The food here is delicious! The carnitas are tender and flavorful, not dry at all. The gorditas are generous, and the tortillas are fresh and handmade. Prices are fair and well worth it. read more

Finally got to try Carnitas Don Chuy. It's awesome that this is one of the places up north that opens on Sunday and before noon, since we tend to have early lunch because of the kids. Love the hours they operate, which would be a primary reason we will likely returning again! I made a wrong turn into strip mall plaza instead of turning right on Diamond Lake Rd. It's right behind the Bill's Pizza & Pub. Orange/white square building. We were very pleasantly surprised by the quality, quantity, and overall value of the foods. We ordered two tacos, one Platillos, one burrito, and a horchata and came out to be ~$30. I almost didn't pick up the horchata, and one of the staffs stopped me to make sure I get it, so thank you! Platillos-- carnitas was really flavorful. The pork skin was amazingly done. The texture was sticky but not greasy, reminds me of braised pork belly in Asian cuisine, but not as oily! The rice and beans are very fresh and delicious. They top it with lettuce and a slice of tomato. Compared to other places, the green sauce was not as spicy and a bit more sour, which is great because my kids can eat it too. The red sauce has some kick to it but not mouth burning, which is again great because I could actually eat it! The smoky dark flavor of the red sauce was a pleasant surprise! Asada taco and Al pastor taco-- I preferred Al pastor taco. The asada steak was a bit too tough for me, but the flavor was great. The Al pastor has more spices and very tender, even in comparison with the carnitas. I liked both but maybe preferred Al pastor even more. I love the corn tortilla flavor. Horchata-- I really liked the flavor they had. It's not super strong on the cinnamon flavor, which was great for me. It was super smooth and no gritty texture at all! For the next run, I'd like to try their gorditas with chicharron, nopales, and rajas fillings. Hongos quesadilla. Maybe the tamarindo drink, too. read more

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The best carnitas around. They have the option to have the skin chopped/mixed in with the meat, if you haven't tried this style yet, you don't know carnitas! My go to is the Gordita, hot and crunchy and made to order. On weekends they also have handmade tortillas so you can order carnitas by the pound and make your own tacos. read more

Carnitas Don Chuy - the interior of a restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

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These are the best carnitas in the area. The family meal never disappoints and they're a nice family.

muy mal servicio al pecial la mujer que corra las carnitas no las recomiendo hay veses que las carnitas huelen mal read more

Tastes like any other carnitas that's out there. Nothing special. Overall good and will come back.

The best carnitas in Lake County! Order the family meal with the salsa verde and homemade tortillas.

Came here on a Sunday past usual lunch hours looking for a quick bite. Place was empty when we came in but the food was great. We ordered asada and al pastor tacos which had soft tortillas but were a little too salty. I had the carnitas burrito that had refried beans. It was good and filling but I'd probably order something else next time. Workers are friendly and prices were decent so definitely would come back! read more

Stopped in for lunch, table for 5. Hostess met us and asked our seat preference. We had tacos of flour and corn, steak fajitas, and a pork burrito. Service was friendly and timely. Large dining area, clean. Welcoming atmosphere. Looks like there is a dance floor for the evening, I forgot to ask. They were bilingual. Food was tasty. The rice was a bit spicy, which was unexpected. The flour tortillas are homemade and delicious. Our food was delivered quickly. The horchata was very good. Water was served in bottles and then we were asked if we wanted water in glasses. We were charged for the bottles which we were unaware, but we didn't ask either. No biggie. Overall, I recommend this Mexican restaurant and I'd go back. CASH only. read more

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Amazing carnitas! I absolutely love this place! My friend recommended this place and trust me it won't let you down.

Yummmmm!! Carnitas special and enchiladas were delicious! Why did it take so long to come here? Definitely coming back. Good proving, fast service and friendly people New location same great menu and food read more

Looking for good food? This is the spot for you everything from the customer service to the food was spot on. I will be coming back:)

Wow! This place is awesome! Swung by on a whim when I saw it as I was driving back to Chicago from a work project yesterday. Food was delicious and inexpensive, and the service was great. Seems like a real hole in the wall but they've got their stuff together. Can't say anything bad about this place. Try the steak tacos! OMG that steak was insanely good. It was smokey and crispy and tender at the same time. Amazing! And the pork gordita was crazy good too! Crispy on outside and hot and steamy on the inside! Not sure how they perfected that so well but they did, and you should try it. Restaurant is very casual. Just stroll in whenever. You can get in and out in 20 min if you needed to. I was there for 30-40 min and took my time. Easy and clean atmosphere. Staff was extremely nice. read more

Carnitas Don Chuy - Carnitas (pork) gordita. $2.50 - Mexican Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

