Really great place in downtown lake bluff to get a burrito. The people there were friendly and the menu selection was great, especially the 10 salsa varieties. My burrito was scrumptious, too bad I had to hurry out of this place to make an intramural game or else I would have gotten another burrito! Do yourself a favor and come to this local establishment. read more

Been here probably 100 times - always has been good. Lots of ingredients and sauces to choose from. I also know that the food is sourced from sustainable and hormone free so that is a bonus read more

This is great place to come and grab some Mexican food. Watch out though, if you even blink for a second, you'll miss it. There is no sign on the outside of the restaurant. The best way to find the restaurant is that it's located at the corner of Scranton and Center, in the quaint little city of Lake Bluff, and it's located next to the very well known Inovasi restaurant. If I'm not mistaken, I believe the chef from Inovasi is actually the one who opened this restaurant. The Sidedoor and Inovasi both share the same kitchen but the environment is very different between the two. The Sidedoor is very much like a hole in the wall. You have a counter to order food, some benches to eat said food, and that's basically it. Much different from Inovasi. Ordering is very similar to Chipotle. You got up. You have a burrito, tacos, a bowl, (Sidedoor has tostadas) and ummmmm.... yeah, the similarities end there. You then choose your meats and fillings, but these aren't meat and fillings you'll find at Chiptole. I had a burrito that came with braised potatoes, slow cooked duck leg, rosemary, hominy and onion. Tell me that a) that doesn't sound amazing, and b) you can find that at Chipotle. They also have 10 salsas you can add to your food, ranging from mild to spicy. I have to say here, that I was debating between a 4 and 5 star rating for this place. The burrito was fantastic. It's absolutely huge and will definitely fill you up. Price is so-so. It's about the same as Chipotle. What really pushed me over into the 5 star range though was the Horchata. This place has legitimate, authenticate Mexican Horchata. Not this Horchata that every other Mexican restaurant has now that all taste exactly the same. This is the real stuff. The real kind of Horchata I had when in Mexico. Now that is what I'm talking about. This place also does sell bottled craft beer, in case anyone was wondering read more

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They served me ice cold tacos. COLD MEAT. cold ingredients and cold tortillas. I told the guys behind the counter and they looked at me with blank faces. I gave them back all three tacos and told them I didn't want my money back just thought Id let them know our food was ice cold and frankly stated pretty bad. They could not give a sh-t. Ive had the tacos here many times. At first they were quite good. Although my family did NOT like their food...I thought it was a cool place and liked being there. The chef who owns the place and the place next door would agree with me if he was there. He need to know. Going down hill fast. Michael. read more

Hands down, best burrito place I have had in that area and outside of Illinois. Large selection of flavorful sauces. Tasty meats that can't be beat and this was prior to me being vegetarian and it still makes my mouth water to be honest. I miss this place. It's definitely something special and I am from California, Mexican food galore. But if you want a decent Mexican food place to try out and none of that horrible disappointing Tex Mex then this place should suffice. read more

One of my all time favorite taco places (at least north of Mexico). Farm to table ingredients perfectly blended with a choice of ten different salsas. Casual cool atmosphere. On a nice day you can sit outside. Its step up to the counter service. Really original herb and spice combinations resulting in tasty tacos. Thank you! read more

Delicious food-loved everything I´ve had so far! Highly recommend for a casual lunch. Alex helped us out and made our working lunch even better. read more

Great local lunch spot. Came in here today for lunch today and will become a regular. Outstanding food! Alex and Javier were extremely friendly and helpful and can make a mean burrito. read more

Excellent! Every time I have been here it is great. Love that I can mix and match my tacos. Everything is good here including the albums they play. read more

We dined in there last night. Bottom Line: -Food was cold -Stomach cramps as soon as we got home, still have them at 4:30 am. The full story: Ordered one chicken, one pork, and one beef. Tacos were cold inside but tasted good. I was starving so ate the first one, figuring it was a fluke. One bite into second one proved its contents were cold also. Not refrigerated but not warm in the least bit. Figured they must not know there is a problem so grabbed owner or manager to try to help him out. He looked at me like I was a dog turd on his doorstep. I reassured him I did not want a refund was just trying to help him out as he would not intentionally serve cold food. As far as I can remember, he did not say thanks for the heads up and generally looked disgruntled with me. Stomach is killing me. Never again. read more

Chipotle on steroids. One of my favorite places. How anyone could give this anything less than 4 stars is beyond me.

