#23/2024 El Cortez Once a great spot yrs ago at its original location bringing many to Blue Island IL and it's only place However times change, neighborhoods change and they did not and closed. Was that it? No. They just moved further south about a 1/2 hr to Country Club Hills and restablished themselves They also had a older location in a very old building on Wolf Road in Orland Park Fast forward to 2024. Wolf Rd location been gone many yrs now relocated about 15 minutes south into Mokena. Reestablished themselves again CC Hills still remains. Now not located in a single building there in a strip mall at Mokena They have a little outdoor eating area but you're pretty much right there is traffic was just behind in front along the sidewalk of customers going to other buildings And it's been through its changes pretty much before and after covid. Some good some bad reviews reflect. Staffing can still be a little bit of an issue may have to wait a little bit depending on time of day and crowds. One thing that changed though for me is although it's probably been many many years until a couple of weeks ago till I returned for the first time and I returned again. The margaritas are still excellent. The food is still prepared fresh and very good as far as I'm concerned I originally came in with the folks about 2 weeks ago and had a strawberry daiquiri which was okay and a delicious carne asada. A little thinner skirt steak but the quality was good. However what dinners I give you french fries which was very unique they were very tasty. And tortillas also. Andrew usual garnish of lettuce tomato rice and beans. You have to ask for sour cream it's a little extra. Returning almost 2 weeks later passing through I decided it was Taco Tuesday let's hit it up again. I started with a large margarita 26 oz it was very good quality was good wasn't too strong but just right I also went with the three taco dinner and did two and one two corn one flour. They said that would be fine I did request no onions in the meat though they will do that by request. So the food came out and it was very good the beef was nice and fresh had little potato on it which was kind of made it unique but good. Lettuce and tomato I asked for some extra sour cream and also an extra order of refried beans cuz they're really good. Definitely will come back really enjoyed it again it's nice to know that their quality is back up to par. It was probably close to over 10 years ago when I was at the Old Wolf Road location and it was kind of hit and miss. But keep up the good work. Reviews here should be a little bit on Yelp as far as I'm concerned it was pretty crowded after dinner there when I left most people seem to be very much enjoying their food. read more

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Absolutely Insane. Ordered the Chicken quesadillas and there was a HUGE bone in it. Not happy. read more

El Cortez Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Mokena, Illinois

We had lunch special #2 burrito & #4 enchiladas. Highly don't recommend. Rice and beans were disgusting. Meat had no flavor. Very disappointing Chip n salsa were good and service was nice and clean! read more

El Cortez Mexican Restaurant - Bad food - Mexican Near Me - Mokena, Illinois

Went on a Tuesday night after work and a pitcher of margaritas was like $12. Came with salsa and it was good. I got the shrimp tacos and my girlfriend got the al pastor enchiladas. Both was pretty delicious. We enjoyed our meals and will definitely go back again. read more

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Before Covid, this place was great. Since then, this place has really gone down. The service is still good. The portions are significantly smaller. At this point, the only thing I'd order from there is tacos. read more

We're local to the area, we love the food! There is one bartender, Bella, who has ruined our experience every time we've gone there when she's working. Always on her phone talking or texting, disappears with her phone, constantly touching her hair and then touches glasses & straws when making drinks, playing music loudly on a portable speaker. We have to consistently ask for another drink, menu and then ask her to take our order, and have seen other customers at the bar complaining about the same poor service. She's a terrible bartender and we do not care to come here when she's working. All of the other servers and bartenders are AMAZING!! read more

We ordered carry out on Oct 3rd. My husband ordered the Steak Burrito Supreme Dinner. They forget the rice and beans and the burrito had no flavor at all. I ordered the shredded beef Chimichanga which was very good. We also got the chips and salsa which was always delicious in the past but this time the salsa had no flavor. I think they have gone down hill especially for the price you have to pay. read more

Brought the whole family out for dinner. Service was terrible. And food was terrible. How can you go wrong with fajitas.

Food was good. Chips and salsa were excellent. Beef and steak tacos were very good too. Definitely recommend.

