Really not great, especially compared to other Mexican restaurants in the neighborhood. I live two blocks away, so I was disappointed. Four of us all order different food, and none of it was worth returning for. I'd rather spend more and go to Fonda del Mar or spend a heck of a lot less and go to any one of many great hole-in-the-wall Mexican spots in the neighborhood. If you want clean and Americanized food, I suppose it's fine. Just not better than a Chi Chi's. Too bad. read more

This place is my favorite place to grab a good bite. the service is fast and the food can not be beat. I probably eat there once a week and nothing i have had is bad. The atmosphere is amazing and the service is awesome. i could sit there with a pitcher of margaritas and the pico de gallo and just get lost. I love on the weekends the live music. I recommend trying there burrito. another great thing about El Cid 2 is the fact that they are vegetarian friendly! read more

My boyfriend and I had dinner here last week and I really, really liked it! The atmosphere is really trendy and it is very clean. It is a tiny bit pricey... but there are cheaper options on the menu that make the place more affordable for those who don't wanna break the bank! We started off with the fried shrimp appetizer that comes with a spicy bbq sauce- we loved it! For dinner, my boyfriend had the strip steak dinner that comes with a quesadilla and enchilada which he enjoyed! I had the taco plate dinner which I really liked as well! Then for dessert we ended with flan which was very creamy and a great finisher! I would go there again! read more

I have been frequenting El Cid in Logan Square for some time... mostly because it's near my house and it's hard to find good fish tacos in Chicago (not fried). The food is average here, but the service has always been good and the patio is really nice when we are fortunate enough to have nice weather in Chicago. The patio has always been a great place to hang out with friends. Since the upstairs has been added to this place... my friends and I have really had real problems with the management at El Cid. The upstairs is nice, and when we first saw it, we were excited that our casual little "let's grab some tacos and talk" place seemed to be turning into a cooler place. Unfortunately, there are some major machismo issues going on with the management - and a ridiculous "No Pitchers Upstairs" rule. To make a few long stories short - there seems to be at least one particular male manager will argue with you endlessly (at least if you are female) until you are so insulted you walk out and leave. Once, a group of 14 of us left after complaining about the "no pitchers upstairs" rule. The manager scoffed at our questioning of the rule and offered us no solution/alternative. In my opinion, if, as a manager, you have an attractive and successful group of young women who come in to spend a lot of money at your establishment (also, most of us frequent the joint), you do what you can to solve the problem - and you don't talk down to the customer. We walked out after we realized we were talking to a macho-man. We decided to get pitchers of margaritas and food down the street and we all got to talking about how many of us have had bad experiences at El Cid ever since the upstairs opened. Seems that this has been a problem with a lot of people. WATCH OUT for the rule "No Pitchers Upstairs." It is really unreasonable. They are trying to act like the upstairs is a different restaurant than the downstairs - it's not. It's the same exact food and drinks. They just want groups to spend more money on individual drinks, when upstairs. They say it is an issue of carrying the pitchers up and down the stairs - they have nowhere to keep the pitchers at the upstairs bar. The bar upstairs is BIG and they carry ALL of the food up and down the stairs, as well as the dishes, so there shouldn't really be an issue. They also say that they only have premium taquila upstairs... ok... so, charge more for BETTER pitchers of margaritas. Yeah right. The management is very stubborn and will not bend. I'm disappointed that El Cid management/ownership doesn't feel that their customers deserve to be treated with more respect. They obviously assumed their customers wouldn't realize that they were being ripped off by their "no pitchers upstairs" rule. My friends and I miss our little sweet dive, with the patio. Even though the food isn't amazing, we felt like management was pretty down-to-earth and everyone there cared about pleasing the customer. Now, it feels like some guy just wants to make his upstairs the "cool place" and rip off people who don't have enough sense to walk out and complain about the unreasonable rule. My friends and I are tempted to go to the patio when it's nice out, because it's easy and close, but then we remind ourselves of the macho-man who talked down to us for ten minutes and we quickly regain our senses. read more

My favorite place to go with friends to eat some Great food and have some great Margaritas. The Chili rellanos are my personal favorite mmmmm good! If you are just needing to relax try sitting in the upstairs part of the restaurant the ambiance is great! I have also been reading some of the reviews and Amy B. is wrong, they have been allowing pitchers upstairs, we get them all the time and they are the same price as the down stairs. Amy B. Thank you! Maybe the owner finally came to his senses about this rule. read more

