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    El Indio Cocina Mexicana

    3.9 (126 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    El Indio Cocina Mexicana Photos

    EL INDIO COCINA MEXICANA ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Reviews With Photos

    Tacos de bistec
    Rachel W.

    Took my sister in law who just arrived in Chicago for the first time here and all I can say is WOW!!!! They did not disappoint. Attentive service, delicious food that es very flavorful and good portions as well. Will definitely be coming back

    Vegan horchata
    Tigra C.

    I heard about their vegan options and decided to try them. I thought the food was pretty good, but not amazing. Torta Cubana Vegana (when ordered sans mayo, eggs, or tomatoes) - it was a good sandwich but would've been so much better with vegan; it was dry without it. Vegan mayo is sold pretty much everywhere, so there's really no excuse not to have it as an option when you market and sell vegan sandwiches. Tacos - I tried the soya pastor (no sour cream, no tomatoes) and the soya asada. They were both ok. Nothing that stood out with regards to flavors. They do give you a lot of vegan protein; they aren't skimpy at all with the portion. The horchata was good.

    Tacos
    Oscar B.

    The food here is wonderful. I always get the steak tacos. Staff is friendly. Recommend the empanadas for dessert!

    It seems like every time we go back it gets worse at this location. My family has visited these restaurants since they were a whole in the wall. We know the owners and most of the older staff. So recently we stopped at Indio (63rd & Pulaski) in the afternoon for dinner. The restaurant was cold, freezing if you're sitting next to a window, the bathroom (besides being cold) it had tissue everywhere, even outside the bathroom floor. The toilet was dirty(with urine) the changing table dirty, and no soap..... you wonder if the employees washed their hand b4 touching your food. The wait staff was not great. We waited for the waitress to tend the table behind us(who arrived 10mins after us) to call her over and give us some coffee. Idk that I'd recommended this place anymore. This used to be the place to stop at after someone came in to visit since it's so close to Midway, I'm definitely not going to take anyone here anymore. U don't know what you're going to find. Visit at your own risk!

    Steak Burrito and Cup of Coffee
    Christine B.

    While searching on Yelp for vegan restaurants near my home, I came across Indio 2. I'm not vegan, but I am interstested in earning Yelp's Carrot Top badge and it requires visits to vegan restaurants. Two of my Yelp friends had been here and enjoyed their visits, so I really looked forward to mine! It started out well. The place looked nice enough and we easily found a table. Our server showed up pretty quickly and was a very nice young man. He brought us our drinks and took our orders. I ordered a steak burrito minus the lettuce and a cup of coffee. Although the coffee tasted very good, it was lukewarm. I was just happy it tasted strong enough. As we waited for our food, a panhandler stopped at our table asking for a dollar. The guy reads faces very well because we never had to say a word and he moved on to the next table. Deduct one star for allowing panhandlers to approach customers. Our food showed up. I hadn't thought to mention easy on the salt, though I doubt it would have made a difference. I did remember to say "no lettuce" and that was on my burrito. So I tried to pull off as much lettuce as I could as I made my way thru the first half. I figured I would take the second half home and do a better job of cleaning off the lettuce. In retrospect, I wish I would have done that. I mentioned the lettuce to our server. He offered to correct it and took the plate back. That was very nice of him. However, about this time, my friend finished his non-chicken chicken sandwich. He did enjoy his sandwich. I waited for a burrito minus lettuce. My burrito returned and although there was not THAT much lettuce on the first one, this one seemed a lot thinner. I also realized there was no rice in the burrito. I don't believe there was rice in the first one and I thought there was supposed to be. At any rate, I was not feeling all that great eating the first half of the second burrito, so I decided not to eat or take home the other half. My friend was curious about the burrito and tried the half I was going to leave. We then waited a long time to get our check. Minus another star. When I got home, I realized that I would probably feel better if I took some pepto bismal. My friend contacted me after he got home and said the steak burrito did not agree with him either. It's about 4 hours later and time for some more pepto bismal. Minus two more stars.

    Horrible avocado on tacos! I call it taco surprise!! Surprise when you get home! Apparently they think it's ok to eat lol RUN!!!!!!
    ItsAl F.

