First I will start saying, I loved my time here. Great food. Good service. Overall, great time! I just wanted a managers/owners here to know that one of the servers, who didn't serve us, was extremely rude post shift. He was extremely intoxicated strutting around and actually insulted me numerous times in his drunken state. I get having a drink after work at the bar and then being on your way home or to the next place, but he was insulting me in his place of work and acting a hot mess. I didn't get his name, but he has a nose ring and an obnoxious fuzzy backpack, and clearly swings for the other team (no judgement). I was shocked he was acting this way in his place of work. Thought management should know who they're hiring, because it makes your business look like trash. read more

I feel tired after being at Barcocina because there was just a lot going on. I guess I should have expected that for a huge, trendy restaurant in Lakeview on a Friday night at the end of summer. If there was 3.5 stars, I would give that...I don't quite feel that it deserves 3 stars or 4 stars. We had a party of 6 with an 8:30 reservation on a Friday night. We got there early and were seated early (four stars). We ordered margaritas that were $11, and for all the ice that was in them, I felt that they were definitely overpriced....(three stars). It's shareable plates and our waitress recommended that we order 6-10 things to share. We ordered 6 and that was plenty believe it or not. We started with the guac (amazing) and the queso fundido (very good) but they were both served in tiny skillets. The tacos that we ordered were really the stars of the show- very flavorful. However, i noticed during my indulgence of one of the steak tacos that there were two...MAYBE three pieces of tiny steak in there. Hmmm. Ambiance is awesome. It's a huge place with lots of space to hang out. The food was good but just no different than any other mexican restaurant. Bar is super cool and huge. I missed some of the mexican classics: burritos, quesadillas, tamales, etc... that I wish would have been included. I also just feel like tapas is hard to do mexican. I would like to say I'd come back here to have a margarita in the bar, but $11 just isn't worth what is in the glass. read more

What a disappointing experience. Ambiance great, food needs work, servers kind, hostesses are a disaster. We made reservations at 8pm for a party of 10, and we weren't seated until 8:50pm. I get it, it's a new establishment, you're trying to figure things out... just don't make me beg for great service! The two hostesses made me feel like I was being difficult when I kept checking in with them for a status update. And then I had to strongly suggest that we get comped appetizers or something. I didn't appreciate the attitude that we had done something wrong by showing up on time for our reservation. The tacos were only ok. Once you factored in the price and serving size, they were quite disappointing. Both the duck confit arepas and the fish tacos were lacking in quantity and flavor. The salsa was good, though. As for margaritas, they were tequila forward. If you want balanced flavor, go elsewhere; if you're looking for a tasty drink that will get the job done, you're in the right place. Positives, the waitress was an utter delight. Dealing with a large group can be tough, but she dealt with us accurately and with a smile. And the atmosphere is really cool, open windows and great decor. I'm summary, come here to see and be seen while waiting on your table, get tipsy, and eat salsa in a cool venue. Do not try to make a reservation, and do not expect gourmet tacos. Know what you're getting into and it could be fun. read more

Extremely average brunch with below average drinks, mimosas were 90% juice, the skinny punch tasted like a fizzy strawberry soda, and after numerous drinks everyone was barely buzzed. Service was okay and the atmosphere was nice, DJ was fun and friendly - definitely the best part of the restaurant. Overall disappointing read more

Excellent Banh Mi tacos & great atmosphere! We will definitely be coming back the next time we're in Chicago!

