Mercadito
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Good food and vibes. The place was packed on Saturday for lunch but we were able to get a table outside. We tried: - Chips and Salsa - Al Pastor Tacos - Chilaquiles w/Steak - Churros Overall really good, but definitely make a reservation ahead of time. The salsas were spicy, especially the Habanero and Especial - but worth it. The meat was flavorful too and shoutout our waitress for grinding that day.
With gas prices being so high right now, the last thing you want to have to worry about is parking. So grateful this restaurant offers affordable valet services. The restaurant is simply beautiful. Love the artsy details. There were many lively celebrations on this day. The noise level was its own kind of vibe. Elizabeth introduced herself as our server and offered us drinks. We were definitely ready for them. I was craving a spicy margarita which was delicious and my friend ordered the lichee loco and raved about being able to taste each flavor. We started off with shrimp ceviche, fresh guacamole with mangoes and house made chips that were amazing. We had the manager come to our table to speak with us and to check to see if we were enjoying ourselves. We were. Elizabeth came back to see if we were ready to order entrees. Brussel sprouts were a bit busy and not at all a big hit. They are topped with way too many ingredients. Bring on the carne asada tacos, the brisket tacos and the quesabirria. Everything was absolutely well flavored. There was plenty of food, even for leftovers. Or midnight snacking. We ended with another drink and we shared a flan with raspberries. If you are ever in the River North area, stop by Mercadito's for elevated Mexican cuisine, good drinks and lively vibes.
I really want to give them the fourth star here, you can even consider this a 3.5, just because the service was amazing!! We had such a fun and cool server. She was great! I also love the decor and vibes here. The photo op with the neon sign is SO fun. I want to come back to try lunch or dinner service, and will probably stick to more casual dishes then. I'm sure it'll win me over the next time. We did come for brunch for restaurant week and thought it was a great deal, it felt like two entrees for $30. First course I got the chicken flautas which I LOVED! Great flavor, toppings were perfect. My partner got the quesabirria and absolutely devoured it. The steak and eggs were where we felt let down. I had asked for my steak medium well and it was very pink, I'd even say medium RARE. It's a thin cut so temperature shouldn't be under done in my opinion. My partner got his medium and was also disappointed in the temperature. It comes with a sauce on it and I knew I was going to end up taking it home anyway so I didn't send it back. It was pretty good when I reheated it at home! That said, it was a pretty grisly cut of meat and, as we were marathoning steaks for restaurant week, my least favorite steak of restaurant week. I also ordered my eggs over hard and felt they were underdone, the yolks were done just slightly enough to be not runny but were gel-y, almost like a soft boiled egg. These were also better once reheated. The flavors on the steak were good! And the sauce was really really good!! But underdone food is a big one for me. Again, I would totally come back and get flautas again. I'd love to try their salsas too. Just a case of the wrong items to order, I think.
Tried this place out a friend's Birthday dinner last night. We had a party of 7 and made reservations in advance (highly recommend). Food was fantastic - the mango guacamole & hongos tacos were definite highlights! I also got an N/A cocktail - Shake The Mango Tree - which was so delicious. Service was decent but not great (they were very busy). Overall a great experience!
One of my go-to happy hours in the city. The service is okay but can be good. They do rush you in a friendly way because it can get extremely busy. Keep ordering or it's uncouth to sit too long. No babysitting your drink or food so time can pass. Great seating inside and even better during the summer. The camarón tacos are by far the best (only complaint is how small they are). They have a wonderful array of salsas, guacamoles, & ceviches for shareables. The drinks are the best part of the visit. You get what you pay for. Overall 7/10
My girlfriend and I were able to get a last-minute Saturday night reservation at Mercadito, and I'm glad we did. We kicked dinner off with a spread of dips that included their Especial, Chile de Árbol, Tomatillo Salsa, and Tradicional guacamoles because why not. To wash it down, we ordered a Spicy Mango-Rita and the Amiga Sand cocktail. The Mango-Rita wasn't exactly "spicy" (the tajín rim was the only spicy part), but it was super refreshing, so no complaints. For our entrees, we split the Pastor and Carne tacos. The Carne was pretty good, especially when topped with the Chile de Árbol salsa. But the Pastor? That one was a whole different story. Packed with flavor, perfectly seasoned, and that pineapple topping was chef's kiss. Service was great, the vibe was lively, and overall it's a solid choice if you're craving upscale Mexican in River North.... and don't mind paying $25 for four tacos.
