Went with some friends and the food was delicious! I had fajita with half steak half shrimp and a margarita and it was perfect. The service was good and they had a mariachi band Friday night and we loved it. Went here in the past a few times and didn't honestly love the food but they definitely stepped up their game. It was awesome! Would come back again soon read more

Been coming to Hay Caramba for years, I just went last week and I sadly won't be coming back. The service wasn't good and our waiter was rude and seemed like he did not want to be bothered. We had to ask for menus many times until they finally came. Chips were 100% stale, you could tell. Ordered a sangria and it was so bland and just not good at all. The food was bland and not good. So overpriced too for what they give you. Very disappointed, great location, but food and service are bad. read more

Very good, food was excellent. We had curbside pickup today and they were very efficient(nice surprise to see the salsa and chips,when we got home). The only thing I would say would to keep the margaritas in a separate bag not on top of the hot food. But other than that we enjoyed our dinner. We will be back! read more

Horrible. Overpriced. Small portions. Terrible margaritas. Slow service. Tortilla chips straight from Tostitos

We were there for cinco de mayo and we got a free t- shift! Food is good, but not cheap. Picture of margaritas was 35.00! Pricey!

Ok at best. I'm not saying they use marinara as their enchilada sauce, but it was a sweet red sauce they tasted like Italian seasoning. So much so that when they brought out the nachos, it smelled like they set down a pizza. Chips were crunchy like toast instead of crisp. The whole thing felt like the 90s and my Mom was cooking "Mexican" food based on a recipe from the back of a Good Housekeeping magazine, but she had to make a bunch of substitutions because we live in rural Indiana. The atmosphere and decor were great though. read more

used to be good but alas, no more! food was Luke warm, chips were stale, service missing any friendliness and smiles! 4:30PM on a Wednesday and we had the only table occupied in the entire place and you would think food would be quite freshly prepared.... but no! the chilli reyenos stunk like an old not cleaned out grease bin, tostada meet was grey, refried beans out of a can have more flavor. very very disappointing considering this place used to be decent. will never go back as food tastes like it was frozen, thawed, and microwaved and at the prices this place charges is way below any reasonable expectation! will not return as all of us at the table were disgusted by the food and the awful service! read more

So...the courtyard is delightful and overall pleasant ambiance. The deluxe Margarita was very good. You know it's not authentic Mexican when the tacos come with shredded lettuce...I had mine with only cilantro, onion and cheese and they were pretty good. read more

Best place for food and families! We love it here. Edith is our favorite server. Salsa and guacamole are amazing. Bartender Goti is great. Margaritas are awesome. We lived in Loop for years and this is top notch. We always feel so welcome and food is amazing. Weekend go to! read more

Very good food. Been coming here for years. Pretty place. Service is a bit slow, but not bad.

We've been coming to this wonderful family run restaurant for over 17 years. Great food and always prompt service. The last couple of visits were on Saturday night and the live music was such a treat! My go-to meals are the shrimp fajitas, Caldo de pollo or the caldo de camarones. You may be thinking, soup, really? But, I kid you not, their soup is fantastic. We also enjoy the chips and salsa, as well as the nachos grande. This restaurant is great for a family dinner or a fun night out just adults! Enjoy! read more

This restaurant is great and the family loves the food. I like the art on the walls. Every day it gets better.

Doesn't match the price. We ordered takeout for $45 and it wasn't good. Very bland and really small portions. My BF was actually pretty pissed about it since he paid. It reminded me of microwaved fast food and I don't like that. Not authentic at all. Sorry but for $45 you can get something WAY better. read more

I used to go here a lot - we're talking a couple of times a month. I'd always rock the steak tacos (love that there's no upcharge for cheese and sour cream) and a pitcher of margaritas. Oh, and that pitcher is shared with friends, not just for myself - I don't have those powers! I also dug their fried ice cream. Yum. I stopped going when they got a little weird about their beans. Yes, beans. I never ate the beans that came with the meal, so I asked if I could just have more rice instead, and they said no. That's cool, but after awhile, they stopped serving me beans altogether, and just left that part of the plate bare. Umm, ok. Well one day I decided to rock my accounting skills, and figured out that if I ordered three tacos and a side of rice I'd save $1.25 over the cost of the taco meal. And that's what I started to do. Too bad they kept charging me for the full meal. So, each time I'd get my check I'd have to argue that I never received beans, ordered everything a la carte, and would like to be charged as such. So ya, would've been a perfect five stars, but I have to take off two for the waste of time that always occurs when I get my check. read more

Good food but small portions. Alcohol drinks are expensive. They will rush you in and out. You need to tell them you are not in a hurry.

