Ambiance is nice and the atmosphere is really alive. Our server was really kind. Our order was taken around 5 minutes after arriving. They accidentally forgot one of our orders but they forgot to even charge for it. The food was AMAZING and was really filling. We ordered four dishes that tasted amazing and helped us grasp the feeling of Mexican food. The restraint over all was amazing and we will go back in the future. read more

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I'm a stan of Frontera's airport eats (Tortas Frontera) and their smaller restaurant Xoco, so I was excited to try the OG spot... but was quite underwhelmed by the meal I had here for restaurant week. The 3 course $45 meal started with pretty good apps. My friends' ceviche was fresh and flavorful, and I liked the Sopecitos Racheros- the sauce was spicy n decadent! The main dish was a bummer- my Chicken Mole Poblano was basic (it felt like something I'd meal prep at home). The chicken, rice and broccoli were basically unseasoned. The mole sauce was good, but the whole dish would have been way better as enchiladas (like on their regular menu). They did bring us some pretty yummy tortillas to share for the table, which was a saving grace. The desserts - Cuatro Leches Cake and Chocolate Pecan Pie Bar - were soooo rich, they hardly made sense with the other heavy dishes we were served. I also just didn't understand some of their menu choices for a Mexican restaurant- like broccoli not matching with my main dish, and a chocolate pecan bar for dessert?! The environment and service were just okay- I wouldn't say there was a very cozy or welcoming vibe in there. I'll stick to the smaller Frontera restaurants for now! read more

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I'd always wanted to visit Frontera, as I'm a huge Rick Bayless fan. I really enjoyed my experience and I'd rank it higher, but my meal was missing items, which was sad. I went for Saturday brunch, and they serve their regular menu as well, which I appreciate. Frontera has a fun, casual vibe. Reservations are key. My server was really friendly, though I'm not sure they provided the right information about a dish I was considering. My mezcal margarita was delicious. I ordered chips and salsa to start, but didn't care for the chips (too salty), so would not order again. The pork tacos were absolutely delicious, though I was disappointed that the caramelized pineapple was not present, as promised on the menu. No grilled shishitos either, also as promised. What really stood out out to me were the beans. I'm obsessed with beans and usually find that beans are not all that flavorful at most restaurants. I could not stop eating these, as they were incredibly delicious. I should have asked for a side order. I'd return, but hope for the meal to be as described on the menu. read more

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When visiting Chicago, we always try to dine at one of Rick Bayless's restaurant. Frontera Grill was great. We shared a Taco Trio platter: three kinds of meat fillings (chicken, pork, and beef), veggies, and lots of housemade tortillas. Delicious. I ordered a side of plantains, and they were the best I've ever tasted. For dessert, my wife ordered the pecan pie. Everything was perfectly prepared. The staff was friendly and helpful, providing valuable recommendations. We look forward to our next trip to Chicago, and wish that Rick's Red O restaurant was still open in Los Angeles. read more

September time to celebrate mexican independence day so i stop in frontera grill for it i order matgarita happy hour and chile en nogada And for dessert homemade ice cream and cajeta yummy The margarita really good the chile en nogada disapoint the filling was chicken wth , the nogada ewww not my taste the ice cream soo good the beast part of my meal read more

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My expectations for this place were pretty high considering the buzz around it but I was a bit disappointed. We started with a Ceviche Trio. Although overpriced, it was decent. We shared their ribeye entree which was a big disappointment. It was not hot and lacked flavor. The service was good and the ambiance was nice but I will not be back. read more

Frontera Grill - Ceviche trio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My daughter and I visited the restaurant last night. The service was amazing. We have several food allergies and they did their absolute best to accommodate and work with us. They were all so patient and understanding. The food was delicious. Can't wait to go back. read more