The vibes are there! Beautiful moody restaurant that really sets the seen. The staff is great and attentive and very accommodating. As far as food it was good! The special granola with pomegranate seeds was a great way to start off the meal with fresh warm tortilla chips. The tacos were the best things on the menu by far. Everything's was fresh and delicious, I would highly suggest the pastor tacos. Over all it was a good experience.
The pescadillas dish was very well composed. I really enjoyed the creativity from the squid ink masa. I thought that the spiciness from the chipotle tinga really cut through the crispness of the tortilla. And the pico de gallo highlighted the mahi mahi. A special shoutout to our waitress who went above and beyond to split our appetizers four ways for us as well as our entrees.
Mercadito has a little bit of something for everyone. I got the Quesabirria which was delightful. The consume was comforting and well seasoned. I would also recommend the poblano Mac and cheese, with its gooey yummy cheese and bits of corn. The service was quick and professional with multiple people cleaning our table between appetizers and finishing dishes. The tres leches was dry so I wouldn't consider it tres leches. The ambiance was hip and you could tell a lot of people came there on the regular after work.
1 year ago
The ambiance and service is great. The waitress and hostess were very nice and we were seated immediately. We were there for a birthday and got bottomless and it was totally worth it since it includes mimosas, bloody Mary's, and a few others. My only negative was that with the chilaquiles you had to pay an additional $2 if you wanted egg which I haven't seen before. read more
Had a really enjoyable lunch here. Lots of GF options and we got the guac trio and quesabirria. Both really delicious and fresh with the former having some heat too although the chips were pretty oily and fragile. I did try my friend's pastor tacos and they were a little too salty for me and I didn't care too much for the queso with chorizo but I would highly recommend the place for the guacs, quesabirria and for the friendly service! read more
The ambience of this establishment is beautiful. This is the perfect date night spot to go to no matter what time of the day. We ordered a mango cocktail and a watermelon cocktail. Both drinks were very good. The watermelon cocktail is very refreshing and a bit spicy. The mango cocktail was perfect. Our waitress was very nice and attentive. We ordered the chicken tacos and brisket tacos. I enjoy the chicken tacos because it came with more toppings as a brisket tacos kind of lack on the toppings. The brisket tacos did have more meat on them and they were very juicy. The chicken tacos were really good with the sauce. Both sets of tacos were good. You only get four, which is not enough for the price, but the taste of them makes up for it. It does get crowded in there so it's good to make a reservation before hand to ensure you do get a nice seat. We sat inside. They do have outdoor seating, but it is a busy area and I don't suggest sitting outside unless you want to smell car gas. Other than that beautiful place. I highly recommend. read more
Cute and aesthetic place. The staff were very accommodating to changing our party size on a Wednesday night. We did a trip of little salsas and the tomatillo salsa was the only one mild enough for me to eat, but it was pretty good. We also did the traditional guac which had a little bit of a kick and was just ok. The short rib Quesabirrias were excellent - favorite app for sure - they were cheesy and the juice was really good. The chorizo queso fundido was also really good with a little bit of kick but nothing too spicy. For mains we did a few tacos and the esquites. The esquites were kind of wet but I still really liked them. The best tacos were definitely the carne. The pastor were just ok - not super flavorful. And I wasn't a big fan of the brisket - it was kind of smoky, but didn't really work for me in a taco. read more
2 months ago
2 years ago
Really enjoyed my date at Mercadito. Super cute atmosphere. Definitely a get dressed and add a heel type of vibe. Service was great. Attentive, polite, quick. I order lobster tacos and omg they did not disappoint. So delicious! I would go back again and again just for those. Usually I don't feel like lobster has too much of a taste, but they dressed this taco to perfection. Everything on it was a perfect pair. We also ordered sides of elote and rice. I loveee elote and it was so tasty. Had a couple of drinks. 1st was a pineapple "lemon" drop. Totally didn't know you could change the flavor on that drink. Pineapple was good but I'll go for strawberry next time. Also had a side car. This was ok. A bit watered down. Overall beautiful restaurant right off the Riverwalk and I'll definitely be back. read more
2 months ago
Sabrina and Spencer were not only professional but personable and knowledgeable. They showed me how Mercadito shows the Chicago community of River North how Hispanic meets Hell Yeah! The food was definitely exceptional, authentic and delicious. Definitely order multiple tacos. I'm a fan of the lobster. The al pastor is beyond reproach read more
10 months ago
We had reservations for 6 people and even though 50% of the group had arrived; the hostess refused to give us the our table till the entire group was there. The acoustics of the basement is so terrible that it's difficult to have conversations. The only saving grace was food. read more
1 year ago
3 months ago
6 months ago
Food was really good. Service was mid we had to keep asking for the food to come out after we ordered the valet was 15 dollars out side nice vibe and drinks were pretty good. read more
26 days ago
3 months ago
Walked in on a Saturday night and had a weird experience with the waitress. Initially when we asked for a table she said NO and laughed again so we thought its a joke. She was helping us find a table and would turn back and make weird expressions. We were made sit in a spot where it was congested so we asked another waiter who was taking our order if we could move to another table and he let us find a table. After a while the same waitress walks in and rudely tells us that "Let her know next time when we move to another table". We told her that the waiter who was serving us found the table since we wanted one. No apologies and extremely rudely she walks off. The other staffs were extremely friendly otherwise. We sat inside and it was extremely nice. Mostly fits for a friends group hangout place. Food was outstanding. Plaintains- Very well made and so tasty Appetizer - beer battered shrimp- extremely delicious Chicken pollo was a huge entree and can be easily shared The quantity is pretty huge and easily shareable Reduced one star for rude service and another for noisy ambiance read more
3 months ago
1 year ago
ne of my coworkers recommended this place, and I'm so glad she did! We walked in, were greeted right away, and seated quickly. It did take a little while for a server to come over, but that actually gave us time to chat and look over the menu -- so no complaints there. We started with the guacamole and birria as appetizers, and both were excellent! The guac was super flavorful and fresh, and the birria was tender, juicy, and well-seasoned -- definitely a highlight. For our entrees, my husband got the brisket burrito, which he really enjoyed. I had the steak tacos -- the meat itself was great, but I wasn't a big fan of the toppings. Next time, I'd definitely just order the birria as my main dish. Overall, great food and a solid experience. I'd absolutely go back! read more
1 year ago
First time here, my hometown! Excellent service by Jose he did an amazing job The food was great see pics read more
1 month ago
2 months ago
My group went on a Sun for brunch. The host was very nice and our waitress Marie or Maria was very consistent even with it been VERY crowded/busy. I definitely recommend reservations on the weekend. They offer bottomless drinks during brunch. They have music playing but I could barely hear it because it was pretty loud throughout the restaurant. The group ordered al pastor, chicken, and shrimp tacos. There were no complaints about the tacos. I had the breakfast torta and it had great flavor. read more
1 year ago
Came here for Saturday brunch with some friends and I had an amazing time! I'm already planning my next brunch here. Some people in my party were running late, and unfortunately they don't seat guests until the entire party arrives. This is always a bit annoying, but we were able to sit at the bar and get some drinks while we waited. Most of us ended up doing the bottomless special because it was national margarita day so it was only right. Everything I ate was so good! I got esquites, the guac, and short rib quesabirria. All of my friends enjoyed their meals and we left happy! Can't wait to come back! read more
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9 months ago
