Cantina Laredo

Went for weekday lunch. It’s a very nice space, I got the fish and shrimp tacos which were tasty.

Such a great place for Mexican food. Huge restaurant and delicious food and drinks. I odered the chicken tacos and a Margarita. Both were very tasty and I was happy with the order. Would definitely return.

Half of our food was awesome, fish of the day was over cooked. Ahi tacos were delicious, as well as the chicken poblano dish

Went to dinner at 8 and this place was slammed. We started off with cocktails and I especially enjoyed their jalapeño margaritas. Also I ordered the shrimp fajita and it is was awesome however for 22 dollars I expected more food. Overall, I would come back to this place to try the tacos because my friends ordered them and they stated they tasted great!

Ruined date night ! So let me start by saying that I have been to this Cantina Laredo several times and I have never had such a terrible experience. It started going down hill from the moment we pulled up to the curb at valet. The valet made eye contact with us and then went back to counting his tips for 3 – 4 Minutes before we talked down the window and asked if he could take the car. He responded by holding up a «wait a minute «finger. He finally comes over and then rudely asks «do you have a reservation? «to which we replied yes. He then says «we have a three hour maximum «as though he expected us to say never mind and leave.
It’s about 8:20, we go in and state our name and advise the hostess that we have an 8:45 reservation. We were told to «check back closer to 8:45», huh? How about you come over and get us when our table was ready. My bf goes to the bar to get us a drink. I got the Delicioso and it was great. He got the Cinco Rita and said it was really good. By this time he goes over and asks about our table. They say it’s ready. We are seated. We order the table side guacamole and as usual it’s really good. We order our entrée. I had been so excited for my fav.. Rellenos de Camerones. I can’t remember the actual name of his dish but it was steak with poblano pepper and shrimp which he ordered medium. 35 minutes later our food came out and I knew upon site it was not right. My meal had dried rice, the poblano was overcooked and did not have the normal sauce in the dish. His steak was well done.
Lastly we waited 35 additional minutes for our car from valet.
Overall it was just a stressful, uncomfortable night.

I had a really great first time visit for dinner on a Friday night. The décor of the place is actually pretty cool and very modern. We started with large, strong, reasonably priced margaritas (get it frozen) and then split a chicken fajita entrée which was tasty and easily enough food for two.
Overall, Cantina Laredo is a fun Mexican spot with good food and drinks that won’t break the bank.

It’s a huge, beautiful space. The upstairs bar, with its floor to ceiling windows and large fireplace, is the perfect place to enjoy some pre-​dinner margaritas and tableside chips and guacamole. Unfortunately, it took the server almost 20 minutes to acknowledge our table. And then another 10 to bring the drinks and the cart to make our guacamole. Once we finally did get our guac, we asked for it to be «a very mild medium». Somehow this still gave us full chunks of jalapeño, resulting in a very hot «medium». I was not impressed. Then we moved on to dinner.
Dinner was phenomenal. My friend and I wanted to try everything and we loved everything we had. Ahi Tuna Tacos, the Cascabel Ribeye, the Tacos de Pescado and the bacon-​wrapped shrimp. Every single bite was delectable. You must order these things and share them… or don’t. They are as good as any high end place in Mexcio. Slightly more expensive, but at least you don’t have to book a flight and a hotel to eat there.

Four stars for service and food mixed. Doing this from my phone so it isn’t easy to type a bunch. Portions were decent, food was delicious, our waitress was Ariel and she was great! Two thumbs up. Not the best Mexican food I’ve ever had as the fish tacos in my own small hometown are better which is why I didn’t give this place 5 stars, but they were still good. The chipotle aioli that comes on them is amazing. Other than that, passion fruit margaritas were ON POINT. Inside is trendy and very clean. What a great experience, will definitely be back.

