Loved Barrio! Went during a recent heat wave when the Chicago sidewalks literally had steam coming off them. Friendly service, good wine by the glass, and very generous servings of guacamole prepared tableside (I feel like this is always a little overkill but we really wanted the guacamole and we're glad we got it!) Then we shared tacos, which come three to a plate. The steak tacos were better than the shrimp but everything was good. After a sweltering day, Barrio was perfect and relaxing. read more

Had reservations for a Saturday night, and it was very busy. Service was satisfactory, the drinks were very delicious, but the food wasn't really that flavorful. I ordered their Birria Tacos and they were 18$ for 3. The mess was a bit dry, and the taco's lacked cheese. The dipping sauce also lacked some spice. For 18$ I expected more flavor. read more

Barrio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was my second time at Barrio. The ambiance is great. The service however, was not. Our waiter was quite slow and didn't deliver our drinks very quickly. The salsa was incredibly spicy, and we were not forewarned. The taco tower was great- but, the waiter miscounted the ones we wanted. We also had the elotes, and queso fundido, these were great. read more

Barrio - Taco Tower - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We ordered the steak and eggs and the lobster Benedict sopes. I had multiple blood orange margaritas because it was (a) brunch and (b) delicious. I really enjoyed their strip steak which included 4/5 tortillas that let me make a breakfast taco with the included bell pepper and potato hash. The salty crunch of the potato balanced the soft juiciness of the steak which had its fattiness cut by adding acid from the table's verde sauce (more of a vinegar really). This was surrounded by the soft bell peppers which were laced with cotija cheese. All held together by a purple tortilla. It was worth the trouble of assembling these as each component was great by itself but even better together. I wish my eggs weren't overcooked though. That could have pushed the hash to another level if there was some yolk to run through it. I had no room to try the lobster Benedict myself, but heard it had a great hollandaise, perfectly cooked lobster, with a dense and tasty blue corn sope. The eggs also were overcooked though, but the hollandaise was so good it apparently wasn't needed. Dessert of a dulce de leches cheesecake should not be skipped. Not too sweet, not too cheesecakey. Great location with parking garages nearby. The experience was impressive both in terms of a quick food service and an attentive beverage service (for those who had the bottomless options). The place looks modern and inviting with plenty of natural light. This is a great brunch spot that can handle groups! read more

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We booked an early (5:15pm) table and sat on the patio. We ordered a taco salad, two tuna ceviche tacos and the happy hour guacamole. The food was mediocre at best and didn't live up to the promises in the menu. The guacamole was quite tasty and came with a large portion of chips. No complaints there. The salad was supposed to be kale and cabbage with romaine but there was no kale or cabbage to be seen and the lettuce was pretty wilted. Definitely not worth the $16 price tag. The tuna tacos were ok. Not bad but small and uninspired. Service was good. read more

Barrio - Taco salad - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great experience at Barrio and would definitely come back! We came for brunch on a Sunday afternoon and sat at the bar. We loved that there was a DJ and our bartender was engaging and had great recommendations! The fried chicken and churros was a play on chicken and waffles and was tasty. It was A LOT of food so come hungry or take some home. The lobster Benedict was also good and very filling. read more

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Meh. Nice outdoor vibes but I was not impressed with the food. I ordered the birria tacos and the meat was not as tender and juicy as birria beef should be. We also got chips and salsa, and the chips needed salt and didn't taste authentic lol. The staff/service was fine, but nothing spectacular. I was really looking forward to trying this place :( Also when it comes to parking, come early to try and find a spot!! read more

Barrio - Quesabirria Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Excellent menu with a great value, especially based on where it is located in River North. I've ordered the taco salad here several times and it is more than one person can handle as a meal- that a huge claim coming from me because I love taco salads and have had my fair share around the city. Barrio's taco salad should be shared. Also, their takeout is super quick if you can pickup in the area. 20 minutes on a busy Friday night during prime time, unheard of! Moreover, my taco salad was partially assembled, which meant that my taco shell was separate from the salad and cheeses and sauces were not mixed im either. Get the margarita tower! Make reservations ahead of time! I had a group of 15 people here over the summer and we had a great time with excellent service and attention to all detail. Will be back and highly recommend. Ps: they're very generous with the avocado here! read more

