The food was absolutely delicious! The restaurant has nice music and good lighting. The service was beyond excellent. Our server stacey was very nice and provided amazing service. Such friendly staff here. We got the tacos vegetarianas and tacos camarones. Both with rice and beans. Good portions for the price. 10/10 would reccomend and definitely will be coming back! read more

Great food and service. I love the vibes and scenery this place has to offer. I ordered the chili relleno and it was delicious. The chips and salsa are on point and the tequila and margaritas are perfect. read more

First time visiting here and I was served a bug in my sprite. After notifying the staff, no one apologized or anything. I threw up and I am pregnant. I'm pissed. Then, after requesting a manager the manager came over and said she wasn't even notified by the waiter. Nothing was done to even resolve the matter. read more

The food was cold and no flavor they offer a 50% off We just get up and walk away never go back read more

Had a girls lunch here on a Saturday, late afternoon so they weren't as busy. The food was amazing, our server was super attentive and funny, we had a blast. It's incredibly cute and cozy inside, I regret not going in sooner! My friends both got the burrito and it was HUGE! I got the steak fajitas and they were amazing, I had planned to take some home because we'd talked so long over the chips, but they were so good I ate them all there. I can't wait to go back! read more

We visited on 3/13/26 (Friday) at 7:00pm. For a Friday night, this place was absolutely dead. This used to be our go-to Friday night place but the food has progressively gotten worse over time. This time we ordered a chicken burrito and beef tacos. Both entrees were bland and tasteless. It seems like they are getting the lowest possible quality and priced ingredients. I think we have run out of second chances for this place. The lack of customers on a prime hour on a Friday night when ever other restaurant has a wait list, speaks volumes. I hope the management reads this and improves. read more

First time there and we enjoyed it! Cute patio with umbrellas, good service, and good food. The margaritas were fresh and balanced and we loved that the chips and salsa were fresh-made! We shared the shrimp tacos (very tasty) and the tampiquena (grilled skirt steak). The meat was very tender and I like that it comes with a cheese enchilada. The rice and beans were good too. read more

See all

We tried this place out on our anniversary this year. They have a cute outdoor patio and one wall opens up to it. We ate just inside so we had the best of both worlds. It's clean and well taken care of inside and out. We both ordered a frozen mango margarita and they do not skimp on the tequila! It was very fresh though a little on the all side compared to other places. They provided chips and salsa for free and they were good. We were boring and only had the mild salsa but it was bueno. My fajitas came to the table (in under 15 mins) sizzling delightfully. The waitress had asked what kind of tortillas I wanted and I had told her corn but for some reason I was given both flour and corn piled up like corn, flour, corn, flour so if you have a gluten allergy this is something to be concerned about. That being said the fajitas were good and so were the pork tacos. read more

See all

Ate here last night, absolutely delicious!! Not something you'd expect in little downtown Oswego & I couldn't have been more delighted by each bite! Service, atmosphere, and not a lot of guests made this a great and unexpected experience. A new go to when I'm passing through read more

Stopped by for lunch today here. It's a very cute place. I had steak tacos and guacamole. Everything tasked great. Taco meat was juicy. Guacamole was very fresh. Service was prompt. Will be back again. Glad to discover this place for myself. read more

So disappointing... got a burrito bowl. It was cheap as can be. 2 cups iceberg lettuce, 20 pieces corn, 20 Black beans, I tablespoon rice, 1/2 cup chicken and a drizzle of sour cream. No flavor, just plain as hospital food. They could have gave me salsa or something to make it taste better. read more

La Marimba - Iceberg bowl - Mexican Near Me - Oswego, Illinois

Fresh food, attentive staff, great margaritas. Their shrimp tacos and the fajitas are so good. The prices are also very agreeable.

I grew up in Oswego and still live in a bordering town - and no matter how many times I visit my parents, I am constantly surprised with how much it has changed! I visited Marimba with my childhood best friend and it felt surreal to be drinking margaritas in "downtown" Oswego! We absolutely LOVED our experience at La Marimba. We made reservations just in case, and I'm glad we did! When we walked in, it wasn't overly crowded, but by the time we left, there was a line nearly out the door! We sat in a high top close to the bar, and there was also a lounge seat area nearby. The chips and salsa were delicious, as were the margaritas. I was ready for bland food, but was shocked at how great everything was. Both our entrees were delicious, and I absolutely want to return to try more. Our server was absolutely fantastic, but she really nailed it at the end of the night. My best friend said "we have to get dessert, it's your birthday!", but the only dessert option was ice cream, which we didn't want. Instead, the server asked if we wanted a shot. Stunned, I said "a shot...of alcohol...?" She offered us a shot of any tequila we wanted! I was shocked, and thankful, and chose something simple. It was such an awesome accommodation and just so cool! We will be back! read more

