Let's start with pricing. We went here because the Brazilian fast casual restaurant was pricey. The price here is the same as that place except here it's full service, and the food is better. I've eaten at both places several times I can unequivocally say the food at El mariachi is better We had the taco chicken salad ($15) that alone can feed 2. We also had the El Mariachi's combo($24) of steak, Chile relano and fluatas - quality on all three plus rice and beans. Complimentary chips and salsa and water - all missing from the Brazilian fast casual. read more

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I came here on a Saturday evening with 3 other people. The place was busy, so we had a reservation just in case. We did not sit in the main restaurant, but rather the back private room. We went through the restaurant, through the patio, and into the private room. There were other people in there as well. That said, I feel that service was slow since we were away from the main restaurant and our server was covering tables near us as well as in the main room. I ordered a strawberry margarita and the chicken chimichanga with verde sauce. It was delicious and filling! I also enjoyed that they had 2 types of salsa with the complimentary chips and salsa. I would definitely come back if I'm in the area! read more

El Mariachi - Chimichanga with verde sauce - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I hosted a birthday party on their patio last month with 30 guests. They did such a great job catering to us. We did bottomless mimosas. They did such a great job at filling up our drinks. Unfortunately, I had a friend that threw up on the patio. The staff was so kind with helping her. They made sure she got to the bathroom, gave her a garbage can, AND gave her a hair tie!!! Food was so good. Pretty affordable for what it gives! read more

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Super cute restaurant with great service and food! I love the small, intimate setting. The tortilla chips were amazing, and were served with a red and green salsa, both delicious. I ordered the Sangria, and loved the bits of fruit in it; how sangria should be served! The shrimp tacos were jam packed with toppings, and the beans on the side were one of the best beans I've had at a Mexican restaurant. We were even given complimentary dessert shots to end our meal! Wonderful experience, we will definitely be back! read more

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The best Mexican in the city. Tortilla chips are made in house and the best chips I have ever had. Favorites include the Mexican combo and carne asada. The most amazing servers and small neighborhood restaurant that makes Chicago great. read more

The burrito is huge, but it's very wet. I regret ordering it and wish I had tried something else instead. The flavor of the chicken was not my thing. The rice was very good though. The refried beans were decent, but too salty sporadically. Chips and salsa were great, just a bit sad at how much smaller the amount of chips is for takeout than dine-in. read more

El Mariachi - Burrito with mexican rice and refried beans - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great salsas and chips. Tasty veg fajitas. Friendly service. But it took almost an hour to get our food and they weren't busy.

The chimichanga was the worst one I ever had. Greasy. Tasted like it was just beans. the chips and salsa were ok so two stars.

We ordered delivery from El Mariachi, and I was very impressed by the condition the food arrived in. Everything was hot, and didn't look like it had been shaken. For me, the highlight was the tortilla chips. They're extremely light and crisp, yet sturdy enough for dipping. And the guacamole we dipped them in was quite good. All of the standard Tex-Mex dishes were very good, and the tamales were a real stand out. read more

Came in as a group for a snack after some drinks and really liked this place. The staff was so great and my vegetarian friend loved the quesadilla he got. The cucaracha shots are also so delicious, and I say this as someone who often does not love the taste of alcohol. My friend also liked her queso fundido. read more

The best Mexican food I've had in Lakeview! Good service, comfortable vibes, and enjoyed my margarita! Will be going back soon!

here for business, ate here today. The food was totally superb, 100% delicious. Cute little restaurant, good service. Mateo was very nice. read more

Dinner was ok as far as Mexican restaurants go. The waiter Diogenes was friendly and provided good service. The shrimp fajitas were good. It was happy hour so loud. Over all good. read more

I'm fortunate to live just around the corner from this location, and I've dined in and gotten carry out on many occasions. Probably some of the best traditional Mexican fare in the neighborhood. And the best (complimentary) chips and salsa I've had in Chicago! The chips are made in-house and are fluffy, crispy, and seasoned perfectly. Their salsa is also super fresh, with hunks of onion, tomato, and cilantro all perfectly married together in a slightly spicy salsa. Don't be afraid to ask for more either. My favorite dish on the menu is the Mexican combo, which comes with a mini beef chimichanga, chicken taco, and a cheese enchilada. So you get a little taste of all the best things on the menu. And it comes with a generous side of beans and rice. It's a huge portion, but makes great leftovers. And you can't forget the margaritas! If you're with a group go with a pitcher, you can get about 8 (or more) margaritas out of it. They also have a killer brunch deal that I'm looking forward to taking advantage of when the weather warms up. Definitely give this place a shot and support this amazing local business. read more

