We were really excited to try Rojo Gusano after seeing a review for it given its semi-recent re-opening. We were disappointed. The food was okay, but the drinks and service were not good. The drinks were very mix heavy. For service, the place was pretty empty, yet we were ignored for most of our dining experience. We even had to go to the hostess stand to have them grab our waitress to get us a second round of drinks. We won't be back. read more

Atmosphere is great, drinks are great, and the food is amazing!! Our favorite items being the pork belly tacos, Al pastor tacos and the churros! Great service too so I wouldn't read too much into other reviews mentioning how slow the service is. We had a wonderful experience and this is our third time here! HIGHLY RECOMMEND read more

This place is just horrible all the way around. Service is painfully slow and inattentive. But the kicker is the food is just awful. Guacamole had pools of water at bottom, chips were stale, and besides the disgusting chicharrones, there was no flavor. I got 2 tacos: chorizo con papas and pork belly. Potatoes were burnt to a crisp and that's all I tasted. Pork belly was inedible. Just plain gross. And I waited an hour for them. I left here with a horrible taste in mouth. read more

Rojo Gusano is pretty average. Some of the tacos were very good but everything else was forgettable. Certainly not terrible, but not recommended. The style of food here reminded me of Antique Taco, but AT is clearly superior. This is a 2.5 star review but I rounded down because the misses outweighed the hits. Our party enjoyed the shrimp, Korean beef and pork adobo tacos. The fish and squash tacos were mediocre. I rarely comment on portion size, but these tacos are small even by "modern" taqueria standards. The corn tortillas were very good. We didn't like any of the sides. The ceviche was way too sweet, the spicy pumpkin seed guacamole wasn't very flavorful and the elote-style corn was whatever. Despite "mezcal tequila bourbon" being on the signage, Rojo Gusano does not have a liquor license. The space is huge and when we were there (6pm on a Sunday), it was pretty empty and lifeless. Service was prompt and friendly. The 4 top tables are oddly small. Tacos are delivered in metal pans with a wax paper liner, which isn't an ideal way to eat the sides as the wax paper gets soggy and messy. The table's small size could not comfortably accommodate side plates and the food we ordered. read more

It was ok! Some small thing was lacking in their $4-$5 dollar-apiece tacos.

Loved the atmosphere, the food and the wonderful service. Liked the various flavors from different parts of he world. Will come back! read more

Tacos may be small but they're packed with delicious fillings that you don't often see: butternut squash and the mushroom mix are my favorites. There used to be several kinds of empanadas, which was great, but there is only one kind now. Good news: it's delicious, especially with the chimichurri sauce for dipping. No matter what, you have to get the sweet plantains. They're the best thing on the menu! The pricing is low for food (higher for drinks). Service is a bit spotty but mostly good. read more

I hope it was just an off night because the two prior times I've been I've had a really good experience. Tonight was a mess. The waitress was new and unfamiliar with the drinks or food. She neglected to provide water or small plates to accompany the appetizers. When asked about one of the beers, she replied, "it's a beer." The food was soggy and meh. And the live band, while playing good music, was insanely loud. Which meant you could barely hear the people you were dining with. read more

The food was very good. The homemade tortillas are the star! We had the guacamole Serrano and pulpo ceviche to start- both awesome. We each had 3 tacos and shared a side of black beans, also great. That was plenty of food for a full belly. I love BYOB places. They think they will have a liquor licence soon - enjoy the bargain while you can. We brought a container of premixed margaritas and they supplied salt rimmed glasses for us. With a handsome tip we walked out for $54. read more

Father John Misty. War On Drugs. Future Islands...not sure who was in charge of music this evening, but I love it! Everything I ate was spectacular! Ceviche, guac trio, salsas, queso, festivus of tacos, plantains and churros. Can't wait until the next night i stuff my fave here read more

