Great margaritas, ok food. I mean, the food is good, but I've had better for cheaper. We've never had to wait or anything--we've always gone later at night and on weekdays, so it's usually bordering on empty. Plusses for the chips and salsa, relish and soup with your meals though. read more

OK. I want to be very, very clear that this review is for the Oak Park, IL Lalo's. I love the Lalo's in Berwyn on Harlem and this location is nothing like it. I will return to the Oak Park location when the food is fresher and they get a rooftop patio. Let me explain. A traditional Lalos dinner starts with complimentary soup, spicy, pickled vegetables, and chips with salsa. Nom nom yum yum. This is usually my favorite part of the meal. Not here. The noodles in our soup on this visit were mushy. We didn't receive any vegetables although some tables had them. The chips where not as fresh as I am used to - lacked the usual crunch factor. How is it that nothing seems fresh on a Friday night when the food should turn over faster than any other time of the week? Kind of makes me wonder. Eating this stale food, I started to look around and realize that the place is a dump at least relatively. The ceiling is charred with smoke and dingy even though smoking has been banned in IL for years. The hostess desk has plywood and exposed screws. The rest kind of the place feels like a big high school bathroom or locker room adorned with mexican decorations. Its almost a dive but dives are only good if the food or the restaurant's character is exceptional. This place had neither at least on the inside. I may not have noticed all this if i was distracted by decent food. This is just my opinion, but the interior and the food (maybe management too) need a refresh. There is an exception. The outside definitely has character. I do like its big pair of windows thickly painted and old sign with lights blinking on its border. Plus, this place is screaming for a rooftop patio. A margarita on that roof would be awesome (please keep the charming facade, however). Every time I go by the place I exclaim to whomever is my companion how they need a roof top patio. Maybe I should start a petition, no? Now, back to our meal. The only savior was the frozen margaritas. Fortunately, these did meet Lalo's standards. Soo awesome. Not too syrupy; not too sweet; not too icy, not too strong. Just perfect. We usually get a medium mango/strawberry combo. Oh sooo good. So the tally gives Lalo's two stars. 1 for the frozen margaritas and 1 for the potential the place has. I really want this place to be good because I am a Lalo's fan and this specific location is the closest to me. read more

I absolutely love Margaritas. I go here so often because of their fresh table side guacamole. The wait staff is lovely and the chip service never ends. Margaritas is not going to be your New Mexican food it is traditional and what you'd expect from a Mexican grandmother's kitchen. The wait staff is super attentive and if you go here often they'll remember you. I saw another review complaining about having a tip message written on their receipt. It was probably because that reviewer goes and NEVER tips. Wait staff depend on tips to make a living. Margaritas is family friendly and a good place to have Mexican food. read more

Stopped in at this restaurant for my friends birthday, and it did NOT disappoint!!! The food and service were both amazing, and the PRICES for the food were unbeatable! I would definitely be stopping in again for their lunch buffet. If you are in the oak park area, I would definitely suggest stopping in. read more

This place is my personal cure whenever I feel under the weather. I swear that the combination of soup, salsa, carrots/garlic, and margarita, reverse the progress of any cold. Whenever I feel the tinge of something starting, we head over (often with a subsequent visit to Garfield Park Conservatory) and I can feel my sinuses and lungs clear. The Oak Park Ave location has been a favorite special treat for our family for decades. I was a little worried when they separated from Lalos, but all in all, I actually think if anything, it has gotten better. It has always been a little pricey but we tend to share meals because there is so much food. We've ordered the catering for a family party and it was really cost effective, delicious, and well done. read more

The margaritas and guacamole are so good. This time my only complaint was the chips. They were definitely different. Store bought? Maybe but they were thick and tasteless and a little stale - disappointing. We mentioned it to our server. Everything else was excellent. We will continue to be regulars! read more

Great food and margaritas. I'd definitely return! Perfect neighborhood! Nice atmosphere read more

Margaritas - Great food - Mexican Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

It's okay. The best part about this place is the guy in the tiny booth playing the music. If you didn't see him, you'd think it was the radio. I'd really want to give this three stars if it weren't for all the hype around Lalo's being so good, when in fact, it is not. This place used to be GREAT, now it is just so-so, and with a ton of Mexican restaurants to choose from in the area, I would go elsewhere. read more

Biggest Margaritas in town, wow! Great place for a cocktail. Do rec this place to friends. -Mike read more

Come for the Lunch Buffet and stay for the Margaritas. The service staff and always friendly and accommodating . The food is served quick, hot and full of favors. This place had a name change from Lalos to Margaritas a few years ago but the quality and service never changed. I really enjoy this place and you will too read more

Love love love! YOLANDA was an amazing server. Took great care of us and would definitely come back again.

