I've been back since my first visit and it was still good, I just wasn't as starstruck as I was the first time. I don't know if things changed there or if I just raised my standards, but I just didn't enjoy it much! read more

My mom arrived from Michigan and the first she wanted to eat was the nachos from the Otherdoor, but it's no longer on the menu. So sad, it was by far our favorite thing on the menu. read more

Always delicious. Maybe we just pick great times but we've never had more than a 3-minute wait. Wish it was closer to home!

the other door is located in lake bluff at the corner of center ave. and scranton. big burritos, tacos, salad bowls, tortas, soups, and quesadillas are all customized to your liking. 10 different sauces and many toppings are available for your taco or burrito and all are yummy: pico, peppers & onions, different cheeses, beans, rice salsa, cilantro and guac. many craft beers and iced teas are also on the menu. service and atmosphere are fine; they play vinyl! nice smallish eating area outdoors with a few tables. read more

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The Other Door! This was highly recommended by a friend. A little place, but it is as pack as it can be. I ordered the burrito bowl with the Grilled Steak and guacamole. Not much to say here. If you have never had burrito bowl, what is wrong with you! I would rate this a 3.5 out of 5. The bowl looked amazing very vibrant, but I was really disappointed by the portion size. Not sure if you can tell by the picture but I was not even half way on the container. Everything smell good, but the taste was not anything special. It definite did not stand out to me. My friend said it might had just been the day, "They usually pack that bowl." Maybe if I'm in the area and people I am with want to get it, I'll give it another try, but for now I think I try something else. check out more review at @fam_review on ig . . . The score is based on Appearance - 4.5 Smell - 4 Taste - 3.5 Texture 3.5 Portion - 2.5 Satisfaction - 3 read more

The Otherdoor - Burrito bowl - Mexican Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

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This used to be my favorite restaurant of all time but lately the rice and beans have been very undercooked. The beer barbacoa still absolutely slaps and I love this place. Real ones call it side door read more

Delicious tacos! Hidden spot in Lake Bluff. Very casual and great carry out place. Not much seating but we have never Had to wait long. Definitely worth a try! read more

The Otherdoor - Mexican Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

We had planned to go to Bluffington's Cafe down the street but it was very busy so walked back to this place. We had burrito bowls, one with chicken and one with tofu chorizo. Both the burrito bowls were delicious. The tofu chorizo with salsa#6 had just the perfect spice level. The outdoor seating is great. Great restaurant if you like spicy food. read more

Not a bad place. A great place! Very simple approach. Very great! Details: It has Mexican food just the way you like it because you get to put together exactly what you want. Every speck. You order the 'vessel' of delivery from taco to bowl to burrito; specify what you want from local farm fresh meats of chicken, beef, pork or duck (vegetarian exists here); specify add-ons of lots of things (too many to write here); and specify the salsa (from very mild to very hot). (Key word of this review? Specify!). We ordered chips and guac (tangy, fresh, with the refreshing taste of lime shining through). And for me: one beef and one chicken crispy taco with lettuce, queso fresco and la pecadora salsa (6 out of the scale of 10 for hotness)--I confirmed the soundness of this with the prep person--great every which way of tasting these items. And for my partner: crispy tacos, one with duck, another pulled pork--all good as well. The 1 out of 10 salsa limoncitos was lively, not spicy. They have an inexpensive Margarita which is notable not for its price, but its excellent flavor. We walked outside (a Saturday), had our meal at an outdoor table and watched the world go by (this day it was a town block party with bike races). Go! 'Specify'! Enjoy! Almost guaranteed you will. p.s. By a strange set of circumstances, we returned a few days later. I specified a chicken burrito with my view of what it needed. I would give myself 3 Yelp stars only. (There can be flaws in anything!) read more

