After seeing the line outside of another restaurant serving breakfast up the street, we looked at the breakfast menu posted outside and stopped in here instead, where we were promptly seated and waited upon. Esta Loco has a casually elegant look inside, and all of the wait staff was cordial and helpful. The coffee was delicious but the only non sugar sweeteners were Equal and Sweet n Low. I'd like to see the addition of stevia (preferred) and Splenda. There are several omelettes on the menu, but Hubby and I both chose the Italian omelette with an English muffin. The omelettes are HUGE with 4 eggs each, and both of us brought leftovers to the hotel room. The lunch menu looks interesting and there was an extensive selection of alcohol on the back side of the menu. read more

Esta Loca - Toasted English muffin with an Italian omelette and crispy potatoes - Tex-Mex Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We randomly stumbled across this place while trying to go to wild berry but the line was way too long lol. It was pretty good! the potatoes may look plain but they were soo good with the perfect amount of salt. The salmon eggs benedict was pretty standard but good. The banana foster french toast was DELICIOUS 10/10 definitely the star of the show!! read more

Esta Loca - banana foster french toast, salmon eggs benedict - Tex-Mex Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nice Mexican restaurant found as we were roaming Chicago. We had the queso fundido, salsa and some margs. The margs were good and so were the little bites we had to fill our bellies. It was a fairly big place with an upstairs so I would suspect that this place can get pretty busy. The service was average, nothing extra nor below par. read more

Esta Loca - Tex-Mex Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wow! What a great restaurant! I can't believe we've missed this place in the last 6 times we've been to Chicago. We came for a late brunch/early lunch and the front desk immediately recommended terrace seating. With global warming on the front, our 68 degree October day was the perfect setting to enjoy the terrace. I ordered a banana French toast breakfast and a strawberry margarita (yes, weird combination but it was actually fine) and my husband ordered chicken fajitas. Our servers were really nice the entire time. The French toast looked and tasted gourmet, and came with a delicious vanilla gelato! My husband said he thoroughly enjoyed his chicken fajitas and that they were very well seasoned! Last, my margarita was the perfect combination of sweet and sour, and while I could smell the alcohol, I could not taste it! It was so good I finished it fairly quickly! Overall, we loved this spot, the food, and the atmosphere. They were playing Latino and Hispanic music from a variety of countries which only added to the vibe, and the service was very quick and pleasant. When we asked about how long the restaurant had been open, our waitress responded that they had been doing Mexican food for only two months- but that they had been open for a few years. We assume they did a rebranding, and if that's true, they nailed it! We would happily come back! read more

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We happened upon Esta Loca for brunch on a gorgeous Saturday morning. It's got a great location near the train and other attractions. We were a party of 2 and were seated right away. There is a downstairs and upstairs. The downstairs has the bar and a lively atmosphere. We sat upstairs which was more of a traditional dining room. The restaurant is beautiful and very clean. Our server (Eric I think) was attentive but not intrusive. The food was excellent! We had a three egg breakfast and a chorizo wrap (aka breakfast burrito). Everything was the perfect temperature and delicious. The price was absolutely reasonable as well. I am glad we ended up at Esta Lica and I would definitely recommend it! read more

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I saw this new place near my office, so I decided to stop by. There was also a welcome offer ($20 discount for spending $50 or more) using the InKind app, so a nice incentive to try it. It was very Mexican and festively decorated with murals and bright colors inside. Perhaps because it recently opened, it was a bit empty during lunch time. The chips and salsa came out first. It was okay, but there was something too watery or missing in the salsa. Can't really put my finger on it. The horchata was a bit too milky for me. It could use a dash more flavor, perhaps spice and chocolate. The grilled octopus was flavorful, but a bit too thick for my liking. The skirt steak was my favorite part of the meal. If I had ordered just the skirt steak, it would have been just right. If you want a more upscale, pricy Mexican food, then this is the place. But I feel like there are plenty of other Mexican restaurants in Chicago that have a high quality of food for a lower price point. read more

