I wish I took the photo before I basically destroyed my plate! ( I'm saving that last taco for the car ride home ) El Cid once again doesn't disappoint. Juan the manager of el cid treats his customers like family and he made me feel like I was walking into a relatives home for dinner. The food was 10/10 and it's the only Mexican spot I've found with DELICIOUS carnitas near me. We live about 40 minutes away and it's a million percent worth the drive. Good food, awesome drinks, even better staff! read more

El Cid - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We shared the taco plate and the tamales, and both were absolutely delicious. The tacos weren't spicy, but they were packed with flavor and well seasoned. The rice and beans were also excellent. The tamale was the standout for me--it was cooked perfectly, incredibly flavorful, and stayed moist without being dry at all. We also tried the margaritas, and they were just okay. I'd probably skip the drinks next time and stick with the food, which was definitely the highlight of the meal. Overall, I'd highly recommend this place if you're looking for delicious Mexican food! read more

We came here for a quick dinner and enjoyed our time here. We checked out the back patio and the vibes were great! It's not the most authentic food and it's not very spicy, but the service and food was pretty good. We also loved the complementary pico and hot sauce! My husband and I ordered chicken and veggie tacos, respectively. We also ordered the yin yang quesadilla. We both liked our meals and I think the only thing missing was just a little spice. read more

See all

This Mexican restaurant in La Placita in Logan square is centrally located by the Logan Square blue, with two outdoor patios, one in front and the other in the rear. The food is delicious and drinks are super tasty. They have a live Latin Jazz band every other Wednesday. I highly recommend this restaurant for the ambiance, food, drinks and live entertainment read more

El Cid - El CID Mexican restaurant outdoor patio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beautiful back patio, Good food & music. Service was friendly. 3 taco plate was tasty. Would return. read more

See all

Went to El Cid a couple days ago, used to be a favorite spot. Server was good, hadn't seen him before. Got chips and salsa, waters right away. Told him we were ready to order. He came back a few moments later. Ordered appetizer guacamole, queso fundito,Patron on the rocks, steak taco dinner with a 4th taco. All good. Check came and were charged for chips and salsa, wow. Never have I been charged for chips and salsa that I didn't ask for. Always complimentary. Only $2.50, was not the point, is this El Cid's new standard? We are not cheap, $80+ check before tip for 2 people with one drink, 2 apps, 1 entree. read more

Ended up at this restaurant after walking down Milwaukee. This spot is right off of Kedzie near Azucar and the Logan Square Liquors. Our server was Blanca and she was really good at serving our table. We sat on the back patio which is pet friendly. On this occasion it was not busy at all. The music was flowing and playing some tunes. For food we ordered Flautas and 3 tacos dinner. We enjoyed our food. Everything was flavorful. I would definitely get the tacos again. Upon returning I want to try the fajitas. For drinks we both got margaritas. The Mango Margarita was our favorite. read more

See all

As soon as you walk in the patio you're greeted with lively Cuban music. Colorful flags strung on top, muraled walls and exposed brick. You get complimentary pickled veggies, chips and sweet excellent salsa. You can't go wrong with the lime margarita. We also had the mango with tahin, we also like. Juan curated the meal for us. Pork stew with green sauce(Guisado Puerco) and chicken fajitas. Both were excellent but special mention goes to the pork. Look the vibe here is just fun, the space has character and the food is good. Juan the proprietor is passionate about is offerings and rightly so! Recommended read more

See all

About a 2-2.5: One of my favorite eats is the chimichanga, so when I had read from various forums that El Cid is the go-to place, I was excited to check them out. Located in the Logan Square area, they offer brunch, a main menu with apps, soups & salads, sandwiches, Mexican favorites, and house specialties, sides, and a drink menu. I ordered the Burrito a la Chimichanga - you can choose your protein, which I went for the skirt steak; this was filled with beans and cheese, and I opted out of the lettuce and tomatoes, which I requested to be served on the side. I also requested the chimichanga to be 'suizo', which meant that it would be covered with 'melted cheese'. Unfortunately, the chimichanga itself was just okay; I thought it was more on the bland side, and the 'melted cheese', which was super generous, didn't help and, I think, was a bad call on my part - it was just way too much, even for me, and I had to just slide most of it off. The portions are generous and can easily be shared or be split into 2 meals. I did enjoy their red hot sauces, as they had a nice kick and made the chimichanga a bit better. The staff here are very friendly and welcoming, and the restaurant itself was cute, cozy, and well-decorated. Parking is pretty difficult, as it's by a busy intersection, and there's restricted permit parking in the neighborhood; there's also construction going on, so the usual metered parking is also pretty limited. +don't get your item 'suizo' +friendly staff +difficult parking in the area read more

