Great lunch specials, nice dining room with good service. Greeted promptly and escorted to a cozy wood booth. I opted for the $6.99 lunch special of 2 steak tacos in corn tortillas. Generous portions with ok seasoned steak. I requested my tacos topped with everything, but I only received lettuce, tomato, & cheese. Everything to me is all that jazz and cilantro and onion too. Mediocre beans and decent rice on the side. Budget friendly menu, nice to receive fresh chips and salsa during the lunch rush. I'll be back just for the ambience...shortly after I arrived a party of 6 gals were seated and they all ordered margarita's at noon! read more

Red Habanero - Fresh salsa & crisp chips - Mexican Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

The food here is the best! I ordered the sopes this time and I have no regrets. The service is always great and the restaurant has a definite Mexican vibe! Love it. read more

Red Habanero - Mexican Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

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The food is okay, but nothing is exciting in terms of taste. Me, u do was a bit blended.. Guacamole lacks a bit of spice Tacos de tripas was the only thing I liked I won't come here again read more

Red Habanero - Menudo - Mexican Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

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Awful food, sugary drinks and less than acceptable service. Do NOT recommend!! They've also previously turned us down (with TWO young children) because they were closing in FORTY minutes. So unfortunate we'll be crossing this one off the list and will stop recommending! read more

Food was good. Chips were warm but seemed a little stale but the rest of the meal was good. The steak fajita is pretty great comes out sizzling hot. Service was ok. Trying to pay was confusing. Do we give the waitress the card or go to the entrance?!?! read more

Red Habanero - Bistec con Rajas y Queso Steak Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

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I found this place by mistake and what a great mistake. It was the food is incredible. This is now my new Mexican restaurant. All others pale and comparison food is great and homemade every time I go I get something different. I'm gonna try everything on the menu by the end of the year Well, maybe next year read more

Well where do I start, the place is pretty and that's all I can say that's good about this restaurant. First I ordered a soda which was flat. Then they brought chips and salsa which tasted like it was store bought with no favor. It took an hour for our food to come and the place wasn't even that busy. When I got my food it wasn't even hot and it had absolutely NOOOOO FLAVOR. it was the worst taco salad I have ever had. How could you go wrong with a taco salad. They didn't chop up anything in the salad and some of the pieces of chicken were still raw. Now let's mention how $18 for a taco salad is absolutely ridiculous. I will never go back to that place again. It was the first and last time. read more

Always awesome service and great food. My grandson could not take his eyes off the decor. If we eat in I have the pan fried or broiled snapper. Carry out I like the steak burrito read more

Red Habanero - Pan fried snapper / Huachinango A La Veracruzana - Mexican Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

This place has the best Michalados in Joliet ! Staff is super friendly and the steak carnitas are soooo good , atmosphere is happy ! read more

Red Habanero - Dining Room - Mexican Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

I really wanted to like this place. We went in and got immediately seated, great service overall. My fiance got the tampiquena wth mole enchiladas. Steak was cooked well and tasty but enchiladas were too salty. I had the Chile relleno and chicken taco wth rice and beans. Everything was great minus the chile. Sauce was a weird tangy and chile wasn't cooked all the way so it was hard. Very reasonable prices but will not be returning. read more

Red Habanero - Habanero outside the restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

What is so hard for a food business to cook the right food!!!! Ordered Flour Steak tacos and received corn tortillas! You pay to get the right order and when you get home and open, to find out it's wrong! Wasted gas and money on something you didn't enjoy!!!! read more

Service is great!! Food not so much. Honestly it's overpriced for what you're getting. Any dish fajitas, burritos, anything on the vegetarian menu will be a Walmart stir fry with cheese and very little meat. I never heard of burritos with cherry tomatoes and broccoli. But hey maybe I've been wrong all along. Great atmosphere with unique decor. Bit loud for my taste. Also the red sauce, is not spicy salsa, it's the same sauce on the enchiladas. Kinda weird? Would be back for the bar. read more

Red Habanero - Veggie Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

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I suggest you not having a party of more than 6 and if you're a senior I would never go there. They will put you in a hallway where you can't even get up to go to the bathroom . Make sure you remember exactly what you ate and how much it cost. Because if you have too many people, they give you one bill and you have to figure it all out by yourself. If you ask for a separate bill, they tell you. It takes up too much paper. That's called laziness. They don't give any discounts to seniors at all. If you call to tell them anything they don't like they hang up on you . Very rude. read more

We went back and they now let you have a dog on the patio! Yay! Now we can get tacos and share them with our pup!

