Mixteco Grill
1601 W Montrose Ave
(between Ashland Ave & Paulina St)
Chicago, IL 60613 (773) 868-1601
- Nearest Transit:
Montrose (Brown)
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Sun 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: None
123 reviews
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
"Oh, how I love the Mayan Palace. I've treked halfway across the city in a snowstorm for this place. Where to start? Well the food: I'm…" read more »
50 Reviews for Mixteco Grill
I really enjoyed this place. The dining room is small and as I understnad it, they don't take reservations.
Rather than wait 15 min. to be seated, my wife and I sat at the bar (accomodates 4 people). The place is BYOB and the servers are very helpful in keeping your beer or wine in the refrigerator for you.
The kitchen is hot near the bar area so be warned.
The food is great. I cannot pronounce what we oredered, but they were these tamale type things filled with beef. They are really yummy.
We also had some very good Mole Chicken Enchilladas. The tres leches cake looks awesome but I was too full to endulge. I will be back.
Yes, I still love this place. After I have been here about a dozen times since my last review, I have brought friends, other yelpers and even my mom here, (her mother's day dinner). Many have shared my general happiness with Mixteco. For me it is surely a great BYOB place to share some food, break some tortillas, enjoy some company and have a good time. I never tend to linger, especially during diner, I wouldn't want others to lose out on trying this place. Also, they do have carry out, which I have had on a few occasions.
I did try brunch today and had their chicken tacos and didn't leave disappointed. My lovely and gorgeous companions, Andrea R and Colleen C seemed to enjoy their huevos, although not the ham attack that Andrea got. The owner was the only one serving today, his server called in sick so he was really running the show today. He was apologetic for the delay and not being on top of everything, but when you have some lovely women to enjoy a meal with, I didn't notice. This is still a Mexican place that makes me leave with a smile on my face... even if it is cava enhanced.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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05/11/2008
This is the bomb diggity. The bee's knees. This is a flat out freakin' phenomenal place. I had a… Read more »
I have to laugh at how clueless I am sometimes. Mixteco is up the street from my current apartment, is getting a ton of great press, and is across the street from a liquor store I frequent. How did it take me so long to realize this gem was here?
Others have mentioned the BYOB, but I'm going to take it a step further. Bring a bottle of wine, unless you want people to shoot you dirty looks and supress chortles of condescention when you roll up with Bud Light. My sister/dining partner hit it on the head when she said I am a Bud Light drinking s.o.b. Looks like I have to accept my fate! At least they gave me a frosty mug to drink out of.
The space is pretty small, and they do their best to fit as many tables as possible in there. We sat at the bar, and it was just lovely.
Service was quick and attentive. Our chips weren't empty for long, and our entrees were in front of us before we new it. I recommend the Pollo en Mole because the chicken is delicious, the mole isn't overpowering, and the mashed potatoes are great for dabbing up the leftovers.
We went a little loco (that's "crazy" for all you gringos in the audience) and ordered dessert, too. The Navado Chocolate was badass, a descriptor I rarely apply to sweets. It is a piece of chocolate (cake? brownie is thing? not really sure exactly what it was) with vanilla ice cream and diced pineapple and strawberries. Flavor explosion dropped all up on me.
The bill wasn't crazy, either. I left extremely pleased with myself for going to a cool place that was incredibly enjoyable. A return trip is in order.
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Mixteco Grill is my new favorite place.
My fiance and I used to make fun of it when we drove by - it looked like a place that had cheap burritos, disco balls and strobe lights. The awning gives it a totally different vibe from what it's actually like.
We heard about all the Mixteco raving, and well, we had just had to go.
We came prepared - a bottle of pre mixed margaritas and some Dos Equis ("I don't drink beer all the time, but when I do, I drink Dos Equis!").
Very tight quarters in there. I'm going to echo was everyone else said - for pete's sake, get a reservation! There was not one empty table when we walked in.