A hidden neighborhood gem. I was happy to see the rebound after Covid. The margaritas are very good and like others I'm a fan of the tacos. The guac with pepitas is my favorite. The tacos are like street sized; I get chicken, carnitas, and cauliflower. Husband likes the pork belly but I'm not a fan of pork belly anytime. Pre covid we made reservations and there was live music plus some casual sofa seating. Since then I have made reservations but not needed as much on weekdays. Oh the churros were piping hot, & fresh. I'm surprised the other reviews are not as positive because I've had good luck with service and food and visit frequently. read more

Went there today and tried to order a drink based on the yelp pictures (they looked so good!). Unfortunately, the menu is completely different and they no longer have those options....honestly they didn't have a lot of the items from photos. We were the only ones in the entire restaurant! No live music. The waiter wasn't very friendly so we decided to leave and headed to one of our faves, Spacca Napoli, down the street. Not sure if the food is even good but being that it was completely dead, the service was not so friendly, and the menu items from the photos weren't there, I doubt we missed out on anything. If you're looking for one of the delicious cocktails from the photos I would recommend calling before to see if they even have it before you make the trip. Best of luck on your cocktail hunt! read more

I'm really surprised by the lower reviews for this place- it's a gem and I'm so happy it's in the neighborhood. It did seem like they had a little trouble finding their footing right when they opened this location, but I go pretty regularly, and can say that all of those issues are long gone. The service is super friendly, accommodating, and orders are accurate and well-handled. I always leave with a smile on my face. It's not a place to go if you're in a rush, but I don't see that as a bad thing- it's a place to go to have a relaxed dinner or a nice date night. If you're cool with that going in you'll have a great time. The drinks are solid and the corn tortillas are absolutely amazing for the tacos, which is what I usually get (the butternut squash and short rib ones are my favorites). I've only been for lunch once, which was recently- they serve different tacos then, on flour tortillas lined with melted cheese and they are killer. Folks complaining about the chips they bring you are weirdly not mentioning that you'll be offered more once the basket is empty. I like the big pieces, personally- they always taste like they were fried fresh and are salted nicely. The salsas are great as well and whenever I've been my table has never run out (usually 2-3 people), but I don't think any of us were drowning our stuff in them. If you're expecting to throw back three baskets of chips and a coffee mug's worth of salsa per person, this isn't that kind of place. I love this place. The food is fresh and made with care, there will be something for everyone's taste, and you'll be treated well. Really happy it's around the corner from us. read more

We've walked by this place many times, and finally got to try it out. In the summer, the patio is always packed. We went on a cold winter day for lunch, so we sat inside. The interior is adorable -- loved the decor! As others have noted, the service was a bit slow (even though there were only a few other diners in the restaurant with us). I got the Mezcalada drink and it was excellent and refreshing. However, my friend got the El Natural drink and it was flat and watery tasting. We tried many of their tacos, which were very good. I especially liked the thick, fresh tortillas. Some of our favorite tacos were the short rib, cochinita, and chorizo. If you're in the area, definitely give this place a try! read more

Delicoius food and great atmosphere! The turn around time between ordering and receiving our food was super fast, granted that the place was not super busy. The waiter took a few extra seconds to write down our order, but apart from that the service was terrific. read more

In this order, favorite to, eh ok, Tacos .... Short rib (delicious!), arrachera (yummy!), al pastor (which is fish al pastor!), last but not least kimchi (would not order again). The salsas are tasty but I highly recommend a hot salsa for those real taco connoisseurs out there. There was nothing special about the plantains. I'd order them again just because I like plantains. The chorizo quesadilla was a nice delight. And the last and amazing churros! I'd eat those little treats everyday if I could. read more

Freakin love this place! Not sure what happened with some of the people in the other reviews but I've never had a bad experience here. I've found the staff to be extremely attentive and the food is delicious. The atmosphere can't be beat! Went here for my bday dinner and was NOT disappointed! read more

