This place has changed hands a couple of times over the years. The service is good. The food is OK. They have their margarita and taco specials on Wednesday night still however they narrowed it down to one large margarita for half price kind of a buzz kill! read more

I really don't like giving a business a total negative review so I'll start with the positives. Ordered for lunch online with a co-worker. She loved the chicken burrito, said it was tasty and the portion was huge! Now I ordered the jumbo burrito dinner in which it indicated vegetarian. It came with rice which was very delicious and refried beans. I didn't look at the receipt on the bag and I took one bite into the burrito and realized that there was meat, carne asada. I was wondering why the burrito was so heavy , but I thought they really stuffed it well. Unfortunately, I was not able to eat lunch, otherwise the rice and the beans were very delicious and the horchata I got was also very good. I understand mistakes happen, maybe they're one of those places that you have to specify no meat even though it said vegetarian. read more

See all

This is one of my family's favorite restaurants and we have been coming here for years and continue to come back because the food is truly authentic. We have tried a large amount of Mexican restaurants within the area that were closer to our house, but continue coming back here because of the great food and prices. Some of our favorites include the carne a la poblano, quesadillas, carne asada tacos, and the burritos. We usually stick with the steak because of the great flavor, but the chicken and the pastor are also good. Last night, my mom and I order a pitcher of margaritas. They were delicious, not too sugary and had a good amount of tequila in it. I ordered the 3 soft taco combo, which comes with 3 tacos with a meat of your choosing, rice and beans. I personally love their refried beans and rice. They are full of flavor and come as a large portion. Overall, I will definitely be back. The atmosphere is quite unique, but the food is worth coming in for. read more

See all

By far the worst mojara (mojo al ajo). It had no flavor. Previously ordered this last year and it was actually good. The potatoes were so good and cut in slices. Now you get soggy fries. The rice has no flavor and even the hot sauce has no spice. I'm not sure what happened but I wouldn't recommend it. read more

This place has the BEST micheladas I've tried in Illinois! I've been to many Mexican places and ordered micheladas only to be let down by watered down, blah tasting concoctions. I'm looking at you Maya del Sol! A fellow michelada loving coworker brought me here after work one afternoon and even though the decor isn't fancy at all (some might say kind of tacky with their under the sea theme) the service is prompt and the food is very good. It has become our go-to after work drinking spot. If you love authentic Mexican food and drinks, you must give it a try! read more

El Tesoro - Legit micheladas! - Mexican Near Me - Glendale Heights, Illinois

Not sure what I expect for $1 tacos except to GET MY ORDER RIGHT. We often get $1 tacos on Wednesdays and they almost always forget to give us part of our order. Happened again tonight. I ordered 2 chicken tacos, but only got 1. Sometimes the receipt doesn't even match what's in the bag. Once you get home and realize the order is wrong, it's a hassle and waste of time and gas to always go back to the restaurant and dispute the order. And if you try to dispute it, the older gentleman (manager/owner) not sure exactly who he is, is very rude and is not customer service friendly at all. He will try to argue with the customer that they are wrong. Quit ripping customers off! Do better! read more

The food is delicious and that is all. I have never really had an issue with the quality or quantity. You need to call in the order regardless of them being in front of you. So I walked outside. Sat down at an open table placed my order. Moments later they told me that I cannot sit there. I seriously don't want to be angry with people who are making your food. So I left. Went to Gary Burrito. Placed my order inside and with no problems. I don't understand why they are treating there customers like that. But I will not be back until the restaurants open up. read more

Been here a couple times, the first time was good I had a seafood platter that was awesome . The second time I ate here I ordered a whole red snapper which was small in size and over cooked. We also ordered the pork tacos which was very good . Service was slow. read more

