I visited Hale Street Cantina for birthday gathering and watch FIFA game and had a great experience. The space is open, welcoming, and has a fun atmosphere that's perfect for watching sports or spending a night out with friends. The staff were friendly and attentive. It got quite busy once the game started, but the waitress continued to provide good service. I ordered the torta and elote, and both were excellent. The meat in the torta was good quality with great flavor, and the elote was delicious. The restaurant offers daily specials. Tortas were half off the day we went. They also offer fun events like trivia, which adds to the overall experience. With a nice bar, good food, and a lively atmosphere, Hale Street Cantina is a great spot to meet up with friends, watch a game, or enjoy a night out in downtown Wheaton. read more

Hale Street Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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Came to this place for lunch on a cold day. The place was open and has a sport bar setting. I notice that there's trivia game as well. Looking at the menu. It's quite a typical Tex-Mex place. We started with Guacamole and Chips. Then we ordered Gringo Taco and Birria Ramen. The taco came with rice and bean, it's flavorful as expected. The Birria Ramen is some new that I have never tried. Think of it as braised beef with noodles. The dish is flavorful, and I wonder instead of ramen (wheat based) noodle, it could be even better rice noodles because the beef and the broth is quite flavorful. A good spot to hang out, and watch a game or two. read more

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Came out last night for dinner with our small pup on the patio. Our server was super sweet! Someone also came out to ask if our dog wanted a treat too! Love the friendliness! It was 1/2 off margaritas special and they were delicious! Got the chorizo queso and bottomless chips and salsa! Very good queso and warm salty chips! We also got the chicken tinga tacos, gringo and carne asada and all were very good! We've been wanting to come by and so happy we did! Food and drinks were great! Friendly workers and dog friendly patio (and under the tent)! Definitely will be back! read more

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I love the menu at Hale Street Cantina because it's consistently great food. They have a great variety of drinks. Last time I went I had the steak tacos and the elote, it was delicious! They also have a good selection of local and other beers on tap. The service was good and I love the ambiance with the music and wall art. Definitely a spot to stop in if you are in the area. read more

I went back on Saturday! Ha! This time I brought my wife. We had an equally good time. The place was super busy on a Saturday night in Wheaton. So I admit that it was a bit tougher to deal with the slower service compared to what I'd experienced earlier in the week, but I'm fair enough to say that I understand. Our food was great! My wife says Hale street is now in our rotation. I think I agree! read more

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Visiting from out of town. Weird to not have complimentary chips and salsa but we ordered them. They were good and unlimited so that was nice. Had the quesobirria tacos and they were awesome. Rice and beans, what you get most anywhere. Server was nice. Margarita i had was average. Ambiance was good. Would return for sure. read more

As you walk inside this restaurant instantly screams fun and festive Mexican restaurant! From The decorations to the drinks. Everything is incredible! So, next time you're in the mood for something fun. Come here! You won't regret it. read more

Everything could be better. The hostess was having to bus tables and so wasn't at the front to seat people. Our server couldn't have been more inattentive even though she was only working two tables. She took our order, delivered our food, and brought us water once. Those were the only times we saw her. She missed one of my kid's orders (we only have three children), and made a mistake in my order. My wife's order came out incorrect as did mine. The brisket on the nachos came out as meat cubes, not brisket. I had to hunt her down to communicate that my wife's order was incorrect and that my son was missing food. I also had to find someone else to give us the check because she was nowhere to be found. Very disappointing. read more

Decent Tex-mex style food. When you want good to pretty good Americanized Mexican food, this is the place to go. Nice bar. Outdoor seating and large open front are both nice to have in summer. read more

Amazing! I had the three taco dinner, mixing and matching the chicken, quesabirria, and blackened fish tacos. Everything was so delicious! Rice and beans were included. read more

It was just OK. Service was OK. Food was OK. I'd go back in a pinch, but not go there again if there were other options. The only good thing I can say about them is that they are open late, too places close too early read more

I went here on a fun date night late fall and it was perfect outdoor weather for chips, salsa, drinks, and a good time! Our sever was attentive and gave menu suggestions! I enjoyed the Chihuahua cheese enchiladas, and we shared guacamole! Very refreshing drinks and you could tell all the ingredients were fresh and the guacamole was made that day! We'll definitely be back and loved the outdoor seating! read more

