Love this place. I had the steak and shrimp and the steak was full of flavor and the shrimp were delicious.Great food, staff and margaritas. My boyfriend gets the steak fajitas and really enjoys them. You certainly do not walk away hungry. We also had the flan and it was delicious too! You won't be disappointed! read more

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I ordered for delivery and there were missing items and the ones that did come were all wrong. This is not the first time this has happened either. I called to explain and see if we could get it fixed, but I couldn't even explain the problem. The person who answered the phone started screaming at me that it was Uber's fault and he wasn't going to fix it. Well, they have an Uber link for delivery right on their website. Yelled at me for 30 seconds and then hung up. We've been going here for 20 years but no more. While sad, the demise has been a long time coming. The place used to be packed with an hour wait, and even pre-Covid, it was maybe half full. We've heard similar complaints from others but kept going, mostly out of good memories. But, everyone is right - no more. We had really enjoyed the people here over the years but there are just better places to support during these times. read more

I guess we are a bit thrown by the reviews that are a bit all over the place. We have been coming here for many many years. In fact since the times the place was a third the size and called la chicanita. I think one thing that is difficult with Mexican food, similar to Chinese food there are many different styles based on the region. With that being said, I think individuals tastes are different based on those regional differences. Where I struggle is when some of these folks don't suggest what they do like in place of this. :) Although I have eaten quite a few things here, my staple and favorite is Al Pastor. I have had a lot of different Al Pastor from many different restaurants as well as home made and its still my favorite here. The price can be a bit steep depending on what you get, but the reality is anything can be pricey in the AH area. read more

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Ordered chips and salsa to go and they didn't give us chips and then instead of being accommodating they just claimed we didn't order chips... rude read more

While this place has a full bar with an extensive tequila selections, the food was very disappointing. I had enchiladas, and the enchiladas themselves were not hot. They were just out under a broiler to melt the waxy yellow American-like cheese on top. Sauce was flavorless. Guacamole also lacked flavor and the chips were freshly fried, but tasted like they'd been cooked in rancid oil. Some staff were friendly, which was the only saving grace. I would not go back. read more

I want to thank you for the superior service consistency with food, drinks with every visit and for creating a great atmosphere. You are without a doubt ranked number one in great tasting authentic Mexican food. read more

I have eaten here a handful of times and the last time was the first time I struck gold with their food. Their steak fajita's are the best I've ever had. I normally would stick with enchiladas but they are just decent. The fajitas are flavorful and there is plenty of food. I tried one of their beef taco's also, and boy was it bad. The beef was dry and overcooked and the whole thing lacked flavor. From now on I know what my go-to is on the menu. read more

Came here with a friend to check the place out. I was craving Mexican in a big way! The salsa was pretty good, but the chips needed salt. I was actually putting salt on them and dipping them in the salsa (it's OK, I have really low blood pressure, not lecturing on added salt). I ordered the shrimp fajita tacos, which were really good. Double layer of corn tortilla, and flavorful shrimp with peppers and onions. I would have loved a small side of guac with it, but alone they were really tasty. We shared a plantain for dessert and it was yummy. Good service and good food. I would come back read more

Everyone in our group was very happy with their meals. 5 of us ordered all different things. Went at 4:00 and had a great location.

10 dollars for such a small cheese nachos portion! Considering other options from the restaurant this one is really not worth! read more

Javier's - Cheese Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

One of my faves in the Burbs. Great food and service. Has been around for generations. Started as a small restaurant and grocery. Enjoy.

MINUS the 1 star I marked above! THE FOOD WAS TERRIBLE! Not just one entree... Everything we ordered was bad. Never got a chance to try the chips because we did not receive any! I ordered a chicken burrito and the chicken was so tough and dry I could not eat it. My boyfriend ordered a steak enchilada and he eats almost anything and actually spit it out. I did the same with the cheese enchilada. Just plain nasty! If people say this is authentic they have never tasted the food in Mexico and need to stop saying it is. Taco Bell puts this place to shame! read more

I've been eating here since high school when it was a hole in the wall and you waited hours for a table. Love their expanded bar area and outdoor patio. The food is authentic with large portions. We've never been disappointed! read more

We arrived for a lye night dinner irking 30 minutes of closing when most restaurants were shutting down and the staff were kind and accommodating and did. It rush us at all. I had the Chile Rellenos which was authentic and a good sized portion. read more