A welcomed twist on Mexican! This local joint is worth the drive! The Potato Duck Burrito with The Zeal of Zapata hot salsa was a major score! The burrito must of weighed more then a pound- huge! The duck and potato with rosemary as a burrito filling was admittedly, something I was afraid to try. It ended up working well with the tortilla, rice, beans, cabbage, pickled jalapeño, and 3 kinds of premium shredded cheese. The fresh quality ingredients combine to make a perfect melody of delicious and complex flavors. This place transcends Mexican food and the local area to offer a truly unique foodie experience ! I'm blown away by some of the negative reviews. If you want traditional mexican, go elsewhere. If you are happy with Chipotle, Waukegan street tacos, or Taco Bell- keep going there. For me, there was no comparison! Come here if you want carefully crafted and quality ingredients made tasty and special. Lake Bluff is lucky to have this place! American rustic and modern flair fits the dining area and is consistent with the thoughtfully created food. Someone said Mexican hipster food? Maybe so but good is good and this place is awesome for the price. I sampled the pork carnitas - way better the Chipolte! I'll get it next time because I'm definitely coming back. UPDATE: Tried the PORK CARNITAS BURRITO - awesome as expected! read more

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Love John D but this place is neglected. Service was terrible and there was only one person working and he was new and just learning. No pico and no corn on a Monday. It was empty at 12 45 so I am not the only one who feels this way. read more

As someone else said- the ordering is much like Chipotle, or as they say on the take-out menu: "Pick your grub, filling, extras, salsa." But in truth, I feel that is where the comparison ends; The Otherdoor offers very fresh and flavorful items to fill your belly. I felt that it was great that they have so many (10!) salsas to choose from. They are (in order of heat from mild to wild) Lemoncitos, La Salsa Gringa, Don Quijote's Campfire, Spring Breaker, The Wink of La Dona, La Pecadora, La Pampolonada, The Zeal of Zapata, WTF! and La Malinche. I appreciated that they also have good descriptions of the salsas and the other items on the menu. Tip: The standard size burrito bowl is enough for two people or one hungry truck driver. read more

A lot of people compare the otherdoor to chipotle and I can see why.The concept is a lot like chipotle. You go down the line and tell them what you want in your tacos, burrito bowls, and really really fat burritos among other things. It's a little pricier than chipotle but the quality of the food makes up for it. They have outdoor seating so you can people watch while you eat when the weather is nice. My friend got the duck burrito and she really liked it and my other friend got a steak burrito and he also liked his. I got the veggie burrito bowl and although I really do love chipotle, I think the veggie bowl at this place wins hands down. The chips and guac are also really good so be sure to try it. read more

The Otherdoor - Clockwise: veggie burrito bowl, steak burrito, chicken burrito, duck burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

This place is clearly nothing special. The food was ok. I'll famous burritos is much better and less expensive. The chips were an extremely small portion. The quac was also a tiny portion. It is nice that they serve beer. The ingredients in the burrito were room temperature at best. This is a chipotle in lake bluff. On a positive note...the sauces were very good. It was nice to sit outside on a beautiful night...the food fair at best. read more

I love this place! Very great food, workers are nice. Don't order the queso tho, that shit gave me skid marks.

The Otherdoor is a great place to go! Their nachos have a creative twist, and their burritos are delicious. The flan is a great way to end an equally amazing dinner. I will come back soon. read more

Spectacular. Pretty challenging to find this joint. May also be called The Other Door. That's what was on the business cards. Some of same ownership as Innovasi next door. No signage but you can follow your nose. I am ashamed to say that I had the Chorizo Burrito special and was so amazed that I had a pork belly taco for dessert. The horchata tastes like it is made the traditional way. It's not some powdered latte concoction that tastes chalky. I also give them kudos for spinning vinyl to enjoy if you eat at one of the high tops while you people watch. The sauces are off the chain. read more

Delicious& Fresh, nothing is pre-prepared. Homemade tortilla chips. The duck has incredible flavor. Wonderful casual local restaurant.