I came here for lunch and I got Carne Asada. It was super good, the taste was exuberant, the outdoor environment is very nice and the wait for food was short. My friends and I enjoyed our time here and had good laughs. Our waitress, Alex, was super friendly and polite. She never rushed us and was super patient with us. My order had gotten confused with and they quickly made a change which was great. Alex is probably the best waitress I have ever met and I know she works hard every day to accomplish greatness. 10/10 would go again!!! Super underrated restaurant. read more

Hale Street Cantina - CARNE ASADA FAJITA - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

This is an update as I was encouraged to try it again since they revamped the menu. The food, we had fish and chicken tacos, was a little better, but not much better than a year ago. For me they were blah, lacking spices and savor. My friend, on the other hand, likes this place very much, she is more of a bland tastebud woman. For the price, I expect better. Higher level of mixology on their margaritas and tastier/savory in their dishes. The service was good, but a little overbearing, hovering over us too often. I was treating my friend to a birthday celebration and asked for a dessert with candles as a surprise. They had no candles and they brought ice cream before we were done with our meal. If your purpose is to be around people, in a festive environment this is a good place. read more

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My boyfriend and I came here for a celebratory dinner recently. We had been here before so we were surprised by several things. -The menu seems to have completely changed since we were last here. Neither of the things we got last time were still on it - The NOISE. Not even from the several tables of kids near us; nope, it was one group of adults yelling at a sports game on the TV and then another table with two women who were clearly unaware of their volume. - Our waiter was trying really hard, and double checked with me what I didn't want on my tacos (cilantro), but it still came with it, and on the wrong tortillas (why offer both corn and flour if it's going to be wrong?) Also, they didn't disclose on the menu that the rice and queso would be topped with tomato; guess if you have an allergy you're sending it back! So the kitchen just doesn't seem to have it together. Overall, given the number of Mexican restaurants in this area, I wouldn't come back here but would try someplace else next time. read more

Hale Street Cantina - Taco trio and rice - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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I attended Wheaton's Cream of Wheaton and enjoyed some great music at Memorial Park. After the band finished their set, I headed over to the Hale Street Tents. Wheaton closes Hale Street and sets up a tent, allowing all the restaurants to offer outdoor seating. We decided on Hale Street Cantina, which was only serving their late-night menu--a bit limited, but still appealing. I opted for the steak tacos served with fries, and they were pretty good for late-night fare. I'm looking forward to returning and trying more from their full menu. I love that Wheaton closes the street for outdoor dining and various activities. It's a wonderful way to enjoy the community atmosphere. read more

Hale Street Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Went with great friends food and service was ok. It was a nice small place with your typical taco menu

I was hungry and this place seemed to catch my attention. My significant other and I walked inside. The sign stated Please Seat Yourself. We chose a table towards the back for privacy. The Margaritas section stated Tequila Based Cocktails Make The Perfect Compadre To Any Meal! I ordered a Hale Street........................10. It was Blanco Tequila, Triple Sec, Orange Juice, House Made Sweet & Sour. The server gave me the choice of salt or sugar on the rim. I chose salt. From the Monthly Features section, I got a Cantina Chili : Cup $6. It was Hearty Chili Loaded With Ground Beef, Peppers & Beans. Topped With Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese & Onions. The Fajitas section stated Choice Of Protein With Carmelized Onions, Sauteed Peppers, Charred Tomato & Roasted Jalapeno. Served With Corn / Flour Tortillas. I chose Corn. I went with Chicken..........................18. I was given free water. It was refreshing. We were given free chips and salsa. The chips had a nice crunch to them and the salsa had a spicy flavor to it. I enjoyed them. The Hale Street was small, but pretty good. The Cantina Chili was great. It was packed with flavor. The Fajitas came out sizzling with a tempting aroma. I wish more Tortillas were included, as they ran out fast. I had to utilize some of the chips to finish the Fajitas, which was pretty tasty. The whole ensemble was decent. The service was fast. I didn't have any issues in that field. Overall, I had a good time here. I'm glad I tried it and maybe I'll go again if I'm in the area. Date of visit: 1/2/25 read more

We went there for dinner. It was decent service. If you are looking for complimenrary chips and Salsa like we get in Mexican restaurants then you will be disppointed. We sat inside. We ordered 3 food plates and two drink and cost was round $77 (no tip included) read more

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ZERO... Beer was good, ambiance is nice. But the food? Salsa use to be free now it's charged and it has no flavor. Got briskets quesadillas no flavor again. New owners are cutting corners use to be decent food. Now I'd rather have fast food than this place. Save your money and go to burger social that has authentic Mexican food not out of a can. read more