We were at the Mokena location last night, chicken tostada tasted like fish, food was ice cold, service was slow, unfriendly and unattentive. We had a party of 12, very disappointed. There are many other restaurants to frequent in the area much better, don't waste your time and money. read more

Food is consistently good and so is the customer service; I would highly recommend eating here or take out

Wow. Here 7-13 at 5pm. Manager was a terrible and wouldn't give their name. They missed 2 of my orders in a $179 meal. What did they do? Nothing. No surprise they are 3 stars. It's a shame because I used to love This place read more

I had a great experience at this restaurant. The staff was amazing and so friendly. The food was the best, and the atmosphere was spot on for a Mexican restaurant. We got to wear sombreros, which my kids loved. The place is very nicely decorated with beautiful paintings on walls. We will definitely be back:) read more

Food and service has gone down! Used to be one of my favorites growing up. Very (very) rude older women working the front desk at Mokena. I have had multiple issues with food orders. Costumer service is number one.... And as the cost of everything has went up it wouldn't hurt to soften the dining experience but making sure employees were just decent. I wish I had gotten her name, it was so upsetting as I had to drive out of my way to come back to get food because my first experience the gave me the wrong thing.... read more

Avoid this place, We went there for Brunch and the service was poor, the food was cold, and don't ask for extra chips there's a charge for $3.68. The Guacamole dip is $17.00 but not enough chips to eat it with, Onions, Tomatoes are extra. When asked why they said read the fine print- Takw it or leave attitude. The manager said we have been doing this for 45years. I told them they have been over charging, and robbing people for 45 years is sad. The food was cold, no season, no flavor it was all bland. Found out that they have poker machines here so our money is in that Managers response. I give this place ZERO STARS IF I COULD. read more

This place is nasty, the food is cold. The people that work there are cracked the f out., and they're miserable food stinks go to Taco Bell's way better then this toilet place read more

Great Margaritas, staff friendly and very accommodating, food always good, salsa out of this world!

Very disappointed with the last few times I was here. Tonight i ordered tacos with corn tortillas. They came with flour. I expected the waitress to replace it but she didn't even offer. My daughter, who is a picky eater, ordered plain quesadillas. The cane with guacamole and sour cream on top. I had to request that they be replaced. Service used to be outstanding here but not anymore. read more

The food was okay but not like going in Pilsen area of Chicago. Chips and salsa was good along with the Guacamole. I feel bad to give any place a low score! The place is very loud and hard to hear each other. Service was good and the staff was friendly. I will give it another try to see if it was an off night. read more

It's not worth it, there are better Mexican restaurants out there for the same price. I can cook better & I have no knowledge of Mexican cooking. Taste was very dull. Service was so slow. read more

I get that today is Cinco De Mayo but there is no reason to charge your customers full price if you don't plan on giving then what they pay for. Our tacos where completely without meat. Truly unacceptable and a rip off. read more

El Cortez Mexican Restaurant - No meat!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Mokena, Illinois

OMG Bella is the best!! She makes the B E S T Margaritas!!! Super attentive and a great all around server!! This is a must stop for awesome food and the BEST bartender!! read more

El Cortez Mexican Restaurant - a woman behind the bar - Mexican Near Me - Mokena, Illinois

1st the food, it was excellent, best queso fundido I've had in a long time. Service was attentive and the cost was reasonable. We will return. read more

Ordered delivery. Delivered hot and on time. The shrimp dinner was a little too spicy for me, but it's my first time eating from El Cortez. Other than that, the food was pretty good. The soup broth could use a little more flavor. read more

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Don't really need to come back here again. Food is ok, margaritas are ok... they charge extra for chips... way over priced for what you get. For Mexican food, Pepe's (at 159th Oak Park Ave) is much much better than this place. read more

This is my favorite restaurant of all time and has been for well over 10 years. They have the best chips and salsa in the entire world, delicious mini burritos and we love the fajitas. Chicken botana is also amazing. Their rice is my favorite. It is very affordable and reasonable. We have had many birthdays, anniversaries, and more at El Cortez. Some of my family has moved out of state and when you ask what they miss- it's El Cortez!!! Service is super fast, catering options are incredible. I will come here forever!!! read more

Been coming here for many many years and I have never been disappointed. Food is great, service is always great. The outside patio is just perfect! Drink specials daily read more

ANOTHER GREAT FRIDAY NIGHT!! For years, My wife and I have a standing date every Friday night to sit at the bar and hang out with the regulars. Bella makes sure that we not only have a great time but we also get the best handmade margaritas on the south side!! The menu offers so many different options and everything is so tasty. Seeing the same "BAR PATRONS" weekly tells you that El Cortez and Bella are doing it right!! read more

Are waitress Nancy , did a very good job. The food was average sauce and chips were good , margaritas was watered down and not thick whatever the tequila they used was not good at all for a pitcher at 28. 00 u can use a better grade ! Would not go back , sorry ! read more

Food was decent, nothing to write home about! But I'd go back. They have lunch specials. Bartender was just ok. Margarita was just ok.

