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    Hay Caramba

    3.3 (280 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Bars
    Open • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Hay Caramba Takeout or Delivery

    Hay Caramba Photos

    HAY CARAMBA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Hay Caramba

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    CALDO SIETE MARES with huge shrimp and big chunks of octopus, clams, crab and fish. Hot and satisfying -it's a full meal

    I've been going here since 1991, but I tried something new today - CALDO SIETE MARES. I had a taste for some warming soup and this didn't disappoint!

    Taco Salad
    Kruti P.

    Went here for lunch on a weekday. The restaurant is beautiful with plenty of seating inside and outside. Customer service is good. Order: Appetizers: Jalapeño poppers - They were not spicy at all but tasted so good. Definitely recommend. Chicken taco salad - I asked for grilled chicken instead of shredded, add rice and jalapenos. The salad itself wasn't too bad but wish there was a sauce aside from sour cream. The shell was extremely oily. The Enchiladas en salsa ranchera (2 cheese & 1 chicken) looked decent in terms of presentation but were lacking flavor. We were so excited to check out this place but not sure if we will return. If we do, then we will try different dishes.

    Relleno
    Joey S.

    Day after Christmas I was thankful a restaurant was open I ordered a relleno for takeout. I was impressed that the order was ready in about 3 or 4 mins. Was warm (i only had a 5 min commute gone), pico de gallo and hot sauce (salsa?) were very good. The relleno seemed to me that it was frozen then reheated quickly, the sauce tasted like cacciatore sauce and the refried beans were watery For $23 - I'll skip this next time

    Hay caramba indeed! I'll start with the complimentary chips and salsa which were very underwhelming to me. For starters the salsa wasn't spicy at all and the chips unfortunately come unsalted. This leads to a nearly flavorless experience, but that's not where my problems ended. I ordered a frozen pineapple margarita to start and I'll have you know that margarita's flavor was closer to water than tequila. After realizing that a frozen margarita here is just an on the rocks margarita with larger ice chunks I asked the waiter for his recommendation. He recommended the mango premium margarita on the rocks which to my surprise was SIGNIFICANTLY better than my first drink. I ordered a Burro Suizo and while it was not the best chimichanga I've ever had in my life, it was pretty good in my opinion.

    Chipotle mayo on the side!
    Lefai K.

    What great Mexican food. Hay Caramba has a terrific outdoor patio offering great people-watching opportunities on a pleasant day at Park Ridge. I ordered the tacos de pescado, aka fish tacos, which consisted of three tacos. You had a choice of either salmon or tilapia, and I picked the tilapia. The tacos came with red cabbage, pico de gallo and chipotle sour cream. My server put the chipotle sour cream on the side, which is a perfect touch, as I usually ask for that stuff on the side. Fish was seasoned well, and the overall taco was delicious! Meal came with complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa was a "2" on a spicy scale of 5. Chips were room temperature needed some salt, which the server gladly provided. I sat outside so I didn't get a glimpse of what it looked like inside, but from the pictures on their website, it looks massive. As far as the outdoor patio, they have plenty of seating, some on the adjacent sidewalk, the other more in the inwards of the restaurant. I sat in the latter, which offered just the perfect amount of shade on this hot Park Ridge afternoon. Hay Caramba also had margaritas that I regrettably did not try, but will definitely do so next time! Server was good, food was good, and overall experience was great.

    Torta (Mexican Sandwich)
    Iris P.

    If you've never been here this is your sign to try it! It's in the heart of park ridge and honestly what an amazing Mexican restaurant! My husband and I discovered this a decade ago and we constantly come here to eat and celebrate our birthdays with some amazing Mexican food! We love getting their tortas and taco salad and on top of that the inside of this restaurant is beautiful we love it and everyone who works there is so sweet! Such a worthy place to check out!!!!

    Service is fast, food is delicious and the atmosphere of the restaurant was great. The restroom was comfortable and the location of the restaurant was too

    Pina colada
    Bob K.