Food was very mediocre. I got a brisket burrito bowl, the meat was tough and flavorless. The lime rice had no flavor either. My GF had the gringo tacos and it was on par with taco bell meat. Sorry not sorry. Im genuinely disappointed in the overall experience and would not recommend it to anyone. Honestly the chips and salsa were the highlight for us... I should mention the service and atmosphere was solid, no complaints there but the kitchen needs to up their game. Maybe it would be better if I was a handful of drinks deep. read more

Hale Street Cantina - Brisket burrito bowl. - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Went to the Wheaton Taco & Margarita Festival with my Son, his girlfriend her Mother & my wife. After waiting in line for 20 minutes to get a Margarita (that was watered down) decided to try Hale Street Cantina. We walked in and decided to sit outside under the tent to listen to the music that was part of the festival. We ordered drinks two smoke show cocktail's (made with El Silencio Mezcal, Esponlon Blanco, Ancho Reyes, Line Jucie, Agave, Tajin Rim,) two red Sangria's ( made with Espolon Blanco, Grand Marnier, Agave, Citrus, Soda and Red Wine.) all the cocktails were GREAT! For our entrées we ordered, Al Pastor Tacos (Pork, Pineapple, Onions, Cilantro and Arbol Chili salsa) my wife said that it was delicious but a bit spicy for her taste. My Son & I ordered the steak tacos with onions and cilantro (they were delicious). After a wonderful dinner (listening to the music by Leroy Winn Power Trio) we ordered two Pacifico beer's on draft. This was our first time trying Hale Street Cantina but it will definitely not be last. read more

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This place is mostly a miss for me. The fried fish tacos I got were not crispy at all but I did appreciate the amount I got. Quality- fish had no seasoning and was pretty soggy especially on the bottom side. The fish taco was also mostly breading. The rice came out pretty cold and the beans are really grainy like mashed potatoes. The special sauce they give also overpowered the avocado and seasoning they put on the taco. Quantity- they give a fair amount for 16 bucks. Atmosphere- the tables aren't clean when I came in. It was sticky. Service- good read more

Hale Street Cantina - Fish Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

When I wanted to host a Mexican dinner and serve some enchiladas I called Todd at Hale St., Cantina and he he really helped me out. Besides two different types of enchiladas I ordered their authentic rice and beans as well. Everything was ready exactly on time and it was all delicious at a reasonable cost as well. We will definitely be back! read more

We were initially discouraged by the low-ish star rating on yelp, but don't let it fool you!! Our experience at Hale Street Cantina was fantastic! We went on a Friday night and it was pretty busy. There was a 25 minute wait, but we just ended up sitting at the bar. The bartender was very attentive and friendly. We got served right away. The drinks were delicious! We definitely recommend the guac. I also really loved the elote side. It's an upgrade, but worth it. We will be back again! It looks like they do a lot of fun events. read more

Hale Street Cantina - Hale St Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Came here to enjoy my friends birthday. We had seated ourselves and right away too because there was 3 tables available. It wasn't too busy inside but outside there was a good amount of people. I had ordered a shot of tito's to start off the night and went down hard but was a good shot. Also ordered a peach moscow mule for $6 because they had them for $6 on Thursdays. It was pretty strong more so vodka flavored and not peach and ginger. Food was the coconut shrimp tacos 8/10! The actual shrimp were a 10/10 best I've had. The overall toppings was kinda messy for the taco and just everywhere. The fries on the side has some sweet but tangy to it which wasn't too bad but became a little too much when getting far into the meal. Overall 8/10 it's a perfect spot for groups and of course date nights. Shout to the girls taking our orders they were so nice and chill! Will be coming back! read more

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Good food and service. Went there twice and both times and wasn't disappointed. The inside is neat and charming.