El Tesoro - Mexican Near Me - Glendale Heights, Illinois

With some time to waste one afternoon while driving down Bloomingdale Road in Glendale heights I spotted El Tesoro Mexican restaurant. I've passed it before and always wanted to stop, and I finally had a golden opportunity. I parked right next to a sign that advertised a big burrito and pop and headed in. Somewhat to my surprise I found that this was a sit down and be waited on restaurant rather than an order at a counter and wait for your food place. I decided to thoroughly investigate the menu before ordering and I'm glad I did. After perusing the menu from front to back I discovered that they have a hot dog here at El Tesoro. Being the hot dog critic I naturally couldn't pass up this opportunity to try the hot dog here and immediately made this my selection for dinner. Before the hot dog was brought out to me I was given chips and salsa to try out. I immediately dug in to the chips and salsa and found the chips to be a little harder than what I'm used to. The strength of these chips combined with the fact that when I visited this location I was only a week or so past having had a tooth removed led me to only try a few clips as quite frankly I didn't want to exert the bite force necessary to consume these with a still healing mouth. After a few minutes my hot dog was brought out to me with frys. The hot dog here was interesting, at first glance it appeared to simply be a jumbo frank on a regular bun that has a thicker amount of bread than most. However, as I looked closer I discovered that this hot dog wasn't plain at all. No sir, this hot dog had mayonnaise on it. I've never seen mayonnaise on a hot dog from a restaurant before. Maybe this is some sort of regional variation found in Mexico. I took a bite and to my dismay this hot dog wasn't that great. The sausage used here was a thick skinless jumbo sausage that wasn't particularly flavorful. I'd compare it to a grocery store ballpark frank. The bun was on the thick side and the mayonnaise didn't compliment it well. That's what I get for trying a hot dog at a Mexican restaurant. I also tried some of the fries, these were crinkle cut fries that were like the sausage, the bun and even the chips thicker than what I'm used to seeing. On the downside these were a bit bland. Soft insides, but not particularly salty or flavorful. Perhaps I'm loco in the cabeza for ordering with the hot dog at a Mexican restaurant. But I guess it begs the question of "Why are they serving it"? And if the hot dog critic doesn't order it, who will? Service here was friendly, the place has a very dark 1980s vibe on the inside. I plan to stop again in the future and try some actual Mexican food here, but for now I'm going to give it two stars based on my hot dog and fries experience. read more

See all

One word. Cheap. Like really cheap. Me gusta! I've been coming here for lunch a few times already and I'm always so full after I come out the restaurant. They start you off with chips and salsa. And the salsa is pretty darn spicy (for me at least). They give generous portions of chips. You're almost full before you reach your actual meal! Then, you see that your order always comes out in a huge platter and you realize you have to take most of it back to go. I really like the combination meals with a bit of everything. This time I got the combination platter with tostada, tamale, and taco and it was decent. I didn't like the tostada as much because it seemed to similar to a regular tortilla chip with a little bit of beans, lettuce, and tomatos on top. However, the taco came with a huge lump of meat and tamales are always good. Those 3 on top of my favorite rice and beans. My friend ordered the steak fajitas and she couldn't finish her meal at all. Loads of delicious steak and tortilla. Deco here is really cool. Aquatic, 70s, Latin. Don't know how to describe it. They have a neat tank with Nemo and Dory swimming along! When you want to take a break from Chipotle and have some more real Mexican food, this is the place! read more

See all

Love this place. Good food. Intimate atmosphere. Good drink selection and deserts. read more

El Tesoro - They go the extre mile with the pina coladas here. - Mexican Near Me - Glendale Heights, Illinois

See all

Finally the stars aligned and we were able to make our way into El Tesoro for the famed $1 tacos and 1/2 priced margaritas night! I was super excited having had $1 tacos at their other location in Geneva. BUT WAIT!!!! They no longer do $1 tacos OR 1/2 priced margaritas. I almost stood up and left the moment the waitress informed us of this. We decided since we already had our free chips and salsa we would continue with the experience. We asked what specials were so good that they now took a front seat......$3 bottles of modelo and a $5 quesadilla dinner. Ordered a diet coke and the quesadilla dinner with carne asada. The "quesadillas" were flour tortillas with a bunch of cheese and steak that resembled a really cheesy taco. The flavor was ok, too much cheese, the best part of the dinner was the salsa that comes with the chips. All sorts of disappointed, this was the first and will be the last visit to El Tesoro unless they bring back specials that entice me (see pic below of new specials). read more

El Tesoro - Delicious spicy salsa! - Mexican Near Me - Glendale Heights, Illinois

See all

Food was really good and reasonable ,. I had a shrimp dish that was sautéed in a garlic sauce, with Spanish rice and guacamole. Also had a pitcher of Margarita which was also delicious. Service was pretty good read more

Had a blast at this restaurant when I was in town visiting. They play novelas on tv. Witress was very nice and the wife and I loved it. How can you go wrong with mexican food? It's hands down the best in the entire world! Plan to go back next time I visit Chicago people if I am not on a diet for another GQ shoot. read more

See all

This place is horrible I called and talk to this lady, I had order food and once's I was eating my langostinos I found this hair and told her the whole situation all she said is let me talk to the owner!! Are you serious it was a 60 dlls order I just can't believe they couldn't give a refund because obviously I don't want food from this place ever again, be careful when you eat here!! read more

El Tesoro - The hair is on the napkin, this hair can't be mine because I have very short hair and colored!! - Mexican Near Me - Glendale Heights, Illinois

Great $1.50 tacos! Wish I could give this place 3.5 stars really, First time I went after driving passed a few times. I had a carne Asada taco, chicken taco and al pastor, all Mexican style (they also make them gringo style with cheese lettuce and sour cream, but I'm Mexican and we don't do all that) I ordered and the tacos were ready in less than 3 minutes (I thought was a bad sign at first) When I got home I found 3 smaller than i expected BUT tastier than I expected tacos! They were nice and hot too! Also included was a decent green salsa. The carne asada was juicy and tender (I was surprised usually it's tougher, this might have been a fresh batch of meat, the chicken taco comes in second place, and again the chicken was nice and hot and juicy! The least favorite was the al pastor but in all honestly I've never really been a fan, but sometimes al pastor tacos can be surprisingly good. Overall I'd come back next Wednesday for this special! 3 tacos = $4 that's WINNING!! read more

Walking into the restaurant made me want to walk right out, the smell in there made me Lose my appetite, then we ordered drinks and my friend was given the wrong one. She brought it up to the bar area and the manager started yelling asking why she had taken a sip. He asked about 3 times, then yelling for the waitress who agreed she gave the wrong drink. All we wanted was the right one. He then told us we can go eat somewhere else. So we walked right out. TERRIBLE SERVICE and the place needs to be cleaned. NASTY read more

Have wanted to try other items on this menu but I just can't get past the tacos. This is been my number one go to place for steak tacos for the last few months. They are of the smaller variety but they are perfect. Great taste for a reasonable price. My wife gets the steak taco American style but I like them with just cilantro, onions and cheese. I also order up some grilled jalepenos on the side to put on them. The staff inside has always been courteuous and friendly although they sometimes seem to "forget" about you and you may have to wait a bit for the bill but its never been a major issue. read more

I had just finished getting my nails done, was waiting for Uber & needed something fast and delicious. LET ME TELL YOU; -friendly and helpful -very accommodating -speedy quick with the nachos I am very impressed. Over 20 years, I have lived in the area and am JUST discovering this gem now? Glad I did, mucho deliciouso!! read more

Good food but the guy who manage there, his attitude toward to customer very bad. He thinks he is the only one who had a business. He talk like a my boss when he ask the order. What a f ... read more

Fantastic service. They have been very accommodating throughout the pandemic and continue to have daily deals. $1 tacos on Wednesday is a favorite of mine. Management is always very friendly and welcoming. read more

Friends from work decided to go to El Tesoro in Glendale Heights after work for half price Margaritas. I will NEVER go back to this restaurant again...EVER!!! The evening started out ok, the service was mediocre at best; taking approximately 15 minutes for anyone to come by the table to drop off chips and salsa and to see if we wanted drinks. Additionally, each subsequent order took forever because our waitress was less than attentive. Between 8 pm and 9:30 pm we ordered 3 pitchers of Margaritas, an order of guacamole and pico de gallo. At approximately 9:40 pm our waitress dropped off our check. We spent a few minutes splitting the bill when the owner came over (approximately 9:45) to our table and told us they were closing and we needed to pay the bill and leave. We were paying the bill with my credit card, which was out and ready to be swiped. I excused myself to use the restroom. Upon returning to our table, approximately 9:50 pm, I saw the owner again standing at our table having words with my friends; stating that we needed to leave. My friends were explaining that they were waiting for me to return from the restroom since it was my credit card. He said that he told us several times we needed to go. Words were exchanged and he told someone to call the police on us. My friends proceeded to go outside while I paid the bill. When I got outside, after paying the bill, it wasn't even 10 pm; that't when the restaurant closes. I ask you...is that any way to treat your paying customers??? It wasn't as if we were loud and obnoxious. We were having a nice time with good company and conversation. Needless to say we will NEVER go back to El Tesoro (1995 Bloomingdale Road Glendale Heights, IL 60139) read more