This review is strictly based on service. This was our second attempt to eat here. The first attempt failed as we did not know they were byob and we had not brought beverages with us. This second attempt was during the Lincoln Square Restaurant week. 4 of us arrived with two bottles of wine. We requested seating outside and they were able to push two adjacent two top tables together. Our wine was opened and after a long wait our orders were taken. 3 of us ordered off of the resto week menu. 1 off of the regular menu. After another long wait, we were informed they did not have guacamole. No substitution was offered to us. Amongst ourselves, We wondered how this would impact our bill as this was on the resto week menu. We are now hitting the 45 minute mark and I ask how much longer the food will be and we are told soon. Food arrives and none of us are given the correct tacos. I inform the server and she asks me what each if us ordered. This time, so there is mo miscommunication, I tell her in Spanish ( I am bilingual) she should know what we ordered and I ask to speak to the manager. He comes over, I recount the story and tell him we will be leaving. I also indicate we will mot be paying. There is surprise and I again recount the fact we actually never received what we ordered. The manager the graciously tells us to please return in the future and the meal will be on him. I am stunned and very pleased. I am so pleased, I try to contact the owner and tell him how great his manager is but I fail as there are no emails addys for him. I do find the email for the special events director, Mia Tekeste, and I send an email. I have a response in less than two hours and am told the owner will contact me shortly. The email was sent on Oct 18 and I am still waiting. Had the owner actually responded timely, I would have returned for dinner and this review would have been far more favorable. After leaving we went to Essence of Indian where we had excellent food and service. This Review was originally posted during Lincoln Square Restaurant week in 2016. I also posted updates on Update April 21 2017 - still no reply from owner Update Jun 15 2017 - still no reply from owner Update April 7, 2018- still no reply from owner Update Nov 2, 2018 - still no reply from owner Update April 30, 2019 - Still no reply from Owner Update October 29, 2019 - Still no reply from owner. Now that I live in Oaxaca, Mexico a majority of my time, the mescal and food here is awesome as well as the service. Too bad the owner was afraid to pick ip the phone and call me. On 12/10/19 - Yelp removed the original post and their email stated the following: Hello, We're reaching out to let you know that our moderators removed the reviews you posted to Rojo Gusano (located on 4217 N Ravenswood Ave) because it didn't look like your content depicted an experience at this location. Obviously the moderators failed to actually read the review. Sadly, I'm still waiting for the owner. read more

Adding in a note, it's empty for lunch, enjoying a drink an a beer, going to artifacts. Really nice menu, quesadilla, An skirt steak tacos! Delicious read more

One of the best margaritas I've ever had. Totally fresh ingredients. You could the quality was top notch. Alan, our server was super personable and a cool dude to talk to. Don't even get me started on the tacos. They know how make tinga. Do yourself a favor and try the Korean BBQ taco and shrimp empanada. Wish I could give this place ten stars. read more

Rojo Gusano - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Moody waiter, extremely long waits and lies, a bunch of lies... We realized that the reason why they didn't bring our drinks for a long time was because they didn't have the beer I wanted and they went to get it to the store, instead of telling us. The same happened with a Taco de Calamar, they brought us instead a cauliflower taco and when I asked for the Taco de Calamar they took another 20 minutes or so to bring it. Not to mention the long wait for the check that we had to ask twice. Food was good... Maybe just for pick up, but you may have to wait until the next day or get your tacos wrong, or both read more

Overall experience for atmosphere, food, drinks and service was amazing. Will deff. Come back!