The service was swift to get glasses for our drinks. We started off with the Tres Empenadas and the Fish Tacos. On the Empenada plate there were 3 different types of Empenadas - smoked corn/mushroom, beef and cheese. OH GOD. The outsides of these little buggers were so crisp and flavorful - each bite was heaven. MMM. They came with a really good dipping sauce - it was kind of limey/tomatoey that really brought out a lot of good flavors.
The fish tacos were good as well. They came in these delicious little tortillas (corn? flour? maybe a combo of both?) and they had fried tilapia, cabbage, avocado and a light chipotle mayo. Not the most authentic Mexican food, but it was SO GOOD.
For our main courses, my fiance got lamb in mole sauce and I got grilled tiger shrimp with black beans, avocado, potatoes, cilantro and rice. OH MY GOD. It was so good. I couldn't stop eating. It was very fresh. At this point, I was also very drunk so I really can't talk about the specific flavors. My fiance's dish was good - I didn't try the lamb (I'm a vegetarian), but I tried the mole sauce. Very interesting flavors going on there. It also came with mounds of fluffy MASHED POTATERS.
For dessert, we knew what we wanted. We knew what had to happen. THE TRES LECHES CAKE! Oh, my...it was very milky (obviously) and light. It was also garnished with strawberries and pineapple.
We stumbled out of Mixteco drunk and full. If I could go back every day of the week I would. It was just a great place to go to on a summer evening.
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These days I feel like I'm on a Mexican cuisine diet and despite the expanding waist line I'm kind of liking chips and salsa for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Brunch at Mixteco Grill- I like it!!
I met 2 of my favorite yelpers (Colleen C and Rob L) for my favorite meal of the day (yep, that's brunch) this past Sunday morning. Rob was nice enough to book a reservation for us, but we didn't actually need it cause there were a few empty tables when we arrived. A brunch spot where you don't have to wait- I like that too!!
The menu had plenty of tasty brunch options, but also other things like enchiladas if you're not in the brunch mood. I, always in the brunch mood, ordered the huevos rancheros. Rob and Colleen ordered some tasty looking tortilla soup to start off their meal, but i was happy munching on my chips and green salsa while waiting for my entree. And it was worth the wait- with the exception of having to pick out the ham (ick- don't recall the description saying there was ham in it!) it was very delicious! I've had lots of huevos rancheros in my life and have to admit this was one of the best I've had.
The owner was missing some of his wait staff so he apologized over and over for the service being slow (he was waiting all the tables), but there really wasn't any need to apologize because I thought the pace of our meal moved along just fine.
Rumor in yelpland is that Mixteco is a great spot for dinner and it's BYOB so I plan on continuing the Mexican cuisine diet here another time...
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It's official. Consider me the newest convert to the Loyal Order of the Mixteco. After ignoring this place for way too long (don't judge a restaurant by its tacky awning?) I gave in to the hype (ahem, Rob L.) and went there for dinner last night. I wanted to write a review as soon as I got home but I was too busy foodgasming to form coherent sentences. Yeah, it's that good.
First off, a caution - MAKE RESERVATIONS. That place is tiny. I went on a weeknight with two other people and we still had to wait over an hour to be seated. Make reservations. Do it.
Once you finally do get a seat, prepare yourself for some downright incredible gourmet Mexican cuisine. We B'd our own B of sangria (the very best $6 bottle that Binny's had to offer), which was a lovely counterpart to the massive feast that was to follow. We started with the empanadas - 3 types, 3 big bites each (perfect!), all equally tasty. After poring over the menu for what seemed like ages I finally settled on the grilled tiger shrimp in poblano sauce which was, it turns out, the right decision. To be fair, everything on the menu looked amazing so I'm not sure there's a wrong decision to make but still, wow, I won the delicious dinner jackpot. I wanted to eat the sauce with a spoon but instead I opted for the more civilized method of sopping it up with my shrimp and rice (which was soft, fluffy, and very flavorful in its own right). I also stole bites of the chicken enchiladas with mole and the roasted pork, both of which were excellent. To further our gluttonous cause, my dinner mates and I went for the dessert 3-way with a piece of decadent warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and little bits of strawberries and pineapple.
