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We came for lunch and as usual service was exceptional. The restaurant could probably use a design refresh, but it's fine and our group enjoyed our seating. We had the prix fixe menu and it's a great value (plenty of leftovers), but certain dishes were tastier than others. Carnitas tacos, tortilla soup and the flan are standouts. We will be back and look forward to trying more items!
Lived up to the hype or how creative the Chef is. Very flavorful and just all around delicious. Drinks are strong, atmosphere is fun, food is great, and our bar tender was very helpful. Definitely recommend.
Overall a great experience. Service was attentive and we showed up a bit early for our reservation and they were able to get us in even though they were pretty busy. I wasn't sure if they would live up to the hype, but we were impressed. The ceviche flight was unique, with three distinct flavors and seafood. The salmon one had a slight asian fusion flavor that reminded me of sushi with a Mexican twist. Known for their Mole, they didn't disappoint. The short rib was tender and went well mashed potatoes. The enchiladas combined some fresh flavors with tender chicken, making them stand out over whats often dry meat requiring extra source. They balanced everything out well. The drinks were fantastic, with some unique twists on the margarita. Chicago has plenty of restaurants to chose from, but Frontera is worth a visit.
Food - pork tacos - excellent execution of tender pork belly. Every piece was so succulent and full of crisy pork goodness. Warm, homemade tortillas added to the perfect bite on top of flavor town green tomatillo salsa. The black beans was a good balance the rich pork flavors. Also, if the standard salsa was room tamed for.your liking; they have a good habanero salsa for the asking. Maybe too much foe most. Dessert- ice cream with fudge.. Great tasting of vanilla and chocolate, but wasnt quite over the top. The ice cream was nice and thick, but was a bit gritty for ice cream at an upscale place. Partly why I couldnt give it a perfect score. Service - attentive and intuitive. The waiter seems to know what we like and need without asking too much. Spicy pineapple Cocktail- good, strong, but not great. Couldn't really taste any pineapple. Cleanliness- clean and organized. Cost - affordable for special occasion. Restroom - fancy and clean. Ambiance - warm and relaxing, but a bit cheap with the vinyl or cheap wood veneer tables.
We'd heard that Frontera's was not to be missed while in Chicago, so we made our way over on one of our evenings there. We didn't have a reservation so it was a no-go, but we managed to reserve a table for the following morning. We showed up and the place was completely empty, but it did fill up by the time we were finished. I figured I'd get a brunch item, but the Enchiladas de Mole ("Handmade corn tortillas, Amish country chicken (caramelized onions), homemade mole poblano (27 ingredients), crunchy garnishes") sounded so impressive I figured I'd better get that instead. And indeed it's a phenomenal dish. The chicken had kind of a reheated, leftover taste, but that mole sauce more than made up for it. It's so rich and flavorful, and it seemed to get more and more tasty the longer I ate. It's incredible. I was super full at that point, but I did try a bite of my dining companions' two desserts: the Coconut Horchata Cuatro Leches Cake and the Frontera's Chocolate Pecan Pie. They were both way, way above average, and I think the pecan pie might've been one of the best I've ever had? I definitely regretted not getting my own slice. Frontera sure seems like a really cool place. Hopefully we'll come back to Chicago some day so I can try more of the dishes.
I don't think I've ever been to Chicago without eating here and since it's my birthday week I didn't want to start now. So even though we couldn't get a reservation we decided to see how long a wait would be. We talked to the welcoming host and she said the bar and tables we're all was full but to hang out by the bar (of course we e would order the most amazing margaritas) and hopefully it wouldn't be longer than 35 minutes. I had no problem with that! We got our margaritas after about 10 minutes and then before we even had time to drink much, she came back to tell us she had moved some things around to get us a table in the dining room! Yes! We started with the queso fundido and I know that sounds so typical but with the peppers and onions on top, it's just so well balanced and stringy good! They serve it with warm blue corn tortillas. Next came the coliflor dish which was perfectly cooked cauliflower with poblano sauce and cheese. It was a taste celebration in my mouth! Yum! Finally, we ended with a glass of wine and lamb. So savory and rich without being heavy! The service is always stellar at Frontera and I love the lively atmosphere and beautiful art that is the everywhere! Thanks for a wonderful birthday dinner!
