I wanna like this place but I don't. The drinks weren't that good, just super super sweet, and the food was pretty bad. I only ate a few bites. The tortillas weren't fresh and the shrimp was overcooked. It's a cute vibe and the service was fine, hence the two stars, but it's very far from my recommended list unfortunately. There's tons of great Mexican food and tex Mex in Chicago and this, sadly, ain't it. read more

Food and service was amazing, Thanks Bridgette! They also offer free chip and salsa as soon as we sat down. Love it and will be back! read more

Tuco and Blondie - Steak Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Tuco and Blondie is a very cute spot off of southport. It's a modern Mexican restaurant with a great patio in a great area, great for grabbing a drink or meal with friends or on a date! The food here is good, but not great. I got the bandit burrito, as you can tell by the picture below, it is MASSIVE. Now, although it looks impressive, the ratio of meat to all other ingredients in the burrito is off. There was hardly any steak in mine! I also have tried the tacos al pastor here, which are good, but relatively small. Additionally, the refried beans here have an odd texture and lack in flavor. With all this being said, the physical restaurant itself is impressive, it has a great atmosphere and serves some good margaritas! Definitely a good place to go for a drink and see if you eventually crave some food! read more

Tuco and Blondie - Bandit Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great place & Rigo is the best bartender. Definitely recommend. Get the triple threat...you won't be disappointed

The best part of this place was how friendly our server was. She gave drink and food recommendations, which was helpful. We ordered chicharrones, fajitas and tacos. The rice it comes with was very bland and the meat itself was pretty bland too. The chicken tacos were subpar, could get better at Broken English for the same style. Obviously not like authentic tacos. The Fajitas were just k okay too. If you have the gene that makes Cilantro taste like soap, YOU WILL NOT LIKE THE FOOD! Cilantro is prevalent in almost everything. Cute place but probably wouldn't go again unless here for a brunch with friends and I had no say in where we chose. read more

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Great brunch place! Friendly staff, great space and good food. What more do you want for a hangover brunch?!?!

Such a cute happy hour with wonderful service. Especially love the wide selection of tacos and four different options for pitchers of margaritas! Happy hour from 3-5, what not to love. Also Christian slays in service and creating the most fun vibes. read more

This place is our go to. Great margs, great food, always a good time. Table chips and salsa are a nice touch and I have never been disappointed here! Tried the blondie salad this time and I will definitely be getting it again. read more

Tuco and Blondie - Blondie Salad - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

AMAZING! If I lived in Chicago, this would be a weekly destination. I love a restaurant that combines notes of casual, sexy, and fresh. The service was incredibly friendly and super fast. We were in and out in under an hour, but could've easily spent an entire evening there without feeling rushed. read more

Tuco and Blondie - Blondie salad and Beef Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Rudy Rocks!!! This place has the best margaritas and salsa I really love this restaurant so much! Their patio is so quaint and the queso is delicious too read more

Lovely atmosphere for catching up with friends. Christian provided excellent service and checked in on our table frequently. Food was good, margarita pitchers were tasty. Great experience, will be back! read more

My first thought was "Oh No" not another overpriced taco joint. But I have to tell you the quality of the food and service was far superior then most restaurants I have been to. The food was super fresh and well prepared. Fresh house made tortilla chips. Loved the salsa and the guacamole was really good. Not all mexican places get the basics right but they really did. I had a trio of tacos - shrimp, al pastor and chicken tinga witha side of elotes. I confess I had loaded up on chips by then and only had the shrimp taco but the leftovers were Amazing the next day. Rice and beans weren't standard fare either. Just exceptionally tasty. Also, did I mention the margaritas? The classic. So good. Server and service was also really good. its like the staff didn't like to just stand around. They were constantly looking around to make sure things were filled (water, chips, salsa) or taken away as needed. Did I mention the chips? So addictive. Can't wait til summer time on the patio. read more

Rudy was a great server today. Turned some down vibes at the table into something positive. Great service and great drinks

Great food and better service. Nicks the goat Tacos very good. Fajitas very good. Thank you read more

We love Nick! The best service ever! We ended with his recommendation of carnitas! Cheers to the weekend! read more

Tuco and Blondie - I had the best time at Tuco and Blondie! Nick took such good care of us.... Great service! - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great happy hour! Love sitting on the patio. Our server Christian was very attentive and recommended the triple threat!