I can't quite afford to make this a regular destination but for around $15-$20 an entree it's definitely a good deal for a nice dinner. Needless to say, the next time I can find an excuse to splurge on an amazing meal, I know exactly where I'm going...
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Negatives: A small air conditioner unit above the door, Very dirty ceiling fans that blow too hard when they are on, the chicken tamales had next to no chicken, the guacamole had a ton of hicima in it and hardly any avacado. Positive: BYOB, my husband ordered a custom meal that was good...chicken breast and mashed potatoes. The wait staff is very friendly.
I went as I was told that the owner came from Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill. I'm a die hard Frontera fan and this was not comparable. Dishes need some work and what's up with the a/c?
Food was excellent! I highly recommend the Sopa Azteca- a seriously flavorful soup with perfect consistency. The service friendly and, most importantly, knowledgeable. And I love the BYO aspect (better when you've been once and can go back with the right beverage to pair with your meal).
Silly to write this because we tasted so many of their delish dishes, but their tortilla chips are amazing- warm, light and crisp and slightly flakey, which makes me think they're corn and flour. If you like your salsa hot ask for the ancho- hot and has complexity.
The downside of Mixteco (besides the really bad name) is the following: there are double the amount of 4 tops as there are 2 tops which means the 20 minutes we were asked to wait on a Wednesday night turned in to over an hour and a half. They were apologetic about the additional 70 minutes added, but no more than that.
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i too have driven by mixteco before and thought to myself "ew, another dirty gross mexican restaurant". however, i read the yelp reviews, the red eye reviews, the metromix reviews, etc etc etc (this place is getting tons of press) and decided to check it out.
to put it simply, 4 diners shared 7 small plates for a cost of $15 each including tax and tip. our byobeers were served in frosty mugs and the chip basket was refilled promptly.
this is no cheap joint that's only sorta good for the margaritas, this is a taste sensation people!!!
Maybe I wouldn't have been as disappointed if my expectations hadn't been so high but I really don't get what all the fuss is about! I live across the street from Mixteco, and there are almost always people waiting in line for a table and the Yelp reviews are all great - so must be a pretty safe bet, right?
Not so much.
Atmosphere: Small, hot and crowded. I don't mind an intimate restaurant, but I *do* mind the tables being so close that waiters have to do the samba to avoid bumping your elbow as they maneuver the floor.
Service: Crowding aside, the service was excellent. Prompt, friendly, knowlegeable but not pushy.
Food: Meh. Good start with the appetizers: We had the guacamole (very good - light and fresh) and the soup (not to my taste, but everyone else loved it.) The main courses were beautifully presented but were a disappointment both in flavor and preparation. My father had the lamb (overdone to the point of toughness, despite the waiter explicitly stating "the chef recommends medium rare for the lamb!") I had the shrimp, also overdone and overwhelmed by an overly spicy, yet not actually flavorful, sauce. I don't recall what my mother or husband ordered, but my mom only ate 1/2 of hers and neither I nor my hub liked his dish.
Overall, we all walked out thinking we'd paid too much money to have mediocre food in an uncomfortable environment.
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I finally had a chance to visit Mixteco and see what it was all about. I used to live in that area and I am quite glad they are getting good quality restaurants. So for this visit, I walked up at around 6pm on a Saturday and got seated at the bar. They were some two tops available but they kind of "suggested" I sit at the bar which I didn't mind since I was alone and knew they would be packed soon enough.
OK, so I liked the chips and salsa but decided against the guacamole as I have to save something for another visit. They wait staff by the way were very friendly and attentive. And yes the place is quite small and runs a little hot but otherwise it looks very nice.
I ordered the Pollo con mole as it is what I judge good Mexican food by. Unfortunately for Mixteco, I was not blown away by the entree as I may have been expecting greatness by all the reviews I read. However, I did enjoy it but certainly had better.
I certainly seen and tasted enough on this visit to warrant another; so, I will take the recommendation someone on this site mention which is to try sampling their appetizers.