Does anyone know why the upstairs is closed now? Anyway the only thing I can say about this place is that I like the patio. The food is definetly not keeping this place open. read more

It's hard to beat great margaritas and good atmosphere. I've been going to El Cid for a couple of years, and I love it every time. I'll never forget the first time I went there in a warm weather season and was pleasantly surprised to discover their back patio. It was like walking through a secret passageway to a blissful mecca of margaritas and good food. The owner of El Cid is friendly and likes to serve drinks from the bar on the back patio. My favorite dish here is the fish taco dinner. They are filled with lots of tilapia and the fish is not fried. Squeeze a little lime on top of the cilantro they douse it in and you are in for a treat. read more

Right off the Square, El Cid is a great place to grab an inexpensive bite of Mexican fare. I had the taco salad -- go for the vegetarian here, it's loaded with stuff as opposed to the standard, which is basically just meat and cheese. The real star is the chicken burrito though. Tuesdays are half-price bottles of wine and the back patio is great in the summer. read more

Not a big fan of this place only because the food that i've ate has not been very good for the price charged. The actual seating and feeling of the place is really nice though. read more

I'm not a fan of mexican cuisine but my husband has been wanting to try this restaurant for a long time since it's local to us. Guess I'm a fan of mexican food now! The cheese fondue/tortilla appetizer was delicious! The steak was very flavorful and cooked to order. The atmosphere was nice (early evening, outdoors, lots of kids) for a couple like us with a small infant in tow. My husband thought the Margarita was fantastic and his food was excellent. This was no fuss, no muss, nice casual relaxed dinner. Looking forward to returning and bringing some friends! read more

I have had better margaritas and salsa although these are not bad. That is the first thing I look for in a good Mexican restaurant. Overall, El Cid has a great back patio with super friendly servers and a great atmosphere. Food was good, will definitely come back. read more

The service is fast, the margaritas are big and the food is consistently pretty damned tasty. Not the best taco I've ever had, but I am hard to please in this arena (hence, the four stars). The patio has nice atmosphere during the warmer months, and the upstairs seating area is nice otherwise. Would definitely recommend! read more

I love El Cid. The food is great and inexpensive, and the service is friendly and fast. Great, reliable place to go anytime!

The patio and margarita pitchers make for a good time. I don't like the steak here - so now I stick to chicken. Tacos. Can't go wrong with tacos. read more

Absolutely amazing place! The food is outstanding and the customer service is the best! I just had a surprise party for my boyfriend there for about 25 people. The owner, Jose, was so accomodating and helpful! This is my absolute favorite mexican food restaurant! Thank you guys! read more

I ADORE THIS PLACE!!! Friends and i have been guests of this restaurant for many years because of their Mango Margaritas. They are delicious! The service is definetly a 3 out of a 5 when it comes to the waitresses but the owner normally deals with us personally and he is extremely personable! The food is good here as well but the best part is the outdoor oatio seating. It is great for a nice warm evening with music and cold margaritas outdoors. Why not the last star? The waitresses just seem to be forced to do their jobs sometimes and i never really leave happy about their service. read more

Good food. Great salsa - it's sweet and homemade. Love the steak tacos and enchiladas. Fish tacos were meh, even though it seems that the Trib wrote them up a few years back. Margaritas are made nicely, not too sour, not too sweet. Servers are usually friendly, but not overly helpful - or maybe knowledgeable - last time we went, she seemed to struggle understanding what we were asking about. Overall, love this place because I used to live in the hood and it was walking distance home. Solid tequila list too. ;-) read more

I wish the food was as good as the service. I had the chicken chimichanga burrito and it was filled with cubed dark meat and cubed pieces of pure fat (gross) and one wad of melted cheese stuck to the top on the inside. It's turned me off from this place completely. read more

El Cid does not disappoint. I like the green sauce, I like the margaritas, and I like the vibe. I've never had bad service and the food is always exactly what I expect it to be. It's also never been particularly crowded when I go, which I like. read more

I've been here a few times now, their food and drinks are sub par - good - not spectacular.... But to be quite honest its the atmosphere on the second floor and the kind hospitality that keeps me coming back - they've got a great staff. read more