This is a unique take on Mexican food. The portions were very generous. I loved my slow cooked beef burrito. (Another in our group ordered the fish burrito and he did not like it. So I would stay away from that.) there was way too much food so I could have split this with someone. Over all a great experience. I will be back. read more

We tried the Otherdoor last weekend. I had the barbacoa burrito and my wife had tacos. Food was really good and reasonably priced. Counter persons were great and efficient. Guac and chips are a must. If the weather stays good sit outside. read more

Some of the best tacos around!!!! Great quality and nice staff. Good outdoor seating as well. It has a cute interior and overall all great place to eat. read more

Decent food for the price, but not traditional Mexican fare. These would be considered "fancy" or "hip" flavors for tacos, burritos, etc. Some amazing flavors and some flavors that just do not work (olives in salsa, just no). All of the ingredients are very fresh, place is clean. The service is slow, when busy it does not seem to speed up - mostly due to lots of topping options. The music is great - they play vinyl, love it. But the staff is only so-so. I wish they were as perky and vibrant as some of the other salsas! We loved 2 and 6! read more

I don't know how anybody can mark this below 4 stars. This is the best, high quality Mexican food in the area, especially given how cheap and casual it is. read more

The first thing that people are going to compare this to is Chipotle and that's understandable, but I think it's more along the lines of something that Rick Bayless (Frontera) would have come up with as Bayless continues to come up with various casual offerings (Xoco, Frontera Fresco.) The Side Door is a charming, small taco place with a sort of subtle "college-town" vibe, complete with record player delivering classic tunes in the background. The restaurant was made out of neighbor Inovasi's private room (the restaurants share the same chef and kitchen) and it's a really rather terrific re-imagining of a small space. The chef's work can also be found a block away in Wisma, a wonderful little grocery/take-out place that I think is a far better value (and offers better quality) than similar North Shore staple Foodstuffs. Side Door offers a wide variety of options, which I think is a considerable plus. Burritos, Tacos, Tostadas or Bowls can be filled with chicken, steak, pork or a variety of other options, including a duck and potato option, a vegetarian option or even cape cod pollock braised in onion, herbs, smoked chile, celery and garlic. I tried both the steak burrito and pollock taco, and having sampled chef John des Rosiers' food previously, I was not only not let down, but was delighted. The steak was cooked beautifully, juicy and spiced to perfection. The pollock was flavorful and fresh tasting. The Pico De Gallo and guac were superb and other ingredients (such as sonoma beans and cheese were all top quality. Speaking of options, the restaurant offers 10 salsas, in order from mildest to hottest. The salsas themselves seemed inspired and sounded terrific. I wasn't feeling adventurous, so I went with the limoncitos salsa (lemon, avocado, cilantro, onion) and it was perfect - lovely, detailed flavors. Like the rest of the food that I had, all of the flavors are distinct and balanced. Next time I'll try the Spring Breaker salsa: roasted peanuts, charred tomatoes, smokey chilies. Overall, I expected a lot going in and my expectations were exceeded. The food and service were really first-rate. Additionally, given the size of portions and the quality of the food, I thought prices were reasonable. Lake Bluff is lucky to have the little expanding empire of chef John des Rosiers (Wisma, Inovasi and Side Door, all right in downtown Lake Bluff essentially next to each other.) Side Door is not easily spotted, but it's well worth seeking out. This is substantially better than Chipotle. I'll definitely be back. read more

Amazing food!! Way more convenient than trying to find a Chipotle. They use farm fresh ingredients and have amazing salsa options (10 total). Seating is the only negative, but it is a whole in the wall kind of place. Great summertime spot. read more

Great town, great place. Fresh ingredients and unique flavor. Easy to get to from the train but tough to find in the town but all the locals know where it is. read more

This place is very good. Enjoy coming here for lunch. Prices are higher than Chipotle would be, but well worth it.

Being from New Mexico, I have high standards when it comes to tacos and mexican food in general. This place is the ONLY place i'll order tacos from in the surrounding area. Get the hard shelled tacos! I love the barbacoa but have enjoyed all the options they have. The soups they have are always delicious as well! read more

Hidden gem between Inovasi and Clockworks

Don't ever go to chipotle again. The otherdoor is a million times better with a large variety of meats, cheese, and toppings. Everything is fresh and house made. On Tuesday the roasted chicken thigh is cooked to perfection and is a favorite. Also try mixing #2 and #8 salsa's together for a tangy spicy mix. read more

Great food, good quality meats, fresh ingredients. I love the variety of unique salsas. The chips and guacamole is very tasty also. Not bad (and very reasonable) margaritas and a great selection of beer. read more

I'd definitely come back, no doubt. Authentic taqueria. Great horchata, salsas, and beer selection. I'd say they need to revisit their hiring process. When a Lake Forest/Lake Bluff is kid looking for a summer job, they should pass. The kid working the counter wasn't engaged, just kinda brought a "meh, whatever bro" vibe. You can tell this place is run by people who know how to cook and present the genre appropriately. But the faces that meet you at the taco bar don't communicate that. read more

I ordered the soft taco plate, chips & guacamole, & horchata. The tacos had pulled pork, pico, chihuahua cheese, grilled peppers & onions, & sour cream. The 3 tacos were very bland. The pork was salty but had little if any flavor. The chips were average. The guacamole was watery and also bland. It had very little flavor. Horchata was thin & watered down and relatively flavorless. Overall, not a positive experience for the price. read more

