My opinion may be unfair due to me living in Houston my whole life....but here goes. I tried a taco salad and it looked like something that my 10yr old would make. Looking at the food that other people were ordering I'd say that the culinary art part is really missing. This place has no salsa, no guacamole and no Mexicans!!! I miss you Texas read more

Best Mexican food in town! Their tacos and pretzels are just amazing for it being here in the middle of no where Illinois, definetly one of my favorite places in my whole area. The service is genuinely awesome they've never gotten my orders wrong and they're always happy to help! The atmosphere is nice it's the best they can do with what they have and I respect them for making the most out of it! read more

My husband has been coming here since he was a freshman in highschool 20 years ago! We went there this evening and paid $16 for 4 tacos!!!! Ridiculous and inconsistent prices and measurements. We will never come back again, i could make better food at home and it would be cheaper!! Very disappointed. read more

Amazing food, fantastic owner. Chicos is a Salem icon with great, laid-back Tex-mex food. Don't miss the Kavanaugh Special or their nachos! And always order a jumbo drink with vanilla! read more

This place needs to turn itself into a chain ASAP. It's a Salem right of passage to fall in love with Chico's and no one can resist. I have friends who drive from STL, Evansville, and even Chicago just to eat here and there's a good reason.... the food is AMAZING. If you find yourself within 30 miles or driving past Salem, IL it's worth the small detour to eat here. Plus the staff is easy on the eyes lol and always friendly to anyone who passes through. read more

Perhaps my standard are too high? Coming from Arizona, I hold my Mexican food standards very high. Even our dives are fantastic! This drive through Midwest Mexican food was adequate. I ordered a bean burrito with just beans and vegetables. They have no guacamole here, but I cannot admit to being surprised. The burrito was small and the tortilla, salsa and beans were all clearly canned. I think anyone from the area may really enjoy this place, but I think my roots make this place a little hard to enjoy. read more

Chicos is one of the best places in town. Its your basic Mexican fare, but done just a bit different. The taco beef tastes like a mix between a sloppy Joe and regular taco seasoning. Sounds odd, but it works really well. WAY better than taco Bell. I'd avoid the chicken option though, it has a weird texture. The cheese dip is excellent. The staff (mostly teenagers) is usually apathetic and less than friendly, but its worth it for the food. read more

April 2018-Chico's is back with new owners and has been restored to the Chicos that locals have loved! My favorite menu item is Cavanaugh Special with chicken, served with fresh salty chips it's wonderful! P.S. They now take debit/credit cards with no minimum order requirement. read more

This place has gone so far downhill since I was in high school, it's ridiculous.

Tex-Mex with local touch. Inside & outside seating. Very popular with the locals.

A staple of Salem! You either love it or hate it but 95% love it. I've taken dozens of friends here and some will to this day drive over two hours just for the food. Sanche, nachos and beef & sweet tea are pretty much a favorite for anyone and a great choice for first timers read more

This locally owned place has been around for probably close to 30 years. For most of that time it was a great place to eat. It did go downhill in recent years, but now there are NEW OWNERS!! I'm happy to say Chico's is back & better than ever! Still my faves, Nacho Supreme and the Taco Salad Supreme are as good or better than back in the day, it's organized & the employees I've encountered have all been polite, and are doing a good job. My daughter, who lives in IN, was thrilled when the new folks room it over. Keep up the good work! read more

If you use a debit card they run your transaction as an atm, and round up then give your change. They charge $1.65 for you to use your card at register then your bank charges you for using a non-network bank. This seems a shady business practice. Seems like they're just wanting a cash business in a cashless world for some reason. Food is barely good enough with store bought chips, and everything being overly processed foods off the shelf. read more

I have been there many times and it really is a hit and miss place. It just depends who is making your meal. One time your order will be nice and cheesy then the next barely any cheese. They have like four or five girls making the food as fast as they can. I noticed that they don't place your meal in a plastic bag. Instead they give it to you and it slides all around your passenger seat.What I find unacceptable is that they have a drive thu. But NO menu board to see what they have.When you ask for a to go menu...it has no prices. So this place is no big shakes. If you miss it don't worry there's better. read more

Great food. Good people. I eat here around three times a month. Haven't found a bad thing on the menu yet.

Being born and raised in Salem, I've eaten here for quite a long time! However, in recent years the quality of the food has greatly diminished! The owner is extremely cheap and this has directly effected the quality of the food he produces! One of the biggest changes he has recently enacted is the weird and expensive way to pay with debit cards! So if you're in a hurry to grab lunch and order $5 worth of food, you must pay a $1.55 debit transaction fee, in addition to a $2.50 'other transaction fee'! How about they just accept cash only? I recommend you go across town to Taco Bell! read more

This used to be my favorite place to eat in Salem, so much so that I would bring people from out of town to this place. I haven't been in a couple of years. When I was here last, the food was noticeably larger. I guess they just wanted to get more money or something, because the food is tiny now. It still very delicious though. read more