I probably can't add much more than is already here in these 600 reviews (!), but I can say that the food was incredibly tasty, but I can't say that I'll be back anytime soon. Why? The whole set-up of the order-taking/seat-finding process is incredibly time-consuming, opaque, and frustrating. We came in the off-hours (2:30 pm on a weekday) because we've heard it's a huge headache to come at peak lunch hours. There was hardly a line but it was still a huge headache. It took forever to even take your order and then there was nowhere to sit except for outside in the 90+ degree heat. Sometimes long waits and tricky seating can be one of those things that you just deal with since the food is worth the frustration. While the food was very good here, I don't think the chaos of their system is worth it. So, please, try to streamline your process. It can't be THAT hard when you're Rick Bayliss. read more

This did live up to my expectations. Food was deliciously well-seasoned. I have never had mexican street-food. I wished a little that my sandwich came with a fork so I could scoop up all the pork at the end that had fallen out of my sandwich. Saw Rick Bayless briefly. The line went pretty fast for us on a Friday night at about 8:30 pm. I think we were in line for about 25 minutes. I think we were probably lucky. Worth going at least once before you die. read more

I had the pork belly torta and a delicious agua that had lemongrass and something else. They no longer had take out soI ate in and read while I waited for my food. The place is a bit small and the music a bit loud but I liked the food and the staff was very friendly. I thought it was cool that the staff told me they were going to change the agua del dia because Rick Bayless had been in earlier and it was not up to his expectation. Nice to know that Rick is making sure everything is up to his standards. read more

Yes, yes, the hype is all true. You MUST come here to try their churros with Mexican vanilla soft serve ice cream. IT IS SO DELICIOUS. And yes, the line is ridiculously long. We came here around 3pm in the afternoon and it was packed! We didn't want to wait 45 minutes to get seated, so we waited 10 minutes for a to-go order of the yummy churros and ice cream and ate the delicious goodness out on the streets. :) I wanted to try their other items on the menu because everything looked so good, but they're not open on Sundays or Mondays! So we didn't get a chance to come back here again. read more

Yes! Reasonably priced, great tasting and inventive food? Plus- near my house? Yes- this place apparently does exist! After a few hours of tasting around town, we wanted to sop up some of the booze. I had been wanting to try XOCO but usually there are long lines...and I don't like waiting. Fortunately for us, a storm had scared everyone else away from here and into their houses- so no line! After you order at the register (everyone was super friendly- ask them what they suggest!), someone seats you and they bring out your food. I asked what I should try and they suggested the Ahogada (juicy pork, broth, and you can ask for it with different levels of heat). I felt that I had to finish it all...but then when our churros came out I could only take about one bite. So- lesson learned- maybe next time I shouldn't be afraid to take some of the food home and enjoy my fresh, hot churro at XOCO. Oh- and as we were leaving all of the chefs were eating their own dinners, and most of them had Ahogadas (although probably much spicier than what I chose)! I'll be coming here again, line or no line, to try all of the different dishes (especially the hot chocolate). If you're around this part of town, or have guests staying with you, I highly recommend that you come here! read more

Yummy! Liked the Bayless-at-a-cheaper-price option of this place. There was a line, but I was grateful for it, because everything on the menu looked delcious & I needed time to decide! Got the torta with the goat cheese & mushrooms - had them add carnitas to it. It was good - but maybe just a little too much goat cheese? (I know, I never thought I'd say those words) Also, I didn't adore the torta bread. There was a lot of it, and it was a harder type bread - kind of rustic, I guess? Heavy crust. I dunno. It was good, but honestly, I envied my friend's dish the whole time. SHE got the soup (Caldos) with pork belly. I love pork belly but thought, "why would i get a soup here?" Boy was I wrong. It was beautiful looking, and had avocados in it! She let me have a bite. Anyway - loved the guac, loved the churros, loved the free sparkling water - I felt very classy pouring it for myself and adding a lime ;) Will be back for the Caldos! And for brunch sometime, too! Oh - one final thing, as busy as it was - the guy working the counter by the door made sure to shout a thank you to my friend & I when we left. I certainly didn't expect it - and it went a long way - you can tell they do service training. read more