See all

This is an amazing restaurant. It is a hidden gem in Logan Square. The frozen margaritas are delicious. Blanca made sure that we were taken care of. She suggested her favorite meal. I got the taco plate, with pollo, pork and fish. All are recommended. If you find yourself in Logan Square, head to this place. Make sure to sit on the patio - it's a must visit . Such a good environment read more

El Cid - Back patio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My first time going to this restaurant. We had a good experience with everything. Our Server was great, she even interacted with our conversations. This is a missing trait in servers. Kudos to her. The ambiance was peaceful. read more

Good Mexican food kind staff I like it man reasonable prices man you can eat good here man HECK yeah

We came here for drinks this Sunday and had a blast! They have a seating area out front, one inside and one outback and are incredibly dog friendly which we loved !! They are even hosting a dog pool party which we will be attending!! The Margs are strong and good ! We got two pina coladas and two margs large size and that ran us about $66 dollars total Which seemed fair for the amount of drink we were having! They are definitely worth the money each because we both left a little lit! Great spot to people watch! And the salsa verde they give you when you sit down is delicious!!! Will be back !!' read more

See all

Excellent garden space hidden in the back, accessible from the gangway/side door. Great margaritas.

Great staff. Great margaritas. Very friendly staff. The food is delicious here and can't ask for better people

Great Mexican food with fresh ingredients. Highly recommend the Nachos. Attentive and responsive service with a cute back courtyard dining area. read more

We popped into the Logan location after an artisan before xmas. Despite being an early dinner crowd "5-ish?" we were greeted immediately with "Hola!" and seated immediately. The chips provided were average, so was the salsa and the salsa verde. I ordered a Paloma, my wife a negra modelo, and my daughter a margarita. My wife and daughter decided to split fajitas, I opted for one of the house specialties, guisado de puerco. It was a new choice for me, never had it before, but I knew that I liked all the ingredients. A rich tomatillo based stew loaded with chunks of savory pork and potatoes, served with corn tortillas, my preference. It was a terrific choice, very flavorful, tasty, and fulfilling. I would definitely order it again. We were surprised at how much we ended up spending, but that is pretty much the new bizarre norm these days "the rent is too d*mn high!" Lol read more

See all

superb. OK, i love el cid, I and II. Vegan options, awesome salsa verde, nice staff and quick service.

Oh hell yes. El CID is the spot for some good quality, authentic Latin food-love. The service team here is always warm and welcoming. In the summer, the back patio is a great place to hang and enjoy their margaritas. read more

El Cid2 has a wonderful space with 3 dining areas right off of Kednzie and Milwaukee with a front patio view of Logan Square if you sit outside in front of the restaurant. The backyard patio is my favorite. Travel down a hall that tells you welcome to Mexico. Color flags bright colors and wonderful lights make up the back patio space. The drinks are good a bit pricey. The food is typical more of an american mexican flare. The queso fundido with ground beef is my favorite. The ground beef is seasoned more like chorizo and has a great red glossy hue from the spices. Come for some drinks food and atmosphere. It's a great place read more

Jefferson was absolutely amazing the food is delicious and the service was exceptional!!!

With so many good Mexican restaurants in the city, don't waste your time or money by going here. Solid margaritas and salsa but the positives stop there. Food was flavorless and the highly promoted back patio was way over hyped. The worst thing was that it just didn't taste fresh. Of the five items on my plate, only one came out hot. As we left, we all unanimously thought it was anywhere from sub par to two stars to I hope I don't get sick. read more

El Cid - Combo plate - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Just ordered over $60.00 on Grubhub. Got soggy nachos with too many tomato's & onions. Fried burrito with skirt steak and the steak was not edible mostly grizzle over cooked dry meat. Very disappointed. Taco Bell is better ! I try to help the little mom and pop shops and I spend all this money for a meal that was hardly edible read more