Barrio - Taco salad takeout! - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We went here tonight - I really debated on how many stars. The food and drinks were a 4 Star but the server was a 1 star. This place is pretty cool and seems to stay pretty busy. Our server, Cortez, was terrible tonight. He really didn't pay attention to his tables. I noticed many of his tables had issues with him and his service. He could only do 1 thing at a time at a very slow pace. To bad that he ruined a fun night out for at least several tables while we were there. Like I said when I started the food and drinks are good maybe just don't sit in Cortez's section. read more

Barrio - Taco salad with Skirt Steak - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My party of 10 is from out of town and we're so glad they were able to accommodate us. This restaurant is gorgeous. They have plenty of tables, and a good about of large tables if you have a large party. 10 was the max for making a reservation anything more I believe has to be made over the phone. They also have a great outdoor seating as well. The food was amazing! Everyone at the table loved their food. Unfortunately, I couldn't take a picture of everyone's meal but you can we what we ordered. We got the margarita tower to share between 9, and it was PLENTY. Everyone got at least 2-3 glasses of margarita from it. So, it was definitely worth it. We had the blood orange flavor with a tajin rim (chef's kiss). We started with the avocado salsa verde and it was DELICIOUS. Would recommend that if you like a little bit of a kick. They're also very generous with their chips, it was spiced and served in an extra large bowl. For my meal I got the skirt steak tacos on bib lettuce, and it was so flavorful and perfectly charred. Also, make sure to ask for their hot sauce. I'm really debating on going back and buying the ghost pepper habanero hot sauce they had. It was super spicy and flavorful. The service was also great. Our server gave us a sparkler with our tower and it was almost like bottle service at a club. Super fun! They also perfectly bussed our tables and I know how difficult that can be with a large table, so I was very impressed. read more

Barrio - Skirt steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was super fresh and had great taste. Service was very good. Portions were perfect We will go back! read more

Saturday brunch called for some drinks and good food! A table for two sitting close to the window for some people watching on a 45 degree spring day in Chicago set the mood just right. We were tempted by their bottomless offer but we had lots to do today so didn't want to get too in trouble. The bloody maria was as spicy as they come but packed with flavor Our server recommended the blueberry cornbread to pick at. The portion is pretty big for two, best if you have three to four people sharing it but as far as taste probably the best cornbread i've ever tasted. Served in a skilled of sorts topped with whipped butter I had to pull it away from me if not i was going to spoil the rest of my meal. The different spin on fried chicken and waffles is their fried chicken and churros! A bit different but OMG it was amazing. The chicken doesn't have too much seasoning on it (probably done on purpose) as you can dip it in their hot sauce and honey. The only drawback was we felt rushed. If weren't eating or drinking we were constantly being asked if we wanted anything else, even though we told the server we're just enjoying things right now. Still, good place to go to. read more

Barrio - Blueberry Cornbread** - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We were here on a Tuesday at 6pm with a party of 7 with reservations. We were seated very quickly which was nice, but unfortunately service was almost non existent. It was approximately 30 minutes from the time we sat down and were handed menus to the time our server came around to get our drink orders. Then another 30 mins after that to take our tables food orders, at which point we were finally able to order another round of drinks. The drinks were very underwhelming and very underpoured. After being there for almost 4 hours we only were asked about drinks 3 times in total, meaning it took another hour for them to ask if we wanted a third round after our second and then they just never came back. Someone from our table literally had to go look around for our server to ask for the check because all our food was gone/cleared and he was nowhere to be found. Food wise - very underwhelmed. And it's EXPENSIVE. So I had high expectations and was majorly let down. The best part of my skirt steak fajitas were the veggies. I asked for my steak medium and by the time it had cooled down enough to eat without burning my mouth my steak was well done and tough and chewy. There was no flavor, no char. Others at the table got different tacos, some taco salads and we got the lobster quesadillas, guac and salsa to start. Lobster quesadillas were... almost inedible. Guac was okay, but no flavor, salsa was burn your mouth hot with no flavor. Also for a 6-10pm timeframe on a Tuesday it was LOUD. Very loud. But it wasn't all patrons, it was the "background music" turned up extremely loud. This is a hard pass for me if and when I return to Chicago unfortunately. If you're in search of a great fun place with great Mexican food and yummy margaritas- go somewhere else. read more