Food was subpar and overpriced but ambiance was really nice. I would return for drinks and elote dip but not for the tacos

I would not go back to this place, but in all honesty it wasn't all that bad, just ridiculously overpriced for what you're getting food, drink and service wise considering were talking about Lakeview. 3 tacos for 12-14 bucks and having to pay for chips, I can think of a single Mexican restaurant that charges for chips anymore...except for Barcocina apparently. The drinks are 11 each and weak, I had 2 of the cucumber ones and felt next to nothing. No problem spending more for great food, strong drinks and awesome service, but this place provided none of that. I also wouldn't suggest this place for large groups, it was almost 450 for 7 of us and not only was splitting the check a nightmare (no help from our waiter by the way who had been MIA for half the meal), but realizing that I had just dropped that much money to be hungry and sober 3 hours later was also a sad realization I came to as the night went on. Definitely wouldn't go back and wouldn't recommend to anyone. If you want tacos and a margarita, there are literally 50 places within a mile radius that are half the price and twice as good. read more

I love ordering the barcocina guac! It's one of the best guac I have ever tasted! The tacos are great too! It's kind of on the pricey side but it is worth it. read more

Barcocina - Barcocina guac and Fundido with chips. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Things i liked: - Very nice look and feel to the place! This is even more true on a nice sunny day. - Chocolate Ganache: Delicious. Hands down the only dish worth ordering here. (They warn you it's a 10-15 min wait) Things i didn't like: - Price for portion size is a joke. - Tuna Tartare taquitos: Great flavor but the size of each taquito is an absolute slap in the face especially when you consider you paid $12. Best example i could give as to the size of each taquito is imagine folding a Pringles chip in half but even the chip would be just a little bigger than it. -Lamb Tacos: Normal size with slim to no flavor. Lamb was cooked well but they should put some salt on the tables at least in case it's needed. In short: I came here hungry and i left here a little satisfied. Every dish was just not doing it for me unfortunately. It's an honest shame because the scenery had sold me when i first walked in but at the end of the day the food is what you come here for and it just was a disappointment. read more

ABSOLUTE GARBAGE FOOD. waiter was terrible and service was average. WAYYYY TOOO expensive for tacos. 16$ wtf? Only three tacos never come here go to Taco Bell they have better service and food read more

Service sucks. Drinks suck. Food was okay. The only redeeming quality of this place is 1. the atmosphere - great for groups. 2. the management. I came in a group of 5. We all ordered drinks and tacos. My drink (Cucumber Crush) was disgusting - it tasted like diluted cucumber water. I asked for a little more simple syrup, but it didn't save the drink. To be honest, they may have spit in it. Then, our tacos came really sporadically. Some of our orders came early, and the others came late (even though they were the same thing.) One of us ended up waiting for a really long time, and they comped her order. They also gave us free dessert. So honestly, they screwed up but they made it alright. But overall, the food was alright. Nothing special. I'd rather go to Velvet Taco on State St. read more

Came here for dinner with 3 friends and we all felt pretty underwhelmed with our experience. Since I moved down the street, I'd been meaning to check out Barcocina for a while. Its a gorgeous space and it was a beautiful day so the patio was really inviting. Unfortunately the hostess said there was a waitlist even though there were several empty tables that we watched stay empty for the entire meal. We asked to sit inside at one of the several tables with the open view of the patio. Request ignored-- we got put in a dark corner instead. Our server then seemed to keep forgetting about us every step of the way. We had to flag him down for waters, to order, to get our bills.. the tacos were pretty good but definitely overpriced. The chips and salsa were exceptional. Sad because we really wanted this to be a place we could count on coming back to! read more

