was thick and fresh, could have used a little heat. I ordered a chicken con mole poblano, cazuela, cooked in a thick casserole dish. I thought it was fantastic--loved the slightly sweet mole along with the salty cotija cheese sprinkled on top. The side salad which had mango, beets, and jicama, was excellent. My companions enjoyed Chile rellenos and tacos de barbacoa de res, also enjoyed their dishes. The food was delivered quickly. My margarita, however, took a long time and our server explained that the bartender was backed up due to a party inside and they were short on staff. The service lagged at this point and it took a while to get our check and pay. However, this was a nice patio (other than the Metra trains), peaceful setting and tasty food. If we had not been in a hurry, I would add back a 1/2 star.

    tables and chairs
    Sharon B.

    My husband and I really enjoyed this Mexican restaurant in Lake Forest, Illinois. Love the decor and the food. It felt like we were back in the southwest. We started with chips and salsa, and they were kind enough to bring me gluten-free chips. My husband really liked the two sauces we were served. For our meal, we shared a cheese, quesadilla, and mahi fish tacos. They were both very tasty. Since we had a later dinner, we talked it off with dessert. The taste and presentation is something you would expect from a finer dining establishment. It was a mix of white gelato, chocolate gelato, and there was a cherry in the middle. It was then dipped in a chocolate shell. it also came with whip cream and fresh strawberries. Amazing! The service was great and as I mentioned, they were sensitive to my celiac and need for gluten-free options.

    Three very small Enchiladas de Authentico for $22.
    Food M.

    Never saw a "market price" for guacamole anywhere. The very small chicken Enchiladas for $22 was overpriced. Was going to have the halibut but at $52 in a local Mexican restaurant it does not cut it. Even WILDFIRE does not charge that much for fish.... Service was good as was the taste of the food. But portioning and pricing needs attention .

    R. S.

    We've dined here multiple times and always enjoyed it. But for whatever reason last evening's meal and drinks were the best we've ever experienced. Consistently tender ribeye steak dishes, particularly flavorful rice and tasty chips, salsa and the freshest guacamole. For the first time we saved room for dessert. Thoroughly enjoyed churros and coconut flan. Try a drink called Authentico BLU -- you won't be disappointed. It was New Year's Eve and the restaurant was festively decorated for the occasion. Wonderful service, friendly staff and really good food. Highly suggest reservations regardless of the day or time you dine.

    Chicken Quesadillas app.
    Tommy O.

    I have visited Authentico a few times as I grew up in the area. Me and my family visited last Saturday night before Christmas. We had a reservation for 3 around 6:30pm. It was busy as usual so I highly recommend making a reservation in advance. We had the chicken quesadillas as an app and they were good. Tortillas were a tad try, but the dipping sauce was a nice texture with good flavor. Shrimp fajitas were very good, but I wish it had more shrimp. I would go back to the chicken or steak next time. Chips were good and plentiful for 3-4 people. I love the flavor of the salsas and they were not overly spicy (some spice). But I thought the salsa was too watery and hard to dip. I prefer my salsa, chunkier, which makes it easier for dipping. Service was very average and we felt rushed. They did check in often, which was nice and I would prefer that than not checking in at all. Food came out extraordinarily fast, but drinks took a while. Prices are expensive with it being Lake Forest, but it is what it is. Good portion sizes overall. Overall, food is decent and the margaritas are good! Lake Forest needs more casual, down to earth, restaurants for families and Authentico is a decent choice for something different than Francesca's, The Lantern, Chief's, and Duffer's.

    Mole enchiladas

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    Yana's Speakeasy

    4.8(27 reviews)
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    Yana's has a really cool vibe. When you get there you'll ring a bell and a "special " door opens…read moreinto the restaurant. The ambiance, from the lighting, music and decor is very seductive! We had caviar and drinks that were served in fun glasses and were topped with pretty little flowers. The whole experience really blew us away! I could've stayed all night but it was a stretch on the pocketbook. I truly recommend Yana's especially if you want to impress your friends. Great experience all around!