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Originally I had given Don Chuys a fantastic review, however I called my mom to tell her how much I enjoyed the food she told me about an unsavory experience she had there. She told me they (her and other family) used to order from there quite often and one time had ordered 2 gorditas plus everything else everyone ordered. She said the first Gordita was loaded with meat and delicious but when the other was opened there were only a few strands of carnita on it. Mom called the restaurant to let them know they forgot to put the meat on the second Gordita. This strikes me as odd because my mother is not the type who ever calls complaints or sends back food but I guess it was shocking that there was merely a few strands of meat on the 2nd one. I totally get where she's coming from. So she said that the lady who answered the phone was less than helpful and defensive. Mom asked to speak to Don Chuy who was there and knows our family. He refused to get on the phone and speak to her only communicating through his employee, letting her do the dirty work. Mom found this rude as I would have. He was defensive and told the employee to tell my mom no mistake had been made that all the food is measured. When I heard this it really bothered me bcs I called my mom to brag about how much I had enjoyed my food and I felt bad to hear that she had this experience after I just wrote a great review. I decided to change it bcs like I said ...mom is not the type to complain, my other gripe is that I myself have been a restaurant manager for years managing multiple fast paced units in both quick service and full survive so I've seen it all and heard it all. This is never how I would have handled the situation. Number one I would have apologized. What mom and I think happened is that both portions of meat were put on the first Gordita. Secondly the owner should act like an owner and have got on the phone to speak to mom instead of using his employee as a little puppet telling her to say he was not there WHEN HE WAS , Seems cowardly, egotistical and completely unprofessional. My mom stated that she wasn't asking for more food but merely giving them feed back for which they refused to accept their mistake, apologize, or offer to fix their mistake as all other restaurants do. Don Chuy, If you need Managment training I'm your girl, here's some feed back..... Drop the ego and get off your high horse., when someone calls a complaint you simply get on the phone and just be personable so that you're likable. Your customers would be so wowed by an owner who actually gives AF to actually take a few moments to speak to them. So let's get to it! This is what you say .................. "We strive to do our best but occasionally things happen. I sincerely apologize but I would be glad to make you another Gordita or the next time you come in I'll make sure we make it up to you. We greatly appreciate your feedback as it helps improve the quality of our business. I will certainly address it with my staff so we can continue to improve and make our guests happy. We'd love to see you come back. Next time you come in ask for me and I would be delighted to see you and give you great service" You see these little touches go a loooong way! It's the way you get your customers to rave about what a fantastic owner you are and talk about how great the staff is instead of rubbing off your terrible customer service habits on them and thinking this behavior is ok. Literally food for thought! read more

Happy to find a place like this in the suburbs. We've been to a carnitas by the pound place before in the city but the trek down and parking make it less convenient. This place, however, ample parking and spacious and clean interior make for a wonderful experience. When we first walked in the owner I presume, gave us a heaping sample of the carnitas. While we sat down and decided what to order the owner brought over a dish of chicharon for us to eat. We ordered the 1lb Carnitas meal for $17. That includes 1lb carnitas, tortillas, rice and beans. I believe the onions and cilantro we're an extra $2 as when we checked out they rang up an extra $2. We had requested onions and cilantro after being brought all our food. Juicy and delicious, I'm partial to the belly part so next time I will specifically request that. Pricier than the place in the city where there you can eat there and get 1lb of carnitas, tortillas, onions and cilantro for about $12-15. But convience and space make for a better appeal to me. read more

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The best carnitas and homemade tortillas. Love getting them on a Sunday morning! Great service, as well.

Not bad for a quick lunch. Ordered a carnitas tray with the works. Was pretty savory. Ordered some horchata, first I asked if it was original and not canned. But after tasting it at home, definitely not original. Only reason for bumping a star. Service was quick, and line moved fast, yes a line waiting all the way out the door for take out. read more

To Mundelein residents..you guys have a little gem of a joint tucked away in a strip mall up there. I live and work in the city, and love Mexican food. I eat it all the time at several fav places on the north side. My work took me up to Mundelein for a day and I saw this place while leaving so I thought I'd have dinner before the drive home. Hands down the best steak gordita I think I have EVER had. The meat was so flavorful and the gordita shell was super crispy and fresh. The steak tacos tasted just like the ones I'd eat at small ma and pa restaurants in Mexico. Absolutely killer flavor. The 2 guys behind the counter couldn't have been nicer. $2.50 per taco. Five buck average sized burritos. read more

Hours says they open at 10am Tuesday I waited there till 10:45 and no one showed up, and no signs of them not opening today.

Stopped in here after I picked up my car from a $700 plus service. For $6 a carnitas burrito eased the pain. Very nice balance of beans, meat and rice. Not 80% rice like some big chains. Beware the red sauce is very spicy, I liked it but some won't. Very limited English. read more

These are the best asada tacos I've found anywhere in the area. Very authentic. The staff was nice, too. My only complaint is the menu on the website does not match what they actually offer in the restaurant. It's much smaller. read more

After my first trip and not ordering correctly, I learned the error of my ways and made sure to specify that I wanted TACOS de carnitas, and not simply carnitas. You'll end up with a crapload of pork in a basket if you don't say it correctly Hahahaha I've only had the pork tacos, and I have to say that this place is really good, even though I was annoyed about cash only. The taco sauce is amazing. I put this SH*^ on everything! read more

Loved this place! Had a taste for some carnitas and this place hits the spot. The fact they make fresh tortillas as well? Wow oh wow. Can't get any better than a freshly made tortilla and soft, tender and juicy carnitas. Yum! read more