We had purchased a Living Social deal so decided to check the place out. Food was good, flavorful and fresh. I recommend the Fajitas. We ordered 1/2 pound and it was enough for my wife and 2 kids to eat. Service was a little slow and although it was busy, it wasn't that busy. I would wait until warmer weather and sit in their awesome patio area!! read more

The best Mexican food I've had anywhere. Every time I try another one, I'm disappointed that it's just not as good as Javier's. The margaritas are delicious also. Highly recommend. read more

Javier's is always my go to for my birthday dinner- and last night didn't disappoint. We ordered only a few taco dinners- steak and chicken, chips with guacamole- and 3 margaritas to go (thank you pandemic) - the food was spot on, and lots of it! The margaritas were delicious and even in mason jars- made my take out feel extra special. I have lived in Arlington Heights all my life, and have tried other Mexican restaurants in the area, but I always come back to Javiers. read more

One star because our second server since I guess we get two one to start and one to end was super nice food with horrible we had to ask for salt the drink were weak and overpriced I felt like I paid way to much for what I got read more

The absolute best in Mexican cuisine. Start by ordering their super large margarita. My recommendation is order with Don Julio tequila. I always order the enchiladas, and always will. Best ever. My wife has tried everything, and she loves the combos the most. The staff is always gracious and kind, and sit on the outdoor patio if you can. You'll enjoy downtown Arlington Heights while you dine and drink. Love. Love. Love this place... read more

Great service and good food! Fajitas were very good. Fresh salsa and avocado made every morning.

My favorite Mexican restaurant in DTA. My favorites are the chicken nachos, tacos, chips and salsa and margs. Everyone is also super super nice and the restaurant is clean and has great ambiance. read more

Eating at Javier's never disappoints with good street parking, sit anywhere you want, and solid Mexican food. My perfect lunch is the comp chips and salsa, add an order of guac, and a big bowl of menudo. Also had their chile rellenos, chicken mole, cerviche, and monster margarita. All outstanding and sure to hit the spot. read more

Not sure where they think this place is authentic Mexican cuisine. I am Mexican and id say go to Pepe's instead of over paying for this. I was very unhappy with their menu. I asked to see if they had steak on their menu, like skirt steak. The server says we only have rib-eye steak. I mean I understand rib-eye steak is delicious but it isn't what we are used to eating. so I decided what the heck lets go ahead and try it. It had to be the weirdest combination. I did the chimichanga with melted cheese. It tasted like I was eating gold, the meat was tender but it just didn't go. Which authentic Mexican restaurant uses cheddar cheese? I asked for Chihuahua cheese and they said they didn't have any. That was the end for me, I asked for the food to go and decided to go elsewhere. Maybe they did have it but the server seemed quiet busy chatting with other servers. Who knows, I just know that I wont be coming back here. Next time Pepe's it is. read more

Javier's - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

This is not authentic Mexican. Large portions, didnt feel like the love was there! Not like you'd get at a smaller Mexican place. Food felt overseasoned and overcooked. The restaurant itself was nice, good decor, big place with plenty of seating. Wish the food looked as good as the place. read more

Simply put, the best Mexican food in Arlington Heights. Oh, there are nicer rooms; but not better food or more pleasant service.

Worst nachos ever! Runny cheese, runny mayo, chips stuck together. One. Soggy. Mess. Shame there's a new cook. This place used to have the best nachos of all restaurants. What I picked up for take out isn't worth feeding to hogs. read more

Have been going since when it was La Chicanita. Staff is very friendly and food is consistently good. My only minor issue is they are closed on Tuesday. I get everyone needs a day off but on "Taco Tuesday"?? I would recommend. read more

To start, the chips are bland and salsa too spicy. The burrito I got was terrible. I even gave it to my dad for leftovers and he didn't even want it and told me to just throw it out. That NEVER happens! My dad always eats everything! My mom also absolutely despised her meal. Despite its extremely convenient location to our premises, we will NEVER return. read more

I'm failing to understand the low star count and negative reviews for this restaurant. My wife and I have been coming here for 12 years and it's hands down the best Mexican food and service we've ever had...and we've travelled extensively. I'll be honest, in all of the years we've been coming here we had ONE bad service. That's not too shabby considering the frequency of our visits. The food is always bursting with flavor no matter what you order. The ingredients are always fresh and the chips and salsa, while inconsistent with heat, are always perfect starters. Their margaritas are top notch. Overall, I'm at a loss here since I would have assumed that their service and food would speak for itself, but I guess folks in Arlington Heights are a bit out of touch with what authentic Mexican food and excellent service should be. read more