Food was delicious. Surprisingly we received everything we ordered (which is rare I've come to learn, not with this restaurant but with all others). The only issue I encountered was the restaurant couldn't find my order when I arrived to pick it up. I ordered through Yelp fulfilled by Grubhub and gave them my name but it wasn't in the computer. I showed the lady at the front podium my confirmation email then she said "oh, five more minutes". Not sure how she suddenly knew my order would be ready all of a sudden in 5 minutes but ok. We are so happy the food quality and quantity has stayed the same every time we order. A lot of restaurants have gone down in quality and quantity since the covid 19 plannedemic started last year. We love this restaurant and can't wait to order again. read more

Their catering is horrible. I paid for 10 people and I got a little container of taco meat. This was not enough food to feed 10 people. I called and spoke to a manager and she said it was 2 tacos per person. Never once did they tell me when I placed the order did they inform me of this. Horrible customer service. read more

Excellent food and atmosphere. Best Pozole ever. Awesome bar. Fabulous attentive waitstaff. I love this place. Tacos are delicious too read more

Red Habanero - The best Pozole ever - Mexican Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

We visited this restaurant on a Saturday afternoon for lunch and had a terrible experience. First, the waitress took our drink order as soon as we sat down and both of us just asked for water. She left and came back to take our food order, no water. About 15 minutes later she comes back with our food and still no waters! So we politely reminded her that we didn't get our water, she apologized and went to get it then she set it on the table and walked away without even giving us straws. Second thing, the food wasn't great either. I orderes the taco dinner and asked for cilantro and onions on them instead of the lettuce and cheese that was listed on the menu. When they came out, they had nothing but beef and onions on them. The rice was also very soft and mushy. I then ordered a chicken burrito to go to take home for my boyfriend who was at home. I got home and gave it to him, he takes a bite and it's beef inside! That is definitely the last straw for me. I won't be back and will not recommend it to anybody. If you're looking for good mexican food then this is not the place! read more

Starting out, I always judge a Mexican restaurant by chips and salsa. These were definitely of the commercial store bought variety. The salsa was ice cold and had little flavor, it was a peek into the future. I ordered the carne asada, I did because of other reviews touting how great it was, I almost always order Tampiquena, but it listed that it was a half portion of steak so I decided on the whole Carne Asada. Presentation wise it looked great, alright small, I was really annoyed on how small it was. It was thicker than most I had and was a good piece of meat but alas very small. at $16 you would generally expect a pretty good size serving of meat. Although it was a good cut of meat it was lacking salt there was no wow factor there wasn't that Carne asada delicious hot steak yum taste it was cooked as ordered but bland. When you think Mexican food you think of spicy tasty delicious food I am sad to say it was very bland, almost hospital like. It came with beans and rice shredded lettuce pico de gallo and a small spoon of guacamole, everything was fine except the rice I didn't care for it, and I usually enjoy the rice. At the end of the meal I was definitely underwhelmed, and still a little hungry. Maybe was an off night, but I cannot see how people gave it such high reviews, for the price paid I have had far better carne asada for less money in many other places. This is my first and last time here. read more

Went with friends to have a couple of margaritas and to our surprise they were half off! The cucumber Margarita was amazing, everything was SO good. Had a great waitress too. Everything came out at a good time. We will be back read more

I go to this restaurant pretty often but today changed that! Food was cold, asked for the small amount of sour cream they usually put on the side of the plate with the lettuce and was told there was a extra charge and that there was sour cream inside of the Burrito....Not! The other person that was with me ordered the same thing and they failed to put beans in her burrito even after the waitress asked her if she wanted them. I never had a problem befor and when we mentioned this to the girl at the register all she kept repeating was "I'll let them know". Not the way to get the customers to come back. read more

My second visit here within a few weeks. Fast and professionally seated. Order taken and meals delivered to our tables in a quick pace. Completely enjoyed the fajitas. Tender steak, grilled vegetables and a condiment plate that did not disappoint. Atmosphere was consistent with a popular place on a Friday evening, yet very comfortable. A Joliet gem. I hope they are here for years to come at the same level of quality. read more

This is unique establishment for Joliet. It is traditional Mexican cuisine. It is exactly what you expect when you go to abuelitas house delicious Mexican food. Even the Horchata is homemade . The service is top notch. I recommend this place to everyone I meet that wants quality food. I cant wait to come back to try the half price margaritas! read more

The tacos didn't say that they came with sour cream or tomatoes on them. I don't like either. I did not ask for them on the side. Gross.

