My party and I arrived about 1pm on a Saturday--the lunch hour peak! We had a little less than a 45 minute wait in line and Frontera Grill next door had an even longer wait so we decided to just stick it out. I prefer the tortas over the caldos (too salty for me), but overall it was a hearty lunch. We also tried the agua del dia and hot chocolate--all good too. We dined in, and were sharing a table with another party because this place is very small. There was a take out option that many people who didn't want to wait were taking advantage of. read more

I'm a little late on the Bayless train, but finally got a chance to try XOCO this week. Caldos and churros and chocolates...oh my. Everything is delicious! Even though it was crowded, the people working there were friendly and helpful which made navigating the crowds much easier. I came here around 1.30pm on a weekday and was seated and served within 15 mins. Can't wait to try more of the menu. read more

Rick Bayless' street food is amazing. The sandwich with broth and meaty soups are out of this world. I'm still dreaming of the spicy thick hot chocolate (which is surprisingly water based) and fresh made churros. It was definitely worth the hour plus wait. read more

Possibly one of the best Mexican food restaurants I've ever eaten at. This place is amazing, the mushroom and goat cheese torta is spectacular. read more

Had the braised short rib torta, carnita bowl and churros. Everything was fantastic!

ohmygosh. i lived in evanston for 4 years. i came back about 10 times since graduating and i never went to this place... until now. i'm so happy about this place i'm just going to do a play by play: you walk in and there's a line. you wait in line almost like a fast food restaurant and look at the menu to figure out what you want. there is a manager/waiter person who asks how many people are in your party, and somehow (as if by magic), he will tell you how long you have to wait for a table. by the time you finish ordering in the line, you will either be waiting on the side for a table or you'll have a table to sit and wait at with a number. you sit, enjoy a cold one if you so desire. i got the ahogada. now let me be VERY frank. i do NOT like tomato sauce. i don't like tomatos most of the time either. but the waiter suggested it to me. so i just did it. and boy oh boy i love him for this suggestion. i ordered it SPICY since i love spicy. and i was feeling congested. this bowl comes out with this red sauce and the torta filled with pork and other goodies. the red tomato soup was so... good. spicy and warm and perfect amount of tanginess from limes. the torta itself had a really really nice crispy exterior that soaked up all that tomato soup goodness with tender pieces of pork and seasoning. i will admit.. this place was pretty pricy. im from LA where mexican food is as cheap as it gets. but i really didn't care this time. WHOA did i just say that?! ;) read more

Great sandwich location. Line can be a bit rough at times but the different tortas provide enough variety. Also the churros are delicious.

This is not your typical Mexican-style food. I was thoroughly impressed by the unique menu. Even though Southern Cali--my hometown-- is also known for good and authentic Mexican food, I would still highly recommend eating at XOCO by Rick Bayless. This place introduced me to a whole new side of Mexican cuisine. The Pork Belly torta was the crowd pleaser, but the green market pozole was my favorite as I have never had anything quite like it. A flavorful green stew containing fresh ingredients creating a taste that's full of body, yet delicate at the same time...It's really hard to describe the taste exactly, but if you have the chance to visit XOCo, you should give it a try. We ended our meal on an even happier note with churros and vanilla ice cream. :) read more

Eh... maybe I expected too much, but this was just fine. Nothing more. It doesn't hold a candle to Nopalito or other San Francisco spots in a similar food vein, but I was so hoping that it would based on my impressions of Rick Bayless. Solid enough chilaquiles, but found the tortillas in the huevos a bit off: bland and didn't seem very fresh based on the texture (though the accompanying sauce was stellar and eggs cooked well). I'd go back for a caldo, since I missed trying that. Breakfast during the week, FYI, has no line, at least that I've seen. read more