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10/10 the best corn I have had. It is a must here. Skirt steak tacos had some great flavoring and guac was good. read more

Barrio - Esquites Style Corn, Skirt Steak Tacos, Guacamole, Quesabirria - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came to Chicago to bring in the New Year and decided to celebrate the count down to 2022 at Barrio. I made a last minute reservation for 10:15PM the day of. We sat at the bar and drank margaritas while we waited for our table. The music was loud and it felt like a party at a restaurant. The Mango Hibiscius was addicting. My partner and I felt a buzz after several margaritas. Skirt Steak Tacos: although greasy, the flavor was there and it was delicious. Grilled Shrimp Tacos: the mango salsa was not a good ingredient to add in this dish. I should've ordered the fried shrimp instead of the grilled shrimp. The staff provided us with NYE hats and party favors to celebrate and make noise for 2022. read more

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Everything about Barrio was DIVINE from the service, ambiance and the FOOD! FYI - I am not a taco-lover, so I have not had many tacos in my life, but the Barrio's tacos were phenomenal. Our server Amber (? I think that was her name) was kind enough to walk us through the menu and gave us excellent recommendations! We ordered octopus tacos and the Quesabirria. The Quesabirria were chessey, meaty, and on the heavier-side. The octopus tacos were refreshing and lighter side, so the two combos worked really well together! They do not do Mix&Match and you have to pick one specialty tacos, which are served in counts of 3 (3 for $18). We also tried the tableside Guac. This was a really fun, interactive experience as we could see the guac be made to our taste REAL TIME. However, I am not sure if this is worth $11 per person, but they give unlimited chips along w/ it; definitely more of a fun/dine-in experience thing. I really enjoyed Barrio and will be coming back again for more tacos!! read more

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I'd like to start of by saying, I have been to Barrio before and have never felt the need to leave a review one way or another-- positive or negative, but after my last visit this weekend, I feel compelled to share... We attended brunch at Barrio this past Sunday. The website advertised bingo, with no mention of it being 'adult' only or "x-rated." When we arrived there was a bingo host on a microphone who kept going on about being "wasted." There were a few children at the brunch, including a six-year-old in our party, but that didn't stop him from cursing every other word and going on to talk about sexually explicit content, including sexual positions/acts he had personally performed on others. When we made note to him that there was a child in the audience, it just made him respond "oh are you mad? I don't care.." and he continued the profanity. The place was barely filled, and I don't think anyone was especially thrilled with his "performance." When I asked the manager about it, she said that he was contracted through a third party and they didn't know anything about it.. she suggested we could leave, instead of asking the host to tone it down and read the room.. but since there was only about 10 more minutes left of the bingo disaster, and we were there celebrating someone else's birthday with a group, we let the six year old watch youtube until bingo was over. Our group spent over $500 there and it was one of the most uncomfortable dining experiences of my life. Regardless of age, the host would have been offensive to any reasonable person, and it was not a great choice by the restaurant. Any mild-mannered person would read the room and see children and maybe not talk about sexual acts explicitly in front of children. Hopefully they vet their third-party vendors better in the future. read more

Stopped by on a Thursday evening for dinner with my cousins. There were five of us. We ordered tons of food. We tried the chicken sandwich, steak tacos, lobster quesadilla, burger and queso. The portions were large but none of us liked our food. Additionally, after ordering, our waitress never came to check on us until it was time to close out. I wouldn't come back, not even for drinks. There are far better options in the area. read more