I didn’t realize this was a chain restaurant until the second time I made it in. The ambiance and décor is so trendy and chic inside, you don’t really think of it as a chain. The service and food, in my opinion, far surpass some other mexican chains out there! My first visit was with my parents for my stepdad’s birthday and the second was for an early dinner with some friends prior to a Christmas party. Both times, the drinks and food were on point, along with the service!
The tableside guacamole is a must-​have! Each table has avocados and limes in a bowl and the first thing you get asked is if you want it! If so, eventually a cart will roll to your table and you’ll be asked what spice level! We asked for medium the first time and there were a TON of fresh jalapeño chunks (this particular woman made her entire guac very chunky, including the avocado pieces), and it was a bit too spicy. The second time, I asked for something in between mild and medium and it was perfect! Their chips are light and airy and delicious! They serve two salsas, a cold milder one that is incredibly tasty and a warm spicier one, that is also very flavorful. I like to mix some of the spicier one into the mild to blend the flavors!
The drinks are wonderful. I’ve had the casa rita and the cabo flip (extra tequila shot in a lime boat) and my fave is the cabo flip! As far as food goes, I’ve tried the enchiladas de espinaca (spinach and mushrooms with a poblano sauce) and the enchiladas de avocado (avocado and artichokes with a tomatillo sauce). The poblano sauce is insanely tasty! The tomatillo is great too, has a kick to it. I’ve had a taste of the enchiladas vera cruz and those are really good too! All of these came with rice (really good!) and grilled zucchini.
When we went for my stepdad’s birthday, they brought out a chocolate cake/​brownie with a sparkling candle on it — gorgeous presentation. I’ve also had the churros and am a big fan!
The service has been great! I was very impressed the first time — the place was packed and our server was wonderful — attentive, funny, friendly, and great! We had a great experience! The second time was the same — wonderful service! — they weren’t as busy.
Overall, I am a huge fan! With this being around the corner from my apartment, I will definitely continue coming back! I heard their happy hour is great for margs, so I’ll have to check that out! I’ve also heard from some friends that they’re great for groups — so I’ll keep it in mind for a birthday dinner or something!

Fantastic spot for happy hour!
Until 630pm, enjoy half off traditional margaritas and all food items on the menu! I enjoyed the stylish atmosphere and fresh, modern take on Mexican cuisine. The tableside Guacamole was a great accompaniment for my margarita and I enjoyed a large chicken quesadilla for my main dish. Great for singles at the bar and small groups on the cushy lounge chairs. A great evening, all for under $ 20.

Cantina Laredo is a higher-​end Mexican restaurant and every time we walked by, there was a crowd. The bar is sleek and very modern and you can start there with some drinks and then make your way to table. We were in a larger group of about 12 and were able to used opentable to secure a table. The chips and salsa were tasty and the spicier salsa is yummy. We also shared guacamole and ceviche and they were all fresh and perfect for sharing. I ordered the shrimp fajitas and they were just too spicy for my liking. Our server took great care of us and I highly recommend the margarita and mojito drinks. All of them were freshly made and there was plenty of variety between sweet and salty.

I’m writing this review as we’ve now been seated at another Mexican restaurant about two blocks away, named Su Casa.
Why the switch from Cantina Laredo after checking in there about 15 minutes ago? We’ll, let’s recap:
1. The three of us sat at the bar, but no one came around for 10 minutes.
2. When Daniel, the bartender, finally made his way to us, he plopped three menus in front of us, as if he were dealing cards at a Las Vegas casino.
3. To make things worse, instead of actually greeting us, he walked away, dealing out more menus to the people down the bar, never saying a word to anyone.
4. When it became apparent that we weren’t going to be served anytime soon, we got up and left. I don’t think Daniel even noticed.
I’m a long-​time fan of Cantina Laredo locations based on visits in Austin and Dallas, but for the Chicago location to just outright ignore its guests is unforgivable. A cool modern space doesn’t make up for bad customer service, especially in a town where there are food options a-​plenty. After today’s experience, Cantina Laredo Chicago’s now a contender for my Worst of 2015 award.