My experience at XOCO was just OK...but overall it was WAY overpriced for what it was. The best thing first: We didn't have to wait at all and the manager/line-host was very nice! I got the baja chicken torta, husband got a steak torta, and we got chiccarones to share. We also both got a margarita. in total it was over $55. Seriously?? The chiccarones came out right away. Having just been to Colombia where we slaughtered a pig and made fresh chiccarones over an open fire....These were pretty pitiful in comparison. They tasted like gas station pork rinds with hot sauce and onions (and cilantro, even though I asked them to leave it off). No flavor whatsoever to the chiccarones that didn't have hot sauce on them. Some of the pieces were so hard, they were inedible. My baja chicken torta was good. That's all. It was good. Nothing mind-blowing or even unique...It was just...good. The bread was good, the chicken was good (if maybe a tad under-done) and the sauce was good. It was MUCH smaller than I'd anticipated though, especially for $11! If you're charging $10-15 for a sandwich, I'd hope it would be much bigger than that... My biggest complaint were that the "amazing" margaritas were TINY and also cost $10. The rocks glass is full of ice...I downed mine in less than 10 minutes. I would go along for the ride if someone else was paying, but I don't think I'll electively choose to go to XOCO again. read more

This was my first visit to a Rick Bayless establishment. The sandwiches were very creative. I started off my meal by trying the short-rib chile soup. The soup was tasty and spicy. The portion was enough for me to share with someone else. I had the Ahogada sandwich. The presentation was creative for a casual and fun dining place. The carnitas was soft and tender. We topped everything off with the churros dessert with chocolate dipping sauce. I recommend you telling them to hold off on serving the dessert until your ready. The crispy texture was what I enjoyed the most since it came straight from the kitchen. I recommend coming by for lunch. Beware that the place is small and can be very pack with a long wait. read more

Went here on a Thursday night at 7:45 and had no wait, even though the restaurant was pretty packed! I got the carnitas caldos and for some reason, I glazed over the fact there were serrano chilis in the dish. I can't handle much spiciness to begin with, but man, that first slurp of the soup gave me a coughing attack like never before experienced! I tried to continue enjoying the dish but the heat just overwhelmed me. Happily, the staff were willing to make me another dish without the serrano chilis and it was the perfect hot dish for a cold and windy night. The price was decent - maybe a little on the pricey side for a soup dish of argula, carnitas, and gnocchi-looking things, but I would go back and try something else. read more

The food is phenomenal! Rick Bayless has outdone himself. His spin on a Cuban sandwich was delicious and his homemade chorizo was the right mix of flavor and spice. And the churros...oh my goodness they melted in my mouth! The only reason this isn't a 5 star is the space. You wait in an endless line that's the size of a cramped hallway. Considering the chef has 3 restaurants on one corner you'd think he'd expand but always having a line attracts attention just like if you're at a club. read more

My overall experience of XOCO is that it is just okay. A lot of people like to come here and I've walked by it many times. Finally came here for dinner with the gals, and I left feeling like this place is okay with the feeling that I most likely won't be back. read more

Yum! I love XOCO. The queue is kind of strange, but once you're past that, you're on to deliciousness! I especially love the short rib sammie. read more

Delicious tortas and churros. The chocolate dipping sauce was a little too bitter for me. Smaller portions than what I'm used to (although I guess it's actually a very appropriate amount of food, for the non fatty American, haha). Like people are saying, the whole line/table system's kinda weird but if you order takeout, you can skip to the take out register and bypass all that. read more

The Baja chicken was some of the best I've ever had, and the prices are pretty reasonable relative to the food. Just stay away from the smoky garlic shrimp. read more

I went to Xoco one night after work after hearing a lot of hype over this place. For only being about 5:30pm, the place was already full, so I ordered to-go. I ordered the naked guacamole and the baja chicken torta. The naked guacamole was really good, and the chips were very fresh, but I don't think the portion size was worth $6.50. The baja chicken torta on the other hand was very good, and I would recommend that. I've also had the churros before, which were ah-maze-ing. I'd definitely check this place out, but maybe skip the guac. read more

I came to try their churros. They were good. It wasn't amazing where I would go out of my way for these churros. But if I was wandering in the neighborhood, I might stop by to get some. read more

The menu options are overwhelming as you are pushed along in line but you can't really go wrong with whatever the special is plus churros. We had 9 people but the hostess was easily able to seat us outside and I was impressed at how attentive she was even though this really is a lunch counter type restaurant. This was probably our best value meal in Chicago, top notch chef for a rock bottom price. read more

My friend and I came here for lunch around 1145 and there was a long line so we went to run errands and came back around 1:45; the line was worse. So we decided to get take out. We ordered two woodland mushroom veg. Tortas to go. We asked if we could sub avocados in for cheese BC we weren't going to get cheese but were told it would cost extra. Considering how pricey even their veg. Tortas are, we decided to go without avocados. The tortas were good but not great. Too much bread and not enough filling. For a veg. Torta aka sandwich, there should be more filling to accommodate the lack of meat. In addition, we used so much of their hot sauces BC the torta didn't have much flavor. The size of the torta was too small for an average person and no sides are included. You can always pay $7 more for guac, though ;) read more

2000+ reviews, 4 stars is very impressive and that's what made me HAVE to try this place. The food was good but nothing special but the churros here were excellent. Don't get me wrong we enjoyed the place after all the hassle but again there wasn't anything WOW about the place that would make me want to go back. We had to wait in line to order when we got to the register we weren't able to place our order until a table opened up for us. We were a group of 4 people so we asked how big the guac dip was and if it was enough for 4 people, it took 4 employees to tell us yes it would be enough for 4 people, it wasn't, it was barely enough for 2 people. Overall the food was good but not worth the hassle of parking in downtown, waiting in line and most likely sharing a table with other people you don't know. read more

Followed Yelp to get here for Mexican food. The setup for ordering was confusing: you order your food in line and then get seated with table number. I ordered a carnitas and an Aztec chocolate drink. Their carnitas soup was AMAZING!!!! There was not much meat, but the broth was sooooo flavorful and went very well with the arugula. The meat was tender and juicy, but the broth has to be the star of the dish. I sipped every last drop. The Aztec chocolatge drink was ground chocolate in water and allspice. It was a bit strong for me, but there is something about chocolate that keep me sipping more despite its bitterness. I heard their churros are good, too, but I will try it next time. Pricewise is fairly reasonable. read more

First thing in the morning after a walk around downtown. I ordered the chorizo egg torta and chocolate cafe con leche. It's hard for me to dislike any breakfast sandwich/torta so I enjoyed that part. Ingredients were top notch and it was worth the price of admission. Like other people, I was surprised at how rich the hot chocolate was. Because of this hot chocolate, every hot chocolate I order or make now feels watered down! Churro and ice cream in the morning, why not? Enjoyed everything I had there, will come back on my next Chicago trip. read more

Get the shortrib torta (thursday night special) and the baja chicken. The warm gooey churros are amazing. I recently went to a tour of Rick Bayless' garden where we learned about growing, garden maintenance and sustainability. Eating at his restaurant after that, I paid more attention to the ingredients. Everything is so fresh and flavorful. Each of the salsas were delicious and even the greens on my torta were tasty. Only complaint is that its a "fast casual" restaurant, except its not fast because its always packed and you wait forever in line. Also took long to get the food. read more

Yum! Definitely order a torta. They are pretty much all excellent. I don't even know what is on the rest of the menu. If you don't want to wait, carry out. You can order ahead and go pick it up fresh. Skip the guacamole. Not that good and a sandwich is plenty filling. If you like thick and really rich, try the hot chocolate. They are closed Sunday and Monday. This is one of the few places I go back to again and again. read more

Been there twice. First time had the Ahogada and amazing hot chocolate, and the second time had the cochinita pibil. The ahogada was great, though I expected more beans on the torta. The habanero sauce for the cochinita pibil is not for the faint of heart. It had a great flavor, but intense heat. Loved seeing Rick Bayless walking through his kitchen. Not your typical tortas and all the better for it! read more

Delicious churros!! Tried pistachio (divine) and original with chocolate shot (to die for). I constantly have the cravings for their churros! Food, in my opinion, was good but wasn't much impressed. read more

The BEST Mexican torta I've ever had hands down. Flavors were on point and it was so toasty oozing with cheese. Also you HAVE to try their signature margarita. Not too strong but perfectly balanced. One of my favorite spots in Chicago for Mexican cuisine! read more

