La Condesa Restaurant 3

This restaurant has OPENED under new administration about a month ago. All of the staff is the same, the quality is just as good. It isn’t called La Condesa, when I they hadn’t settled on a name. Actually had a name the rest. contest.
Great food. Good Prices.

I go here with friends for dinner about once every couple of months. They have free chips and salsa, the salsa tastes like its homemade, very good. I love their seafood soup, it has fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, octopus… and its all very good in the soup. I’ve also tried their tacos which are above average, and I also tried a really good fish entrée that was cooked with chihuahua cheese wrapped in a corn husk.
Go here for some authentic mexican entrees and soup!

I met some friends of mine here for a hangover lunch a couple of weeks ago. One of them asked me if I was gonna Unilocal about it. Obviously we all know the answer to that one eh? So, here it goes.
I’ve been to this place numerous times. It’s always been on the weekends and I’m always in need of tons of food b/​c apparently all the heavy lifting (ie beer curling) leaves me ravenous the next day.
Upon being seated, the server sets you up with water and chips and salsa. Which is great because at least I have some nibblies to tide me over while I wait for my grub. I always, always start with the coctel de camaron. The cocktail sauce is very thin and stuffed with huge chunks of avocado. Super refreshing. I ask for easy cilantro b/​c cilantro isn’t really my thing. A generous portion of large shrimp floating around. So good. Last time I was there, I got steak with pasilla sauce and cheese. OH MY GOD! The portion was huge and I’m just staring at it like «there’s no way I’m gonna finish this». WRONG — I devoured the whole thing. It was phenom. And don’t get me started on the tortillas. Handmade, served warm. Just heaven! I normally get a michelada with my meal. It’s a kind of like a bloody mary with beer instead. Very good.
So I know what you’re thinking. After that glowing review, why only four stars? Well, it’s a tad pricey. I mean — it’s worth it, the portions are huge, but being surrounded by a plethora of mexican food, a $ 30 lunch is kind of nuts. I keep going back though. Also, I have never waited for less than 30 minutes. They are always packed! I hate having to smell all that deliciousness while I sit there famished. TEASE!

Ugh! This place is disgusting! From the bland coffee with a weird nutmeg/​cinnamon thrown in to trick your nose into thinking the coffee tastes good… I ordered the tampiquena (steak with enchilada, rice & beans and guacomole). First the enchilada was just a floppy tortilla smothered in the grossest mole sauce. The steak seemed like it had been boiled and then put on a pan for a few minutes. The meat was just so bland and chewy. A true disappointment. The rice had obviously been sitting for a while and rehehated and the beans came out such a disgustingly mauvy grey color, that I couldn’t bear to continue past the first tasted. We spent $ 24 on our meal. Boyfriend had chicken enchiladas with green sauce and it came out topped with a sickening amount of half-​melted cheese. Tasteless mole also concealed a shit-​ton of sour cream. We didn’t even attempt to finish.
The free chips and salsa was the only saving grace of the meal. La Condesa is so close to our house, I was hoping it was going to be a good meal…

ok food is good the service so-​so a like the micheladas i always order la combinacion condesa is a huge plater i think is for 2 person and the tortillas homemade …

Sow but pleasent server. Slow drink, slow food. Okay I can deal with that if the food is killer, but that is far from the case. Maybe it is me but the quality of the food and the taste were not up to par for Pilson or Detrioti for that matter
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My food (chix enchalotas) was very poor. The meat was old! I hope I don’t get sick. Very large portions, tasteless beans and rice that was bland.
Wifes stake tacos were made from a very poor cut of beef that had a tenderizer taste and tecture. Crumbles under your tooth with no bite or taste. I have had mucho better tacos at lots of places here in Chicago that had fresh meat, and got them fast.
The best I can say about this place is free parking and a full bar.

T his place is horrible trust me there are plenty more great Mexican restaurants out there to enjoy contact me to recommend some great ones… This chain of restaurants was at one point one of the best in Chicago… Great food, some had live entertainment, and good service there is no more to ask… The bigger they got though the worst the food and service got… The last time i went here food was cold not properly cooked and service was terrible… All for an all to expensive price for what you get… Not the place it once was in the 90s. It’s kind of ridiculous to me how bad this place has gotten.