Great place! Wonderful food, fantastic live music. I waited at tiny bar area for my friend to arrive, and Roger- bartender deluxe- answered my questions about the special drinks and ingredients while not missing a beat making many unusual mezcal and tequila wonders. The old factory conversion works well here and provides a warmth to the long room. This group doesn't rely on old tired standards when listing tacos and other foods; very inventive combinations and great unusual flavors. The waitstaff is still learning the ropes, but is trying very hard to get it right. Would love to sit in their outside area once the heat and humidity die down a bit. I'll be back! read more

I want to start by saying I'm really happy this location re-opened, and as an added bonus added a full bar and renovated the interior. The food is fantastic and drinks are really good as well. They lost points on the service, it took our server 25 minutes to come over and take our order, we each ordered a drink, a guacamole appetizer and 3 tacos. The guac and tacos came out together 10 minutes before we even got our drinks, and the giant picture of meal worms on the wall is maybe the least appetizing thing I've ever seen in a restaurant. But like I said the food and drinks are great, and its in my neighborhood so i will absolutely go back, just hope they can work out few kinks before I make it back. read more

Simply the best tacos I've had in Chicago. Blows Big Star out of the water for sure. Such a cute space inside and a great patio. Stumbled on this place and will for sure be coming back. read more

This place is amazing. Highly recommend the mushroom taco! The churros were an excellent way to finish off our meal.

The food is so good that I will forgive the slow service. The tacos here are outstanding, I haven't had any in the city that come close. The menu is surprisingly long and diverse and I like that the tacos are small because I like being able to got a lot of different ones. The quality of the ingredients and the care put into cooking and putting them all together is obvious, and the flavors and presentation are just incredible down to the smallest touches. I agree with other reviewers - the service is slow. Strangely slow. The restaurant was half empty and it took ten minutes for our server to finally approach us. She was extremely friendly but the rest of the night was more of the same, with us wondering what was taking so long with drink order and polite requests for more chips. I'll charitably chalk it up to the early days of this location being open. The food was so good none of us cared. read more

We love the food. But service is so slow. Ordered carry out. Arrived at the suggested time and have been waiting over 30 minutes at the restaurant for our order to be ready. Really leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Workers are scrambling. Please hire more people. read more

So this is my 2nd yelp review ever, first was for a $5 Starbucks gift card. This was a truly awful experience we will never be back. My fiance and I live in the area and have been wanting to try for a while so this is all disappointing. Waitress didn't come for 10 min, then finally ordered fiery guac. Long wait and didn't come with literally an ounce of spice and the portion was a spoonful. My tacos came out 15 min before her food came (it was ceviche so that's not even cooked). And there was a bone in my chicken. We never got our two sides. Just a comical list, never had this bad of an experience at a restaurant before. The real cherry on top was the fortune cookies with the check... At a Mexican joint! Cannot make this stuff up. read more

Rojo Gusano - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm absolutely obsessed with this place. Honestly the best service and food I've had in my life. I'm going to bring everyone who visits me here. Patricia and Rafael were so welcoming and kind. Thank you both so much! read more

Thought we'd give this place a second chance as we received horrible service the first time. It was during the summer months when the patio was open and they seemed to have been short servers. NOT. Same server, same horrible service. Waited 30 minutes for a drink. If the food was better, we could have overlooked it. Then came the check. I never realized that splitting the check would be such a difficult task. They "fixed" it, but it was wrong again. We asked to speak with a manager, but told "Rafael Pineda" was not there. Bartender and server argued with us and initially would not give us name of manager. Three people never going back is not going to make a difference, but there are several options for "Mexican" out there. read more

Wow! Beautiful dinner at Rojo Gusano yesterday evening. Lively, clean space on Ravenswood with a wall of windows that let in the setting sun and fleeting lights of commuter trains. Attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly servers. Highly recommend the trio of guacamole, queso fundido, fish tacos, pork belly tacos, superb margaritas, and dessert (especially churros!!) was delish. To die for chips and home-pressed tortillas. Amazing that we stopped by Spacca Napoli first, were told there was a 45 minute wait, and this place - a 3 min walk away - was half empty. No shade on SN, but let's spread the love a little, people. They care about the food here and it shows. Give Rojo Gusano a try, like we did tonight. Look forward to trying some of the other dishes next time. read more