Have been meaning to get in here for awhile. Walked past in the warmer months and saw the bustle and cool vibes. I got the blackened fish tacos with a barbecue sauce. The diced onions and toppings were a nice touch. Tilapia is hard to make with a no fishy taste. I wasn't completely in love with the combination with the barbecue sauce. You could tell it was put together with love. The French fries were delicious. At first I was in awe of the tots. Then after a few more of these light and crispy fried nuggets I decided they were too salty. I am mostly vegan but will eat fish if I don't see a vegan option I prefer to eat. They do have a black bean burger that also looks good. Overall I love the feeling of this place. Would be a fun place to come get drinks and apps with friends. read more

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Hale Street Cantina is a Mexican - American fusion restaurant . It's self seating with a chill vibe . Along with tacos and burritos they offer soups and salads . You can opt for a burger and tater totes as well . The chipotle steak Taco's had jalapeno relish and Chipotle honey . The hale street burrito had Chihuahua cheese and avocado cream . The texture and taste of these imaginative ingredients charge your taste buds to a new level . You can enjoy seating at the bar or find a table that suits you . read more

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Mediocre. Chips were stale and not homemade. Pazole was good. I personally feel I can whip up better Mexican food at home. read more

Hale Street Cantina - Pazole - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Disgusting.see pic...have you seen cubed brisket? Me neither. I asked the waitress if the brisket was lean..she lied. End of story. Skip this place if you can. Just gross read more

Hale Street Cantina - Nasty brisket nachos! - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

This is only for the happy hour drink special which was mezcal for the time and they were able to make it into a margarita that was on point. read more

Really enjoyed this place. The service is friendly, the atmosphere is chilled and the food was good. The Rio Rangoon was fun different treat. The burrito was good and I was able to split it. You get multiple choices for sides. I will definitely come back here. read more

Hubby and I just stopped in for a cocktail on Mother's Day; was welcomed with a lovely bartender and some tasty Paloma's! Complimentary chips and salsa were homemade and yummy! Barbacoa empanadas app hit the spot! Noticed they changed the menu and looking forward to coming back read more

Hale Street Cantina was stumbled upon on a whim while roaming around downtown Wheaton and it was a delightful find! Honestly, in the summer when the tent is up and you see lots of people eating outside you kind of cannot go wrong with choosing a restaurant. We had a taste for Mexican and grabbed a seat. Our waitress was bubbly and eager to serve, making suggestions and answering all questions we had about the menu. It was shaping up to be a great meal... and then a storm blew in. Being seated at the edge of the tent we quickly flagged our waitress and indicated that we wanted to move inside. She gave us a wave and we hustled in. No sooner after settling in was the sun shining again haha. Oh well. Our waitress and the staff didn't miss a beat and handled the transition like pros. We stayed inside and enjoyed the meal. For food we kept it pretty basic: fish tacos all around! I'd recommend the battered over the grilled but both were very tasty, as was the guac! Despite the weather and because of the staff, we had a great early dinner at this cantina. In the future, I will definitely be remembering this spot! read more

