So as we were traveling to Chicago, we needed a bite to eat and discovered El Mexicano restaurant. I'm glad we did. First, the staff was very friendly and polite. The waiter was prompt and accurate. He was also very personable and it seemed like he knew many of the people at the restaurant. I took that as an indication they had a lot of repeat customers. Next, the food came out quickly and it was hot and tasty. My wife had the taco salad and I had the three street taco meal. My tacos were robust and delicious. We also enjoyed the dessert nachos, which were very good. The chips were excellent. As far as the restaurant, it had a great Mexican motif. Very colorful and vibrant. Additionally, it was clean and inviting. read more

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This place had the best salsa I've ever had at any restaurant. The chips were perfect as well! I had the burrito suiza. It was beautifully cooked and tender, quite flavorful tiny pieces of steak wrapped in a flour tortilla, smothered in deep red sauce with some cheese on top. Served with refried beans, creamy and hot and a lettuce, tomato and sour cream salad that complimented the dish so beautifully. Very reasonably priced as well! read more

Used to be our special occasion Mexican place because the food was sooo good. Haven't been here since before Covid. The carnitas entrees have been our favorites. Salsa is also freshly made. Chips were not freshly made. A bit disappointing today. Meat was overly salty in both entrees. I guess that's why there are jumbo margueritas - fishbowl sized. read more

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Never a bad meal. The tamales are so good. Had the chicken fajitas, 2 tamales and nacho chips n salsa. Just enough for a great dinner and leftovers to make it the rest of the night. Can't go wrong with some Sol on the side. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

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Waited at the door Hostess was not friendly and didn't tell anyone that I was seated which meant I waited forever at the table. Chicken fajitas were weird with tiny pieces of pulled chicken. Lots of tomatoes and a few peppers. Margarita was good Chips and salsa were good Server wasn't busy but didn't check back. Close to hotel was a positive read more

Food was delicious and authentic. Very inexpensive too. I had the special dinner on the menu, it was only 15.50 for taco, chili relleno, enchilada, tamale & tostada, plus beans and rice. It was a lot a food for such a small price. Looking forward to coming back soon. A++ highly recommend.. read more

$14 for a steak burrito that they call a super burrito, was more like a pile of rice with a few pieces of tasteless beef wrapped in a tortilla. There are far better choices around and just outside of town that actually use steak and are much better priced. read more

Yum. Service was friendly and quick I had a 'choose your own' combo. Steak taco, pork tamale, and chili relleno with sides of refried beans and rice. Everything was good. read more

Received a paper gift certificate for Christmas, when I used it I was told that I had to pay the 3% credit card pricing since I was not paying with cash. That is very unfair business practice. The food was good but will not go back due to the up charge. I even spoke with the owner and was told it was not considered cash and had to pay the 3%. I agree that 3% is not a lot of money, but it's the principle. read more

From the outside you would not expect what's inside. The outside is a shitty little strip mall next to Walmart. On the inside it's decorative and festive. The service by Carlos was fantastic both times I've been in this week. First time I ordered steak and chicken fajitas and OMG there was a lot of food. If I had to be critical, I'd say it could have had more onions. Next time in I chose the carne asada tacos and it was still very filling. Great hot sauce too. Will be a frequent customer read more

Most wonderful authentic Mexican food in Kankakee County. The paella they make is outstanding. Steak chicken shrimp rice green peppers covered in cheese My son and daughter-in-law both had fantastic Margaritas and I had a Dos XX beer The service was second to none ($30 tip) and the atmosphere was purely Mexican Overall A++ read more

I've never eaten there before nor have I had paella but it's very flavorful. Yum! Service was great. I asked what was recommended. Great choice. The atmosphere is very festive. Nice and quiet without a lot of personality. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Paella - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Good experience. The staff is friendly and attentive. The food is tasty, and so is the lime margarita. Restaurant is clean. Recommend if you're in the area. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Seafood Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Drinks were ok. Food was seasoned, but on the dry side. For desert ordered a sopapilla and received a hard tortilla disk with some whip cream. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - a plate of food - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Okay, kind of greasy and heavy on the stomach but the food is good and restaurant is always busy, they seem to be popular for their drinks too! read more

The paella is unique, different and delicious! Worth the trip just for this. Salads are very good for Mexican. Great fast service too.

