Saw them passing through Glen Ellyn a couple weeks ago and decided to check them out with my husband. Very convenient free city lot almost next door. Service was very friendly and accommodating. Margaritas are great as advertised! And our food was wonderful. We aren't big eaters so I appreciate the ala Carte menu. We'll be back for the half orders of nachos and other appetizers-a perfect weekend lunch with drinks. A word to the wise; our waiter said a pitcher of margaritas was 6 glasses.. ah no. Closer to 10. If you're a party of two go for the half pitcher. Just woke up from a snooze on the couch. All in all loved it. Beautiful homey space , lighting is lovely, food is great and the people are wonderful! read more

Ranchero sauce is to die for!! Enchiladas and carne asada are also family favorites. Greats margs, guac, and chips and salsa - can't go wrong! read more

Here is the sign when you first walk in advertising margaritas... So we sat down and we had a party of eight. )we ordered a picture of regular margaritas and we ordered two pitchers of jalapeño margaritas so we get the bill and the jalapeño margaritas was $60 each ... unbelievable... to bad they didn't put the price on the board ... well I learned our lesson .. next time we ask what the price is . The food was ok but Doubt if we will be coming back. read more

Santa Fe - Mexican Near Me - Glen Ellyn, Illinois

We ended up in Glen Ellyn on a Friday night and were looking for some Mexican food and we found it here. We typically go to Front St. in Wheaton but we're glad we found this place, the food is a little better and the prices are definitely better. We had the guacamole appetizer which was really good. Then split a chicken fajita and it also was very good. The place is bigger than it looks from the street. Thought we'd have a wait but they have many more tables in the back. Typical nice atmosphere for this type of restaurant, very clean and service was very efficient. Chips are good as well, not the best I've had but they're complimentary so that's a good thing. The one thing I don't care for is how they don't put prices on their alcoholic drinks. I've noticed this at several Mexican restaurants and really don't like it. read more

Stopped by today for lunch with my wife. Been going to Santa Fe to Santa Fe for as long as I can remember, and it never disappoints. We both had the Longy tacos, and loved them. Service was great, and the restaurant was very clean. It has a very relaxed vibe, which is great for a leisurely lunch during the holiday season. read more

I know why they have a low rating. You must of had one of their good days. 1st - When we arrived we were the only customers in the restaurant and it still took 10 minutes for the waitress to take our orders. 2nd - Another waitress delivered our orders and I received the wrong item. She got annoyed and started arguing with me.. I told her to look at what the other waitress wrote down. They brought the correct item and it was terrible. The cheese wasn't melted and it was like pulling off skin. 3rd. She had the edacity to corner my husband on his way out trying to explain herself 2 feet from his face. He told her she was out of line. Nasty employee. read more

Wow....so my wife and I stopped here recently for a margarita on my birthday. Seems pretty simple right ? I have been drinking margarita's for almost 40 years, these were THE WORST. The waitress mentioned the "fresh Juices " they used but pretty sure that was covering for the lack of alcohol. Mistake #2, we ordered a second round, after politely mentioning the lack of alcohol to our waitress. TERRIBLE...and it's just a Margarita folks ! We did meet some really nice customers, one of them sharing my birthday. Then I went to pay for our 4 terrible drinks and was handed a bill for $52.....$12/per !!!! Needless to say we will not be returning to try the food after this blatant price gouging, thanks, but no thanks. read more

Went to maize and mash but it had a 45 minute wait and we wanted to got see a movie so we went to Santa Fe. Service was amazing, very friendly, attentive and made us feel confident that the food would come out in time. Waitress said one plate would take 7 minutes and she was right on the dot! Also the carne asade was delicious! Definitely will be back! read more

We are from Phoenix Arizona so consider us Mexican food snobs. This place is excellent! The food is authentic and the service is fast and friendly. I would definitely recommend for dinner or lunch. read more