Bayless, you'll always be in my heart when it comes to Mexican cuisine. My visit to XOCO has been long overdue so here' the deal: My advice to you is coming for lunch, or during the week. If you're a patient person (which I am not), then brave the lines on the weekends and bustling atmosphere packed like sardines in a small space. The service was friendly and quick. Eat your food, enjoy it, and get out so the next group of people can enjoy! I like to enjoy my food, conversation and space bubble, so I will dine here only during the week when it's a little (less) of the madness. One word. CHURROS...get them...right when you sit down, or for dessert. It doesn't really matter, but as long as you taste their lovely sweetness. Don't miss out on this! You can never go wrong with some chips and guac. At any of the Bayless restaurants, you can expect some of the freshest tasting guac around! You also need to order the Tortas. The griddled Milanesa chicken was by far my favorite, but you really can't go wrong with any of them. I've waited too long to visit XOCO and now my mouth is watering for more! read more

Honestly, I dont understand the hype. This place was good, but nothing that I would consider a "must have". Ahogada: The sandwich was unique with consideration to what it was- a sandwich. I ordered it mild thinking it would have more of a bite to it. It was very mild- the only thing that came across in this "salsa" was a Louisiana hot sauce tang (which is fine if you like that kind of thing). However- i was not over the top impressed. Guess the hype was too much. Pepito: Good sandwich. Love the sauce accompaniment. The bread could have been a little softer- like a traditional torta. Churro- good, but have had better. The chocolate dipping sauce was a nice touch. Bayless, you still get four stars for you vision and flavor pairings. read more

I love you Rick Bayless even though you snubbed me at the GCM BBQ this year (long story, not going to get into it here, haha) Anyways, went back to XOCO again (how can one not?!) and this time had the pork belly caldo (they recently started serving this after 11am instead of 3pm) and boy was i happy to have the soup... rich, deep flavor and the pork belly, of course, was tasty as usual finished lunch with hot chocolate with soy milk and also a churro definitely the highlight of my day!!! read more

If you're planning on going over to Xoco for a friday night dinner... make haste as the line grows quickly! I love almost all things Rick Bayless, and the Ahogada was no exception. Make sure to order this dish extra spicy! The toasted torta sitting on a bed of steaming spicy soup was one to be reckoned with. Their beer selection is also muy delicioso! read more

It's been a foodie dream of mine to go to a Rick Bayless restaurant for quite a while. Last weekend Alisha and I were downtown for our anniversary and got to have lunch at Xoco in the River North neighborhood of Chicago. The food is a nod to Mexican street food. If Topolo pampers and Frontera dances, then XOCO rocks. Though the word is Mexican slang for "little sister" (from the ancient Aztec language), there's nothing little about XOCO's big, bold Mexican marketplace flavors. Open early, late and closed on Sundays and Mondays, this quick-service cafe from Rick and Deann Bayless proffers contemporary expressions of Mexico's most beloved street food and snacks: hot-from-the-fryer churros and flaky empanadas; frothy Mexican hot chocolate (ground from Mexican cacao beans right in our front window!); warm, crusty tortas (Mexican submarine sandwiches); and made-to-order caldos (meal-in-a-bowl soups) that feature everything from roasted vegetables to seafood to pork belly. We got there early for lunch (about 10:50 am, they start to serve lunch at 11:00 am) which ended up being a good thing. By 11 there was a like almost out the door. The restaurant is set up like a fast casual restaurant where you order up front and your food in brought to you. The service was fast and polite. No complaints. I decided on the special of the day 'Goat Barbacoa: Oaxacan pasilla-tomato salsa, avocado, onions and cilantro' and Alisha got the 'Chicken Tinga: Gunthorp chicken, black beans, chipotle-roasted tomato sauce, pickled onions, avocado, queso anejo, arugula.' Both were priced around $10. We also ordered the 'Guacamole & Chips: Frontera guacamole, tomatillo salsa 3-chile salsa, just-made chips' and the bean-to-cup 'Aztec: fresh-ground chocolate + water + chile + allspice.' The tortas were really amazing. The goat was tender, extremely flavorful and not gamy at all. The avocado and pasilla-tomato salsa was tangy and tart. Probibly in the top 3 best sandwiches I've ever had. The chicken was great as well. I rarely order chicken in a sandwich because I feel like they ofter fall short on flavor, not this one. It was like a party in your mouth (yep I said that). The bean-to-cup Aztec was like nothing I've ever eaten. It wasn't sweet (almost at all) but had insane depth of flavor. It was bitter, acidic, creamy and spicy. Their bean-to-cup menu is something everyone should try. The only disappointment I had was that I didn't try any of the soups. They looked so good! There's always next time though. Overall, I couldn't have been more happy with my visit to Xoco. It's on my short list of 'must try' casual food spots in Chicago. Now on to Fontera Grill! read more

