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    La Esmeralda

    4.9 (10 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

    La Esmeralda Mexican Restaurant Photos

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    19 days ago

    Best authentic Mexican food at great prices, well worth the trip on the price savings alone

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    9 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Mmmm Mmmm Great tacos!! A Must place to eat! It's a place ya just gotta go!! That is if you like tacos!!

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    2 years ago

    I cannot put words to how good this restaurant is. La esmeralda puts any mexican restaurant to shame. Very authentic and simple style inside

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food is some of the best I've had. I get this everytime I'm in town, if not multiple times!

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    3 years ago

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    The Polo Room - Prohibition thin crust pizza freshly cut right in front of you!

    The Polo Room

    4.5(2 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $

    Delicious food great atmosphere and friendly staff what more can you ask for!!…read more They have a variety of pizzas from illuminati's to a variety of thin crust pizza that I'm sure to meet anyone's taste! I ordered the prohibition pizza which had sausage pepperoni peppers and onions and it was delicious. They have events sometimes open my karaoke comedy as well as two pool tables and the ambience is on point; it's more than a bar it's the Polo Room and it's special and that's why I recognize it so come on take a visit and enjoy the ambience the food the friendly staff and enjoy yourself!!

    My husband and I had our rehearsal dinner at The Polo Room and were so pleased with how everything…read moreturned out. The food was excellent and plentiful, plus the staff was very attentive, always asking if we needed anything more; they even packed up the leftovers and sent them home with us. Their chicken strips were huge and their hamburgers were homemade, half pound burgers. Make no mistake, the room is certainly nothing fancy but it was decorated nicely. Most importantly, the price was beyond reasonable! I would highly recommend The Polo Room for a good meal or for any event you are planning.

    Photos
    The Polo Room - A special dish sometimes to served every day that they're open and they always have a variety of pizza from illuminati's to thin crust.

    A special dish sometimes to served every day that they're open and they always have a variety of pizza from illuminati's to thin crust.

    The Polo Room - Thin crust prohibition pizza like a supreme very delicious.

    Thin crust prohibition pizza like a supreme very delicious.

    The Polo Room - Video Gaming!  Feeling Lucky?

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    Video Gaming! Feeling Lucky?

    La Familia - Chips and Salsa

    La Familia

    4.5(71 reviews)
    15.4 mi
    $$

    When it comes to a place like this, which is clearly a family-run "mom-and-pop" shop, I want to be…read morea little more lenient. I recognize they are operating in a different environment, especially being over two hours away from the competition found in Chicago. In any case, I found myself hungry in Rock Falls, so I stopped in at La Familia. I had the opportunity to try a carnitas taco, an al pastor taco, and a tamale. I also ordered an horchata to drink. The food was a mixed bag, but with some notable high points. The highlight of the meal was the tamale. The exterior was soft and flavorful, and the interior was appropriately meaty with a good, mild flavor. I believe this was my first experience with a tamale, and it was an enjoyable one at that. For the tacos, I appreciated that the proteins, onion, and cilantro were all in balance and that they didn't skimp on the meat. I am a traditionalist and asked for my tacos with just onion and cilantro, rather than their standard of lettuce, tomato, and cheese. While the meat had a mild flavor and wasn't completely bland, it needed something more to stand on its own. To be fair, there is salsa, lime, and two varieties of El Yucateco hot sauce available. However, being the purist I am, it is my belief that food should be able to stand alone without condiments. That said, with these tacos, it felt like something was lacking--perhaps sauce, crema, or pineapple with the al pastor. I'd also like to call out the complimentary chips and salsa offered at the beginning of the meal. I loved that the salsa was served in a little spouted container and that the tortilla chips were clearly homemade. They were a bit unusual, with layers flaking off (not a bad thing, just not often seen in restaurants). I also liked that they had a little bit of salt... far too many places skip that, and how can you skip the salt? My horchata was an absolute delight with great flavor. It was a tad sweet for my taste, but that's more a matter of personal preference than a technical issue. The service was a major highlight. It was very kind, knowledgeable, and attentive. The staff was also quick and efficient. Final Verdict: La Familia is very solid and respectable as a family-run, home-cooking-style restaurant. While to be 100% honest it doesn't hold a candle to some of the things you might find in downtown Chicago, Pilsen, or Cicero, that isn't the expectation. With this in mind, it does its job well. While I'm not going to come all the way back to Rock Falls just to eat here, when I find myself in town, I can't say I would be totally against it.

    Phenomenal spot I travel quite a bit . It's hard to find good food around here and this is…read moredefinitely one that hit home for me. . And the service is incredible. Very clean.

    Photos
    La Familia - Carnitas taco (front) Al Pastor Taco (back). Requested w onion & cilantro. Tamale

    Carnitas taco (front) Al Pastor Taco (back). Requested w onion & cilantro. Tamale

    La Familia
    La Familia - But large enough for your entire group/family.

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    But large enough for your entire group/family.