One of the great classic iconic restaurants in Chicago, I have been wanting to dine here since they opened. Don't know why it's taken so long, I guess good things come to those who wait! Service was excellent and very engaging and helpful. Food lived up to all the hype and awards, and then add the cool authentic decor and welcoming vibe. Two of the three of us are vegetarians, so we were pleasantly surprised there's an entire separate menu with a wide selection. Salsa's I've made many times from Rick Bayliss cookbook are benchmark. Moles were great, both chicken and portobello, which I really appreciated a veggie version. Eggplant was light, delicate and crunchy. Our fantastic server Beto recommended many of our dishes and he was on the mark! Including the wine pairing with the mole and the dessert. Margarita they shake at the table was delicious. The daughter's blackberry limeade drink made in-house, was refreshing and at a reasonable price. The restaurant adds 20% gratuity to each check, which is fine to my eyes, no math necessary These days, it seems easy to get reservations here, so we will be returning!!
We went to Frontera for the first time mostly because of the Rick Bayless hype. I was curious. It's an upscale place but still feels family friendly, with Dim lights and a chill energy. You can see into the kitchen, which I always like. Staff was Super friendly, always refilling drinks, clearing plates right away. No awkward waiting around. I started with the ceviche and honestly... that set the tone. Fresh, bright, really clean flavors. The citrus hit just right, not overpowering. Fish was tender, not mushy. Good balance of acidity and salt. Every bite tasted incredible, I could've stopped there but no, I kept going back for "one more bite" and suddenly it was gone. Then the cochinita pibil arrived. Texture-wise, really good. Juicy, tender, nice portion. But flavor-wise, it felt like it was missing that deep smoky note I expect from cochinita. Still good, just didn't hit as hard as the ceviche did. I really enjoyed this place. Specifically the ceviche, that still lives in my head.
Frontera grill was hands down AMAZING. We were surprised by how good the service was too when we went. You MUST get "The Classic Frontera Experience". It is so worth it. Food is authentic, delicious, and you definitely get your moneys worth. At first we thought we had to pick one of the appetizers on the menu, but you actually get all 4!! Like a lil tasting menu but portions are good. I was stuffed to the brim by the end, and I'm a huge eater (can eat over a whole dominoes pizza). For appetizers, we had guac and chips, ceviche, sopecitos, quesadillas (not the kind you're thinking of). My favorite was the ceviche (they really do it well) and guac. I also loved the mini mole course served (enchilada de mole). This was my first time trying mole, and man, I'm definitely a mole lover already. I also really love how the onions complement the rich savory flavor of the mole. For entrees I had chamorro al albañil and my gf had carne asada brava. We shared though, ofc. The salsa the carne asada is served with is smoky and fragrant, so delicious. The portion of the chamorro al albañil was huge. I definitely should've taken some to-go since I was overly full after dessert. Everything comes with tortillas. For dessert we got flan and the ice cream, with cajeta (goat milk caramel). Both were superb. I really like the cajeta on the ice cream, really is special. Way better than hot fudge. Our servers were really nice and attentive. They also cleaned up our utensils and table after each dish, which I didn't expect since we weren't at fine dining. The service really surprised me. I really like the ambiance and the latin music playing. Honestly I'd definitely come back next time I return to Chicago. Next time though, I'd probably visit Rick's Topolobompo, since I've never been and it's on my bucket list.
Service was a tad shaky but the ceviche and house made chips were fantastic as was the birria enchiladas. Also the cocktail with mezcal and whiskey was my favorite cocktail ever
Guacamole was delicious! The main was pretty bad. We had a braised meat dish, Barbados. The "meat" was mushy and there was barely a few chunks of meat.