Finally!!!!! Downtown Oswego getting top quality non chain restaurants!!! This place just opened and took the place of the old Firehouse Pizza. Wow they did an incredible job rennovating this spot and it looks bright and clean and comfortable inside. The service was spectacular with the server knowing everything about the menu, how they prep the food, etc. It was impressive. The food came out fast, hot and my God did it taste delicious. My whole family including kids loved it. Only suggestion for the owners would be to have a few kids menu options as our 4 yr old had a quesadilla but because there was some "salad" in it as she said, it took coaxing to get her to eat it. A few kids options would be great. I would suggest going early as no reservations yet and we were there at 5 on a Saturday and it got really busy really fast. Can't blame the crowds as the food was that good! So happy to see places like this giving us a reason to go into downtown Oswego as a destination for dining. Btw their various salsas are incredible. It took willpower not to just drink it from the bowl it came in..... read more

See all

Fun spot, great food, cocktails are awesome. Service was solid. Live music on the weekends. Music is not crazy loud. The outside patio is beautiful!! I'll be a regular customer here. read more

I was there last night. The service was terrible . I had to remind our server to remove our plates . I had to ask several times for napkins & extra utensils. Hair in the salsa. Flies all over the place. Extremely disappointed, considering the prices. The food was adequate. read more

First time here and we were very happy with everything we ordered. The steak tacos and shrimp tacos were amazing as was the tortilla soup. I am not sure why other reviews said food was bland. We thought it was full of flavor. We will be back for more soon! read more

Food wasn't great. Service was the second worst I've ever had! The waitress left to give home and left us with the bartender for service. And she forgot everything! Us, what we ordered. Terrible! read more

Good food and cheap beers. But the service here is legitimately awful. They did not hand us menus or ask us if we wanted something to drink at all. We had to flag down employees for every need and were not waited on once in the 2 hours we were there. read more

Fantastic chicken tacos, salsa, and margaritas! Our server was awesome too! The place is so clean, the decor so inviting, and the flowers and landscaping are beautiful. I'd give them more starts if I could. read more

See all

We've been here several times. Food is always flavorful and well presented. This is authentic Mexican; if you're looking for Chipotle, that's not here. Service has always been good. A nice patio is available, but a bit hot in the afternoon sun. Truly lovely in spring and fall. I had three different types of tacos this time and all were excellent! Husband had steak fajitas; also very flavorful. read more

It's okay. The salsa is amazing but the entrees are on the blander side as others have mentioned. Love the pineapple jalapeño margarita. The outside vibe is nice. It's definitely on the pricier side for what you get. read more

We had a party of 10 come in for a 6:30 reservation and got seated right away! We came here from Downers Grove because the owner of this restaurant owns our favorite restaurant in Westmont closer to home and I must say it was worth the commute! The food was excellent and the pepino margarita is the bomb! Staff was very friendly as well! read more

La Marimba - Entree and drink. - Mexican Near Me - Oswego, Illinois

We went last night here for supper after the movies. ( A Man Called Otto, which was good). Unfortunately the food here was meh. Ordered the chicken burrito for $12. For an extra 3.50 it came with beans and rice. We just got the burrito without. It came to our table on a bare plate. No shredded lettuce, diced tomato or even a glop of sour cream to go with it. I could have made better at home, and at $12 could have made six of them for that price. Sister ordered the steak tacos and it was the same. Three measly little tacos with a small dollop of steak. No lettuce, no tomato, not even a small wedge of lime to spritz it up. Service was fine, but I could do better at home or even at Chipotles. The chips were okay, but the salsa was kinda crappy. Will not be returning. read more

This place was a huge disappointment. The food lacked so much quality. The chips taste like burnt cardboard and the guacamole lacked flavor pure onion. The drinks were overpriced and tasted like pure sugar. The service was extremely slow. Highly recommend this place at all cost. I promise you will be upset for the prices you pay and the quality delivered. read more

Ordered a steak burrito. Wait time wasn't bad but I certainly won't say that for the burrito. It was cold on the inside, the tortilla was old and stiff which made it even more difficult to cut with the provided butter knife. Sent it back to the kitchen where they promptly stuck it in the microwave to warm it up. This, of course, made the tortilla even stiffer and brittle and the steak like shoe leather, but did at least warm the insides. The habanero salsa I got to replace the standard stuff that comes with the initial chips was not spicier than what I was replacing and had an awful taste. The chips were good, not too thick and were warmed up and salted. The waitress was very personable and accommodating but this was still not enough to save the experience. No stars would my rating. read more