This is great! Went for a GNO and had a blast! Food was so fresh and yummy! Sopes were fantastic. Guac was amazing and the homemade tortillas are going to keep me coming back. I can't wait to bring the family. Service was excellent, the ambiance was relaxed and the food was a skillfully prepared with love and infused in the traditional Mexican menu was definitely a global fusion of flavor! Bravo to the Ravenswood location! read more

Their pork belly tacos are the best! And their corn is to die for. Best Mexican restaurant I've been to so far! Their customer service was awesome too! Their knowledge of the menu was impressive. It's a nice quiet area too. This will be my taco joint now. read more

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Very excited this location is open again. They have their liquor license now and have revamped the inside. Fun menu, great food, and love the location. Easy parking. read more

Rojo Gusano - Gorgeous place! - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A small group and I came here tonight, some from out of town, very excited for a new place for light tacos and drinks. The rest of the group arrived a little later than everyone else, but we had to wait 30 minutes to even put in a drink order and then a full hour to put in a food order. One person ordered a second drink that never showed up. We waited another 45 minutes to receive cold tacos, and the calamari tacos made one in our party feel sick. He turned his tacos back. We asked for the check, and they charged us for the two tacos we refused. We adjusted it, paid, and left. The only good part was the drinks we ordered. I would recommend the watermelon margarita, and others enjoyed the mojito. read more

Went here tonight with 2 friends to try since it was in the neighborhood. The man at the front told us the kitchen was backed up so he could seat us, but might not be able to take our food order for about 20 min. We were ok with that, since we had a bottle of wine and would just chat and drink until they were able to take our order. 45 minutes goes by and not ONE server even said hello, no water was brought to the table and nothing to open our wine with. Then another couple sat down behind us and 2 servers said they'd be with them shortly, and still no one said hello to us. The man who originally sat us brought them wine glasses and water, and just zipped past our table. We flagged down a server and told her we had yet to be acknowledged, she said she'd be back with water and disappeared for another 5 min. I understand being busy, but have the common courtesy to say hello and offer some water. Never will try again. read more

I need to go again to take another pulse on the place. Really loved the vibe, and the food was good, but it just feel like I missed out on something. Hard to explain. The tacos were flavorful, though super tiny. I don't need large portions, but it was like a taco was two small to mediumish bites and done. A tad overpriced, I think, for what you get. The hubs got a salad. Quite tasty, no complaints. Though our server was a little forgetful, Service was good. read more

We came in on Cinco de Mayo so, yes, it was a busy day, but that doesn't excuse our treatment. It was a trial even to find someone to check in with. Nobody greeting at the door. We were told it would be a 45 minute wait, which we were fine with because we expected it to be busy. We tried to order a drink at the bar and were told that we had to catch a server as they were running around to order one. Once we spoke to a server they had to get the manager who told us we could order a drink if we got the Cinco special. We said we wanted it, and then were told we had to wait until we sat down to get a drink. At this point it had been 45 minutes and a large group of people were leaving, proclaiming that the restaurant had run out of food and telling us to get out now. We confirmed that they did actually run out of food and left, never to return... read more

Just went there for the first time and completely loved my experience! First off, the restaurant layout and ambience was perfect for a date or relaxing evening. The lighting, large art and music made the place modern and chique. I knew I wanted to try some great mescal, but didn't quite know what I was looking for. The owner/bar tender gave a full education on everything mescal. I sampled a couple and had a blend that I really liked. My date ordered a blueberry mojito and it was probably the best mojito we've ever had. We tried a little bit of everything from their more traditional tacos to the Korean BBQ and vegetarian options. The Korean BBQ was was amazing! Their Chocolate Tamal desert is a hybrid warm brownie and ice cream - well worth getting diabetes over. We got a little daring and tried some bugs. Roasted ants, mealworms, and crickets. Not for me. My girl is more brave and dove right in. The seasoning was really tasty. If you ever wanted to try eating bugs, this place prepares them the right way. Highly recommend! Sincerely, A Guac Enthousiast read more