Jesus is truly a gem of a person and a phenomenal manager. He has a kind and warm attitude which is much needed in today's climate. He not only began our experience on such a positive note, but also checked on us multiple times. Ambiance is very cute and comfortable. Beautifully decorated for dia los muertos. In regards to the food, one of the best meals I have had in Chicago! I love their chilaquiles, French toast and guacamole! There are many more things I want to try but can't seem to explore away from the things I love. I would highly recommend dining here. I loved it so much that I brought my husband as well and he also enjoyed it immensely! read more
Got their birria short rob taco and tres leches french toast. It was pretty tasty. Food came out pretty fast. I went for their $30 restaurant week lunch deal. Good deal for restaurant week but probably wouldn't come back as food didn't stand out to other places i've tried read more
Being that it was cinco de mayo it was fitting to have Mexican food. Upon entering it's a lovely spot, trendy, upbeat music and relatively comfortable seating. It's a nice place and fun for a night out! We had a reservation and ended up in a booth that faces outward. Up first, chips and salsa! There are a few salsa options, we went with the habanero, which is spicy, but I loved it! We also had the green salsa, I don't remember the name, but the flavor included a pickled taste that I wasn't fond of. The chile arbol salsa is pretty good too. The chips were amazing, fresh, hot, and not from a bag! I love their chips - well done! I ordered a spicy margarita, unfortunately, it missed the mark for me, it had a sweetness that just wasn't working. I really like spicy. The drink was good, just not what I had a taste for. Our waitress Evelyn was kind and accommodating. I had the langosta tacos on corn tortillas. You receive four tacos! Nice!! The tortillas were nice and fresh and soft. These tacos were quite tasty, including the jalapeño emulsion which has a nice, mild, garlic flavor and it is not spicy. I added some habanero salsa... yum, I would order again or maybe try the shrimp tacos next! read more
This was my first meal that I ate in Chicago, and wasn't particularly impressed. The actual restaurant is super clean and has a nice ambiance; the service is also really fast and was super efficient. The food was disappointing. I went with the tacos de pastor, which tasted good, but were extremely small. They also were fairly pricey. My friend, who got quesadillas, got a much bigger portion and really liked the food. Not a terrible spot, but don't get tacos if you're hungry because you probably will leave hungry. read more
9 months ago
Ambiance and the vibes were good for the most part..., the food was yummy. Minimal actual breakfast/brunch options... The girl servers were bomb and on top of things, but the male servers were not paying attention even after being extremely polite. We got bottomless mimosas for the "90 minutes" time limit, and waited for 30 minutes out of the 90 for a refill.... Choose wisely. lol. read more
This was what I expected for an elevated take on tacos in River North. The salsa trio was fun to try and compare heat levels. First time also trying pineapple guacamole. Loved the carne and brisket tacos. Filling enough not to need sides. The staff were on their A game when it came to refilling waters and checking in on our table. One thing that was odd - we put our table's order in and we're still eating chips and guac. Maybe 5 minutes later food was starting to come out, but it was staggered timing. So we were waiting for each of our 7 guests to receive their food. It would have been a better experience if our table's food came out at once. Keep in mind, this is probably not the best place to have an intimate conversation, as it's very loud with the music. I could see have a group birthday dinner here, but personally I would only come back if I were eating with one other person. read more
More info about Mercadito
108 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
River North, Near North Side
Directions
(312) 329-9555
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https://www.mercaditorivernorth.com
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Ask the Community - Mercadito
Is this place kid friendly?
Yes, it is. In fact, the night I went I saw little ones there well after bedtime!
Good for kids?
I took my 8 year old for brunch.. I don't know that this would be the place to take kids for dinner... For is delicious!
Is the noise level a little lower earlier in the evening?
Nope. It's a noisy place probably because of the acoustics.
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Mercadito - mexican - Updated July 2026
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