Don Rafa Restaurant

This place wasn’t good at all. The rice and beans were bland and the steak in my steak taco was all gristle. Really bad steak quality! I spit out more than I ate! I will definetly not be back and don’t recommend you go there either! Joliet is full of good mexican places, so don’t waste your time here!

Food was good. Friendly server. Chips a bit too salty for my taste. Guac not bad, strong lime. Had burrito. Chicken was really good. Not dried out like many other Mexican places. Wife had enchiladas with green sauce, liked them a lot. Horchata was excellent. We’ll come back. Good job Don Rafa.

Small place but the staff is extra friendly. Got some carnitas and menudo to-​go on Saturday. The food was excellent so I took a coworker (since I wanted his opinion being that he’s Mexican and he recommended Sabas Vega) the following Wednesday and he said the food was legit. I’d recommend.

I guess Carnitas Don Pedro on 18^th street really spoiled me because I find it hard to find a better place. They were very heavy on the stomach, they tasted like old lard, the portions were small for the price (including drinks; all ice). Their other meat selections faired no better. They also screwed up my order. I wanted to like them since they are the closest thing to home now. I will try them once more to see if I just got them on a bad day. I will say that the staff was nice & their salsas were very very tasty.

Carnitas Don Rafa on Plainfield Rd is the best in town. The menudo on the weekends is amazing and the carnitas are my favorite. The Nopales and Chilaquiles Don Rafa are a must try. The service is so friendly and welcoming, which is very hard to find in this city. Whenever we come in to dine there is a young lady who is the first to greet us. She is tall and wears glasses. She makes us feel like we are family. I didn’t catch her name but she is doing a great job. No matter how busy the restaurant is, whether we are dining in or getting to go she always makes sure to say hello and touch base with us. And to top it all off, their Micheladas are delicious! Carnitas Don Rafa is a great place to take the family!

Dined in last night and it was so not what I expected. I gave it the extra star only because the one taco I ate was great but otherwise here it goes– I waited at least 5 minutes before someone even walks over with menus. The girl may have been new but seemed totally awkward and not very knowledgeable of the menu. They tell us we’ll get chips soon– I really wish we hadn’t gotten them. The chips tasted like bad stale oil– rancid and gross. I ordered the combination of one enchilada (it was ok) a quesadilla (my 6 year old could’ve made soemthing better with more cheese and bigger tortilla), and the pastor taco which was the only palatable part of my dish. The rice tasted pre-​made and old. The beans were canned for sure. Maybe their carnitas (which I did not try) are the reason this place still operates.

Food is absolutely delicious and at a great price as well!!! One of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Joliet. The service is good, food is great, and price is even better. Great place to get breakfast lunch or dinner.

This is probably my absolute favorite place to eat near Joliet. The price is a little more than other places but you more than get your money’s worth. Portion sizes are great, staff is friendly. I stopped in on a crazy Sunday and they were behind on busing tables and I didn’t end up staying but I still love this place. Will be back!!!

FANTASTIC!!! The Carnitas here are SO good. Most authentic flavor in the area. The staff is friendly and the portions are fair. Once i tried the «sample» (which was very generous) i didnt need to order anything else. The Carnitas are great by themselves but Don Raffas provides a Red & Green Salsa that compliments the Carnitas too the fullest. I highly recommend this place. I will definately make the trip… at least once a week! Cant wait to try the tamales… only on Sundays :(but im sure its worth the wait!

The food is very authentic Mexican food. The portions are large for the price. Pork is their specialty. I’m glad I found this place.

How can you pass up a place called Carnitas?
2224 Plainfield Rd.
Crest Hill, IL impression: the website was pretty sophisticated and the menu looked great. Walking in, I was surprised that it had a bare-​bones fast food feel to it, not that’s a bad thing.
Upon sitting you get a carnitas and barbacoa sample which is a nice touch. Online, I was impressed by their beer/​drink menu. Unfortunately, for reasons I still don’t comprehend, they don’t have a current liquor license.
Most of our party of seven ordered carnitas. They were excellent. I ordered Carne en su jugo soup which didn’t come out until most of our party had almost finished their menu. I was on the verge of canceling the order. But it was worth the wait, rivaling the excellent same dish at Cenchos’s in Homer Glen.
On a Sunday evening, they were very understaffed and accounted for a number of ordering errors. But these are small issues.
I can highly recommend their food. Oh yeah, their salsa verde had a great kick to it. Not too much or too little.
Worth the trip. Authentic… and that’s hard to find.

The service is great here. They give you samples of carnita as you wait in line for your to go order. The restaurant is small, but it is cozy. Everyone is there to enjoy a good Sunday Mexican lunch.
Their catering is a bit difficult to deal with since only one person is in charge if it. Prices and portion sizes are difficult to pun down, but the food is great.

Very good! Great service! Clean!
Carnitas were amazing, great beer selection. Friendly staff! I recommend

I love this spot. Carnitas are great. If you don’t want fat then ask for the non crispy. Barbacoa is perfect, cactus salad is spot on. The service is also great. Perhaps the reviewer that had to wait went there on an off day? I’ve tried almost everything and have never had a bad meal.

The food is always delicious and the waitresses are always great. Friendly atmosphere and prices are in range with most every Mexican restaurant I’ve been to. My dad always said you can tell if a Mexican restaurant is good by its beans & their beans are fantastic. Highly recommend!

I have been coming here a couple times a month since they have opened. The last few visits have been rather disappointing. I was not happy with the tacos and the carnitas had way way way too much fat on them. It’s a shame because they used to be delicious. This place has gone downhill. If you want great Mexican food try Yolis on Broadway.

Sad to say my last experience here was horrible. The server was never around and the food was bland. We ordered a cheese dip for the chips and it was a greasy mess, posting a picture and it cost us $ 8! You can see for yourself how bad it was. I will say the carnitas were still the best item this place has to offer. Even the salsa was not like I remembered. Two stars for the carnitas.

Great carnitas. Servers very accommodating. Authentic Mexican food.

4.5 stars
Chicken enchiladas were ok, not bad, just the texture was rather soggy we’ll say. Fared better with the al pastor burrito was it was big and quite filling. The pork tasted amazing as it was marinated. Also tried my buddy’s Caldo de Res (beef soup) and I just love how the broth tasted, especially when you add in the diced onions, cilantro, and lime juice.

Wow, this is the best Mexican food we’ve ever had so close to our house! You may not have noticed this place since the location it’s sitting in has changed businesses a few times in the last few years.
When we walked in we couldn’t believe the décor. This place is truly beautiful, warm, and inviting. It’s not loud or tacky. The managers and servers here are always polite and check back often to make sure you have everything you need.
Obviously I highly recommend the Carnitas! and and all versions of them. They are slow cooked in oil so their flavor is rich and melts in your mouth. They have the slightest bit of crunch making the texture an experience of it’s own. We’ve also tried the carne asada here which, like the carnitas, melts in your mouth. My mouth is watering just trying to relive the experience while writing about it.
They start you off with chips and salsa. The salsa has a seriously spicy kick! So beware if you don’t love spicyspicy food. I personally love the no-​apologies spiciness of the salsas here.
All the appetizers are great as well. I recommend getting the Chicharrones from here if you like pork rinds… maybe grab some to take home for the game too!