The place looks cool...but they have a lot of work to do on providing better quality food and service. The only good thing we had was the the drinks but too bad we were only able to have 1 drink - 30 min after we sat down and no re-fills for the night.. PS...we were there at 5:30 Sunday on Memorial Day Weekend and they were NOT packed. We had reservations and there were at least 15 tables open..they sat us at the way back of the restaurant by the service station..For a reservation - you can't re-think putting us at better table especially when you have tables available by the window? Hmm...Next the bar height tables have the worst chairs ever...1. You can't have a chair with arms that doesn't fit under your table. 2. You can't scoot your chair in when you're sitting because your feet don't touch the ground. Talk about awkward experience...Next time, we would ask for a better table but we were dropped off so fast and then left without a waiter for at least 5 min. Then he shows up..also very awkward. It was like he didn't know how to take his order. If he's new, why doesn't he have a trained server working with us. Couldn't explain anything on the menu - FAIL. We asked him the difference between the Salsa Roja and Salsa Verde in heat levels..he said well...they are both pretty hot but basically same thing different color - REALLY??? We ordered chips and salsa, 3 different tacos and 2 sides and each ordered a cocktail. PS chips and salsa is $6...salsa was good but a little over seasoned. Bring on the water the Salsa Verde is pretty spicy. Too bad he didn't bring water for 5 min AFTER we got our salsa. Then we received our first side of brussel sprouts because apparently food just comes out when it's ready. We still haven't had our drinks..by the way. Then we got our drinks after waiting at least 30 min...and then got our cornbread...I'm ok with apps coming out early but not the sides to our meals? Can't the kitchen figure out how to time a side to go with our meal? The tacos come in a group of 3 and you better hope that for $12 that you'll like what you get - there's no ala carte. These are still small sized tacos (similar to street tacos) and they are $4 a piece...again - pick wisely because if you don't like one you're now stuck with 3. We were well done with our sides before we got the tacos. Chicken, Lamb and Cheeseburger. Chicken and Lamb had absolutely no flavor - the sauce was bland. The cheeseburger tacos were $12 and I've had better at anywhere else for $1-2...Let's just say for an $84 dollar meal - it was NOT worth it. I would not return, maybe to get a drink but not if it's going to take 30 min to get a margarita. If you want good tacos - go to Big and Littles...if you want a good drink and don't want to wait 30 min...go somewhere else ANYWHERE else in Chicago. read more

This place is always great. Food: delicious. Get the guacamole with balsamic, you won't regret it. I will also crave the pesto chicken quesadillas from two states away. Drinks: I was sad they got rid of the prickly pear, but the black and blue was really good. Ambiance: very fun, trendy, good music from a dj. Perfect for date night, girls night out, meeting up with friends, etc. they also have a huge patio which is perfect for summer nights. read more

This place is great. Pitcher cocktails, apps are crazy good and the tacos are to die for. Check it out, staff is phenomenal and the place can't be beat. read more

This place is pretty awesome when comparing it to the bars right next to it. I bet around 20 blackberry margaritas were ordered by girls in our party... can't say I've seen that happen often! They have a large drink menu with tons of options, and the place looks real nice on the inside. You'll likely need reservations on the weekend if you'd like to go here at night, the place gets wicked busy. The food was pretty good, they were good sports by providing a lot of free chips for our many guacs/salsas/etc. It was convenient to munch on while we waited for our entrees. We had a couple tacos which were good, and some steak dish thing. I didn't feel much for the latter, but the tacos are pretty awesome since they're packed to the rim. Honestly was impressed by the decor. They have this fire pit thing right next to their 5 or 6 individual bathrooms. It's a real fancy place, I'd definitely come here for a date or something. I recommend it for sure, great service with great food and drinks. Lastly they aren't snobby enough to ignore setting up TVs, it's nice to watch some sports in the background. read more

We went to Barcocina on a Saturday night, and were able to get in just fine with a reservation at 7:30. (Called that day). The FOH staff was friendly and helpful. Our server was awesome. He explained the menu and had good recommendations for drinks and food. Thanks Lou! We drank Basil Brambles and Summer Margaritas. Definitely recommend both. Basil Bramble is extremely flavorful with spicy and sweet notes between jalepeno, basil, and strawberry. The Summer Marg was fruity and pink, and a generous portion. We ate the Barcocina dip (closes thing to a queso on the menu), a special small plate of peppers, the tuna tartare taquitos and chicken tinga tacos. All the portions are to share, and if ever our food came out slow, the server was quick to offer extra chips. The tacos and taquitos came in portions of 3, but since there were four of us, we were able to add a fourth to the order so everyone could try. Four diners each drinking 2 drinks ($11 each) and sharing 4 plates was around $140 total. Not bad for a Saturday night out. I want to note that there were a few bigger parties at the restaurant, as well as a handful of couples who seemed like they were out at a date night. I thought it was great how accommodating the space was! The atmosphere is casual-upscale. Most of the ladies wore trendy dresses and guys were in button downs. I will be back to try a larger variety of dishes. I also think this could be a fun place to just stop for a drink before or after dinner if you don't want to spend as much. read more