Food was nothing special. Other places around are much better. My biggest issue is when I asked for green salsa for my burrito I was brought a store bought bottle of green chili hot sauce and if I wanted something else which sounds like the sauce I was looking for there would be an extra charge but it came warm. I've never had this told to me before anywhere else. Also the service was poor. read more

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El Cortez is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. Their chips and salsa are phenomenal. The tostada dinner is my go-to. I also love the cooks especial and the ceviche tostada and the chili relleños. And on fiesta Fridays, they have their jumbo margaritas on special and they are delish! read more

Can you say winner winner chicken dinner. Probably one of the best Mexican restaurants in the area. It was Sunday evening about 7:00 p.m. and me and my sister ordered chicken wings and two steak taco dinners to go. The steak was tender and it had the right amount of seasoning. The steak, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes was so plentiful I truly needed two corn tortillas per taco to keep it all together. We ordered a side of guacamole and it was fresh - a home run, you could tell somebody was knocking it out the park in the kitchen. We also tried the chicken wings and they were cooked perfectly with just the right amount of sauce and spices. The steak dinner comes with refried beans, rice, chips and salsa. OMG the chips were crispy delicious and perfect for dipping in the refried beans or the salsa. When you order your food you see a bit into the kitchen it was nice to get a glimpse of them working their magic. I'm coming back to dine in to see what the restaurant looks like on the inside and to get the full experience. The prices were reasonable and the customer service was excellent. Pepe's you just lost a long time customer. read more

El Cortez Mexican Restaurant - Chicken wings - Mexican Near Me - Mokena, Illinois

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TLDR: very good food, but would absolutely not recommend this restaurant for catering or large orders. Ordered catering a few days ahead of time; nothing absolutely insane. Enough food for maybe 20-30 people. Asked for it to be ready at 6:00. Said it would be no problem. The restaurant even called the morning of the event to confirm it would be ready at 6:00. We get there at 6:00, and they hadn't even started making the food yet. Did not get the food until 7:00. It was a Saturday, and I understand food service is one of the most difficult industries to work in and I'm sure the staff was trying their best. But we ordered days ahead of time, and the restaurant confirmed the order the morning of. I suspect they were understaffed or that management did not communicate effectively to workers; if this is the case, shame on management for putting your workers in this position. Still paid full price, and the staff did not even so much as apologize for the inconvenience. Some of the people at our party went to Wendy's because we had no idea when the food would be ready. The food was very good, I will say that. Thank you to the workers who made the food. Would go back here for lunch or dinner for myself and maybe 1-2 other people, but will definitely not cater from them again. read more

Food was good. I ordered a chimichanga which should have been super hot out of the deep fryer. Instead it was lukewarm which makes me wonder if they are either made ahead of time and frozen or bought frozen. I expected a much better product. read more

El Cortez is in the same strip mall as Jenny's Southside Tap. It has a seating area, and a small but comfortable bar. It is a nice space and the staff is friendly and helpful. I ordered two tacos for carry out, steak and chicken. The steak was better than the chicken. The chicken was bland. I like a little pop with mexican food; I want roasted onion, jalapeno's, or a hit of serrano and some cumin. The flavor came through in steak taco. I would like to try El Cortez for dinner, but they need to find the seasoning. read more

My favorite food of all time is Mexican. The food at El Cortez is pretty good for the most part. Their chips are crispy, salsa has a great flavor and most of the traditional items are authentic. Except for the rice. It taste like that pre made bagged rice you get on the grocery shelf. Yuck! The biggest problem with this place and the reason why it's not my first choice to dine at it how badly they nickel & dime the crap out of you. Everything is extra. I ordered extra lettuce on my taco and there was an up charge. My friend ordered cilantro and lime on hers and there were 2 extra charges. Ridiculous! It shouldn't cost $8.00 for 1 taco. If you dine in, service is sketchy at times. You may get forgotten about. Update: Felt I was unfair with my original rating because the food is very good. read more

Very friendly & fast service. Food is very good. Always a good dining experience. Definitely on our list of places to go to.

I've been a fan of El Cortez for the last few years and the food and drinks never disappoint! The staff is always very nice and attentive. One of my personal favorite items are the steak mini burritos! They are great for kids, adults, and events. I've personally catered trays of food for family who came from out of town and everyone loved it. read more

I am a long time fan of El Cortez. I will agree with some of the reviews, this place is average. It's not bad, but it's not the best Mexican restaurant that I've visited. The salsa is pretty good as well as the margarita's. The sad part is that the margarita's are pre-made. Meaning their refrigerated in a 2 gallon bottle until their served. The decor is nice, but seats remind me of fast food burger joint. The service is average, but sometimes they could be slow and absent minded. El Cortez is worth a try. I'm a frequent customer, but that's only because their the closes authentic Mexican restaurant. Otherwise, I would go else where. read more