So much I can say about Javier's. Jesus Bless my Soul and let Your infinite wisdom guide my keyboard as I talk about how much i fucking love this place yo. I go here a lot, so I will just do a run-through of my collective experiences. I am greeted by a nice mexican person who guides me to a table and plops me down with some chips and salsa RIGHT AWAY! Just so you know, the salsa is spicier on some days than on others. The kind server comes and gets your order. The fun part are the margaritas! I get to excited and order the large one because they're excellent and get you a good healthy buzzed feeling. Then the fiesta truly begins after a few sips. The waiters always kick ass, and they call me Senor (Which reminds me that Senor Ash sounds pretty bomb). I order my usual order "Beef Lengua Tacos, with cheese and a side of sour cream". Sometimes they tilt their head at me with a confused look and say "You know what lengua is, senor?" So I say "Yeah man!!" And start to blush because I feel uncomfortable socially, but since I am black, nobody notices when I blush. There is some freedom in that. Btw, Lengua is Cow Tongue. So good! Melts in your mouth like butter, and it's paired perfectly with their cilantro and onion. I just order cheese and the side of sour cream because I like my dairy. They always deliver it perfect every time. Before I know it, I am a king, sitting in a booth-throne with a big-ass margarita, and perfect tacos with a heaping side of sour cream. I enjoy the ambiance, and music. I sip my margarita and eat those amazing tacos and realize that life is never as depressing as it seems. There is always something to enjoy- a moment of pure bliss and happiness, ya know the shit I'm tryin to say. Anyway. Javier's kicks ass yo. I recommend as a family time, or with co workers, or with homies kickin it. Get dem Margarita pitchers, enjoy the chips, and create your own world of Mexican Heaven. Let the worries of this bullshit world melt away when you come here. read more

I heard good things about Javier's but was sorely disappointed after my dinner last night. I stopped in for a late dinner and the place was fairly empty however service was still pretty slow. The 3 stars is mostly for the mediocre food and I was expecting so much more. I knew it wasn't a good sign when the complimentary chips and salsa were just meh. The chips were tasteless and the salsa was pretty spicy but had no flavor which seemed to be the theme of the night. I had the pork tamales and my friend had the flautas. Both lacked seasoning and my tamales were super dry. If I happened to be back in the Arlington Heights area and wanted Mexican, I would definitely go to Salsa 17 instead which is down the street from here. read more

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I completely agree with Mark F. It's my least favorite Mexican place in downtown AH. It is probably the most family friendly restaurant, not my scene. I was out with a girlfriend and between our high-pitched voice server and the kids screaming, we had a very non-existent conversation. If you've read many of my (Mexican) reviews, I lived in Texas for awhile so I expect a lot from Mexican restaurants. The margaritas are great but $14 for a large, is obnoxious. The chips are super hard and lack salt. The "salsa" is like watered down tomato juice with some jalapenos seeds and a shit-ton of hot sauce. Yes it's hella spicy and not in a good way. The tacos were ok-good. The chorizo...was horrible. I didn't taste like or have the consistency/texture of any chorizo I've ever had. The rice and beans were good but how to you eff those up? Overall, I don't think I'll be back let alone recommend to any of my clients. read more

Now that I live out here in the burbs it is important to have a go to Mexican sit down restaurant. Well it's important to me..............me of the awesome tan and cravings for picante food! We ended up at Javier because of its proximity to the new digs. Its in downtown AH. Nice location, nice interior. Yeh......I can do this was my thought. The host and waiter were very nice! BUT they messed up on the most important part. THE FOOD! Bland, Tex Mex type food. and they use crappy tortillas.. I'm more of a El Milagro tortilla type of guy instead of the stale white corn junk. So food as eh.............for the price and location it should be AWESOME. Hipster infestation level: 1 read more

