Amazing atmosphere, great margaritas and the best carne asada I've ever had. Service is top notch too.

Must admit, after reading reviews was a bit nervous to try. So glad we didn't pay attention to the bad reviews! Had quite the opposite experience. Food was great. Drinks amazing. One of the best tequila bars on the north shore. So many great tequila choices not available anywhere in the city, and at reasonable prices. For food, We had nachos, queso fundito, tacos, skirt steak fajitas, made with prime steak, delicious. Churros that everyone raved about. Place was mobbed and service was outstanding. There were 10 of us, had small kids with us, made us feel so welcome. Highly recommend. Can't wait to go back! read more

My son and I had 40 minutes to grab dinner before seeing a movie at the Landmark Theater. I gave him a bunch of options in the Glen and Mexican was the winner! It appears that this is the last week they will be in this location, but they are moving to a larger location right in the Glen. However, we were able to get seated right away on a Saturday evening in this smaller location. We let our sweet waitress know we were in a little bit of a rush before a movie and wanted to place our orders right away. I ordered the shrimp fajitas and my son ordered the nacho entree with chicken. While waiting we munched on complimentary chips and salsa, although my son had plenty of chips coming. The chips were tasty- not too salty like i find many tortilla chips to be at Mexican restaurants. Ten minutes after ordering our entrees arrived. The nacho entree was absolutely huge, but that didn't stop by 9 year old from devouring every last bite. It wasn't the healthiest of meals although he did get plenty of chicken and veggies. I've never really met a fajita entree i didn't like until this one. I tried a little bit of it all- the shrimp, rice, beans and veggies...and all just incredibly bland. I ate a few shrimp so i wouldn't be starving and indulge in too many movie popcorn or sweets, but it just wasn't very good. If i were to give this place another chance I'd order something else next time and its likely we'll be trying it again (in their new location) because my son really liked those nachos. read more

Excellent atmosphere Excellent food Excellent drinks Excellent service Outdoor seating, friendly family run, gorgeous! New! Remodeling Always fun read more

I took my family to this restaurant for dinner, and we couldn't have been more disappointed. While the atmosphere and service were both good, the food was a major letdown. Everything we ordered was very basic and lacked flavor. The biggest disappointment, however, was the portion size. I ordered the Tampiqueña, which is the most expensive item on the menu at $38. According to the menu, it includes a 12 oz. skirt steak, but the piece I received couldn't have been more than 5 oz. It was served with what amounted to a tablespoon of beans, a similarly tiny portion of rice, and a very small enchilada. I've honestly seen appetizer portions at other restaurants that were larger than this entrée. For the price, the value simply isn't there. Paying nearly $40 for such a small, underwhelming meal is unacceptable. Overall, the environment and service deserve credit, but if you're going for the food, I'd recommend avoiding this place. read more

We sat outside on a nice Friday night. We shared a variety of plates and had a few drinks. Food was good. Came out of the kitchen hot and fast. Servers did a great job, and they had a lot of tables that night. They can definitely handle a busy crowd. I think overall the quality of the food was average...no problems, nothing terrible, but nothing super great either. The guacamole was probably my favorite flavor. I would go back... read more

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I met up with a friend here without reservations at 6:00 on a Thursday and we were able to choose our seats. Since it was a beautiful day, we chose to sit outside on their patio. I ordered an el validate margarita and the ceviche tostadas and they were able to accommodate my request to not add avocado, which I really appreciated. The margarita was strong! You definitely get your moneys worth in alcohol, and it was spicy which I liked! I do wish that they had rimmed the glass with tajin instead of salt, as the salt increased the bitter taste from the cucumbers in the drink. The ceviche tostadas were good, but I do wish it all was more minced or cut into smaller pieces, the big chunks of everything in the ceviche made it hard to eat without things falling off everytime I took a bite. I enjoyed the delicious zucchini and rice that came on the side. read more

El Tradicional - Ceviche de mahi mahi - Mexican Near Me - Glenview, Illinois

Very average food with price point to match the rent of the Glen. My burrito had a slice of cheese melted over it, LOL. It was fine and sufficed, but I preferred to have a Chipotle one, with its more flavorful meat, rice, and beans. The junior burrito and kids' cheeseburger were good options for the minis. Service on our visit was a bit lagging, and that, coupled with the mediocre quality of food, equates to 2 stars from me. read more

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First night in their brand new space...just across the street and a bit South on the Glen. Beautiful new space. Classy with just the right amount of Mexican touches. Fantastic food, great service, reasonable prices, and a mole to die for. read more

We had a disappointing dinner experience. I made a reservation for two but we were seated at a hi-top in the bar, which is extremely noisy--you can't have a conversation without raising your voice. I asked if we could be seated in the dining room, and they said no. We won't give this place another try. There are better Mexican options in the suburbs for carryout. read more

Amazing NEW location across the street - at least twice the size, fresh, brilliant and it's a must try, Carlos and his Brother Louise make this family business a fun, energetic and extremely comfortable place to enjoy far more than a dinner. It's an experience. Private rooms and an exclusive executive private room is perfect for corporate mini party feel. We have been a customer of El Traditional for years. Friendly owners and this new location is something to experience for yourself's. read more

Great authentic Mexican food. The ambience was prefect and the food did not disappoint. I had the chicken tinga flautas and the mezcal old fashioned. Both were delicious read more

We had a taste for Mexican and were tired of the usual suspects, so ventured to the Glen to El Tradicional, which -- unlike many Glen restaurants -- seems to have survived for a while (albeit under different names). Terrific room with TVs and a bar for sports fans. Menu is a little limited in comparison to the usual suspects (no combo plates, for example), but perfectly good with plenty of variety. We opened with two of their regular margaritas which were very good -- better than expectation (and I may have had a second one ...). Order of guacamole was ample if a little on the bland side along with warm chips and salsa (which to my wife's delight, was on the mild side). Enchiladas for her, Chiles Rellenos for me, and both were delicious...and the hot salsa was plenty hot (augmented by a side of sauteed jalapenos and onions). Rice and beans were as expected. Nothing over the top -- not a high end Mexican place by any stretch, but a nicer ambience and menu than the typical Mexican food factories that dot the city and suburbs, and super friendly and attentive service. read more

I dined at this restaurant tonight with my wife and the service was terrible. The food tasted ok but the plates looked like they were thrown together at the last minute. The service issue was that our food took over 45 minutes to be served to us. We complained to the front desk personnel and were told they have issues in the kitchen. No credit of any kind was offered. This is a new location across the street from their prior one. It is a very, very poor merchant that does not offer credit for its very, very poor service. We will certainly question a return trip to this establishment. read more

The vibes were great for Cinco De Mayo. They staff were friendly and were handing out jello shots to celebrate! Unfortunately, it was hard to get the attention of our waitress and was waiting for them many times to order the entrees, boxes, and the bill. The food was hit or a miss. The shrimp in the enchiladas were so juicy and nicely charred. The mole sauce was so yummy! Unfortunately, the rice was undercooked and the beans were pretty bland! Needed salt! Overall- it was ok, but wouldn't go out of my way to come here. read more

El Tradicional - Queso Fundido, margarita - Mexican Near Me - Glenview, Illinois

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My family comes here pretty frequently. We absolutely love the queso fundido con chorizo. I mix it up sometimes, but i love to order either the huaraches or the torta with la callejera as my protein. When it's busy, the service can be a little on the slow side, but all the staff are awesome! They moved to this new location recently, and the space is definitely an upgrade. Much bigger bar, and much more seating! Again, I really do love this place, would've given them 5 stars if the service was just more consistently quick. read more

Everything is good, from the Staff to the food! Love this place! Practically here ever Friday!

THE WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!! Extremely long wait time, weak drinks & all of the food was bland & cold. What a total waste of time & money. I was so looking forward to trying this place. What a huge disappointment! read more

The new location is amazing! Food n service has always been good but the new layout, bar area, and design make this a go-to spot now in Glenview. These reviews should all be way higher and would be if based on the new location. read more

This place is anything but traditional Mexican cuisine. Food was average at best and definitely geared to American's who don't really want authentic Mexican cuisine. Service was Attentive. Mahi Mahi tacos were very fishy tasting and bland outside of the fishy taste. My cousin had the shrimp and said the same. Salsa tasted like very mild tomato sauce. Drinks were good. Nice bar with lots of TV's perhaps a better place to go for a drink and a light snack read more