Rick Bayless still owns of Frontera Grill, a Chicago-based Mexican restaurant he opened in 1987 with his wife Deann, inspired by their travels in Mexico. He is the Michelin star chef and owner, his restaurant is known for contemporary Mexican cuisine. His daughter, Lanie is the cocktail impresario focusing on Mezcal. We made our dinner reservations before getting to Chicago. We were here 15 years ago, stopped at his fast food Mexican in O'hare. I have all of Frontera's cookbooks at home & use Rick Bayless' recipes! What I love about Frontera is they provide a list of the farms where their food comes from, it's truly farm to table. A 20% gratuity is added to every bill. The tables were very close together, when the wait staff came over, they either banged our table or hit the man with his back to us. We came early, hoping to get a seat at the bar and a drink first, but we were told that the bar was full and we were brought to our table. We were dressed for a special Friday night dinner but most were in shorts and sneakers. We finished our 3 course meal in less than an hour. Tonight we started with margaritas I had a mezcal margarita with Grand Marnie, limes & Peychaud while my husband had the Tupelo margarita with reposado tequila, and Torres, orange liquor. Our drinks were shaken, tableside and we shared guacamole, salsas and cold chips. Our main course was the cochinita pibil which was a slow cooked Gunthorpe Farm pork in banana leaves with beans, pickled onions and habanero salsa. We ended our meal with Frontera's chocolate pecan pie topped raspberry sorbet with Kahlúa whipped cream. Portion were small, tables were less than a foot apart and service was efficient. Happily the music was loud so we couldn't hear the conversation all around us. Dinner was good, but I remember being wowed years ago.
One of the best Mexican food we have had in Chicago. Rick Bayless is truly a Top Chef. First time visiting and we were blown away by the complex flavors and the attention to details in the dishes. We had the queso fundido with their house made tortilla. It was melt in your mouth good. The 2 salsas were on point, not too spicy. For our main we had the pollo en salsa de guajillo y arandanos. Grilled half chicken with honeynut squash mash. The sweetness of the squash was a nice contrast to the slight bitterness of the guajillo-cranberry sauce. We also had the corn masa quesadillas. When paired together with the black bean and their avocado-tomatillo salsa, it was the perfect bite. For desert we had their pastel de tres leche, sponge cake with coffee infused tres leche. It came with creamsicle ice cream and coffee flavored jelly pieces. It was a perfect balance of creaminess with some texture from the crumbles and coffee jelly. Service was good with very attentive servers coming by often for water refills and cleaning up of the tables. The restaurant is not that big so it does get crowded and a little loud. I would recommend making reservations especially on Friday and Saturday. Dress code is casual. Will be returning again on our next visit to Chicago.
6 years ago
Omg they managed to get even worse. Our server disappeared for 30 minutes while we waited for our entrees. I finally had to tell the hostess to please bring our check because we were leaving. Five more minutes went by before she brought it. She was nice enough to comp our apps but never again. Avoid this place like the plague. The really sad thing is that no one will even bother to read or respond to my review. They don't care about locals who visit a couple times a month because they get so many tourists who will come here once and never show up again. Rick, that's a crappy business model you got there. Almost forgot: The sopacitas seem to be a little bigger, addressing my earlier complaint but the bacon/black bean tamale was stone cold. I'm not sure why, but tamales seem to be an achilles heal at Bayless places. Also, I thought ordering two margaritas would get me a full pour in my glass but it still stopped a good half inch from the top of a very small glass. Sigh................... We still love Xoco and will go back there as long as it remains top flight. I recommend you do the same. read more
2 years ago
good experience! The cocktails were yummy, and The meat was AMAZING. The guac and rice could have been better due to under cooked rice and tomatoey guac. The service was good. Biggest loss of stars was the ambiance given the price point. SO cramped and loud, but quite expensive. Hard to carry a conversation and we could hold hands with the table next to us read more
2 years ago
Frontera by Rick, you did not disappoint. Food was tasty and well presented. We ordered the queso fundido, the Oaxaca steak (first round was well done though we asked for medium rare), and the ceviche trio. They took the steak back, no problem, redone. The ceviche trio was tasty and beautifully presented. The chips and salsas were also delicious, some of the best chips i have had. The drinks were beautiful and delicious. Sitting outdoors with a very Chicago ambiance, sipping on the delicious margaritas and watching all the beautiful people walking by, priceless experience. Service was absolutely first class, all servers were attentive and ready to help. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. read more
