LOVE this place, it really is an OG. The margs are dangerously good. Be prepared to spend a bit.

It's been years! I'd joe still around. His birthday same as mine it was my go to for margaritas.

Charged $7.50 for chips and salsa- serving size for the chips equals a small soup bowl. Enough said. Oh, wait the portion size of a single burrito and single enchiladas are a joke as well! TB here we come! Coming from SOCAL this would be grounds to shut down and leave. read more

The absolute worst most undrinkable $16 margarita I've ever had. WAY overpriced food too. All the steak dishes say "Market Price" including the tacos. Like what??? This place is a hole in the wall. Sorry but I won't be coming back ever. read more

Omg good I don't care what anybody else says . The chicken burrito is the best chicken burrito I ever had . The chicken in burrito is very moist. Usually the burritos I have had other places were very dry not here . The service was fast I wouldn't mind if wasn't because it takes time to cook fresh food . I Like that I didn't feel rushed while I was eating . Hands down the black margarita is very good and strong I was tipsy after the first two sips . Enjoyed every bite read more

A couple of friends and I came here after the Chicago pride festival. It was pretty empty when we came in, but it started raining, so the place filled up quickly with other pride-goers trying to avoid the rain. A dance floor happened as a result, and the music they played was decent. Although it was a fun atmosphere, the service was not very good. It took a long time to order or get anything, even though we only got drinks. Also, I got a Miller Lite beer on draft, but it was DEFINITELY not Miller Lite (believe me, I would know). It tasted so off and I didn't feel good afterwards, so it might've been Miller Lite that went bad. read more

El Jardin - Miller Lite that definitely did not taste like Miller Lite - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Save yourself the aggravation and skip. Food was bland and they managed to screw up nachos. Mine were too salty. A first. Not even good if you're drunk. Tacos were bland. Seasoning is available in Chicago. read more

El Jardin was great! Great fun atmosphere and great service. They are generous with the tortilla chips and salsa. I got a frozen strawberry margarita and it was delicious. I also got and would highly recommend the Tacos de Tilapia. The fish was delicious and the tortillas were soft and flavorful! It also has a great location! read more

Seven of my family ate here last weekend of March. One person sent food back to the kitchen & and consequently felt ill after getting it back and eating it. read more

The food is greasy, it actually taste like everything is from a can or pre made and I don't mean in a fresh way chips have a weird taste like old oil and everything has cheese in it , And you know what they say "if it's taste bad just throw cheese on it" read more

Slowest service ever it's actually unbelievable. Waiter constantly passing us by and have been here for over three hours while he looks at our table and doesn't help. read more

I love every single person who works here. Best margarita you will EVER have. Friendliest staff you will EVER meet. I love Russ!! Please ask for him if you ever visit. El jardin forever read more

Good service but the food is way overpriced for what you get. It's probably a 30% markup on a typical Mexican restaurant. Food is ok but $19 for a mediocre burrito is just too much. read more

We came to this Mexican gem after hearing of the super strong margaritas. It actually has a nice back patio area that really makes the restaurant feel authentic. Naturally, we ordered the famous margarita, and my friends were right. Or maybe it's because I had two.. The salsa is pretty spicy here and the guac is per usual- delicious. I ordered the pollo dish, which is basically grilled chicken with some sort of Mexican sauce. It was a huge portion so very filling. Nothing amazing about this dish, but not bad chicken either. Insider tip: pay cash and you'll get free tequila shots! Also don't order the black margaritas (an off menu mystery drink)...the normal famous one is enough. read more

El Jardin - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great service, great food, and great vibes! Couldn't recommend this place more! The enchiladas are fabulous.