    Horrible avocados in tacos and apparently they think it's ok and told me " it's fine all avocados are like that"lol RUN ... if this ok ?? What's their cleaning standards!!!

    Thomas L.

    Spot on ethnic mexican with vegan and vegetarian options. Very good!!! Very close to midway airport and my hotel so a great quick good option. On premise parking - in out and done not expensive. Good portion. Service was awesome and quick!!

    Super service.
    Ted K.

    Don't tell anyone I went to a VEGAN restaurant. They serve meat too, but I went full-vegan. The L word is over used so it becomes less meaningful, but I really do Lurv this place. My doctor said soy reduces testosterone so I'm not going to make a habit of fake meat, but I always give credit where it's due: The Torta Cubana was out... of... this... world. (Dramatic pauses build suspense). To quote Frankenstein's creation: Bread goood. Very satisfied with the torta. The soy was not detectable as such. Soy chicken, soy sausage, and soy bacon. Nopalitos goood. Nopales are baton slices of cactus sauteed with onions and pasilla peppers. Deep, rich flavor. Best tasting vegetable side I can remember. Texture good and firm too. They have a drive thru, which surprised me. I like the atmosphere inside so I'll never drive thru. Some reviews mention a language barrier but I had no problems. They have a breakfast menu, dessert menu, and all the meat. I don't recall seeing seafood. If I lived closer I could imagine eating here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But not all the soy. Meat goood. Vegans, vegetarians, and non-hippies alike will enjoy the depth and complexity of this food, and the familial atmosphere. Git here now! P. S. Parking on the street was easy at 8 p.m. on a Friday. Put 2 hours on the meter.

    No chips, that was a first for me in a Mexican restaurant but great salsas
    Jackie F.

    This place came highly recommended by a Yelp friend (thanks again!) The restaurant was easy to find, clean and service was great. Our very nice male server gave us our drinks and brought roasted jalapenos and two tasty salsas. I waited, looked around, waited some more then realized that we weren't getting chips haha. This is the first Mexican restaurant (for me) that doesn't serve chips at the table lol. But I didnt understand why when they place the beautiful salsas in front of you. Of course the salsas went on my tacos and my friend's gordita, but I was puzzled. Their vegetarian food is really good and unique! We tried: "Chicken" taco with nopale and salsa = GREAT "Steak" taco with cilantro and onion and lime = GREAT "Nopales Gordita" = AMAZING but not vegan bcuz of the cheese We both got rice and beans. Rice was excellent, the beans tasted canned and no flavor. Again the salsas were real good. Prices are great. Will definitely be back!

    Generous portions. Still can't believe this is only a medium.
    Ndidi B.

    Ordered two soy steak tacos, two soy chicken tacos and a vegetarian burrrito. The vegetarian tacos were on point. Onions and cilantro add an authentic flare. The burrito was so big for the price. That alone, earned them two stars. Also, the salsa they served on the side was so good! I also ordered a medium bean and rice which came in these large containers. I couldn't believe those were the mediums. And they also have a drive thru, which they allowed me to pick up my order from, that I'd called in. They definitely earned a repeat customer.

    Christine S.

    Did not like this place. We asked questions and it seemed the waitress did not understand English very well. After taking our order she came back with some things and placed them on the table, not explaining what they were , whether they were snacks or condiments for what we ordered. I got the vegan chicken tacos which were sufficient and hubby got Nopalitos con Panela which he ate.

    3 vegan tacos  1 asada, 1 chkn, 1 al pastor no sour cream. I was assured the soy meat was vegan and man was it good!!
    Emily C.

    I knew this place had veggie options but I had a bad experience at el Faro and thought they were affiliated. I'll be honest I was worried that no one would speak English and therefore not know what "vegan" meant. I hate having to explain sometimes and just wanted some food quickly. Luckily I was able to ask upfront if the soy meat was vegan and they knew what I was talking about, it was a young girl who helped me. There is nothing Vegan on the south side so I'm very happy to find this place. It's not solely a vegan place but they have a vegetarian section which can be veganized. I asked if the soy meat was vegan and was assured it was. I got a taco al pastor no sour cream, asada and chkn style. Really good salsa and I think my favorite was the asada bummed I only got 3! Will be going back soon!! Only 4 stars since I haven't tried anything else

    Mary Anne B.