Frontera Grill - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Update: after having gone there for dinner several times, we tried the brunch on Sunday. Really enjoyed it. Partly because at 11am on a Sunday they weren't even half full, so it was much quieter than for dinner. Also lower prices! Breakfast entrees run about $16. And the service, as always, was great. The breakfast food was not as out-of-this-world special as our dinners there have been, but still liked it very much and will happily go back. read more

What can I say about frontier grill other than it is a amazinggggggggg! The food is expertly prepared and it's exceptional quality! We ordered guacamole and chips and chicken taquitos as an appetizer. Everything was delicious. The guacamole was smooth yet chunky it didn't have tomato which I prefer normally, but it wasn't missed here. It was outstanding! So good we ordered two (haha)! The sauces were a red and green standard red and green salsa. They weren't really spicy to me. I should have asked if they had something hotter. However, you can tell that it was fresh. We also got enchiladas de Mole. It came with Amish chicken it had pickled onions on top! Moist, flavorful delicious!!!! I just know the tortillas were handmade. The rice and beans came à la carte so we got the pinto beans with bacon and the white rice. The pinto beans were delicious. They were lightly smoky because of the bacon and cooked two perfection. The rice was a nice accompaniment for the beans. Great drinks! Make sure you try that Chocolate Pecan Pie which is the bomb!!!!! The Tres Leche cake was good as well but the Chocolate Pecan is my favorite!! But the My only complaint is a small one. Everything is fresh, quality and delicious! Please get better quality to go bags. My bag and my mother's bag was ripping as we were leaving out. We had to carry it from the bottom instead of using the handle. I would have been so upset if my bag handles would have broken and my food hit the floor! Our meal with tax and the mandatory 20% for our server, Felipe whom was great was $300. It would have been a shame to drop it! read more

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We went for restaurant week and the food was so good! It was a 3 course meal and by the end of it we were stuffed. The waiter was amazing and so attentive. Overall i would recommend, plus the music was great! read more

Frontera Grill - Elote tamal with esquite - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The entrees here were better than the appetizers dessert. The short rib with black mole was phenomenal. The short rib melted in your mouth, and the black mole had a good balance of chocolate and spices. The shrimp in beet escabeche was also pretty good. The guacamole and ceviche appetizers were mediocre (1/2 star off), kind of resembled those from cheap Mexican restaurants. The chocolate soufflé cake was like a brownie, not a soufflé at all (1/2 star off). We ended dinner with a Mexican hot chocolate, which was comforting. Overall, we had a good dinner, but would stick with only the main entrees next time. read more

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Absolutely fantastic tasting menu for $65 pp we were stuffed and had to take dessert home. I loved how many different apps you get to try with the tasting menu, and they were able to accommodate me as a pescatarian by modifying the enchilada. The pecan pie we had the next day for breakfast is amazing! The only slight annoyance was service. Our waiter was hard to track down and we waited 15+ minutes after getting our to-go dessert to get the check. The pace of the meal was fine but he had to check in and make sure we had gotten certain apps, enchilada etc. so the other wait staff might have not been in great communication. Still a great meal and we would go back without hesitation. read more

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Food was yummy and the restaurant was cute but very busy so I recommend making a reservation! Our server didn't check on us as much as I'd hoped but the "busboys" were very attentive. The guac was $19 and I thought that wasn't worth. They also tack on an 18-20% gratuity. The carne asada meat was soooo tender I would def get that again. read more

Frontera Grill - Classic Frontera Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Highlights 1. Great Food! 2. Allergy Conscious 3. Awesome Ambiance We had brunch at Frontera Grill recently with a large group (8!). From start to finish, everything was awesome. Our table was available right when we arrived and the set up was great for our large group. The ambiance is bright, colorful and energetic. It feels fun! My mother in law is allergic to latex (in plantains which is prominent on the menu) and the servers took extra precautions with everything throughout the meal which was appreciated. We split the chips, guacamole and salsa for our table and it was delicious! I opted for the chilaquiles for my order and I think they were the best chilaquiles I've ever had! We really enjoyed our time here and hope to be back to try the dinner menu! read more

