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Frontera Grill Chicago Reviews
Service is pretty strange.
They'll clear your table of all utensils so your dinner gets delivered as you just watch it cool, and again they'll deliver boxes for leftovers while removing all utensils. If you set them far aside, they'll reach over you and take.
One of the best Mexican food we have had in Chicago.
Rick Bayless is truly a Top Chef. First time visiting and we were blown away by the complex flavors and the attention to details in the dishes. We had the queso fundido with their house made tortilla. It was melt in your mouth good. The 2 salsas wer
Solid four star place.
Food was good and so were drinks. Get the tacos and ceviche. Pear cake dessert was great. Only negatives are the place is a bit run down after all these years and tables are tightly packed.
Overall a fun restaurant, great atmosphere and good service
Overall a fun restaurant, great atmosphere and good service with very mediocre food. Our guacamole tasted like older avocados used (dark and lacking flavor), cocktails ok, not great and food very bland. Was disappointed in the lack of flavor and spic
I came here with my parents when we were visiting Chicago.
We came during lunch and they had a special that I took advantage of. The ceviche was awesome and my parents both really loved their entrees. I had the fish tacos and the fish felt kind of heavy and lacked flavor. The dessert was good! Our service wa
Repeat visit on Dia de Muerta
Fan of Rick Bayless on PBS. Food is authentic Mexican, locally sourced ingredients, seasoned well but more warm, smoky flavors than water-chugging heat. Order the guacamole. The chips are sturdy and not overly salted. Out table ordered the steak
This is wonderful Mexican food.
It doesn't feel "Americanized". From appetizers to desserts all delicious. And, there wasn't a pile of refried beans and rice on the side of every dish. We were there for the "Day of the Dead" celebration. So fun. Decora
I'm a huge Rick Bayless fan and even had the chance to meet
I'm a huge Rick Bayless fan and even had the chance to meet him once at a cookbook signing -- he's just as chill and genuine in person as he seems! Not only is he incredibly down-to-earth, but the man knows his way around a kitchen. Rick h
Thank you Juliana (head hostess) for a terrible experience!
Thank you Juliana (head hostess) for a terrible experience! Told us it was a 5 minute wait then it took 25. Then told us there were NO tables left for two, when there were 3 THE WHOLE TIME. Then made us sit in the kitchen with the bus staff! The foo
Updating the review to 3/5 (2.
5 in my opinion) vs the original 5/5. Came again with a friend for happy hour and I was disappointed to see the quality of the food has gone down and the customer service was also not great as before. You can see from the photos the taquitos look a l
I rarely leave reviews, but this place was everything I
I rarely leave reviews, but this place was everything I wanted in a restaurant. The staff is friendly, the food was tasty, and the location was great. Visiting from Atlanta, we have a ton of stand-out Mexican restaurants here, but nothing in the same
Great food!
Excellent food. Fun atmosphere. The plates are small, so order up if you are hungry. As a Michelin-star restaurant, this easily lives up to the hype.
Wonderful food and service, I do wish they would have said something about husband's birthday...
For my husband's 50th birthday, all he wanted was to eat at Rick Bayless's Frontera Grill in Chicago. He has watched and admired Mr. Bayless for years and so we made it happen, first time to Chicago. The host was warm and welcoming, and we
One of Chicago's quintessential Mexican restaurants.
Its conveniently located in a central part of the city and the praise heaped upon it and some of Bayless' other restaurants is well-deserved.
So I've dined at all of Rick Bayless restaurants in Chicago
So I've dined at all of Rick Bayless restaurants in Chicago including Frontier Grill four different times. As always the food and the kitchen is outstanding at Frontera Grill. However the service is now mediocre at best and I think I know why.
Well, I don't even know what to say.
