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    El Jefe Lena Y Mar

    3.7 (234 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, Mexican, Bars
    Closed 4:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Order El Jefe Lena Y Mar Takeout or Delivery

    El Jefe Lena Y Mar Photos

    EL JEFE LENA Y MAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Loud
    Casual
    Trendy

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    Strawberry margarita
    Katie N.

    My friend found a brunch event here and got a group together. For the event there were tickets to purchase ahead of time. There was a line outside when we arrived. As with other types of shows, there is a food and drink minimum. Although it was called a brunch, definitely more of a lunch vibe. I went with the chicken quesadillas and large portion size. For my friends that ordered the tacos, seemed like small portions. I had a house and strawberry margarita. Definitely go for strawberry as it has chopped up fresh strawberries. The house had too much mix. One check per table at these types of events. Gratuity included for parties. Bring singles to tip the performers!

    Birria tacos
    Leo H.

    Stopped by for tacos and a drink Nice place service was ok but the food and drinks are good..

    Quesabirrias
    Debra F.

    I visited this establishment yesterday for my granddaughter's birthday and I was surprised by how the food was. Very tasty and delicious! I had the quesobirrias tacos and they were excellent. The atmosphere was great but the music was a little too loud! You couldn't make dinner conversation with the person next to you. I will be back again.

    Joan N.

    Average food, some cute decor. Doesn't live up to the hype. I was a little disappointed in my mocktail and chopped salad.

    Raul M.

    This place was impressive as soon as we walked in. We definitely enjoyed the ambiance, food and drinks! Our server Allen was on point, definitely doing his part to make sure we had a good time. We came to celebrate my sister's birthday with a party of 10 and enjoyed it. I did think their Ribeye steak dinner was a bit over priced for a 12 ounce steak ($50) picture below. I didn't like that they charge you a Rest Surcharge after paying premium prices for food and beverages. Hope to visit this place again when my daughter come back in town.

    Platanos Flameados
    Susan E.

    Finally tried El Jefe on a Sunday evening for dinner. Festive ambiance, wood fire roasted meats, delicious cocktail and unique dessert. Looking forward to trying more dishes next time! A new favorite spot in Aurora.

    Birria Quesatacos, Camaron Gobernador Taco, Pinche Asada Tacos
    Amanda S.

    Visited here with friends after seeing this restaurant on tik tok. Honestly, it was pretty average food - a little too average considering I drove to Aurora from the city. First, the host appeared to be stressed or annoyed when we arrived for our reservation. We were a group of 6 and requested indoor seating, and we were asked to wait because she had to figure out where to seat us because they had another large party coming in. My question is - why ask and offer indoor seating if it was going to be such a strain? I really didn't care for that. Once we were seated our server greeted us. He was fine and doing his job as best as he could, however I will say I noticed many of the servers did not speak English fluently - which made ordering a challenge at times. It was taco Tuesday, so they had select tacos for $5 each - kinda steep but that's the cost of dining these days unfortunately. The tacos were okay, not anything special. The nachos and elote unfortunately were not good at all. The nachos lacked flavor, and the elote was not an elote at all - like where is the mayo? It was literally corn and cheese that's it. Maybe we went on an off day but this place is just so so.

    Roberto H.

    Food was excellent and the atmosphere was great, our server was great and we were able to have a great time

    Bulliet and coke
    Shinette M.

    I visited this restaurant on Friday for the first time for a birthday party. The ambiance was great..an feel good vibe. Our waitress had a great personality and positive energy. Most of the food was delicious and cooked well. One distaste was the shrimp and cheese wrapped in bacon..my cousin said it tasty porky and not appetizing. She sent the entire dish back after one bite..she did still pay for it. Two things that could be improved...we had a party of about 20 with only one waitress therefore it took longer to get things like our tortillas...our food was cool or finished by the time it arrived and second thing...allowing at least 2 people to pay. After party of 6 they only take one payment. Overall great experience and I'd visit again.

    John M.

    Went on a Saturday night. I made reservations for 545pm and were seated immediately by a very friendly staff. The interior is very colorful and you can feel the vibe . Live music on weekends. Their menu is huge. They cook most of their entrees on a wood burning grill which gives it that good smokey char flavor. We started with cocktails. They offer specialty cocktails,margaritas,tequila and beers. Modestly prices and delicious. Since there were 4 of us,we decided to share the A La Lena which included their woodfired chicken,carnitas,shrimp,chorizo and arrachera. Served with grilled vegetables and roasted potatoes. Everything was flavorful,not over cooked and enough for everyone. It comes with sides of white rice,beans,street corn and salsa. I wish they would have given bigger portions of the sides . Since we were celebrating a birthday,we ordered the birthday cake that was amazing. Fresh fruit and caramel sauce topped the homemade cake along with cotton candy and a sparkler. Definitely worth it! I would have given El Jefe 5 stars but the music was so loud,you could not have a conversation with the person sitting next to you. If you want 5 star food in a fun atmosphere but don't mind the loudusic,El Jefe is the place to go.