Santa Fe - a group of people sitting at a bar - Mexican Near Me - Glen Ellyn, Illinois

We thought we would try this restaurant because we LOVE Mexican food and figured since it has been in business a long time that it would be good but it's NOT. The food was edible so I guess that's good but nothing was seasoned. Everything we ordered tasted BLAND! Mexican food should have seasoning and flavor but this did not! The taguitos were more like soft shelled tacos with cheese rather than the fried rolled taguitos we've had before. We wanted to like this place so much and support a local restaurant but sadly we won't order from here again. read more

Been here a few times. The food is mediocre at best. They do seem to nickel and dime for every little thing. I will say that some of the folks that live in town love this place but I am always confused because I would rather have Taco Bell than eat this food again. read more

Had a large party of relatives and friends celebrating my mom's favorite restaurant the staff was great food was excellent,made us feel at home we have been coming here for years authentic Mexican food friendly service.with all the challenges they have faced the past few years not only c-19 but the construction of the new buildings very difficult to run a business,please support your local businesses that have been struggling to stay open. read more

Our whole Family loves Sante Fe! We have enjoyed this great family owned restuarant for over 20 years. We did carry out tonight and look forward to dining in their very quant outdoor setting. My mother who is 92 and sister are regulars....and can't wait to return soon! The food service and margaritas are excellent read more

Biked here from chicago on a bike camping trip and food was very well made, service was great, nothing to complain about.

Good food, enough to take home, fast and friendly service, COVID19-careful. Pleasant to eat under the tent. I get the three quesadillas option when I go. Yum! read more

The service was good, despite the bus boy constantly trying to take my daughter's plate before she was finished (she's 1.5 so it takes her a while). The food was ok at best. The enchiladas trio was bland, I could've made it at home and I'm a terrible cook. My husband had the enchiladas with mole and he didn't like it either. This is shocking because we love almost all food, especially Mexican! read more

Santa Fe is the best. Authentic, fast, great service, family-owned, warm and friendly atmosphere. Super reasonable prices for the portions you get. The best margaritas. This place is the best and I hope they are always in Glen Ellyn! read more

I'm not sure why this restaurant has such a low rating. Mind boggling!?! My husband and I recently relocated to Lombard from Houston. Needless to say coming from Houston which is home to some really delicious Mexican food, we were in search of some authentic Mexican food in our area. We'd visited a large "Mexican" restaurant near us and was highly disappointed. So the search continued. A co-worker suggested Santa Fe and it did not disappoint!!! It's small and I believe family owned which was a bonus in our book. We went on our date night this past Saturday since the Illinois recently allowed restaurants to allow dining in. We did make a reservation just because we know that capacity is limited for dining in. Our temperatures were checked at the door which made us feel safe. The tables are 6 feet apart per COVID protocols. Parking is street parking and was easy for us to find a close spot but we did go on the night of the snow storm so not many people were out. It may be slightly more difficult in normal circumstances as it would be busier. Every staff member kept their distance when approaching us for our order and when checking on us which again keeps them safe as well as us. They were masked as well. Very good customer service!!!! So friendly and personable! Now, let's get to the food. My husband ordered chicken fajitas. The peppers and tomatoes were fresh, you could tell. Bright in color, not covered in grease, crisp. He loved them and the rice. I ordered the beef and chicken enchiladas...LOVED THEM! Seasoned well and the meat was tender. They even brought me some spicy salsa to put on top. I love all things spicy lol The margaritas were the cherries on top. OMGoodness!!!! So good! Flavorful but not watered down. They definitely had some kick but not too strong that you couldn't drink it. The prices are so reasonable for both food and drinks. The hubs and I have officially added this place to our local faves list. We can't wait until Summer; we suspect we'll be spending a lot of time and date nights here :-) read more