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This place has me blown away. Amazing food, service, ambiance, location, menu, everything! It's a big, circle shaped restaurant located on a corner in River North. I got the tuna ceviche tacos appetizer for my entree and my boyfriend got the skirt steak tacos. Both us were beyond happy with our meals - they were a 10/10! The tuna ceviche tacos are a must. I also got the hibiscus mango margarita and the pomegranate margarita. Both were strong and tasty. The service was impeccable - the hostess was so sweet and our server was so helpful and made tons of recommendations. We loved Barrio and are already planning our return. read more

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We made a reservation and they decided to give us a private room in the back, which was so kind! The music was fun and great for brunch. They also have a great bottomless brunch deal and don't require everyone at the table to do the bottomless package. It's hard when other restaurants only allow bottomless when everyone participates. For this brunch, most of us had to drive after our meal so we weren't able to participate in the bottomless deal. Food: The chicken and churros was so original. I was pleasantly surprised the churro went well with the fried chicken! The flavors complimented each other and the churro was fluffy. Service: our waiter was amazing and great at coming by our table the perfect amount of times. He was very informed about the menu and helped us order the perfect amount of food! read more

Barrio - Fried Chicken & Churros** - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is a hipster hangout, with a lot of Young vibes. It's pretty cool! We walked up because they had no online reservations available and were immediately seated at 6:45 pm on A Friday. There's club music playing inside, but there's also outside seating. It's funny, most of the older patrons were outside while the inside dining room was dominated by a younger crowd. Good mix. The menu is very limited and as such the food quality is great! We got a 3 way salsa and chip app to share and I got the enchiladas (pork with green VERDE sauce). All of it was tasty enough. Service was prompt. Nice little Mexican spot! Food portions are a bit on the smaller size EXCEPT the taco bowl. That's a lot of food! read more

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the Bar tenders at Barrio were the best I've ever had. friendly, thoughtful, and sweet spirited. Lauren and Rachelle (hope I spelled that right). "the struggle is real". Ladies keep up the amazing work. You're amazing and keep on grinding it gets easier read more

We went here on a Thursday night, and it was busy and loud. It was challenging to hear each other. We ordered the chips with 3 salsas of choice, guacamole, and queso fundido for starters. They forgot the chorizo in the queso fundido which they were sorry for and it out of our bill. The starters were good and I got full pretty quick. For my main dish, I ordered adobo fried rice and it was TOO sweet, I only finished 1/3 of the bowl. I enjoyed the fried egg the most in that dish. The drinks were made fresh so it took a while before I got mine, and overall the service was a bit slow. read more

Barrio - Queso Fundido - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We came during restaurant week and was able to get a 4 course meal for $39! That's not bad for a river north place! We started with one app, the ceviche tacos made on a fried wonton taco shell and tuna. We also ordered the guacamole which had a nice portion and ton of chips. Then came second appetizer and I ordered the grilled octopus. Delicious and perfectly grilled with tomatoes! Juicy and chewy and perfect! For entree my friend ordered the fried rice. It looked good but I ordered the enchiladas and I couldn't finish them because we had eaten so much by then. They were chicken and covered in a delicious red sauce and cheese. We finally had churros. Now I was a little disappointed because I didn't get chocolate sauce and my friend did. They ended up giving me Carmel sauce. But I couldn't finish it anyways because I was so full! I'm not gonna lie the Carmel sauce was also delicious. The margaritas were perfect, not too strong and wonderfully tangy. My mouth is watering just thinking of the meal. I can't wait to come back and try more. read more

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First time in Chicago and my friend brought me to barrio for lunch with my daughter. Food,drinks and the service were great. I'd love to thank my waiter (Micheal?) sorry if I'm wrong. I really wanted a Dr Pepper and they don't serve it here so he went out of his way to get me one! I legit almost started crying! Thank you for making my first meal in Chicago very memorable read more

Barrio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Night-out vibes with a dark interior, candle-lit tables, and loud music. Barrio is a modern Mexican restaurant and is great for a night out. The staff is very friendly with fast service and knowledge of the menu. It's pretty expensive, but you're paying for the vibes and the ingredients/preparation. I got the Quesabirria tacos and chips & salsa and really enjoyed them. 3 small tacos and the chips were enough to fill me up. read more

