All tortas are not created equal. Even if they're from the same Chicago machine known as Rick Bayless. I loved my meal at XOCO, and at TF at Terminal 3, but this location in the International Terminal was just so-so. This time around I ordered the Cochinita Pibil Torta--Yucatan pulled pork, black beans, pickled red onions, roasted habanero salsa. The sandwich was good and flavors were wonderful, but there wasn't much of it. The bread to filling ratio was off and I found myself saying "where's the pork?" And the bread, I know it usually has more chew to it than the traditional torta bread, was a little hard and tough. This location also seemed to be out of every agua fresca flavor--maybe because it was Monday afternoon? The wait for the torta was less than 10 minutes and service was friendly. Nice that they have this food option in this terminal. read more

The food was great. We thought we had a great experience until I realized, a couple of days later, that my credit card information was stolen at that location and then used in several Chicago area shopping excursions. Based on my experience, I would recommend paying with cash. read more

Yummmm. This was so good. We had a Chipotle Pork Tinga which was awesome!!! And a Pepito Tortas. The Tinga is an awesome bowl of rice served with braised pork, chorizo, roasted onions, quest fresco, avocados and cilantro. One of the best I have ever tasted. The tortas is a grilled baked sandwich served with salsa. Pepito is braised beef short ribs. I have always wanted to eat at a Chef Rick Baylee restaurant and he didn't disappoint. It was wonderful. I will always look for his place whenever I travel. Wish this was in Madison read more

Tortas Frontera - One of the best I have had!!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love the food in this place - it is one of the better restaurants at O'Hare. However, the wait was tortuous and I did not care for the slow place and very relaxed attitude of the workers. Hello, this is an airport. Should we not assume that most people are pressed and ready to go somewhere? read more

On a solo mission to find some decent food and watch some basketball before hoping the pond, I stumbled across tortas frontera in terminal 5. I've had many friends recommend it previously so I decided to give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised by the extreme kindness and generosity of my waitress, as well as the quality of food. I had a pretty good Belgian white beer called tocayo, the small guac appetizer (super fresh and delicious), and the infamous Cubana sandwich. It certainly didn't disappoint. The avocado and bacon were amazing touches and the chipotle mustard gives you with just enough of a spicy kick that will leave you wanting more. After being let down so often by airport food, I was happy to have spent a couple of hours relaxing here. read more

Tortas Frontera - Sneak peak at tortas frontera's menu at O'hare's international terminal. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The spicy refried black beans are worth a trip alone. Seriously. While waiting for our flight to leave from Chicago to Zurich we decided to try some food and have a beer at this spot. As usual, it is over priced. Such is all airport food though. This one is at least tasty. I mean, these black beans were thunder! I asked for a side of rice and beans and what I got was deliciousness side by side. We also tried the chips and queso which was filled with peppers and chorizo. Yum! The service was good and the drinks were poured well. I would stop here again on my next visit to O'hare. read more

I made a point of trekking over to Tortas Frontera during a particularly long layover at ORD. As a Rick Bayless fan, my expectations--somewhere between "incredible" and "revolutionizing airport cuisine forever"--were probably unrealistic. Overall, I thought the food was barely passable and the service did the best they could under the circumstances. I am, however, in no rush to return, and one may be just as well-served hitting any average sit-down airport eatery--there is no getting out from under the pall cast over O'Hare cuisine. The Tortilla Soup was actually first served to me missing the tortilla strips, but even with the tortillas, the final product was watery with a very weak flavor package carried almost entirely by a little bit of cilantro. The Albondigas Torta was a little better--probably most analogous to a meatball sub. The smokiness from the roasted tomato sauce was appreciated. Service was very helpful--the server noticed I had a bottle of water and asked if I wanted a glass of ice to go with it. Ambiance, on the other hand, is about par for the course for an airport eatery--complete with views of travelers meandering about the concourse, and obnoxious families with screaming kids and blaring iPads, asking the poor server for a chicken quesadilla. Pro tip to my fellow restaurant patrons: This isn't Taco Bell. read more

Awful service. My cochinita pibil sandwich came with meat only. No toppings. The person making the sandwich was extremely slow and was clearly new. Nobody there was helping him either. This is the worst experience I have had at a Frontera restaurant. Very disappointed. read more

The food and service here was amazing! Definitely better then street side. terminal 5 has the best food in the airport ! I will definitely return. read more

Cubano sandwich. There's no reason why airport food should taste this good. Just try it!

I had the pork sandwich thing. It's kinda like a mini pizza. Lots of good flavors. It has a sweet and savory mix. It's Mexican but not hot. If you want some heat they give you some salsa with it. It's not an overly generous portion, but I was looking for something light anyway. The only negative is the price. That's to be expected at the airport. Everything is doubled at the airport. read more

Stuck at O'Hare on a flight delay, we opted for sit down service at Tortas Frontera. Our server was very friendly. I ordered the pork carnitas salsa verde. It was excellent! It had pork, squash, peppers and spinach with a delicious salsa verde. I like southwestern food and coming from Colorado wasn't sure about ordering it in Chicago. Probably best salsa verde I've ever had! My husband had one of the sandwiches and the hot sauce it came with had him tearing up a little, (not easy to do). The margarita was also good and not what I expected at an airport . All in all Frontera made a long lay over much more enjoyable! read more

Painfully slow service. If you dont have more than 2 hours until your flight do not go here. Completely disorganized. Placed our order and waited 45 minutes. Had to leave so we did not miss our flight. read more

Let me sum up this place succinctly : It is a reasonably priced airport restaurant that is both too small for it's business and too understaffed from a chef perspective to help out said line. There was a wait of over 30 minutes to eat at the International terminal where you have a choice between this and a Chinese option. The food itself was decent, maybe a little small on the portions but tasted good and not like a bad airplane meal. The chips and guac were good. All I can say is that if yoy are eating at the International terminal at O'Hare you are screwed. There are no good options, and you would be better served eating before being stuck here. In comparison, New York's JFK international airport area is great, spacious and doesn't tell you to piss off the second you pass security. The way to leave the terminal at O'Hare (to reenter later) ? basically says: get f***ed. I will never fly out of O'Hare International again, if possible. read more

It was a good thing that I had some Hispanic food before heading off to Nicaragua because I did not get as much as I wanted! It turns out that a lot of these volunteer organizations serve things like spaghetti and... spaghetti (yes we had it twice) because the students complain when they serve local food. Well I say that they should serve local food because it is a cultural experience... and it is good! This was the first time that I have been to Terminal 5... past security. I have dropped Mr. Snarky off and of course the choices of food places before security are practically non-existant. In fact, I noticed that the McDonald's in the arrivals area is the only option now, as they have gotten rid of the McDonald's and bar on the departures level right before security. Once you get through security, there are just a handful of choices. I am hoping that they are still under construction and there will be more choices later, but until then you have a choice of Tortas Frontera, an Italian restaurant, and an Asian restaurant. Anyway, you can either sit in at Tortas or you can order and take away. If I had realized that I wasn't going to get as much Hispanic food in Nicaragua, I would have ordered for take away. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted, but in the end I went with the Cubano. I can't pass up a good Cuban sandwich. Based on the description on the menu, it isn't a simple Cuban sandwich, but it would definitely be delicious! The service was ok, nothing that really stood out, but also no problems. We didn't have to wait for seats, nor did we wait very long for our food. My sandwich was delicious! While I am a stickler for an authentic, simple Cuban sandwich, this... this was a different league of sandwich. The pork was juicy and the thing that really made this sandwich so good was the Cilantro Creama. There was also a Salsa Verde on the side and I have to say it was so good, I wanted to drink it... I didn't, but I thought about it. Since I had trouble deciding what I wanted, I would be very happy to come back and try everything on the menu ;) read more

Omg, the torta Cubana is awesome, very authentic taste, well served. Keep an eye on the line, they tend to take longer to serve the plates than what the cashier estimates. The to go box is very easy to take with you but don't forget to pick your own napkins and so read more

Who doesn't love a good torta? Between flights I was looking for something different than the usual sandwich or burgers and fries, so I had to do the torta. I went with the PEPITO: braised beef short rib, artisan Jack cheese, pickled jalapeño, cilantro crema, black beans, wild arugula. Gotta say it was decent, the salsa verde it came with was a good touch. Meat was juicy and flavourful, bread toasted just right and the jalapeños just gave it a nice kick. Tool about 10 minutes to get my food but it was worth the wait. It's simple tasty comfort food, so you can't go wrong. read more

Tortas Frontera - Pepito - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Certainly above average for an airport food joint. Had the milanesa torta and it lived up to expectations. Prepared on the spot, quick service and the taste was there. Be sure to try their "hottest" habanero salsa. The flavor of the habanero salsa was lightly below average in my perspective but it was spicy, so I can't say I didn't enjoy it. The service was average - I'd say what you'd expect from a quick eatery location. Not much seating area but that's expected at an airport. I'd recommend trying it out. read more

I had the mushroom torta and didnt enjoy it at all. On the outside it looked great but it was so simple. But you cant expect much from airport food. read more

Tortas Frontera - Mushroom torta - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I get that the food is pricey for it being marked up at the airport, but for how much we paid I'd expect better. The "chicken tortilla soup" was nothing more than broth with cheese and avocado in it, and everything else was either overly bland or extremely salty. Not worth the wait or the price.. read more

Awful service. The woman can't work the cash register so the line doesn't move. Nobody seems to be in a hurry to fix the problem. Note to Rick Bayless - you are losing customers as they drop out of the line and go find other options before their flights. read more

I asked for a Torta with a side of chips, was charged for salsa and given only salsa. Asked to pay for the difference and get chips as well, but it was not possible. read more

Really great for airport food. Great selection of tequila. Food comes out hot and fast

This place was awesome! Wife and I both loved it. Worth every penny. Clearly high quality ingredients which made all the difference. Highly recommended!!! read more

Tortas Frontera - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The service was excellent! Mauro was so charming and helpful. His knowledge of the menu and the drinks were impressive and he was very pleasant to spend a long layover chatting to. The food was delicious as always with Bayles restaurants. The only thing was the TV. The picture was constantly broken up like stealing cable in the 80's. Fix it or get rid of it. Aside from that, I'll be back here in each trip out. read more

Quick effective polite and clean. It's expensive, but it is in an airport. I enjoyed eating there, and hope I can try more of their food in the future. They also have Corona Light on tap, which is pretty awesome and rare. read more

Tortas was tasteless, very salty and over poured with a sour liquid. Just terrible. Service was nonexistent.

The food is always good. I eat at this place every time I fly international. I recommend the Tortilla Soup and the cuban Torta but whatever you chose to eat is going to taste good. read more

Chicken Enciladas without tortillas? Who does that? Bar was about half filled, tables were somewhat filled. Not long to get food but ordered the chicken enchiladas, severed over rice which is normal but with your tortillas. Bartendeder was too preoccupied on his phone to take drink orders from waitresses. Waitresses Troyes pawning off their own tables. Never coming back. read more

This is my first ever bad review. Poor service ever possible. When we waited to be seated , the staff asked if we need a table or the bar. I asked for a table and then ordered a drink. The waitress rudely replied that I can't just order drinks on the table and I need to be seated at bar if I want just drinks. There was no clear sign or instruction from the staff which stated that. The worst part was that I was never asked if I wanted something else, but was given the check right away and was expected to pay up. A better service is expected in an international terminal. read more

The meanest person on the planet was running the cash register. She was yelling at everyone in line. She even shoulder checked my husband at one point. When we finally got the food, my molete was ice cold. Rick Bayless needs to come do some quality control here. First thing: fire that scary woman. Actually, I want her to run against Donald Trump. She's the only person who would scare him sh*tless! read more

Good grief Rick Bayless. Do not associate yourself with a substandard experience. Wanted to order at 7:50 but lazy boys at the grill had shut it down. And THEN were rude and inflammatory about it. Very sweet girl trying to take the order. Hello. This is an international terminal where planes depart later. I would improve it or shut it down. Your brand will suffer because of it if it continues the way it is. read more