We were very excited to see a Mexican style restaurant go into downtown Oswego, but unfortunately we will not be returning to La Marimba. We went as a family the other night for dinner and left hungry, a bit grossed out and genuinely disappointed for what we hoped this business would be. La Marimba has a wonderful atmosphere, and we were excited by the beautiful redesign of this building. However, as soon as we took our seats the experience turned to a sour one. The table we were placed at (near the front window) was covered in 5+ flies at all times (in side window) with countless others dead in the windowsill. While looking over the menu, we were first surprised by how little options/variety it offered. My dad ordered a margarita that took almost 20 minutes to arrive--and when it did it had a chip in the glass, no salt around the rim, and wasn't flavorful. For food, three of us ordered the steak burrito bowl and not a single one of us was able to eat more than a few bites. It was the most bland, underwhelming dish I've ever had at a Mexican style restaurant. I could have made a better one at home. One member of our party was content with the mole sauce on the enchiladas, but that was the only thing we ate and drank that was enjoyable. Additionally, service was sub par. Our waitress never checked in on us so that we could voice our concerns over these items. Additionally, we had to walk up to the bar to pay because she never returned to our table after a few attempts to flag her down to pay the bill. Sadly, this was not the Mexican restaurant we had hoped for Oswego to have joining the many wonderful renovations downtown. Strongly recommend other spots for Mexican food. read more

See all

Tried this new place out and I it's decent I had better tacos but it's not bad. Their menu is expensive, I got the steak tacos that comes with 3 tacos and it was $10 (to add rice and beans is a additional $3). I got a chicken quesadilla appetizer and that was $9. It's not kid friendly in regards to their food, they don't have a kids menu. To add too their utensils were poorly wash and dirty. read more

I was so excited to try this place. I should have waited a bit since they were new and still trying to get their Bearings. There were so many bugs in there snd flies biting us it was hard to relax. I ordered a burrito which the tortilla was burnt. There was only a few pieces of steak and it was cold. My son had enchiladas and the raw onion out did the chicken and the sauce. I was so excited for this place to open yet so disappointed in the quality of food. The wait staff and bartender were super nice. Just wish the food was better. Also items are individual. So many places are moving to this now. If that is the case then your food should be outstanding in order those extra side dishes. Will try again and hoping for improvements. read more

Not too bad. My pomegranate margarita was good. Tacos were nice smaller side street style. Get 3 to a plate and it's nice you can mix and match. They had a nice combo of flavors. Kinda fun. Not just generic. Not super cheap but not expensive. Would go back with girlfriends, maybe less so with hungry kids. read more

LOVE this place and can't wait to go back! Everything was fresh and so yummy. Best Margaritas! Try the Pina Jalapeño! Definitely a top pick.

Our server (Iris) was awful, downright disrespectful actually. We have tried this place many times because the food is good and the vibe is cute but the service does not outweigh any of that. It seems to just be getting worse. The bartenders have their own tables and definitely favor them over the rest of the restaurants drinks. You could be so much busier if you get your serving staff in line. Terrible customer service. read more

Pretty darn good. Had a Limonada and shrimp ceviche, plus a taste of the Verde enchiladas and all were delicious. The back patio has a nice fire and garden. We'll definitely go back. read more

Had a great dinner here. Got Chicken tacos and beans/rice. Tacos were a little different, but good. Really liked the rice. My wife loved her enchiladas. Nice atmosphere. read more

Everything was delicious and fresh! I was pleasantly pleased, the guacamole fresh, the Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita, hands down best ever. Can't wait to test other items from the menu! read more

We really loved the tacos at La Marimba. My daughter had the pork and pineapple tacos, I had the chicken tacos and my husband had the chorizo and steak tacos. They were all delicious along with the sangria and margaritas. I highly recommend eating here. read more

Food is so fresh. Everything is good, so no worries about what to order, although the guacamole is a must.

Tried La Marimba for dinner today and it was very nice inside! The decor was great and the staff was very attentive. We all loved our margaritas.... the pineapple jalapeño was especially delicious. For dinner we tried queso fundido which was a great size, fajitas, quesadillas and taquitos. The fajitas could use a little more seasoning but overall we all enjoyed our dinner. We will definitely be back. read more

My wife had a taste for Mexican. It was our first time and we'll return. The chips and salsa were good. Salsa was outweighs the chips. You could argue it's expensive for the quantity but the flavor in my steak burrito was AMAZING! Fresh ingredients too! Great quality and I did end up being full. Nice to have a non-chain restaurant in Oswego. read more

love love love! The margaritas, the vibes, the food! Such a cute fun atmosphere! Can't wait to see more live music! What a great night that was :) read more