Barrio - Chips & salsa (I think it was charred tomato & jalapeno but I don't remember) - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is a very pricey place for food that is not excellent but it's good enough and it's a great place for fun and drinks. I gave them five stars because the tres Lecha cake dessert is really amazing. The cake is very spongy, and had a nice big fat, mint leaf, the blueberries were good, the condensed milk along with the caramel on the side was really good and the cake was very moist, and there was a lot of milk and milk throughout the cake, which is a perfect combination. They have actual candles The margarita tasted really good and it has spicy flakes with salt around the glass. The $16 taco salad was a good vegetarian option for me, which also had cheese, which is fine with me, but it was way too spicy for someone who does not like anything spicy, and I did not see anything described in the menu that it was spicy. So I was suffering And my sinuses were cleared. I also was looking forward to a lot of salad and fresh tomato pieces and cilantro and onions, and I didn't like the vinegar based onions in there because it was too vinegary. I would've preferred sauce on the side I could put as much as I want instead of everything being in that pre-mixed taco salad sauce, if I come back for the next time to order it again. The $21 Carnitas fried rice was really good and had fresh rice and fried egg with onions and pork. But I felt the serving size for the high price was very small because I kind of expected twice the amount of rice because rice doesn't cost that much. If you're hungry, you might want to get something else. It gets pretty crowded right after work so it's pretty loud in here, but at least the music is not blurring like some places might be. Overall, the ambience is great, the drinks are good. The food is OK. They offer tres leche cake, which is my favorite for $13. It's one of the best desserts offered at a restaurant and Barrio did it so well. Oh, and they also have outdoor seating. The decor and all the special rooms are very pretty and cozy to enjoy w friends and family. And they have weekly rotating special deals like five dollar tacos on Tuesdays and we can brunch drinks that are bottomless. read more

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This place was a mixed vibe of casual and a bit classy. They have indoor and outdoor dining (outdoor area has turf grass so you can bring your dog along). The price is a little up there but it's not worth the quality of food. The Brisket tacos were ok, because some were hits and some were misses. One taco was good while another was clearly over smoked (couldn't taste the brisket just char), the last was a combo of the two. The churros themselves were super doughy, the complimentary sauces could not mask the dough and would be overwhelmed. **We also had dirty plates given initially and we weren't offered refills on drinks** read more

Barrio - Smoked Brisket - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Met up with a group to celebrate a good friend visiting from out of town. We started off with, of course, mimosas. Half of the group ordered the bottomless mimosas, which were a pretty good deal at $30. I opted to just order a glass- the Guave one. Ok, I ordered two. It was very good. As far as the food, no complaints here either. I ordered the Adobo fried rice with the eggs over easy. It was a very good dish. The sauce on it was pretty sweet so I'd advise ordering it on the side so that you can use as much or little that you want. My friend visiting ordered the chilaquiles. They were fantastic. Another friend had the lobster Benedict, which she seemed to enjoy. Overall, I thought a very good experience. The music was great and there was a nice vibe there. Highly recommend for a group of friends wanting to just hang out and have fun. read more

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Steak fajitas great. Pear ginger margarita was lovely. Jack and the table team did a great job. Please remove your 3% 'surcharge' and just price honestly...makes customers feel taken advantage of as we all have to get on with it. read more

Barrio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Anyone watched "Schitt's Creek? The one and only quote from the show that I keep thinking of is David lamenting his turn of fortune to describe how hard his life has become is this, " I have not had kale for a week..." It is pretty much the line I remember and start cracking myself up every time I make kale salad or order kale salad. Some people and their experiences are so unrelatable to common folks like me and it makes me feel like I live a rich and posh life to get to eat kale salad every now and then:) We were heading to another bar originally and saw this bar had the TV and had lots of people eating inside. We just wanted to eat and watch the football playoff game and I had had a long day taking a course so it didn't really matter as long as it has some reasonably quality bar food. So, my real life David, my husband likes Kale salad so we ordered kale salad for him and jackfruit taco bowl for me and we enjoyed everything!!! We did everything except for licking the plates and you can see the brand name of the plates by the time we were done with it. Had a half bottle of beer named Goose Island 312 which tasted pretty good too! The bar started filling up before we were done with our food so we were glad that we got there early. This place has tasty food, and the staff is upbeat and everybody there seems to be enjoying themselves!!! read more

Barrio - Kale Salad and JackyTaco Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Cocktails were great and the sandwich was tasty. Food is always on point. Not traditional Mexican but still good.