See all

There are... so many reviews of 3-4 stars of this place that are annoying. No pineapple on the al pastor?? Mama you cooooook the al pastor with pineapple. It's mixed right in and cooked up. I'm here to say that this place is a gd gem. Great deals on pitchers? Hell yes. Delicious nachos, perfect tacos, generous and tasty plates... so many great things. The patio is perfect for the covidy times when you want a little space and you also want to feel like you're on vacation. The service is great. Highly recommend the sangria, btw, it's perfect and flavorful without being too sweet. By the way, you can get the margs to go. What's not to love? read more

Finally a warm day in Chicago and my friends and I were searching for a happy hour spot to have some fun! We decided on el Cid because of their $2 tacos! The tacos were good, just typical tacos, also on the smaller side, so if you are feeling hungry I'd recommend 4-5 tacos. I personally liked the steak tacos most. The carnitas was just ok! It also came with complimentary chips and salsa, and the salsas were tasty! I liked the back patio too which was so cute, so definitely recommend this spot if you want some tacos and a cute back patio to hang out on. read more

El Cid - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The margaritas were excellent. The staff was friendly. Those are the only 2 positive things unfortunately I can say. The service was lousy - The food was bland and uninspired. I've never had a burrito that was tasteless and the melted cheese (suiz) was already congealed when the dish was brought to our table. My folks ordered chicken Fajitas and the veggies were overcooked - the chicken was also tasteless and overcooked. Again - the people there were very friendly if not a little absent and the margaritas were great. It was a quick easy Sunday dinner to meet my folks halfway between them and me...but I will not be back nor could I reccommend this place to anyonerecommend but read more

Not sure what happened to this place. Food & drink is decent for the price but the service is trash. If you come here on a Saturday, don't expect to see your server more than once every 70+ minutes. read more

I've been getting tacos here 20 years! How have I overlooked writing a review for them? El Cid is a Logan Square institution, after all. Such oversight, much shame. For skirt steak tacos in Logan Square, you must stop here, as they are superb. Cilantro and onions only! The steak burrito is similarly good - get it with mole sauce, it is rich and full of earthy flavor. I also recommend getting the Pico de Gallo with your nachos. Its delicious! The margaritas and daiquiris are solid. The upstairs has a chill lounge, and the patio in the back is a lovely urban escape for summertime hangs. read more

This place have tacos as well. Their steak tacos are good but I would definitely recommend their al pastor and carnita tacos. I also tried their caldo de res (beef soup) which was delicious. read more

To start off I ordered the beef empanadas for my husband and I, they were greasy and tasted like a cheap pizza puff that I ate when I was a child in public school. I ordered the quesadilla dinner and my husband ordered the steak burrito. He loved the steak burrito and I liked my dinner minus the fact that they fry the quesadillas (3) like a fried flautas versus a heated tortilla on a side fold...again too much grease! It was dripping off the plate when you picked it up. When you tried to bit into them they were so hard, along with the fillings. The refried beans, rice and side salad were ok. The waitress, was in a bad mood, rude, couldn't get her attention on several occasions and didn't check on our table?? The back patio I would say is "cute". Overall I know the south side of Chicago has much better Mexican cuisine! read more

El Cid - Quesadilla dinner #toogreasy #nobueno #foodileft - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had wanted to try this place for a while given I've heard it's a Logan Square staple. Chips and tortillas are store bought, salsa was the consistency of water. House margs are made with sweet & sour mix at 14$ a piece for a large. Overall unimpressive. Steak that came with my tampiqueña was fine enough, set me back 30$ though. I'm guessing it was the manager/owner who was vocally snapping at the seemingly overworked wait staff to hurry up in front of patrons. Bad food, okay service, but got weird vibes from the place. It's got the patio and proximity to the square going for it. Too much good Mexican food in the city and immediate area to spend time or money at this spot however. read more

amazing spot for a quick bite and drinks. Stopped by for some tacos and margaritas. The staff and customer service was amazing. The owner Juan is very personable and inviting. he has cultivated a space of a great mix between Cuban and Mexican cultures. If you are in the mood for some nice drinks and an authentic restaurant to have great conversations and I highly recommend read more

I have heard of El Cid before, and figured the food must be good. I have to say for all I've heard it didn't live up to the mystique. Now, don't get me wrong, I was still happy to have some Mexican food, but it could be better. My torta was tasty, but kinda squished. I've seen less squished tortas in a take out order. Then the salsa had no kick to it all. I had to ask for some spicy stuff. What they brought out was delicious and nice and spicy. However, the guacamole was really good. No issues there. It's really nicely decorated especially for a small restaurant. Especially, the bar. That keeps it from being a 3 star. read more