    Las Palmas - Burrito Dixon

    Las Palmas

    2.7(53 reviews)
    12.1 mi
    $

    My wife and I have been coming here for Fajitas for 2 years so this is not an off the cuff "I'm…read moremad" review. The food quality has been going down over the last 3-4 months but last night there was no seasoning on any of the meat. My wife's chicken fajitas looked like 3 or 4 servings on the plate but was almost nothing but green peppers. I had the Texas Fajitas and had very few peppers and no onions at all. The shrimp was severely overcooked. The attention to detail was definitely lacking last night. Hopefully they get their "poop in a group" so we don't have to leave town for Fajitas!

    I typically don't write reviews, but this restaurant was unprofessional. This was my first time…read morethere, and I will not be back to this establishment. The food was very poor for the price. Our waiter would not acknowledge my girlfriend unless it was to take her order. The Illinois card fee is supposed to be 3.25%, but that is not what they're doing there. Originally, our bill came out to $41.08 after tax, but there was a card option for $47.34 and a cash option for $45.97. Why are they charging an extra fee for cash? Anyway, 3.25% of $41.08 comes out to $1.35, so my total should have been $42.42. Instead, I was charged $47.34. I chose to leave instead of arguing with the staff member. After leaving, I did the calculations and realized they charged me a 15.25% card fee. I never carry cash, so I used my card. When I asked about the markup, I was denied an answer and kept getting cut off while trying to speak. The employee I spoke with kept saying, "it's just a few bucks," over and over again. This establishment sucks. They're ripping their customers off for horrible food.

    Photos
    Las Palmas - Menu

    Menu

    Las Palmas - Menu

    Menu

    Las Palmas - Fajita

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    Fajita

    Cinco De Mayo - Two bean tostadas and a cheese enchilada

    Cinco De Mayo

    5.0(3 reviews)
    70.9 mi

    My cousin and aunt rave about this place and brought me here for lunch. Oooo it's good…read more I like the interior of this restaurant. Festive decor and friendly staff. Nice clean bathroom. We were promptly greeted and given lunch and specials menus. The menu is enormous and plenty of choices for any palate. I found what I wanted, bean tostadas and cheese enchiladas. I love the finely shredded white cheese they sprinkled on top of the bean tostadas. I got the Vegetarian C plate which was $10.99. I admit I was not too crazy about the cheese enchilada but it was OK. I was pleased that the server allowed me to get another bean tostada in place of the bean burrito. We shared a bowl of white queso dip yummmmmm! Hot gooey deliciousness. It was a very generous serving and we took some of it home. Cousin got the Burrito Tapatio holy cow it is the biggest burrito ever!!!! There should be a warning on the menu to let customers know it is the size of your head. Seriously. It is enough for at least three meals. My aunt got some corn tacos which she enjoyed. Very reasonably priced and a tasty meal, great service.

    I lived in Southern California that has really good Mexican food. Currently live in Florida and…read morehad dinner when I was visiting this area. It was around 5:00pm and there was hardly any cars in front. Had the best taco in my life here. They had a nice portion of Guac and the Salsa and Chips were excellent. I would be a regular if it was near my home. By around 6:00pm, people started entering the place. Friendly staff too.

    Photos
    Cinco De Mayo - Specialties

    Specialties

    Cinco De Mayo - Lunch and dinner menu

    Lunch and dinner menu

    Cinco De Mayo - Chicken, seafood, pork and beef

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    Chicken, seafood, pork and beef

    Salamandra Restaurant - The potato and chorizo entree - you can see the red and green salsa in the background.

    Salamandra Restaurant

    4.0(33 reviews)
    11.0 mi
    $

    --Location/Parking-- Great hole in the wall in Dixon. Plenty…read moreof street parking and parking lot. I don't see anyone checking parking. There wasn't an issue when we went during the dinner time. --Ambience-- Minimal, bright colors. Simple Mexican restaurant. Simple seating arrangement. You don't go for the deco. --Service/Staff-- Friendly staff that was excited to serve a big party at the last minute. I recommend because of how friendly the staff were and were very attentive to us. --Products/Service-- I had the beef tacos with a side of beans and rice. No issues. Nothing to write home about. I had tacos from Chicago to, LA to San Antonio. I can't compare the two because of the location. I would just keep your expectation on the food quality and taste. --Capacity-- Indoors can hold 30 plus people based on various table size. I believe they would get busy during the lunch crowd. We walked up with a big group and got seating with no issues. --Overall-- If you are in the area and looking for Mexican food. Nothing to go out of the way to. The food is okay or just average, but take into the context of the area and the choice of selection.

    i wish I could give more than 5 stars everything about them was amazing! I came by after an…read moreappointment from next door 20 minutes before closing and they were so super kind I sat down and ate and the food was AMAZING!!!! sweetest people ever I even left to wait for my ride esp since it was 5 minutes before closing and they offered me to come in and wait! absol amazing customer service attitude everything! please do not pass up this stop it will really bring joy to your day!!!!

    Photos
    Salamandra Restaurant - A look into the restaurant towards the kitchen and counter area.

    A look into the restaurant towards the kitchen and counter area.

    Salamandra Restaurant
    Salamandra Restaurant

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    La Esmeralda - mexican - Updated May 2026

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