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    La Cocina de Maria

    4.3 (32 reviews)

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    Asada fries

    We ordered the asada fries and birria ramen. Super good!! Really flavorful and tasty in all the right ways! The staff were very kind and playful, and they had good music! Would definitely come again!!

    Enchiladas dinner.

    This is a family run place that is clean and inviting. But the food did not impress me or my dinner mates. One dinner mate ordered a chicken salad that was just very ordinary; nothing to remember it. Another meal was the fajitas; again not anything to rave about. My meal was the enchiladas dinner. My enchiladas were not very tasty and the rice that came with some of the meals was just bland. I and my dinner mates will not revisit.

    Taco Barbacoa Dinner and 5 Asada Taco Supreme
    Anissa S.

    Was not initially planning on Mexican food but we wanted to dine in and this was nearby. So so pleased with my overall experience. Made to order fresh food. I got the guacamole, horchata and barbacoa taco dinner and I will now be comparing any future barbacoa meals to this one. Friendly service, small business authentic Mexican food. Doesn't get better than that!

    Al pastor (L) and cesina (R) tacos. Both were fantastic.

    Really good Mexican restaurant. Limited seating inside at the moment however, which is great as it seems safe considering. Torta de milanesa (steak) was awesome, and probably one of the better milanesa's I've had recently. I wish there was some refried beans spread on the torta, but otherwise it was fantastic. I finished it before taking a photo, whoops! I also tried two tacos: one cesina and one al pastor. Both were also excellent. They provided a lime (I would have like one per taco) and some red and green salsas. The red was tasty and spicy and the green was very good as well. I'll definitely be back!

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Best Torta de Asada I've been to many places in the area and this was the best one. Definitely try them out. Service was great as well

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Hidden gem in Mundelein. Food was fantastic. A must try when in town. Even the sauces were outstanding.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    I like this place a lot. Lots of Mexican food around but I end up ordering from here more than most. All the essentials are great.

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    2 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Love this taco place! The tacos Al pastor are the best I have found in Lake County. Prices are extremely reasonable.

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    5 years ago

    This is our favorite tacos around. The people are so nice and helpful and the food is awesome. Big portions and low prices.

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    it's great and nice resta to take your family, the tampiqueña was so good, the new owner is very nice and pays attention to the customer.

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    4 years ago

    Great service and great food would recommend it to my family and friends. I know it's all new updates but the change is worth trying !!!

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

    I can't believe I just found this place! I've been there twice this week! Everyone is so nice and the prices are great!!

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    6 years ago

    Our "go to" spot for Taco Tuesday.. very good food, very fresh, friendly service.

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    5 years ago

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    Carnitas Don Chuy

    Carnitas Don Chuy

    4.0(65 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    •$

    The food here is delicious! The carnitas are tender and flavorful, not dry at all. The gorditas are…read moregenerous, and the tortillas are fresh and handmade. Prices are fair and well worth it.

    Finally got to try Carnitas Don Chuy. It's awesome that this is one of the places up north that…read moreopens on Sunday and before noon, since we tend to have early lunch because of the kids. Love the hours they operate, which would be a primary reason we will likely returning again! I made a wrong turn into strip mall plaza instead of turning right on Diamond Lake Rd. It's right behind the Bill's Pizza & Pub. Orange/white square building. We were very pleasantly surprised by the quality, quantity, and overall value of the foods. We ordered two tacos, one Platillos, one burrito, and a horchata and came out to be ~$30. I almost didn't pick up the horchata, and one of the staffs stopped me to make sure I get it, so thank you! Platillos-- carnitas was really flavorful. The pork skin was amazingly done. The texture was sticky but not greasy, reminds me of braised pork belly in Asian cuisine, but not as oily! The rice and beans are very fresh and delicious. They top it with lettuce and a slice of tomato. Compared to other places, the green sauce was not as spicy and a bit more sour, which is great because my kids can eat it too. The red sauce has some kick to it but not mouth burning, which is again great because I could actually eat it! The smoky dark flavor of the red sauce was a pleasant surprise! Asada taco and Al pastor taco-- I preferred Al pastor taco. The asada steak was a bit too tough for me, but the flavor was great. The Al pastor has more spices and very tender, even in comparison with the carnitas. I liked both but maybe preferred Al pastor even more. I love the corn tortilla flavor. Horchata-- I really liked the flavor they had. It's not super strong on the cinnamon flavor, which was great for me. It was super smooth and no gritty texture at all! For the next run, I'd like to try their gorditas with chicharron, nopales, and rajas fillings. Hongos quesadilla. Maybe the tamarindo drink, too.