    We recently made our way to Yana's for an after dinner cocktail on Valentine's…read more They take reservations which is nice for a cocktail spot! We had reservations for 9pm and were able to be seated straight away. We arrived to find the address brought us to a barber shop. Fortunately, my husband had done some research and knew the drill--we made our way to a organ against a brick looking wall. On top of the organ was a bell--we rang the bell and shortly after the brick wall swung open and a woman came out to greet us. She had us play a tune on the organ and then brought us back into the speakeasy. The vibes are pitch perfect. Dimly lit with candles on tables and artful films playing on screens. We loved it. We were greeted straight away and brought water. You can also get a full meal here which we did not know but noted for our next visit. They had a special Valentine's menu as well as their regular cocktail menu. For my first cocktail, I got the paper plane which was light, lemony, and lovely with the adorable touch of a small paper plane pinned to the cocktail with a clothespin. For my second, I got one of their Valentine's specials which was essentially a Boulevardier made with a small float of mezcal on top. What an amazing addition to this classic cocktail! Truly, gave it added dimension, depth, and smoky flavor. I loved it. We also enjoyed their Valentine's dessert special, which was princess cake. It was a lovely blend of tart raspberry and warm almond--we loved it! The service was lovely throughout our experience. Get to it!

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    The Lucky Duck - Alcohol wall

    The Lucky Duck

    4.4(14 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Wow! Just Wow! I can't recommend this place enough. It's an art gallery + a restaurant, serving up…read morethe most delicious Asian fusion dishes. I went here with a group of 5 via a reservation. We were immediately welcomed and greeted by a wonderful host who sat us and explained the menu options and recommended we try everything. We did just that we tried over half the menu and everything was incredible. Highly recommend the deviled eggs, brussel sprouts, bao buns, spicy edamame, udon noodles and more. After dinner we popped into the other side of the bar which is an art gallery and the bartender was so friendly, welcoming and fun! We walked around the art gallery, enjoying the beautiful exhibit and sipped our cocktails for at least an hour. This was such a wonderful experience, we will def be back!

    We are really excited to try this because it was advertised as a speakeasy, which was right next to…read morethe gallery restaurant that we have been to before and we like their food. It wasn't so much a speakeasy because it was not hidden, but that didn't really matter to us once we were there . The food was Asian themed and they had different drinks than the other restaurant next-door . I thought the focal point would be a bar in the middle of the restaurant, but there was never any bar that I could locate so that was also confusing. The food was really good. We had black garlic, deviled eggs, some tuna tartare and a lamb Ragu that was really good. So if you're looking for speakeasy, this is not really a speakeasy, but it has really good Asian food so just an FYI when browsing the Internet. The only reason I gave it four stars is because I was expecting one thing when I walked in and I got another, but we were pleasantly surprised with the food and drinks that we received so we will be back.

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    Duffer’s Pub - Spicy margarita!

    Duffer’s Pub

    3.6(59 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Wow. I've been here multiple times, and not once have I had a good experience…read more I came here with my family for drinks and ended up having the same bartender who has caused issues in the past. First, he struggled to take five drink orders and brought out the wrong drinks. The bar wasn't even busy, yet we waited more than 20 minutes for them to arrive. When they finally did, the drinks tasted watered down. I politely mentioned this to him, and his response was, "You're f-ing with me." I told him I would rather switch to beer because I didn't want to continue drinking poorly made cocktails. He then replied, "Don't be surprised if the bucket of beers you order comes to you half empty." His behavior was incredibly rude and unprofessional, and he constantly complained about everything throughout our visit. Getting the check was an absolute nightmare. Somehow, he deleted our bill and couldn't find it. When he finally brought us a check, the total seemed way too high. It turned out he had charged us for another party's bill. When we asked for an itemized receipt, he acted annoyed and complained about the request. The issue was eventually resolved, but we were told they couldn't cancel the transaction, so the other party had to reimburse us in cash for the amount we were incorrectly charged to our bill. We asked to speak with a manager, only to find out there wasn't one on-site on a Friday night. Instead, we were given a handwritten name and phone number. As I said, I've never had a good experience here. Some members of the staff were helpful and understanding, but this particular bartender has been a recurring problem. I don't know if he was intoxicated, under the influence, or simply having a bad day, but the level of incompetence and unprofessionalism was unbelievable. This place feels like an absolute circus.

    We stopped in Duffer's Pub, down the street from Chief's, which has been one of our mainstays…read morerecently. The first thing I noticed was that all along downtown Lake Forest were large LF flags so it must have been before the football game. There were lots of families in Duffer's, and they had the windows open and the setting seems rather spacious, with golf simulators. We ordered burgers and tots, which were decent (tots - yum!) although we were let down by Beer Nuggets, which were like pillsbury crescent rolls with red sauce and neither beer nor nuggets. The Detroit style pizza did look very promising and I saw lots of pizza being carried out. Duffer's had a fun, friendly vibe and I'd come back to try the pizza.

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