If I could give this zero stars that would even be too much. Music is waaaay too loud after a long day at the office. All you can hear is tinty, raspy Mexican music. Just too loud. Needs to be turned down several notches. Chips are bland - greasy. Salsa is way better at Salsa 17, just around the corner. Javier's salsa is extremely hot. Service is almost always less than average to poor. Your server will visit the table and then disappears for 15 mins. Unexplainable. Food is also bland-no distinguishable flavor. Here's the best part-- get this!--if you order a soft drink, they charge you for refills unless you order a full meal. So $2.50 for a Coke? Their cost...maybe $.20 per Coke. And their policy is to charge you for refills!!? REALLY? Someone needs to let their management know that NO OTHER RESTAURANT around does that. Totally outrageous. Better choices are Salsa 17 or LaHacienda in Deer Park. read more

The one star is for location and outdoor seating. Like some other review mentioned, you really know the type of food you will be served from the chips and salsa. The chips were greasy and undercooked, and the salsa was just ground tomatoes and cilantro - bland, tasteless. We ordered guacamole for appetizer and again, bland guacamole. I was done by then, my husband however wanted to give another try and ordered the red snapper sautèed with veggies. The snapper was cooked but soggy by the time it arrived.the veggies were steamed not sautèed, and it was on a bed of tomato "water" to put it correctly. Bad meal, not going back!! read more

My fiancee and I went to Javiers on a friend's recommendation and I have to say we really enjoyed ourselves! I guess they had a renovation, but the atmosphere is a 10 out of 10. The place is dimly lit and the service was impressive. My fiancee had the fish tacos with pico de gaillo (sp) and they were succulent. And the oputdor patio, though I have never dined on it, but it seems like everyone has a good time. But the service... again was AWESOME! My fiancee is such a critic when it comes to timliness of food and service and she was very pleased. We literally did not go for 5 minutes without someone spying our water levels out of the corner of their eye. At the end of the meal, we went out of our way to compliment the waiter. The food is on par with Salsa 17 (Formally Fuego) (though the salsa and lack of soup are something Salsa 17 has over Javiers, but Javiers seemed about $5 a plate less than Salsa 17. The atmosphere and service is much more romantic and prompt than Salsa too. So whatever Javier's is doing... we will be coming back. read more

Our server was great ! Our food was great ! But we had a coupon for a free appetizer and no where on the coupon did it have a maximum amount. after we asked for the manager This lady came to our table with absolutely no training or any type of customer service trait. After yelling she walked away like nothing. Her name is Lilliana . I have no clue how she became a manager. I am very sure she is related to the owner because no one in their right mind would hire her as a manager. This is my second incident with her . Horrible attitude . Too bad cause the enchiladas were wonderful. read more

Javier's - No where on here does it show a minimum or maximum amount as long as the bill was over $30.00 - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

One can usually tell about the caliber of Mexican food based on the chips and salsa served by the establishment. Based on this theory I knew we were in for some bad food when the tasteless salsa was served. If you are looking for any resemblance of Mexican food then this is not the place. The house margaritas tasted like household cleaner. The appetizer we ordered... Rellenito ...some kind of stuffed and breaded pepper was greasy and tasteless, like some thing one would find at a carnival or country fare. For our main course I ordered the chorizo burrito and my wife ordered the ground beef burrito. Mine was nothing but salty and greasy and my wife's was bland and greasy. One bite and we both asked for the check and left. If you like your money and don't want to waste it on sub par "mexican" food don't go here. Yuck! read more

Of the three Mexican restaurants in close proximity in downtown Arlington Heights, I'd award Javier's the bronze. The highlight of the meal was being sat with all of the other families with kids! The biggest turn off to Javier's are the prices. I enjoy a nice margarita from time to time and the prices read: pricey, oh man, and holy cow. I went with the "oh man." It was pretty tasty but nothing to write home about (only on yelp). Our waitress was very sweet and friendly but seemed overwhelmed/slammed. She didn't offer much in the way of suggestions and was spotty with checking on how everything was going. Overall, I felt unimpressed and broke when leaving. :-) read more

Mediocre Mexican food that carries the downtown Arlington Heights premium. I had a Margarita and Enchiladas with their spicy Mole sauce. The Marg was warm, as well as a bit too frothy for my taste. Skeptical if any tequila was actually present. I got three different enchiladas with their spicy mole sauce. The mole sauce was void of any spice, tortillas were hard and stale, and the ground beef/chihuahua cheese/chicken enchiladas were all meh. Refried beans seemed they were scooped from a cold vat right onto the plate. Service/decor/ambiance was fine. It was just way too expensive for what you got. I've gotten an equivalent/better meal for the quarter of the price. If the prices were cut in half I'd consider 3 or 4 stars. I won't be back. read more