With dinner for two adults coming in under $25 (without drinks) on a Saturday night, the value of El Mexicano makes it very hard to beat. The service is always courteous but not pesky, which is how we like it. This most recent meal we arrived before 5pm to beat the rush, and I chose vegetable fajitas for less than $10 and enjoyed a generous platter of sauteed onions, green peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and tomatoes, accompanied by their standard side of rice-refried beans-lettuce along with a little guacamole. The complimentary salsa is fresh, smooth, and tasty and served with thin fried tortilla chips. The décor shows a little flair, with its feel of being on an outdoor patio on a peaceful evening in a Mexican village. Two long rows of high backed booths give diners a little privacy. We visit regularly and have never had a bad experience. Located near the Hilton Garden Inn, we often see guests making the short walk over for a satisfying meal. I am glad that visitors to our area have this option for dinner. I am surprised by the occasional lukewarm review, but to be fair, this place is straightforward and traditional Mexican and Tex-mex cuisine, in a cute and clean, but unpretentious setting, prepared fresh and consistently, and that's what we want when we visit. It's not some kind of trendy, fusion foodie experience that will change the way you think about Mexican food. read more

Great food and the staff is friendly. However, co-worker ordered take out, with a side of guacamole, that cost $3.00 for a very small portion. For the amount she was given, pretty much the size of a condiment cup, I thought it was pretty expensive. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Good food but not the best in the area. My wife and I eat here regularly because it's convenient and the service has always been good, in our experience. read more

I really like this place! It's one of the few places south of town and I come here a lot as I work in Kankakee and attend college half a minute away. I can't base my review on how authentic the food is as I've never really had true Mexican food and care more about how GOOD it is rather than the authenticity. The decor is really cute and the place (bathrooms included) is very clean. The staff is friendly and they give you free chips and salsa. I am all for free! I really like the lunch menu because you can get a huge meal for $6. I normally get the chicken chimichangas or the veggie quesadilla which is over-flowing with grilled vegetables and delicious cheese. My husband gets the fish tacos which are super good and have an awesome homemade sauce. All meals come with refried beans and Mexican rice. Get the guacamole too. The margaritas a yummy and very smooth. It's a good local place and it's always good to support the community you live in. :) read more

Food = gag Service = horrid Don't go here unless you like to eat salt for dinner and like your drinks pre made and super syrupy. read more

Always great here! Me and my husband come here about once a week. Great service and great food! Always a great experience. If you are looking for a quieter environment, this may not be the place. read more

Previous review was spot on with the decor. Perfect place to stop if you are headed down state (or back to Chicago) Right next door to the Walmart too. great free chips and salsa. Didn't get the advertised Margarita's, but they looked good and were inexpensive. Food was fast, cheap and tasty too. So if you want a quick bite to eat while taking a rest from the drive this is a great place to stop. read more

Went there yesterday (05/05/18) after my graduation from Olivet at around 5pm. They were out of lemonade and flan on a Saturday (and 5 de mayo weekend). Food was passable; nor great, but also not bad. read more

Great place to grab some Mexican cuisine. I decided to break away from my usual fajitas, burrito, or taco choices. I went with the SuperChanga! Service was great, I had a beer within a minute of my seating accompanied by the customary chips and salsa. Chips and salsa were good but I wouldn't get too excited over them as they seemed to be typical restaurant style chips and salsa. My food came out in a timely manner and I wasn't disappointed. The super changabis filled with green peppers, onions, tomatoes, steak, chicken, shrimp, wrapped up and crispy with melted cheese over the top. It wasn't a heavily seasoned dish which is a good thing. I love how the natural flavors mix to give a fresh and light flavor to a really big change! The veggies inside were lightly cooked and maintained that nice crunch and the meats were tender. The pico was a great addition as well. Rice was typical run of the mill rice. Beans were a little different than I usually experience at some restaurants, but really good. I would definitely recommend this place and this dish! read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

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The food was ok. The service was God awful. I don't live in the area but stayed at the hotel next door. I asked about the sampler appetizer he pointed at the picture and that was the response. No refills on our drink. The steak taco supreme was good. The nachos were not that great nor any of the dishes we ordered with the chicken as the chicken was very dry. It took over 20 minutes to get the check. I may be back if I'm in the area but would definitely take it to go read more

I've been here a handful of times. The drinks are what makes it worth coming. The food here is yummy and the quality is good. They have a vegetarian section on their menu however you will still want to watch for meat in your vegetarian dishes. After the kitchen "corrected" the food, it was sent back with little pieces of meat still in the dish. If you are a devout vegetarian, you will understand. In the end was not able to eat the meal that I paid for. read more

Located at 503 Riverstone Pkwy in Kankakee, IL 60901 this restaurant does not look like much from the outside but as your mother always said don't judge a book by its cover! The service left a little to be desired the night I went with my mom and sister but the food was great. The food arrived fast but we had to ask for the nachos to be warmed up and it was Dawn's birthday so we were supposed to receive Fried Ice cream but the waiter forgot. When I mentioned it at the time of checking out she just said sorry. Even given that experience, I would still eat here again. The decor is nice and festive and it was carried into the bathroom which was very clean as well. And if you like Margaritas this is the place to come! You can order their Big Mama margaritas which is 40 ozs! Their margaritas are delicious but Dawn decided to stick with the smaller more manageable size. They do not have a website but you can check out their menu here. Definitely worth trying if you're in the Kankakee area. read more

Food is average not a hundred percent authentic Mexican I really don't know what to say the service was good very friendly people but the food was not authentic Mexican read more