An alright spot for me. The service is quick and prices are quite reasonable given the portion size and ingredient quality you get. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious and the tables aren't packed close together so that you get a more casual feeling experience when dining here. For me, the food was just okay. The presentation was fairly neat and colorful overall and the food came out hot, but the flavors didn't quite do it for me. I found the salsas to be a bit bland, slightly on the watery side. The al pastor tacos had meat that felt a little burnt and were diced a bit small for me. I also didn't find the meat to be seasoned enough. The ceviche tosadas, despite being colorful and arranged very neatly, also lacked enough acid, herbs, and pepper to really draw in all the flavors for me. I did enjoy the firmness overall of the seafood however. The fajita el rey also felt underseasoned to me despite having the chorizo and salsa ranchera to add flavor. I appreciate all the colorful peppers and onions in the dish but overall that may have diluted the flavor of the dish and added so much moisture to the hot plate that the meats didn't really get much of a sear on them. Overall, an alright spot for me. Reasonable prices with good presentation but I didn't find the flavors and textures to be as good as the food looked. read more

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My husband and I met a friend at El Tradicional for dinner on a Sunday night. We were able to be seated right away. As soon as we sat down, we were given a basket of chips and salsa. I ordered the pork tacos. They were served with rice and beans. The tacos were excellent. They had a soft corn tortilla and had a pineapple flavor. I highly recommend El Tradicional. read more

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Good place customer service is just bad.... Server was definitely drunk. Never will come here again.

While we liked the new location and the service was great, my usual order of 3 was enchiladas, the fillings were very skimpy. Just under two tablesoon of ground beef, very little chicken and a scarce amount of cheese. Not like the former location and dry. Food was disappointing. We won't be going back nor recommend it. Seems like the costly new location was causing the skimpy portions. read more

Jan 2. Sat at the bar to eat. Two of us. First time here, my son got us gift card so happy to send us. 1.50 hrs. to get two drinks and one appetizer. Wanted dinner but had to leave. Single bartender but wasn't like rushing around overwhelmed. The main thing is we would ask for things that never would come. Finally managed to get the app, no silverware, plates. Had to steal from a bar table nearby. Ask for chips and salsa. 10 minutes later 1/2 basket showed up. And I first asked the guy who brought the food for these chips, never returned. Seems like some of the locals got a little better attention but many people at the bar this evening seemed upset. Bartender said sorry for the wait after an hour or so. But this is really disappointing. Should be zero stars. read more

The steak tacos are very good as are the margaritas. Its a fun place To eat. I also enjoy the fajitas read more

Steak burrito was great. Flan was delicious. Had a great time. I would return if in the area.

I met up with a friend here for a Friday night dinner at 8pm. I called about a week ahead to make the reservation. We were seated inside right by the doors, which was better than the outdoor area since it was a hot and humid evening. Our server came with glasses of water, chips and salsa, and asked us what our drink orders were. My friend and I both had the House Margarita. After that, our experience just went downhill. Three out of the five protein choices for tacos were out so I had no choice but to order the three that were available for the 3-taco dinner (you can mix up the proteins). My friend ordered Steak Taco Dinner. No exaggerations here, our food came after one hour from the time our server took our orders. We flagged down another server and followed up our order. Other staff members were actually looking at our table because it took so long for our dishes to be served. Our original server could not be seen anywhere. Our food came around 9:15pm so we got busy eating. The food was good, although the portions were small for the price. After finishing our food, we chatted a little more and was thinking of ordering another round of margaritas. At 9:30, the staff members started stacking the chairs on the tables and mopping the floors around us! There were still a few occupied tables inside the restaurant. So we tried to ignore the guys mopping literally beside us, but when one staff decided it was ok to close the doors behind our table, standing on a stool beside my friend...we knew it was time to leave. How disrespectful and rude was that?! We walked out at 9:40. The restaurant doesn't close until 10pm so why mop and close down the area with customers still inside? As we were walking out, my friend and I decided and actually said out loud that "We are never coming back here. Ever!" read more

Excellent service, food and atmosphere we had a great night out. Love the fact that we were not rushed to leave. read more

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I've been here a few times and the food is decent. They have a big menu and an even bigger Tequila selection. I had the tinga tacos and my boyfriend had the steak fajitas. Both were pretty good. The elote was so so so good and I will be back for more. For drinks we had the El Patron margarita and the paloma, both were strong & tasty. The salsa for the chips wasn't spicy but I'm sure if you ask they have something else, overall everything was delicious. read more

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Best Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita, chips and salsa. Just delicious! And the pork tacos never disappoint.