Yesterday was my first time dining at Margaritas. Before entering the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was the dim lighting, being an aficionado of darker rooms, I loved it! We were seated right away, which for a Saturday night was surprising, but I wasn't going to complain. Our server (which I must add how I LOVED that their servers dress professional and not with their everything hanging out!) did come over right away and answered any questions that we had and continued to take our order. Now, tun tun tunnn, the taste test ... Complimentary Chips and Salsa=Good Complimentary Soup= A tad bit salty Appetizer (combo)= Good Entree (Taco Dinner)= Ok Entree (Huachinango)=Ok Drinks (Margarita)=Lacked more flavor Drinks (Piña Colada)=Good! Over all I gave this restaurant 3 stars. Service was great, ambience was good, food was nothing spectacular, and drinks were just ok. But I will return and try something different next time. read more

Margaritas - Strawberry Margarita! - Mexican Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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I really enjoy the food & service here.. The garlic shrimp dinner is my favorite & I can't wait to return to dine here again!! read more

Margaritas - My dinner was so delicious again tonight! I really did this low key spot!!! FYI the Margaritas are the bomb!!! - Mexican Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Our friend had to leave early because of a stomach virus. Little did we know we would envy her with all of our being... For starters, it was clear the chips and salsa were store bought. And not the best store bought at that. I've had better chips at Aldis. While we munched on our stale chips, we were serenaded by the subtle tunes of club music over the speakers. That's right, kids. Club music, with the bass up, at 7 pm, while we ate our stank stale chips. At least the table cloth was nice and plastic, in case we spilled any sauce while getting our dance on. The waitress was kind and prompt, which I directly attribute to Stockholm Syndrome. The margaritas were not that bad, but definitely not worth the $10 for a small. Even getting a pitcher we still did not feel we got our money's worth. We all got the specials for the evening, which were catered to the Lenten crowd: vegetarian and fish options. Sounds pretty tasty, right? NOOOOOO....... Two of us got the Shrimp patty torta in mole sauce and one got a vegetarian enchilada dish. When we got our food, the shrimp tortas were so salty, overcooked, flavorless and greasy that I feel we could have had a better meal if we had cat food. The mole sauce that covered this awful insult to Mexican cuisine tasted exclusively like salt, probably the tears of the Virgin of Guadeloupe as She watched us attempt to eat the pathetic excuse of Mexican food at this dump. Our friend who ordered the vegetarian enchiladas commented that she, one of the whitest people ever invented, could have made it better. They consisted of radishes (...yes, RADISHES, Peter Rabbit caters here), some fresca dumped into the middle, and dourfully wrapped like an unwanted child left at a church door. It was then smothered in a tasteless sauce reminiscent of somewhere between a school cafeteria and Nicholas Cage's career. The sour cream and cheese was dumped in hoards. The sides (for everyone, they do not have black beans WTF) made my heart drop like a suicide over the Golden Gate bridge. I've had better rice from an Uncle Ben's box, but the staff was generous enough to leave us some freeze-dried peas and carrots in them. It was clear that the refried beans were canned, to better offset the Aldi's chips for those of a finer palate then us. Suffice to say, we will avoid Margarita's in the future. There are better Mexican places in Chicago, let alone in the backwoods of Coles County, IL.Seriously, there are no Mexicans in Coles County, just some sister-humper and his greasy trailer and some refried beans, and that was tastier then the slop that we just were served. read more

The highlight here is its namesake, the Margarita. They are big with plenty of flavor and generous on the pour. Apart from that, its sort of gimicky, contrived Mexican/American interior gives you an insight of what you might expect the food to be like....equally AmeriMex. (Other) Highlights: Chicken Soup (included) - Loved it. Enchiladas - I knew exactly how they would taste and it was exactly what I was looking for. Medi-lights: Carne Asada Fajitas - greatly lacking in flavor and overall quality. Come for the Margaritas and Chips/Salsa, go elsewhere for a truer reflection of authentic Mexican. read more