My second time eating here as I traveled through Kankakee. The first time was okay, salsa was good. I remembered being disappointed in the margarita, taste like a cheap sour mix but that's normal for a "house" marg. So this time I asked for the top shelf margarita with 1800 tequila. Unfortunately, they use the same cheap sour mix in their top shelf margaritas too! Overall though, the food is good and the service is exceptional by the staff. read more

Great food! I love the atmosphere here. The servers are nice and attentive. The restaurant is clean. Their sangrias are really good. This is my third time and I will be back. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Sangria - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

A friend and I were in town for work and staying at the Hilton. What a convenient walk through a field (no joke) to get some margs. I started with the strawberry then had the peace. Yum to both. After some chips and salsa (this is my lower mark...the salsa was clearly from a jar and very mediocre. Mexican restaurants should pride themselves in their salsa!). I got the shrimp taco and quesadilla. The quesadilla was a bit salty (also a small strike), but that shrimp taco man. Yuuuuummm. We'll be back for work in a few months and I suspect that will be in my future. read more

This is the best Mexican in Kankakee! Sorry but if you have a crappy review you are a douche bag with issues. The service is awesome and the food is spectacular! read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Shrimp fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

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What an absolute low in dining experience. I really wanted to like this place, and came in ready to tip BIG. However the service here was so neglectful that I couldn't wait to leave. I was disgusted with the treatment right away. 1. Chips and a very crappy salsa was dropped off at my table and then the waiter completely disappeared, not to be seen for at least another 15 to 20 minutes. Waited a long time to place my order. The chips are very greasy and the salsa is so white washed that it's pretty much tomato sauce in a blender. 2. I never saw my waiter for a water refill. My entree was brought out before my appetizer because my waiter did not remember I had an appetizer. I ate my entire meal, before he remembered to bring out the appetizer, which he placed on the side of the table and said "sorry sorry!" It was too late, so I never touched it. It still wound up on my bill however. WTF Again, I waited a very long time to ask for the check, but he never came back. I got really tired of waiting so I just went to the front counter and they had to hunt him down for my tab. Very unprofessional and rude. Sad that this is tolerated here. Hell NO I did not leave a tip. This place has some of the worst service in town, and not only will I make sure my coworkers and family know about it, but I will not be back and I will encourage other people not to eat here. Horrible way to treat a guest. read more

Close to a main road and next to a busy Walmart this restaurant offers standard fare we've all come to know and love. Nothing standout about this place but a decent variety and a full bar. I had my usual Carne Asada at places like this and it was tasty, nice rice and beans with cheese. I went on a week night which was busy though I don't know if it's due to its good location or there are regulars who frequent it. The service was spotty but due to the customer load I can understand that. A close, safe option if you're in the area. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Pacifico!!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Great lunch deals. And even greater margarita Monday deals ! 40oz margarita for 6 bucks ! The chips and salsa were good. Got our food very fast at lunch time. I got the burrito lunch special and my babe got the chili relleno lunch special. Both were delicious and filling ! Lunch specials are 6.75. Great deal ! read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - 40oz margarita, 6 dollars on margarita Monday's ! - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

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Hands down my favorite Mexican restaurant in town the prices are sooo reasonable and the portion sizes are great. A friend and I went out and got a huge margherita and fried ice cream dessert and we were buzzed and full from sharing a dessert our bill was $19 total. For $11-12 you get a sit down service dessert and a tequila buzz and tipped. U can't best That! read more

Much better option than most of the things you'll find in this area! It's got some solid vegetarian options (granted, most of them are 90% refried beans-- when I asked the waiter what was in the bean burrito, he literally said 'just beans.') And we were in a real hurry, and they were definitely able to get us some vegetarian quesadillas super fast! None of the food is particularly spicy, or particularly authentic Mexican fare, but it's decent and the quesadilla had an unexpectedly large amount of fresh vegetables inside, which was fantastic! I'd go back for sure... better this than the McDonald's my dad always loves to stop at a few miles north! read more

Horrible experience. My husband's food arrived as the rest of the table was finishing up our meals. It was wrong so we had to send it back. We had to ask twice for cheese dip and guacamole, and they never did bring more salsa after the bowl was empty (and we asked for more). The worst part: my husband asked for a box for his leftovers. The server stacked a dirty dish on TOP of leftovers. And left a dishrag. GROSS. We complained and they took 10% off the bill. It's better than nothing, but not enough to bring us back. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Our leftovers are under that dirty dish. Along with a carry out box & dirty rag. Unhappy customers. - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Always a great experience and great food! Service is always wonderful and all waiters and staff are very attentive and nice!