I was at Santa Fe recently and ordered chicken enchiladas. They seemed fine but had what I thought was authentic flavor. I had just finished eating and I started getting stomach pains and ran to the restroom. I continued to have upper and lower problems for the next 45 minutes. When I reported my distress to the owner, they blew me off and were quite rude to me. Be careful when you go there. I have since learned of a couple other instances of food poisoning at this establishment. read more

Called in order for pick so unfortunately wasn't able to partake in their "specialty, Margaritas". Host was short, did not ask if we wanted chips and salsa, we had to ask for silverware, but the food was ready as stated. That was the highlight of my experience. They do not except AMEX, so as a business traveler will not be returning. Ordered a taco salad with ground beef and a chicken enchilada a la carte... where to start. The enchilada was palatable, basic shredded chicken, red sauce and some shredded lettuce on the side. There was a solid slice of cheese melted on top. Nothing special. Now the salad... the cheese I can only imagine was a couple slices rolled together and sliced like a pinwheel sandwhich and left in those rolls on top. There was a smattering of ground beef on top of a heap of shredded lettuce, a HALF slice of tomato, a wedge of avocado and some sour cream. It was horrendous, the beef was bland and what could have been a saving grace there was no salsa provided (or offered). read more

This is my favorite Mexican place in the world. I haven't been south of the border yet, but I've been to Arizona, California, Texas, and the food here is better than all of the places I've tried in those other states. Try the "Santa Fe Burrito" and get the dressed peppers for an appetizer. The frozen margaritas are awesome too. Go with the strawberry flavor. Specials are great! My wife loves the fish tacos and I also like one they call the "Acapulco Burrito". Tacos "Longy Style" are unique and must also be tried. Can get busy on Friday and Saturday nights, but just hang out at the bar and order an early drink while you wait. They get people in pretty smoothly. Many of the wait staff are part of the family that owns the restaurant, and they are all great. They have some gringo menu items for picky kids too. I've been coming here since they were in their old location north of the tracks, and it has become our go-to place for family events. read more

Poor service with over priced food. Sub par environment. Ate here years ago and got into a verbal fight with the "manager" not only was he rude, he was unprofessional. Screwed me over with the pricing of something I didn't order and told me I had to pay for it. I refused. He yelled at me and told me to never ever come back. He can bet his sorry butt that I'd rather eat at Taco Bell. read more

I've heard rumors that they put everclear in their margaritas... from experience, I believe this to be true. The Margaritas are deadly and delicious. If you need to get drunk quickly, this is the place to go. My BF and I have been here many, many times before, yet somehow I'd never written a review. We went last night and it was possibly the best visit yet. My BF got the steak and poblano pepper special (after they were out of his first choice, the salmon special) and was quite happy with it. I got the vegetarian quesadillas with green peppers, chihuahua cheese, onions, tomato, and mild sauce on top it was amazing... I just finished my leftovers and am so mad I didn't get anything more to go. Their salsas are fantastic, especially the spicy ones. I've never had the desserts here, as I'm always pretty drunk by the time the end of dinner and the bottom of the pitcher comes but I'm sure they're great. The service, once you're sat, is fantastic and they make you feel right at home. I defo wouldn't call it Mexican food though... it's Tex Mex all the way. I've never seen anyone who wasn't white, eating here. If you're looking for sloppy, greasy, Mexican food, you can keep looking because this place is as dressed up as it comes. I recommend this restaurant and I highly recommend their daily specials which are always fantastic. read more