From the outside-El Tesoro looks like a total a hole-in-the-wall, but when you get inside--ta-da!! It IS a total hole-in-the-wall! The owners obviously try to make it very colorful and bright. The walls are bright turquoise and sponged with a darker color. There are pinatas and plastic fish hanging from the wall and ceilings and this odd garish neon light bar that lines the edge of the ceilings. The tables/booths are old and worn as are the plates and silverware. Nothing matches. But that's OK in my book--as I was taught by mums, Looks can be deceiving! Each table gets a basket of crunchy tortilla chips and a tasty spicy salsa verde. It's spicy--no question--but has a good flavor. The menu lists the usual tacos, enchiladas and fajitas combination platters, but also lists different seafood and steak options. A nice change from some of the other Mexican restaurants in the area. I saw another patron's seafood ceviche and it looked wonderful! Everything was delicious. The hubs and I shared our entrees--the chicken enchiladas with salsa verde and the Platillo Azteca (grilled strips of steak with onions and green pepper) Both entrees came with rice and refried beans. The steak was very tender and juicy but a little on the bland side by itself. But adding grilled onions and peppers gave it some great flavor and it was hard for me to make sure the hubs got an equal share as I wanted it all for myself. The enchiladas were tasty as well--great flavors of salsa verde, shredded chicken and topped with queso blanco. My mango margarita was delicious and refreshing--I needed it after munching on the chips and spicy salsa. It also came with a sugar coated rim which was a nice touch. Friendly attentive service, a little on the slow side but it was nice not to be rushed. There are margarita specials on Wednesday and half-price enchilada dinners on Friday. read more

Came in for an early dinner after rock climbing at the new gym nearby. Host was not friendly at all. The decor is the most bizarre I've ever seen in a restaurant. Stuffed fish hanging from the ceiling. Carpet that belongs in an arcade or kids party room at Chuck E Cheese. Booths that belong in an old diner. Service was terrible. We didn't get what we ordered and never once had our waters refilled during the meal. Food was so spicy I couldn't eat it. "Ribeye" was covered in a chile sauce that bled onto everything else on the plate. Refried beans were the only saving grace of the whole meal. I will never come back to this place. read more

I've lived in the area for about 5 years and never paid attention to this place. I'd like to consider myself a connoisseur of Mexican cuisine and know the difference between authentic and Tex Mex...good and bad. El Tesoro was AMAZING! The food was delectable and our waitress was the kindest, most attentive individual that I've encountered in a long time. I'll definitely go back time and time again! read more

My +1 and I decided we wanted Mexican and used our apps to locate El Tosoro. We dug that the chips came out nice and hot. The salsa had a kick. We would have ordered a refill were it not the $1.50 for charge (stated in fine print at the bottom of the menu). He got the Tuesday special: $5 taco plate with steak. I got the garlic shrimp dish w/ rice and guac ($12). He enjoyed his, whereas mine was super disappointing - frozen little shrimp swimming in a thin red sauce (oily at the edges, and it covered the whole plate). It was exceptionally bland and I couldn't detect any spices nor garlic. Meh. Not worth it. The $5 special would have been a much better option. Service was also lacking - we waited for a while for the check, and then our server to come back and check us out. We ended having to flag down a different guy to get our bill paid. Eh, I won't be racing back. read more

The tarasco taco tasted so good that I almost blurted out obscenities while eating it. I had the cinco de mayo combo and everything was great. The quesadilla had a lot of butter and tasted good but probably fattening. Their baby steak burrito was amazing. They clearly focus on great meat. read more

Wow! how off the mark these reviews are. I was meeting my sister and niece out in burbs and they wanted mexican so I yelped local joints and saw favorable reviews. Ordered a few sopes as bonitas before we ordered entrees to see quality of product before we settled on entrees. Horrrible! I was about to order Tampeiqueno when my asada sope came as a varied tempature greasy fatty chewy mess. We ruled out the rest of meal as not too costly but failing to deliver value for price. Margaritas and drinks little pricey for glenghetto heights. 8pm on a Saturday a joint should be hopping. Not here. Two other tables. The server as sweet and nice as she was didn't speak english very well. I'm fluent in spanish and that made it easy but when other members of party were asking simple questions it turned into a UN sesssion of translation. Fine for me but aggravating to rest of party. Low quailty, not too expensive but not value for dollar. Maybe I hit it on a wrong day and other reviewers are right but as a life long professional chef I think it kinda sucked read more

I love, love, love El Tesoro. The selection is vast, the food delicious, the staff friendly, and the prices--incomparable. The ambiance is kitschy--one feels as though one is submerged in an underwater playground, but so what--it's not elegant, but fun dining. There is a juke box that plays mainly Mexican songs, so have a margarita or three and relax. Many Mexicans dine here, as there is at least three tables of friends or families on hand whenever I have eaten there. When the natives eat at an establishment that serves their food, that is a is not only an indicator that what the place serves is authentic, but good and the best kind of unobtrusive advertising. My favorites: the steak tacos, chicken fajitas, and huevos rancheros. Tasty! Why didn't I give the place 4 stars? The bathroom stalls barely let you get a leg in. Otherwise, try them if you want the best Mex in town! read more