I'm actually very sad to write this review. I went to this place one time, it was my first time there, i ordered tacos with avocado. They were delicious. The next morning i woke up feeling very sick to my stomach. I thought it could have been all the wine i consumed the night before. I decided not to blame the restaurant and today i went back with a friend. We hadn't even ordered our food before my friend spotted a mouse calmly making its way through the restaurant. We alerted the staff however i feel as though they were more concerned at the fact that the mouse was spotted by customers NOT that the mouse was in their establishment, it's as if the mouse grew up there! I am truly disgusted and hope that they take this as a lesson and better monitor how clean this place is. I now believe that it's wasn't the wine that got me sick but perhaps the food there. Be careful. read more

Thanks to a Groupon, my brother and I went to dinner here on a Sunday night around 6PM. Medium busy, so we were sat immediately up front by the windows, which was OK, but you don't get a sense of what the restaurant is like sitting there. I ordered a frozen margarita, which was prominently featured on the menu - as it should be given the restaurant's name. It was OK - clearly a machine made marg and not one that was blended to order, which was too bad. Chips and salsa arrived soon after sitting down, these were pretty good. My brother ordered Enchiladas Suizas and was pretty happy with them. I opted for the Margaritas platter. This thing had a ton of flavor. While the chicken was slightly dry, it was seasoned nicely and went well with the mushrooms and onions served on the platter. Beef was good as was the chorizo that came with the dish. Some cheese, three skewered shrimps wrapped in bacon... it was a good meal and quite filling. I plan to return again - always happy when Groupon leads me to a new place to visit. read more

Service can be hit or miss, sometimes the hostess looks like she could be a high school junior. The waiters/waitresses are usually purdy decent friendly folks. Good portions, nothing fancy but good hearty food. Margaritas could stun an Ox. The guava margarita is very tasty, as is the traditional kind. This is a review of the Oak Park ave. location. They can be slammed on weekends, without a good entryway/lobby for people waiting, so it can be like a packed CTA train car at rush hour while you wait for your table. read more

Lalos has one of the best Mexican breakfasts in the area. The great thing about it is that they serve it all day, so you can sleep in and not miss your morning brunch. Also they margaritas are gigantic and resonably priced. I recommend the Bloody Maria, it is a bloody mary but with tequilla instead of vodka. If you love tequilla, you will love this. This place has been around for a really long time, that says something too. read more

Hubby and I came here for lunch. They have a lunch buffet for $9.95 - great deal - unlimited food. We actually didn't go with that option since the food wasn't so appetizing to us. I end up ordering a steak burrito dinner and my hubby had their fish tacos. My steak burrito was good. Hubby's fish taco was just ok. Overall - it is just okay. read more

First time here, and it won't be my last. Great food.... And loved the idea of having a buffet available for choosing however much food I want, versus being given a certain amount. Also, delicious mojitos as well!!! And cost effective to say the least... If you're looking for a budgeted lunch, go no where else but here!! read more

My favorite spot in Oak Park! Great service and very good food! They are usually very quick and I have never waited for a table. My husband and I go here for my birthday every year! read more

I have ordered here once a week for 5 years. I love this place with all my heart. Every single thing on the menu that my wife and have tried has hit the mark. Oak Park this is your go to Thai place. Green curry, Musaman curry, Pad kee mao simply amazing. read more

We were craving Mexican food last night but it was Labor Day. We called about 16 places and they were all closed. It came down to Lalo's or Margaritas. We chose Margaritas because of the location and we hadn't been there since they had changed from a Lalo's franchise. It was great. The Skinny Margarita was so good and the spinach enchiladas were amazing. The spinach was super fresh and all the food was good. We will be back. Thank you for being open when we were hungry. read more

My husband and I were there on a Friday night. We walked in and there was a wait. I went up to the hostess and asked how long the wait was. She indicated it would be somewhere between 20-25 minutes. We waited and sat there while more customers were arriving. My husband noticed how the hostess sat a couple that were there after we had already arrived. We asked how come and she still had the nerve to say there were more people ahead of us. I asked how and she could not explain it to me. Even the people that were there told us that we were indeed there before they were. The hostess never asked us for our names nor do I think she even put us down on the list. NEVER WILL BE GOING BACK TO THAT PLACE AGAIN!!!! read more

awesummmmm yummmm guac made at table was awesummmm raspberry frozem margarita omg!! steak taco dinner awsummmm we will be back read more

Margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

The name of the restaurant is very misleading!! Our margaritas were 60% juice, 10% liquor and 30% ice. Very much so a waste of calories + time. So much so that we decided not to eat based on the beverages. read more

I cannot even begin to describe my dislike for this place It's mediocre, with loud TV's, horrible drinks, and lame warmed over food dripping with sour cream. Margaritas should not glow in the dark. I want to forget I ever set foot in this pit of despair. read more

We were searching for a bite to eat on our way home. Obsessed had a better review, but when we got there it was closed. So thankful that it was. Margaritas was so good. Friendly staff. read more

Aw heckie naw. This place sucks. If you are looking for good Mexican food this is not the place.

I always order delivery from Grubhub whenever I get food from here. My go to is either their caldo de pollo (chicken soup) or caldo de res (beef soup). The soups are really good. Great for a cold or rainy day. Tastes kinda homemade. I have tried their chicken flautas and really didn't like them. Imagine frozen flautas or taquitos that you get from Trader Joes. That is the best comparison I can give for them. Not authentic at all, so I just stick to what I know and like and their soup serves up to par. read more

How can a place named Margaritas have such terrible margaritas? If you like super sugary, diabetic drinks, then you may like what they have to serve here. But if you've ever had a good margarita, this place will pretty much be a waste of money. Now, let me add that I did not taste their food and it may very well be delicious. But, basted on what I just drank, I couldn't justify spending more money for potentially subpar food. Our server was great and extremely attentive. Maybe I'll return to try the food but the drinks are a definite no-go. read more

This place is mediocre at best. The service was pretty good, but I didn't like that the waitress had no understanding of what I wanted to order. I can understand there being a language barrier but it made getting my order across easy. The food itself was passable at best. You are better off going to Taco King and ordering takeout. It is more authentic and in my opinion higher quality food. read more

I've been to this restaurant "Lalos" many times before. However, when I visit this restaurant in the same location but different owners (I didn't see "Lalos" name anywhere). The menu was similar and decor was different. The waiter brought us chips and salsa. I knew the chips was not fresh, it was almost stale. I ordered a chicken taco dinner. The whole meal was NOT FRESH! The chicken was dry, the Spanish rice and beans looked discolored. I had to search for the waiter. I will never visit that place again! Don't waste your time and money! read more

Went here for the first time tonight. Decided to give it a try. We were served chips and salsa and also got a cup of complementary soup. We started by ordering guacamole. They make it table side for you. It's quite a bit of guacamole they give you and the ingredients were fresh although we did need to add salt. I ordered a guava Margarita on the rocks it was tasty but didn't have a lot of alcohol in it and was very weak in my opinion. We then ordered the Margarita platter to split. It was a lot of food. It came with steak, chorizo, shrimp wrapped with bacon,chicken breast and veggies. It came with tortillas. It was quite tasty although I wish it came with toppings like lettuce, tomatos etc but it didn't. Overall it was a solid place and I would go back. read more

I ordered from work through GrubHub for dinner and unfortunately I wish I did not order from them the pork tamales that I ordered from them tasted very old very dry tasting very disappointed probably will not be ordering from them again I don't usually give a restaurant a second chance LOL this was probably the worst tamale I ever had. read more

Looking for authentic Mexican food? This is NOT the place. Nice decorations but very tasteless food and highly OVERPRICED. Our entire meal was very dry and unappealing. This is assimilated Mexican food. Taco Bell is better than this food. read more

The margaritas were okay. They tasted a bit on the sour side. The salsa they serve has a bit of a kick to it. When I asked for a mild salsa, they gave me a warm salsa that tasted more like enchilada sauce than salsa. That was a disappointment. read more

My boyfriend and I randomly stopped in and discovered this hidden gem! Sooooo much food for amazing prices!The customer service is amazing too! Warm chips and salsa before we could even sit in our chairs. The servers and the manager were super sweet and made sure we were okay throughout the night. I had steak with cheese and peppers/onions that was served with guac, beans, and rice. My boyfriend had the Margaritas skillet which had every meat imaginable. Both came with a tasty cup of soup prior to the meal. Everything was tasty and plentiful! We will definitely be back! read more

I tasted lots of food there and am always satisfied. Always ended with leftovers. I tend to overstuff myself it's their complimentary tortilla chips...like their salsa. Always end up with a smile on my face from their various margaritas read more