For me the atmosphere is all Barrio had going for it. If you like generic flavorless Tex-mex food this is the place for you. Before I go on to bash the food the restaurant was working hard to continue covid protocols and provide barriers for guests. For the food maybe I'm a little harsh but the fajitas were completely bland. The veggies were undercooked and under seasoned. I could have been biting into raw peppers and onions. The board came with a charred banana pepper that was all for show. Great fajita plates would replace this with a charred jalapeño or some other type of chili which is one of my favorite sides. The steak and chicken were cooked well but again had basically no seasoning. I couldn't even tell if there was salt and pepper. Lastly they would give you 4 tiny tortillas at a time. Sam and I both felt it a little crazy to have to ask for more tortillas with the amount of food that came out. read more

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We loved the food and drinks here. I had a watermelon-mezcal drink (can't remember the name) and my husband had mojitos...both were fabulous. The table side quac was really good but had a heavy dose of roasted garlic (like literally a handful). The salsa trio was good and spicy! I had the shrimp taco but ordered it in a bowl. My husband had the steak fajitas. We both have our meals a 5! read more

Barrio - Watermelon mezcal drink- The Hot Mezz - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Ambience is sexy and eclectic and cool. Service is incredible. People genuinely greet you and seem to really want you to have a great experience. Foooooooood is sexy and yummy and slap your mama good. Drinks were too drinkable. We did the nacho starters with no proteins. Yaaaassss. All day long. Yum. Steak tacos are spicy little nuggets of heaven. Chicken enchiladas are the best ever. Full of flavors but not spicy more smoky. Dessert was the churros...duh. Get 'em. Dunk 'em. Love 'em. read more

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The food and energy in this place are awesome! The nachos are large enough to share with 3-4 people. Skirt steak tacos were amazing and very flavorful. The Dj was great,really added to the environment! Will be back in the future! read more

Barrio - Barrio Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My boyfriend and I decided to order takeout for cinco de Mayo. We have been wanting to try this place for awhile. We ordered the nachos. the skirt steak tacos and the elote. The nachos were delicious. The chips have the perfect crunch, the queso was off the charts and the toppings were equally distributed. The nachos and elote was easily shared between us both. My boyfriend enjoyed the skirt steak tacos (3 tacos). They came on corn tortillas with radish, cojita cheese, avocado, and salsa. The food came quickly through the caviar app and the food was still warm. We will definitely go back and actually sit outside and enjoy the patio. read more

Barrio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great menu gets shorted by overdone vibe. As a major fan of Mexican food, we popped in for lunch. The staff was very friendly and prompt. I've heard good things about their margaritas, and the Pineapple de Mezcal margarita was fantastic. It's easy to get too aggressive with mezcal, and the bartender nailed it. The quesabirria tacos were eye-popping-ly good. They were so good that I was "wow" out loud. I realize it was a trend a few years ago, but it was that good. I went with 4 instead of 5 stars because the DJ music was so over-the-top for 1pm. We had to yell to order and make conversation even though it wasn't super busy. I wouldn't recommend it for a first date or business dinner, but a 20-something celebrating a birthday would love it (I heard the WOOs to prove it). I was definitely go back to eat...if I could sit outside. read more

Barrio - Quesabirria Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food and service were great! We sat down within a minute of walking into the restaurant for our reservation. The staff was friendly and food came out fast and hot. Breakfast burrito and churrio and chicken were delicious. read more

Barrio - The trio of Salsas are great! - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I had dinner at the bar after work and it was comfortable - ordered the Truffle Mushroom bowl and it was good.