Food is decent, atmosphere is decent. I'm kind of picky when it comes to Mexican restaurants, and to me it feels like this one isn't very authentic. It's very close to my house so I decided to give it a whirl. Food was bland, hot sauce seemed generic, and their beans looked like [WARNING] soft chocolate ice ream coming out of your backside D; I wouldn't recommend this to the foodies. There too many other places to try around the area for you to waste your time on mediocre food. Staff was really nice though, however, someone on a table kiddie corner from us was doing some kind of accounting/work. Looked like a manager? Thought that was weird. I do believe in second chances but I'll give it a year or two before I go back. read more

There's something so pleasing about the exterior architecture and interior decor of this restaurant that I want so badly to like it. I went there once with my family many years ago (and we left disappointed), but I gave in to the architectural allure and tried it again with my wife a few months ago. Same result. Unfortunately, if you're looking for good Mexican food, you're probably better off finding a hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall somewhere. Hay Caramba is overpriced and just kind of bland. The guacamole that is famously "made at your table" is a portion that a mouse would scoff at. I'm surprised at all the reviews of how excellent the food is. I've had better tacos when I've made them myself with ingredients from Jewel. Very disappointing. read more

Normally, Hay Caramba is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants to go to over lunch. They have fantastic and reasonably priced lunch specials, a fun and lively atmosphere, and great service. Recently I went in for a light dinner and drinks with friends. The bar service was exceptional. The bartender was very attentive, and she made some killer margaritas. As for the food, it was good as well. It's not the best or most authentic Mexican I've had, but it's definitely worthy of going back again, and again. ((Chances are I wouldn't drive up from Roselle to Park Ridge for it, but when in the area I'm always down!)) My favorite dish of the night was hands down the Tortilla soup ((tomato base broth with a hint of chipotle pepper, crispy tortilla strips, anejo cheese, avocado and sour cream)). It was so flavorful and had the perfect combination of sweet & spicy. The added sour cream and avocado made for an extra creamy component. YUMZ. I also had a Cheese Enchilada with Salsa Rachera sauce, and your standard side of some beans and rice. ((Note: They will sell you items a la carte - but you have to ask)). Later in the evening my sweet tooth kicked in and my bf and I split an order of Sopapillas ((tortilla wedges with brown sugar, cinnamon, honey and whipped cream)). It was the perfect snack! Not too sugary, and definitely not too heavy. It paired nicely with the margarita, too! Prices are great. Especially at lunch time. You can get quite the filling meal for under ten bucks. It's just too bad I can't have one of those margaritas on my lunch break. Boo. read more

We arrived at the restaurant and were told the wait would be 10-15 minutes. There was a large party taking of most of the restaurant, which is fine, so we agreed to wait. At least three parties arrived after us and were seated before us (they did not have reservations). Instead of combining two smaller tables to accommodate our party of 6, they simply seated all the smaller parties instead. When we asked after 15 minutes we were told there would be another 10 minute wait. At this point the two young children in our party were crying because they were hungry. We asked the hostess to give us some crackers or chips or something for the children to tide them over so we could continue to wait for our table. She said no she would not do that. I'm glad Hay Caramba is doing so well they don't need our business because we certainly not made to feel like valued customers. We were regular patrons here - have been for 10+ years. We will not be returning. read more

I've had better mex, but I do enjoy this spot's food. In my 3 visits, I've had tacos, chimichangas, and flautas. They do make great guac that's made right in front of you - but it's on the pricey side. I guess they rolled labor costs into it somehow, ha! Can get very crowded during the weekend but I suppose that's a good sign and you'll see most tables with big groups. read more

Lately everything there tastes the same. Tacos, tostadas Chili rellenos. Still good though.

This is the WORST customer service I've ever had at any restaurant in the Chicagoland area. The restaurant should've been aware that it was the biggest Mexican holiday, yet I've been waiting for my dinner now for an hour and a 1/2. The excuse was, "oh, we didn't realize that we were going to get so many takeout orders." Honestly, this is not the customer's problem who took the time to drive to your restaurant to have dinner. In addition, there are better Mexican restaurants in the area, but I'm a firm believer in supporting family businesses but quite frankly, their family values are backwards when it comes to serving their customers. I can promise I will NEVER set foot in this restaurant ever again. read more

