Food and service is great I love it. Fast service hot food must try the tea and fresh nachos

Tortas Frontera is proof that something at O'Hare can move quickly without first changing gates three times and sending you a notification that explains absolutely nothing. The restaurant itself is tiny, but the line is not. More people seem to stand in the terminal walkway waiting for food than can physically sit inside, giving the impression that a very small sandwich shop has somehow attracted a peaceful airport demonstration. Fortunately, the crowd is there for a good reason, and the line moves with an efficiency rarely associated with either airports or hungry people guarding carry-on luggage. They have sit-down seating, walk-up ordering for takeout, and self-service kiosks for travelers who want to place an order without adding another human interaction to an already exhausting travel day. It is essentially a choose-your-own-adventure book in which every path ends with lunch. We used the to-go option, received our food quickly, and were on our way to eat at the gate before O'Hare had time to relocate us. I ordered the Cubana, and it was excellent. My only complaint is that I wanted it to be slightly larger--not because I was still hungry when I finished, but because I was not emotionally prepared for the relationship to end. It was enough food to satisfy me, just not enough to prevent me from looking mournfully at the empty wrapper and wondering whether ordering a second sandwich would be considered lunch or a cry for help. The Cubana came with a small cup of salsa that initially looked as though someone in accounting had established a strict condiment allowance. It turned out to be exactly the right amount. The salsa was extremely flavorful without being spicy, added something worthwhile to every bite, and complemented the sandwich without overpowering it. This is important because airport food should improve your trip, not require you to locate the nearest fire extinguisher. The staff were friendly, personable, and impressively pleasant despite serving a steady line of travelers who were simultaneously hungry, hurried, and monitoring departure screens like day traders watching a collapsing market. Their attitude made the entire stop feel fun rather than transactional. Tortas Frontera may occupy approximately enough space to store two suitcases and a boarding group, but it runs remarkably well. The food is delicious, the ordering options are convenient, the service is quick, and the crowd is absolutely worth navigating. At an airport famous for making people wait, Tortas Frontera is the rare place where the only thing I wished had lasted longer was the sandwich. read more

The Cubana was one of those sandwiches where everything worked together, but each component wasn't great on its own. The Cubana had a good overall combination of flavors, but the meat was bland and lacked seasoning. The bread was toasted but didn't have the texture or flavor I wanted, and the pickled onions tasted like they had been sitting around for a while. Overall, it was decent together, but I expected more from a restaurant associated with Rick Bayless. read more

Tortas Frontera - Cubana - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

As far as airport food goes, probably won't get much better than this. While it won't be the best Mexican you've had in your life, it is very good especially for the airport. The salsa's they give you are delicious, and the red one has a smokiness that makes it a stand out. There was a crowd when I got there, but after many people had recommend this place to me, I knew I had to try it. Plus the centralish location definitely helps, my gate was in the C concourse but tortas fronteras is located pretty close to it so it wasn't much of a detour. They also have plenty of seating, but I took my food to my gate. I got the mushroom quesadilla, it was STUFFED. Despite the crowd I didn't have to wait too long either- probably took only 15 min. The quesadilla itself was delicious and super cheesy, but with the salsa itself was even better! Next time im flying through o hare I'll definitely come back! read more

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AMBIANCE Carry out or dine in, it's a conga line and fresh fiesta of food with latin music playing overhead. SERVICE Patrons order at the register and pickup their order at the other end, it's an efficient assembly line. FOOD 5/5 GUACAMOLE (fully loaded) COBB ® romaine, arugula, bacon, queso fresco, corn and black bean salsa, tomatoes, poblano rajas (love this), tortilla strips, chipotle ranch (tossed in well) add: grilled chipotle chicken read more

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The food quality has changed once they changed their cooking method. They used to build most of the sandwich on a metal plate and heat it under an oven. Now they use a conveyor belt style method similar to fast food pizza joints. The bread doesn't come out as solid and the ingredients have changed as well. My go-to option was always the Cubana. It tasted like ones you can get in south Flordia. Now, it still tastes good but very comparable to any other joint that serves it. The service is still made-to-order and they alot 15 minutes to make the dish. If you're in a hurry, do not order from here. They do allow dine in as they have a limited amount of dining tables and access at their bar. One good thing about this place is they source some of their ingredients locally. read more