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Beware coming here for brunch. A couple of Sunday's ago, I came here for a birthday party. They do not allow more then 2 credit cards per order. The server we had tried to pull a fast one when it came time to pay. We paid with cash and credit cards. She brought me a credit card receipt for $159, which I signed. The rest was paid via cash and another card for $40. This server voided the $159 charge and charged me an additional $95 on top of the $45 she already received. She pocketed all of the cash. I didn't notice until Tuesday when I was looking over my credit card dashboard. I reached out to them and they gave me the runaround for days. The management kept saying that they needed to do research and get with their accountant. On Thursday, one of their managers reached out to me to state that the Server is a good person, but she did pocket the cash. She will bring it back and then I can get a refund. I'm sorry but that is absolutely ridiculous. I kept asking why they could jot just refund me, and they said I had to wait for her to bring back the cash. The weekend passes and they finally reach out to me and say that they can refund me. They say they will refund my card. They then reach out a couple of days later and say that's not possible. I have to come pick it up. I go there tonight to pick up the cash, and they are giving me a hard time wanting me to fill out all these documents. They said I needed to prove everything that has transpired over the past couple weeks. After about 15 minutes, I was done and said I was leaving and was just going to contact my credit card company and they would most likely refund the whole thing. They finally decided to give me the cash. No one apologized not once. Be careful coming here during Brunch. read more

Our neighborhood "go-to" for Mexican food. The ladies in here are the sweetest, the food is consistent, delicious and delivered in huge portions! Word of warning, the chips are insanely good, you will fill ip on chips if you're not careful....also, the Mole sauce is AMAZING....a little on the sweeter side, just the way I like it! read more

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Went into this place after a workout with my partner. It's so cute and small. They originally had the windows open so it was an outdoor feel. I like the artwork and it kind of transports you outside of Chicago. I had a sangria which was good lots of fruit chunks. The server was so attentive and quick to refill drinks. The chips and guacamole were very good. The chips are made in house and she brought refills quickly for those as well. We got the Guadalajara combo and the pina colada French toast. The Guadalajara plate was good. My only complaint is that the shrimp were very small and a tad overcooked I think because of their size but the flavor was still good. My partner loved his French toast. read more

Ordered delivery for Valentine's Day and we wanted Mexican food. The food came quickly and we ordered tostadas dinner and steak fajitas dinner. I was hoping to substitute the beans for something different on their menu and wrote in the note, but unfortunately that part of the request didn't happen. The tostada was overall okay, it was a little too salty for me. They also provide you chips, guacamole, and salsa for the order. The entire bill was about $50 including tip and delivery fees. read more

We went in for a smallish meal and we both wanted the same thing: Chicken quesadillas with just chicken and cheese, nothing else in them. They came out with just cheese, no chicken. The waitress was great, she said just keep them and they'd remake them (so we ate a piece) but the kitchen staff said they could give us the chicken and we could put it in or we could send them back and they could put it in (which we did). So instead of 4 triangles of chicken and cheese quesadilla, we had 3 with chicken and cheese and one with just cheese. LOL. Fine. The wait staff were great though (3 of them tried to take our order). Would I return? I guess. read more

A really nice neighborhood spot! They're super friendly and were happy to answer all of my questions over the phone. Get the margaritas! There's a happy hour deal here for 4 margs for $22. The drinks were great! Nice and strong and pretty large as well. The only sides this location has are the Mexican rice and the refried beans - all of the other sides are only offered at the other, main location. Also, this location is not honoring the family/happy hour platters that the main location does. For my meal, I ordered chicken enchiladas with chipotle sauce. They were tasty and lasted me two meals. We also ordered the chips and guacamole - the chips here are fried and addicting! The guacamole is also great. Looking forward to coming back and especially having some more margs. read more

