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    La Cecina

    3.5 (45 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Sandra G.

    I came here on my mom's recommendation and I hit the walls on my first bite. After a long day of work we both came here for something to eat. Our sever greeted us very friendly. I will say that it was a bit busy and our server took some time to take our orders but she apologized and I understood she was the only server for about 20 people and it was busy. Anyways, the coffee was amazing. Super fresh and really hot. I hate coffee and I loved it. I ordered the cecina sope and sorry for not snapping a pic but I was hungry and that sope was just waiting for me to dig in. I was full with one! The meat was thinly sliced but it had enough meat for me to savor. Their homemade salsa was spicy enough to give you a kick. I will definitely be coming back and trying more stuff. Please give this place a try you will not be disappointed.

    Cecina Special
    Diana G.

    *Note* They took the awning off so you might miss it like we did. Came here on New Years Day since it was one of the places open. It was bigger than I imagined. Horchata - This was pretty good. Not too sweet. Chicken Soup - Since I was sick, I went with a soup. It had a little kick to it and the meat was tender and not dry. Cecina Special - I've never had cecina before and it was a bit salty and good. Service was prompt. The waitress forgot my horchata and when my guy asked she apologized and went to get it right away. I have to say the prices are a bit higher than most places, but I would come back again. They do have daily specials too.

    jugo 7 vidas
    Arthur M.

    I rode my bike to 47th st. to eat at La Cecina. Its located in the Chicago neighborhood, "Back of the Yards," which refers to the old stockyards. The South Side has a lot of industry as reflected in the chemical smells. To start off I had the jugo 7 vidas- beet, celery, apple, orange, carrot, perejil and pineapple. Perejil is parsley. The drink tasted healthy and good but was too viscous to cleanse my throat from the ride down. Served first with warm tortilla chips and salsa de mulcajete. The caldo de pollo flavor was so bright. It helped that it was served with almost half a juicy lime plus lots of chopped onion and cilantro. The squash, zuchini, carrots and potatoes were also cut small. The broth flavor was light and it sang more with the vegetables than the meat. I drank a glass of horchata at this point- the house horchata had flecks of spice, really good. The torta ahogada was something I had to try- its the signature dish at my restaurant. Instead of pork carnitas, the meat we use, I ordered the torta with cecina. The specialty of La Cecina- salted cured thin cut steak. The tomato sauce was wicked spicy- the chile seeds are visible in the photo. The salty steak was cut by the spicy acidic sauce, creamy avocado and cooled off with sour cream. At my restaurant the torta ahogada is not available for take out- it is dine in only. There was some joy in taking my torta cecina ahogada to go for the 8 mile trek home.

    Tacos from left to right: La Cecina, Carne Asada, Al Pastor
    Natalie E.

    La Cecina is this little restaurant nestled in Back of the Yards. It's is a sit down restaurant and it was empty when we got there and we were seated right away. The waitress was very nice and honest about the size of the tacos. There were telenovelas playing on the tv in one corner and a few people in there that seemed familiar with the servers. It looked like it was going to be dope. I ended up getting 3 tacos: the cecina taco, the carne asado taco, and the al pastor. My friend and I had somewhat opposite experiences here - even though we were here together. I was STARVING on arrival so the first couple bites of my tacos were absolute heaven. However, that feeling faded for me to a steady - these tacos fit the bill. My friend, on the other hand, retained her high opinion throughout. Of the three, the Cecina was actually my least favorite - it didn't have as much flavor and I felt that the guac distracted me from the meat. I'm a fair weather friend of guac so maybe those of you that builds shrines for it will think differently. Overall, average but not bad by any means.

