Flamingo Restaurant and Ice Cream

Was curious about this place so I asked around and read the reviews and I’m glad I tried! Got myself the baby steak burrito (thanks for the heads up on the size, Unilocalers) and the horchata. The food was amazing and authentic most definitely. Had good flavor and put some salsa verde to top it off. As for my horchata, I’ve had better. Will definitely be back for more!

This is DeKalb’s best little secret! Great authentic Mexican food, reasonable prices and willing to customize however you’d like your dishes prepared. There isn’t anything on the menu that we haven’t liked and I have very picky kids. Tacos (corn or flour) made to order, enchiladas with three different sauces to choose from (can be spicy), the burritos are huge, and the fajitas all good. Four homemade sauces for your free chips — ask for the bigger bottles to use. The owners are bilingual and make this kitschy counter-​service restaurant fun. The ice cream and desserts are good too, especially the homemade flan. Glad to have a place like this as a go-​to when the cravings hit. Only bad thing is wifi is lacking — have to pay the NB&T bank for more than 20 minutes of internet if you plan to use your device to surf.

If you want real «South» of border food, this is it. The taste I’ve had in Mexico is here. Deserts are tasty also.
Inside a bank, odd, but who cares. Everything is great especially the pastor, and did mention the deserts.

The worst service I’ve ever had, I order steak taco’s with cilantro and cheese only and I get lettuce and cheese. Not once, not twice today was the third time.

I seriously have no idea what the few complaints are about. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion because every experience is different but I have always had amazing food and great service here. I order from here as much as 4 times a month. Their steak is perfectly seasoned and just down right amazing! My boyfriend and I always get steak tacos and a torta. Half the time they give out a coupon for 4 tacos get the 5^th one free. Great deal! If you order in and go pick it up too soon they give you free chips and salsa. What better thing to do than eat while you wait? My boyfriend is 100% Mexican so we are spoiled when his mother cooks for us. We also know what real Mexican food tastes like. This is our go to take out food in general!!! Oh and the ice cream is to die for!!!

This place is hit or miss… I have ordered from there a few times… Sometimes it’s really good and other times it’s just average.

Interesting counter service restaurant that’s a mix of ice cream and Mexican food. Free chips and sauces — four different ones to add to your chips or meal. Make sure to ask if you don’t get them and only get the small cup of salsa with your chips.
I had the carne asada tacos and enjoyed them, but a little fatty. Kids loved the quesadilla kids meal and the waffle cones of superman ice cream :).
I’d stop again if in dekalb.

Surprisingly my daughter suggested this place when she was playing around on her phone and it came up as a nearby food spot.
The food was pretty good for a little dive like place with a bank weirdly located inside.
Not too bad.

Two words. Breaded steak.
Interesting building, imagine a baskin robbins, Taco Bell, and bank all smashed together. They somehow make it work without feeling out of place.
Limited seating and parking, but don’t let that deter you. Beef taco was excellent, and I will go back again and again for breaded steak tacos. Chips and salsa were lackluster, but I will return.

DEEEEElicious. Love this place. My office almost goes every week. Great food!

I’ve been here a few times, always for the breaded steak baby burrito. It’s a meal. The layout of the restaurant is a little weird — sharing space with a bank lobby. But the food and service are both good and there is a great variety of ice cream for dessert.

I have seen this place hundreds of times on my way to and from work but never realized what it was. I had lunch there yesterday and WOW! Service was great! Food was AWESOME! Will definitely be back!

This seems like a small shabby restaraunt on the outside (not sure if this is because of the location) but the inside is really fresh and inviting. A major plus this place has over similiar places in Dekalb is the menu. It explains what everything is next to the name on the menu for the confused people like me who don’t regularly eat authentic Mexican cuisine. Another plus is this place is two in one (actually three in one if you include the bank). They serve food and dessert with a lot of different choices of ice cream.
I ordered the steak tacos on corn tortilla and they were outstanding. I also ordered some dessert which was Mangonada (mango ice cream with chili sauce and power topping it), also outstanding.
My expectations were blown away at how clean and inviting the atmosphere was inside and the food was absolutely awesome. By far the best authentic taco in dekalb.
I will be back, soon.