I can definitely see this place getting better as it figures out how to manage its cult following by the locals around this neighborhood.
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Try uchepos (tamales in a cream sauce with sweet corn), rack of lamb in mole, or the cochinita pibil. My table-mates had so-so reviews for the taco appetizers and the fish in green mole. The mole on the lamb was so good, though, that my jealous table-mates asked the waiter to bring them a small dish of it so that they could have some, too!
Ok Ok ...so my ladies and I went to this joint about two weeks ago
It was a treat and the service was good.
It was a little cramp and the AC wasn't working or there was none. Dont wanna be in there now!
The food was good but not amazing. I love home cooked- real authentic mexican food. Mexican food is something that i love to eat when its made authentically. I had a shrimp dish with beans and what not...it was ok I could have made it at home. My friends felt the same way- they liked it but from what i understood not CRAZZZy about it.
We BYOB and that saved some money on bill - since we paid a good amount for not so amazing food.
The dessert was our favorite part. Our waiter was super nice and earned his tip :) hahaha
All in all im glad i tried it- im glad my ladies and I went and had a good time. But i cant say i will remeber the place and jump to go again.
And oh yea... go with time to spare cause even though you have a reservation that doesn't seem to mean much to them when they have a packed place. Just go there and get ready to wait a bit.
Bon Appetit*
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After hearing all about the amazing food from their Mixteco Fan Club President (Rob L), we decided to take my husband's mom and friend here when they were in town.
The setting was ripe for disaster - Dan's mom had brought a BOX of margaritas (which it turned out was a box of "WINE-based alcoholic beverage" in which the main ingredient was high fructose corn syrup!), we were 7 minutes late and they gave away our table so we had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated, and once we sat down Dan's mom informed us how much she detested mole - a staple ingredient on the menu.
So it was with aprehension that we ordered a round of appetizers - the guacomole, empanadas and chicken tamales. One bite and you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief. This was damn tasty food. Each item was perfect.
We moved on to our entrees; each couple decided to share one plate. Dan and I had the pork chop in mole while Mom and Bob went with the carna asada. Again, everything was a big hit. The pork was juicy and tender and cooked perfectly (medium) served with a delicious mole and creamy mashed potatoes. The carne asada was also great (cooked medium rare), so great that Bob turned to the chef and told him how amazing everything was.
After all that food, we opted out of dessert, but will definately give it a try next time. Great food, good service, byo and reasonably priced (3 apps, 2 entrees for $65).
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The spell is broken! I've lived in the immediate neighborhood Montrose/Ashland for 6+ years. Restaurants have come and gone. On the spur of the moment, J and I headed over on a Friday *afternoon* about 5:45. No reservations. While the place was full with a few others trickling in behind us, the host was very welcoming and seated us right away since the 5:30s hadn't shown.
J had the pork chop with mole. Let me just say that one stolen sample from J's plate convinced me that Mixteco puts the holy in mole! Day-um! I can't even get that mole sauce out of my mind long enough to remember what I ordered! Whatever it was, it was fantastic.
The service is laid back, attentive and unpretentious. Now that I say that, I don't think you can get away with pretentious on Montrose at Ashland. Why would you even try with this gem in the neighborhood.
Dessert was oh so good.
We were half a block away, when I heard someone calling my attention. One of the servers had my umbrella that I'd left. My "oh, thank you!" was greeted with a big smile and "I hope you'll come back again."
I definitely will.
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Mixteco lost our reservation last night and didn't seem the least bit concerned. No matter--my friends and I strolled down the block and had a great meal at Taqueria La Sierra which was also BYOB and had many vegetarian options which was a huge plus since 4 of our 6 diners don't eat meat.
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Went there last night. A good thing, too, since it was reviewed by Pat Bruno today. It'll be that much harder to get in now.
In a word, delicious. For appetizers, we had the Tacos Ensanada (fish tacos) and sopes. Pico de gallo on the tacos had a nice zing to it and the pork, chicken and mushroom sopes all had tasty moles and salsas.