    My son loves the shrimp tacos. Great weekend spot to get out and see your neighbors device is great and the table to table music is great

    Delicious margaritas and pina coladas
    Jessica S.

    I don't particularly care for this restaurant and I never crave it when I want Mexican food, but it's definitely not the worst Mexican food I've ever tasted. I've had enchiladas here, as well as tacos. Everything I have had here is pretty bland and it's just eh. The pina coladas here and the margaritas here are pretty good though, I must give them that compliment. The decor inside the restaurant is vibrant and cute, but in my opinion, it looks very busy inside. Like too much is happening. On the other hand, the architecture is beautiful because the interior walls are stone and brick. Too bad they used some tacky color scheme to take the attention away from that. As for the customer service, it's not the best. Came here with my mom a few times, and more times than not we had slow service where the servers didn't give us refills or even check on us. However, when I came here with my friend recently, our waitress was attentive and friendly, even in the evening when it was decently busy. Overall, Hay Caramba is not my go-to, but it's not horrible. Food quality is decent, but to me, I'd rather go elsewhere and taste more flavorful enchiladas.

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    5 months ago

    Their service was great and efficient. The food was AMAZING! Would recommend to anyone in town for a good family friendly place.

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    1 year ago

    Excellent food and quality service. We've been enjoying the dining experience since their previous Park Ridge location.

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    3 years ago

    Definitely not impressed, our food was cold and it obvious that it wasn't fresh. Don't think I will ever be back!

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    2 years ago

    Absolutely amazing as always. have been coming here for decades and the quality never changes. it is delicious through and through.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great good, service and ambiance. Nice to have a family run business that is successful!!!

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    3 years ago

    Fun place with great atmosphere and live singers. There are many Mexican restaurants but few that still have this sort of experience.

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    Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Guacamole

    Maria's Mexican Restaurant

    3.5(730 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    •$$

    I was actually pretty impressed by this place! This is more of a 4.5 star review, but I can bump it…read moreup because maybe it was just a "bad night". If you are looking for a good ol Mexican place, this is the place for you! They do take reservations and are pretty sizable. We went on Saturday night which was a bit crazy. It was very crowded and we were concerned about the service. While the service was a little bit on the slower side and we were there for almost 90 minutes, all the food came out hot and delicious. I got the Enchiladas in Mole Sauce which was excellent. It also came with a soup or salad which was a nice surprise. I went with the black bean soup which was great! If there was any downside, my House Margarita tasted a little weird. I probably could have complained, but I kept with it. Pretty good size, but I think there was a little too much tequila in it! Either way, this place isn't inexpensive, but you do get quite a bit of food and everybody at my table enjoyed their meal. Sometimes thats enough! This is a great icon in this part of Chicago/Rosemont.

    This was our first visit to Maria's Mexican Restaurant, and we came with a group of about 14…read morepeople. We didn't make a reservation, so we completely understood that accommodating such a large group might be challenging. Unfortunately, our initial interaction with the host was disappointing. Her attitude came across as very rude and made us feel unwelcome. However, our experience with our waiter was completely different. He was phenomenal very polite, attentive, and professional. He made sure we were taken care of promptly, which was especially appreciated since we needed to get back to our meeting. The food was great we got a carne asada delicious. We made sure to tip him well because he provided excellent service. Overall, our experience was mixed, with the excellent service from our waiter being overshadowed by our interaction with the host.

    Photos
    Maria's Mexican Restaurant
    Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Enchiladas de Mole. Delicious! I got chicken, beef, & steak.

    Enchiladas de Mole. Delicious! I got chicken, beef, & steak.

    Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Premium Patron Classic Margarita

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    Tamaleria Lupita

    Tamaleria Lupita

    4.9(18 reviews)
    4.3 mi•Dunning

    I went here on a recommendation from my cousin. All I can say is I knew she wouldn't steer me wrong…read moreand she didn't. These tamales are huge and so full of meat. Oh and I forgot to mention they are "AMAZING", very reasonably priced, and Lupita's is just a 5 minute car ride from home. I had a young man wait on me seconds after I got there and he was very pleasant and courteous. I've already sent messages to others in my family that live in the area. I wish them well and hope they are prosperous.