Kids brought me for early Mother's Day. The big Mama margaritas are fantastic except for the brain freeze. Lol I must confess it was soooo good I had to order an extra buretto to go for dinner. My only complaint is that service was a little slow. But.. the food was worth the wait. read more

This should be a 5 star but the service we got tonight was poor. I can't justify giving a bad review though considering we have at multiple times here and always get excellent service. Food was just okay this time too but usually it's great. An off night no doubt, everyone and every place has them! We will be back! read more

The service was not very good. Our waiter was pretty much nonexistent the entire time. And two of the orders were wrong. And when asked for it to be corrected, it was wrong the second time. I had the pollo cancun. It was just not good. read more

We came in on a Thursday night. The restaurant was hammered with several large groups. The smallest was 10, we had 21. They handled it really well, food was good. read more

Very good food! One of very few good restaurants in Iroquois & Kankakee Counties. Friendly staff, nice decor, clean! Order the Paella!! --- Enough for 2 meals, you won't want to share...so have it for lunch the following day! read more

Good, not great. Much better option than eating at the hotel if you're staying next door. Chips and salsa were better than expected- chips were fresh (although that could have just been luck) and I really liked the hot versus sweet profile of the salsa. I had the carnitas like I usually do at Mexican restaurants- really good with hot sauce, kind of bland without. Service was good. If I can make one suggestion to the establishment- add some draft beer to the bar. I was kind of disappointed that there was no Dos Equis on draft. read more

Stopped in for a quick bite on the way to Chicago. Definitely a good find!! Had the taco special, my favorite kind of tacos. (Cilantro and onions) good prices and perfect sized portions. read more

Great service.great food. Excellent prices. We had very good service and the food came very fast. We were in and out. Great Job El Mexicano

Food is pretty good. Good desserts. Prices are ok. Service too. Decor is nice enough. They need some acoustical dampening as the restaurant is echo-y. read more

Wow! Best Mexican I've had outside of the city, or Mexico! Good atmosphere. Good wait service. Margaritas good and strong. One was just enough for a hot sunny day. Not too strong. Shrimp fajitas were AMAZING.. read more

El Mexicano has become my favorite restaurant in the Bourbonnais area. My friend and I come here every time I am town. First off, you HAVE to try the Big Mama Margaritas (a 40 oz margarita that is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!). This is the number one reason why I come here. You only need to buy 1 drink and you are set. They are really, really good. Secondly, you get free chips and salsa. Their queso is very good as well. Their food isn't bad, but not the best Mexican I have ever had. I do keep coming back though, so it's not that bad! The service is great- we are always seated really fast, and we almost always have the same server. He's a sweetie and always treats us well. The prices are pretty cheap and you get you money's worth in my opinion. read more

Stopped on way down from chicago and had a great meal! Guac was awesome and enchiladas and tacos were great. Didnt get a chance to try the big mama margarita but it looked good :). read more

Our favorite place!! Everything is great from staff to food and don't forget the margaritas!! Yum!!

My favorite Mexican food ever. It's so good! Service is great too. I've only have the steak and shrimp fajitas and the fish tacos. Both are amazing. I've gone to every other Mexican food restaurant in the county and this is by far the best. Free chips and salsa is always a plus :)! I would go here any day, any time. read more

My husband and I love this restaurant! We always receive prompt courteous service! The food is great at reasonable prices! Highly recommend! read more

Never had a meal I didn't like. Street tacos are great and chimichangas are to die for. Margaritas are always good and big!

Great food. Awesome food tastes fantastic very very generous portions and it was reasonably priced. Really good restaurant I would recommend to almost anyone. read more

First time here. Food is good. Service is lousy. Slow kitchen and waiter is non existent. I would never go back.

This is a great place for some good Mexican food at an affordable price. My fiancée and I will often split a fajita and an order of nachos, but I've yet to find an item on the menu that I was not happy with and didn't think was worth it's price. read more

Drinks were amazing!!!!!food was OK but not on point . camaron a LA diabla was made out of tomato sauce and chiltepin ...and the chicken quesidilla was drenched in tomato sauce also...service was outstanding ,but the food was not to my Mexican standards read more

Went with family and had three grandchildren. Staff very kind and accommodating. Salsa and chips excellent. Entrees good. Margaritas are winners! read more

Best in town! Love their chicken chimichanga and guacamole! Always great service :) I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Food is great!! Nice atmosphere. Also packed around dinner time. My wife and I go here fairly often and always have good service. My wife always gets the fajitas and loves them. Good alcohol list too. Everyone is always polite and service is always fast. Food is always fresh and comes out HOT!! Give it a try you won't be sorry. read more

Sometimes the best restaurants are in the worst locations. This isn't the best Mexican restaurant in the world but it is the best in the area, and the service is good and friendly and the price is right. I especially like the hand made furniture and the spotlessly clean restrooms. A definite recommend. read more

This place has a goofy name...and its in a non-impressive strip-mall location. But we walked in...and its actually rather nice. The food was great, and the margaritas were huge (and yummy!). Definitely recommend stopping in here. read more

In town for a college tour & found this gem on yelp. Great food & never had an empty tortilla bowl. Service was spectacular. Busy place but kept our cups full at all times. read more

I went there once and was sorely disappointed when I had heard many good things about the food. I then went back a couple months later with the parents and they shared my sentiments for the second time. Seriously one of the worst Tex Mex restaurants I have ever eaten at and the worst in the area by a long shot. Thankfully there are several other excellent and authentic Tex Mex restaurants within 5 miles. read more