Dont take fancy clothes or clothes you care about cause whatever they use in theyre water will ruin it. My dress is completely ruined with what seems like bleach stains. read more

My husband and I ate here on a Friday night. We typically go to Loco's down the street a bit, but wanted to try somewhere new for our Mexican fix. My husband enjoyed a giant margarita on the rocks.He said it was delicious. He tried a chimichanga, and I had steak tacos. The corn tortillas were probably the best I've ever had. They must be homemade, because they weren't the typical dry, rubbery corn tortillas most places have. The steak had good flavor, but there were some fatty pieces in there I had to pick out. They loaded my tacos with cheese, yum. The rice was just blah. Not sure what some of the other reviewers ate but there was just no flavor to it. It was fluffy and again, tastes homemade. But it was very bland. The refried beans were bland as well. I didn't even touch them. Husband agreed. It did take a while for our food to come out, and they weren't that busy. However, 3 different servers apologized for our wait as there was apparently a large party that tied up the kitchen. It was nice of them to acknowledge the wait time. Will we be back? Maybe. Friendly service, decent food. But I wish their steak wasn't so fatty, and I wish their rice and beans had more flavor. Our usual place has the best beans so maybe I'm just spoiled. read more

I got take out from here about a week ago. I just recently moved back to the area so I was looking for a really good Mexican restaurant and I found this place on Yelp. I ordered take out for my entire family. Everyone enjoyed their food. My only negative comment about this place is that their steak is very seasoned with a slightly liquidity juicy sauce. I ordered a steak taco dinner. I typically get mine with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and onions. Plus I also ask them to add sour cream. Taco was cool. I would have preferred a little less meat seasoning so that the flavors couch mesh better together. My husband eats his tacos with cilantro and onions only so he says the flavors were perfect together. I must also disclose that I'm pregnant so my taste buds may be slightly off. I would try this place again. read more

Would give them zero stars. I hope the people know who I am. Came in and decided to order for my family and I. Read my list of things to get wrong and didn't realize it until the total price was sooooo expensive ($65???) i had gotten to my car by then to wait for the food and when I realized my error I went back inside not more than 3 minutes later. Take into consideration the lady was already being snappy and rude. I ask about changing my order because of the mess up and get told they can't do anything about it. That the food was already made. Can't give me a refund?? She then goes and blames me for how she asked me if it all was correct and that I had said it was. She goes back to that like 10 times to just put the blame on me. She gets who I assume is the manager after finally getting the food, they start speaking in Spanish (ps I speak Spanish. I could understand yall.) and then decide that I cannot get a refund. Both with snappy attitudes. I'll pull this for the owner and all the family friendly people who need to see this but. About a year ago back when COVID first started. They let people drink at the bar to the point they couldn't walk and LET them go to their car and drive home. EVEN bringing food to them and then letting them drive while drunk behind the wheel. I hope the owner sees this. Fix your staff. I bet the food is going to be cold, incorrect and terrible. :)) read more

Good food but terrible service. Ordered a burrito for pickup and was told 10 mins. Spent 30 mins after outside trying to call to get someone taken out. Then tried going into the bar area where the rude bartender told me pickups were outside only. Finally I had to pull a waitress away from a couple dining outside just to get my food. Then after my food was brought out they wouldn't even give me a total and just said and I quote "maybe $10?" I handed them a 10 told them keep whatever's left and never plan on patronizing this business again read more

My wife and I have driven by this place several times and we finally decided to eat here. So glad we did. The food was very good. My wife got the Carne Asada and I had Pollo Sabrosa, which is chicken breast cubes sautéed with onions and peppers and covered in cheese. We both enjoyed these dishes. I would order both of them again. But the best part of the meal was the Mexican rice. Normally, I can take or leave the rice at Mexican restaurants. I usually just mix it into the refried beans. Not this time. This was far and away the best Mexican rice I have ever had and I savored every forkful. Another thing I liked was the salsa. Every Mexican place brings chips and salsa, and they are usually all similar. This one had a very fresh cilantro taste that paired well with the tomato. I ordered chicken tortilla soup at the same time as the entrees and it came only a minute or two before our entrees. And, it was just okay. I definitely won't be ordering next time. One other minor gripe - we ordered black beans instead of the standard refried beans. They too were refried and pretty bland. Overall, we had a great time and will definitely be going back soon. read more