Dinner for me was the Cochinita Pibil, marinated slow roasted pork. I'm still thinking about it; it was that good. Unless you want your mouth on fire, use the habanero salsa sparingly. Fortunately, I didn't finish it all, and can't wait to have it for lunch in a day or two. My wife had the Camarones Poblanos, the grilled tiger shrimp. As she described it, just excellent flavor.
We split the chocolate lava cake w/ ice cream for dessert. No need to say any more. (Bruno loved it, too.)
Wish we had tried the guacamole, but that just gives us a reason to go back. Don't know how long they'll remain BYOB, but at least for now, you can get an excellent meal and not come close to breaking the bank. ($55 for two before tip.)
Great job, Mixteco!
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This place bit. I read all the glowing reviews so i decided to go for my b'day. It's small no problem. We get seated and our server comes over. He must have had a bad day because he never cracked a smile said hello or explained a damn thing to us (we r seasoned diners). Sorry!!! prices too high for UPtown or west Lakeview. Bland food small servings. Just boring. No flavor no soul. They are obviously trying to cater to an undereducated diner (not a hint of ethnicity or authenticity in the food). So many have come and gone in the same spot maybe they will too. I hope they change if they stay. Ehhh what do i care I'm not going back.
I too wanted to try this place because of all the great reviews but I wasn't really all that impressed. We went on a Wednesday night around 8. My two friends and I walked right in and were seated immediately. We knew it was a BYOB which is really nice but we weren't in the mood to drink that night.
The chips were standard tortilla chips but I liked the verde salsa. We decided to split the ceviche. That was pretty yummy. It had a lot of flavor. My two friends each had the enchiladas rojo and I had the chicken mole. I spent three more dollars and they were essentially the same meal. They had a side salad as a side and I had mashed potatoes. The mole sauce itself left more to be desired...it didn't really have the depth of flavor I am used to in a mole. The chicken was tender though.
The service was attentive and the staff was very friendly however the food was just alright. The girls and I all agreed that it would be a nice place to go back and try for appetizers only...or possibly try the fish entrees.
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What a great place! We went there for dinner lastnight on a whim... and on a strong recommendation from Nick (the mole whore) M....
My boyfriend stopped by on his way home from work and put our name in for an hour later. We showed up for our 7:30 res, and I was so surprised by how busy this place was on a Tuesday! People were waiting outside (including us), but luckily we only had to wait about 15 minutes. Not bad at all...
Sat down and we ordered ceviche as well as the corn tamales for appetizers. Both were excellent! Ceviche was nice and light, and the corn tamale had a great sauce!
Onto dinner. Steve had the chicken enchiladas in red mole, and I had the fish of the day (it was a Cobia) in green mole. They were both excellent!
Finally, we had to see a dessert menu. Ended up ordering the warm chocolate cake and 2 coffees. Now, I don't normally recommend any chocolate cake other than Tavern on Rush's 7 Layer chocolate cake; however, this cake (a more manageable portion) was pretty damn good.
I hope to be back often. Go check it out!
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I made a reservation on Thursday for Sunday night. My friends and I arrive all excited to try this place only to find that they "lost" our reservation. WTF? We were extremely disappointed and they didn't even attempt to rectify the situation. So we went down the block to another restaurant. On the way another disgruntled couple walked by and said the place had poor management. I assume they were also turned away or their reservation was lost as well.
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I really wanted to go there after reading the rave reviews and especially since it is BYOB AND close to my house! So I went on a Saturday night and was pleased to find out that you could make reservations. We go in there and it is TINY! There is no entry way for any sort of waiting. We only had to wait 5-10 minutes so we waited outside. Luckily it was nice out. If it was raining or cold out, we would have probably left. There is a bar area in the back, but again, it is small. The restaurant probably only had a total of around 12 tables.
We had the tilapia tacos for an app. Amazing flavors. One of the best fish tacos I have eaten. I ordered a salmon mole dish. Not a huge fan of mole, but this was a red one so a little different flavor. This meal was very good, not fantastic, though. The chips and salsa on the table were pretty good, as well. So overall, the food was tasty but not "blow me away" status. What I did like about everything was that the quality of the ingredients was fresh. I was a little disappointed in the number of entrees on the menu. I only had a few dishes that really looked appealing to me, and I am typically not a very picky eater.