    First time visiting this new location that recently opened down the street from my home. I wanted…read moreto try their tamales -- service was friendly, and the ambience was okay, though I was a little disappointed to see there's only one table for dine-in. It's a pretty large space mostly set up for takeout. I also purchased some champurrado, which was made from rice and other ingredients. I was hoping for the traditional chocolate version, but they didn't have it. Prices were fair for the tamales, though the drinks felt a bit overpriced. The tamales had good flavor overall -- a bit on the salty side, and the green tamales could've used more spice. The meat portions were a little light, but still decent. They offer both chicken and pork, so make sure to choose your preference. One thing to note: there's an extra service charge when paying by credit card. I ordered four dozen tamales plus two drinks and paid $100.90 due to the added fee. If you plan to visit, I'd recommend bringing cash to avoid the extra charge.

    Photos
    Tamaleria Lupita
    Tamaleria Lupita - Here's a dozen red and green salsa pork tamales packed and ready to go with me to Florida!

    Here's a dozen red and green salsa pork tamales packed and ready to go with me to Florida!

    Tamaleria Lupita - I'm a firm believer in phoning first especially to place a large to go order!

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    I'm a firm believer in phoning first especially to place a large to go order!

    Westso - 16 oz ribeye, patatas bravas, side salad

    Westso

    4.4(87 reviews)
    0.9 mi•Edison Park

    Wanted to love Westo because the ambiance and cocktails were beautiful, but unfortunately the food…read moreand service just did not match the concept. We ordered the octopus, patatas bravas, and the steak meal for two. The octopus was extremely overcooked and chewy, and the steak platter itself just felt underwhelming overall. Also... how does a Mexican steakhouse not provide tortillas with a steak platter? That honestly shocked me. The biggest confusion of the night was the patatas bravas situation. Our waitress forgot the dish entirely, then later brought over mashed potatoes and said they were "on the house." I was genuinely confused because I thought maybe this was their version of patatas bravas due to the seasoning on top. When I asked about it, she realized she accidentally brought mashed potatoes instead of the actual dish. She apologized and eventually brought the real patatas bravas, but even those tasted oddly sweet and missed the mark for us. To their credit, the staff did try to make up for it with complimentary shots, and the cocktails were honestly the best part of the experience. The space itself is gorgeous and has a very upscale vibe, but the food lacked cohesion and flavor for the price point. Sadly, not somewhere I'd personally return to.

    Our first time in the area and to Westsos. We were warmly greeted and seated promptly for our 5p…read morereservation. Sofia was absolutely lovely and the team service well done. We were not at all rushed and took the opportunity to try the interesting guacamole with ribeye chicharrons (kind of like beef jerky pieces) with a deliciously fresh watermelon cocktail while reading the menu and further deciding. The garnish of mango habanero caviar was disappointing in flavor and quantity. No heat or fruit flavor. Fresh blue chips were great but sparse ; fortunately, the table chips and salsa were equally good ( again, no heat) We proceeded to order the pulpo and 16 oz ribeye (which came with patatas bravas (so good !) and small house salad). Assured that chef was excellent at cooking to temperature and that was the case. We shared yet still didn't have to for dessert so plan accordingly if churros, cheesecake or très lèches cake are your things! I especially appreciated being asked if items could be cleared from the table rather than just being grabbed! Decor is black (which extends to the restrooms which were comfortable, clean, warm with average toilet paper and paper towels and coat /purse hooks in the stalls). But I did feel a kind of dungeon-y vibe. Also kind of 1970's which is not bad, just dated. While maybe not a destination spot, definitely worth a trip if you're in the area.

    Photos
    Westso - Interior

    Interior

    Westso
    Westso - Weso margarita

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    Weso margarita

    Mom's Old Recipe Mexican Restaurant - Enchiladas.