I love this place for brunch! The bottomless brunch is a fantastic deal - even though it has gone up $10 since the last time I've been - because you receive an entree, bottomless drinks, and a buffet for $50. The atmosphere is very fun and lively and it is a great place to enjoy a Sunday Funday. I have no complaints about my brunch experience here and I will be back. read more

I never been treated so rudely by a hostess before in my entire life. We walked up to the hostess stand and ask for a table for three, she said "do you have reservations?" I said "no". And then she said "OK follow me" and she said is outside. And then another young lady with long light brown hair comes to the table 2 minutes after we sat down and said sarcastically "did you speak to the hostess before you just sat down at this table?!" And I said "well yes, the hostess just sat us here" and she said, sarcastically, "which hostess?" Then she rudely said "well next time, before you just walk in and sit down at a table, you need to see a hostess ". "WE DID!" , we said. She turned and walked away in a huff. So then when we decided not to stay here. We went up to the hostess desk and asked to speak to her manager (who never came) and that is when the hostess decided to apologize... too late. We will not be returning. read more

I passed this place on the train numerous times but finally got the chance to check it out for brunch. I was impressed with the service, food, and atmosphere. On a Sunday for brunch they had a great DJ and the atmosphere was lively without being too extra to where you couldn't enjoy a sit down meal. My girlfriend and I both enjoyed their Bloody Mary. I had the chilaquiles which were delicious, the chips had the perfect consistency and were not overly soggy like many chilaquiles I've had before. The spice level of the salsa was also great. My girlfriend had the Greek chicken tacos which were tasty. Our waitress was great too and we definitely want to return to check out their bottomless brunch deal and some of their unique taco choices. read more

Had brunch with six people. Beautiful place, wonderful remodel from what used to be there. Love the look and the open air feel with all the open garage doors and High ceilings. Very cool bar areas. But we weren't impressed by much else. Very interesting food choices and they were all good from what our table ordered, but just average good. Not amazing. Expected better to match the surroundings. The waitress was very pleasant and happy, but overall the service was terrible. We sat 10-15 mins before anyone even said hello. We had to grab bus boy for water. Drink orders once taken took 25 mins, and they're were standard drinks off menu, nothing special. About the 10 min point we asked where they were and were told "coming right out"....then another 15 mins. Had to grab waitress to take food order. Food didn't take long, came not long after drinks arrived. Heard sorry way more times than we really wanted to during brunch and although a free round of tequila shots was nice offer, didn't really make up for bad service and average food. We thought we may have found a new brunch spot, but doubt we'll do that again. Might try dinner one night to see if different. Place wasn't super busy, so can't imagine what it would be like if it were. read more

The balsamic guacamole was amazing! A great twist on the classic guacamole. I was underwhelmed with the chicken quesadilla. For $12 i was expecting a bigger portion. The quesadilla was way too small, I was still hungry after. Their outside patio is awesome. Food wise I think this place is very average, but the outside patio and good vibe will keep you coming back. read more

Barcocina - Balsamic guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The atmosphere is glorious. Great set up. The way the restaurant and bar are laid out is brilliant. The food is lackluster. The guacamole is good. I was disappointed in most of the dishes, but happy with others. Very hit or miss. Though the misses were very unfortunate. Especially the eqote (sp?). In my opinion, you are paying more for the ambiance than any thing. read more

Visited on a snowy Saturday night to meet with a large group of friends & watch the college football playoff games. We decided to go here for dinner, it was many people's first time visiting here as well as mine. The service was overall solid especially for a large party of like 16+ people, I did not feel overlooked, so bravo to the server she did a nice job. The food was good nothing amazing, ordered the steak tacos which come in quantities of 3. The steak was a bit chewy for my liking. However the taco menu is vast and many people ordered the chicken, pork, steak, veggie or shrimp. The atmosphere is nice, maybe we caught it on a slower night since it wasn't that busy overall. A big thing I want to point out is that for large parties they do not offer separate checks. I know this is an inconvenience for some people so wanted to preface that. Overall the place isn't a bad choice, heard brunch is popular here and in the summer the extra outdoor space would be nice to enjoy. I would give it a strong 3.8/5.0 stars which I feel like lines up with many other reviews which I have read. read more