This place pissed me off so much I waited a minimum of three weeks to write it... Oh, how you eff en pissed me off. Perhaps newbies should take note. Yeah, it's Mexican. Yeah, it's decent. Not mind blowing, but decent. You want to know what is complete bull honkey? Don't put a taco dinner on the menu for $7.95. Have the large majority of your menu items under $10.00... And THEN charge me $45.00 for a effen pitcher of margaritas. Are you smoking crack rocks? Are you kidding me? Yes, I admit I did not ask for the price of the pitcher. My bad. Shame on me. But when I say to the waitress "I've never been here before and we were thinking of doing a pitcher of margaritas..." ... Don't respond with "oh, we have a great special this evening with Gran Marnier in them or what the hell ever was in them.. And then say they are smooth and would be perfect since they are on special. Have you ever had a $45.00 special??? That typically entails a friggin' lobster tail. Suggestion: Don't offer "specials" that are clearly not special. Suggestion: Put drink prices on the menu. Suggestion: Perhaps your food prices should be more representative of your drink prices. If I pay $18+ for a dinner, I expect to pay $10-$12 for a drink. If I pay $8, I expect to pay like $6. And the kicker? The margaritas were so tart, we couldn't finish them. And I had horrible gut rot the rest of the night. Horrible. Then to add to my falling over gut rot: my bill on a Tuesday evening in small town suburbia. $75. Two entrees and an appetizer: $25. One pitcher of sub-par margaritas that immediately erased any small buzz I had: $45. So, almost $100 gone on an average weekday. Oh joy. Basically, I would have probably eaten here again if it wasn't for my cursed alcohol. But when I can get a top shelf pitcher of long islands/margaritas at Hollywood blvd for $28...And I can get Mexican pretty much anywhere.... Well, guess what. Probably won't be heading here again. read more

Only the best food and service in the downtown Glen Ellyn area! Had the very best Margarita and nachos today. If someone posts about how horrible this place is TODAY, just know he was drunk with his 4 year old daughter and the waiter refused to serve him more alcohol! The man was rude and used loud profanity to the wait staff as he ordered his daughter to put on her coat and take her milk! The head waiter ordered him out understandably! Very well handled, considering the jerk they were dealing with. In my 25 years of patronizing this place, I've never seen a customer act like that! This place is a wonderful place for families, but if you're an irresponsible drunk, buy a case of something and stay home! read more

Obviously I should have drank one of Sante Fe's famous margaritas before enjoying their food because that is apparently where it's at. This place blinds you with an alcoholic stupor before it feeds you so you think everything is just perfect. I'm not trying to hate on Santa Fe, honestly, I just wasn't that impressed. Here's the thing...when I get Mexican food I'm looking for a few things: Good salsa, good guac, good spice/sauces, and good meat. Santa Fe has a mix of yay's and nay's when it comes to my test items. Salsa- Weird. When you sit down, you get a complimentary bowl of chips (yummy, by the way) and two bowls of salsa. Shallow monkey dishes really...but two bowls. One is the most delicious spicy sauce ever (I call it "sauce" because it was really runny) and the other is just...WHAT IS IT? I kept eating it even though I didn't like it simply to determine what it was. I never figured it out. It's not your average salsa. And it is runny too. Guac- Plain but delicious. I don't need a lot of fancy stuff to be in my guac so I was happy with the lightly seasoned mashed avocados and cilantro that was brought out. It even came in a little tortilla bowl. Nice touch. And nothing was too chunky or too runny. Bonus. House made hot sauce- See also: "Runny delicious spicy sauce" listed above as salsa. DELICIOUS. I poured it all over my fajitas. Meat- Two things: 1) When I order fajitas, I want them to come out on a ridiculous iron platter and be sizzling. Yes, I know, I have been to too many American places that serve fajitas, but I'll be damned if that sizzle hasn't been conditioned in my brain as "AWESOME FOOD COMING TO YOUR TABLE!!", and 2) I want the meat to be lean. I hate fatty meat of any kind. Santa Fe didn't deliver on either of these needs, unfortunately. I will say this: Service was good, and friendly, prices were cheap(ish), and the clientele was decent. The restaurant is cute and homey and I will definitely be coming back to imbibe. And maybe to have some chips and guac (and spicy salsa) when I get drunk. read more

The waiters are rude and slow. The food is over priced. I felt that the tables with minority guests were treated poorly . Me and my girlfriend waited for over 15 minutes while other tables were served. We asked for salsa on 3 occasions before we received it. This place is a true stain in Glen Ellyn. :( read more