I think I have figured out my go-to order: tacos duck peppers and onion cabbage queso cheese sauce read more

This used to be one of the classic go to places in Lake Bluff. They used to have decent portions for the price and the salsas are great. As time progressed, the portions have gotten smaller and smaller, to the point where they give you only one line of rice, one line of beans and one line of meat. Guacamole is $4 for a scoop............ no longer worth it. Chipotle + decent salsa is a much better deal. read more

It's not necessarily worth it for the price as I've been here multiple times and its been pretty inconsistent food and tonight they were pretty sloppy with our order I ordered a cheese quesadilla and it barely has any cheese on it and in each quesadilla there were random chunks of salsa and lettuce mashed into them when we obviously just ordered cheese (see pics), as well as weird tastes of the grill where they seemingly forgot to clean it or something weird. In addition, they were also out of a lot of ingredients including queso and sour cream, as well as being completely out of margaritas which isn't a big deal but important to keep in mind as these restaurants that are connected all seem to share these consistent issues with things being out of stock as the Otherdoor is connected/shares kitchens with two other restaurants being inovasi and Bonk (for those who don't know it's important to mention). I wouldn't mind if this was an issue at one restaurant but since these restaurants are connected, I would expect that more things are in stock. Another small complaint is the ambiance which they can't really help but just so everyone knows all the blond spoiled Lululemon girls who spend all their parents money come here around 5PM in the summer time and like to scream their heads off and are too busy talking to order food and make everyone else wait and even the workers were getting peeved because they'd just stand there and say one part of their order than continue talking like keep it moving y'all LOL. read more

The Otherdoor - Barely any cheese and random stuff in it - Mexican Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

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The Other Door is a good food option in downtown Lake Bluff when you are looking for something quick and satisfying I had the crispy tacos with tofu chorizo and they were very good. It comes with a choice of toppings and you choose your spice level from 1-10 for the salsa. The food tasted fresh and I would recommend plenty of napkins if you're adding guacamole or sour cream. read more

The only reason why I'm giving them 1 star is because the food is good. The service however, is subpar at best! They're so stingy. I pay $10 per bowl, to get a slither of meat. I don't understand what they have to gain from stiffing people out of food read more

This place is the best! Margs and bowls to go are the move rn. Friendly staff and amazing food. #2 sauce is my favorite

This place is an awesome Mexican restaurant, with great burritos, tacos, quesadillas and more, and a nice menu with good descriptions.

Each time I've been to the other door in the past, it's been a good experience. However, today I went for the first time in a while and I was very disappointed. First, the staff was not very welcoming and I felt rushed. Also, I usually get a veggie bowl and guac is free with no meat; but I was charged for guac today. Also, the guac tasted old so I took it off my bowl. Lastly, the portions of rice, beans and veggies were very small, while there was so much sour cream in there. Felt like more of a soup than a burrito bowl. Pretty upset that I spent almost $14 on basically a bowl of sour cream and terrible guac. read more

Been here a few times and always a great experience! Great food, cute decor, good music (they play vinyl), the BEST horchata I've had, plenty of seating, fast service, craft beer, and margaritas to-go! Seriously, how does anyone give this place anything less than five stars? Only drawback is that it is far from our house. Please open up more locations closer to O'hare or Chicago! This place would do great in Chicago. Oh, one important thing I forgot to mention is the sauces! They have ten with amazing ingredients like chocolate and hazelnut; each is completely unique from the next. Each increasing number is increasingly hot/spicy. You can buy a bottle to go & the price is great! Definitely try a few when you go. We really love this place and just wish it was closer to home. read more

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Picked up some chicken tacos and chicken tortilla soup this evening. Tacos are just average and the chicken Tortilla soup was only filled 2/3 of the way. No tortilla chips or avocado for the soup. Overall, just a mediocre experience. It used to be better here. read more

The Otherdoor - Chicken tortilla soup - Mexican Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

After my last review, I stopped going here for a while, but was dragged back in a couple months ago by my hungry brother who loves their burritos. They now have a few newer folks on staff who are very nice, and I've been in a couple times to friendly service. I really appreciate it - and them! :) read more

They're getting a little stingy on the portion sizes. They have recently raised prices as well and that's due to the loss of buying power of the dollar. I do like the selection of nearly all they have. This place is a bit difficult to find for your first time but overall it's a nice place to grab a lunch at. read more