Honestly, walking up to the restaurant I thought by the outside it was going to be good. Looking at the food and drinks go by everything looked amazing. Man was I wrong. The drinks took forever, not sure if it was our server or the bartender. Our food came before our drinks which is a little insane. Our food fell short, the flavors were not there! Everything was just blah, the drinks were good but the food honestly tasted like white people Mexican food and not the white people that season. read more

I contacted Barcocina over 2 years ago about hosting our "welcome dinner" for guests the night before our wedding in Chicago. They worked with me over the years as we rescheduled many dates due to the pandemic, changed the menu countless times, and altered our guest numbers. They were always accommodating, communicative, and so kind. We finally got to have our dinner at barcocina this past weekend and it was an absolute hit. All of our guests LOVED the food, the drinks, and the atmosphere. It was the perfect spot for this type of event since it wasn't too casual, yet wasn't too fancy, and we had lots of open space (and outdoor space as well!) to mingle. Thanks to the bartenders, Desi, chefs, and everyone else who helped us welcome our wedding guests to Chicago and kick off our special weekend. read more

I had a great time at happy hour here before but was less than pleased on my second visit. The meal started with our server telling us that they were out of every taco except short rib, pork and shrimp. Yeah, they were out of 7 of the 10 tacos on their menu. And the hostesses failed to mention any of that. I understand it was a beautiful day and their patio had been slammed, but common...almost out of food by 7pm? What the heck did they do the previous night? At least tell people upfront when they ask for a table. So we ordered the only three sets of tacos they still had. The short rib and pork came pretty quickly and tasted fine, but we kept waiting and waiting for the shrimp. After a long time, we finally saw our waitress and asked if they were coming. She apologized and ran off to the kitchen to check. They came out shortly thereafter. To make up for it, she said she would comp the shrimp tacos, which was a really nice gesture. .....Until we got the final bill and she didn't comp them. WTF? You can't say that and then not do it. We saw her so infrequently throughout the meal we just paid the full check and got out of there. Barcocina has a long ways to go from an operations standpoint. Food doesn't compare to a Big Star or Taco Joint and the drinks are overpriced too. No thank you! read more

I was torn between a two and a one star...because it wasn't truly horrible but just so consistently bad. The place itself LOOKS great - and is going to do great at least this summer while they can leverage the outside space despite the lackluster service and lack-taster food. The menu looks great - both specialty drinks and food. So I recommend calling in a few days in advance to place your drink order...it takes forever - even when the place was not that busy to get drinks. I assume because most are specialty and they don't have the system down to get them made quickly enough. They are going to lose tons of money if they don't get this fixed. And one of the drinks was a sweet-water mess that had to be returned. Food - we tried several apps - they have three quacs - we tried the basic and one of my table mates commented that it tastes like it came from Jewel...as did the chips. The menu lists cayenne, lime, red onion...none of which are detectable and the texture was processed-consistent. The corn salsa was tasty - nice zing from heat and citrus. Pork rinds were fine. Quinoa salad was apparently good and it looked good - so there is hope. Then the tacos. The fish tacos were overcooked - so dry - and not inspired in design or execution. The chicken tacos were so bad they couldn't be eaten. And our server had much undeserved attitude though we think some of the initial confusion was from the way-too-loud music which the manager graciously turned down. I hope to go back later this summer and at least give it an average - they'd do pretty nicely with that given the great location and set up. read more

The restaurant is beautiful; however, for the price...the food is blah. SO OVER PRICED. Having to pay for chips and salsa is a joke. An order of guac/salsa/chips will set you back 15 bucks....and it is just mediocre. Cheeseburger tacos were a hit, but everything else was just so-so. We spent 120 bucks for dinner for 2. Just isn't worth it. Would go back again for cocktails, but they really need to rework the menu/pricing. read more

