Perhaps the food can be good but the service was extremely poor. I live in the area, My brother and mom were visiting from out of town, My mom is 75 years old and can't eat spicy food. I asked the server for options and his arrogant answer was everything in this restaurant is spicy. Do you have tortilla soup ? I asked, We don't sell soup in this restaurant, what you see in the menu is all we have. Can you please make tacos not spicy for my mom ? All tacos are spicy, no substitutions. His lock of service , options and rudeness was extreme. My brother decided to try the restaurant and ordered steak tacos. I decided to order chicken tacos. The food was okay but the server was terrible and damaged the all experience. We have visited different restaurants in the area and never experienced such a bad service. read more

I went to dinner at Mercadito with a couple of friends on a beautiful Sunday evening. We sat inside by the open window, which allowed us to experience the unique atmosphere and decor inside, as well as the nice weather. The cocktails were delicious--definitely on the higher end price-wise, but generally they were really good. I had the Watermelon Sandia, which was amazing. For dinner, I had the carnitas tacos which were amazing. They had such a good flavor and came with four tacos per meal, which I felt was a solid deal. The staff was a little distracted because it was so busy so they didn't spend a ton of time at our table, but overall the service was good. Definitely would come back for a cool city dining experience! read more

Mercadito - Watermelon Sandia - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Fun spot for a group or night out with the girls! Went here for dinner before a show, about a 10 minute walk from Chicago's theater district. Recommend trying the Flauntas for apps, and ordering two types of tacos to split! Tacos come in fours and are perfectly sized. Mushroom tacos were delicious! read more

Mercadito - Flautas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great place for tacos. Tried the pastor and the pollo tacos. While both were great, I preferred the pastor tacos because they had more flavor. The drinks were also good, tried the amiga sandia (watermelon margarita), pepino el pyu (cucumber marg), and the classic margarita. We also tried the Mac and cheese which was below average, but this is a Mexican restaurant so I'm sure it's not their specialty anyways. read more

Mercadito - Pepino El Pyu, Amiga Sandia - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A cute little spot in River North area! Came here for dinner with friends a couple of times and really enjoyed the food, drinks and ambience. The restaurant has a tropical Tulum vibe and the Pollo tacos are delicious. I would recommend the shrimp tacos - they're very flavorful and hit the spot. The only downside is that the music can be super loud to a point where you can't hear conversations but otherwise it's great. Also, keep in mind that it's usually packed on Friday and Saturday nights so there may be a wait! read more

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Mercadito is always good. I have been here a number of times over the years and it hasn't disappointed yet. The guacamoles are always good and great to get the trio to try some different kinds. Cocktails are all good. Tacos are delicious. My favorite is the carnitas da puerco and they have some chopped up peanuts on top which give it a nice crunch. Definitely worth spending time at. There are times is can get a little loud inside but other than that, great atmosphere. Services is good. read more

One of my favorite places in the city. 10/10 My favorites that I would recommend to anyone: queso fundido with brisket, pastor tacos, and brisket tacos. Way too good read more

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The best chicken tacos in Chicago! And a very interesting and different cocktail menu. Definitely do recommend you try it out if you can. read more

We came in for dinner around 5:30 pm. We had reservations for two and were led through a majority empty room to the very back of the restaurant. (Hmm.) But we were too hungry to care and quickly ordered drinks and chips and Chile de Arbol salsa and Pineapple Guac, so quickly that we didn't realize that the guac was $15 for a small bowl. The salsa was nice and smoky, the guac needed more lime and salt... The classic and mango margaritas were the best thing about dinner. I have a severe aversion to cilantro and the waiter was pretty good about telling me what was available without it and that was, not much. So I got the Crispy Chipotle Shrimp and my spouse got the Branzino al Pastor. The shrimp is exactly like Firecracker Shrimp that you get at Chinese restaurants! The fish was just ok. We also got the Crispy Brussels Sprouts which, how that's Mexican, I don't know. Those were good. Waiter was good, he checked in frequently and took away empty plates. Our waters were topped off. It's just that we wanted better food, not just ok Mexican food. read more

Great food and great service!! We went for my friends birthday and they brought out sparklers and a round of shots for her, our server was so nice and very attentive! read more