Demands a premium price for mediocre food. High expectations but would have preferred to have eaten at a nearby taco truck. Guac was good though. read more

A rip-off restaurant! STAY AWAY! ordered a $37 chicken mole dinner listed on menu as "1/2 chicken". When it was put down on the table you couldn't even see any chicken, just a blob of mole sauce on top of maybe the size of one thigh! A Frontera salad for $16 was about 3 mouthfuls of lettuce, with a hint of ground cheese, when listed as greens, not just salad, and cheese! if you fit the profile of their desired customer, I guess you'll be treated to a better meal- unfortunately we didn't and spent about $200 on "scraps" of food! read more

Visiting from California. We were recommended this place and it did not disappoint. Everything was fantastic. Didn't get a picture of the camote bravo, but it was ridiculously good. Service was excellent. I would go back for the ceviche alone. We're used to great Mexican food where we live, so it was nice to find a little taste of home. Can't wait to visit Chicago again to come back here! read more

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This was one of my favorite dining experiences in a very long time. Well, some folks might get a bit of a sticker shock, the food here is top-notch. I consider myself somewhat of a salsa aficionado, and this place was doing things beyond what I had even dreamed. We both also had an amazing soup that was more like a meal than an appetizer. We were devastated to not be able to try more things on the menu. This place is truly a jewel. I eagerly away another opportunity to return. Highly recommended. read more

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Updating the review to 3/5 (2.5 in my opinion) vs the original 5/5. Came again with a friend for happy hour and I was disappointed to see the quality of the food has gone down and the customer service was also not great as before. You can see from the photos the taquitos look a lot different, the sopes were also cold and lacking flavor. The drinks were good but overall not as good as before. I'd come back again for happy hour for drinks and try an items to see whether it was a one off or not read more

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Walked in and was seated on the patio, which is covered and landscaped with lovely potted tropicals. Excellent and prompt service. I ordered a margarita and our waiter crafted it right in front of me. It was delicious. The menu features local produce and healthier ingredients. You can really taste the quality in their dishes. The chips and salsa were great, and I ordered the Asada special which came with an elote sweet corn tamale. It was excellent. I recommend trying their specials when available! The server was very knowledgeable and made excellent recommendations. For dessert I had a strawberry shortcake which was the best I've ever had. The waiter recommended it. The shortbread was amazing, the strawberries were ripe and sweet, and the whipped cream was a delightful combination. All in all, a wonderful dining experience. read more

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As a fan of Rick Bayless's cookbooks and shows for years, I hoped this place would live up to its reputation, and it did. The best part was that the lunch special was a great value-$30 for appetizer, main course, and dessert. It seemed like a slow weekday, and so even though we had one, there probably wasn't really a need for a reservation. We got a quiet table near the back, our server was prompt and courteous, and partway through the meal we chatted with him a bit, he said Rick was around but he never did show his face. We started with the ceviche for one of our orders, served on a crispy tortilla instead of the traditional mexican tostada type, fresh fish, great coastal flavors. I had the tortilla soup, nice spice with crispy fried tortilla strips. For mains we had the Tlacoyo with fava beans-wasn't quite sure where the fava beans were but this was still a great dish with a nice kick. The carnitas were tender and lean, tortillas were freshly made, black beans were rich and flavorful, and the guacamole was done right. Finally, the flan was a smooth tender custard, and the chocolate pecan torte was also a hit. Definitely a great value for the money, and living up to its Bib Gourmand rating. read more

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Loved this place! If you're vegetarian, they have whole vegetarian menu with amazing options it was honestly hard to choose what to get! We ended up ordering the farmers market salad, Eggplant Milanesa en Adobo de Ciruela, and enchiladas AL Guajillo. All of these were so flavorful and authentic and I would totally get them again! They also have a spicy habenero sauce If you ask for it on the side! I went back again for brunch and got the bajio style eggs without the chorizo and loved that as well! The ambience is also really nice and they have a good amount of outdoor seating! Our server will also fantastic and very accommodating! Overall we loved the vibe and food and would definitely come back! read more

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I've been wanting to come here for a long time. I love Rick Bayless and I finally got to check off this bucket list place. The space was nice and lively. The service was fantastic. We had the short rib mole, camarones de la diabla, the enchiladas, carne asada tacos, the ceviche trio, and chips/guacamole. Oh, and margaritas. The drinks were great. The food was great. The ceviche verde and the camarones were the highlight. The carne asada was a little tough. I will say this place was maybe a little too spendy for what it was especially since I'm from California and food like this is more readily available. I would def try their Michelin star sister restaurant ,Topolobampo, next door. I am glad I tried this place. read more

Frontera Grill - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Well, I don't even know what to say. I am speechless, but not in a good way. Something always has to be said when a restaurant adds an automatic 20% service charge/gratuity to your bill. The incentive for good service just is not there. First, it took a good 15-20 mins to get even an order in or be greeted by our waitress. Then it took another close to an hour to get our food. By that time we had to send the carne asada back because it was already cold to the touch. It looked like it's been sitting out for a while, the sauce already dry and the beans already cracked dry and caked because it's been sitting for so long. They took it back and assumed they just microwaved it out in the back. Then I got the Camarones con esquites which was just ok. It came with 4 or 5 medium sized shrimps and 4 mussels for $37 dollars! Then there's the plantains also so dried up and felt like it's been sitting out for a very long time. Definitely WOULD NOT come back to this place. Service HORRIBLE. Food HORRIBLE. Price HORRIBLE. What a shame I even gave this place a second thought after all these years of passing by it living in Chicago. read more

I visited on a weekday and had the $29 lunch special. I got the Bayless Garden Salad, Baja Fish Tacos, and Tres Leches and everything was fine. Because of the Bib Gourmand status I was expecting more but it was just ok. The salad was delicious. The tacos were plentiful but I wasn't a fan of the sauces. This version of tres leches is interesting but I would have preferred the normal version. I would recommend ordering from the standard menu. The options looked better. read more

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We went for lunch and it was such a good experience! We started with the chips and salsa (salsa verde and a red chili salsa). Both salsas are so deep in taste. I also got the Mezcal Margarita, which is my go-to. Love it! We chose from the lunch in 60 minutes menu. For one price you choose an appetizer, main dish and dessert. I started with the Ceviche, which has so many layers of flavor and was almost a meal in itself. I had the Carne Asada, which is a habanero -marinated flank steak. It came with 2 tamales and roasted tomatoes and onions. It was so delicious, and I highly recommend! I finished with the chocolate pecan pie, which is so rich and decadent. Of course, I could not eat everything, so I had enough for lunch the next day. My husband had the Carnitas, which came with tortillas, black beans, salsa verde and guacamole. He said it was really good. The service and the ambience were excellent. We ate inside and the noise level was fine. We could easily have a conversation. read more

Frontera Grill - Mezcal Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I think Frontera's FOH training has gone downhill. Mind you this is based on one happy hour experience after not coming in here in several years. My friends visiting came here with me for happy hour on a Wednesday. Host was nowhere to be found and then finally an ancillary staff checked our reservation and sat us outside. Our servers were pleasant when they were around but it was sparse. We barely were able to get all of our orders in during happy hour. Also no one had come to touch table the final 20 mins before happy hour to see if we wanted anything else. We flagged down a guy 3 mins before end and put in two orders. An ancillary staff member came back to tell us they couldn't get one of our HH orders into the system in time and it can't be fixed by a manager. Ok? Like I said whenever we were able to get ahold of staff there weren't negative interactions they just were barely existent. I think this is a training issue. The food was still decent/good. The kicker is with the subpar service for 3 guests...automatic tip was charged to us. So no remedy to give negative feedback. I hesitate to come back again. read more