I went here last Friday with my gal and put a nice dent in my wallet. Was the food good? I mean yeah it certainly wasn't bad, and they did have some unique small plate options, but man did my jaw drop when I saw the bill. I had 3 beers, my bae had 2 big margaritas and I think we ordered about 4-5 small plates after that. Again, some interesting menu options but I wasn't blown away by the taste. Besides my small issue with the bill, they have a nice large building, friendly staff and a great location. I'm actually headed there now for dinner. read more

So, we made a reservation and finally got to try this place. The decor is spot on and very cool - especially love the "garage door" windows that can be lifted all the way to the ceiling for a very open feel. The food was mostly just pretty good - for their decor and the attitude from the hostesses it seems like they are trying to be like de cero or Mecadito. Their food just is not close to as good. The tuna tartare taquitos were over salted, the guacamole was good not great, the fish tacos were fine, the hawaiian pork tacos were pretty good but could have used a good bit more of the pineapple salsa to cut the fat and salt of the pork and the other food was ... forgettable I guess since I don't even remember what it was. The drinks - can you say WEAK?!?! I had seen some other reviews say the drinks were weak but I am not a big drinker so I didn't expect to really notice anything. We had multiple margaritas (at $14 each!!) and there was no hint of tequila. There was however a huge glop of jalapeno "foam" in the middle that was pretty disgusting looking actually and added nothing to the drink. One of my friends got some other drink that also had a glop of foam ... maybe this is the bartender's thing? Anyway, the drinks were expensive and pretty terrible ... And again, the hostess (same one from our first failed attempt at eating there) was rude. When one of our friends came after we had already been seated, she told him she didn't know where we were sitting and that he would have to just look around - huh? Isn't this one of your two duties as a hostess???? read more

The Brussels sprouts are the best thing about this place!! They're very oily, but really good! The pickled onions add a great touch.

I have come here once for dinner and once just for drinks. The atmosphere is great and I can't wait for the patio to open again. The guacamole was good and unique because they add a balsamic reduction. The tacos were alright but nothing special. The drinks are what keeps me coming back. They have a wide variety of cocktails and beers to choose from. I have sampled a handful of their cocktails and really enjoy the selection of spicy concoctions. I'd recommend it for a place to grab drinks and appetizers! read more

Pros: The place is beautiful Cons: Everything else From the outside-looking-in, Barcocina has everything you want in a neighborhood bar/restaurant. It's a huge, open-air space with a cool vibe . . . until you actually enter. It's difficult to articulate just how strange the vibe actually is. The food and drinks are mediocre, but a cool atmosphere could make up for this. The entire waitstaff is aloof and act as though they would prefer it if you weren't there. Even the music selection is just off. The place has a lot of potential, but I won't be going back until some changes are made. read more

Sam is great waiter! Very attentive and extremely kind.Mckenna is the best bartender you can get! 10/10 would recommend

absolutely terrible!!! order was wrong and food was gross. I recommend no one eats here. Very bad service.

Waiters are nice but the food service is horrible they got my order wrong multiple times but the food was good and the waitress was nice read more

Barcocina - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time here and was really excited. We came in and had to wait for our table even though we made reservations. They sat us outside which initially we didn't mind. It's freezing! I went in and asked the host if we can be moved inside and she said that we would lose our table if we decided to move inside...um ok. So I asked if they can turn on the heaters next to our table. She said no..so why are they outside? Makes no sense. Never coming back. Don't think I'd want to eat my food on paper plates and plastic utensils again. read more

Amazing Experience! The food and environment were both phenomenal. Also the manager Tabitha was so great and accommodating for our party! We will definitely be coming back again! read more

Woman with long brown hair and super long fake eyelashes had a horrible attitude towards my table and was very unpleasant. Will not be coming here again. Also total waste of money very expensive for crappy tacos. read more