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We had high hopes for this place, but unfortunately, it did not deliver. I ordered the pastor burrito, and it came out cold--not just lukewarm, but actually cold. The flavor was underwhelming, making it one of the most disappointing pastor burritos I have had. To make matters worse, we noticed that other tables around us had chips and salsa, but we were never offered any. We were not sure if you had to order them separately or if they were complimentary, but either way, the fact that no one even mentioned them to us was frustrating. The service was lackluster at best, with little attention to detail or effort to make the experience enjoyable. With so many great Mexican restaurants in Chicago, there is no reason to give this one another chance. We will not be back. read more

The Micheladas was good - I missed the Corona part and was surprised by the presentation and the first taste (no vodka), but it was good. Straw was encrusted with something - I assume Tajin or Bloody Mary mix. Here with a group - they liked the music and vibe. Appetizers - - shrimp chimichanga was very good - folks rated it 4-5 stars - shrimp cocktail was "very good" - like like a summer salad - chips and guacamole with green salsa - chips were think and crunchy - guacamole was ok, and green salsa was tomatillo based I think Group had various tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and a burrito bowl. I was going to order the smoked brisket burrito - rare in most Mexican restaurants. I asked the waitress though if she'd recommend that or the carne asada burrito. She said she'd recommend the carne asada, so I got that. It looked good, but I thought the meat was relatively bland. Luckily, they had a decent assortment of hot sauces at the table - I sampled 3, and it definitely kicked the taste up a notch. The restaurant is newly opened (we actually booked it expecting the previous Italian restaurant). Service was friendly and attentive. I had a range from 2 to 4 from the others - I thought 3-4 stars myself. I'm giving a 4 given the effort and this was a nice place for a group. read more

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When we couldn't get into another spot on a Saturday we stumbled into this restaurant and what a nice surprise. My sister in law had a margarita and said it was great and the burrito bowl with pastor was also great. I enjoyed my street tacos. The space is large and service attentive recommend highly read more

Ahh! This used to be Rosebud remember that! Also, this is by Rosebud. I had a Chicken Taco and a Jamaica drink. It was very good. read more

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When they opened there were some issues with consistency and sizes but it is so good now. I went and dined in the other day and it was great and just today I went to the quick service area and it was so food. I really recommend people try this again or if you are going for the first time it is very good. read more

This place is amazing!!! The service is phenomenal, bartender Jeff is one of the coolest people I've ever met!! The food was so authentic and delicious!! And it has a great atmosphere, so fun!!! read more

I have to say it was the worst pseudo-Mexican food I've ever eaten. I had a coupon to use. I used it for take out. Flavorless. Chipotle has more taste than this. I don't think the restaurant will last as the rent must be astronomical. The Sunday evening I went to pick up my food, the dining area was empty. They will need to pick up their quality to attract customers. read more

I wish i would have seen the reviews before going in... because its really as awful as people said... i got the chicken BLT it had no bacon the chicken was overcooked and dry, no mayo... my bf had the fish tacos it was more batter than actual fish.. what made it worse was the SERVICE HORRIBLE!!!!! I had to ask to get my order taken because the server never came back had to ask for my tab... all the servers were in a bad mood talking crap to each other not the atmosphere you want to be in avoid save your money. read more

Went there for lunch with work group. I had the crispy fish tacos. Everything was very bland especially the Mexican rice and refried beans. No one in the group liked their food. We had to ask to get our water refilled. The server did not ask what options we wanted with each meal (corn or flour tortillas, sauces, type of beans). It was way too expensive for how bland everything was. read more

Service was excellent. We told the Wait Staff that we had tickets to a play, and they were most accommodating and prompt. The chicken in the enchiladas was moist and tender. Black beans were not over salted. Sauces were tasty. I'd definitely go back! Great location. read more

We happened upon this place since the more popular place next-door was way too busy. This place was amazing! The service was fast. The food was abundant and excellent. There were three of us and we were able to share two entrées and all be satisfied. I highly recommend and will definitely return. My 18 yo son said it was the best French toast that he ever had! This says a lot! read more

Esta Loca - Italian Omelette with potatoes - Tex-Mex Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I ate so much I had to unbutton my pants! This place has a great ambiance, and our server Juan was AMAZING! Very warm and welcoming and helped us with our every need! He even showed us where the starbucks was downstairs afterwards! 5 star service thank you Juan! We will be back next time we visit Chicago :) read more