My husband and I ate here yesterday for lunch. I got pulled pork, Pamplona sauce (I think that was its name; it had hazelnut, cocoa, and pepper), lettuce and cheese in a bowl. We shared guacamole and chips. I found the pulled pork to be very bland. It needed seasoning and smoke. I didn't care at all for the sauce I chose; perhaps I would have enjoyed my food more if I'd chosen a different sauce. The only lettuce choice was white iceberg, and I would have preferred Romaine. The chips were ok. The guacamole was ok. My husband's pork belly was also ok. He had it with the hottest sauce on the menu, but it wasn't really hot. The food would have been better with a bit of salt, but there's none on the tables and the line was pretty long, so I didn't ask for any. I guess everything was . . . ok. read more

The staff was rude and rushed. I had no meat in my burrito even though I ordered pork. A friend got a bowl and there wasn't hardly anything in it. So dissatisfied. read more

This was probably one of my favorite taco joints in a long time. Food was great and customer service was on point. Will definitely be going back. read more

Just came in for the first time in awhile for a quesadilla on a bad day to cheer me up because they're usually pretty ok and there aren't many options around. Paid $12 for my plain cheese quesadilla with a little shredded pork, paid for both guacamole and a side of pico, and when I asked for a little shredded cabbage and lettuce she told me it would cost me extra. I don't even want to eat it now. Awful experience. read more

Really great food. The first time it was the best tasting burrito I've ever had. Better than chipotle. Expecting the second best burrito is ever eaten, I went a month later and got the same thing but most of the meat they gave me were these really fatty blobs of chicken. Good, still better than chipotle, but chewy. Too chewy. read more

The quality of the food is excellent! The first time I went I ordered beef tacos and they were unusual for Mexican food, but over all pretty good. I also ordered the horchata, honestly it was not my favorite, I would skip that the next time I go in. However, the guacamole and chips were to die for! This restaurant has such a great and unusual variety, it is definitely worth a try. Prices were pretty reasonable. I'm giving them four stars due to the fact that even though the variety is great, there traditional options are limited. read more

This place did not disappoint. The upscale, trendy version of Chipotle. The barbacoa was awesome and their sauces are homemade and pair very well with the meats and salsas. Adding this as a regular food spot! read more

This is one of the best places on the North Shore to come and eat lunch. I came in today with a large order and they were wonderful. Every one of their meat choices are satisfying and the #6 salsa is the best! Thanks for making today's lunch so great for our group. We will be back! read more

Chipotle is WAY better. Similar to what Jim M. said, there are so many options and no suggestions that it's hard to know what will go good together. This was my second time coming here and I ordered a fish burrito and horchata. The horchata made me want to cry. I don't know what was in it, but it wasn't cinnamon-y and delicious like it should be. The burrito itself turned out alright. It was kind of small and the fish was really salty. I had no idea what to put on it, so I kind of just threw whatever I liked onto it. I got rice and beans (which they charge extra for... what???), pico de gallo, queso fresco, chihuahua cheese, lettuce, and cabbage (I think that was everything). When I saw the man making my burrito, I was very disappointed to see that he barely put any rice, beans, or fish on the burrito. About 30 minutes after eating my burrito, I also started to feel nauseous, not sure if it's from the burrito, but let's just say I haven't eaten anything else all day. I don't think I'll be coming back. Chipotle is a better deal and much tastier. read more

After hearing all the hype I was very excited to try the other door for some tacos. After waiting in the line for about 20 minutes on a busy night, we walked out with our tacos and began eating them two minutes later right in front of the restaurant. One to start with the tacos were absolutely soaking wet and freezing cold including the meat. They had absolutely no flavor from any of the toppings and or meet combinations I had picked. I can honestly say this and mean it that I would much rather eat Taco Bell at least their food taste like is should and not like pig slop. I highly encourage everybody to refrain from supporting a business that is so stupid that they would serve you meat at that temperature that could have tons of harmful bacteria growing all over it. I wish there was an option for negative stars because they would get them. Shame on this place being busy it is no excuse to have such a horrible meal. read more

First of all, the restaurant is called The Other Door now, not Sidedoor. The service here is amazing but the food is just very average "Mexican" food. I put Mexican in quotes because it's really a Mexican/American fusion. Lest you think I can't judge great Mexican food against average Mexican food, let it be known that I'm from Los Angeles and have traveled Mexico many a time. So their food is average and they also realllly skimp on the meat. And for $9.30 per meal it just doesn't seem worth it... read more

My favorite restaurant in lake bluff by far! I introduced other door to my out of town friends and now they commute 40mins regularly to dine here. I probably eat here about 3x a week it's that good. If you haven't yet, please try the duck it's amazing! read more

Amazing burritos and the meat is always tender and seasoned. The toppings and the salsas creates and unique flavor heat profile depending on the mood. read more

Those of you who are fans of Chipotle should ccheck this place out. Great burritos, and probably some other great stuff, but I don't really know because I only order the burritos. They're so good I haven't bothered to switch it up. read more