1 year ago
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Came here for an early dinner. I can say the food was really top notch! The ceviche was so refreshing and acidic, and the albacore was cooked so nicely. We also got the goat empanadas, which were very tasty but I would say no the most outstanding dish ever. The best dish however was the day-boat fish. It came with sweet potatoes, a delicious sauce, and warm tortillas. The fish was cooked to perfection and every element worked so well to create the perfect bite! The fish was so delicate and melted on your mouth. Then for dessert we ordered the flan and the bread pudding. The perf pudding with the cinnamon ice cream was very tasty and not too sweet which was nice! The flan stole the show was dessert though. The texture was perfect and it was so simple but delicious! Service was great as well, our server made great recommendations throughout the night and was very attentive. 10/10 would recommend stopping by here and I can't wait to come back and try more dishes read more
We had a wonderful Sunday lunch sitting on the patio. We predicted we would liked it, but really it was great! We started with the ceviche and it was such a balanced few bites. I ordered fish tacos and they were awesome - perfect savory/sweet/crunch. But calling them "tacos" was interesting (where I come from, okc) they were either deconstructed tacos or fajitas because you get to put them together. The limeade was perfectly refreshing! Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 Bathroom 3/5...needs a face lift but we didn't come for the bathroom so I'm giving it a break. read more
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First off, I grew up watching Chef Bayless on channel 11, the cooking show "Mexico one Plate at a Time." Don't quote me; I didn't Google it so maybe that's not the right title. Point is, it made such an impact on me so imagine how excited I get to eat at any of his restaurants. And I've eaten at all of them. I haven't eaten at Frontera in a while but it's just as good as ever. I was excited to see that each table pays an automatic 20% gratuity, which, in my mind means you're an ethical business and you pay fair wages AND you have better servers than anyone because they're guaranteed at least a 20% tip, but people always do more. I had the Restaurant Week menu sopacitos (?) and a saucy chicken dish with masa dumplings. I also had the aqua fresca of the day which was DELIGHTFUL and the spiked hot cocoa. Do you know they grind the cocoa beans there?! It was the best hot chocolate I've ever had. The service was beyond impeccable. Our server never took his eyes off of our table, so he was there the second any of us finished a drink or needed more tortillas. It was a phenomenal birthday and I can't wait to go back. read more
3 years ago
Never disappoints. Was in on business from Idaho. The bonus is its restaurant week and we did brunch. Just amazing and service is truly top notch. Tonight we are going back to do topolo read more
1 year ago
7 years ago
I enjoyed my initial visit to Frontera Grill-can't believe it's taken me this long to go, but the legendary difficulty in getting a reservation made me plan well in advance. Upon arrival I didn't realize it's so small, but didn't impact the experience at all. The food is quite good-terrific sauces, great creativity for sure. The hits were the classic ceviche-terrific tuna and all ingredients were fresh and the cheesy grits side that came with my ribs-could eat that for breakfast, lunch and dinner! The other biggest hit was the plantain side dish-perfectly cooked with ideal ripeness. The carne asada was good-again the sauce was the hit there-and pork rib special was interesting. Sauce was a perfect blend of sweet, tangy and glazed but the top half of the served ribs were meaty but a bit chewy and the bottom ones were less meaty but perfectly cooked and caramelized. Attentive service and a decent drink menu for sure round out a good experience at a place worth visiting. read more
This was my second time eating at this particular location, as we usually eat at the Frontera in Lake Buena Vista. It was certainly delicious, but lacked the bright, vibrant atmosphere of its Floridian counterpart. The server was lovely and attentive. And the Habanero Margarita was amazing. Maybe one of the best I've ever had. The spice level was perfectly addicting. Honestly, everything was tasty from the empanadas filled with the most rich Monterey Jack cheese to the garlicky mushroom tacos. The tortillas are wonderful, as are the tamales. The apple empanada and flan were delicious as well. That habanero margarita though... read more
[Frontera Grill] Mexican inspired Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant located in River North Been here a few times, pretty consistent and the food is good. I got the Carne Asada Brava in this which features marinated steak with tamales and their salsa sauce. 449 North Clark St Chicago, IL 60654 read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