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02/12/25 - Tortas Frontera Grill. This is a Rick Bayless restaurant in O'Hare International Airport. Rick Bayless has built himself a restaurant w/award winning restaurants like Frontera Grill & Topolobambo. The first time I got food from Tortas Frontera to take on the plane as it was a domestic flight that wasn't serving food so I thought I would grab a Cubaba Clasica & take it on the plane, BIG MISTAKE. This sandwich is meant to be eaten on the spot & not later When I went back the second time on 02/12/25 I ordered the same Cubana Clasica - Carnitas, smoked pork lion, bacon, jack cheese, chipotle mustard & pickled onions. This time I ate it before boarding the plane. It was delicious & meant to be eaten right away When ordering it's better eaten right away. I learned my lesson the hard way taking it on the plane instead of eating it right away. There are three Tortas Frontera locations at O'Hare International Airport (ORD), located in Terminals 1, 3, and 5. Founded by Chef Rick Bayless, these popular, high-quality sandwich spots are found at the following locations within the secure area:Terminal 1: Near Gate B10/B11Terminal 3: Near Gate K4Terminal 5: Near Gate M18 read more

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After experiencing a rather chaotic layover in O'Hare this was a bright spot in my visit! This is probably one of the best meals I've had at an airport. The staff are pretty good about keeping the line moving and getting orders in. I brought my torta with me to my gate is the counter and seating area was pretty crowded. I ordered the Chipotle roasted chicken torta and it was very flavorful, I also really enjoyed the salsa on the side. If I am ever back at O'Hare I'd most likely eat here again! read more

Tortas Frontera - Chipotle Roasted Chicken Torta (requested no avocado) - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tortas Frontera is now a Tortazo outlet - still Rick Bayliss' food but with an expanded menu. For lunch, they now have tacos and quesadillas in addition to tortas. Unfortunately, this spot has degraded a bit in quality from the last time I visited in its top-drawer Tortas Frontera days. Despite there being no line to order, I waited quite a while before someone came to take my order (though to be fair she thanked me for waiting). The wait for food was even longer, about 20 minutes for one order of the barbacoa tacos. I always like to watch the food being prepared. Previously, this was an efficient operation where the staff worked quite clean. It seemed a bit disorderly on this visit. The tacos themselves were very good, especially the well-seasoned meat (which didn't even need to salsa provided) and the tender corn tortillas. There were a LOT of onions, which I ended up shaking off to get the fillings more in balance. They include a lime wedge on the side, which added great acidity to the tacos. The tacos were good enough to make me come back, but only with a lot of time before boarding. read more

Tortas Frontera - Barbacoa tacos to go - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I heard this is the place to eat at ORD. We got in line to take our food to go but they said to just eat it here rather than wait in line, so we did. For airport food it was pretty solid but that doesn't mean it was amazing. I had the cubana torta which was pretty good but not really worth $17. The bread was nice as was the meat and cheese, but I would have liked more filling to bread ratio. The salsa it comes with is nice but it overpowers the rest of the sandwich. Not bad, but nothing to brag about. Service is friendly but slow. Probably should have just taken it to go. read more

Tortas Frontera - Cubana - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was set to update a review and found I somehow never reviewed Tortas Frontera! Specifically the one at Concourse B in Terminal 1. This is the best airport food in the country. I am confident of that. If it weren't in a ticketed area, I would consider running out here occasionally just for a torta. Most of the time, we fly in the morning and find ourselves planning to arrive a little early to ensure we have time to enjoy a breakfast torta. The avocado, egg, and rajas is my go to, but the chorizo is excellent too. Definitely slather the torta with that green salsa/chimichurri that comes with it. Tons of flavor. Superior black coffee here too. They serve Dark Matter coffee, and they're brewing it perfectly. I used to run to the Intelligentsia over at Concourse C for coffee, but I realized a while ago that I dont need to. My torta was $14.30 this morning. You will spend that on a prepackaged tray of cheese and crackers at Hudson News and be sad all day. This place is still an excellent value. The service is always incredibly nice and efficient. If you have time, grab a table or seat at the bar. Just walk past the line for takeout and let them know at the bar that you want to dine in. Great guacamole with fresh chips too. Bonus that the little TV in the corner is always playing Rick Bayless' cooking show. His cadence is always so soothing. read more

Tortas Frontera - Half of an avocado, eggs, and rajas torta. Big breakfast! Green salsa/chimichurri is not really spicy, but flavorful. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had the chorizo and egg breakfast torta after a redeye from SFO. Very tasty. Great tomatillo salsa. Coffee good too. read more

Tortas Frontera - Chorizo & egg torta with coffee - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really enjoyed my meal there. I had a tortas chicken chipotle sandwich. It was delicious and the customer service was amazing. The food was fresh and authentic. When mentioned my allergies they were extremely transparent which is rare read more