We stopped into Cantina Loredo for an early dinner on a Saturday and had an enjoyable meal.
Décor: Both outside and in, this is a very nice place. From the outside you don’t even think that it is a restaurant, it looks like some kind of cool new modern store (or something). On the inside, it still has a bit of the same store feel until you notice all the tables and the three-​sided bar. Everything is immaculately clean and, despite all the stone, it has a very warm feel (helped along by the fire place). There also appeared to be some outdoor seating, perhaps they even open the «windows/​walls» when it’s nice out. I’ve been a fan of Cantina Loredo since my first encounter with it in Fort Worth, TX but I will have to say that this is the nicest location I’ve been to thus far.
Bathroom: much like the rest of the place, nice, clean and inviting.
Staff: Our waiter was very nice and very friendly without being over the top. He answered questions, took our orders, and was not pushy at all. He also was available when we needed anything and he kept our water glasses nicely filled.
Food: We didn’t have any drinks but we did start out with the homemade, table-​side-​made guacamole. Wow, it was outstanding! Next we moved onto our meals of Ceviche (very tasty with A LOT of lime), Guiso de Pollo (also very tasty and flavorful), and tacos (yum). All the portions (of the entrees) were decent-​sized and everything came out hot and tasted fresh.
Value: As I said, this is a nice place. However, the prices are not out of this world expensive. There is a bit of a premium paid but, as I always say, you get what you pay for.
As I fully disclosed, I’ve been a CT fan for a long time and, after this meal, will continue to be one into the future. I can’t wait to return!

Good, but definitely not my favorite spot for authentic Mexican.
I tried this for lunch today and wasn’t overly impressed. The service wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. A little slow, not that friendly.
I ordered 3 tacos, mahi mahi, pork and fajita beef. They all had good flavor but we’re difficult to eat and a little too chewy. I enjoy that they let you mix and match! The rice and beans were pretty standard-​nothing to write home about. With an iced tea it was around $ 20 without tip-​standard lunch in downtown.
I don’t think I wouldn’t come back here, it just wouldn’t be my first choice with so many other great Mexican choices!

This seriously may be my favorite downtown restaurant and I don’t even love Mexican food all that much!
But I do love the ambiance– their menu is fantastic and they have some really unique items such as the bacon wrapped jalapeño stuffed shrimp if I remember correctly, plus table side guacamole. Plus the ambiance just feels so swanky! you just sink into the booths and settle in with a tequila fused cocktail and omg I could probably make this my whole night. If you have a larger group– ask to be seated in the semi private dining area upstairs. Great view of city at night from the floor to ceiling Windows. Truly a great space and excellent food.

I should preface this review by saying I am not one of these people that go around asking myself «where can i go eat and drink and then give people a hard time about a sub par experience» I look for good experiences.
Me and my friend were at the bar on Friday night and we took 2 seats at the bar. Now I thought that the bar was kind of dirty at least the space we wanted to sit at. It had some type of green residue possibly some chimichurri or light green looking substance that was lighgtly stained.
I told the staff I was going to sit there and I waited 15 minutes for someone to come and tell us we could order over there. Upon further clarification it looked like the chimichuri stains had been there for a few days and the place smelled like a cross between a dirty mop and guac. But I like guac so I stayed.
I got some guac and then the skirt steak. The waitstress/​bartender asked us what we wanted but in a tone that was not entirely positive. The meal was ok.
I think either the place has seen better days or a bad few days but maybe when cleaning the place all the lights can be turned on to see if maybe a spot has been missing in the clean up efforts… like the bar :)
Since I am not a shit head, I will come back like in a month to see if it has improved because I realy do like the place and think it can do much better

the food overall is very average
the sangaria is good, not too sweet and just enough flavour
the highlight is the tableside guac, it is made right in front of you and tastes quite flavourful

This restaurant was right across from my hotel and we decided to check it out. Beautiful inside and friendly attentive staff. We ordered a side of guacamole which they make right at the table — delicious! Let’s talk about the divine tortilla chips — warm and just the right amount of salt paired with two tasty salsas I was obsessed with the darker coloured salsa and had a hard time stopping dipping !! This was just for lunch and as I was going out later for deep dish pizza i didn’t want to eat too heavy so I just got a bowl of chicken tortilla soup really good !! Our waiter was great and checked on us during our meal and brought the bill promptly. My friends also enjoyed their meals. Lovely clean bathrooms too. I highly recommend it ps they have a great bar and drink selection too !!

