Authentic Quality That Live Up to the Hype! Our hotel concierge recommended Hacienda Leon, and it turned out to be an absolute highlight of our trip. Walking in, the place was completely packed out--which is always the best sign that a spot is doing something right. Having lived in and eaten around San Diego, finding truly great, authentic Mexican food can be a challenge, but Hacienda Leon delivered on every level. The flavors were spot-on, the portions were generous, and the quality was fantastic. We literally ate ourselves to sleep afterward. If you're looking for genuine Mexican cuisine done right, this spot comes highly recommended. We'll definitely be back. read more

If starting a GLP-1 (Ozempic, Manjouro, etc) sounds not-so-inviting but you really want to control your consumption, try eating at Hacienda Leon instead. I guarantee the meal will shut your appetite down for good (and,...not in a pleasant way). Our food was terrible. It lacked flavor and the meat hardly resembles actual meat. I guess the chicken was chicken but there was no seasoning whatsoever. The beef (if you can call it that) does not resemble any beef I've ever eaten (perhaps it's Argentinian). I'm super puzzled as to how this place is packed all the time. They must have the best margarita specials every day of the week to draw that sort of a crowd. I ate about a third of my meal and my wife and daughter at the bare minimum before we simply tossed it in the trash. read more

Elias was an excellent server, coming back to check on us. The atmosphere is very authentic and inviting. I ordered the Tulum Special ( a combination of grilled shrimp, broccoli, pineapple and mushrooms with a chipotle sauce on a bed of rice). It was delicious, a new favorite dish. My wife had the Chicken Enchiladas with rice and beans. She devoured it, so it must have been very tasty. read more

Hacienda Leon - Chicken Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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Food was excellent. Portions were a little small but it was off the lunch menu. Overall, good tasting Mexican food

Lunch menu portions are now significantly smaller! My family dined in for lunch on a busy Saturday afternoon. I ordered the lunch chicken fajitas with rice and beans. The portions were all a lot smaller than previous visits here. The food was still good but you get a lot less for your buck. read more

Hacienda Leon - Sides for Chicken Fajitas Mexican Rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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Shout out to the waiter Johnny! Amazing customer service 10/10 The food was delicious!!!! Restaurant was full, but the food got out fast. I love this place. read more

I've dined here many times now and it's a fantastic place. Great staff, great food, and great atmosphere.

The servers was pretty good until I was ordered my food and one of the waitress or waiters called me a boy when I was not a boy cause and when it was a sister's graduation, I choked on one of my shrimps and they did nothing to help me read more

Excellent and authentic Mexican dishes, offering a wide selection. The restaurant is beautifully appointed with lovely decor. The staff is attentive and friendly. Delicious Margaritas read more

Service is horrible! Ran out of chips wait 25 minutes to get more. Waitresses ignored us when we tried to ask for more. Only wanted to attend to the large table next to us. Food took over an hour to get. read more

Great lunch specials fast service good drinks!! Decent prices... friendly service Only reason didn't give it 5 stars is because didn't have any condiments on the table and when I asked seemed to bother them read more

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At 4 pm it was fast, warm, and delicious. The wait staff was fabulous. The ambiance is festive and fun. Our food came out fast and hot. Salsa was fresh tasting. Chips were warm. We would definitely return if in Bloomington again. read more

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We intentionally came for dinner the other night because two things are certain when you go to Hacienda Leon: 1. The service is good and fast, 2. The food is flavorful and outstanding. I went with the Chori Chicken which has a great mix of grilled chicken and chorizo with rice and a cheese sauce that is a bit addictive. The portion size is such that I end up taking half home for lunch the next day. My husband had the Especial Leon. This was right up his alley as if featured shrimp, chicken, steak, chorizo, and pork ribs. He described it like basically a fajita with lots of different protein options...all were delicious and he had no problem eating it all up! We continue to be fans of this restaurant as they are consistent in the experience and great food! read more

Hacienda Leon - Chori Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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I gathered with family and friends on a Saturday evening. The food was fantastic--fresh, well-seasoned, and perfectly cooked chicken. I had a chicken burrito with rice/beans. The service was also excellent, with a knowledgeable waitress who could address dietary issues. The ambiance was... well... LOUD. There was a group on a bar crawl, and it was difficult to hear people speaking, even right next to me. I suppose I'm getting to old to enjoy the loudness, but given the quality of the food and the decor, I would have expected just a tiny bit less bar noise. The price was reasonable for the food and service. read more

The ambiance is excellent for a college town. The portions are very good and food was excellent.

We ordered a bunch of food for our monthly meeting, everything was top notch and on point, just the right amount of spices and flavor, meat was cooked just right, peppers and onions still had a bit of crunch instead of the mush texture I've had in other places. Definitely will be getting some of this in the future when I'm ready for Mexican food. read more

Great food and very attentive staff. Plenty of chips and salsa! I recommend the shrimp chimichanga. Delicious! Reasonably priced as well. read more

Found this place on Yelp and decided to try and really liked it. Good Mexican food with generous portions and great service. They have an extensive menu with lots of choices. We loved everything we ordered. The wait staff is very friendly. The food was delicious and so fresh and arrived quickly. Loved the authentic Mexican flavors. Loved the decor of this place . Great for large parties. Highly recommend! read more

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Many options for Mexican in the area. While the service was good the portions are CRAZY small. Two spoonfuls of rice seems a bit ridiculous. Seasoning used on the food is ok, but I think there are many better options in town. read more

Food is always good and my daughter likes the enchiladas at this place. Don't t be afraid to spice up your food. The chile toreadas are a great addition to your meal read more

Hacienda Leon - This was on point today thank you so much - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

My mom and I love going here- staff is always so friendly and the food comes out quick and hot every time! :)