This was actually my 2nd time at Xoco, but it's been at least 5 years since my last visit. Noticeable changes were the lack of the ham torta with fried egg and hot chocolate made with almond milk. I was definitely bummed to see these gone, but that said, I still had a great lunch. While expensive, the bare naked guacamole was very good, perfectly seasoned and served with fresh, crisp chips. The pepito and Cochinita pibil tortas were delicious, and even better with a little guac. Also heard rave reviews about the special Tuesday carne asada torta from others at my table. Of course, you can't come to Xoco without having their famous hot chocolate and churros, so I ordered just that. I prefer the hot chocolate with milk because it's so much richer than with water. The hot chocolate really is some of the best you will ever find, it's incredibly strong and rich. Still upset they don't make it with almond milk anymore though. And the churros are just as good as I remember, crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, right amount of cinnamon sugar. Perfect piece of fried dough. Overall, Xoco is a classic. It will forever remain a go-to breakfast and lunch stop and rightfully so. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu and I wouldn't mind coming everyday to enjoy a nice hot chocolate or coffee and fresh hot churro or torta. read more

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Pretty decent. I had two churros and a strawberry ice cream. It was really decent for a little snack, but the side of ice cream was in the smallest container possible. The kind of containers that a side order of ranch comes in at most establishments. I will be back here for a meal. read more

My favorite place for Mexican food in Chicago. Very interesting dishes implementing Aztec culture. My favorite sandwich is the Ahogada, a pork carnitas sandwich served in a bowl with spicy tomato sauce. Delicious! The cuban is also pretty good. It's a quick service restaurant, so you're given a table number while standing in line. Once you place your order, you can sit at the designated table and wait for your food. I've been here twice and will be back to try other dishes. read more

Xoco is one of my favorite spots in the city! I've never ordered anything that wasn't absolutely fantastic, but specifically the Ahogada and Pepito Tortas are so amazing. The bread is baked in-house in a wood fire oven and you will have quite a challenge trying to find better bread anywhere else! Get a pistachio churro!! You won't regret it! read more

I got a take-out order of churros & chocolate and it was perfect. The pieces of churro were packaged nicely with the chocolate sauce in a small container. The churros weren't greasy, and the chocolate wasn't dry. It is perfect for dessert! read more

Mmmm the chicken tortas are delicious. Churros with chocolate sauce are life. Don't skip them!!!

I was very excited to see that Xoco was right around the corner from my hotel. I arrived around noon and had the Friday special, which is a chipotle shrimp torta, and a pineapple and orange agua. I waited roughly 20 minutes for the torta and it was delicious. The shrimp was a good 're tire, not tough. The green salsa that came on the side was really good too- spicy and fresh. I would eat here a lot if I worked in the area! One star off for a confusing system...you get in line and order at the counter. An employee comes over as you are in line and he tells you the table number of your assigned table. After you order, you go find your table, unless you can flag someone down to show you where it is. read more

What's not to love about xoco. I make it a point to come here Everytime I'm in Chicago. The service is super friendly and welcoming. The Thursday short rib with cactus is amazing. You can never go wrong with their guac. I'll stop here again next time in town for sure. read more

I'm from out of town, walked in at 10:30 and they told us they are no longer serving breakfast. Very disappointing. The "cafe de holla" taste nothing like a Mexican coffee. No flavor and not authentic like they made it seem. The tortas were okay flavored but Milanese chicken was a little on the dry side. read more

Nothing special ate here with a friend I had the Tuesday special and it was ok. My friend got a chicken dish that was not good and she got her money back. The churro was good and the hot chocolate was good but I still think Mindy's hot chocolate is better. I was hoping for better since this is a Rick bayliss place and the reviews were positive but the food did not live up to the hype. read more

Loved it! The Saturday special goat was really good and a huge portion! The blood orange margarita was amazing! Loved the churros and the tropical layer cake! The loaded guac was different but good. Didn't care as much for the citrus tart, would skip it next time! Would definitely go again! read more

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