Frontera Grill - This explains why the service went downhill. No motivation to provide great service - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Service was bad . Bartender ( F/ Brunette) didn't even acknowledge us . They advertise a happy hour but have like 4 chairs at the bar . Won't go back read more

Delicious food, but very poor service. I went to Frontera this week. We had a reservation, and by the time we were taken to a table, the hostess immediately said - the table is sticky, we will have to go back up front. We were led back to the front and sat. Finally we were taken back to the same table. We sat, were given menus and water. Then we waited - and waited - and waited - and waited and no one came. After 15 minutes I went up front and asked for a manager. I told her we were left unattended for a long time. By the time we made it back to our table, the scatter brained server had appeared. Then a tray with guacamole and chops appeared complimentary. This was probably because I told the manager, "I can't believe you are a Michelin starred restaurant when you don't ever greet your guests when they are seated and keep them waiting so long with no food or drink!" Things started improving at this point. Service went much better and the food was absolutely delicious. If it were not for their outstanding food, I'm sure I would not return. When I do, I hope that the service is better. As they say, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression! read more

Visited an old favorite, Frontera Grill on a Friday. Place was busy and vibrant. The music was great. Things started out nicely with a trio of ceviches which were delicious. The grilled pork and mixed pepper tacos were a little bit disappointing. Meat was slightly chewy and could have benefited from being chopped up. Also, three of us ordered these tacos and none of our plates arrived with the special salsas listed on the menu. A few others at the table were let down with their first experience there. Queso Fundido arrived with hardly any chorizo. Service was shaky as well. Was sad that the mediocre experience became the focus of discussion during the meal. However, it was good to spend time with good company this night. #fronteragrill #chicago #mexicanfood #foodies #rickbayless read more

Frontera Grill - Grilled pork with shishito, poblano peppers, guacamole, beans. AL CARBON-STYLE AL CARBON-STYLE - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's hard to get across how disappointed I am with Frontera Grill, but I'll try; for context, my wife and I ate at Topolobampo in July and absolutely loved it, so we had high hopes for Frontera. We came here with some of my wife's family, hyping up the food because we thought, "Topo was great, so this place should at least be good, right?" It was not good. I don't mean "not as good as we thought it would be", I mean 4/5 of us did not like our main dishes and I actually felt insulted by the price given the quality of the food. We ordered the Chips and Salsa (which were good), the tortilla soup (ok, but we were hoping for a repeat of the amazing soup served to us at Topo and this definitely was not it), and I got a pork enchilada dish that was amazing in presentation and disappointing in flavor. My father-in-law enjoyed his carne asada and guacamole, but even he felt the food wasn't worth the price. The wait staff also weren't friendly, which made us wonder if we had done something to accidentally make them mad. Overall, I'm very disappointed with Frontera and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. read more

Frontera Grill - My meal - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were so excited to visit Chicago and finally try one of Rick Bayless' restaurants after watching finding his cooking shows years ago. The menu has something for everyone and there are enough dishes to satisfy several visit. The food itself deserves five stars and enjoyed a started, two entrees and a dessert, plus four alcoholic beverages. However, service is a big part of the dining experience and Frontera really missed expectations on this Saturday evening. One of us ordered a beer right away but it took another 20 minutes - after asking two different floor staff to send our server over - to order my cocktail. The server wanted our food order but told him we'd wait until drinks arrived. Then, it took about another 20 minutes to get anyone to come over and take our food order. When it came time to pay, it took extensive amount of time to get the bill, then I watched the server go to the kitchen with our credit card thinking there must be a system kiosk in the back. However, when I next saw him about ten minutes later, he headed to the front of the restaurant where the kiosk is located but he didn't return for another 10+ minutes so we waited about 20 minutes to get our credit card. Aside from the extended wait, no one these days expects to see their credit card disappear for this long for no reason. I shared my disappointment with service with one of the hostesses on the way out and she acknowledged and apologized adding that this was one of their most senior servers. Perhaps this server was just having a bad night, or is too comfortable with his ability to be aware of the status at his table. But, there is no way this server would have received a 20% gratuity had it not been a mandatory add. A really disappointing event and not one we intend to revisit again anytime soon. read more