Let's tackle the 1000 pound gorilla in the room first - this review is taking into account that this is American-Mexican fusion cuisine. I'm not looking for authentic flavors or authentic and fresh ingredients. First off - our waitress was excellent. She was very pleasant and very friendly. She'd get five stars. The drinks were fine. But if you want food? We ordered two plates of tacos. Al Pastor and Grilled Tilapia. My wife and I do not send food back - if we wanted food cooked a particular way, we'd do it ourselves. We order and we assume that this is the best your restaurant has to offer. This has no correlation with the score - but the tacos were huge. I saw reviews complain there were only two tacos. You could spread the contents across three tacos and they'd seem generously filled - and would be easier to eat. I would also get a greater sense of value and it'd cost pennies to execute. This rating is based on the taste of food and the taste alone. "But Mexican-American ~fusion~" I can hear you say - The next few paragraphs will lack the words: "spice" "chilies" "authentic" "cilantro". We were warned that the Al Pastor tacos would be spicy. (doesn't count as spice!) My wife and I joke about Wheaton-spice levels - With water being a 3/10 and Big Red gum being a 11/10. I lived in Wheaton back when the Wheaton Cafe served grilled fruit with every entree and booze was still a sin. There are as many burger items as there are burritos. We know and dine with plenty of folks whose spice tolerance is, "Black pepper is spicy". Our expectations were set accordingly. The menu also reigns in expectations - it is clearly marked as fusion food. Our grilled tilapia? Lacked any seasoning. But also, lacked grilled. They came out sopping wet. We've had a very dry May this year - after all that water from this dish evaporated, it looks like we're in for a few days of much needed rain. You're welcome. There was no color on the fish - the only direct heat this saw was the sun shining down on it as it was brought out to us. Perhaps someone swapped the grill for a microwave and no one in the kitchen noticed. Someone else's review had a picture of their grilled tilapia and it looks grilled (or at least pan seered) - so they have the capability of doing this and elected not to. "I'm somewhat of a cook myself." I get it, only weirdos order fish. Bust that stuff out of the freezer, run it under cold water to thaw it out, and cook it. I've done it numerous times. Yet I manage to get a nice golden brown crust, flaky moist flesh, and have it seasoned well on both gas grill and on carbon steel on a range. I have a feeling this was pulled out of a freezer in a plastic bag, thrown (bag and all) in a pot of boiling water, then slapped on a tortilla, had some cabbage and guac thrown on top, and served as is. The tilapia tasted like fish and I never thought, "I'm going to die" while eating it. Ten points to Hufflepuff. But again, "only weirdos order fish". Perhaps this is intended for the heart-healthy folks. If this saw any direct heat, I would have assumed this was served as intended and been fine with it. This was edible, the Al Pastor tacos were not. Our Al Pastor tacos were a nice red color. They looked angry red - but tasted like meat that had been boiled for hours. Boiled dish washing sponges cut into little pieces bland. There was no salt. No pepper. If you cut out the spicy chilies images on the menu, meant to designate this as a spicy dish, and added them to the vat of meat, it would have increased the flavor a hundred fold. (I lied about not using the word chilies.) Boiled meat isn't actually a good description of what we got - boiled meat forms a stock. This was boiled meat where the water was constantly cycled out with cabbage and canned pineapple thrown on top. If there were onions, cilantro, and arbol chili salsa on here it was overpowered by the flavor of canned pineapple. (Lied again. But cilantro is listed on the menu.) Did they run out of salt? Maybe it all fell into the corn - the Danada Equestrian center called - they ran out of salt licks and were wondering if they could get some of this corn. The most annoying part - combining the bland meat and the salty corn into one bite just gave you the feeling of a mouthful of salt and sponges. Maybe the kitchen crew had covid. Maybe no one's tasting what's being served. Perhaps, the cooks are forced to follow recipes to a T and this is what's served on a regular basis. Maybe the size of the kitchen doesn't allow staffing to ramp up with the handful of additional tables in the outdoor tent, overwhelming the kitchen staff. The only thing I'm certain of is whoever oversees the final food product being delivered to customers checked out or even worse, didn't care. Maude Flanders would have been disappointed with how bland the food was. A solid - "At least I didn't get food poisoning out of five" read more

Came here with a friend for dinner. Food was pretty good but service was really slow. Slow to get a drink, slow to get chips and salsa, slow to take our order. We would have ordered another drink but we just got tired of waiting so decided to go elsewhere. The chicken tacos were quite good but the rice and beans looked like they were sitting under the heat lamp for a bit. Nice environment with the doors open. If you come, just be patient. read more

The brisket nachos were horrible. Barely any brisket and the cheese somehow turned watery so bottom was cheese water. The server was great and had it removed from our bill but they really need to do something about the recipe. We then ordered the chicken quesadillas. They had a lot of cheese and chicken but I was still not a fan of the flavor of the cheese. They use a mix of chihuahua cheese and queso blanco and did not like the flavor. We each had one a cocktail that must be pre batched. Could barely taste any liquor so would not recommend. Better off ordering a beer or wine than a premade cocktail. Unfortunately while the service and location are great, I will not be back as the food is below average. I think they will have some competition soon so I hope they figure out how to improve. read more

Came here (second time) with my friend and husband. We got the American style chicken tacos with rice and beans. The chicken was moist and had flavor but pretty basic otherwise. The flour tortillas were clearly mission brand out of the store. My husband had the burger which was over cooked from what he ask which was medium rare. My best friend got the veggie tacos and she said it was way too saucy and dry, which was helpful covering up the dryness! Server was attentive and helpful! We were stuck in the back corner table away from main area which right next to the trash cans, and bathrooms..ick! We kept getting whiffs of people leaving the bathroom and the full trash directly behind us... not appetizing at all! The table should just be left for employees to fold utensils etc. Overall still underwhelming. Better food with better options for Mexican in the area. If you're looking for a American style Mexican place than this is your go to spot otherwise look elsewhere. read more

Hale Street Cantina - Too much cheese American style chicken tacos - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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Enjoyed the outdoor dining. Went for an early dinner & everything was delicious while service being speedy. Split an order of flautas and frankly almost ordered a second for my entree but went with the steak tacos which were delicious. read more

Hale Street Cantina - Flautas!! The salad is delicious. - Mexican Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois