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    Cantina on Madison

    3.2 (67 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Bars
    Open 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

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    CANTINA ON MADISON ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Cantina on Madison

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    grilled chicken tacos
    Alex W.

    I came upon this place with a friend of mine after iceskating, and was immediately hit with the fresh and flavorful aroma of Mexican cuisine. We were promptly sat by one gentlemen and then served by another that seemed to be taking on all customers but still maintained amazing charisma and service! The interior is very nice and I could see it being a popular late night bar stop for anyone in the area. For my meal, I got the grilled chicken taco dinner with beans and rice on the side. I thoroughly enjoyed the rice as it had a nice soft aroma assisted by a cardamom pod. (I loved it) The chicken tacos were good however i wish the chicken had more moisture as it would have sealed the deal and allotted five stars! Overall this was a very great experience and I look forwards to coming back.

    Jazmine P.

    They have good Mexican food, good drinks, it's a great location to catch a game or just chill out at the bar for drinks, especially being in the heart of downtown. Just be careful with their red salsa, it's good but spicyyy!

    Tacos

    Cantina on Madison is really good! The food was fresh, flavorful, and came out fast. The service was great too super friendly and attentive. You get 2 tacos for the price of 1, which is such a win, especially for the quality. Everything I tried was delicious and worth it. Definitely recommend this spot if you're in Chicago and looking for good tacos, good vibes, and great service. I'll for sure be coming back.

    Royce L.

    Decent Mexican cuisine close to where I was staying. The restaurant was into the bar section and the restaurant section. It was pretty late but we were able to get a table. The bar was pretty busy as well. They also had a small section for outdoor seating. Our server was good. Decent sized groups and we seperated our checks. He got everyone's order right and the food was good. The tacos and the burritos were good. I'll be back when I'm in the area again.

    Sydney T.

    Had dinner with a group of four and we all left completely satisfied. The vibe was lively and fun, and the service was top-notch. We came for Taco Tuesday, where tacos are just $3.50 each--a great deal. The margarita was a good size for around $15, which felt like a steal compared to the $20+ ones I've had in Chicago before. Everything we ordered was delicious and full of flavor. Not a single complaint from anyone in our group--highly recommend for your margarita & taco needs!

    Nacho Platter
    Janae T.

    We stopped in here for a quick bite and something to drink. The drinks were so good and they were pretty big for a decent price. We shared a nacho and it was perfect and fulfilling for the both of us. We got sat down instantly and of course they serve chips and salsa while your waiting for your food. The inside of the restaurant was very cute. Everything was decorated on theme and we sat right by the window to see all the action

    Fish tacos
    Taylor A.

    Cute spot! Had their fish tacos with spanish rice. For one, their spanish rice is amazing!!! Best spanish rice I've had. I would come back just to get a bowl of this. Their mango margaritas are delicious, but just as a heads up, they're not very strong.

    Filthy
    Steven F.

    Very disorganized place. Authentic atmosphere, but that's where it stops. This restaurant was nearly empty yet we encountered some of the worst service we've ever had. Our server, whose name I believe was "Lore", was just plain awful. Rude, and so slow. She stood on her phone while ignoring us completely. This place doesn't have typical Mexican staples like Horchata, Chips & Salsa, etc. "They're making the chips" said our waitress. We never received them. We were thinking about leaving when she finally decided to take out order, I ordered the Grilled Chicken Tacos and my Dad got the Al Pastor Tacos. The food took forever and was mediocre at best. My chicken tacos were dry. The bathrooms were also filthy and sticky. For nearly $50, this was a terrible experience.

    Natalie M.

    Have been craving some yummy tacos recently, and I walk past this place everyday for school, so I finally gave it a try!!! The atmosphere is very authentic feeling. Right when you walk in you see the bar, where you can eat at if you wanted. And then the rest of the seating areas were throughout. It's a very cozy and warm place for sure! I was a little sad that chips and salsa wasn't something they gave to you as you were seated. I've never been to a Mexican restaurant that didn't do that. So that was disappointing. The food however made up for that honestly, the steak tacos were juicy AS HECK. And the fries were actually very crispy on the outside and potatoey in the inside. The location is quaint. Right off Michigan avenue, so it's a very touristy spot but also very good for locals. I'll definitely be back here as I told the waitress.

    Tamarind Margarita
    Sheilisa D.

    A friend and I were visiting the "BEAN" downtown and it started raining so we ran inside this cute place for a drink! We had an excellent experience. Our bartender AJ was a true gem and very entertaining. Not only do they make a delicious tamarind margarita, the margaritas are huge! And only about $15. He also introduced us to a new tequila called INSOLITO that is now my favorite. The restaurant itself was very cute and festive. 10/10 for cleanliness as well. This is definitely now a top 5 on my places to visit. Next time I will try the tacos since everyone says they are the best around.

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    4 months ago

    great drinks and service. didn't try the food but would recommend just for their vibes. the owner was there and very kind would visit again.

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Great margs, mid food. I ordered the Chicken Quesadillas and they were served like Taco's. Good environment.

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    7 months ago

    great service! very authentic, the mother son duo really made the experience top tier. loved them!

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    2 years ago

    Food was great, got the nachos and they were massive for a pretty good price. Service was really nice and fast.