I am speechless, but not in a good way. Something always has to be said when a restaurant adds an automatic 20% service charge/gratuity to your bill. The incentive for good service just is not there. First, it took a good 15-20 mins to get even an o
September time to celebrate mexican independence day so i
September time to celebrate mexican independence day so i stop in frontera grill for it i order matgarita happy hour and chile en nogada And for dessert homemade ice cream and cajeta yummy The margarita really good the chile en nogada disapoint
Costly and smaller than expected food amount
Have to admit I was on there fence about whether to give a 4 or a 5. The food and drinks were good but the quantity was small and the cost was above the quantity I expected. Alejandro our waiter was attentive and on point. The decor is lovely with th
Have to admit I was on there fence about whether to give a
Have to admit I was on there fence about whether to give a 4 or a 5. The food and drinks were good but the quantity was small and the cost was above the quantity I expected. Alejandro our waiter was attentive and on point. The decor is lovely with th
Rick Bayless still owns of Frontera Grill, a Chicago-based
Rick Bayless still owns of Frontera Grill, a Chicago-based Mexican restaurant he opened in 1987 with his wife Deann, inspired by their travels in Mexico. He is the Michelin star chef and owner, his restaurant is known for contemporary Mexican cuisin
I love Rick Bayless' regional Mexican food, no doubt, and a
I love Rick Bayless' regional Mexican food, no doubt, and a recent lunch visit to Frontera Grill really hit the spot. I was tempted by the 3 course pre-fixe lunch menu ($32 pp over 60 minutes) but wasn't feeling that hungry. It's a goo
Wow. What a difference 5 years makes. Long time fan who
Wow. What a difference 5 years makes. Long time fan who made Frontera a top priority stop when in Chicago since the early days. Work brings me back to the area finally and sitting here at my table hoping I get a 2nd beer or maybe even my entree. I ju
First night in Chicago and we want Mexican food near the
First night in Chicago and we want Mexican food near the hotel. Latin music, festive atmosphere. Servers were pleasant. Food was great. You absolutely should try the tortilla soup!!
Disappointing.
Underwhelmed. I admit that my allergy to green peppers probably made things a little difficult, but even the food that did not have to be altered to facilitate my allergy was not good. We had the short rib with molè. It was not good. Tasteless and f
Would not recommend this at all.
Service was very bad chips and salsa were horrible bartenders gave horrible service. it used to be a great restaurant. I don't know what happened to it probably the management.
I would not normally leave a review if I had bad service or
I would not normally leave a review if I had bad service or food. I just won't return. But I felt compelled to leave this one as I hope that management takes a hard look at what is the failings of what once was an outstanding part of the Chicago
Update: after having gone there for dinner several times,
Update: after having gone there for dinner several times, we tried the brunch on Sunday. Really enjoyed it. Partly because at 11am on a Sunday they weren't even half full, so it was much quieter than for dinner. Also lower prices! Breakfast en
Great Food
We were on a little foodie tour of Chicago and had a great time at Frontera. The food was great and the service was also very good. We would highly recommend.
Wow! Incredible Dinner.
After visiting Frontera Cocina several times in Orlando, I stumbled across this place while on a visit to Chicago and soon discovered it was Rick Bayless as well! I know that sounds dumb, but, I truly didn't know! Anyway, came here with some fri
Rated Mexican Restaurant
A highly recommended Mexican restaurant. The food is good and portions that one could share. Nice wine list and good staff. The noise level was a little high for me.
Must try in Chicago
Incredible food; ceviche, enchiladas de mole, and 3 meat plate. The cuatro leches cake and flan are also amazing. You will not be disappointed because my party said it was the best Mexican food that they ever had. I agree with them. Often Michelin
Dependably excellent Chicago restaurant
Once upon a time it was almost impossible to get a table at Frontera Grill. That is no longer the case. Although it is no longer the hottest, newest place, it is still serves excellent food with a very high level of service. The servers have a deep k
Authentic Mexican
We were in town for a couple days for a concert. We stayed downtown and strategically chose our restaurant lineup. We flew in the AM and after getting to our hotel walked to Frontera for lunch. Side Note- it seems 95% of “Mexican”‘restaurants
Wonderful Dinner!
An absolute wonderful dinner! We came to Chicago for the weekend but had book our reservation at Frontera Grill a month ahead of time and it did not disappoint. It started with Dave at the bar making the most delicious margarita I've ever had. T
Disappointing
I used to love Frontera Grill for its authentic flavors and high-quality dishes, but unfortunately, it has lost its magic. The food has become mediocre—nothing special or memorable. With so many incredible Mexican restaurants in Chicago now, Fronte
I should have read the one-star reviews before trying this
I should have read the one-star reviews before trying this restaurant. To elaborate, my Mom and I were recently in Chicago, a first visit for her. My Mom has several Rick Bayless cookbooks, so of course we made it a point to visit the restaurant on o
Overrated
This may be the most overrated restaurant I have ever eaten at. I will start with the positive. The flan I had for dessert was good. The drinks were solid. I had a mezcal margarita and some wine. Not bad. However, the tortilla soup was far too salty.
One of the few 'healthier' options at the ORD airport
One of the few 'healthier' options at the ORD airport terminal 3. You can order off the kiosk so it's very convenient, the options are pretty basic but I think you can also make your own sandwich? I opted for the arugula grilled chicken sandwich whic
Do not take a reservation in the last hour they are open or
Do not take a reservation in the last hour they are open or they will treat you badly. Yes it isnt what it used to be but i was getting off a plane at 8 pm and my hotel was a block away so i took their last 9:45 reservation for friday night. I was 2
the best Mexican food I've ever had I also had the chips
the best Mexican food I've ever had I also had the chips and salsa and the bartender offered me some "extra spicy" salsa which was fantastic with the chicken
Incredible food, service and ambience .