Had my daughter pick up a lb order of Carnitas and chicharron for the firs time here today. My coworker bragged about their chicharron and had me try a couple of pieces at work before and I loved it. Not sure if something changed but the one I tried from my coworker were all smaller bite size thin pieces of chicharon and tasted much better compared to the ones my daughter picked up today. Also, the $18 lb of carnitas order came with no limes, no garnish (cilantro or onions). Maybe I should've instructed my daughter to ask for them but I've ordered from many many Mexican restaurants before and these items came standard and limes are like a Mexican food staple. I have to say not the greatest first time experience. The carnitas were just average. Nothing that I can't get from another Mexican restaurant in the area. It's hard to enjoy something when all the fixins are not included. read more

As soon as we entered, we were given a front row seat to the carnitas' deep lard frying process in their gigantic kettles and it smelled and looked glorious and tasted even better going down with well-made and tasty salsas atop steamed corn tortillas. BUT the biggest surprise for me here was their mole (MOE-lay) which, apparently, is only served on their chicken- the mole was just ridiculous. Maybe my tempered expectations had some role in it but I really think they may have served me one of the best moles I have ever had in my life and trust me, I order mole any time I see it on a menu. CASH ONLY but don't let that stop you from checking this place out- go get cash back from the gas station or something because you really need to check out the carnitas and mole this place has to offer. read more

Bad disgusting don't recommend eating here the bathrooms are horrible they show the people working and when a person was making us tortillas we found 3 hairs in are tortillas and they messed up on are order 3 times read more

Best place for carnitas! Nice, tender, juicy meat! Fresh homemade tortillas made right in front of your eyes! Salsas are great too! Owner and staff are super nice and friendly! Anytime, I want to share carnitas w/friends this is where I go! Plus you cannot beat some of their carnitas tacos specials during the week! Great for those of us who work a lot and want to feed our families something delicious and fresh during those busy days. Thank you Don Chuy!:) read more

We heard great reviews about this place, but when we ate here we were disappointed. The food was bland and nothing to write home about. I would say hit up Zocalo down the street first! read more

DON'T follow the map on Yelp - the place is next to Bill's, not across the street. When we visited, we were the only ones in the place. The cashier wasn't very friendly/helpful (didn't know they even had waiter service, or drink options), but overall a good experience.. As others have said, the carnitas are excellent. The other stuff, pretty run-of-the mill. The place is large and clean, with plenty of parking. Now that we have a better understanding, I'm sure we'll be back - maybe takeout. read more

I listened to Yelp and went for Mexican last week and I have not stopped dreaming about the flavors. I can't wait to go back! I had chicken tacos ($2 each) , my friend had the steak. So amazing and authentic! Its just a little hole in the wall surprise. I saw some others buy piles of carnita that smelled so wonderful. read more

A great spot to get carnitas in the north suburbs. Their meat is well seasoned and the salsa is delicious. Make sure you bring cash. They have tables to eat in or you can carry out. Burritos are smaller than other places but their other options make up for it. read more

If you like carnitas, come here. If you don't like carnitas, this place will change your mind.

This place was great in general. Food was tasty, service was stellar, and the prices are fantastic. This food establishment is really a hidden gem and worth the drive. If your looking for great Mexican food this is the place to go. read more

Our love for Carnitas Don Chuy and Don Chuy himself continue to grow! We are so happy every single time we go. They have removed most of the ice cream options from the restaurant, but still have some "paletas" in many different flavors. We love the food so much that we asked them to cater our twin sons' first birthday party. The food got rave reviews from all our guests, which included both people who had never had carnitas before AND people who grew up in Mexico eating carnitas all the time. Everyone wanted to know where to get the food again! They had everything perfectly ready for our party just as we asked. We were so happy with the food and the service. Don Chuy is so incredibly kind, as is his whole family who works there. He is always giving little treats to my sons just out of the kindness of his heart, and doesn't mind when they are running all over the place :) This place AND the owners are true gems, and we are so lucky to have the restaurant so close to us! read more

Not sure how this place has 4.5 stars. My wife had steak and I had chicken. The chicken was incredibly bland and my wife had to spit out every other bite of steak because of the gristle. We got a taste of the carnitas too and it is not very good either read more

I had a chicken torta. It was pretty tasteless and they are really sparse with the toppings. I bit into a piece and there were some sort of rocks in there that almost broke a tooth. Never again! Oh, and it's cash only which is kind of annoying in this day and age. read more

Carnitas and al pastor tacos not bad would eat them here again but thats all I would get. My bf got a steak burrito it was tiny and the "steak" was questionable... Nice guys tho. read more

Ordered 2LBS of Carnitas on two different occasions and it was very good. We will continue to come here when we want carnitas on Sundays.

This place has the best carnitas in Lake county. Their salsa is amazing as well. Plus you can't beat the prices. They do only accept cash but its well worth stopping at the ATM on the way! read more

Came for the carnitas, and was not disappointed. Highly recommend the $12 take-out special, which will easily feed 2-3 with a pound of carnitas, a dozen corn tortillas, onion, cilantro, and your choice of sauce on the side (my wife and I have leftovers.) read more