Mercadito - Lobster Mac and cheese and the steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

All i have to say is even is in this COVID 19 time this place is still freaking amazing omg best Mexican in the Midwest. read more

Mercadito - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We really love the food. We have been ordering delivery very regularly the past three years. Tonight for the first time, if ordering on Door dash, Cavier or Grubhub they did'nt have the full menu. We have some gluten allergies and need to order shrimp or fish not breaded. The site doesn't take any requests so we were stuck. We had to use Ritual to be able to get the full menu. Ritual was listed first on their site. Normally the delivery is 30-45 minutes at the most. It took over two hours. Everything came ice cold. And there is no way to contact Ritual by phone. Hoping that Mercadito puts the full menu back on, because we will never use Ritual again. read more

Wait whaaat? Came here yesterday for Taco Tuesday with some friends only to find out that there is no such thing here anymore! Not sure why or what happened but they used to be a fave go-to spot for Taco Tuesday in River North. Our waitress said its now under new management... no bueno!!! Also noticed they have pulled some things from the menu like the elotte and seafood platter so all they really are now is a trendy stop for chips n' salsa or guac and less than filling street tacos. Why mess with a good thing? Sad face. read more

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Love the vibe here. Food was phenomenal. Service did not disappoint. I will be going back! read more

Mercadito - Margarita with pineapple - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was SO so delicious, and the service was impeccable and impressive- our waitress Genesis was helpful in explaining the menu, the drinks, and how the menu works. We were very happy with our experience. read more

Mercadito - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

great food!! loved the mahi mahi mahi tacos. bottomless brunch was great. jose was our waiter and he was amazing!!

The food here was great and the service was friendly. Be aware that it is PACKED. If your looking for covid friendly, this isn't the place. There really isn't any distancing and they are def not limiting capacity. Oddly enough- they will limit your time which is a bit odd and they still charge a covid surcharge. The chicken flautas were excellent. Guac was good- tried all three salsas - liked the two red ones (esp the darker red one) but didn't care for the green one). The elote style corn was good. I was surprised at how tasty the chicken tacos were. They come 4 per plate. Got the little market as a drink and it was delicious! The only disappointment was the Mac n cheese- literally had no flavor. read more

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I went there and had the polo chicken tacos with corn as a side item, it was tasty. All the food is À La Carte and a little on the pricey side for the tapas portions. I also had some Guacamole which was very tasty, I had the pear flavor and a smoked flavor. The drinks were good but I don't remember the name. I noticed the table on the side of us was given on the house mango shots. I was wondering why we weren't offered any.... Anyway the visit was ok but the wait time was a little long. I don't have to go back . Also, the waitress messed up our bill and charged us dinner prices instead of Brunch it was later fixed after we noticed it. read more

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Carnitas were excellent for middle of the week. I dont mind peanuts, but I asked for all that on the side and luckily made the right decision. The michelada was not as good as I was hoping for. A traditional miche uses tomato juice (of some sort) and spices, but they don't do that. Its a Worcestershire heavy mix that is very sour. Otherwise, everything else was good. read more

Mercadito was great! If you're looking for a lively and fun atmosphere, they certainly deliver. We enjoyed the margaritas (mango in particular) and drinks! The chips and guac were a bit expensive, but still solid. The tacos were great. I would absolutely recommend the Carne tacos! The Pastor tacos were also good, but not quite as good as the carne! They also delivered a fun sparkler and small flan for a birthday treat! read more

we've been here 4 times over the last four yrs but will no longer be coming back. arrived at 3 and waited for our food for 45 min. and was told they ran out of my order (carnitas). the food that did arrive was over sauced. very sad tgat it has gone down in service. read more

Another review for you people in these interesting times. MERCADITOOOOO... not sure why but I love saying that name. Anyways.... this is a fantastic restaurant. Atmosphere is a little dark and more personal than your typical Mexican style restaurant.... a nice upscale touch. The margaritas are a home run. The best margarita in town from what I have had thus far. A big plus is they pack a punch without tasting like pure tequila. A couple of these and you're sure to be set for a night out or maybe even a nice nap depending on how much chips and salsa you consume. My only dislike is that I appreciate when chips and salsa are complimentary. They are not at this restaurant. The salsa is decently spicy but they seem to be able to make whatever you want if you request. The tacos are also amazing. They looks small but they taste great and are filling too. Lastly the service was perfect. It helps that the restaurant was only seating partial capacity but our server was friendly, and tended to our every desire. I strongly recommend!!! read more