Very nice restaurant! The food is great, awesome margaritas (and pretty cheap with the $28 pitcher) and nice service! The patio on the back is very quiet and comfortable! The cooks hadn't seen our order and when the waitress realized it after 30-40min she came on her own initiative with a free pitcher of margarita to apologize for the extra delay..we hadn't even complained!! read more

I love this place. the food is gorgeous and I'd recommend anyone to try this spot out. In fact, I've recommended my friends from Britain who have visited Chicago to go there and everyone has said the same thing. food is just amazing and the ambience is fab for a date or a catch up with a couple of friends. read more

Our server was fantastic and made broccoli as a side for my guest, the food was delicious, the the surroundings were quiet enough to enjoy one's company and conversation. Though we did not have any drinks, I would bet they would be awesome! Nice location in logan square and very decent portions for price making it a great value. Happy to go again! Thank you kindly! read more

Damn good chicken burrito with Red Sauce. The server was super chill and a nice guy. I would've liked my margarita stronger, but that's just me lol. I'll definitely go back. read more

I expected much better in Logan Square than this. Food was very average, meaning nothing special and I would not come back. Guacamole and salsa were possibly the worst I've ever had. Tacos (and yes, I've been to Mexico and had real tacos) were not impressive at all. Too bad because their patio is pretty cool. read more

Two stars because the food is always great and I'm glad to see two familiar waitresses that have been there for so long and are still there. Glad they didn't go away with the old menu and old prices. I get it the neighborhood has changed and you gotta go with the changes but some of the items prices have gone through extreme price changes. I also get that prices in their ingredients go up so they have to charge extra. Totally get it but some of their dishes have gone up about $10 more than before. And not just over time but rather, over night. This used to be my go to spot with my friends then later with my husband and son until they changed their prices. Now it's only when I'm really in the mood for a shrimp cocktail or a sope. Otherwise, we have another great Mexican restaurant that we frequent now because their prices are very reasonable and have daily specials and it's just down the street. Living between two great Mexican restaurants, we're gonna go to the more affordable one always. So sad that they went down that expensive route. Doesn't seem that bad if it's new to you but for a regular since day one, it's definitely bad. read more

excellent service, the server sold us on everything with little effort. Awesome patio, great food. Everyone should go here, it's my local mexican place, and I couldn't ask for more. Upstairs is gorgeous, downstairs is more for everyday dining, back patio is perfect for summer lounging, drinks and food. Great, fast margaritas, try the organic ones, they are out of this world, which is also where you'll be headed because they are strong as hell. read more

One of my favorite veggie burritos in Chicago! El Cid is always clean, the staff are friendly, and the food is delicious. Not sure why this branch is a thousand times better than the one down the street on Milwaukee, but I will not complain about near-perfection. Margaritas get you drunk. read more

Absolutely love their fish tacos!!!! Can't wait for the weather to get nicer to dine out in the back patio:)

I've passed by El Cid 2 a few times on my way back & forth so one night I got a craving for some Mexican food and beer so I decided to stop in and give the place a shot. It was a Tuesday night; the place was fairly empty there were 3 college students sitting at the bar and another guy at a table. The waitress was pretty quick to take my order and I just waited for it to come up. The Kitchen at El Cid 2 is pretty much right in back of the bar area so you can see all the food being handled and cooked. I ordered Tacos that night and saw the food being cooked to order which was pretty nice. The food didn't blow my taste buds away but hey they are Tacos and I felt I got a decent amount of food for the money. However I can't in good conscience give this place more than 3 stars due to the other food that was prepared in front of me. There were a number of Main Dishes and Sides that were simply tossed into a Microwave and warmed up then handed off to customers to eat. I understand that this is pretty common place in the restaurant industry but most of these types of things happen in a backroom away from customers prying eyes. And while the practice of making food ahead for customers and keeping things refrigerated then heating them up works great for something that takes hours and hours of prep-work, it's just laziness to grab a frozen/refrigerated burrito and toss it in the microwave. If I had ordered anything more complex than Taco's I know I would've recieved a pre-made reheated something or other and I would've walked out feeling somewhat ripped off. read more

We go here once a month. At least. I love the platano enchiladas with green tomatillo sauce. My boyfriend always gets the steak. Consistently great food. Service is exceptional on the weekend. We went once during the week and were ignored but we've always had a Great fine besides that ONE incident. The a symmetrical hair cut waitress (fabulous cut) is our fav!!!! read more