We love the food here! Delicious! The taquitos are stuffed with shredded beef if you prefer! It you can get chicken. The salsa is extremely good tooo. My son goes to college nearby so we ma'am's it's here when I visit. I know it's a spot he and his friends frequent. read more

Been here for about an hour still have no food !!!this is absurd waiting for our food and other received there food before us. Since macho has left and wife gone down hill . Done with place read more

Alway a good place to come and get authentic Mexican food a little noisy but the food is real good read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Strawberry Margareta - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Great food, very fresh, great service...passing through the area and gave it try.....very happy we did

This is one of my favorite restaurants. My best friend and I have been here several times, different days of the week, and different times. We get seated pretty quickly and the chips and salsa arrive shortly afterward. The chips and salsa are made fresh daily. Their paella is wonderful and we usually take half home. They have the usual drinks as well as some Mexican ones. I've had a soda that's made from tamarind. It's a bit like a Sprite, with a bite. It doesn't have that syrupy consistency that regular sodas do. Service depends on how busy they are and if they're training a new person. Which stands to reason. And they are always willing to help you. The prices are pretty decent, nothing outrageous. So, if you like Mexican food in quaint restaurants, and you find yourself in Kankakee, you should stop in and give them a try. A very nice change of pace from all those flat, fast-food places. You just may be pleasantly surprised. read more

Service gets ****, he let me run out of something to drink while waiting on my order, but he was busy, food gets *****. Food was tasty and I prefer quality over speed, everytime. I had the Shrimp Fajitas, they didn't skimp on the sautéed onions or bell pepper, the white Mexican cheese was great with the fajitas! I am really picky about my Mexican food, mainly because my wife says I could eat it 10 to 12 days of each week. This was pretty close to TexMex and that is my personal preference. I really liked the way they made the shrimp, they were juicy and fresh rather than dried out as is so typical elsewhere. The salsa has an excellent flavor but the chips are nothing to write home about. If you are close, drop in and try it. Right next door to the Hilton Garden Inn. read more

I had the beef tacos. 1 hard shell, 2 Soft. They were excellent! Service was very fast! Friendly staff. read more

I absolutely loved our evening here. Our server was very understanding to my daughters allergy needs. The serving sizes were very generous. My family met up with friends we hadn't seen in awhile and the environment was perfect; not too loud to carry on a conversation but upbeat and festive. Our server was very attentive but not over-bearing, especially since we stayed a while visiting. I definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

So this is our Mexican place of choice when the neckbeard and I venture back into the land of corn and cows where he's originally from. It's in a little strip mall next to the 7th ring of Hell (Wal*Mart) which to me adds to the kitsch of what this place is trying to be - which is a semi authentic, colorful Mexican restaurant on the outskirts of a town that's full of chain restaurants. And it's pretty damn decent. I don't get too adventurous with the menu because all I care about there is the fish tacos. You get the choice of breaded fished or grilled fish - which is nice. Try them both. The grilled is lighter and doesn't make you feel like a total fat ass. While the battered and fried fish has more flavor and will make you feel like you're gonna need to do extra cardio to work off all the calories you just consumed. The slaw on top of the fish is excellent. My primary issue are the side dishes - the rice always tastes old and the beans just aren't very good. The guacamole is okay - not the best I've ever had and in no way the worst I've ever had either. The frozen mixed drinks seem like a scam to me. The pina colada tastes good, but I couldn't taste the alcohol at all and didn't even get a buzz so it wasn't like they were just good at disguising the taste of the booze, there just wasn't a lot of booze in it. No bueno. Now I just order Pepsi when I go there which is just lame and totally white bread. If you ever find yourself in Kankakee (and good god, why would you? I wouldn't even go there on accident if I wasn't visiting my boyfriend's family) and you're craving Mexican food - give this place a shot. The fish tacos will more than make up for the fact that you're in the middle of nowhere. read more

I'll preface by saying that this review is based on only one visit, so I can't identify any trends or speak exhaustively about the menu. El Mexicano is a perfectly acceptable spot offering a decent tex-mex menu, large margaritas, an attentive staff, and inexpensive food. I was staying at the hotel next door and was very happy to be able to walk here and throw caution to the wind with respect to the quantity of margarita consumed. The food was okay (I had a burrito), I've had much better but El Mexicano was just fine for the price, and the chips and salsa are free which is always a nice bonus. The margarita I had tasted a little strange - almost like the water in it was a bit funny - but was otherwise fine for the price. My biggest issue was the fire alarm. That's right, the fire alarm. For some reason, it kept going off during my meal. Over and over again, the deafening alarm kept conversation, and enjoyment, to an absolute minimum. There was no fire, no one was evacuated, but it really killed the experience and for some reason nothing was done about it. Not that the alarm is keeping the restaurant from getting a fourth or fifth star from me, but it did taint my visit quite a bit. That said, next time I travel to Kankakee and stay at the same hotel, I will be back just as fast as I can walk across the parking lot. read more

Five years ago this area was nothing but a corn field. But urban blight has demanded an expansion of development and there is a new Hilton Garden Inn, Wal-Mart and strip mall off I-57 south of Kankakee. Between a U.S. Cellular and a Dollar store, there is a suspicious looking storefront declaring itself "El Mexicano". I was pretty tired after a long weekend and really didn't want any of the overpriced pap Hilton tries to foist off on it's guests. I noticed this place and I was prepared to enter a hole in a wall with roaches and greasy food. Was I surprised! Decor was actually pretty nice, nice booths and tables with some type of Mexican ceramic tile motif with bright south of the border colors, a small bar up front with big screen TV and plenty of places to sit. We were promptly seated and the menu offered a great variety of items, plenty of things to choose from. Out waiter brought a basket of chips and salsa and took our drink order. I had the pina colada which was one of the better ones I've had in a while. My companions had light beer. For our meal we had fish tacos, tamales, tostada's, chilis rellenos, and a type of chicken dish which name escapes me. The food, while good, was a bit ordinary. I've had better, but the meal was still satisfactory. Chips were thin, crisp and lightly salted but you could tell the salsa was made in a blender, very soupy, not the pico de gallo type that I prefer. Fish tacos were acceptable but lacked a true grilled flavor (I ordered the grilled tilapia rather than the fried), however, they were saved by the truely exceptional dressing/sauce. Tamales, tostada's and rellenos were nothing special...a touch better than Taco Bell. Mexican rice was average, refried beans were really soupy, and tortilla's were store bought. Upside is that a dinner for four with drinks set us back about 42 bucks which is dirt cheap. Downside is that service was a bit slow. All in all, this is a good deal in a nice clean setting. Decent drinks and not bad Mexican food. I would come back if I was in the area again. read more

This is the best Mexican I've had on a really long time. Excellent service and great quality food! Highly recommend!

With dinner for two adults coming in under $25 (without drinks) on a Saturday night, the value of El Mexicano makes it very hard to beat. The service is always courteous but not pesky, which is how we like it. This most recent meal we arrived before 5pm to beat the rush, and I chose vegetable fajitas for less than $10 and enjoyed a generous platter of sauteed onions, green peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and tomatoes, accompanied by their standard side of rice-refried beans-lettuce along with a little guacamole. The complimentary salsa is fresh, smooth, and tasty and served with thin fried tortilla chips. The décor shows a little flair, with its feel of being on an outdoor patio on a peaceful evening in a Mexican village. Two long rows of high backed booths give diners a little privacy. We visit regularly and have never had a bad experience. Located near the Hilton Garden Inn, we often see guests making the short walk over for a satisfying meal. I am glad that visitors to our area have this option for dinner. I am surprised by the occasional lukewarm review, but to be fair, this place is straightforward and traditional Mexican and Tex-mex cuisine, in a cute and clean, but unpretentious setting, prepared fresh and consistently, and that's what we want when we visit. It's not some kind of trendy, fusion foodie experience that will change the way you think about Mexican food. read more