El Mariachi - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great chicken enchiladas And awesome guacamole. Came with my friend Karen and we both enjoyed our meals. Service was excellent! The place was clean and the Flan was amazing! Even the chips and salsa were very tasty. We didn't drink and we were pleasantly surprised at the prices. Our waitress Ana was delightful! Will be back soon! read more

A great small authentic Mexican restaurant. My partner is Mexican and really likes this place. The chips served with red and green salsa are fresh and so delicious! Today I had the enchiladas with skirt steak. A big delicious plate of food after an evening at the Lincoln Park Zoo Light show. The service was prompt and efficient. The bill for the two of us was $57 and we left a $12 tip. read more

Our visit to El Mariachi was accidental; there is another establishment only a few blocks away called El Mariachi Tequila Bar and grill that friends and family have raved about. The El Mariachi we visited was certainly not worth of rave reviews, much less our time and money. Food and drinks were mediocre - nothing to sneeze at. The star of the show was the garnish left on the corner of our enchiladas plate: a cockroach placed among red onions. How disgusting. To make matters worse, the manager of the restaurant apologized profusely and proceeded to charge us full price for the cockroach infested item. Save your sanity and go elsewhere. I'd recommend Joy's Noodles a few doors down. read more

What a wonderful experience! My friends and I came to El Mariachi for their bottomless mimosa brunch. We sat outside and it was so lovely! They really kept the mimosas flowing our server Julian had a great dry sense of humor and our busser Julian was also amazing. Everyone was so friendly! The food was phenomenal we had the platanos tequila French toast, tropical waffles, and steak omelette. So so good! All the staff was wearing masks covering their mouths and noses, some of the best covid precautions I've seen at eat in dining. And being outside we really had no concerns. The only downside was that a wasp was bothering us a bit, but obviously that was no ones fault. If you're allergic to bees or wasps sit inside. We will definitely be coming back!! Thanks El Mariachi for delicious food, cheap drinks, and impeccable service! We love you! read more

El Mariachi - Platanos al tequila French toast - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What an awesome spot! We have many Mexican food restaurants to choose from in our neighborhood and I'm so excited to finally found our home in this place. The food is so amazing, the service was amazing and fast. Oh! And the frozen margaritas! So fun with a little umbrella and delicious. Fresh, too! They don't seem to use artificial flavoring. Do yourself a favor and stop in!Tortilla Soup read more

El Mariachi - Strawberry and pineapple frozen margs on a beautiful day! Such a cute gem of a restaurant. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love this place for takeout. Great sized portions and they are always nice when I pick up :)

We loved this little spot!! They sat us right away on a busy Friday night. We had the most incredible waitress. I ordered the patron margarita and my bf had Pacifico beers. As soon as we finished our drinks our waitress was ready to bring us more. She was super attentive and in the best mood. I ordered the chicken burrito with salad verde. You will Definitely have leftovers. My bf had chicken enchiladas with mole. I'm not a huge mole fan but there's was fantastic! Chips guac and salsa were also phenomenal. read more

El Mariachi - Chicken burrito with salsa verde on bottom. Chicken enchiladas with salsa verde on tip. Guacamole and margarita. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great food, but CAREFUL ordering online. Their website links to a grubhub page for their other location with no way to select the 3420 N Broadway location. read more

We normally go to the location at 3906 Broadway but since they were booked up for the night we decided to try this location for a to-go order. We ordered a coconut margarita pitcher as well as two orders of shrimp tacos. The margarita was amazing as usual however the shrimp tacos were nothing like we expected. There was two tacos in each order with many micro shrimp inside which had a mushy consistency and very fishy taste.(Refer the picture)-ended up throwing them away. Will continue to support for the margaritas and other food but will steer clear of the shrimp! read more

El Mariachi - To go - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wonderful spot! We were just looking for a late night (9:30pm -- ok, we're old) light meal. This place surpassed our expectations. The vegetarian tamales where delicious and didn't have too much cheese (I hate things drowned in cheese). The guacamole was fantastic! Some of the best I've had. Salsas were fantastic. House made chips excellent: flakey, just enough salt, and delicious. I'm not from Chicago, but if I lived in Boystown, I'd be here weekly. If I lived in Chicago but not Boystown, I'd be here monthly. Great service. Super friendly staff. Loved it. read more