I unfortunately don't think I'll be coming back to this place. While eating my food I found a very very long hair in my dish. What was even more disheartening is that I was basically half way through my meal before I found it. Ugh read more

The Otherdoor - Long hair in my lunch :( - Mexican Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

I was stationed in Great Lakes, and this amazing place was just minutes away. I used to either take a Cab, Or even Uber over every Saturday and enjoy a Burrito or Torta. Best Mexican Food I've ever had read more

The Otherdoor - Mexican Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

The Otherdoor is a different taste of Mexican food, somewhat like Chipotle but you can get tacos outside of the typical burrito or bowls. A bit overpriced in comparison though and about 1/3 less food - especially with the rice in the bowls. I really like their pulled pork and barbacoa meats (extra $1.50 for barbacoa unfortunately though). Also have a good selection of beers/wines too. What they're missing is a good corn topping! read more

The Side Door would be a good value if the food was merely good. It is an incredible value for the tremendous food that they do, indeed, serve. They cover all the bases as far as their fillings go. Their 10 sauces should satisfy anyone's taste. The toppings are extensive. Anyone who compares The Side Door to Chipotle probably compares Morton's tenderloin sandwich to Burger King's Whopper because they are both beef on bread. read more

Amazing! The details in their marinades and sauces really take them to the next level! They're all so unique. I highly recommend the crunchy tacos read more

The Otherdoor - Mexican Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Ah yes, the hipster taco invasion is now officially in Lake Bluff! First, let me start of with the positives. For those looking for a quick bite in Lake Bluff this place certainly fits the bill. The decor is clearly well thought out (the "side" door is pretty cool), and they have a great selection of craft brews for only $3 a bottle. Additionally, they have a large variety of different salsas and the hottest salsa is certainly very spicy. Kudos for that. But I cannot really vouch for the food. The first time I came here they had just been open for two months so I decided not to be too harsh. I went back recently and I cannot say much has changed. I find the meat options sound good in theory, but all lack any distinctive flavor. I had three different tacos, and all of them tasted very similar. This wouldn't be so much of a bummer if the tacos (or burritos or bowls) tasted great. However I found that the flavors were rather flat and missing the zing which really elevate a boring taco to a great taco. The price is comparable to that at Chipotle, but I was really hoping for better. I honestly have found many better taco places in Waukegan and, of course, in Chicago. read more

Things I liked: an opportunity to sit outside on a warm spring evening, salsa that tasted like Indian food, and pork belly on the menu. Sidedoor should probably be considered "American" food that just happened to be served with tortillas. Consider this fair warning: the salsas are so watery that everything just falls apart. My tacos, wrapped in foil for a mere two minutes for me to take outside, looked as if they barely survived a day-long roadtrip in a takeout bag. To make matters worse, they were wrapped in just one corn tortilla (everyone knows you have to use two so that they don't fall apart). For a small restaurant that requires quick decision making while ordering, there sure are a lot of options on the menu. It would probably serve them well to pare it down and focus on making sure all of the flavors work well together. There's just too much going on - too many meats, too many toppings, and too many overpowering salsas that compete for the palate. read more

Love this little gem in a little town where there isn't much! At first we could not find out where it was at and then saw "the other door"! What a great place...very authentic food and a ton of options to chose from. I like Chipotle but this is a step above. Chips are fantastic!!! read more

This is a great alternative to chipotle if you're looking for more flavor in your food. There are 10 different salsa options, and I've stayed on the more mild end of the spiciness level. They've all complimented the food nicely, and there are some unique options. The duck meat was something you don't see very often and it tasted great on the tacos. read more

THIS PLACE. Imagine if Chipotle had a younger, more interesting, creative and anti-establishment brother...this is the Other Door experience. Tons of meat options (the duck is INCREDIBLE), tons of homemade salsas, and cool decor. The only drawback would be the lack of seating space. Other than that, get here sooner rather than later. read more