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    the Albert - Mussels

    the Albert

    4.1(363 reviews)
    0.8 miNear North Side, River East
    $$$

    A Mother's Day Feast! A spectacular display of food that was fresh and platter pleasing. A LIVE…read moreJazz band was playing (not pictured) only during this special day. The wait staff was helpful, the decor was unique and fun. Inside the EMC hotel, this gem was a nice getaway from the usual. Reservations were required and main courses of either Lamb Chops, Salmon, or Prime Rib was the perfect dishes to any meal.

    So I took myself to a place that was on my "must go to" list. Called The Albert. Menu online is…read morewell designed and great looking food. Advertises as $100+ pricing so I'm like ok this is gonna be a nice dinner. What you don't see unless you're looking closely - It's in a medium end Marriott - not mad at that but it's not a stand alone restaurant. The menu looked absolutely nothing like they show on the restaurant website. It was cheap looking. Same food options as website. The ambiance was well designed but - hotel restaurant vibes. Ordered the tuna crudo. Nothing to write home about. The mussels - I'm maybe gonna wake up with food poisoning tomorrow. The bucatini pesto pasta looked like regurgitated peas baby food and overcooked pasta. I sent it back kindly. And the chicken thighs were cooked. Like, that's all I can say. So I paid, still hungry. Cause the chicken thighs had basically no meat. Crudo is naturally so small and the mussels equally. Left and am now at Hampton Social eating a delicious lobster roll and tomato bisque. The highlight! The people sitting next to me asked me if o was a good critic! Haha - best compliment ever! But disappointment of a restaurant.

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    the Albert - Breakfast time at Albert

    Breakfast time at Albert

    the Albert - Smoked Duck

    Smoked Duck

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    Timothy O'Toole's Pub - Blacken chicken melt and Garlic Parmesan Fries

    Timothy O'Toole's Pub

    3.7(1.4k reviews)
    0.8 miRiver East, Near North Side
    $$

    Let's just start with WOW! I'm in town for a conference. Same conference I've been to before and I…read moredrive by it telling myself that I'm going to eat there this year. Well this is the year! I was so excited that I was the 1st person in this morning. The bartender, Lisa was amazing. Just a quick PSA, before posting a picture of someone, please ask before posting! If you get a chance, please ask for her! Having read a previous review, I knew I had to have the Ruben! As you can see, it's piled high with corned beef! The fries were delicious! Trust me. There were other options but if you're a true Ruben fan, you'll order it whenever you get a chance. Total success! If you never heard of Man Vs. Food, one you missed a great show. The filmed an episode here! They knew what they were doing filming here! The staff is fantastic! The atmosphere was perfect! Not too loud which helps with the bar bantering. Stick a pin in this place and experience this place!

    Timothy O'Toole's is a tasty Irish pub and sports bar on a corner in Streeterville - Near North…read moreSide, Chicago. We stopped in on a Friday midafternoon (May 2026), and found a moderate crowd, good food, and good service. For starters, we had perfect calamari. Crunchy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. It went well with the medium-spicy salsa they provided. This is already a win with any cold beer and any game on their many tvs! We would definitely it get again! We had their shepherd's pie: really flavorful Guinness Irish beef stew under a deliciously creamy layer of parmesan mashed potatoes, nicely crunchy on the outside with a lightly toasted top, and Irish soda bread. Delicious and satisfying! We loved the pastrami reuben sandwich, and we're not even big fans of sauerkraut in a sandwich. But in O'Toole's version, everything came together in a perfect union - the pastrami, the thousand-island dressing, the sauerkraut, and the griddled marble rye. We deliberately left off the Swiss cheese, and maybe that's the trick (for us) to balance the sauerkraut? Well, it worked nicely this way. We were still there towards the end of their weekday 3-6pm happy hour, so we got the $9 Chicago Handshake! A shot of Mälort & an OldStyle chaser! "Mälort-face" free of charge!

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    Timothy O'Toole's Pub - Love the whole atmosphere

    Love the whole atmosphere

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    101 Sky Terrace - French 75 and Gin

    101 Sky Terrace

    4.0(17 reviews)
    0.8 miNear North Side

    Let me start by saying that the views were 5 star and the place has a cool vibe - although the…read morehouse music they were playing was a bit loud for the small number of people eating when I was up there. That said, this place just completely disappointed. The food was just not good. I had the burger sliders and for $9 a piece you expect them to be something special. They were not. Overcooked with a little sauce and two pickles slapped on the bun with a tiny little dab of fake cheese - it was like a bad and way more expensive version of McDonald's. The onion rings were the frozen crumbly kind not the fresh beer battered kind and so that's a big "no!" for me. The dipping sauce was okay. Service was friendly and I think the guy was new but it wasn't good enough for a place like that at the top of the building. There were two servers so I'm guessing one was training maybe. They didn't make it to my table to check to see if everything was okay while I was eating and it even took them a while to notice that I was done eating. It's was slow so I don't think they were stressing with too many tables. That kind of place should knock your socks off - but it was on the low end of mediocre. I wouldn't go there again for food. Maybe it's a decent place to go to the bar but since I don't drink I can't help much on that end.

    Great food, drinks, and view. We came on a Sunday and ordered some drinks to start, as well as…read moreBrussels sprouts. There were a small portion but delicious. Not too crispy but still tasty. We also shared the half chicken and Ceasar salad with shrimp. There were only 3 pieces of shrimp for the extra money we spent; but otherwise the food was delicious. Definitely on the pricier side because of the rooftop and area.

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    101 Sky Terrace
    101 Sky Terrace
    101 Sky Terrace

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    Cantina on Madison - mexican - Updated May 2026

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