As a vegetarian, I probably have no business reviewing or even liking Xoco. But what the hell, I can try! Their beans are cooked in pork fat so we ate pretty much all their mushroom dishes without the beans. The waitstaff were nice enough to add extra veggies and cheese for us. Everything was delicious. The guac was amazing!!! We topped it off with some hot chocolate (Aztec I think). It was an afternoon well spent. read more

I thought this place was good. Would I wait for 45 minute again to eat there? Probably not. I went here last Saturday afternoon with my sister. Yes, the wait is long (we were told it would be 30-45 minutes just to order our food) so be prepared. Once you order at the front register, which is where the line leads you to, you are seated in the dining area where you'll wait 5-10 minutes for your food. I read from other Yelpers that the limeade drink was good so I had to get that. Caveat: it is SO darn sweet! Too sweet! I could only drink a 1/4 of it but maybe that's b/c I'm not a soft-drink drinker. I'm glad they at least had sparkling water on tap at the self-serve water station. I had to get a glass of that to wash down the sweetness of my drink. I had a feeling that the guacamole would be great so I had to order that. And it was! It tasted so fresh, creamy, and rich. I like that they served up a small portion of that alongside two smaller portions of a red salsa (a bit spicy) and a green salsa (more on the mild side). Also, the chips, they were delish! It was obvious that they were house-made. They had the perfect crispiness to them and the coarse salt on them complemented the chip perfectly. I liked that the portion sizes of the chips, salsas, and guacamole were small. It was perfect for someone like me who typically gorges on them leaving not much room for the meal once it arrives. Not the case this time, thank goodness! Now onto the entree... I ordered the Chicken Tinga torta. The ingredients tasted so fresh and the torta bread was incredible. It was cripsy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. It kinda reminded me more of a baguette than a torta bread roll. Overall I'd say this sandwich was good but not incredible enough to have me wait in a 45 minute line. My sister ordered the Woodland Mushroom torta. I thought the goat cheese was a nice compliment to it. I thought it was good. She thought it was ok. For dessert we got the "must have" Churros with a side of chocolate sauce. These were incredible! I could have ate a dozen of them! The wait staff, especially the hostess, were friendly and helpful. Overall I felt that the appetizer and dessert were the best thing on the menu. Although everything was good or great I doubt I'd return only b/c of the long wait. I didn't deem it worth it. read more

OK, so the place has nearly a thousand reviews on Yelp and I finally am getting around to reviewing it. I'm a little behind the curve here. I went mid afternoon on a weekday but it didn't help too much. All the tables were filled and there was a line, although it didn't go out the door. I had tastes of a number of sandwiches. The pork carnitas had some zip to it but I could have used a little more meat. The mushroom torta, however, blew me away. I thought the Cuban was good but essentially meh - I think I can get a similar sandwich all over the north side for about a third less. And that's my only gripe - each sandwich is about a buck or two higher than you'd expect. I consider that the Rick Bayless tax. But throw in the locally sourced ingredients and the wood burning oven its worth the premium. I'll be back. My next trip here will be to check out the breakfast menu. read more

Picture this: my two besties and I had just completed the Gorilla Challenge (aka epic fail, gorilla challenge organizers...) but the ending location/party didn't have nearly the capacity for the 2,000 people who competed. Friend 1: Well, this sucks. Wanna bail? Me: There's a Chipotle across the street, wanna grab some food? Friend 1: No, no I do not want to go to Chipotle. I want to go to Xoco. Me: Ooooh I haven't been there before! Friend 2: It's so good, let's go there NOW! So we walked like 1.5 miles out of our way just to hit up some sweet hot Xoco action. Once we arrived, the line was very nearly out the door. Friend 1 and Friend 2 were both all, "wow, the line isn't even that bad! It's a good thing we're having such a late lunch!" (it was 3:30pm approx) We def waited in this supposedly "not that bad" of a line for at least 45 minutes. Thank the lord baby jesus that they had the little water/lime station halfway down the line so we could stay hydrated, for Pete's sake! Personally, I was jonesin' for a margarita (see my review of Topolobampo for an explanation) and figured they MUST have margaritas at this establishment. No dice, my friends. Only beer (in terms of libations). Oh well, that works too. Sammy was delish, beer selection was good, ambiance was lovely. Not sure if I could have handled it at true lunch time, but maybe if I'm in the area some random weekday, I'll hit 'er up again. read more