What a colossal blunder replacing Rosebud at the same location with this place. Some of the most mediocre Mexican you'll find in the city. Fish tacos were served fried in hard shells. I don't normally mind a hard shell taco if it's an old school Mom's taco with ground beef. Doesn't work with fried fish. Not really any unique flavors. Try Antique Taco for one of the city's best fish tacos. Rice & beans were served room temperature and also flavorless. Could've come out of a can. Don't expect this restaurant to be around long with all the great Mexican options we have. Go to 5 Rabanitos in Pilsen instead. Also, employees give off strange vibes. Host says "How can I help you?" That's a restaurant greeting?! read more

Esta Loca - Flavorless fish tacos, cold rice & beans - Tex-Mex Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

BEWARE. Terrible terrible service. Didn't have water for well over 10 minutes after getting our food. The waitress brought out the wrong order, so we had to wait even longer. $8 for an order of chips and salsa and $5 FOR A REFILL OF CHIPS. Not worth the time or money and the bartender was extremely rude to us and the waitress and so was the host immediately when we walked. So extremely expensive for no reason. So so disappointed and I had the worst experience I've ever had. They also NEVER advised us of any uncharges and they are NOT listed on the menu. read more

Esta Loca - Tex-Mex Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

WARNING: This restaurant discriminates against the elderly and handicapped individuals. The staff at this new restaurant (front of house manager Guillermo, manager Lou, and the hostess working that night) refused service to my father who is wheelchair-bound, first saying they were sorry but could not serve us when there were clearly tables available and then attempting to shoo us away by serving other parties ahead of us and insisting it would take at least half an hour before we could be seated even when there were clearly low-top tables available. I never leave reviews but this was the most disrespectful service I've ever witnessed and I'm beyond disgusted at the horrible treatment my dad received. Spend your money elsewhere. read more

Staffing is woefully inadequate for this restaurant the service is not the best as a result. I find the plating of their food to be lacking and the chef must be able to expect that his staff know what is expected. The ambiance is, what is this experience doing for me and my guests, are we in Mexico or even in the neighborhood, not even close. Chicago should expect more from this restaurant. read more

The server we had was extremely rude, she got our order wrong. When we told her we had ordered steak and shrimp fajitas she replied I heard chicken. Came back not less then five minutes later and both my husband and I found chicken under our steak and on top of our veggies. We also found pieces of Jalapeños in our food which we were fine with but pretty sure it was because I asked the manager what their protocol was for messing up an order. To top it all off we left no tip and they somehow added an 18% tip to our tab afterwards that we didn't see until we checked our credit card statement. read more

Food came out fine, however portion sizes were not equal for each food. A Taco meal and a burrito meal did not cover the same amount of food. read more

Good drinks, wonderful service. Food was corporate Chi Chi's. There is so .much better Mexican food in Chicago. And pretty expensive.

The food took 45 minutes to be served. Paid $8 extra dollars for extra chicken only for there to be three tiny pieces of chicken added. Servers were extremely rude and gave a lot of attitude when asked about this. Not eating here again read more

Stopped in for breakfast on a Saturday morning. First impression: very clean, great natural lighting, welcoming atmosphere. Staff was friendly, service was fast, and food was great! My friend and I split the Italian Omelette and Cinnamon French Toast, and we did not regret it one bit. Portions were HUGE and the food had the flavor to back it up. We will definitely be returning soon. read more

My group and I had a chance to dine inn here on a Wednesday night after we attended an event at the theater. The restaurant was packed for a Wednesday night. At first they did not know if they would be able to seat my group however the host was able to move some tables around and got us seated promptly. The next time we will be sure to make reservations. The food was amazing. Our server was wonderful she was very attentive to our needs. The manager that was working came by to check on all the tables to make sure everything was good and asked if we needed anything. We did have one small issue with our brisket nacho's however he promptly got this corrected. The restaurant was extremely clean. The staff very friendly and helpful. Next time we are in the city we will be sure to come back, however this time we will make reservations. read more