    Just had another amazing vegan meal at Indio! My partner in vegan adventures, Lena B. Had the carne asada de soya with a side of black beans. I had the carne asada de soya burrito. When they brought it out I had to have them double check to make sure it was vegan. The meat looked and tasted so real,(from what I can remember). Every thing was so good. Service was great. And it is all so reasonably priced. They even have a drive up window! All they need is vegan flan and horchata and they would be perfect.

    Going halfsies with my husband on the soy chicken torta and torta veggie cubana!

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    Waited almost 20 minutes for the waitress come and take our order just to tell us they run out of what we wanted service was bad

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    4 years ago

    Quick delicious food and right around the corner from home and they never disappoint me and my family. Definitely recommend this place

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    Fast service, attentive waitress & waiters, and good food! What else can you ask for? I love this place

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    Page 1 of 4

    El Indio Cocina Mexicana Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Indio Cocina Mexicana

    Are the soy tacos all 100% vegan because if not i get really bad allergic reactions ?))))): Pls let me know before Saturday.

    They tell me yes. And they seem flexible, understanding with requests. Honestly, I would feel better if I knew Spanish so i could be confident that they understand my questions and requests. Like I learned the horchata wasn't vegan ... one staff… 

    View All 2 Questions

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    XOchimilco Mexican Restaurant

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    My second time here, the first time for my dinner companion. Everything was incredibly good, from…read morethe greeting we got when we arrived, to the service and the food...oh my, the food! Appetizers were quac and chips, and shrimp ceviche. The guac was really good, but the ceviche was the star. Served on a bed of cucumbers, it was visually beautiful, and the flavor was fresh and complex. There was also a LOT of it. We ended up taking some home. Entrees were steak and shrimp for me, and Tampiquena for my friend. In both dishes, the steak was done to perfection. The sauce that came with my shrimp was spicy and deep--lots of flavor layers there. Both of us took home portions of our meals because there was a lot of food on the plates. Finally, the service--the servers are attentive without hovering. If we needed something, they were there, but never intrusive. It is hard to believe this is a little neighborhood spot, given the service and the quality of the food. It was not too busy tonight--we ate early--but I recommend reservations. It is very popular with the neighborhood. Bottom line, we each had 2 margaritas, appetizers, and entrees, and our bills with tip were around $105.00 each--totally worth it! Try this little gem--you won't regret it.

    Top service and incredible food. Everything was delicious and the staff is super nice!!!read more

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    Pineapple special. Simply the best.
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    Manchamanteles is as fun and exciting on the inside as its boldly colored outside would lead you to…read morebelieve. The staff are donned in themed regalia, and will gleefully sing you a happy birthday song even if you're quite far from adolescence (and also a few days out from your actual birthday). The moles were all phenomenal, and the mezcal margarita pitcher more than satisfied our group. The interior is a bit bright and skews somewhat family oriented, so I wouldn't recommend it for every crowd. But for my group of friends and I, Manchamanteles more than delivered in food, service, and fun alike.

    Came here on Valentine's Day with a reservation, there were three of us, one kid. It was full of…read morefamilies, some couples. The had a tasting menu but we opted out of it. They give you a complimentary spicy trail mix. We started with the guacamole, it was okay. Then I got a traditional margarita, my partner got a pina colada with strawberries, and my kid got a pink lemonade (Marz Brewing made). The margarita was good, not strong but not too watery. For dinner I got the chicken fajitas, the waiter asked if I wanted just chicken which I though was odd because I ordered the chicken fajitas and I wasn't sure what he meant or if he meant no veggies, it came with veggies luckily. It also came with tortilla, corn, and a side of refried black beans with cojita, and rice. It was all okay. My partner got the lamb mole, it was sweet and savory, not spicy. And it came with tortillas. They have a lot of mole options, so if you're into that definitely come here to try! Overall it was just okay.

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    Dobladas De Mole Negro! Delicious
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    El Indio Cocina Mexicana - mexican - Updated August 2026

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