If you want to dine there, you will wait. If you want to take out, it's a fast experience. Get the Chocolate, it's what they are really famous for. read more

Mmmm! The food here makes up for the crowded space, annoying wait, and sorta pricey eats. BF and I decided to do takeout after seeing the dine-in line, and it was still about 30-35 minutes until we left with our food. Believe me, not devouring the entire meal on our cab ride home was no small feat. The churros were deliciously cinnamony. The authentic hot chocolate: heavenly. The chicken tinga torta? Mouthwateringly scrumptious. And the carnitas caldos and cubana torta were also yum-city. Xoco is a win! Rick Bayless makes my mouth happy! read more

The line was wayyyy too long so we decided to get something to go and eat at the hotel. I ended up getting the pepito, which is braised tallgrass shortribs, caramelized onion, artisan Jack cheese, black beans, pickled jalapenos. I was very unimpressed. I didn't like it at all. My friends loved their sandwiches so maybe I ordered wrong. The sandwiches are also pretty small. When the waiter warns you that the jalpeno sauce is spicy - believe him. Since I found my sandwich so boring, I dumped a bunch of sauce on it. WOW. My mouth was burning for 15 minutes. My eyes were watering. Yikes. However, it made me full =) read more

Fortunately we got there earlier in the day so the wait wasn't so bad. Being my first time, I spent most of the time scoping the place out. I was surprised to see Rick Bayless' daughter working behind the counter -- cutting her teeth as a restauranteur in training? -- and was caught off guard when she worked her way down the line asking if we had any questions. I was a wee bit starstruck :) (though it would've been nice to see the big man, too.) I've never been to a place that almost exclusively served tortas, so that was a nice change of pace from typical taco etc. cuisine. Like many, we ordered the ahogado. The meat was sooo tender, the bread had the right bite, and the spicy broth was delish. It was kind of like eating... tomato-based hot sauce in soup form. Awesome to get your hands and face messy digging into this thing; it's hard not to pig out. The spices definitely went through the wrong pipe once or twice. The guac was also yummy... how could you ever turn down a dish made from avocados? I also like how they served with with a green and red chile sauce. The churro was cinnamon delight, and I think we should have ordered more. I kept looking at the servers bearing trays of churros with such envy. Generally pork is not my preferred meat (except for bacon!) but those carnitas... wow. Now I'm dreaming about tender, juicy pork with a touch of gristle. I want to try all the other piggy options on the menu :) Also would like to try their beer selection. It's cool how the restaurant has a casual vibe, but they put in high-end quirks like beer pairings. read more

my mind has been BLOWN by rick bayless. If i ever see him in person i will hug him if he doesn't get weirded out by me! I love Mexican food, but i have never LOVED Mexican food till I've tried Xoco and Frontera. I normally don't like fancy restaurants for Mexican food. but oh no no no, XOCO does it right. SOOOOO right. We came here TWICE in our 5 day trip to chitown. First time was just to get their churro after we tried Frontera. OMG their Churro is amazing. Its freshly made AND they just add some sort of extra spice to it that makes it absolutely divine. We got it with a side of their Mexican vanilla bean ice cream. SOOO GOOD! Second time we came back was for our last meal before heading back to California. We came here for lunch RIGHT when they opened at 11am. We got their Mole Poblano torta which had braised pork, wood-grilled onions, crunchy fresh garnishes, and fresh cheese. YOu can really taste the difference from their quality of ingredients. The pork was juicy and savory and the fresh garnishes and cheese went so well with the fresh torta. Their Caldos was mind blowing. Caldos is a type of stew they have many different kinds there. We got the seafood Caldos. This seafood caldos had Mexican blue shrimp, mussels, catfish, red chile broth, potatoes, grilled knob onions, pea shoots, cilantro, and lime inside. The broth was perfectly seasoned. Not overbearing. it was so well balanced. i couldn't stop eating it. You have to try their caldos when you come here. Plus XOCO is very affordable and very casual I see a lot of locals here for a quick lunch. There's also really cute outdoor seating too if you want some sun (on nice summer days). recap: 1) Churros with a side of ice cream 2) CALDOS 3) everything here is amazing! come early or else there's a long wait! read more