    Mom's Old Recipe Mexican Restaurant

    4.1(400 reviews)
    3.2 mi•Norwood Park
    •$$

    Went there on a Friday night and they had a singer there who was really good so started off strong…read more We had margaritas that came in fun glasses and tasted amazing! I had the taquitos which I enjoyed. The others had burritos which are huge! Definitely get the mole sauce it is delicious. Also the vegetarian beans are to die for and worth the trip just for them. Staff are super friendly and attentive. They also have a small parking lot which can be accessed from 2 different streets but there is also usually lots of street parking available. Highly recommend and we will definitely be back!

    There are so many Mexican restaurants in Chicago's northwest neighborhoods and nearby northwestern…read moresuburbs that this isn't a place I"ll probably be at soon. I was here with a small group, a local book club that I attended. There were six of us. The server said they couldn't do separate checks because it was too busy, though there were only about another five or six tables of folks here (if that). My food was just ok, as was the Paloma I ordered--thankful that it was during happy hour, at least, because I only took a couple sips of the Paloma before I decided I couldn't drink it even if I had paid for it. The service wasn't great throughout--we didn't get visited much and had to ask for more salsa and whatnot rather than being asked if we wanted more. But the worst part was when we were ready to wrap up. It took at least 40 minutes for us to get our check and get settled. I had been thinking I probably wouldn't make it to another meeting because I hadn't expected to be gone for a couple hours, but others mentioned they'd made plans after the book club and specifically mentioned that they usually weren't that long (it was my first time meeting with the club). We paid with cash and card, and made note of what was what, but somehow the guy got it totally messed up and we waited 15 minutes for them to cash us out after he took our cards. Had they just given us individual tickets from the start they'd have been done in a fraction of the time, so that was super frustrating. As I said, the food was just ok and with many other places around (at least a couple at which I've eaten and were pretty good) I don't need to come back unless for some reason the book club makes its way back here again. Parking is street only.

    Photos
    Mom's Old Recipe Mexican Restaurant
    Mom's Old Recipe Mexican Restaurant - Enchilada Trio

    Enchilada Trio

    Mom's Old Recipe Mexican Restaurant - Taco salad ..not good

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    Don Juan’s Cantina and Taqueria - Side of Mexican rice

    Don Juan’s Cantina and Taqueria

    4.0(174 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    •$$

    My husband and I came here for a celebratory dinner after I accepted a new job offer. I ordered the…read morered chile margarita and he ordered the strawberry mojito. My margarita was very tasty and not super spicy, and he was very satisfied with his mojito. I then ordered the enchilada plate, with bean, chicken and a pumpkin enchilada. The bean and chicken enchiladas were good, but the pumpkin enchilada is amazing. Next time I will be ordering a plate of just those! My husband got the two taco sampler platter, and both his Baja and carne asada tacos were very good. Overall, we are both excited to come here again. We especially loved that we got to sit outside next to a little fire pit and my husband especially loved that he got to watch the football game. He said "my lady, a fire, good food, and football, what more could a man ask for?!"

    This was a to go order that I picked up since my parents live so close. I eat out a lot and visit a…read morelot of restaurants and this is the first time ever that I've been charged a $2 container fee??? Charge me something reasonable if u want but a $1 per container is ludicrous! Anyways, I ordered the quesadilla and a carnitas taco and beef taco. The quesadilla came in 3 pieces but were all stuck on top of each other so it wasn't packaged properly to go. The carnitas and beef tacos were kinda bland and just included a little lettuce and bits of tomato. Maybe the rest of the menu is better dining in but I wasn't impressed with the order to go. Although the owners mother who greeted me was very nice. So I'll give it another chance dining in since it's so close.

    Photos
    Don Juan’s Cantina and Taqueria - Fun, festive decorations

    Fun, festive decorations

    Don Juan’s Cantina and Taqueria - Asada taco and pollo taco with onion only (added their spiciest salsa) paired perfect with the Cadillac margarita!

    Asada taco and pollo taco with onion only (added their spiciest salsa) paired perfect with the Cadillac margarita!

    Don Juan’s Cantina and Taqueria - Readied for some parking lot dining.

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    Readied for some parking lot dining.

    Hay Caramba - mexican - Updated September 2026

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