Tuco and Blondie is a must, I absolutely had a fantastic time. I made a reservation for 7 people at 5:30 as we had an event at 7:30 which was a 20 minute walk from there. Boy am I glad I made a reservation! It was poppin' at 5:30!! Immediately when I walked in we were greeted by lovely staff at the door! Our table was ready and we didn't have to wait for the whole party to be there- really appreciate that! Unlimited free chips and salsa !! Which I feel like in the city that's hard to come by! The skinny margs were great and the pitcher was really affordable too!! For my main I got chicken fajitas, really great food but the plate was extremely hot- but I'm pretty sure that's the point! Overall amazing experience and I will be returning soon! read more

Tuco and Blondie - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wooohoooo Rudy!!!!! Is the best Rudy had the best energy for MARG FRIDAY! We love this place read more

Tuco and Blondie - We love Rudy! He was the best - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great ambiance for my birthday. Fajitas were top tier! Service was great and drinks were superb.

My friends and I came here for restaurant week 2021. The food and drinks were great. They sanitize like crazy, they practice social distancing, which is awesome. The staff is great. We will definitely be back. read more

Jose is a miracle worker. On a beautiful weekend you need to come and enjoy the outside terrace and some fajitas!!!

Came here for a quick dinner and the service was great! This space is decorated very nicely and looks super welcoming. I'm sure the patio is very popular during the summer. We ordered chicken fajitas and veggie tacos. The portions was pretty large but the vegetarian option wasn't anything amazing. Would love to check this place out again, but probably just for drinks and appetizers. read more

Tuco and Blondie - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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3.5 Really delicious passion fruit margarita, solid chicken enchilada, really yummy rice and beans. Was dying for some salt on the tortilla chips and in the salsa. Patio is great in the nice weather and we were able to snag a seat for early dinner on Friday night with no reservation which was nice. The chile con queso was honestly terrible, tasted like kraft singles and velveeta and basically solidified within 2 minutes of it being on the table. And had 10 total pieces of ground beef. Begging you to fix this because I was so excited for good queso!! Overall a nice place to enjoy the good weather, have a few drinks, and a decent meal (just try a different appetizer lol). read more

Tuco and Blondie - Chile Con Queso - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Tuco and Blondie is a fun place to order brunch and get a drink. The food is good if you like Tex Mex. The Tex Mex flavors are there and the atmosphere is a fun one. The service was friendly but it felt like the kitchen was rushing. We got the drinks, appetizers, and meals within 2 minutes of each other. We tried brunch- Chile con queso (creamy melted cheese, ground beef, guacamole, sour cream). The queso was ok, very Tex Mex and meh. Quesadilla- the quesadilla was good. Our baby enjoyed it. Chilaquiles- the quilaquiles were more like nachos but were very good. The chicken was tender and the salsa verde was delicious. It had a tangy taste to it that balanced the cheese and chicken. Palomas- they were very good and we enjoyed the flavor as well as the balance. read more

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Overview: I gave this place 3 stars because the food was average (edible and good but not the best taco place in Chicago) but the outside patio and the drinks were great. If you're looking for a place to go grab drinks and sit outside and maybe get some appetizers- I definitely would recommend! A huge plus is the restaurant makes their own hot sauce and sells it. It is amazing- it is smoky, flavorful with a little bit of a kick!!! Food review (what I would order) I got the taco platter with all six tacos: Best (1) to least favorite (6) 1- al pastor: if I got back I would recommend these tacos 100% they were amazing!!! 2 and 3- a tie between fish tacos and short rib- the short rib does have a lot of grease but the flavor is amazing. Fish tacos were a great option too- good flavor and put some of their hot sauce on it 4- ground beef - standard 5- shrimp 6- the chicken tinga: They were very bland, dry, and the only thing that made them better was putting on the hot sauce. I wouldn't recommend these at all Pro tip: if you don't like rice and beans, you can ask them for the corn instead read more

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Last week I went to Tuco and Blondie for about the 5th time. Every time I go it's one of my favorites. This recent visit I tried the fajitas for the first time and they were amazing! The margaritas were also fantastic and the staff was very helpful and efficient. read more

We held my daughter's bridal shower here and the guests had a wonderful time. Brie and Thomas were our servers and did a superb job in making sure all our needs were met. Our food was served buffet style and they accommodated our daughter's vegetarian needs. The food was absolutely delicious. An afternoon of fun and feast we will remember for a long time! read more

Tuco and Blondie - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We stopped in for Lakeview Restaurant Week because we were craving margaritas and the deal was so great! For $25/person you each get a margarita, appetizer, and entree! We got the queso (duh) and the blondie salad to start. The blondie salad has a delicious Santa Fe dressing and perfectly grilled chicken, I'll definitely be ordering it in the future! For the entrees we got the steak fajitas and chicken enchiladas. The steak was cooked and seasoned perfectly and the red enchilada sauce was to die for!! Make a reservation before you go because this place is always slammed! However if you do have to wait, Southport has the cutest stores and bars to visit while you're killing time. read more

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Tacos were good. I got the Tijuana picnic which had 1 each of every taco!! Threw those babys back fast! The pineapple al pastor was my favorite! The fajitas were good but needed more meat in my opinion for steak and shrimp. They were good also though! Regular Margarita a little too sweet for my liking but that didn't stop me. The others I was with liked them though. This bar used to be Justin's before it became Tuco and Blondie. I have fond memories at this location. read more

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Tuco and Blondie you were a little oasis on a hot Chicago day! We came for the ice cold margs and stayed for the guac and fish tacos. I loved everything about this cute spot. This is of course a **Covid times** review so we ate outdoors and it's safe to say we had such a wonderful time. Their patio is set up beautifully with plenty of shade. We were so comfortable even though it was probably a 90 degree day. It was just two of us and there was no wait, so in no time we were in taco paradise. I started with the classic margarita and somehow only just got one. It was pretty great and very strong. We of course got some guacamole because did you even go out for tacos if you didn't start with guac? So good! Creamy, fresh avocados, fresh chopped veggies. I would kiss my fingers and say "muah" very dramatically if this were Italian food. We both ended up getting the fish tacos (because fish tacos are the best tacos) and I highly recommend. They were a little spicy which I didn't expect but, even as a baby about spice, it wasn't too much at all and they were still delicious. Also, they were jam packed and definitely did not skimp on the fish. A little bit of black beans and rice on the side made for a perfect late lunch. I'll remember you on my next trip to Chicago, Tuco! read more

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They have a Taco + Tecate + Tequila shot deal for $10 anytime of the day. I honestly think thats one of my favorite deals to take in Southport! Beautiful outdoor space to hangout with friends and even more exciting drink options, although the classic marg is hard to beat! Their queso isn't something to write home about, but this place still deserves a 5/5 considering everything else (ambiance, drinks, price, and location) read more

Decided to check this place out for a friends birthday last weekend and we had a great night. Fun vibes and friendly service. The place was packed and super lively. We ordered a bunch of things and shared but my top 3 would be the texican pizza, cauliflower tacos (unique!), and the elotes. All were good. The only thing I didn't love was their Mocktails - I got a virgin mojito and it was probably the worst one I've ever had. read more

Great spot in Lakeview to grab drinks with friends. They have outdoor & indoor seating options able to fit parties of any size. Their drinks were great, loved the fun tiki glass my Tequila Sunrise was served in. The guac was good, nothing to write home about. I ordered the steak and chicken fajitas to share with my boyfriend. It was good but not super flavorful, I ended up packing a ton of toppings onto it to make up for the lack of flavor. The serving size could be a bit bigger considering we ordered two types of meat. The steak wasn't fully cooked when it was put on the table so we used the hot plate to finish it off, not super out of the ordinary for fajitas. Overall I enjoyed my experience here. Definitely want to come back and try their tacos and margaritas. 8/10 read more