XOCO. So we came to Chicago for Rick Bayless' restaurants. I wish we could have tried more here, but I must say it was worth it. You can really tell a lot of thought goes into the food, service, and atmosphere. Everything pictured was great. If we ever go back we actually would try XOCO for lunch. Don't get me wrong Frontera was great, but the menu for XOCO at lunch looks very good. TWO THUMBS WAY UP. read more

Xoco - Mexican hot chocolate and coffee with churros. Delicious combo - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Delicious, ungreasy tortas with premium ingredients-- SO GOOD! The bread, the meat, the fixin's -- everything was yummy and fresh. The place seats only about 20-30 people, so expect a long wait if you dine in. Both times I went (once at 8 p.m. on Friday and once at 2 p.m. on Saturday), I had to wait 20-40 minutes before ordering, plus another 10 minutes for the food. Between the food's tastiness and the friendly staff, though, I didn't mind waiting too much. I recommend: - Pepito (braised shortribs, caramelized onion, Jack cheese, black beans, and pickled jalapenos) - Ahogada (pork carnitas, black beans, spicy arbol chile sauce, and pickled onions in the torta, which is served in a tomato broth) - Churros I didn't care much for the hot chocolate or the optional chocolate dipping sauce accompaniment to the churros-- it wasn't the typical sweet chocolate I was expecting and was too bitter. XOCO is CLOSED on SUNDAYS, so plan accordingly! read more

We started out with Frontera Grill but were told there was a 2 hour wait, the hostess, recommended XOCO, since it was more casual... WAIT, was I under dressed, I thought not since it was my birthday and was dressed in a nice casual way, no sweats or sneakers. I TRIED not to take offense and since we already parked ($10) decided to go. When you first walk in, it is more of a 'fast-er food' type of atmosphere and you either place your to-go order or get in line to place your sit down order. Once you get to the counter, you give your order, which you cannot place until they have found you a place to sit, we opted to 'share' a table with others and was okay with it since we were hungry and didnt really want to wait. You go down the 'line' and get your water or other 'drink' and are then led to your seating spot. This was okay and the ladies we sat next to, didnt seem to mind which was cool. It was a bit tight though. After all this, it was a bit inconvenient, the food arrived and was well worth the wait and process to get it. We ordered the Guac and chips, the guac wasnt too shabby but a small portion, comes with two sauces. Also, the Chicken Tinga, which wasnt bad, the Milenesa, which is chicken and the best of all that was ordered, the Al-Pastor Torta, which was also good and the Carnitas Caldo, again, very good. We ordered desserts which were O.K. (Fruit tart, Ice cream Pasilla and Churros) Not bad for a faster food joint if you asked me but what I REALLY love is that it supports organic and sustainable business, especially the meat. You are doing a fine job Rick! We will be back to try the other joints....... read more

I had lunch in Xoco and I was very lucky because it wasn't a huge line! I tasted a daily special torta Wednesday (Pork Belly: Dark salsa negra glaze, bacon, arugula, queso anejo). It was very good, it's a little spicy but nothing special. The staff is nice. read more

This...man...knows...food.... Any sandwich is devine, the soups are equally delicious, and the churros are off the chain good. Compliment your lunch by trying one of his chocolate beverages. They're full of deep harmonious flavor. I also recently went for breakfast, again Rick's food does not dissapoint. I think he could take taco bell's menu, change nothing, and "I would walk 500 miles *sing the tuen damn you" and give T-bell 5 stars. Call me a fanboy, but I love this place. Serve your own water, thank you, I will. I drink like Don Rickles insults, which is a lot. Nice to have a place give you a change of pace. Not to mention it probably helps the servers out a little. Just go here already. It's good for you. In one way or another. read more

First off I have to say, i love Rick Bayless!! His passion for cooking really comes through in his food. After eating at Topolobampo's Top Chef tasting menu during my last trip in Chicago, I've made it a mission to try all of Bayless's restaurants. I came here for lunch on a weekday and had the Ahogada: golden carnitas, black beans, tomato broth, spicy arbol chile sauce and pickled onions. It was so delicious, especially on a chilly Chicago day. I would skip the churro next time since it tasted like it was fried in old oil. Their soft serve was just ok as well. I love visiting Chicago and will be returning to Xoco! read more