El Cid - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Probably one of the few places I've stumbled upon (during these trying times) where the service was top notch. They gave water promptly and made sure everyone at the table was being taken care of throughout the meal. There's front outdoor patio seating, few indoor seating options, and a back patio outdoor seating option - the back patio has heat lamps which is awesome! Their cheese and cactus tamal had the right amount of flavor in it - not too strong nor too weak. I HAD to get a side of their sweet plantains. Not too mushy which is always a plus. Good amount of crisp on the outside. I dipped the plantains in hot sauce because I enjoy the balance of both sweet and spicy. No doubt would I get the plantains again the next time I'm here/order takeout. I also got one of their grilled veggie tacos and it was tasty. Their horchata is pretty delicious too. Give this place a try if you're in the Logan Square area or if you're debating what to get for takeout/delivery next. read more

Stumbled across El Cid 2 after many other brunch spots in the area quoted an hour+ wait. They have a few brunch-y options, and had zero wait time, so we figured we should venture out. Service was personable and sweet. Even as the restaurant started to get really crowded, we didn't feel rushed in the least bit. I went with the breakfast burrito, which had eggs, rice, beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes all packed nicely into a perfectly toasted tortilla. Super simple, but delicious and filling. My friends also ordered margaritas and enjoyed them, though they were definitely on the smaller side. Absolutely nothing at all to complain about. Some items are on the pricey side, but if you pick and choose wisely you'll walk away with a cheap-ish bill. It's not extraordinary by any means, but it's simple and quick when you need it! Plus lots of good vegetarian options! read more

El Cid - Breakfast burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cheap drinks & mexican food at this local spot! 2 story restaurant with a bar upstairs ---complimentary salsa & chips: nothing special but I like the spicy green chili ---large tamarindo margarita: only $9.75 and you can get it blended or on the rocks. A bit syrupy but if you like mexican candies this is the drink for you If I lived in the area I would come back for their cheap tacos and quesadillas! read more

And my friends keep wondering why I like Logan Square so much. It's not just because I live there, but the restaurants mean I don't have to go to Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Lakeview, and Near North. Chips and salsa. Margarita. Vegetarian chimichangas. Tamale. Margarita. Salmon with arroz and frijoles. Flan. Food comatose. Although the chips and salsa were complimentary, the tomatillo salsa and the pica de gallo surprised me. The tomatillo salsa had a nice bite to it and I think the pica de gallo had a bit of mole in it. If you've had a mole sauce on meat at Latin America restaurants, you've probably wanted a smoke afterwards. Love the vegetarian chimichangas, stuffed with rice, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. The fresh guacamole that came with it was a highlight. The tamale was fantastic. The red salsa that came with it had to have been made with habanero sauce. It was hot. The plate of salmon with arroz and frijoles was a true winner. Glad I ordered this instead of the usual enchiladas or tacos. And then there was the coconut flan, smooth as butter, and tasty as bliss. Had me speaking Spanish, and I don't mean butchering the language. Oh, I mentioned margarita three times above. Yep, I had three of them. read more

See all

Great food, cool patio vibes 10/10 would recommend on a sunny day, most of the seating is patio / outdoor read more

This is hands down one of my favorite places for Mexican food in Chicagoland. They have had articles written and have been on the news about their world class mango margaritas. The food is so tasty, the staff is nice, and they have tons of fun deals like Sangria days, $1 off tacos for Taco Tuesdays and more. They also have added more patio space to eat outside. Logan Square is lucky to have this place! read more

See all

Let me start with the only bad thing, and that was our unattentive waiter. We saw him when he took our order, brought our food, and brought our bill. No checking in and never saw him checking his other tables. Now on to the great... The location is perfect and it is impossible to miss. It is RIGHT across from the Logan Square CTA and a couple doors down from Longman & Eagle. The food here was great and the prices are unbeatable. The quality of the food and the quanity are great. Fresh ingredients and the food was served hot and promptly. They also serve you free chips and salsa when you sit down, which is a nice little touch. The atmosphere is great too. Fun and light atmosphere with a nice upstairs dining and bar area. I just moved to Logan Square, but have heard they have a great summer patio area. Will definitely come back again soon, for this nice, good, and affordable Mexican gem in Logan Square. read more

El Cid - Free chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all