The food at this place is really excellent . My complaint is with the atmosphere . It's not unusual to have two or three Mexican songs playing simultaneously . Since I'm unfamiliar with this music , I want to enjoy it , not feel like I'm on the beach at Guadalajara . I find the environment extremely stressful and distracting with this dissonant musical racket going on while I'm trying to eat . I brought this to the attention of the manager and he said it was the owners call and there was nothing he could do about it . I'll pick a quieter place to eat but I'll miss the great food . read more

This place does not disappoint! They provide Mexican flavor profiles and service that is top dollar for reasonable prices. You will not be hungry when you leave. And you will return. Come check these guys out. Yum yum yum!!! read more

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Great place to meet friends for really good Strawberry daiquiris. I got the non alcoholic version and it was reasonable and super fruity. The fajitas were outstanding there are several options so everyone can get their flavor on!we had a large group and our waiter was phenomenal ! The Salsa and chips were never ending. I was so full. Prices very reasonable! read more

Food was delicious Fast service very welcoming and friendly and peaceful Enjoyed the afternoon with my family

I've probably eaten here too much for my waistline, but I am constantly drawn back to the delicious food that is presented so appetizingly. My grandson has declared this as his favorite restaurant as well (he gives it a 10 out of 10) so when he comes to visit he always orders enough to take home. read more

Yummyyyy. This place was right down the road from our hotel, and packed on a Saturday night, for a good reason... Everything from start to finish was awesome. Food was delish, margaritas hit the spot, service was great... if you're in the area I totally recommend:) read more

Hacienda Leon - Especial Leon specialty entree! - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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Great place! Tacos were outstanding and the queso with chorizo was phenomenal! Our new Mexican restaurant for BloNo.

Absolutely fabulous waiter this guy was amazing. The fajitas were some of the best I've had in Bloomington. All the meat was tender and juicy and the veggies were cooked but still had some texture to them. Very nice inside felt fancy but with affordable prices. Very good for a family meal. I will be back! read more

Their food is always so fresh, so delicious! Even when ordered delivered to your door, you'll think you're sitting right next to the kitchen! Absolutely perfect every time, year after year! read more

It's food in a college town. Set low expectations. We had three entrees. The food is simply bland and flavorless. The service was very good, but to be honest I'd rather have had better food and less service. There are much better options a few miles away. read more

Food is ok, prices high and charge for hot sauce! We won't be coming back. Inside of restaurant is pretty. read more

Had lunch with my son. He brought Mr to this very nice Mexican restaurant. First of all the decor was gorgeous. You truly get that cultural feel. Dim flamed lighting in old time lanterns you would see in a historic Mexican towns. The service was amazing. I didn't have to ask for a thing. Very attentive. The portion size of the food was more than plenty. The food itself was delicious and fresh. I WILL be coming back soon. read more

Hacienda Leon - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

The service is amazing!! The one hostess i believe her name is Mahveen she is the best. We walked In and she greeted us with a smile. She just made my day 101% better. The server is super nice and the people just rock. 1000% recommend this place!!! read more

True to my word, came back with the lady last night for date night...and based on our wonderful meal, I'm now bumping my rating up to 4.5 stars. Although this was only our first two dinner items at Hacienda, both were out of this world so I HIGHLY recommend you forget the rest of the menu and order off the "Especiale" and "Seafood" menu page - I doubt you will be disappointed. I had the Coctel de Camerons, a huge shrimp cocktail with large, fresh shrimp in a mixture of salsa and a just spicy enough bloody mary mix with lots of fresh avacodo too. Amie got the seafood burrito, with LOTS of crab, scallops and other fish....both were unbelievably good and filling! We can't wait to try the paella and ceviche soon! It seems this town's insatiable 'new place appetite' is making for crowds earlier and earlier so my suggestion is target dinner LATER (after say 7:30 or 8) and dine at a pub table (or the bar) with a still lively atmosphere and the ambiance of a game on one of the four big screens. The bar is now plenty stocked and they are cranking out the margaritas with 4 slushie machines as well. The service was quite good for a place only a week old, but didn't go with 5-stars due to some TV mismanagement (4 separate soundless reality TV shows on when we walked in...why?) and the 'pay ONLY at the front door cashier' policy. read more

Hacienda Leon - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

I visited today for weekday lunch. Sat down around 11:10 and done eating by 11:45. Not a lot of people here when we arrived but the huge place was nearly full when we left at noon. The place is absolutely stunning - one of the prettiest places in town. I had the lunch cheesesteak which comes with rice and beans. It was delicious and note the queso topping my cheesesteak was especially good. No issues with the service. The lunch menu is pretty similar to other Mexican in the area. The dinner menu did seem to have a few unique things such as some items served in a mocajete. The dinner seafood selection is pretty impressive. AND they have churros as a dessert selection. The complimentary chips were just ok - a little thick I think. And the accompanying salsa was very bland with absolutely no zip or much flavor. read more

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Got the guacamole for starters. It was good! Then ordered chicken and beef chimichangas. Also really delicious. Overall enjoyed the service, atmosphere, and felt the cost was reasonable. read more

This is absolutely one of my all time favorite Mexican restaurants in town! The food is always amazing! Everytime I've tried something new, it never ceases to be good! The staff is incredible and come check on you multiple time thought out the meal. One meal I had, I needed more tortillas and they brought me 6 more! Lastly the ambiance and setting is amazing! It's such a beautiful look on the inside and there is a bar area as well if you'd just like to have some drinks! read more

This was a back up choice and it worked out. Food was good. Service was great. On top of everything. Restaurant was not very busy but was clean and had good tunes on. Would stop back for sure if in the area. read more

Best fish tacos I've had in this town. Really good food and everything is reasonably priced. I also love their lighting. It feels fancy. Service was quick enough and everyone seemed kind. read more