TLDR: simple but got the job done. I wanted to go out to eat with my grandma but it can be difficult to find a place that isn't too busy or noisy on the weekends. We came Saturday at lunchtime and the place was pretty empty which was perfect. The menu is pretty simple: tacos, fajitas, and burritos. I had the steak tacos which came with three tacos and a side. The tacos were filling and tasted great. Same goes for the esquites. Service was good and prices are pretty fair too. Overall nothing big makes this place stand apart but fit the bill for a quiet, casual lunch. read more

El Molcajete - Steak Tacos and Esquites - Mexican Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

We had the fortune of beautiful weather the other evening, so we wanted to take advantage of an outdoor restaurant. El Molcajete has some indoor seating and two outdoor decks. Great views of Third Street in Geneva. Enter the main building door on Third and go straight to the staircase (on your left). Our waitress (and all the staff) were incredibly friendly. We ordered margaritas to start which were well made and generous with the pour. Additionally, we started with an order of Chips & Salsa. The salsa is a bit different in consistency but excellent flavor. When our food arrived, we were excited by the presentation - we all know, however, that what counts is the taste. Make no mistake, this delivered. The meat was of high quality and superb flavor. We were pleasantly surprised to have found such a great restaurant and meal on a whim. Highly recommend making the stop here for an excellent meal, friendly service and unique ambiance! read more

El Molcajete - Foreground - Tampiqueña with a side of Esquites Back Right - Bistec Con Queso Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

It was a nice breezy day in Geneva & we were out walking & suddenly craved tacos! This place is above a dessert shop & kind of confusing to locate, but enough signs to figure it out. Rooftop dining is pleasant esp on a day like this. Service is friendly & fast! Steak tacos perfectly seasoned & tender. Can't wait to try other offerings from their menu! read more

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This used to be a "go to" spot for us. Unfortunately, food quality has gone down. The tortilla chips were so greasy they were almost inedible. The rice was cold and hard. The corn and black beans were straight out of a can. The chicken burrito was dry. Bummer! read more

Don't miss this Mexican restaurant on the top floor of the Berry House. Friendly service and delicious food! I had al pastor tacos and a side of esquites (street corn), both of which were flavorful and fresh. It was quiet on a weekend lunch hour but picked up throughout my meal. Would certainly return. read more

El Molcajete - Al pastor tacos and esquites corn - Mexican Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

Our favorite, we go all the time! We don't even need a menu because we have a standard order. Great service and great fajitas!

always a Nice Day In El Molcajete, Geneva..... 1st Loved The beautiful Views Of the Rooftop, Over Looking down with The Pretty Red Umbrellas.. Fish Tacos were Good with this Purple Cabbage sauce on top Of It But Loved The Pepino Margaritas (Cucumber)... So fresh.. The Only thing I didn't Like is That they don't Bring Us Chips And Salsa Like any other Mexican Restaurant would! .. Wish they did.. Thats always A Must.!...... So you definitely Have to order chips .. But we ordered The Guacamole And chips.. Very good!! *But best of all Loved The Music while you Eat!! beautiful atmosphere.. read more

It took too long and it was a take out order and it was completely wrong. There was only one other table with people. Sadly I want to support but will not ever go back. The second time no third time for me! read more

The best Mexican food in Geneva area. Not to mention the best view and ambiance! Great outside seating. Nicest staff that are very welcoming. The food is fantastic and very fairly priced. Drinks are cheap. It's a great date night and family dinner spot !! read more

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Went for my friend's birthday and the food was great but it took forever for us to get food. Took so long that two of our people had to leave without their food. They asked for it to go and they look like 10 minutes on that too. All of us ran out of drinks, couldn't fill up our water or anything. Then they auto tipped themself 20% because we were a group of 11 (9 after friends left) All of us wouldn't have had a problem with that if we felt like we got good service but we didn't. Pretty disappointing:/ read more

Had a reservation for 9 on a Wednesday in June- was bringing my daughter, her furnace and his family. Everyone loved the margaritas- we had a large variety- mango, strawberry, spicy and traditional. All absolutely fresh and delicious. I wanted to come here for those, also because the atmosphere is lovely- nice and quiet. You can also dine outside. The chips are freshly made, the salsa delicious. We had a variety of items and all good. Can't wait to return! read more

Excellent Mexican food and fantastic service. I did the fajitas and they were out of this world. They make a great margarita as well.