Now, for the logistics. When we were in there it was windy and warm outside. They left the front door open and had the overhead fans on. I kind of felt like I was eating outside. You had to weigh down your menu so it didn't blow away. And, since the restaurant is so tiny, everything is tight. I felt like the busboys were bumping into us a bit and we were right next to another table. However, I have to say the servers were very attentive, so that was a plus!
I would go back for the mere fact that it is very affordable, it is BYOB and it is decent food.
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Possibly the best BYOB restaurant I've been to in a long time!
From the outside, you would never guess this place is as amazing as it is!
The empenadas and queso fundido were fabulous appetizers!
Every person at our table was in love with their entrees. The mole sauce served alongside the lamb and pork chop was out of this world - it's a must-try! For dessert, the sopas frutas, flaan and tres leches cake were all absolutely delicious.
With appetizers, entrees, and dessert, the bill came to about $30 a person, which is a steal considering the high quality of our meals. We will definitely be back!
I'm going to start out by saying that I'm definitely giving this place another try soon. That said, here's what went down...
We arrived shortly before our 6pm reservation (the only reservation they had available when I called Thursday morning) and the place was already half-full. We were promptly seated and brought piping hot tortilla chips, right out of the fryer and delicious tomatillo salsa. The salsa, which was really cold, and the chips, which were hot, were the perfect pair and a great way to start the meal.
Mixteco is BYOB. We didn't bring alcohol since we were both coming from work, but I ordered the agua fresca del dia, which was cantaloupe. Now, I don't really like cantaloupe, but drink was light and refreshing and not overly-sweet, so it made the perfect compliment to my spicy food.
For appetizers we ordered the chicken tamales and the ceviche. Both were exceptional. Entrees were the carne asada and the mahi mahi. I had the mahi mahi and it was cooked perfectly. It was prepared veracruzana style and was very good, but a little spicy. B had the carne asada and said the steak was "a big fatty mess." Now, he's really picky about his meat, so I'm fairly certain he ordered the wrong thing. His steak came with some guacamole that was delicious and had jicama, which added a really nice crunch. I loved it!
For dessert we tried the tres leches cake and it, too, was very good.
Next time I will definitely try something different since I didn't love my entree. And, honestly, B and I talked about going back and just eating appetizers. They were truly spectacular.
2 important notes...
1) Reservations, I think are a must. They were turning people away left and right
2) Lots of tables were rocking margarita mix in tupperware pitchers. Since I was immediately jealous, that's what I'll be doing next time.
I'm looking forward to going back!
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Holla! Mixteco has brunch :)
Freakin' good brunch, too. With no line (though I did mosey in around 12:30pm, so hey) on a Saturday.
It kills me to share this secret, but I shall in the interest of valor and goodwill, y'all.
It's a small, thoughtful lunch/brunch menu. We had the pancakes with goat cheese, and they were sprinkled with fresh pineapple and strawberries and drizzled with carmel. Be still my sweet little heart, these were cakes 'o heaven.
We also split the Mutelanos (forgive the butchering), which were eggs served on tostadas with black beans, plantains and some heavenly red sauce of sorts. So.damn.good.
The portions are great for the money. Pancakes were under $7, and just the right size, same with the egg dish. We ordered some crepes to split for dessert (yeah, I am a competitive eater, ok? back off) and they were very much like the pancakes, so perhaps I'd try something else on a return trip. Oh hellllll yes, there'll be a return trip.
The service was quite good, even with our diehard drink order: 2 waters, 2 diet cokes, 2 coffees. They managed to stay on top of it...even though I never expect that. Tis why I order 3 drinks...to sustain me.
This place is a gem, it's gonna fill up fast...I suggest you get there to try it...BYOB, as if it couldn't get any better...it just did. :)
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I'd give this place 6 stars if I could. First off, the owner of the restaurant stands by the front door of his clean, cozy sanctuary for delicious homemade cooking. Being a former waiter, busboy, dishwasher, etc. I always appreciate the owner who is not above his employees, this guy was running food to tables, making sure everything arrived hot and fresh. He was also wiping down tables too, this guy obviously cares about his restaurant and it shows in the food, too.
I had the fish of the day, Mahi-Mahi, and my girlfriend had the trout. The entrees were $17 and $18 respectively... The value is incredible, I would have paid $27 for what I ate and still thought it was worth every penny. They serve the fish dishes with homemade corn tortillas, best I've ever had, and gladly bring you "free refills" without an air of frustration. We also had the ceviche and sopes for an appetizer, they were so reasonably priced, $6.50 and $6 respectively. This place could charge way more for the food... Best dining experience I've had since I went to Naha a year and a half ago.
The dessert was outstanding too, banana mousse, and the coffee was laden with orange peel flavor and cinnamon. It cost $1.50 and they were generous with refills. Man, the total for 2 entrees, 2 apps, 2 coffees and a dessert was $62! I am being redundant, but this meal was easily worth over $100...
Please check it out, this is a true gem. It's small and clean, great experience... They even take reservations!
Freaking delicious!
I still can't believe this Frontera-like restaurant is nearby.
We tried going on a Friday and walked in to find an hour wait for 2 people. We went again last night (Tuesday) at 7:30 and it was busy but there were open tables. Make a reservation!
Everything was delicious- the empanadas, fish in mole sauce, carne asada, and chocolate cake topped with ice cream and hot fudge. When I go out, I like to taste flavors that I could not whip up in my kitchen and Mixteco succeeded in this area. The seasonings in the fish dish were reminiscent of a dish I had at Frontera. When I went to bed that night I kept thinking about the flavors in the food. To me, this is the sign of a good meal.
But of course Mixteco is not perfect. I wish the dining area was bigger. Also, my husband did not care for the black beans. They had a slight licorice taste, which I didn't mind. Oh, and service....needs a little work.
Remember to bring your adult beverage of choice! I love BYOB.
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I had good service when I went last week and no wait for 2 on Friday night. They kept the water full, the table clean, and the beers cold but our waiter was a little bit pokey. Liked the fact it was small and intimate, but is at a busy intersection which took away from the ambiance. Really enjoyed the ceviche. Slightly overpriced in my opinion and a limited selection (especially since my girlfriend can't eat mole because nobody seems to know if they make it with nuts or not), but BYOB kept the tab reasonable. Agreed though, probably not somewhere I'd come back to if we didn't live close bye.
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This place has been many things in the last few years...burger joint, diner, and who-knows-what. None of them ever lasted very long. From my first visit at Mixteco last Sunday, I think the restaurant is going to buck the trend. First off, it's nearly always busy as I pass by. Sunday evening was no exception, with just a couple of tables open (in addition to some cute spaces at the "counter," which is obviously a hold out from the diner days).
Even though we were asked if we had a reservation, we were seated immediately. The excellent waitstaff immediately went to work, pouring our BYOB beers in chilled mugs and taking the rest of the 6-pack to the cooler. Our server then set down a basket of chips and instead of the usual pico de gallo salsa, a bowl of tangy, fresh salsa verde.
The appetizers were delicious. The sopas were served with three different fillings, pork, chicken, and mushroom. The pork had a nice chipotle flavor while the mushrooms had an earthy, smoky texture. The chicken was a little disappointing because I was looking for more tomatillo flavor (as described in the menu). It ended up being a little bland. The ceviche, however, hit the mark; fresh and citrusy with a hint of heat from the chili.
After much debate, M and I chose fish entrees; trout for her, mahi mahi for me. The trout was a large portion and came wrapped in a banana leaf. The poblano cream sauce was an excellent compliment to the fish. My order was cooked perfectly, tender and flaky with grilled flavor. It was served with thin, julienned roast vegetables and little masa dumplings...all swimming in a tasty green tomatillo sauce.