This place shines for its ambiance and décor, but food not so much. It’s a reasonable choice for date night, especially if your date likes Mexican. The music is lively and the service is reasonable, not super quick but if you’re having a great conversation, then it’s perfect. It’s loud, but not too loud where you have to shout to hear the person opposite you. They give you complementary chips and salsa; our chips were warm and fresh and I enjoyed the salsa. There’s an extensive drink menu and their dinner menu also covers all the bases.
We got barbacoa enchilada and carnitas tacos. I preferred the carnitas; the barbacoa erred on the salty side. The green beans that came with the enchilada tasted like cafeteria food and the rice was also sub-​par. Overall, I was not impressed with either dish. I’ve had way better Mexican food at a cheaper price point.
But I still had a great time :)

The ambiance and drinks alone will have me coming back to Cantina Loredo!
I came here for dinner on a Friday night with a group of 11 girls. The company was fab so we were bound to have a great time regardless, but the fancy drinks and delicious food helped :)
We had a reservation and were sat upstairs at a big table near the bar. It seemed pretty busy so I’d assume a rezzy is the way to go for dinner!
We started with a couple orders of their top shelf guacamole made table side. One was made mild and one spicy. The guacamole was definitely fresh and tasty, but for someone who likes spicy food I didn’t think the one batch had enough kick.
Speaking of kicks, I’ve been on a minty drink kick lately, so I ordered their Ginger Mint Mango Rita (Milagro Silver Tequila, fresh lime juice, mint leaves and mango purée topped with ginger beer). I thought this was a refreshing and fun take on your classic margarita! It was really good.
For my second cocktail (of course there are seconds on ladies night), I went with the Cabo Flip which was a suggestion from our server. He said it was the smoothest marg he’s ever had. Sounded good to me so I got it. This lovely beverage is a fresh lime margarita made with Cabo Wabo Reposado and Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur with a lime boat full of tequila. You read correctly. A lime boat. Full. Of. Tequila.
It was so yummy! Again, super refreshing and even fun to flip that little tequila lime shot over in your cocktail.
With all this boozin we of course needed dinner. I haven’t had barbakoa for quite some time, so the Enchiladas De Barbacoa caught my eye. These slow-​roasted brisket and monterey jack cheese enchiladas topped with ranchera sauce made me not regret my decision that’s for sure.
I was pretty full from all the chips and guacamole I had prior to our meal, but of course I powered thru. Now for someone who’s tasted a lot of really authentic Mexican food I have to say, this wasn’t a five star food experience for me. Don’t get me wrong it was good and I’ll most likely be back to explore the rest of the menu, just not the best Mexican I’ve ever had. 4 stars though.
All in all this was an awesome place to come with a group. Our server was attentive and hilarious which made everything that much more fun. If you haven’t been yet, definitely check out Cantina Loredo!

Third day visiting Chicago for my wife and I. After initial steakhouse and Italian dinners, we felt like trying out mexican cuisine. Truth be told, our initial Unilocal selection was the Frontera Grill, Cantina Laredo being our backup plan. We had been told you needed to reserve way in advance for Frontera’s. We took a chance, saw the mile long waiting line then went on our way to Cantina Laredo. Although we can’t compare, we sure weren’t disappointed. We had a wonderful evening at Cantina Laredo.
We were first quite impressed by the modern setting as depicted by the Unilocal pictures. Even more impressed when seated next to an impressive fireplace, which was most welcomed after a 20 minute walk on a chilly Chicago evening.
The staff was most courteous and knowledgable. For starters, my wife and I enjoyed excellent margaritas as well as fresh guacamole prepared at our table to our liking. For the main course, I enjoyed the fajitas while my wife had the enchiladas. The main course was as expected, not spectacular, but good. We ended our meal by sharing a delicious brownie topped with ice cream and dipped in boiling butter, very rich, but extremely good. :)
Aside from the noisy ambiance (a lot of large groups), we had an excellent evening and would surely return.