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Be aware: a 20% service charge is automatically included in the bill and in our case, the server did not mention it when presenting the check. We were sitting at the bar, and nothing was verbally communicated. Without carefully reviewing the receipt, it would have been very easy to add an additional tip on top of the included 20%, effectively paying 40%. That's not acceptable. Transparency matters. Guests should never feel misled at the end of what is supposed to be an enjoyable evening. When dining at a restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide, you expect professionalism especially when it comes to billing clarity. Make sure you double-check your receipt. read more

I've wanted to go to a Rick Bayless restaurant forever and it did not disappoint. The vibe was great-colorful artwork and buzzing with conversation. Our waiter was terrific and able to recommend things that were flavorful but not too spicy. Shared the guacamole and my chicken dish was outstanding. Excellent cocktails and the chocolate pecan pie was amazing. Run there if you are in Chicago, but get a reservation! read more

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The Rainforest Cafe of Mexican Food. I've been a big Bayless fan for decades. It's been awhile since I've been here but all I can say is that it's now just another needless Mexican restaurant. Gone are the chili rellenos, flor de calabaza capeada, and pescado de día. No daily special anymore, just the tried and true menu dishes. Some exceptional and some run of the mill. As always, service was exceptional but the 20% tip add on was a suprise. I always tip well for good service but I do like to decide. Unfortunately this once fabulous dining location is now just mundane Chicago tourist trap. read more

Let's start with the good...service was lovely. We were well taken care of from start to finish. As you may already know, 20% is added to every check...we did add more gratuity because it was great service. Now the not so good. Rick- this meal was very average. At best. We were a party of 2, and it was not a busy Saturday night. We started with an appetizer...the masa boats with a beef filling topped with a chunk of avocado. . It was room temperature and really not anything special. Then, we had two entrees...the shrimp and the carne/beef. My shrimp was served on flavorful rice and a banana leaf. Eight nice shrimp. I was happy with this dish. My daughter had the carne served on mashed potatoes with a pepper sauce. The pieces of steak were tasty, but the steak pieces arrived scattered on the plate, and what seemed a very small portion size compared to other photos posted on this Yelp. You can see in my photos...looks very different compared to photos of the same dish taken 6 months ago. There was a light smattering of mashed potatoes. Along with 2 drinks and valet parking, we dropped about $200 for a dinner for 2, which I rather expected. Glad to have the valet parking. I am a visiting Chicago native who has traveled to Mexico many times. I also get a lot of great Hispanic foods locally. For me, this simply misses the mark. It wasn't fine dining and it couldn't compete with some great, albeit more humble restaurants I can go to. I expected better. read more

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What an amazing lunch at Frontera Grill. It had been 20 years since our last visit and the quality of the food and service has not changed. The lunch special was a great value and the food for the whole group of us. We will continue to eat here with each visit to Chicago. read more

Frontera Grill - Carne Asada "Brava" Fried Sweet Plantains Topolo Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Nice margaritas. Relaxed bar scene. The summer stone fruit special was creative and delicious. The fruit added a nice touch to the mole. The tortillas were incredibly soft and the chicken breast perfectly cooked. read more

Frontera Grill - Chicken breast in mole with seasonal stone fruit. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Look Ricky makes good food, but he charges wayyyy too much for them. The salad was killer- such a good garlic dressing & fresh greens. The mushrooms were heavily roasted & had a nice smoky flavor. The black beans & quac were solid as well. Overall the food is great- albeit expensive. A 20% service charge is added & Ricky is just a bit ridiculous for that. read more

Frontera Grill - Frontera salad - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have returned to Frontera Grill with high expectations after a previous visit. I was not disappointed. The food and service was as good as before. read more