We love frontera and have been eating here for over the past 10 years - every time we come to Chicago!! A must ! Perfection 10 out of 10
Very unsatisfying.
We have been there before and it was amazing. Seemed like we ordered, and about 3-5 minutes later. Our food was ready. We had apps and meals, and we're done in 30. Felt it was already made in the kitchen. Carne asada had very little taste. Mole
Visited the Orlando establishment- great drinks to start
Visited the Orlando establishment- great drinks to start excellent fondue cheese with chorizo- the home made corn (my people call it Maze) tortillas- excellent - Try also the Aguas Frescas -
This was a place my husband and I were really looking
This was a place my husband and I were really looking forward to and it let us down. It started with our server. He was very inattentive to us but seemed incredible in attending to others around us. We thought maybe because the 20 percent gratuity is
Extremely good steak and chicken, very tender and juicy.
Portion sizes are a bit small for salsa, however pretty tasty. Guacamole did not have much flavor if any, a little disappointing. Service was well, and food was quick. Overall very good establishment and would recommend.
Always Outstanding
We have visted Chiacgo three times and make it a point to eat at Fronterra during each visit, The food and service are outstanding. It is also a plus to see Rick at the restaurant. Probably why the standards are maintained so high.
I visited on a weekday and had the $29 lunch special.
I got the Bayless Garden Salad, Baja Fish Tacos, and Tres Leches and everything was fine. Because of the Bib Gourmand status I was expecting more but it was just ok. The salad was delicious. The tacos were plentiful but I wasn't a fan of the sauces.
First time brunching at frontera grill.
Have been a fan of rick bayless for a while and didn't want to miss this place. I am not a big fan of Mexican food but I always say yes to rick bayless restaurants. Food was amazing and fresh. So many options to chose from. Servers were so friendly a
Came here with some friends on a weekday night and it was
Came here with some friends on a weekday night and it was busy! The space is fun and brightly decorated, albeit a bit cramped, and the service was very friendly. The food, unfortunately, is just average - quite a disappointment given the name behind
We went for lunch and it was such a good experience! We
We went for lunch and it was such a good experience! We started with the chips and salsa (salsa verde and a red chili salsa). Both salsas are so deep in taste. I also got the Mezcal Margarita, which is my go-to. Love it! We chose from the lunch in
Connect with users posting reservations for Frontera Grill Chicago
AppointmentTrader is a community-driven platform where users can exchange their reservations or leverage their personal relationships with Frontera Grill Chicago. Buyers can make informed decisions using automated seller ratings, which reflect past transactions and reliability.
Each posting on AppointmentTrader shows you which user submitted it and along with that provides a trackrecord of that user which indicates how much experience
the user has and how many percent of their transactions resulted in them issuing a refund.
If there is no user posting that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Frontera Grill Chicago at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the Frontera Grill Chicago page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
That's where the community-driven bid process comes in.
Peter can place a bid on AppointmentTrader, which serves as a reward for any community member who chooses to work on securing the reservation. AT then notifies experienced users who may be able to help.
Step-by-Step Process
1.) Setting a Reward (Bid)
* AppointmentTrader uses historical data to recommend a reasonable reward amount for securing a reservation - let's say $100.
* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $200.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
2.) A Community User Picks Up the Bid
* MaternalRecord73, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's $200 bid.
* MaternalRecord73 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
* Peter can now talk to MaternalRecord73 for any questions Peter may have as MaternalRecord73 user fills the bid.
3.) Finding the Reservation
* MaternalRecord73 now uses their connections at Frontera Grill Chicago to secure the table.
* If they successfully get the 6 PM table for four, Peter receives a confirmation that the reservation has been secured.
* If MaternalRecord73 fails to secure the reservation, the bid is returned to the pool so another user can try.
4.) Payment & Protection
* Once the reservation is secured, MaternalRecord73 receives the $200 reward which is credited to MaternalRecord73's AT balance, where users manage their own funds and can withdraw via available payout options such as bank transfer, PayPal, or Zelle.
* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at Frontera Grill Chicago!
* As with all transactions on AT, disputes and no-show fees are handled through the platform's community-driven resolution system. Users with a strong track record are incentivized to fulfill bids successfully, and community members can report issues to maintain trust in the marketplace.