    3 types of seasonal Guacamole
    Amita G.

    We recently visited El Jefe for dinner last night and I had a great night! We ordered oysters for appetizers and it was one of the best oyster's I ever had! Truly amazing. Definitely recommend! For the main course we got 4 dishes - octopus, salmon, cheese mushroom quesadilla and shrimps. Out of that the vegetarian entree was decent. Octopus was a little over cooked but tasty. The best were the shrimps followed by salmon. Overall I loved the food and the vibe of the place. Service wise we didn't have good experience. Our server forgot the "free" table nachos that they give when seated. We needed to remind her twice. After she messed up one of the enter dishes. The only con I would say that it's not recommended for small kids. They have live DJ music and was a bit Loud for the kids. If you are looking for a fun Friday Saturday night and don't want to go to the city, this is the place to visit!

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    3 months ago

    Food was excellent, service was great,love this place will come back, ambiance was nice there's a Dj too

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    1 year ago

    Muy rica la comida y el sitio muy acogedor y agradable además la atención muy buena!!!!

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    8 months ago

    Great food, amazing service Angel our server was such a pleasure and keeps us coming back for more.

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    Are the Quesa Birrias tacos available daily?

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    Taqueria La Sierra

    Taqueria La Sierra

    4.2(44 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $

    Visited La Sierra on January 30, 2026, for breakfast with my fellow foodie and dear friend after…read morereceiving a recommendation for this restaurant from my wife. La Sierra was approximately a 35-minute drive from our home in the western suburbs. We arrived at approximately 8:30 AM. As we drove up my wingman John commented that he would not have come into this neighborhood or restaurant if I was not with him. Yes, the neighborhood was a bit rough (I grew up in Pilsen in the 1960's) but to me it felt like home in Chicago. We walked in and were warmly greeted by the hostess and waitress and told to sit-down anywhere we wanted. We chose a booth in the second room of the restaurant; the walls were covered with photos of Mexico and the smell coming from the kitchen was heaven. Our waitress quickly approached us for our drink order, she mentioned that they had Cafe de la Olla (made with piloncillo-unrefined whole cane sugar from Latin America, and cinnamon sticks) which we both ordered. The coffee arrived in a colorful Mexican traditional mug (just the way my mother used to make me). It was delicious! We then ordered our breakfast, which was Mexican Chilaquiles (a traditional, comforting breakfast dish consisting of crispy tortilla chips simmered in red or green salsa until slightly softened) with eggs, meat & refired beans. We were both in "Heaven", the tortilla chips were perfectly cooked with just enough "Crisp" to them. Just the way my mother used to make me on a weekend morning. My wingman & I both agreed that we will be returning and bringing our fellow foodies with us to try the other dishes offered!

    At first I wasn't sure if this place was even open as all the reviews I saw on Yelp and google…read moreappeared to be several years old. There was a line when we got there (around noon) which I feel is usually a sign of tasty food. The tortilla chips were so yummy with a flavorful seasoning and delicious salsa. The service was quick and the food was great. While the interior leaves something to be desired, everything seemed clean and the food was great!

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    Tacos Al pastor

    Juquilita Tacos - tlayudas

    Juquilita Tacos

    4.4(183 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $

    Found this little hole in the wall on Christmas Eve because the place we planned on going to was…read moreclosed for the holiday. Sometimes things are just meant to be! The parking looks awful until you spy the public lot just one storefront away. The interior is simple, which I prefer. Some cute knickknacks but not too much. The menu is the traditional Mexican fare, tacos, burritos, fajitas, plates, etc. Everyone should be able to find something to please them. The waitress was so sweet and helpful. They were doing a lot of take out orders and had my party and another couple dining in. She did great making sure we all had what we needed. We all started talking to one another so felt like dinner with a bunch of friends. My friends had the steak tacos and the Americano plate. Both really liked their items. The tacos were well filled and the meat tender and juicy. The plate had lots of steak on it as well as rice, beans, tortillas, etc. The sauce was a tad spicy but not overpowering for my non-spice liking friend. The star of the night was the Crazy Burrito. Massive burrito filled with shrimp, steak, fries, rice, guac and more. And when I say massive, I mean MASSIVE. Everything inside somehow all went together incredibly well. But each bite was different depending on what the ratio of the items was. Probably 1 of the top 3 burritos I've ever had. The steak, meat and shrimp were all perfectly cooked. Will definitely go back next time in Chicago.

    Very disappointing getting what tasted like 2 day old meat. I'd be willing to give this place…read moreanother try if it were free.

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    El Jefe Lena Y Mar - seafood - Updated May 2026

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