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    Bocaditos Mexican Cuisine - Enchiladas Maya

    Bocaditos Mexican Cuisine

    4.2(122 reviews)
    5.1 miWest Loop, Near West Side
    $$$

    Went here for my birthday dinner on a Saturday night. Nice atmosphere and music but not too loud…read morefor conversation. I loved the decorations. I ordered the steak and shrimp fajitas they were expensive but excellent! Came out on a sizzling plate. I tried the Habernita drink and sangria. The habernita drink had mezcal, orange, pineapple, and habanero so had a nice kick to it. My friend told server it was my birthday secretly and they came out with a sparkler had birthday music playing and shots of tequila for my table! We had a great time and I will definitely be back! I recommend coming here to celebrate your birthday or just to have a delicious meal

    Overall we had a great late lunch at Bocadito! The…read morerestaurant interior was very pretty and cozy, although I will say the pedestals on the tables inside the booths are so large so it was kind of awkward to navigate that. We also were the only people in the restaurant at one point and the service was still very slow. We sat for about ten minutes with our empty plates in front of us before our waitress came to check on us. She was very kind, I just felt maybe a little more attentive could have been nice. I got the cucumber gin cocktail which was the highlight for me! For our food we got the Caesar salad with chicken, the chicken tacos, and the chips and guacamole. You could tell the chips were homemade and were so light and crunchy. I loved that the tacos had bite sized pieces of grilled chicken in them, and they were seasoned so nicely. Overall a nice lunch!

    Photos
    Bocaditos Mexican Cuisine - Empty restaurant

    Empty restaurant

    Bocaditos Mexican Cuisine - El Cafecito

    El Cafecito

    Bocaditos Mexican Cuisine - Oro verde our Traditional Guacamole

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    Sabroso! Mexican Grill - Enchiladas

    Sabroso! Mexican Grill

    4.7(550 reviews)
    5.8 miUkrainian Village, West Town
    $$

    Jesus was the best server I've ever gotten made it his mission to make sure we had everything and…read moreanything we needed definitely needs a raise for such a good service reminded of my grandpa which made it feel just like home definitely had a great experience thank you beautiful atmosphere and delicious food

    Four of us (two adults and two kids) visited Sabroso! Mexican Grill for the first time during a…read moretrip to Chicago. I must admit that I had low expectations because quite frankly, I have not enjoyed Mexican food outside of Mexico or California. However, we were hungry, and it was near where we were staying, so I decided we should check it out, and I am so glad we did! The food was great. Both adults and the VERY picky children in our group all enjoyed our meals. I ordered the green chicken enchiladas and the other adult ordered a chile relleno combo, which I also got to try. Everything was delicious and devoured by all! We were so full but the owner talked us into the chocoflan, and we did not regret trying it. It was soooo good! Speaking of the owner, the service was great. We really enjoyed how he and the rest of the staff were very courteous. It is a small establishment, and it gets a good amount of people, so I assume that there are waits during peak hours. I highly recommend Sabroso! And we plan to return the next time we are in the area.

    Photos
    Sabroso! Mexican Grill - Interior din6

    Interior din6

    Sabroso! Mexican Grill - Enchiladas

    Enchiladas

    Sabroso! Mexican Grill - CHICKEN TAQUITOS

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    5 Rabanitos - Chilaquiles verdes

    5 Rabanitos

    4.2(848 reviews)
    3.4 miPilsen
    $$

    The chef who owns this restaurant trained with Rick Bayless for 19 years and it really comes out in…read morehis cooking. All of the food was absolutely delicious. We came later on a Monday night so we did not have to wait to get a seat although it was still pretty busy. The place is decorated nicely. Well on a block with many other Mexican businesses. Located right off the pink line it is very easy to get to and also noted to be near the Mexican art Institute. The chicken mole enchiladas were delicious. Spicy and bitterness of the chocolate balanced super well. rice was also cooked perfectly. The shredded beef dish was short rib and mashed potatoes. They were meant to be assembled into a homemade tortilla - a very interesting concept. The homemade tortillas were so warm and fluffy. I have never had such good tortillas. I took a tamale plate home. It was large and had a good portion of shredded pork. Super flavorful, but also I felt the texture might've been firmer than I would've expected.

    I was introduced to the place by a Mexicans from Chicago and it's such a hidden gem. She suggested…read morethe we try the sopes and i don't regret it at all. I got the chicken tinga and carne asada and it was really good. We had the verde ceviche (not pictured) and it was a table fav. We also got the elotes which were good but nothing special. It was my first time have queso fundido and i really like its. The staff was really friendly and the place is so cute. Most places are going for a minimalist look not but the bright blue, green, and yellow works really well today as well as the various artwork!