Tuco and Blondie - Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is a great summer spot for tacos and margs! They have a nice patio with lots of plants and lights (and social distancing). The tacos here are tasty, but pretty standard tacos. I really like the margaritas - they're so good! I've also tried the queso and I like that it's loaded with lots of toppings. Overall the food is good but nothing too special. The patio and drinks however, are a great draw to make this a nice hangout spot. read more

Bear, the bartender, is amazing. We have had him multiple times and he's upbeat and positive. He is a great conversationalist and super interesting. Spicy avocado margarita is also the best Marg I've ever had. read more

Great patio space to the side of the restaurant as well as along the sidewalk with umbrellas to shield from Chicago's beautiful sunny days! Service amidst COVID was efficient, friendly, and cleanly. Ordered the Fish and Al Pastor Tacos, a pitcher of Strawberry Margarita, and Elotes! The Fish taco is grilled with a nice spicy sauce on top as well as some cabbage. The fish itself was not very flavorful, but the sauce really gave the taco life. The Al Pastor taco had more flavor, the shredded pork was nice some chunky. The sweetness from the mini pineapple chunks were refreshing! The Strawberry Margarita was delightful and super yummy! It wasn't overly sweet and had a great strawberry flavor. The tequila taste was also prevalent, so you know that's some good stuff! The Elotes was different than the traditional way. This Elotes had a bit of a mozzarella flavor and texture to it. Different and interesting, delicious nonetheless! read more

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Friendly, quick, and direct service. Food and drinks were delivered promptly. Our server Christian guided us through the menu as first timers and was attentive. The portions were on the smaller end for the price but the quality made up for it. This location can get a little rowdy during lunch hours, prefer a slightly quieter dining experience. But overall great spot! read more

It's COVID-19 time and it's not so easy to find a place that is comfortable, safe and with great food. Tuco and Blondie fills the bull. Really careful seating and staff. The food has always been great and continues to be great. We loved the shrimp fajita gordo and the Cadillac margarita pitcher: and they were so sweet recognizing our 15th anniversary with Cava and dessert. This is a great place and they deserve your support. read more

Tuco and Blondie - Great socially distanced patio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The order that I had via delivery is probably really a 2.5, but half stars aren't an option here. I ordered a Blondie Salad with Chipotle Ranch and Creamy Cilantro along with a Quesadilla (Steak.) The Blondie Salad was ok, but not really anything better than you can get pre-prepared at Jewel or Mariano's for example from the upper class brands of pre-prepared salads. Chipotle Ranch is decent with a bite. Creamy Cilantro is not creamy at all, it was like water. The Quesadilla (Steak) was tasty overall, but the steak in it had many gristle pieces and fatty pieces. The packaging was great except for the fact that the paper bag with the contents was not sealed at all. Thank god I had a trustworthy DoorDasher... read more

This is a cute place and everyone seems to be nice and professional. The loaded nachos are good, drinks are good as well. The free tortilla chip as are good and taste fresh and seasoned well but the salsa was bland and had no flavor to it. I had the passion fruit margarita which was very flavorful. But the waiter failed to tell me that flavored margaritas are an extra $2 which I don't think they should be, it's just flavor. The outdoor patio is really nice, they have TVs and spacious seating. Me and my friend came around 5pm on a Tuesday and it wasn't crowded. I ordered the beef enchiladas with one red sauce and one green sauce that also came with a side of black beans and rice. The food was good but it was definitely lacking a burst of flavor that I was looking for. The lack of 2 stars is for the waiter, he was very nice and attentive but I asked him to wrap up my food off my plate which had black beans and an enchilada, I went to eat the leftovers today only to find just the enchilada. Usually the waiters will place everything into the box but not this one. My taste buds were set on having black beans with my enchilada. 2nd thing I paid with cash and my friend with card. I had more cash and expecting change but he used all of my cash and put the rest on my friends card, once again usually they split the payment equally. Apparently here he have to be very specific about what you want. Yes I would come back but not anytime soon. read more

Tuco and Blondie - Beef nachos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois