Overrated. Good guacamole and drinks. but it's hard to mess up avocado and high quality tequila. It was like being in someone s weird basement with overpriced food. The mole tasted burnt and the entree had undercooked potatoes. Similar complaints from all but one of my party. I expected a lot more from Rick B. Hard pass.
somewhat overrated, allways a bit crowded. We went there twice. both times it was a lot of money and not good quality. Not too much to choose form either.
Very nice restaurant, but not amazing. Whats there amazing- DRINKS, their specialty- margaritas. Those are amazing, The food a bit over the top and wrong-standing for Mexican food. Don't take reservations, go early!
A nice menu and clearly interesting takes on classics, but felt a little rigid in their ability to work with consumer requests, most likely because they have a fixed inventory given the precision of their dishes. It is not your normal mexican place, the execution of dishes is superb, but I felt the music was a little overbearing and the rigidity of the offer (ie not being able to offer grilled rather than fried options or a slice of lemon instead of lime for another guest) can mean the experience can leave some a little underwhelmed. However, if you know this going in, it is a great experience.
We love the place, best Mexican food in town . Been to three other Rick Bayless restaurants and there all wonderful . Have liked every meal i have had in his places . But this one rocks call then get a table and go there . Service is great and the drinks are the best . Everything works here. Very good Rick .
Best Mexican food experience I've had outside of Mexico! Service was superb!
Get the margarita! The chips and guac! The chocolate pecan pie!!
3 for service, 5 for food
I had the duck carnitas quesadillas and the duck was so tender and overall these were excellent.
Our server was not good at all. He was dull and seemed irritated and it was awkward. Also I have never heard of a restaraunt giving one bill for 5 adults and not being able to split the check...??? I can understand gratuity for larger parties but not being able to split the check is ridiculous.
I d go back because the food was great but the service was disappointing.
If you have never been to this place, you are missing out. Whether you are a local or just visiting, make sure you put this place on your agenda. The entire menu is basically my recommendation. Everything is masterfully prepared and tastes amazing.
The price is above average for Mexican food but the quality is also above average... way above average. The coffee is excellent, the deserts are delightful and delicious
Mole was flat, not complex, have had much better, was expecting more given the reputation. Tortilla soup was good+, but other entre was marginal too.
The customer service is the best. The food is pretty decent and has a good variety. One of the best MExican restaurants I've been to. WOuld come again.
Got the carne asada and chips and salsa. Salsa was bland and unimpressive and salsa bowl size don't allow a good dip. The carne asada was cooked to right temp but it too lacked flavor. Same story with black beans and guacamole. Service was good. Water glasses don't drink well.
The food was delicious! A little on the pricier end of the scale, but worth it!
Food was a bit slow, but tasty. The guacamole is made in front of you, which is a fun touch
I like Fontera even more than Topolobampo. For a vegetarian it has more, The flavors pop, and Mr. Bayless does Vegetarians well.
Frontera grill has this celebrity chef dude and he thinks he's so cool He's american but cooks asian. What???? Mole. Yummo
This place rocks! I'm traveling alone so I sat at the bar the last 2 nights and everyone I met is traveling. The all said they always come here if in the city. I loved it! Food is the best! I'm going again tomorrow for Saturday brunch. The people that gave 1 star for having to wait to long is an idiot. If I don't have to wait at a restaurant its probably crap.
I had the Carne Asada. Some of the best Mexican food I've ever had.
Great mexican food; long wait sometimes as they don't take reservations, but well worth it while you get a drink at the bar
Food is good but the service was terrible. Our waiter brought us salsa and guacamole when we didn't ask for it. He never returned to refill our waters or take additional orders. It was a random non busy Weds so there was no rush.
Excellent food. Had the braised goat special and it was amazing.
I just loved this place. It was not the typical Mexican fare that we have in Virginia. The selection was varied, the descriptions we're mouth watering, and the taste exceeded our expectations. Wish I lived here so I could try something different every day!
Went for the New Year's prefix dinner.
Definitely pricey at $95 per person but it was very good! It was an experience! We all loved the mariachi band and all the decorations displayed for The New Year. We were a party of 6. The table was to small and we were pretty cramped. That being said, the service was phenomenal. The corn tortillas are so good. My son had the duck breast with a Guajillo chili sauce with pureed pear. It was fantastic! My husband had one of the carne asada dishes. It came with a sweet corn tamale that tasted like cornbread. It was tasty. The meats were cooked perfectly. I had the shrimp dish. All the dishes were very generous in portion size. The plantain appetizer was yummy! Little deep fried balls and the desserts we're delicious served as a trio assortment. Amazing I'll be back!
Amazing food and Chef Bayless was at our location cooking !!
Was very disappointed with the service and food here. I organized a big group birthday dinner. Waiter was rude when I reminded him about bringing out a dessert for a birthday and he responded with a cold I know .
I didn t know the cost of the birthday dessert the waiter chose for us until I saw the bill - Even though on the phone when I was making reservations, the staff said it will be complimentary since it was a special occasion.
Some people in our group got food that was cold and service was slow overall. Took us almost 3 hours from start to finish even though we had reservations.
The "go to" place in Chicago for anyone who loves authentic mexican dishes.
Excellent food, atmosphere and staff.
This place has fantastic food and authentic decor. The margaritas are not to be missed and you cannot go wrong with anything on the menu.
Delicious! We were very happy with our entire dining experience.
We had a great experience! The margaritas were superb and the bartender accommodated our special request enthusiastically. My wife wanted her drink a little sweeter. We started with ceviche which was perfectly balanced with salt and citrus but not sour. The fresh oysters were delicious. The smoked short rib special in black mole was decadent with uncountable layers of flavor. My wife had the Halibut which was subtle and delicious albeit forgettable. Service was rock solid.
Rick is the best. If you ask to meet him, he'll come out and say hello.
I went to this place a few months ago and the experience was excellent. i am not a fan of Mexican food but once i ate here i was sold to the cuisine.
Frontera Grill is one of my favorite restaurants in the United States. I travel for business and live in Oakland California where the food and service is Top Notch. I'm from SF where we work in a restaurant for the food.
Rick's been doing a Fantastic job for so many years. I'm spoiled with having many a signed book from Rick as he'll possibly stop by your table.
Unbelievable food and service.
Best of the Best!
Yummy mexican food. I really enjoyed the guacamole and beef in mole sauce when I was here last. I would recommend going here for a special occasion as it is hard to get reservations and it can get pricey.
Excellent food and decor! The shrimp with salsa huevona cremosa was amazing
Disappointed, but only based on very high expectations. We were a large group in a private room. The food was very uneven -- undercooked or lukewarm entrees, but some good appetizers and side dishes (the kale is amazing). I'd perhaps give it another try in the main dining room for a party of 2-4.
Love this place. Local favorite! Went to this place with my family for a family reunion. I had salad, but def a great one. Great kids menus for those that bring kids along. Server was awesome.
Good service. The food was good, but the 2 entrees were very salty.
Birria... It's a Tuesday special. It tastes amazing! In a half week of good eating this dish stands out as the best so far. I'm just going to end the review here.
Frontera is always a great experience. I suggest you drink some Mezcal and order whatever, it's all delicious! The only issue I've ever had here is sitting in the basement is not the best, but at least they've opened up seating so you can actually get a table.
Let me start off by saying I LOVE Rick Bayless and his restaurants. He has cheaper restaurants to more higher end restaurants. I would say Frontera Grill is in the middle in terms of price range. The food is fresh and tasty. I've had the privalege of being able to try all of his restaurants. I would definitely recommend any of them.
Maybe brunch wasn't the best time to go but we felt like the food was average. I might give it another shot for dinner.
This restaurant is overrated and overpriced! The food was decent but lacked the authentic bold Mexican flavors that it is somehow known for. This is more of a tourist spot.