Santa Fe - Interior ambiance. - Mexican Near Me - Glen Ellyn, Illinois

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This would really be a 3.5 star review if I ever needed one. There don't seem to be a ton of good table-service Mexican places near us, so we thought we'd give this one a try. It was fine, I'd come back, but it didn't knock my socks off. The complimentary chips and salsa were tasty; they veer away from the typical chunky tomatoey salsa into two more sauce-like dips. The darker one reminded me of adobo sauce from canned chipotles. I had the chicken with mole (Pollo de Pueblo I think it was called?), and it was half a chicken, totally smothered in a mole that was just a little too sweet for me. Moles can vary wildly so I have no judgment over its authenticity, but it wasn't my favorite flavor. The chicken was cooked pretty well though. The rice and beans were fine, nothing special. I feel like maybe I ordered "wrong" and should try something else to give it a better chance. My husband got three hard-shell tacos and devoured them; I'm not all that sure how much he tasted :) But he seemed happy with his food. The atmosphere is nothing too special, although the "courtyard" look in the back room was kind of cool. Service was acceptable. Overall it's just... fine. Pretty good. I'll try something different next time. read more

Went in for some drinks and sat at the bar. Ordered margaritas and was shocked when the bartender filled a margarita glass with ice then poured a premade margarita from a jug in the glass. There were maybe 10 people in the place at the time. So sad that they can't make margaritas to order, needless to say I won't be back read more

Santa Fe - Mexican restaurant that has pre made margaritas. In a jug too - Mexican Near Me - Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Do you have any spicy salsa?? "Yes, here you go but be careful." Upon tasting my friend, who doesn't like spicy said, "this tastes like tomato soup." The tacos were ok but it is sad to go to a "mexican" restaurant that doesn't have a kick to it. read more

I love this place, and I've been going here my whole life. No, like literally my entire life. Don't overlook their awesome breakfasts: simple American style or Mexican with amazingly simple breakfast potatoes that I've been trying to reproduce at home for years without success. Lunch and dinner are just as good, great straight-forward Mexican dishes. Family owned and operated and a mainstay in downtown Glen Ellyn for decades in their present location and the old spot across the tracks. BOGUS UPDATE: Apparently they never brought over their breakfast service from the old location. A sad day for breakfast potatoes. read more

I like the "Meh. I've experienced better." caption that goes with the two star rating. That exactly explains how I feel about Santa Fe. We have (well, had now, thanks, Santa Fe) a theory that downtown Glen Ellyn was magical and that all their restaurants were as great as Honey Cafe and Thipi Thai, so Santa Fe must be the best Mexican place imaginable! ...okay, so perhaps our expectations were set a little high. While the margaritas definitely lived up to the hype, the food did not. I felt that the menu covered all the basic Mexican food that you might expect to find anywhere and it was just okay...usually I try to give a place at least two tries if I'm not impressed the first time, because I understand that things happen sometimes. The thing that would stop me here is that two out of the four people in my party felt super ill after our time there. Overall, not a great experience. read more

BEWARE! Very rude and unfriendly staff! My wife and I have dined at this restaurant several times. The prices are reasonable and the food is pretty good. The service in the other hand is just awful. On one visit the waitress really seemed to have it in for us. In general service is just awful, slow and unfriendly. read more

I came here for my friend's birthday, since tacos and margaritas are our favorite celebration foods and beverages! 30 minute wait on a Saturday at 7 pm, the place was pretty crowded! Once our margaritas arrived, we figured out why. Strong, delicious margaritas....how we love them. My dinner was a quesadilla and chicken enchilada with rice and beans. It was totally fine, standard Mexican food. It hit the spot and was a perfect stomach-filler to keep the margaritas from destroying me. The margaritas are really the highlight of the experience, like at many Mexican restaurants, the food ends up playing second-fiddle. But when the drinks are this good, who cares? read more