    Photos
    5 Rabanitos - Interior

    Interior

    5 Rabanitos - Chips & Guac

    Chips & Guac

    5 Rabanitos - This bright mural on the side of 5 Rabanitos drew us is for refreshing Micheladas!

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    This bright mural on the side of 5 Rabanitos drew us is for refreshing Micheladas!

    Manchamanteles Restaurant - Enchiladas Potosina

    Manchamanteles Restaurant

    4.4(148 reviews)
    7.6 miBucktown
    $$

    Manchamanteles is as fun and exciting on the inside as its boldly colored outside would lead you to…read morebelieve. The staff are donned in themed regalia, and will gleefully sing you a happy birthday song even if you're quite far from adolescence (and also a few days out from your actual birthday). The moles were all phenomenal, and the mezcal margarita pitcher more than satisfied our group. The interior is a bit bright and skews somewhat family oriented, so I wouldn't recommend it for every crowd. But for my group of friends and I, Manchamanteles more than delivered in food, service, and fun alike.

    Came here on Valentine's Day with a reservation, there were three of us, one kid. It was full of…read morefamilies, some couples. The had a tasting menu but we opted out of it. They give you a complimentary spicy trail mix. We started with the guacamole, it was okay. Then I got a traditional margarita, my partner got a pina colada with strawberries, and my kid got a pink lemonade (Marz Brewing made). The margarita was good, not strong but not too watery. For dinner I got the chicken fajitas, the waiter asked if I wanted just chicken which I though was odd because I ordered the chicken fajitas and I wasn't sure what he meant or if he meant no veggies, it came with veggies luckily. It also came with tortilla, corn, and a side of refried black beans with cojita, and rice. It was all okay. My partner got the lamb mole, it was sweet and savory, not spicy. And it came with tortillas. They have a lot of mole options, so if you're into that definitely come here to try! Overall it was just okay.

    Photos
    Manchamanteles Restaurant
    Manchamanteles Restaurant - Dobladas De Mole Negro! Delicious

    Dobladas De Mole Negro! Delicious

    Manchamanteles Restaurant - Queso Fundido!!(keepsmilingphoto.com)

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    Queso Fundido!!(keepsmilingphoto.com)

    Frontera Grill - Trio Ceviche

    Frontera Grill

    3.9(2.8k reviews)
    6.1 miNear North Side
    $$

    The vibes were really nice for casual Mexican food. Dim lighting, candles on the table, and a cozy…read moreatmosphere. 8/10. The Chicken Taquitos (8.5/10) were perfectly crispy with tender, smoky chicken inside paired with fresh guac. The Corn-Masa Quesadillas (8/10) were more like crispy cheese-filled turnovers. The cheese pull was crazy, and the tomatillo salsa added a nice tangy kick. The Enchiladas de Birria (8/10) had tender, savory birria with a nice crunch from the cabbage and radish. The chile-sesame salsa added a great depth of flavor. The Barbacoa (7/10) was tender. I wasn't a fan of the salsa borracha, but the consome was delicious with a nice kick. The Fried Sweet Plantains (8/10) were soft and caramelized. The crema and cheese were a great addition. Overall, a solid spot for Mexican food when you want something a little nicer than a casual taco spot.

    It's a terrific still solid stalwart of restaurants in Chicago's legendary portfolio of amazing…read moredining experiences. Creative authentic Mexican specialties and delicious specials. The service is impeccable warm and welcoming! The restaurant interior and adjoining dining experiences are beautifully art directed from Rick Bayles's brilliant eye for art culture and food. The mole is lendary and the branzino was delicious. Beautiful food great full bar and drinks.

    Photos
    Frontera Grill - Back room, additional eating area at the bar

    Back room, additional eating area at the bar

    Frontera Grill - Duck carnitas

    Duck carnitas

    Frontera Grill - Pork shank

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    Pork shank

    La Cecina - mexican - Updated September 2026

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