In sum, the food here is as stale and outdated as the ambiance and decor. The two staples of a great restaurant are food and service, and both were lacking here. We watched our waiter attend to the two tables on either side of us, completely ignoring us for around 10-15 minutes before he introduced himself. To start we got the Tamales de Elote which were pretty good (think cornbread tamale). For mains I got the Puebla Style Mole Enchiladas and my date got the Enchiladas de Carne Deshebrada. The mole fell flat and in my opinion the chicken was a touch sour (my date thought it was fine). The carne enchiladas were better but still pretty lifeless. Like many restaurants in Chicago they add a 20% "service fee" which was especially annoying considering our waiter was completely inattentive. Unless they get a major refresh, I would recommend going to a number of amazing restaurants in Chicago before coming here. read more
1 year ago
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5 years ago
A cool celebrity-chef restaurant with very nice decor. The food is tasty, interior Mexican, but it felt.... Incomplete. Mole is a very iconic, tasty, and complex sauce. They nailed it. And then they don't shred the chicken, no cheese or cream, and no sesame seeds on the enchiladas. I get it, this is the chef's interpretation, but my they felt a bit dry and flat. A shame because the mole was great. Some good, hot salsa would be welcome. I had to wait for 45 mins to sit at the bar, so make reservations. Their tequila and mezcal menu is extensive and of good quality. There are other things on the menu I want to try. Good spot. I would recommend it. read more
7 years ago
Date night at Frontera! I had been in before but this past weekend was my husband's first time. We've also been to Topolobampo and loved it. We debated which ceviche to start with then realized we could go with a trio and try all of them. I'm glad we went that route because our favorite, the shrimp and scallop one, wasn't the one we were originally leaning towards. Definitely a must try! I'm a creature of habit and I got what I always get: carne asada brava. It's just so so good. Everything about it is amazing. My husband got the ribs that are the Saturday special. We both agreed that it's something we wouldn't get again. Definitely not worthy of being a special. That being said, the cheese grits are AMAZING and I wish I could get that as a side for everything ever. What is going on with the service though? The servers are brisk at best and inattentive and grumpy at their worst. It's a real bummer because the food is so good. Rick! Get some servers that appear to like their jobs! read more
2 years ago
I had been before and had an amazing experience this time was different, and not for the better. The hosts were not the most informative or helpful people. "We could have a cancellation in an hour. Check back in 30 minutes." WHAT? Best guacamole though. The carnitas were excellent. The Puebla enchiladas had been sitting for a while and were very dry. The champagne margarita was excellent! Get something with mole! read more
3 years ago
Went here for drinks and apps around 7pm on a Tuesday. We were sat outside without a wait or a reservation. I ordered a margarita and the appetizer sampler which comes with an empanada, taquito, ceviche, and guacamole. The margarita was really fresh and perfectly balanced. You can tell they freshly squeeze their citrus, no powdered mixes! The sampler was very good too- my favorite item was probably the empanada. The ceviche was also good and very spicy when you got a bite with fresh pepper. read more
I grew up watching Rick Bayless on KQED, so of course a visit was in order while we were in town. We started off with drinks: Jarritos tropical, pepper me autumn, and the fresh grapefruit paloma. All genius concoctions! Ceviche trio: The classic frontera is a traditional ceviche and was the best of the three. The shrimp and scallop ceviche verde and tuna ceviche tropical were very "saucy". Good at first bite, but we tired of them quickly. Maybe it was a little too much for just two to share? Duck with guajillo pear sauce: Sadly, the duck was overcooked and kinda tough. I also didn't expect the sauce to be a mole. The mole was a tad too bitter for my taste, but after we made little tacos out if it with the tortillas, it was better. Loved the crispy chicharon. Shrimp mojo de ajo: The shrimp was salty, but the sauce was tasty. Excellent service provided by Greg! I remember everything looked so inspiring and delicious on the show. While everything was presented nicely IRL, some of the dishes were hit or miss in terms of taste. Good drinks though! read more
3 years ago