I have been here three times for lunch. The last two times I got the same thing - the tacos de pollo al pastor. I enjoy it and when I go back will probably order it again. Given that they have this on the menu I am surprised they don't have traditional al pastor tacos on the menu...if they did, I would gladly order them. I think the rest of the menu is your typical Mexican American fare. The salsa is decent and guac tastes fresh. My collegue always get the chicken & veggie soup and it's a big heaping bowl of soup. It looks delicious but I know I'll never order it b/c I'm a taco fiend. I think it's a tad overpriced but a decent place to grab lunch....and they have a small outdoor patio. Downtown Park Ridge is a cute little area so if you stuff yourself at lunch, just take a stroll around town and walk it off! read more

The KGB and I had lunch at Hay Caramba yesterday - this, after several dinners. One big difference - no drinking margaritas at lunch, as we were doing business. Boo hoo! So, other Yelpers have talked about the space. It is big and airy. There is a large skylight over the center of the dining room, which provides nice natural lighting. There is a bar area near the front, at which I've lingered occasionally. It's fine too. Unlike other Yelpers, I've never been to the original location, so I can't offer any comparisons with the current location. At lunch, the place is not busy. But try going on a weeknight! The place gets totally packed, with local workers, people stopping off for dinner when they get off the Metra (the stop is one block away), and an awful lot of families. Service has always been good, very professional. Dirty dishes and glasses only linger a few minutes. Water glasses, coffee cups and diet cokes get refilled quickly. Food comes out hot. The food is good, basic average Mexican. You get a lot. I am a fiend for enchiladas and mole, and that's what I normally get for dinner. It is a LOT of food. You won't leave hungry. For lunch, I had the special - instead of the typically beef tostada, I asked for a 2nd cheese enchilada. These came in red sauce with rice and beans. Good standard food. I was comfortably full. My friend, the KGB, had a dinner order of enchiladas (3 enchiladas, as opposed to 2 on the lunch special) and couldn't finish her meal. The margaritas are good. Again, nothing super special, but they do the job. If you're jonesing for good basic Mexican food and actually want atmosphere and service too, you'll do fine at Hay Caramba. I've been several times, and almost certainly will go again. That's why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 3. read more

Oh, stale chips of Hay Caramba. Somedays you are edible and somedays not so much. Hay Caramba is another downtown Park Ridge lunch option - and since it's within a block or so of work, it's seems to be a frequent choice. This choice for lunch is rather expensive in comparison to the surrounding options. They used to have a lunch special that was about $6, but last time we went, the lunch special was almost $10. Yikes! The margaritas for the after work crowd are pretty good though. And the stale chips are much more edible after a few :) read more

Fun Mexican restaurant in Chicago. Parking in the residential area sucks. But get another Drink and forget it. I had the combination steak and enchilada. It was great. Others had the chimichanga and nachos. All we're great and flavorful. Service is a little slow. But I'll be back. read more

Hay Caramba - Cadillac tonight - Mexican Near Me - Park Ridge, Illinois

Decent food. Slightly overpriced for the amount and quality. When I want Mexican, this isn't the first place I'd pick. Good, but not great. Restaurant is very cute however, and the staff is very nice. read more

I like this place. It has good tacos, good salsa and good food. If I was still living in the city and compared it to big star or antique taco then yes this place is nowhere near as good. But for park Ridge, it's the best tacos in the area. Until Big Star comes to park ridge, this is the suburbs best thing. My favorite tacos are the chicken and the pork. The steak tacos are not very good. read more

I really wanted to like this place. The ambiance is great, the service was awesome, the margarita was delicious, but the food unfortunately was mediocre. I had gotten the ground beef taco salad (I know, ground beef was a mistake but it sounded good) & my friend had gotten the chicken fajitas. We both woke up miserably sick the next morning. Food poisoning, I can't even believe it. This is not how I had wanted to spend my Super Bowl Sunday, in bed sick as a dog. Sadly, I will not be going back here. read more

This was my first time at this Restaurant and being from Chicago I was really excited to venture out and try something new. However I was extremely disappointed with the quality of the food and service. Not once my waiter asked how I was doing or how was the food. Because of my Mexican descent I am extremely picky when it it comes to trying Mexican foods. If you're looking for that authentic taste this place is not for you. The Steak was blah and the Margaritas were a joke but if you're from Park Ridge you will not know the difference but I wasn't fooled. read more

The food here is fine... its not great its not bad. The space is rather large... I do not often dine out in the burbs and the amount of space between each table reminded me I was out in the burbs. The chips... as my rating indicates... are OK... not bad not great. I had a combo plate... and everything was just average... nothing was horrible, nothing was outstanding. Service was great... as were the prices. read more

The Olive Garden of Mexican food. The food is not good, but I cannot complain about the service. Everyone is friendly. I asked for a spicy salsa so I could apply to my food. They brought back the bottled kind.. any other Mexican restaurant has fresh made salsa.. read more