Tortas Frontera - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

From Chicago, first time at TF, here are some thoughts: -Service is friendly. -They said it would take 10-15 minutes, but it came out in 5. -I ordered the chipotle roasted chicken tortas. -This sandwich was bursting with flavor! It had a little kick, the avocado was delicious, chicken was good, had some kind of cilantro sauce that made the whole thing work : ) -The Cubano sandwich looked crazy good, will have to try next time. Highly recommended! read more

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If I could leave zero stars I would because for one, the food was not even great. It was super cold and I paid 19$ for 2 tacos. If the service was not as terrible as today I wouldn't even be complaining. Traveling sucks for everyone Management needs to seriously address whoever was handing out orders around 7:45 PM. Her behavior was beyond rude and completely unacceptable. I politely asked for extra lime and a replacement for salsa that had spilled everywhere, and somehow that earned me nasty looks, eye rolling, dismissive responses, and my lime being aggressively slid across the counter without even acknowledging me. She told all the salsas were spilled like that I've rarely encountered someone so openly hostile over such a simple request. If basic customer service is this much of a burden, she has absolutely no business interacting with customers. Management should review who was working that station tonight because this employee made the entire business look terrible. read more

Tortas Frontera - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When one finds oneself during a layover at O'Hare, there are four pro moves, in my opinion, that help the hours go by. Assuming you are not in a private lounge. These tips are not for you. Go back to enjoying being elite while the rest of us have to get creative ;) Tip number one. Go for a long walk. O'Hare is a massive labyrinthine airport. I had a 5 hour layover. Spend as much time walking and exploring. It's essential for your mental and physical stamina. Tip number two. Do you see all the flight crew members toting around striped Garrett Popcorn bags? They suffer no fools. Find a Garrett Popcorn stand and ask to sample their wares. Buy the biggest sized bag - trust me. The Chicago mix (caramel and cheddar cheese) still tasted good a week later. High marks for the sea salt as well. Be the envy of your seat mates on the next leg of your flight, plus it makes a terrific gift. Tip number three: Find the open air rotunda. Go up the stairs. There you will find a quiet and peaceful lounge, with an array of seating options, desks, and outlets and blessedly, not many people. You will also discover a yoga studio. I spent 20 minutes doing sun salutations all by myself. Get yourself rebalanced again. Tip number four. This brings me to Tortas Frontera. Absolutely delicious options, but most especially, the tacos. Don't forget copious amounts of hand sanitizer, because you'll be licking your fingers. They also serve margaritas in to-go cups. Now, those are $17 bucks a pop, but at least they were generous with the tequila. Order a second to take with you on your plane. When the gate agent asks if there is alcohol, politely smile and say "No, ma'am". Happy travels! read more

Tortas Frontera - Carnitas tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food: tasty, only 1 salad option yet still good - guac cobb salad Service: slow Ambiance: tight, crowded Ordering at the kiosk was useful but doesn't have customization options Chipotle chicken was good read more

Everything in the airport is expensive but Tortas Frontera came in lower and with pretty decent portions. We walked up to the cashier and were asked if we wanted it to go or dine in. We said dine in and they invited us to sit anywhere we would like. All the tables were open (it's 6:30am) and our server greeted us right away and brought us waters. We ordered the chips and salsa, bacon egg and cheese breakfast torta (which comes with avocado on it YUM) and chorizo and egg tacos. The chips and salsa were okay--my husband liked the sweet green sauce. The red sauce has some heat and a Smokey taste. I enjoyed both. When our food came out to us I asked our server for extra green sauce so I could pour it over my torta. For airport food I was really impressed with my torta lol I would def come back to this restaurant if I'm in ORD again. Adding the green sauce to my torta was a boss move too. The torta was toasted perfectly and the portion was excellent. I was very full. My husband was a little disappointed about the size of his tacos (comes with 3) but they are about the size of "street tacos". I thought they were fair. The flavor was very good. His tacos also came with avocado on it. Overall very pleased with food and service. As we sat there and ate all the tables filled up and people were standing to the side waiting for their to go orders. Nice little spot with nice natural light from the large window! read more

Tortas Frontera - Chorizo and egg tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Waited 25 minutes for tacos. had to go remind them. They never called my name. And didn't give me my coffee ($5 down the drain). I frequent Frontera and Xoco in RN, but this was absolutely horrid. Likely won't eat at Frontera or Xoco anymore. Do yourself a favor and just get McDonald's. read more

Wish I took photos! I made it to San Diego from CHI airport and still enjoying my food. The avocado Cobb salad was amazing and the milnesa torta were good combos! Service was quick and made my meal to go! Airport ambiance was helpful with everyone grubbing and enjoying themselves. Wish I had pictures definitely needed more salsa both red and green! Green forever favorite! read more

Amazing tortas .. sauce is delicious my I did not wait much at the K4 gate location. Professional service.