I just dined at Tortas Frontera at O'Hare Terminal 5 where we had horrible and slow service and a very rude manager. We watched as several tables were turned as we waited for our food. We would only get one drink and then the another and had to ask twice for chips and salsa. It was only when we complained to the manager that we got our food. As she set down only one of our entrees and a salad we didn't order, she told us "it was on the house" and walked away. Finally we received our second entree and flatware after having to request even that multiple times. 20 minutes later we were presented a bill with only a 10% discount. When we protested, the manager said she only meant the salad was on the house and then said there was nothing she could do about our feelings of anger and frustration. She then lied and said she never brought us our food which she did. Even the diners next to us saw her bring us the food and heard her say it was on the house. Slow service is one thing. But to be so rude and boldly lie to us is just unacceptable. I allow for slower service at airports, but would never expect such horrid, rude service for a Rick Bayless restaurant. While your choices are limited in terminal 5, I would stay away from this place! read more

I love rick bayless and I was so excited to go here. Ordered a michellada and a mushroom torta. How awesome right! But no! As an ardent vegetarian for personal and religious reasons, and never having ate a living being before, seeing slices of shrimp in my torta was not just a shock but also so insulting. And the people responded like it was no big deal. So disappointed and heart broken. Why why why this for my fav restauranteur's place. Sigh. read more

Uhhhh... I feel like a blasphemer, giving anything attached to the Rick Bayless monicker less than 5 stars, but Tortas Frontera... Yikes. Frontera Grill, you are not. We had about 45 mins before our flight began boarding and we figured that would be plenty of time to eat at an airport restaurant with a limited menu and a staff that understands all of its patrons will be extremely strapped for time. Nope. The service here is not good. It is flippant, unknowledgeable, young, confused, slow, and borderline rude. We advised our server we were pressed for time, and she barely acknowledged it. We wanted to order our drinks and our meals all at once to save time, but our server walked away from us before we could. We had to call her back to our table because she continued to wander away as we tried desperately to order. Drinks came after food. Food tasted as though it had been prepared and sitting under a heat lamp. Chewy bread and gloppy cheese adorned my torta. We heard them call our flight to begin boarding, and asked for the check. They called again for us to board, and we asked AGAIN for the check. They began making final calls for boarding, and we finally stood at the little bar and begged for the check so we could catch our flight. Despite asking for separate checks as the first words out of our mouth, our server forgot and then slowly, deliberately, mindlessly wandered over to a manager and called back to us "sorry, he's like, the only one who can do it." I finally flung my credit card at her and asked her to please just put the whole thing on my card so we could leave. We were very clearly rushed and dare I say, a little panicked, but she didn't move faster once. We ran to our flight and made it just in the knick of time. Never again. read more

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The service is very rude. They will ask you to leave if you finished your food. Slow service and its way different than the frontera in Chicago downtown. I won't go back again and I don't recommend to dine in. Frontera terminal 5 read more

I like this place for food and drink but service is HORRIBLE and not just one time, always. Sometimes I feel it might be the crowd and I understand slow services at the airport but, today there are only 3 tables total. Our server Alma whom I've dreaded in my previous two encounters too, was way beyond rude. We did not get our food after a 30 minute wait. No chips or salsa. I had to ask twice for water forget about drinks and food. On top of all, she would just throw things on table. I wanted ro order tea which was on their menu, she told me of you want tea go somewhere else we serve drinks. Its on the freaking menu!!! And its 11 am on a Friday. If you dont serve it any more, say that. Who tells the customer to go somewhere else? And then someone else ordered coffee and she explained them how they do not serve coffee. Racist or what? Also, other staff is not very friendly either. The only good nice time is when I get my cheque. Of course! I'm not sure why a brand like Rick Bayless or ConAgra can not find polite and better staff members. Definitely not worth any award! read more

Absolutely regretted buying food here. Paid 14$ for a sandwich that was mostly dry bread. The service was very slow. The food was terribly spicy and I couldn't enjoy it. It could have been just what i ordered (chipotle chicken torta) but just overall bad experience. read more

Super rude wait staff at the dine-in area. We ordered from their carry out, and they then wouldn't allow us to sit in the frontera seating area. The staff got pretty salty after we mentioned we ordered carry out. read more

Although I got the wrong breakfast bowl, it was amazing. The habanero salsa is real. Do not dump it on your food until you try it.... Holy mother of God. It's hot... read more