They have a ton of outdoor seating during the warm months, but we sat indoors. Started with ceviche verde, which was flavorful and tasty. Then we had the queso fundido, which was served w their house made tortillas, delicious! But my favorite thing I ate here was the wood grilled corn on the Cobb. Wowwww the corn itself was so sweet and charred, freakin amazing. The green Chile mayo is unreal. I tried to be a lady at first, trying to eat cleanly, and not make a mess. Then gave up and went full Neanderthal on this corn Cobb, sauce all over my face, zero f's given! It was so good, I would go back just for this corn lol the Oaxacan carne asada was so tender and delicious, really liked the plantains and side of rice I got w it too. Finished the meal w the chocolate pecan pie and Mexican hot chocolate, which were rich and tasty. Service was actually great, our server was very attentive. Oh! Almost forgot, I got their agua del día, which was strawberry lime that day. This drink was boozeless, but divine! So good! read more
Great wine! We got the Albariño! Highly recommend. My wife and I split the empanadas with huitlacoche - very delicious! Then shrimp chipotle delicate crema- which was just freaking delicious. I got the cochinita pibil - one of the weekend specials - and it was damn good. Would highly recommend this restaurant. It was busy - Friday night, but the waiter was super on top of it, coming by to refill water and pour wine. Would TOTALLY go back and try some of the other stuff we missed! read more
2 years ago
This has been on my list to try for awhile, so I decided to go for lunch during restaurant week. Lunch appeared to be a good value. The Mexican hot chocolate is delicious. I will probably get this every time I go! It's not overly sweet. I had the fresh corn tamale to start. It's not stuffed with anything. I like that you can taste the sweetness of the corn. On top is creama, cheese, and poblano peppers. The toppings makes it perfect! For my entree I had the shredded beef enchiladas. I like that they came with a lot of beef in them. The meat quality was great. On the side was mashed black beans. For dessert was tres leches. The top is marshmallow fluff, the middle is a light wet cake, and the bottom is similar to a chocolate graham cracker. Everything worked well together. Service was great. Ambiance is just ok. They were busy and it's more of a casual atmosphere. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
My siblings and I grew up watching One Plate at a Time. Rick introduced us to Mexican cuisine beyond the tacos and burritos that we knew. We admired not just his passion for the food but his love and respect for the culture. Needless to say, a siblings trip to Chicago would not be complete without a stop at one of Rick's restaurants. We tried not to hype ourselves up, mostly because we tend to get disappointed this way. We had reservations at 4:30pm because that was all that was available. We ordered a few appetizers and they were all delicious. The chicken tortilla soup was flavorful and while it had the components of a typical tortilla soup it was very different. this was the same with everything we ordered. Familiar yet completely different and incredibly delicious. The menu is ever changing so even if I list everything we had it may not be there next month. I will say we enjoyed most of the dishes we ordered and even the ones we thought were "okay" had elements we really enjoyed. Whatever you do, definitely get a dish with Mole. All three of us couldn't get enough of the mole sauce in each plate. All in all we were incredibly satisfied with our meal and we can't wait to come back and try Topolobambo and XOCO. Note: We shared a small dessert here but we also went to XOCO for the churros and chocolate dip. Best churros and chocolate I've ever had. read more
Full disclosure, I am a sucker for Mexican food and will love a corner taco stand as much as a fine dining establishment as long as it tasty and comes with rice, beans and guacamole. But Frontera Grill has crossed over into a new level of reality for me due to three words: crispy duck carnitas. If you had ever told me that I could love a Mexican dish that didn't have pork in it, I would have called you crazy, but man this dish took me to another level, it was life giving and I am still having dreams about that dish. So much so that I will be going back this month to get it again. Carnitas means "little meats" in Spanish, but I know it as a delicious and succulent pork dish. So my curiosity was piqued when I saw the Crispy Duck Carnitas on the menu and it did not disappoint. I can see that Bayless stuck to the literal translation of the word, focusing on the little meats part instead of pork. The duck was from Gunthorp farms, which is known for its pasture-raised ducks, pork and chickens. The duck was beautifully presented with a charred tomatillo-serrano chile salsa, chiles torreados, black beans, guacamole and tortillas. The chiles torreados were too hot for me, so those were given to The Queen to eat as she is about all things spicy and hot. I got a side of rice to go with the entrée, which was perfection for me. I ended up not finishing the entrée because I had a starter beforehand. The Individual Appetizer Sampler was a perfect taste of Frontera's Michoacán guacamole, tuna ceviche, Mexico City-style cheese quesadilla, crispy chicken taquito with homemade crema & fresco cheese. I love having a taste of everything and this was a great