Tlacoyitos appetizer are awesome , tacos awesome , fajitas awesome , margaritas delicious - we love this restaurant! Staff are super nice , lucky to have this restaurant in the neighborhood ! read more

Lovely family owned spot in the Glen. We had the homemade guacamole and delicious homemade chips to start our meal. Then we had pork tamales and steak tacos. All delicious! Fresh, tasty. All homemade! Atmosphere friendly and festive. Sophia was so helpful and upbeat. She felt like family. Covered outdoor patio setting and music felt made it feel like a vacation spot. read more

So my dad always gets me soup when I'm sick. So my mom ordered food to be picked up. So when my dad arrived the food would be ready. (It was it was right on the pick up counter) My dad walked in and the guy asked for his name, the worker just went back into the kitchen. (For 20 minutes) he comes back out and asks for a name again. The worker then explains how it was there the whole time but didn't mention it to my dad at all. Didn't apologize, didn't say anything. I got cold soup. Not f**cking Cool. -11/10 yo. read more

The food was amazing. The drinks were fantastic. And Brenda is the sweetest, most accommodating owner I've ever met at a restaurant!! This is a wonderful Mexican restaurant, do not miss going there! read more

We headed here when a Mexican food craving hit and it was absolutely perfect! The food came out quickly, the music was good, and the staff was very friendly. I'm happy to know these delicious mahi-mahi tacos are just around the corner from us. They were packed with amazing flavor! I already want another round. We'll be back! read more

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I ordered take out recently and the tacos were so good that I decided to come back within a week for more tacos. The first time around I tried both chicken and ground beef but I really loved the chicken tacos. The meat was delicious well seasoned. Very generous portions which allowed me to have leftovers. The tacos also came with a large bag of tortilla chips which were awesome. I wished they had more traditional pico de gallo instead of the soupy sauce, which don't get me wrong was good but in my opinion needs a little texture to stay on the chip. read more

Water chips and "salsa" brought to the table quickly. The "salsa" basically tasted like a Mexican version of a vodka sauce. No heat. Food took an extraordinarily long time and we had ordered one à la carte taco one children's burrito and one children's cheeseburger. Tinga de Pollo taco Had very little flavoring to the meat. It tasted like boiled chicken put into one single corn tortilla. A good restaurant will give you two because the corn tortilla will get soft and fall apart which mine did. The cheeseburger was clearly Gordon's food service because of the shape and the texture and the flavor. Like something that you would get at school lunch. The children's burrito was supposed to have sour cream and beans with your meat. The menu also has incorrect pricing on some of their items. When the bill came, which was just put on the table without being asked if we needed anything else or if we needed a container, at least one of the kids menu prices was different than what the menu reflected it to be. Possibly both. Waiter never once asked how things were if we needed anything. And the food took so long that my son missed his basketball practice. We had contemplated walking out before the food had come because it was taking so long and I wish we would have. Don't waste your time read more

The servers here are really nice and happy. The decor is festive and rustic. The drink selection has something for everyone. The only problem is the food. It was mediocre at best. I ordered the pollo de la cocina de mama (chicken from mom's kitchen), described as chicken cooked with tomatillo sauce (a green tomato), onion and garlic. I thought they brought me the wrong dish. It had no resemblance to that description. It literally looked like baked chicken with a mild bbq sauce. Major disappointment. read more

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Me and my boyfriend was in the area on a Friday shopping. We decided to go to this restaurant but it was closed, and the person sitting outside said it opened at 4pm. After about 45 minutes we went back. There were two people in the bar and we wanted to sit by the opened doors and we did. Our server was very attentive and friendly. We order drinks, and we had meals and desert. Just before we were about to finish with our drinks and leave, a female server came over and said to us do you want anything else because I need this table. For us, this was rude and disrespectful since she was not our server and had nothing to do with our table or any other table in the immediate area. I was pissed because of this and when she came back into the area I told her to come over and I told her you have other tables available and she just walked away. Later I mention to our server what had happen and said I didn't like was she did. I also call the bartender over as he was walking by and said the same thing to him. He said I have to go, I have a table to serve. The bartender was the one who actual person who told us what time the restaurant opened. We will never go back to this restaurant again when we are in the area, and will never recommend it to anyone. read more