I've been going to Hay Caramba since I was in junior high, and remember it back when it had it's old location. Their new location is much, much better- more seating and a nice open atmosphere. However, it does get busy and very loud. It's a fun place to go with family or friends, but not a date place as it can be hard to hear. The portions are huge, and prices are good. I always get the burritos suizos, and they are good- lots of gooey cheese and chicken, nice sauce, and the beans are rice are good too. They give you plenty of chips and fresh salsa- just make sure you don't fill up before dinner! read more

Went to Hay Caramba for an after work celebration dinner. We had 7 people, so we made a reservation online, which was super easy. We were seated right away. I had a frozen strawberry margarita... Yum! It was only $8.25 so I'm not sure why others have said it was so expensive? I enjoyed my meal, the Hay Caramba combination platter ($12). We all shared the flan and deep fried ice team, both of which were delicious as well. Overall, it's a great vibe, great location/ easy parking, very friendly staff and decent pricing. read more

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I decided to go with carryout today. I had the enchilada suiza. I thought it had a good flavor. It also came with rice and beans. The rice and beans were above average. The meal came with salsa. The salsa was medium on the heat scale and had a sweet flavor to it, which I didn't care for personally. I will have to try them again and eat in the restaurant to get a better feel for the food. The restaurant looked very clean and nicely decorated. The staff was also very friendly. Again, I will try it again, but this time eat in. read more

I miss the old location so much. I remember first going here when I was 10 years old because the owners' son Michael passed out cards during class and I begged my mom to take me there. Then along came my new love for Mexican food. Dam you Michael Saavedra! My waistline never regained it's taut figure again-oh well. The decor is lovely, the sangria nothing to go nuts over but the fish was awesome as another reviewer mentioned. My particular basket of chips were quite oily which I'm not used to but maybe it was an off day. I feel like they've spent so much money on the decorations that maybe they forgot how to keep the food homey like their last menu. There was something special about it but maybe I came in thinking it would be like that first time 15 years ago having my first burrito with a side of rice and beans. Love your rice and beans still to this day with extra cilantro. read more

The family has been eating here for years (into our second decade). They serve consistently good savory Mexican food, tasty chips and salsa, good Margaritas. I can't say I've ever eaten anthing really mind-blowingly creative or mind-expanding here, but that's really not what they're about. They know us when we walk in, and we can always count on a satisfying meal. Good atmosphere and decor, but it can get a little cold in winter with those high ceilings. read more

I met 2 friends here for a weeknight girls night. I wasn't super impressed. We walked in about 6pm on a Thursday and the place was pretty packed. We were seated right away. The chips and salsa came out right away. That salsa is hot, so watch yourself. To start, we ordered a pitcher of sangria because one person in my group didn't like margaritas. I know, weird. The sangria came and the best way to describe it would be cloudy fruit juice. It did not taste good, and the wine must have been very, very diluted. We ordered the guacamole and thought it was fun that it was made tableside. The others in my group don't like anything too spicy, so we ordered it mild. It tasted very fresh, but it was basically just mushed up avocados - no tomato chunks, no onion chunks, and just a few tiny pieces of pepper. And for $8, you don't get very much. Finally, our meals came. I ordered the tostadas and sampled both their chicken and guacamole kinds. The chicken tostada was great. The chicken was well seasoned and very tender. I traded one of my tostadas for a tamale my friend ordered, and the tamale was delicious too. The guacamole tostada was not good though. It was just bland guacamole on a tortilla. I didn't even attempt to eat the second one. We were there for a while, chatting and catching up, and we were never bothered except to have out sangria and water glasses re-filled, so that was nice. I guess next time I'll order a margarita, skip the guacamole and load up on chicken tostadas and tamales, because I would be back for those. read more

Best chicken chimichanga I've ever had. Seriously. I've been ordering chimi's for 25 years, but hadn't had one since relocating to Chicago a year ago. I had to drop off a relative at the airport and saw a sign that sparked a craving. On the way back I found this suburban gem. Salsa was nice and tomatoe-y, like what you get from northern California (where I'm from). Rice and beans were smooth and moist. If I'm out this way again I'll stop by! read more

It's pretty good. It gets crazy packed on the weekends, but they have a nice bar area to wait and have a cocktail. The sangria is pretty good and so are the margaritas. The food is pretty average along with the service. For the price, I think Don Juan's is most economical in that department. Don Juan's over this place everytime for sure. With a better Mexican restaurant in the area, don't bother with this place. You will wait forever for a table for average food. read more