Salsa was a runny watery red sauce. I had fish tacos and was up all night sick - food poisoning. I left a voicemail to the restaurant and no response My margarita tasted like lemonade / don't think any liquor was in it - tasteless read more

Very good food and the rooftop is a great vibe. Good and friendly staff. Definitely recommend the al pastor tacos. A little on the pricier side for a typical Mexican restaurant and the portions aren't huge--though most of the restaurants on 3rd Street are equally or more expensive, and the portion was perfect for a lunch. read more

Our food and drinks were amazing!!!!!!! Sat out on the rooftop so fun. Our server was great. Place was packed

Fast fresh and well priced. Portions are a bit small but worth it. I've ordered it a few times this month trying out diff options. Al pastor hit well especially with the green salsa. Asada nachos could be better but did the job for lunch. read more

This place instantly became one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. Server/ hostess/ and staff were all very kind and all in a good mood. Second, their cocktails are absolutely amazing. The jalapeño margarita was so delicious, I had two. I also had the guava margarita which also good. For dinner I had the taco sampler. Every single one of those tacos was made to perfection. I can't wait to come back and try other menu items. Balcony/patio area was nice. Only complaints are food did take a bit long to come out and usually you get chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants which this place didn't offer. read more

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We LOVE the food here it is your traditional Mexican... no frills .. just our absolute Favorite Mexican restaurant !! your food is fresh and cooked to order.. always sizzling hot..kind staff.. fabulous outdoor rooftop in heart of 3rd Street in downtown Geneva! I would give it far more stars than what they allow on this website read more

Great Mexican on third street in geneva. The patio is great in the summer. Service was good. Table was a little small for 4 people but we made it. Featured Margaritas are half price every day so $5.50 for a great Margarita is a deal. Will be back. Great experience. read more

Solid 3.5 out of 5. Hubby and I were walking strip in search of anything better than our favorite place. Already stuffed full of food we jumped in to order some fish tacos. It came as a meal of three and we ordered the elote on the side. The breading was a little bit cakey on parts of the fish but overall very decent. Elote was the bomb. Service was excellent! read more

El Molcajete - Elote side dish - Mexican Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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Food quality has gone downhill, it used to be excellent and in the top tier in Geneva for Mexican food. Our meal last Saturday was very disappointing... so much so that we didn't finish our meal. The prices are on the high side and not worth it. Used to get chips and salsa free now they charge for them. Staff dressed in a mix of jeans and cutoff pants and non matched each other. Just sloppy for any restaurant. There are plenty of other Mexicans restaurants to choose from... which we will do in the future. Too bad as it used to be one of our favorites. read more

El Molcajete is wonderful. We had a beautiful balcony table. The weather was glorious and so was the service. The standout was the food! The margaritas, the guacamole and chips, and the enchiladas were excellent. The food was so authentic... and the poblano rice was . Don't pass up this restaurant! Enjoy. read more

Another five star review. Think I like fox river valley since moving here in may. Along boutique shops, cafes, and restaurants of Third street, look up. A brightly colored umbrellas cap an outdoor portion of restaurant. I HAD to go. Just looked like fun. Entrance is off third street and not well marked. Go into building (Geneva wine tasting room is well marked use same entrance) and follow hall to staircase to second floor. Service was spot on. Sat outside. Enjoyed mushroom tacos with poblano rice. Enchiladas with pulled pork and salsa Verde was a hit too. I had tomatillo margarita, unique and tasty. Have fun when you go! read more