way to accomplish this. Because I couldn't finish the duck carnitas, I had leftovers for breakfast the next morning and man it was great. I had some apple strudel toast and mimosas because it was breakfast, but that duck maintained the integrity and flavor of the dish. The BFF got the Enchiladas Norteñas (heirloom corn tortillas, braised Creekstone Farms beef short rib, roasted tomato-serrano sauce, Samuel's artisan cheese, black beans). I had a bite of that dish and it was also very good. I love beef short rib meat and this was a nice complement to the corn tortillas and sauce. I could see myself getting this as well on another visit. The Queen is all things seafood, so she got the Veracruz Seafood Pozole (Sinaloa shrimp, squid, Hudson Canyon scallops & pozole corn braised in guajillo chile broth). It was topped with a fresh garnishes, tostadas, lime, and Mexican oregano. She normally ends up taking food home from her meals, but this dish became a member of the Clean Plate Club. I tried some of the squid and it was very nice, not overcooked. The Doctor got chicken tacos and the tortilla soup. The chicken was cooked nicely, you could taste the wood-grilled flavor. The soup I didn't try but it was interesting as it was a dark brown broth with pasilla, grilled chicken, avocado, artisan Jack cheese, homemade crema, and tortilla strips. We didn't do dessert but I did have bubbles with dinner (2018 Raventós, Blanc, Blanc de Blancs, Conca del Riu Anoia, Penedès, Spain). This was a nice complement to the meal and at $55, that is not bad for a downtown restaurant. For me, this meal was Mexican food on steroids. I loved every bite and it was just as good the next day. Now will I stop going to the corner taco stand? Nope. But I have been to the mountain as far as carnitas goes and my eyes were made to open to a new way of thinking about carnitas, so there is no turning back from that. Pork, I am still madly in love with you, but from time to time I am going to cheat on you with that damn crispy duck from Frontera Grill. read more
3 years ago
We had a lunch reservation. The staff greeted us with a smile and we were promptly seated. They gave us two menus the $29 express lunch menu and the regular lunch. This was a three-course lunch, we weren't in a rush and aren't big dessert people, so we opted for the regular menu. We had the classic ceviche to start and split the wood-fired portobello mushrooms and the pollo en mole amarillo. The ceviche was a large position and so packed with flavor, ORDER IT! The portobello tacos visually may look like some slop on the plate, but they are super flavorful, the beans were garlicky, and the guac was seasoned well and a little chunky, add a little of each to your warm homemade delicate tortilla for the perfect taco! The pollo en mole amarillo was the moistest, yes I used the word moist, white meat chicken I have ever eaten, and the most flavorful chicken. Eat it straight up or put it in a tortilla to soak up some of the mole you can't go wrong. This dish also has morsels of fried chicken skin mixed in for little pops of flavor. Another great dining experience at Frontera! Added bonus, seeing Rick In the kitchen! read more
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Ask the Community - Frontera Grill
Has anyone ventured here with kids? I know it says it's not good for kids on the profile but I'm coming to Chicago with my family and really want to try it!!
We went with our 2-1/2 year old for lunch a few weeks ago. We also are from out-of-town and really wanted to try it. They had a high chair and it was a great experience. We had to keep the little guy entertained and fed him food we brought (didn't…
Do they have a bar where one can sit without a reservation and order from the full menu?
Yes. The bar and high top tables are first come, first serve; the full menu is available here, and there are seats at both the bar and high tops.
Is there a Happy hour?
think they had some 5 de Mayo thing ,starting 5pm . 5 beers 16.00 dollars.not certain,but overall sounded good.
I yelled food baskets in Chicago and this site turned up. Yet I see nothing here to suggest that. Ideas?
Umm, yeah they don't sell food baskets. But if they did, it would have chicken tortilla soup, carne asada tacos and margaritas. Not such a bad basket in my opinion.
Anyone know how much the valet parking costs?
Not sure about valet, but there is so much street parking available.
I have heard the place is overrated ? Any comments on alternatives in the same area?
Over rated how? It's always been authentic Mexican and they do an excellent job of representing the cuisine there. They are winning Michelin stars ( kitchen staff and food is comparable to Topolobampo and his other properties.). My husband is…
How flavorful is the Carne Asada?
I don't know if I can quantify it, but it is out of this world good. Everything there is.
Is this restaurant good for kids during lunch hours? & do they provide high-chairs?
Yes, they have high chairs booster seats and a kids menu that's a coloring sheet, they even give them crayola crayons.
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