We decided to have a taco bar for our Christmas Eve dinner. We can not say enough about the experience. The food was fantastic, the portions ver generous and the price extremely reasonable. All of the families said that this will be a go-to for future get togethers with friends and family. GREAT EXPERIENCE !! read more

My wife and I had heard a few good things from various people about Red Habanero (a.k.a. Habanero), and since our regular Mexican restaurant of choice has started to price themselves out, we've been eager to try a new Mexican restaurant close to home. This place is a total hidden gem in a strip mall on Essington Rd. Though it's small and does have a "restaurant in a stirp mall" kind of feel, the food and service are excellent! We went in on a Saturday night and were seated right away. They have a nice outdoor patio, however we chose to sit inside that night. The 27oz Texas Margarita was on special that night for a dollar off so I went with that. We ordered the Queso Fundido to share, I had the Steak Habanero and my wife had the Carne Asada. Let's start with Margaritas: Excellent! You can taste the real lime juice here, and there was an adequate amount of tequila - maybe could have used a bit more, but it still got the job done. Food: Chips and salsa were great. The chips were thin, lightly fried, and were still warm as if they were recently fried. The Queso Fundido was very good. I mean, it's melted cheese, chorizo and a couple of jalapenos for garnish. What we received was exactly what we expected. The Steak Habanero is pretty much the same dish as Steak Diablo at my other favorite mexican restaurant. The portion was generous, and had more than enough to take home for lunch the next day - but it was VERY tasty. My wife's Carne Asada was a nice thick cut of skirt steak, cooked to perfection with a great flavor. Tuesdays and Thursdays are half price margaritas. I can definitely see this place working it's way into our regular restaurant rotation. I can't wait to bring friends here! read more

Wonderful food! Wonderful people! We had Red Habanero cater a party for us for 80 people. Everything was amazing! The food was delicious & plenty of it. No one left hungry! The staff is very kind and helpful. We have a new favorite place! read more

Was my first time eating here and the food was fresh and delicious. Didn't take long after placing my order and the staff was friendly when I went to pick it up. Will be continuing to support them through this pandemic. read more

Poor service! Waited 10 minutes after they brought my husband his meal -no explanation or apology. So he ate his food so did not get cold. My flautas were so bland and were literally burnt chicken. Hard to believe I use to recommend this place-I will NEVER go back. read more

My experience at red habanero includes: Ordered the chicken tortilla soup. It was amazing to start off. Service here seems excellent. Ordered the chili relleno dinner and the chicken enchiladas with the molè. The food is excellent. Service here is still great. This place is most definitely a place to visit when you want some excellent food. Thanks for such a great dining in experience! read more

After an impossible shift at work today saying goodbye to my favorite resident who was like family to for the past 5 years.. I decided to stop and have a drink to get mourn the lose. And I had a great stay, my server Rosie made my night! Not only did she help me decide on the perfect meal but she also made me the best margarita I've had in a while at this establishment. She was so patient while I vented about my resident and my job I felt like I was talking to a life long friend. She gave some good advice and warm hug on my way out. I am so grateful to have had her as a server. It's not often that you have someone touch your soul the way she touched mine tonight. I highly recommend asking for her on your next visit. You will not be disappointed read more

Pretty tasty. Food comes a little too quick for me...let me enjoy my beverage and build my anticipation for the meal. Good portions. Reasonable prices. The staff is friendly when approached and knowledgeable about the menu. The outside seating is refreshing even for being on Essington. I recommend. read more

My family loved this place! It has a very nice atmosphere, it was very clean (including the bathrooms), the staff was very friendly, and our food was excellent!! We're avid Mexican restaurant eaters, since it's very accommodating to our dietary restrictions (dairy, gluten & egg free due to both intolerances and anaphylactic reactions between myself and my daughter). Our food was prepared exactly as requested without any issues. Everything looked and tasted phenomenal. Highly recommended! read more

Ordered chicken burrito with extra sour cream, received beef burrito with sour cream on the side. The beef's quality is equal to that of Taco Bell. Not sure how I'm supposed to use the sour cream, do I dip the burrito in it?? read more

Red Habanero - Mexican Near Me - Joliet, Illinois