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One of my 1st post-quarantine meals was eaten here and I can't complain. Might be due to the fact that everyone's expectations have been reset... or that I just paid the same price for 3 tacos at Barcocina (vs. 4)... but either way, Mercadito provided a pleasant "welcome back" to the world of dining out. Our group of 3 made reservations about 3 days in advance for an early dinner seating. I would highly recommend making one because we saw several parties being turned away. I totally get it because the lure of the music and smells as you walk down Kinzie is hard to ignore! They took our temperature (wrist) at the hostess stand and seated us right away. Ivan, our friendly waiter, explained the house rules (masks on when you're not in your seat, 90 min limit, etc), took our drink orders, and made a suggestion for an app. I asked if any of the cocktails were spicy and he offered to add heat to any one. The cucumber cocktail was on point and had a nice little kick which tickled my fancy! The menu (which seems to be somewhat limited, likely due to the phased reopening) offered only a few choices for entrees and sides. Everyone opted for a variation of the tacos (chx, fish, and steak) and all were pretty tasty. After a shared app, taco entree and 2 cocktails, it came out to be around $45pp. Happy with the safety measures, food and service! read more

Mercadito - Pepino picante - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food but it's very, very loud inside. They took a reservation for 8 last minute on a Wednesday evening so I'm thankful for that, but gosh we had to shout at each other and keep asking "what did you say??" because it was SO loud. The chips and guacamole is very delicious!! Ceviche was great too. Let me tell ya though, the mushroom tacos were out of this world. Very, very mushroom-y, and very delicious! Also can't go wrong with the shrimp tacos:) Our food came out very staggered so we had to wait quite a bit until we could dig in, but the waiter was kind about it when we inquired as to how long we had to wait for the last dishes. The Ma-Hot-Ma Mama spicy cocktail was great too! read more

Mercadito - Mushroom tacos - MUST get if you like mushrooms! - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Beautiful Mexican restaurant! The atmosphere is really nice and there was even a bit of live music when we were there! The service was friendly and attentive despite how busy it was which was very appreciated. I got the chicken tacos which were delicious and the mini tacos are honestly perfect for the filling to tortilla ratio! A fantastic restaurant overall and I would recommend for any occasion! read more

Mercadito - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came in a big party and had the pre-set menu. Nice to try lots. My two favorites were the shrimp lettuce wraps and the barbaco tacos. The chicken tacos were also quite nice. Good selection of tequila. I was with someone from Mexico that selected a nice tequila for me... she said it's not often found in the states. read more

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I was worried before coming here due to many service related low reviews, but service was average, not great, but not bad either. I typically don't care for "great" service. I tried the Pastor and the Camarn Tacos. Pastor - 5 Stars (Very very yummy, highly recommended) Camarn - 3 Stars Average Score - 4 Stars read more

Mercadito - Pastor Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First night out in a while due to Covid and didn't disappoint. Started with a skinny marg that was the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Ordered the guacamole as an app which was full of flavor. For an appetizer we ordered the crispy shrimp which was fantastic. Crispy and flavorful, yet served with lettuce so a good balance. My friend ordered the mahi tacos and thought they were great. Classic grilled fish tacos. I ordered the pollos tacos and they came with a bit of a crispy onion on the top and very juicy chicken. Our server was very nice, attentive and friendly. The environment was busy -- if you're COVID - scared Maybe not the place for you, but once you get the vaccine, hit it up! read more

Mercadito - Delicious skinny margaritas! - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Im not sure why this restaurant is rated 3.5 stars. The restaurant is cute and has a vibe. Our meal was outstanding. The watermelon drink was amazing. We made reservations and were seated properly. We had the street quesadilla which were very different in a good kind of way. The brisket tacos were smoky and delicious. Service was on point as well. My only complaint is it is noisy. Music was super loud and the place was full. So if you are looking to have a conversation - good luck but they do have outdoor dining which Im sure is less noisy. Bring this concept/restaurant to Scottsdale, AZ PLEASE! read more