One of my favorite Mexican spots in Chicago. It's very authentic, from the food to the atmosphere. This is a great place during the week for a quick bite or a whole Saturday of drinking in Wrigley. The carne asada, chips and guacamole, and salsa are all a hit!!! read more

Such a great dinner!!!! We came here for margaritas and dinner last weekend and i will be returning often! Drinks were giant and delicious, service was quick and the food was amazing!!!! read more

El Jardin - Carne Asada, Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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El Jardin was a nice restaurant with a good amount of enticing offerings. Unfortunately, I recently went on an all fermented dairy diet. So I just got an a la carte bowl of sour cream. It was scrumptious! Highly recommend this place and they were friendly about my unconventional order :-) read more

I'm so happy (and astonished) to find this still here, after so many years and after such a bizarre transformation of the stretch of Clark Street around the ball park. After all the ugly glitz across from Wrigley Field and then the strange blocks of Christmas decorations on steroids just south of it, it is a huge relief to step into this old standard and order a margarita or two. The staff are polite and don't pressure you into ordering food before you're ready, which in my case was a couple of hours. (Queso fundido.) read more

Went for dinner with another couple. Started off with margaritas which were just ok which was disappointing based on the storied history of this place. Split the three taco entree which was full of flavor all around. The other couple ordered the Carne Asada which they could not express enough positive comments for. Wait staff was very responsive and professional. Restrooms can use some attention. read more

Went here with some friends before a show at MCL. The margaritas are perfect. By this I mean not too sugary and sufficiently strong. The food was not as good. It lacked flavor and, unusually for a Mexican restaurant, was insufficiently filling. Fortunately, the salsa is good/spicy and a sufficient amount is available to season the food. We ordered the special combination and the cheese enchiladas. Except as noted, they were good. The service here is good and the primary reason to go here is to drink. That reason is good enough and I will be back. read more

El Jardin - Special Combo. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Happened again for the second time. I ordered two enchilada dinners: one in tomato sauce and one in mole sauce. Got two identical dinners in tomato sauce. So I will have no dinner tonight. My husband's the tomato guy. They refunded for the missed mole dinner, but now I have a full dinner of tomato enchiladas I will not eat. This is so wasteful. I will give them one more try and if they screw up again, I'll be done with them. read more

El Jardin - 2 tomato enchilada dinners - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The $17 margarita was awful. I ordered a $19 veggie burrito. It looked like the chef took a microwaveable bag of steamed Carrots, Cauliflower, and Broccoli and put it in the tortilla and top with a deli slice of cheese. The bill was $80 and it ruined our night and made us feel so defeated we just went home. We didn't even go to the cubs game. I'm still so mad. $40 for 2 crappy drinks. I wanted to warn people around me to leave. Worst food I've had in Chicago and I live here. read more

What a shame!!! Have lived in this neighborhood for 15+ years. Not a regulator at El Jardin but thought we'd give it a try tonight. Beautiful night outside. The staff of 10+ with less than 3 tables outside (or the whole place) never even greeted us or offered us water and never asked for orders. We will never be back and hope a better establishment will take over this space. If you don't want to work and make our neighborhood amazing, we can do better. Lakeview East deserves better! Bye! read more

Love this place! The food is great. Love their mole. Will be visiting again soon.

This place had awesome margaritas! Excited to see what the patio is like in the summer ! read more

El Jardin - Enjoying some leap year margs! - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered a quesadilla and it was awful. Watered down drinks. Overpriced for the terrible quality

If you go there, get a delicious margarita! I usually get the Cadillac and it is so good! The service is great. Every time we go, the waiter always remembers who we are and is always super nice. Great atmosphere, yummy food and friendly service. read more

I've been coming here since I was 2 years old (so a few decades), and maybe it's part nostalgia yet this place holds a special place in my heart. The food is good old fashioned Mexican comfort food. And the drinks are well worth the price. The best part is the family ownership and management. Gloria is amazing and her family and employees are the best. They've treated us like family over the years and now all our friends enjoy EJ as well. It's a special meet up spot for us and now our kids. Of course we'll be back soon. And on the patio for the summer! read more

Hard to believe that some people rave about this place. Were we at the same restaurant? El Jardin is average at best. The margaritas were sickeningly sweet (I couldn't even drink one) and it tasted like sour mix. My friend even ordered an extra shot of tequila to pour into his to try to help but there was no noticeable change in taste. The entrees? Unremarkable. I had the El Jardin combination which was a beef taco, beef tostada and chicken burrito. While the two beef choices were pretty good- that chicken burrito was dry and had nothing in it other than shredded chicken wrapped in a tortilla. And the sour cream that came with them was hard. What the heck? The best part about this place looked to be the patio (thus the el jardin name)- but there was no room for us the night we were there so we sat looking longingly at the people outside. I guess the location will keep this place going. But in my book- there are tons of places that do good Mexican in Chicago. This just isn't one of them. read more