Just an absolute pleasure and tremendous dining experience. From the sopas rancheros and duck tacos to the flank steak dish; they were all delicious!
We had a very good dining experience here. The food was very good, as was the service. The restaurant has a limited reservation policy, so they take a lot of walk ups. The food prices were surprising low for a restaurant of this caliber.
Wait staff was top notch. Very good food and service.
Food was a bit disappointing after all the hype I had heard. The ceviche was very good however. Enchiladas, tacos, and guac were average in my opinion.
Possibly the best bang-for-your buck in the city, and probably the whole United States. Exceptional attention to detail, intelligently sourced ingredients, and perfect execution. Margaritas are outstanding. Will make you rethink everything about Mexican c
from los angeles and this food was fantastic! really wonderful, great service and great food!
tasty, creative yet authentic food make this a stand-out for good mexican food. we went for brunch and found everything tasty.
Great food, good selection and fast service. You should definitely book.
Great place to replace common fast food, quality and tasty food.
Try the first time I got in Chicago, the guacamole and salsas are
very alike my country
And Rick love Mexico, so just for that is a GOOO
The cocktails were great. For starters, we had the Queso and the Tropical Ceviche which were pretty good, but not exceptional. For entrees, we had the Birria (Tuesday special) which was way too salty (particularly the broth/gravy). The tamales with Green Mole was very good, but again not exceptional. I can't comment on the entrees for the couple we were with. For dessert, we shared the Chocolate Tres Leches, which was good but "artistically tiny" in size.
Rick Bayless is a very nice man and a true gentleman. Not to mention his food is delicious!!
Fantastic Mexican food, very nice lively vibe, friendly knowledgeable service.
Great food and service. Had a reservation but still had to wait an hour for a table. Congested and loud.
Frontera is truly the top of the tree. If you want really good Mexican food there simply is nowhere better. The flavor combinations. The drinks. All really well thought out and always tasty.
We did lunch over the weekend. Sat outside which was a treat after the recent Chicago weather.
The mezcal margarita (salted) was smokey and excellent.
The spring salad was texturally interesting and very tasty.
The guacamole is just great.
Also had the tuna ceviche. Excellent.
Frontera is a real treat every time. Book of your planning to go. It's always busy. Rick is rocking it big time.
Wonderful!
My business mentor and I dined here. It was my thank you dinner for her asking me to join her for a conference in Chicago.
Come to find out she was a foodie like me! We appreciated each bite.
This is not a place for just a meal. This restaurant is for those who appreciate food, the mouth feels, the flavor profiles, and the back stories. This restaurant - and those like it - are for the 'fans'.
It's like buying an album of a music artist then seeing them in concert with front row tickets. It's like being into art and going to The Picasso exhibit when it comes to town.
Great Mexican food, in Chicago of all places. The mole was not my favorite, but all the other dishes were excellent.
A high end preparation of Mexican cuisine in a casual, lively atmosphere. Better than many upscale Mexican kitchens with some unique foods, all well sourced and authentic, for which you pay the price. Typical dinner with a cocktail or two will cost about $75 per person. Very helpful, knowledge serving staff. Make reservations well ahead or prepare for a long wait. Casual dress (jeans) are most appropriate.
Amazing!!!!!!! Rick is so nice and personable! Awesome meal and service!
Bathrooms labeled in Spanish. Had to wait to see which gender came out of which door so I could use the restroom. Wow, can't write it in English as well or put gender symbols on the door. Hostess said 40 min wait. I waited over 2 hours. The hostess would seat Spanish speaking customers that just came in while making English speaking customers wait. Way to set the bar for customer service. But, guess when your restaurants are that successful, you no longer have to worry about satisfying your customers. Food and table service was excellent though, so at least they have that
Hands down the best authentic Mexican food and margaritas I have ever had! If you plan to go you have to make a reservation.
rickbayless.com