Happy hour review: I really enjoyed their happy hour outside on the patio! I made a reservation for 4:30 but it was not necessary as there were plenty of open tables on the patio to sit at. The patio was very cute and spacious! The staff was incredible and immediately got us settled with drinks and checked on us throughout the time we were there. My margarita was delicious! It was definitely strong in a great way, not overpowering but worth the money ($9.99 during happy hour) COVID precautions: Felt very safe at this restaurant. Staff members were all wearing masks and gloves and they took our temperature before seating. The tables were also seated with plenty of space. read more

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I was super happy with the shrimp tacos. They were seasoned very well and super filling. Chips and guacamole were also really good. I'd say the food is a little on the pricier side but definitely worth the splurge. read more

Went here for a birthday lunch with my friend. It is easy to miss from the street. It's a really small hole in the wall place from the outside, but the inside is absolutely beautiful. We ordered the crispy chipotle shrimp to share. It was amazing! The flavor of the chipotle is sauce is perfect! Then I ordered the camaron tacos and my friend ordered the carne tacos. Both were incredibly tasty. The camaron tacos are very liquidy due to the chipotle sauce inside but I think they were still amazing. Just be forewarned if you are sensitive to texture. Overall, loved my experience and the food! read more

Mercadito - Crispy Chipotle Shrimp - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love the steak tacos. Been here multiple times and food comes very fast and taste the same each time

Went on 10.18 My boyfriend and I come here frequently. We Ordered some food and after we finished our drink the server Jorge didn't come along until much later. He went more to the table next to us a lot but not us. We got the check and left. Disappointing. read more

Mercadito - Pepino pyu - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friends and I came to grab a quick bite while walking around downtown. The food was really good. The portions are pretty small and 4 tacos is $18. There's also a 4% Covid surcharge? I'm guessing it's to pay for the thermometer and the guy to take your temperature before entering. Two of my friends didn't have masks and the host did provide them some which was nice. read more

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Food was good but I was there when one of the restaurant workers placed those stickers on a young lady's car and was completely BARKING and CURSING at her a few weeks back. No excuse and completely ruined the vibes. Then to add insult to injury, I came across that same person's TikTok and when I looked to see if Mercadito offered any apologies, they instead have been deleting and blocking any negative comments. Terrible service. read more

Stopped in with my wife before a broadway show, since it's a short walk to some of the theaters. Started with their great guacamole. Then we had the small size, which was quite generous, ceviche Cameron. The shrimp was perfect and we didn't want to leave any of the juice behind. The ceviche had a great citrus flavor. We split the shrimp enchiladas with a delicious mole sauce. Perfect size for the 2 of us. For dessert they have a flavorful flan which is a little thicker than most but a favorite of ours. read more

Mercadito - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time trying a mock tail and it was delicious! I got the mango flavored drink and their presentation was fantastic. read more

Mercadito - Mocktails - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went here for restaurant week and it was a great deal for the amount of food we got. The mango guacamole was amazing along with the tacos. My group had the pollo, steak, and brisket tacos and they were delicious with lots of flavor. The service was quick including the drinks and our waiter was very attentive. I liked the dim lighting and upscale vibes. read more

Went here last night for dinner and I must say it was a popular place! Did not order any drinks so will have to next time. Ordered guac which came with pineapple pieces on top/ good touch to it and I ordered shrimp tacos that were really good. They put avocado on top of each one as well. I asked for shredded cheese (did not realize it was considered a side order so they charged $2 for that....) And the food in general was a little expensive. They do have a lot of vegetarian choices as well! The tables are really close together which kind of makes it uncomfortable to talk and eat. Overall service was fast but because of the amount of tables, I just felt everything was really tight. It's right next to Sterling Parking Garage which makes it convenient if you book a spot hero spot! PS they can't really split the bill in terms of who ordered what so maybe easier to write it out or one person pays for it and everyone pays them back. read more

Mercadito - Blackened shrimp tacos at Mercadito - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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