Amazing authentic Mexican food! After searching and searching for a good Mexican restaurant in the area, I found El Molcajete a few years ago and it's been my favorite ever since. Food is amazing! Plenty of options and large portions. The enchiladas or the chimichanga are a great pick. The margaritas are great also! The dining area feels upscale but still casual and comfortable. I particularly love the patio seating here! It's quiet yet close enough to see the hustle and bustle of Third St. Staff is also very friendly. A little confusing to get to since it's inside the Berry House on the second floor. Go straight in, down the hall, and take the stairs on the left! read more

We came in here 2/26 and it was so great I'm sorry I didn't write this sooner. It is NOT easy to see or find - you have to go in from the street through some hallway shops to get upstairs but trust me - its worth it!! Its a smaller place, super quaint and cute. The staff is top notch! I had a jalapeno margarita - it was so good. We also shared the guacamole trio (amazing) and the steak fajitas. VERY good! The chips and salsa are complementary and better than some of the other places around. Big fan! Glad we found this place!! read more

Good food made with fresh ingredients prepared and presented well. Prices are reasonable, and service is attentive and considerate. The outdoor patio is great. Have never been disappointed here, highly recommend. read more

El Molcajete - Fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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Great food! Great service! We loved sitting on the outdoor patio overlooking third street. Reasonably priced. highly recommended

Best restaurant on 3rd Street!! Come patient since everything is made fresh with above average produce/product quality, and unbelievable delicious!!! Worth the wait!! Great appetizers too!! read more

We lucked out having a nice early warm day to enjoy their lovely rooftop patio, has to be one of the best spots in the city. The menu is famular, has everything you would expect i'd say, but its all elevated. They really put love and care in to their dishes, you can see and taste it. We started with some excellent margaritas, the Guava was especially tasty. The we had the Guac sampler (Traditional, Habanero, Pineapple) They were all good and I especially loved the Habanero, don't get scared by what your thinking, it wasn't that hot, but very flavorful. Its a great way to try their different Guac flavors. I had the LA REGIA Torta, I'm a sucker for Milanesa, this was great, Chihuahua Cheese, and chorizo.... wonderful. May have been the tenderest Milanesa I have ever had. My wife had the Enchiladas with an incredible Verde sauce, were both Verde junkies and this was one of the best. I almost forgot what may have been the best thing i ate, I ordered the Poblano Rice on the side, and what an awesome side, Cheesey, Poblanoy perfection. I am forsure stealing that recipe. Great food, great location, wonderful service. Cant wait to go back read more

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Great family place on Third Street in Geneva. Reasonable prices and very good food. The atmosphere is definitely more family-oriented than the place they used to have on State. The food is the same and it's much bigger. They have two nice balconies outside. Try the shrimp and pastor tacos. read more

Beautiful day. Terrible service We ordered shrimp tacos and pork tacos. The waitress repeated our order and then came two orders of pork tacos. Upon telling the waitress there was an error she said 'no you both ordered the same thing ' that's untrue we said and gave back one order. 'We dont have shrimp ' we were told matter of factly. No 'I'm sorry for any misunderstanding' or ' we make it up to you' or is there something else you'd like instead ?' just 'walked away and later came to ask if we wanted another drink. Stay away. With all the good places to eat in Geneva there is no need to go there read more

I'm not really sure what happened here but the term hot mess comes to mind. We came for restaurant week, which was a great deal...2 margaritas, chips and guac, 2 taco plates (each with a side), and a dessert for $39. But with every table filled and only one waitress running around, we were often forgotten. 2 other tables that got seated after us had their orders taken before us. Our chips and guac arrived before we even had waters. The waitress was very nice whenever she would come by but she just needed more help! Overall food was fine but not great. The chips were really greasy and had no salt. All the food was delivered with nice presentation and we did agree the meal was very pretty. We also both loved our margaritas. Mango & Blackberry, yum! Also, the interior was surprisingly nice considering the berry houses are a bit...run down, if you will. But the lighting was super bright and it didn't feel very intimate or cozy. The music was really quiet and we could easily hear neighboring conversations. It just felt a bit awkward. read more

El Molcajete - Mango & blackberry margaritas, chips & guac, hongos tacos, and the dulce de leche chimi dessert - Mexican Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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Very lovely third floor patio setting with welcoming staff . I was pleased with vegetarian menu choices. My service dog did not cause a blip in service as it does in some local places . Food was excellent. Servers were on point! Chile Rellanos was very authentic and vegetarian burrito was tasty. I will be back! read more

El Molcajete has become a go-to restaurant for Mexican food in Geneva. It benefits from tasty food, a nice balcony dining area, and having tables ready, which isn't often the case at nearby Bien Trucha. While there's been a slight decline in the quality of the menu items, the food is still very good; certainly good enough to keep us coming back. My favorite tacos are the cabos (fish with cabbage slaw) and the bistec con queso (carne asada and Chihuahua cheese). The cabos are nicely coated with a crispy batter while retaining the flakiness of the fish. The slaw adds an extra bite and the chipotle aioli adds the kick of flavor to the dish. The steak on the bistec con queso is flavorful, and the rest of the ingredients are melded together by the Chihuahua cheese. On recent visits, however, the tacos have been slightly underwhelming, lacking the punch we were used to during earlier visits. The poblano rice and the esquites (sauteed corn with peppers and cheese) that you can choose as sides are so good though that they raise the level of tacos simply by being an accompaniment. If the weather is nice, enjoy your meal (and a refreshing drink) outside on the balcony. And while the tacos have been hit or miss recently, the service has been consistently good. Consider El Molcajete as an alternative to Bien Trucha. While it lacks the buzz, you'll get a good meal at reasonable prices. read more

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Came to sit and just enjoy a margarita on the balcony. Patiently waited 30 minutes because it was cinco de mayo of all days, no worries. Took even longer to receive our drinks. We really weren't complaining because again we get the hustle and bustle happening. However, we took 1 sip of our drink....1! Weren't a fan and waited 10 minutes for the server to make her way back so that we could hopefully swap the drink for another. She returns after speaking with the manager and they inform us that's it our fault for not saying something sooner so we would just have to buy another drink. Shocked by this considering we've been so patient and considerate we asked for the bill and left their disgusting drinks at the table. Would never go back there's way better options steps from this location. Avoid if you can. read more

Food is very good. However, ordered the taco ring for $49.99. Description is 20 TACOS, plus rice and beans, and 3 cans of soda. We picked 8stk, 4 chorizo, 4 el pastor, and 4 chicken. Received 1 less chorizo. Further, and most disappointing, these are not TACOS, but toquitos, the much smaller version of tacos. The rice and beans they give is for 1 person, basically what you get with 1 meal in dining (small styrofoam container. Keep in mind, TACOS are $3.09, Toquitos about $2, served only on Tues. So we basically overpaid for this meal. Beware these are very small, and portions are very small, but all are tasty. read more

Great food even better service! The outdoor seating is fantastic. This is not one of those small plate Mexican restaurant, you'll get a plate full. read more

We were here in 2021. The difference in one year is sad. Prices, of course, skyrocketed. Menu choices are very much reduced. No more free chips and salsa. I will not be back. read more

Stopped in early one Saturday for my first visit. Wasn't really sure how to find it, as i didn't see much signage. Eventually made my way through the building and upstairs to the restaurant. Dining room was clean and neat. Not much to it. Ordered guac with pineapple which was very good. The margarita was also good. I had the ranchero steak with morito sauce. This was so good. I literally ate every bite of it. It was cooked perfectly. I highly recommend. read more

Good place and outdoor seating is nice. Food was good, the service was a bit slow but they were short staffed.