On Nov. 2, 2012, I called El Cid and ordered eight items and at the end of all this I added, "and an order of chips." This hopefully seemed logical enough, as two of the items in my order were pico de gallo and refried beans, which are difficult to enjoy without chips. I then went to the restaurant, paid (with tip) and collected the items. The woman who rang me out was the same woman I ordered from; the receipt specifies that her name is CARMEN. When I got home, my wife and I went through the order and the chips weren't there. This was an understandable omission, so I returned to El Cid and told Carmen, "I was in here before; I didn't get the chips," thinking she'd just give me a bag of chips and I'd be on my way. Instead she started haranguing me that I hadn't ordered chips before. She asked for my name and excitedly started searching around for the receipt from my order, which she was going to show me to prove to me, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I did not order chips; that there is no way the word "chips" came out of my mouth when I spoke to her via phone earlier in the evening, and so, thus, chips would not be going into my mouth - at least not on her watch. It was hard to get her to even stop this to allow me to simply re-order a bag of chips and pay two dollars for them. And even then, she couldn't just get me a bag of chips and hand them to me; she had to follow the formal chip ordering procedure. This had to go through the computer and the bag of chips had to be placed in another bag with more salsa and plastic forks and spoons and napkins. I understand that she just didn't hear me when I ordered chips before; that a waitress deals with a lot of requests in the course of a night and it's hard to get them all right. I get that. But it was absolutely beyond this woman to just hand a customer a paper bag filled with chips as a make-good. I've eaten at El Cid hundreds of times in the last 11 years. The place has improved in a lot of ways in that time; in some ways remarkably. But you want to know what will never improve at El Cid? The service. It's always going to be completely unpredictable and sometimes pretty poor. You know at a lot of Mexican restaurants they will just give you chips as complementary with a to-go order. read more

bad bad tacos, so greasy and just ur typical fast food taco joint! My son's couldn't even eat the quesadillas they ordered because there were dripping in oil..........YUCK!! read more

I loved their food. I got plantain enchiladas and my friend got a giant burrito. They have a beautiful patio. Also you can get a big pitcher of margaritas to split, which is always nice when sitting on a patio. The service was good- nice waitress. Overall a very lovely experience! read more

Such an underrated presence in Logan! Great (tucked away) patio seating space which is ideal for summer, super friendly/attentive service, reasonably priced as they come, AND the food is delicious. The guac is dank as heck and the vegetarian burrito is honestly insane. Oh and ridiculously good chips and salsa right when you sit down. Seriously, if you're debating where to have dinner right now, then stop and go to El Cid. I'm really just thinking about that burrito now...damn. Miss her. read more

perfect place for after work drinks and food. who doesn't love Mexican?!? i mean come on, margaritas on a patio? that's what i dream of all winter long!!! my friend ordered a burrito that was entirely covered in cheese. that wonderful white melty Mexican cheese. lordy. they have tons of veggie options and you can order ala carte! read more

great place to have an inexpensive burrito or a moderatly priced seafood fajita. the decor is cute and the margaritas are good. and its in walking distance from my place. love it. read more

I have been going here for 3 + years now and never again. Ordered a large Menudo and the bowl was the size of a small...when I asked about it the girl states that it is the large and it has been like that for a year now. I let it go but in the end of the meal I was really dissatisfied with the dollar amount for a bowl that is not large by any means. When leaving we stopped off at the kitchen and wanted to see the size of the small bowl out of curiosity. (not much bigger then what they serve salsa in) The waitress at this point was walking into the restaurant and questioned us with an attitude and wanted to know if we would like to speak with the owner who was not even around. And don't be fooled by the Thursday sidewalk sign special on draft beer...who runs out of numerous brands of draft beer @ 6pm? If you do please take your sign down... read more

I am a vegan so it is difficult to find good food at restaurants sometimes. This place has great avocado, guacamole and potato tacos. Service is excellent as well. read more

I really wanted to like this place, but the food was just nothing special. The flavors were pretty bland, I was disappointed. I guess I need to go back, judging from some of the other reviews. I have not sat in the patio - I will give that a shot. There was something I liked about the 5 seat diner bar. Though with the family atmosphere, I could hardly see my self getting any good drinking done here. I'll check back after trying it a few more times. read more