Another Mexican restaurant! This is my Lakeview based friends 2nd favorite spot. They have the advantage of being open for lunch on a Monday which is when I ate there. The space was spacious especially since our early lunch meant that only a couple of other tables were occupied. Since this was really my breakfast, I was happy to see huevos rancheros on the menu. My friends ordered tacos and menudo...but the menudo wasn't ready yet for the day. So the chicken soup had to do. My huevos was delicious... a perfectly poached egg on a tortilla with my choice of red sauce. I liked that it seemed very family run and the price point was excellent. read more

Absolutely amazing !!!! The customer service could not have been better. I've truly never had better service. The owners are the most gracious people will be coming back all the time. read more

I used to go here all the time in the late 80's, the first time I lived in Chicago. I don't remember it all that well . . . maybe 'cos of the margaritas? I went here again last week. Took one sip of a margarita, and the flashbacks began. Wowwwwww, yeahhh, I remember this place. The food then, was . . . forgettable. Maybe because of the aforementioned margaritas. The margaritas NOW are . . . forgettable . . . just not that good anymore. Or, maybe they never were and I was just young and impressionable? But the food NOW is Mmmmmmmm. I had steak tacos which were delicious. Really tasty. What really stood out, and what I snuck many bites of was my SevenStar companion's Carne Asada entree. Oh yes, meat lovers unite! This was a giant chunk of well prepared (not well done, my friends, no, let's not murder that meat), well seasoned BEEF. It was perfect. And kudos to 7star for putting up with my "Ohhhh, and I remember something else about a time I came here . . ." And the brain cells are waking up, thank goodness. I've come back here since and stuck to the delicious food and a Corona or two. The outdoor patio is nice, now that it is open. Take the Corona . . . leave the margarita. read more

Service is great, food is alright, good place for a marg tho. They have a nice large patio.

El Jardin's...I guess I kind of forgot about this place but they do carry some tasty mexican food. Service is friendly and the atmosphere is festive. Love the outdoor patio. During slower times they'll even pass out complimentary tequila shots...can't beat that! Haven't been to El Jardin in awhile but I will definitely have to make an effort to go back...soon! read more

The pork super burrito was fantastic and great flavor! Wait staff was very kind and we're very nice about us coming in an hour before close when we didn't want to cook after a long work day. Portions were a little small but we were able to split a burrito between 2 comfortably. read more

This place is such a treat. The extensive list of margaritas is enough to keep you coming back. Consistently great tasting, fresh food every time I go in or have it delivered. The carne asada is my favorite and I have yet to find a place that does it better. Beware during baseball season, a limited menu is offered when games are going on due to the amount of people coming in. read more

Giving it two stars only because I feel bad. The service was good. The atmosphere was so-so. Don't know about the drinks as I was not partaking this particular evening. Here's what I do know...not a fan of salsa from a container that resembles IHOP syrup containers. Also not a fan of the food. I was here with a group of six. Not one single person had anything on their plate that I thought, wow that looks good. Seeing as I how I live for food - that basically NEVER happens. I always want what others are having. This time, I wanted what someone at a different restaurant all together was having. I had the steak fajitas. I would hardly call whatever meat this was steak. It was rubbery, chewy, fatty, lacked all flavor. The presentation wasn't at all appetizing. It came on a plate so it wasn't even sizzling. There was absolutely nothing that made this dish flavorful so I had to resort to dousing it with the syrup salsa. My boyfriend had the $14 steak burrito. Goo! $14 for this?! If I want a massive burrito I could just as well get one as big as my head from La Bamba and be just as satisfied for a half of the cost. With that said, I hope you are getting the picture. This would work more for drunken Mexican food. Lesson learned. Maybe the margaritas are worth the trip, but the food definitely wasn't. read more

Le Jardin is the best place to be, a place to eat warm and good food. The environment is beautiful and warm. Good job guys!!

Mike, the bartender, was awesome! He was incredibly helpful and also made us feel at home. Salsa was a little spicy (not too spicy) and had great flavor! Would recommend this place to everyone!!! read more