I live in the neighborhood and came into the restaurant tonight as it was a beautiful night. The place was busy. The service is always good, but tonight the food was off. I ordered the enchiladas and they came out lukewarm. The cheese on top wasn't even melted. I told mt server and the dish got sent back. I waited longer than usual for the dish and when it was brought back, the temperature was colder. During the meal service a man came in for his take out and it wasnt ready. He became irritated and was swearing loudly making everyone dining uncomfortable and quiet, and looking around. I felt bad for the family who had young children eating as they heard the man saying fu*k several times while upset about his food order. It was a horrible atmosphere that I never experienced. $19 later for my enchiladas, too much for what I was served, sitting in a very uncomfortable restaurant, I was done. I won't be back. Food concern was not taken care of and the swearing take out guy was ridiculous. What happened to the food here? Disappointed. read more

Service was good but food was bad and overpriced. Paid $90 for three meals and an appetizer

Awesome food. The place is a little small but it was very convenient since I'm staying at the Best Western. I got Camerones al Mojo de Ajo and a Dos Equis Amber. read more

El Mariachi - "Mmm...beer." - Homer Simpson - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Fair dinner, but watch out they will steal from you. So the place is family owned and run, so there are no underpaid waiters or waitresses thus what and if I choose to tip is my prerogative. When the owners change a receipt to a 25% tip that is stealing, shame on you! read more

This place has a great patio; when it's warmer. however, it always seems like a cluster with the staff. Both for dinner or If you go for bottomless the small indoor space becomes so loud you can't hear the person across from you. Getting a refill on bottomless seems like a challenge. They need one person dedicated to pouring as they will note leave the craft at your table which is odd. I've been 5 times in the last 4 years and we finally all agreed to find a new weekend brunch spot. read more

El Mariachi is a simple, fairly small restaurant with very friendly staff serving authentic Mexican food. We stopped here on a Friday night, both got margaritas, and started with an order of guacamole to go with the chips and salsa. We each also ordered an entree, but once we saw the size of those, we ended up asking to cancel one and share a main dish. After checking with the kitchen, the staff happily obliged. We had the ground beef enchiladas, which came with rice and refried beans. They were quite good, both of us were happy with the food, and service was spot on all night. We did need to wait for about 5 minutes for a table to become available when we arrived here because, as mentioned, the dining area is relatively small and all tables were full of dining patrons at that point. We split the bill evenly and each paid about $25 each before gratuity for everything listed above + coffee. I'd definitely stop back here again if in this part of the city. read more

#1 thing to know: free chips and salsa. Hot, salty fries tortilla chips with fresh, flavorful (cilantro generous) salsa. It's my favorite part of the meal. El Maricahi is a staple of my Lakeview East dining. Takeout or dine-in, it's always reliably good! The food is delicious and the quantity of food and price point push El Mariachi over the top. Staff is incredibly kind and helpful while dining in. The small, hole-in-the-wall space has never felt overly crowded or stuffy, it just reinforces the friendly community atmosphere- a welcome quality pre-covid! Things are now spaced out as much as possible but we've stuck to takeout recently. The Mexican Dinner Combo is my go-to. A mini chimichanga, taco, and cheese quesadilla satisfy every craving. Combos come with rice and beans so the order typically lasts me three meals! Takeout orders also come with complimentary chips and salsa. Let me tell you the salsa is the best, ever. It's fresh and full of flavor with visible cilantro and onion. I need to ask if I can buy it by the pint. It's not the fanciest or the trendiest Mexican food in the neighborhood. But it's perfect for a casual, cost-effective meal. I'll never get tired of it. read more

Always have a great time here! Most recent experience was with our great server David! Can't wait to check out the St. Patrick's Day Brunch! A great amount to eat (always leftovers for tomorrow), good ambiance, tasty food and yummy margaritas! It's everything I want from a Mexican Restaurant! If you are craving some good chips and guac with all your favorite - you gotta check this place out! (And ask for David - he'll take good care of you!) read more

One of my favorite Mexican places around. Love the small restaurant vibes and the staff is wonderful. Sometimes the chicken can be a little salty but it's always well done. Really enjoy the big burrito with the chipotle sauce and their guacamole is always great! Ana is my favorite! read more

Good local spot for Mexican. Not long on decor but long on portions. Good margaritas to accompany the food