    Photos
    Carnitas Don Chuy
    Carnitas Don Chuy - Carnitas Gordita amazing

    Carnitas Gordita amazing

    Carnitas Don Chuy

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    La Mera Mera

    La Mera Mera

    4.6(99 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    We had such a great experience with the team that catered our wedding! They were amazing to…read morecommunicate with and always responded quickly. They also brought everything they needed for the food, including utensils, a griddle, tables, and more. I truly didn't have to worry about a thing! We had al pastor, chicken, and steak, and everything was delicious. The steak and al pastor were definitely our favorites! We highly recommend them for any event--we couldn't have asked for a better catering experience!

    We went to La Mera with a large group and made the reservation weeks in advance. Our group was…read moresplit up amongst a bunch of tables. The main server took orders, got drinks to everyone in a timely manner and brought chips and salsa to everyone. And that was primarily the good part of the evening. The second part was actually bringing what we all ordered. It was quickly realized that anything that had lettuce in it was going to be sopping wet. The bowls were drowning in water. You know when you eat a bowl of Apple Jacks or Cocoa Puffs and the milk changes color to pink or brown respectively taking in the flavor of the cereal? Well, that's what happened in the burrito bowls. The water became a discolored mess of burrito "juice". It was gross to look at. Suffice to say, many had to get new burrito bowls. I ordered tacos. Two tacos came on a small plate and rice on a separate plate. I don't know why this place doesn't invest in bigger plates to hold all the food as all the separate plates take up a lot of space on the table. One person got fajitas and she had five plates. FIVE. PLATES. Seriously, WTH?! And of course, I had lettuce on my tacos and they were drowning. And before I knew I had to give my chicken and steak tacos life preservers, I had already added verde sauce. So imagine my seriously wet tacos now being infused with more liquid. They were gross. But let's go back to the time before I had my dinner. Our group took up four tables. Our table was the second one to order, but our food never came out. To give a reference, one couple arrived about 20 minutes after we ordered. They then placed their own order and received it before we received ours. So the main waitress apologized profusely and said she'd bring more chops and salsa, but she'd also bring over chips and guac. Which she did do. She brought chips (no salsa) and chips and guac. Then finally our meals came. I mean my meal and the two other people at our table. Well, sort of. One person never received the side of chips and guac. Just the one for the table for the unplaced order. My wife's meal took another ten minutes to arrive. However, a server who seemed perturbed brought her an al pastor (pork) taco. She said she'd bring ordered chicken. The server got upset and then quickly turned on her heel to bring the wrong plate back to the kitchen. She almost hit me in the head with the plate. Thankfully, I saw what she was doing and turned away just in time. So she was finally brought almost the right meal by the owner who had to make four trips as he kept forgetting to bring her everything she ordered. When the bill came, we were charged for the chips and guac. The one that was brought to the table as an apology, not the one that was actually ordered. It was quickly removed from the bill. The owner thanked us for our patience and then said that they were sorry about everything but didn't know they'd be so slammed due to homecoming. Um, we made our reservation weeks in advance. They were just understaffed for the evening and the kitchen doesn't seem to know that after you rinse the lettuce, you drain the water and maybe dab it with a towel to remove all the excess water. I'll say this: there are plenty of Mexican restaurants around that we'll never return here.

    Photos
    La Mera Mera  - Kitchen

    Kitchen

    La Mera Mera  - Shrimp Fajita

    Shrimp Fajita

    La Mera Mera

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    Zocalo Mexican Bar and Grill - Molcajete Mixto

    Zocalo Mexican Bar and Grill

    4.2(245 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    •$$

    We come here pretty often and it's always great. This time we got the molcajete mixto and tostadas…read moremixtas, both were fresh, flavorful, and packed with tons of ingredients. We've also had the ostiones preparados before and they were super tasty and fresh! The place is always clean, the music's just right, and the vibe is relaxed. The staff is friendly and they even recognize our family now, which makes it feel extra welcoming. Definitely one of our go-to spots for seafood and Mexican dishes

    I've driven by Zocalo many times, but finally tried it for the first time today. I met a friend for…read morelunch around noon on a Tuesday, and when we arrived we had the entire place to ourselves. I ordered the chicken enchiladas with green sauce. When I placed my order, the server said "good choice" and she was right. They were served with rice, beans and lettuce and really hit the spot. My friend ordered tacos and also commented that the food was really good. By the time we left, only one other party had arrived. Considering how slow business was, we noted that the service was pretty slow. Our server was attentive when we arrived, but once the food came and we ate, it took an awhile for her to bring the check and then awhile longer for her to process our payment. The place has a lot of visual interest from the moment you walk in, with scenic landscapes and photos of people covering all the walls. That made the ambiance fun in what is otherwise a pretty casual place. Overall, this was a good experience and I'd like to return. I hope others try it, too! They need a better lunch crowd if we want them to stick around!

    Photos
    Zocalo Mexican Bar and Grill - Interior

    Interior

    Zocalo Mexican Bar and Grill - Tostada Toastada Mixta

    Tostada Toastada Mixta

    Zocalo Mexican Bar and Grill - Restaurant Front

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    Restaurant Front

    La Cocina de Maria - mexican - Updated September 2026

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