I used to live in GE so i have eaten at almost all the restaurants here... i guess i need to review more... LOL... anyway, Sante Fe...hmmmm... the food is decent & yummy.... i guess i think..... cuz everytime i am there, always order a pitcher of margaritas, so maybe anything taste good after that???? hahahaa... seriously, the chips and salsa are fabulous!!!! ok, i have eaten so many chips here, i can't eat my dinner!!! The salsa is very good... and i am VERY particuliar about salsa... and the Margaritas are outstanding!!! Definitely order with Don Julio or Patron.... and u don't even taste the tequila... (on the rocks ONLY plz!)... wow! I am not kidding! YUMMY!!!! :)) read more

Sante Fe is an excellent family owned and operated Mexican restaurant. My favorites are their cheese enchiladas, chichen enchiladas, and the "nachos special". The nachos are unlike nachos at other places. They start with large flat tortilla chips arranged in a single layer on a plate. To that the add a layer of refried beans, then a layer of ground beef or chicken. Then they melt authentic white Mexican cheese over each chip and serve them with guacamole and sour cream. The red salsa is also very unique and delicious. They are very busy on weekend nights, so go during the week. Note that they are closed on Mondays. read more

Tried this for the first time for lunch and it definitely does not make my list of restaurants I would choose for Mexican food. I had a quesadilla and an enchilada--both were pretty bland and, while this may sound odd, the cheese was way too stringy! Service was decent, but not great. Overall, nothing stood out about the restaurant to me. They do advertise margaritas as being their specialty, so maybe I should go back just for drinks. read more

The most important part of a good Mexican restaurant for me are the Margaritas, the chips and salsa, then the food. Santa Fe is great for all three, but the Margaritas are SERIOUSLY GOOD, not to mention powerful. The food is excellent too but not like a fancy Rick Bayless restaurant. You need to venture past tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, to really get the flavor of this place. I love the "Steak a la Mexicana" and the specials each night are always worth a try. The atmosphere can be lively but not too loud. It's the kind of place you'd have no problem sitting at the bar by yourself until your friends arrived. If they're late. you'll probably have plenty of new friends. Rena and Freddie at the bar are your gracious hosts and always ready to serve you. Want a special Margarita? Ask Rena, she's really knows her tequila. Another review mentioned $45 dollar pitchers. WHAT???? I'm not sure what kind of tequila he/she asked for but pitchers are $26 and serve 6 Marg's. Careful, you'll only want 2 unless you're walking home or have a DD. THey also have half pitchers which are perfect for 2 people. Usually dinner and drinks for 2 plus tip is right around $50. Santa Fe is my favorite restaurant in Glen Ellyn and I recommend you go there tonight! PS, the Margaritas are NOT the sticky sweet kind with slushy ice that looks like a Mr. Misty. If that's what you're looking for, I'm sure there's a Chi Chi's in a mall nearby. They are on the rocks and tart, and the first sip will get your attention, but after that they are smooth as silk. read more

- Great jalapeno poppers!! So much cream cheesey goodness!! - Expensive ($10!!), small and mediocre margaritas - Average chili relenos - Sad and pathetic chorizo distribution on the chilaquiles The place was packed on the Friday night we visited. With the food that we experienced during our visit, I can't help but feel like missed the punchline to some sort of joke. read more

Giving Santa Fe 5 stars, not cause it's super gourmet, but because it exceeds expectations on quality. Everything here seems to be from scratch. Simple, but authentic, and with great quality Ordered chicken mole, and then asked for hot sauce, gringo dumb, but anyway, waiter didn't come out with the usual Tabasco or chalula bottle. Instead, it was a home made sauce, kind of hot, but not crazy hot. Great, even though adding heat to mole is dumb. Not a fan of margarita, but tasted my wife's. Definitely a tequila taste, and not the usual soda pop flavor of most. read more