Xoco - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This was my first experience at a Rick Bayless restaurant. I took a few co-workers with me. We got there around 4pm so there was no line. The hostess was extremely helpful in teaching us how we get seated after ordering first and helped me pick out the favorites on the menu. The guy taking my order even gave me samples of the hot chocolates and the agua fresca. Excellent service here. I got the Passion fruit agua fresca $2.50 which was so fruity and refreshing. The carnitas caldo was a bit salty, but it had the crunch from the veggies, about 6 oz of carnitas, a few dumplings, avocado, and cilantro. I asked for it extra spicy. I could really taste the pork in the broth. I wished it came with some rice, noodles, or tortillas. We saw the next table getting some chicharrones so we ordered some, too $3.50. It had sprinkles of cilantro, lime slices, onion, and queso fresco. The lime had a huge difference and the sauce had heat (but tasted more like Cholula). We got 3 Churros $3.75 and didn't get the chocolate sauce for $1 more. We ended up meeting Daniel, the owner of The Lime Truck that won the Great Food Truck Race on FoodTV this year. He gave us his chocolate sauce for the churros, and let me taste his Pork Belly Caldo. The chocolate sauce kicked the churros into a whole new level of goodness. The Pork Belly caldo was a red broth, but a mellow pork flavor. Not spicy. I'll be back here for sure! read more

It has been 3 years since the last time I was in Chicago and the 1st stop on our usual gastronomic agenda was XOCO. I believe publishers of Michelin should consider separate category for casual places. Rick should be one of the first ones to receive a star. read more

I'm a little torn about XOCO. So, 3 stars leaning towards 3.5. Here's the breakdown of my scoring system: Churros with ice cream: YUM. A little pricey (esp for the side of soft serve), but, seriously, yum. Hot chocolate: meh. We had it only once but it wasn't very well mixed (I'm remembering a chunky texture) and it didn't live up to the high standard set by Hot Chocolate. I've yet to meet a hot chocolate that can dare to compare with the Mexican at Hot Chocolate. Food: I liked the chips and guac. We had the vegetarian caldos as well as the woodland mushroom torta. I wanted to like them SO much. But they were both SO salty. Different occasions too, so it wasn't just one salt-happy sous-chef on a binge night. The caldos we got to-go and actually didn't even eat hardly any of it, it was that salty. Pucker your face and spit it out salty. Use it to gargle after you've had your wisdom teeth out salty. I keep coming back here, mostly for the churros. Not wowed by the food, although I suspect the part of me that really wants to like this place will keep trying it. read more

worth the wait. and come with friends so you can share (attempt to share) some churros and each others dishes. there's a line - always- so don't worry, you have time to make a decision and change it a million times. everything sounds phenomenal...and everything actually is. always order some chips & guac to start. i'm a fan of the daily special tortas myself, but many of the other dishes are fantastic as well. the flavors are just amazing...soup is fantastic if it's chilly outside! the staff is friendly, the atmosphere is fun, the food is consistent. great stop-in for lunch or a mid-afternoon meal if you want to avoid lines. read more

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YUM! I came here today for lunch and got the Pepito torta (short ribs). The torta I orginally wanted (carnitas) is dine-in only...BOO! The Pepito was a bit pricey ($12) but so worth it! It was grilled perfectly. It was packed during lunch hours. I advise not to sit at the restaurant if you're on a time crunch. There was even a to-go line! We waited like 5 min to order then waited about 10 - 15 for our food. So good! I want to come back and try more. read more

Whenever we are in Chicago, we always stop here for dinner. The food is amazing- Mexican street food at its best, and well worth the line (usually 30min or so on a super busy night). This is the casual Rick Bayless dining option. Here's how it works: wait in line (order a beer while you are waiting), place your order, pay, get a table, and they bring your food to you. The seating can be a little tight, but that's part of the new Chicago dining scene, right? Simplified, your choices are sandwiches in broth, sandwiches (think warm, crusty sub sandwich), and meals in bowls. The hot chocolate and churros are amazing and make a great carry-out dessert. read more

Eww. What an overrated place. I'd been really excited about trying out XOCO, knowing that it was one of Rick Bayless' places. I was so disappointed. First off, walking into that crowded, oddly laid-out place, there was no one to greet us. It felt like I was walking into a McDonald's or something - a mess. It literally took 5 minutes to get someone to tell me who I needed to see to get a table. That could've also been more polite. Also, the regulars in there were rude. Now to the food. The tortas were OK, but I could have also been eating at any deli in town. The caldos were bland and not filling. There just wasn't anything special about the food. If you really want good tortas (and with the most amazing sauces), try out the La Adelita truck instead. So much better food and service. read more

Absolutely adore this place. Great food. Whenever we have guests I make sure to show them xoco. Staples are the woodland mushroom torts, the Pepito and agua del dia. Price- little pricey but well worth it. Quantity- good sized portion. Enough to make you feel like you didn't pay too much for too little food. Quality- most excellent. Some of the best food I've ever had. Atmosphere- very modern and uncomplicated. The only gripe I have is when xoco is busy I don't think the seating and ordering process is as efficient as it could be, which adds to the wait. Staff- very nice. Only one time have I been dissatisfied with the staff and I think it was because the person was new and didn't understand what gluten allergies were. Love it. Bring friends. Take it to go so you don't wait as long and go eat at merchandise mart down the street. Thanks Rick! read more

I got a Baja Chicken torta and it made me question all the other chickens I've ever consumed before - it was incredibly juicy and I just could not believe how amazing the sandwich was. Perfect proportions of onions to meat to sauce. I could conceivably see myself trying every single item on the menu, and never getting sick of the place. So maybe it's a good thing I don't live in Chicago. I only wish they had longer hours because I just barely got in before closing time and had missed it the night before. I'm not in love with the layout of the restaurant; as a single traveler I sat on the counter and basically stared at a wall a foot away from my face. There's not too many tables so it's more likely you'll be sitting side by side with your friends. It's also very confusing to me how to get seated at a table vs. just ordering to-go. I ordered the hibiscus + lemongrass drink and loved it. Also had the tres leches and the rice pudding but I think I would have preferred eating a churro or coffee instead. All in all, one of my favorite restaurant decisions in Chicago to date. read more

Really wanted to give it 4 stars but everytime I'm mildly annoyed with the waiting line and an absolutely insane ammount of sodium in most dishes I tried. Whatever you do - don't walk out of this place without Chocolate Cappuccino. read more

I absolutely LOVE this place. I wish I lived closer so I could eat here more often! The tortas here are incredible. I almost always get the Ahogada when I come here. The tomato broth that it's served with is the best thing in the world. I am salivating just thinking about it. My boyfriend's go-to is the conchinita pilbil which is also amazing. The pork is so tender and flavorful. Definitely my favorite pork sandwich. The caldos are also very good. I've had the chicken pozole and the shortrib and both were great, but I think the tortas are way to go. Don't be discouraged if you see a long line when you come here, it moves very quickly and it's well worth the wait. read more

Do I really need to add another review to the 1000+? Just a quick tip - the line can be long if you want a seat. But if you're willing to grab take-out to eat at home or while you walk - it is MUCH quicker. read more

I'm visiting Chicago from Los Angeles, and needed a quick dinner as it was almost 9PM and I had just gotten out of a long day of meetings. I had read about this place, and thought I'd try out the pork belly vermicelli. I thought it was pretty solid. The broth towards the top can be a little thin, but if you let all the avocado and pork belly settle in, you'll have some wonderfully warm comfort food to make the cold Chicago night not so frigid. The pork belly is superbly done, and probably the best part. I felt there might have been a touch too much cilantro, taking away from the heartiness of the broth, but I'd never had it before so I couldn't judge. I got take out, and it only took like 10 minutes to prepare. They also provided me with what looks like real silverware (albeit thinner metal) but still not the cheapo plastic picnic stuff I'm used to. Fast service. Hearty yummy food. "Yay! I'm a fan." read more

This review is just for the breakfast!! If you like a fresh hearty breakfast, this place is for you. I'd been here two times for breakfast and unfortunately, the food was too much and too heavy for me. Here are some of the things I've tried: + Authentic & Aztec Chocolate--whoa! Super rich and creamy. I can get drowned in this stuff. If you're a die-hard chocolate fan, well, this is for you! +Made-to-order churros: Okay, these are good, but sometimes it can get oily and super coated with sugars. + Open face breakfast sandwich: The bread was super hard--dislike! It was topped with black beans, tomato sauce, egg and avocado. And as the bread absorb these ingredients, it was super soggy. Dislike! + Chorizo and egg sandwich: Okay, this is like one of the items that tasted really good...it was just too much for breakfast, but it's nice to save half for lunch! Overall, it was an okay place. I like the atmosphere though, and would definitely love to come back to try their lunch. read more