Manage was terrible didn't try to fix the kiosk issues at all. Then just started with a poor attitude. read more

Tortas Frontera - Beef birria made without love - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When airport food is usually means your forfeiting money and taste for convenience, Tortas Frontera stands out from everywhere else The food is fresh, hot, and served with just enough time to squeeze inbetween security and boarding. The bread is soft and the ingredients are flavorful. We've tried both the chorizo, egg, and cheese, carnitas tacos, and classic cuban, all delicious and worth the money. Wish we got a little more salsa since the flavors really lift the food, but again, this might be the best bite in O'Hare and well worth the stop read more

The waitress was nice. Service was good. Table could have been cleaner but they were busy and I was just happy to find a table. The chipotle chicken torta was just ok. Wish I had gotten a salad. My mom loved her guac cobb salad with chicken. The margarita was ok. Would eat here again. read more

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For an airport meal this is great. Excellent food, generous portions and good service. Best option in O'Hare IMHO

You always expect airport food to suck. This place proves you wrong. The tortas are delicious! The torta with breaded chicken was finger licking good You can do carry out or dine-in. No matter what you chose be ready for a little chaos. read more

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The crispy chicken was whole and very filling. I probably won't need a big dinner. The cilantro sauce was a nice touch to an already spicy sandwich. The line moved quick and you could sit at the bar or at a few tables along the wall. I will definitely return. I subtracted a star for no chips included with the sandwiches. 5 chips wouldn't hurt them. read more

Tortas Frontera - Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

5 Star update- This time about the staff! My last review here was in 2011, so it was time for an update. As a note: I rate airport restaurants against other airport food. And in that case, this is still a 5 star option. But what really blew me away this last time was the staff. Not only was the gal taking my order super friendly, but the guy behind the bar went out of his way to check on us (even though he knew we weren't ordering drinks) well after bringing our food over (they could've just called our names like other counter service spots). Besides that, they were playing great music (salsa and cumbia) and were all swaying to the music behind the counter. So was I! It was a fun vibe and I very very much appreciate that when I'm stuck at an airport. Previous review: 5 Stars for the best airport food I've had in three days (I've spent an unpleasant amount of time here at the airport this week...). Right off the bat, I'll admit I'm not a spice person. I have the esophagus of an 80 year old woman and the mildest spice puts my heart on fire. For those non-spice people, there are options! I asked the woman at the counter for the least spicy Torta and she said they're all medium, but you can remove the spicy elements off anything. With that confirmation I went for broke and ordered the Pepito minus the pickled jalapeño. Biased beef short rib? Yes, plzzzzz! It also boasts artisan jack cheese, cilantro crema, black beans, and wild arugula. The sandwich was FIRE. Ok, bad descriptor because it was actually very mild in terms of heat. The bread was crusty on the outside and wonderfully moist and fluffy inside. The short rib was perfection. Not a fatty piece in there, and it was packed full! The surprising flavor was the arugula. There wasn't too much but the flavor really came through! Finally, I splurged and got a Lucilla's Alfies cookie (Argentinian alfajores- crumbly cookies with dulce de leche filling). It wasn't cheap (maybe $3?) but it was really, really good! And that's saying a lot because my Peruvian heritage makes me prettttty picky with my alfajores... Overall, this one's a new fave when at O'hare! read more

Service was fast and super nice. Tortas were awesome! My fave was the Cubana. We also got the Briia. Great flavor but not a lot of meat. I will know for next time to add extra meat because it was kind of skimpy. Flavor was awesome though. read more

You typically don't look forward to airport food, but I was excited to land and walk straight to Frontera. I've been to Disney Springs restaurant and loved it, so I wanted to see what they could do for travelers. It's great. Order a refreshing drink and get ready to enjoy your layover. They make one of my favorite guacamoles, but I did not like the chips as much. They reminded me of Mission Tortilla chips. That's not a bad thing, but they could be better. The Cubana was delicious. It looks like the sandwich doesn't have a lot of meat. It doesn't, but it has just enough. Order to get your food quickly through their app or sit down at a table. Either way you're going to have a good time. read more