Definitely worse customer service that I've ever experienced!!! My family and I use to come here like every other week. BUT NOT ANYMORE. When we got there we waited 15 min to get a waiter. Then they bring out our drinks (micheladas) that were a joke. Then they bring our food and right away I tell the waiter that it wasn't right. I wanted tacos, not the entree. He argued with me and said that I was at fault. He talked to who ever an older guy was, then the older guy said that he was still going to charge me for the entree because it wasn't their fault! Safe to say that we're not spending a dime there. By far the rudest! read more

Ahh, Glendale Heights - my old hood. First off, Yelpers, don't be afraid to stop in despite what some may describe as the restaurant's sketchy surroundings. The only scary thing about this place is the 1980s interior, decorated in a somewhat confusing "under the sea" motif. All kidding aside, El Tesoro has plenty of specials throughout the week, and we've been coming here lately for the Monday $5 taco meal deal. For $5, you get three tacos with rice and beans. The tacos are delicious. Though the tortillas are a tad on the small side, El Tesoro packs in lots of meat! I like to keep it simple: carne asada served Mexican style with onions, cilantro, and cheese. They also bring out a generous helping of chips and salsa, though on one occasion the salsa was extremely hot. No worries, you can simply ask them to bring out a milder version. It's typically not busy so there's no need to worry about a wait. The staff is also friendly. We plan on stopping in on a Wednesday soon so we can check out the margarita special. read more

If the food is as good as service and chips n salsa. I might've found my new spot for Mexican food 'n drink. Damn good food. Gf had ground beef tacos I had whole deep fried catfish. Both meals were well prepared. Will go back. read more

El Tesoro - Mexican Near Me - Glendale Heights, Illinois

Great food, ambiance. Extremely slow service beginning with getting seated to even paying the check. Granted This is only from one experience. I wouldn't recommend going there in a time crunch, in that situation check out Amigas up the road. read more

This place is good and super affordable. The waiters are a little slow but it doesn't bother me that much. The food is also very good. I like the decor inside as well. 1/2 off Margaritas on Wednesday! It gets crowded on that day. read more

On the outside, this place is shades magee. But the restaurant is a great example of "don't judge a book by it's cover." I admit I've passed by many times and passed right on by. But since the options in the burbs for new food are limited, we decided to give it a shot. The chips are warm, you have to control yourself not to fill up on them. The guacamole is excellent. I got the special which was steak a la mexicana, for 6.99! The morsels of meat were very tender, but not overcooked. Man it was spicy. They have Jamaica, horchata, and some mango drink. Wife got the flautas. We stuffed ourselves with a few drinks for around $40 for 3 people. For dinner. Wife ended up taking her dish home. I'll be going back. I have to try their chilaquiles next. read more

You can find me having lunch here once and many times twice a week! Go ala carte with your choices --- you don't have to order a "meal" with rice and beans if that's not your thing. Recommendation - simple lunch Tostada de' camarones (shrimp tostada) 1 or 2 tacos - either chicken or steak and either Mexican style (cilantro and onion only) or American style (queso fresco cheese, lettuce and tomato) complimentary chips n salsa beverage That will run you about $7 or less (depends if it's Wednesday the tacos are .99 special) --- so I'd go with 3 tacos and a beverage on Wednesdays Love this place! read more

I'll start of by saying, if I could give this place 0 stars I would. Absolutely terrible the man who works there is rude! First you walk in and it smells like sewer Second they messed up my order and when I brought it to their attention they lady server agreed she gave me the wrong drink and the man was extremely rude! Asked me "why did I drink it". I took one sip! It made it into a big deal and told me I could eat some place else. So we left. I will never go back there and I will make sure everyone I know won't go there either. Very rude and unprofessional!!!! read more

Yummy! My margarita was perfect and the burrito suizo was big enough to feed an entire family. I would definitely return.

Excellent fish tacos on corn tortilla with tomoato, onion, cilantro, and mayo. The inside is a little dated and can use an upgrade but it just adds to the atmosphere. Authentic food and staff is friendly. read more

El Tesoro - Fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Glendale Heights, Illinois

I love this place. Authentic Mexican food. I make the 15-20 minute drive here because they closed their location in West Chicago. Marissa is my favorite waitress. She's so warm and kind to all of her customers. Chili relleno meal and the taco dinner are my personal favorite! read more