Unfortunately, we were too full to try any deserts, but the appetizers, entrees, and excellent waitstaff guarantees we'll be back for more.
I ate here with a friend and had the enchilades in the red mole sauce, very delicious, especially with the very spicy habanero salsa. While we waited for a table to open up BYOB'd wine from the liquor store at the corner which was also a pretty good idea.
The place typically has a wait, and when we went at around 7 on a Sunday night, they told us 30 minutes. We decided to wait, but it in fact took less than 10 minutes for the table to open surprisingly. Food was excellent and I want to go back again to try more of the menu. Definitely worth checking out!
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I think all the people who are giving this place 5 stars are just happy that a decent restaurant has opened up in their area. And that's fine, as long as those of us with plenty of good places in our neighborhoods know that this place is just pretty good, not a 5 star experience and not worth waiting in line for or otherwise inconveniencing ourselves for.
That said, I liked the chicken soup, the guacamole was bland and the pork dish my boyfriend had was really good.
Don't go expecting Frontera.
All the people who worked there seemed genuinely happy to be there, except the host who seemed stressed out. Our waiter, Damien, was great.
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Mixteco did not disappoint. A friend and I went for Brunch on Saturday. We enjoyed fast, kind service and excellent food. I had the talapia tacos and guac - she had an egg dish and claimed it was the best she'd had in Chicago. The black beans were out of this world.
I can't wait to go back for dinner and try the pork chop everyone keeps talking about. This is some of the best Mexican food I've had in a long time. It's also REALLY CHEAP.
We read about this place on Yelp and were not disappointed. We had a reservation at 7:30, walked in at 7:34 and our table was ready for us. The best thing about the night besides the food was the service. Everyone was so nice and helpful from the hostess to the waiter to the busboys. The uchepos were AMAZING as was the azteca soup, the trout and pork were above average and the tres leches was really yummy. BYOB a great plus and the prices were reasonable. With 2 soups, an app, 2 entrees dessert and coffee it was a little over $65 with plenty of leftovers. We will be back
Lynn M and I got there at about 9PM on a Friday, without reservations, and had to wait about fifteen minutes to get a table.
Nice, intimate room. Service was great, chips and salsa were tasty and fresh. Small menu, sans the usual taqueria fare -- just the good stuff here. Entrees were fantastic. I had the pork that others have already explained, and their 'hot' sauce is indeed hot.
This probably isn't news, but the chef is from Topolobampo and several other great restaurants, and apparently much of the staff is ex-Frontera.
Get reservations, because this place is going to explode.
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Very flavorful and inventive Mexican food. None of your chimichangas or super burritos here. I had the Pollito (chicken breast only) and was very, very pleased with the flavor. Sampling all of the other dishes at the table led me to believe that there is probably nothing bad on the menu.
Prices range a little higher than a typical taqueria-style restaurant, but the BYOB feature keeps the cost of the entire meal to a reasonable level.
Oh, for half star rating capabilities! Alas, since I cannot - I will weight the food score higher and just let you know why points would be deducted:
Service on the night we went was hardly attentive. A friend and I stood in the doorway for nearly 5 minutes without anyone acknowledging our presence. We finally just decided to sit ourselves down at an empty table.
Also, because of the small size and the open kitchen, I left with my clothes and hair reeking of tortillas and oil. Mind you, that's not the most unpleasant smell in the world to me - but they really need to get some better hoods for their grill because it just wouldn't go away! Not after a shower (for my person) and an airing out (for my jacket).
All in all - I would definitely go again. Check it out!
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Simply wonderful. Yes, its small, and yes its hot, but it has hands down the best Cochinitas Pibil I've had outside of the Yucatan. I'm told the garlic shrimp dish was good too, but my fiance finished hers before she realized I might like to try it. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have the Habenero salsa when we were there (they substituted a wonderful Jalepeno salsa, but it just doesn't pack the same punch), but I guess I'll just have to take another trip. Darn. Top notch food at a very reasonable price (the check could have been 50% higher and I wouldn't have blinked). I'll be back often.
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