Tortas Frontera - Cubana - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the only food I will sprint through the airport for. I purposely choose layovers through O'Hare so I can get another taste of this magic. I hope my return trip home has another lay over here... There are lots of vegetarian options. It's always fresh, hot, and packed with flavor. The food was so good I didn't even think to get photos first (priorities). I ordered the chili rubbed cauliflower torta (amazing!), corn chowder soup (best soup I've ever had), and the nearly naked guac (always a slam dunk). Each item was absolutely delicious and I'm still thinking about. The guy at the pick up counter was super friendly and helpful! You can order online or in the app and pick up if you're on a tight schedule. It doesn't give you an estimated time when you order unfortunately. I normally order as soon as my plane hits the gate. Just make sure you double check and order to the right terminal! read more

I always stop by here before my flight because the beef stick/little slice of cheese/biscoff cracker box they sell on planes won't hold me over for my four hour flight. Tortas Frontera is always fresh and full of flavor. I always get the Cubana Clasica sandwich which has the perfect amount of carnitas, bacon, pickled onions, sauce and salsa (on the side). It even comes in a nice box that you can eat over on your lap and perfect for the plane. Ordered and got my sandwich in about seven minutes. The flavor is so on point I would eat here even if it were not at the airport, which is saying something. I believe there is a location in each terminal and I've eaten at two of them and they always deliver great food! read more

Tortas Frontera - Cubana Clasica - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had a very unpleasant experience at **Tortas Frontera**. While waiting about **20 minutes for below-average tacos and guacamole**, I was standing near the bar. A gentleman who was dining there kindly offered me the **empty chair at his table** while I waited for my takeaway order. I sat down for a moment, but the bartender--an older man--quickly came over and **rudely told me to stand up because my order was to-go**. I was shocked, especially since the chair belonged to the customer who had invited me to sit. I had to stand up while the chair remained empty the entire time. After 12 hours of traveling and another 10 hours ahead due to a flight delay, this lack of basic courtesy was extremely disappointing. To make matters worse, when ordering at the machine there is an option to **add a tip**, yet the service I received was far from tip-worthy. The food itself was also disappointing: the guacamole tasted stale and the chicken was dry. Overall, this was a very poor experience, both in terms of service and food quality. I will definitely **not be returning**. read more

As far as airport food goes this is a fairly decent option! Just be prepared to wait a bit for it, but worth it. I had time to kill so I walked multiple terminals to this one because it had better yelp reviews. Solid C+ quality food read more

Tortas Frontera - Chorizo torta - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing! One of the best salsas I have had. The chipotle chicken I ordered. It really was this Smokey flavor salsa. Avocados were perfect! Like they came down from heaven. FYI they don't have prices listed for their alcohol! A draft beer was 13$ which is insane and almost as much as the torta! Great service. read more

My favorite stop at ORD!!! I came early to eat lunch before boarding. The salad I usually get was no longer on the menu. Started with guacamole and chips and the almost naked margarita. Guac was really good and oh so fresh! Chips were crispy and perfectly salted. Got the chipotle roasted chicken torta and it was delicious. A must stop at ORD. Gate B11!! read more

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This is for the location near gate K4. There was no waiting which was positive. I walked up to order and the worker was talking to another so took about 30 seconds for them to wrap their discussion and look at me. I noticed the have carne asada tacos but not tortas. I asked if they could make it and they said no. Odd that they have the ingredients but the the ability to do it. I ordered the milanesa torta and asked for Habanero salsa. they gave me green salsa that tasted of next to nothing. When I asked if they had habanero salsa she said they ran out. I asked if they had anything spicier and they said no. Sandwich was ok. If you want to add on ingredients avocado was like $3 more and so was bacon. maybe $4. also the agua de Jamaica was $4 for like a 10oz. I know airports have a markup but at least give me a good size 16oz drink for $4. read more

Long lines for the food order. Ordered a Cobb salad, chips and salsa, fully dressed guacamole for $40.79. Our order number is 04. Good wait here for the food to come out. Small seating area. 4 tables, 6 counter seats as well. The Cobb salad is pretty good. The chipotle grilled chicken is decent, although I was hoping it would be more flavorful. The arugula is a nice add to it. I added some salsa verde, as it lacked dressing and was a tad dry. The fully dressed guacamole is good. The chips are just so-so. read more

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I love this place! Great drinks, friendly bartender, amazing tortas and cold beer. Make sure to get a half hour before you sit down to realy enjoy the food and drinks. read more

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Not a lot of good food options in the United terminal but this one stands out because the sandwiches are gourmet and very tasty and come in portable boxes that are easy to take away. There's always a wait when I've visited - expect 10 to 15 minutes to get your food. The sandwiches are hot and freshly made with nice flavors that pop. There's a very small indoor seating area, which is almost always full so take your sandwich to go in the portable little box. read more

Tortas Frontera - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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