If you are looking for fast food Mexican in the DeKalb area, this is the best! I’ve lived in the DeKalb area for 30 years and tried every Mexican place, old and new. This one is my top choice if I’m looking for a quick Mexican fix. The tacos are my favorite, but really everything I have tried here has been good. You would never guess it by the look of the outside and inside (pretty comical really), but this place is definitely worth going to.

Dekalb needed a place like this! Delicious, made to order food.
Cheap tasty authentic Mexican food.

Flamingo is THE TRUTH. My girlfriend and I went in with pretty low expectations — I mean, we’re in Dekalb, there’s a bank inside, and they seem to be advertising their ice cream more than their Mexican food. However, after eating lunch there yesterday, I can confirm that Flamingo competes with just about any Mexican restaurant I’ve been to in the city.
We started with the complimentary chips and salsa. (well, probably more sauce than salsa) The chips were great, and the sauces were also very good.
I had a steak torta, which was fantastic. The steak was flavorful, and the lettuce and tomato was fresh. The sandwich was plenty for me, and I’ve been known to pack away large helpings of food in one sitting.
My girlfriend got three tacos, and I tried them all. The first thing I noticed was how delicious the tortillas were. I’m guessing they’re made in house, but even if they’re made offsite, they’re some of the best I’ve had. The chicken was very good, the steak was obviously enjoyable, but the pastor was the clear winner. I now understand why so many reviews mention it.
So yeah, take it from this city-​dwelling Mexican food snob — Flamingo is well worth the trip.

I have loved everything I have had here so far. Each dish seems to get better and better. LImited seating and having a bank inside is a little strange, but don’t let that fool you… the food is delicious. Definitely call ahead and order if you’re planning on doing take-​out. They make it fresh right there so the wait can be a little long during peak hours, but that’s because you’re paying for quality :)

While out of town for work, this small neighborhood eatery gave a great sense of good food to a small little community.
Delicious tacos.
De-​lish-​us ice cream. I ordered the coconut flavor.
ALSO, a very Mexican throw-​back, elote (corn on the cob or in the cup, seasoned with parm. cheese, hot chili powder, butter, and mayo).
Yes, go here if you are passing through.
I’m sure to visit again before I leave home, just for the ice cream, if nothing else! Yum.

I’m ashamed and a little frightened… This is an old local grocery store that has been thru some changes. They have made this into a nice Mexican restaurant /​ice cream joint. Ive seen the sign for quite awhile (I drive past it everyday) but never stopped in until the other night, on my gf’s suggestion. That’s the part that I’m ashamed of.
It’s clean, comfortable, and the best part is that the food is great. It may well be the best Mexican in the Dekalb/​Sycamore area. I had a taco (pastor) and a tamle (pork), and they rocked. GF had a baby burrito, and I might have had a bite or two of that as well. Well, she still had enough for lunch the next day.
This is not a fancy white table cloth place, but it is worth the trip. The part that frightens me is this place is an easy walk from my house. Mmmm tacos and ice cream.

My husband and I have visited the Flamingo 4 or 5 times for lunch and have had a positive experience each time. After reading the other reviews, I realized that I don’t even notice the kitschy flamingos any more but simply take the place for what it is – a friendly family business with a large menu of tasty tortas, sopes, quesadillas, tacos, and much more. I asked about the squash blossom filling and was surprised by a complimentary sample with my meal. I will definitely order one or two on my next visit. Although they aren’t quite Rubi’s at Maxwell St. in Chicago, they were very flavorful. Yes, they are all a bit slimy, but that is natural.
The basket of chips and salsa comes free of charge and helps with the wait since everything is cooked to order. I also enjoyed having three tasty sauces in squeeze bottles to enhance whatever we have ordered. My husband is stuck on the torta (pastor, generally) onto which he squeezes a large dollop of guacamole/​crema sauce, and I tend to repeat my order of lengua (tongue) tacos since they are not offered in the sit-​down places around town, but I am determined to branch out next time with a huarache.
Prices are reasonable and the behind-​the-​counter service (from owners?) is very friendly and helpful. It’s so good to have more authentic-​tasting foods available so close to home. I hope that their business thrives and grows, and I wish them well in DeKalb.