I love Mexican food. A lot. Really, a lot, and paired with a good margarita… it could make my head explode.
I came her last night with a friend of mine because we wanted to go somewhere new, where we could get a drink. First thing I didn’t care for, they will not split a check, which is annoying when I don’t have the thinking ahead skills to get cash. boo.
Everything else was pretty much ok. When we were seated we were immediately brought chips and salsa and water, yay! The salsa was really good, kind of smokey. I ordered the chicken burrito meal. It was quite good. I could only finish half because it’s huge and comes with rice and beans and a little «salad». It struck me was very meat heavy which I’m sort of eh towards. I had the rest for lunch today, yum reheated burrito, I also discovered all the cheese I thought was missing, I preferred the cheese heavy half today to the meat heavy half last night.
As a warning, they are not exactly veg-​friendly. There aren’t really veggie options listed on the menu which had my meatless friend a little discouraged. She ordered the torta, veggie style. I was pleasantly surprised by how enthusiastic the waitress was about the special order. When it came is was piled very high with avocado. Like one whole avocado, with lettuce and tomato and things that go on tortas.
We both ordered margaritas. They were good, not as strong as I would make at home, but yummy and I didn’t have to do the work so I was okay with it. I’m not sure I would come here if you’re looking for a top notch marg experience though. It was solid but not mind-​blowing.
Overall, a decent meal, for a pretty reasonable price considering the drinks.

After driving by this converted old Burger King restaurant for awhile now, I finally ventured in for dinner at La Condesa and was pleasantly surprised.
We were seated promptly and ordered some guacamole to go with the chips and salsa that was placed before us. Before we could even order our dinner, two strolling guitarists (dressed like they were in a mariachi band) were playing at our table and asking for requests. They chose «Amore» which was kinda funny as I was there with a friend, but we laughed about it and watched as they moved around the restaurant entertaining people. What a fun way to start out our experience!
We then ordered off the menu some of the most authentic Mexican food I have had in awhile which came up promptly and was quite good– although the chipolte sauce gave a bit more smokiness to my friend’s entrée than he would have liked. Dinner and drinks for two came to just under $ 50 so know that this is not a cheap Mexican place although there are some cheaper entrees on the menu than what we ordered.
We were the only table in the place that was not speaking Spanish and the place was full on a Monday night with families and couples. The language issue was only a problem when I called to make sure that they were open on a Monday as the person who answered the phone did not speak English but he quickly found someone to talk to me.
The oddest thing? The entire property is encircled by a 12 foot high chain link fence. As you are looking out the window onto Ashland, you wonder what they are keeping out…or is it us that they are keeping in?
Either way– the food is good enough to warrant staying awhile so if they wanted to lock me in, I’d be okay. .. .that is until the food ran out. Give it a shot when you are in the neighborhood.

I have been going here for years and it hasn’t changed a bit. Great food and a good price. you can’t beat it. I would not suggest the margaritas, but I see many folks ordering them so maybe its just me. I go for the steak tacos and enchiladas. Their salsas are very fresh and yummy. WIN WIN !!

Great place for dinner, or the hangover brunch. I love the filete arrachera, and have also had decent ceviche here. Even when there is a crowd, the wait to be seated is always reasonably short because of the efficient table service and quick turnover. Ample parking in the lot, and conveniently located off Ashland ave.

Don’t mean to be a buzz kill because other reviews of this place are great. Really? I even double checked the address to make sure I was in the same place.
We did get seated right away, but waited a long time before getting any chips or asking about drinks. I can understand if it’s the dinner or lunch hour it wasn’t there were empty tables.
The waiter comes and we give him our whole order because we had plenty of time to look over the menus. I hoped from that point it would get better. Service was very slow.
The food was okay. Nothing to go out of our way for. Getting a refill of the water or an additional drink was painful, waiter couldn’t be found at all.
They do give you plenty of food, we had leftovers and wanted to take them and get the check, again no waiter. So we waved down a waitress going by, asked her to tell him we’d like to get our stuff to go and the check. All she did was go up to the register and talk to the cashier. So I got up and went to the register to ask for the containers and request that they get the waiter.
I’ve dealt with snippy and slow service, and if the food is great. Well I’ll overlook it, because after all, it’s about the food. But this topped it, the guy never came to check on us, not once. Each time we had to hunt him down.
The only plus about this place is that they have a parking lot. I don’t know what the cars on the north side of the lot that have for sale signs are about and some look abandoned, lots of grass growing underneath them.
I’ve heard that when mercury goes retrograde, communication gets mixed up. Perhaps our waiter needs to check his calender to see that mercury is no longer in retrograde.
You couldn’t pay me to go here again, life’s too short.

At first glance, the prices are higher than most Mexican food joints, but the portions are enormous. Since I am a torta fiend, I tend to size up a restaurant serving Mexican food by their tortas and La Condesa’s torta definitely rocked my world.

I love this restaurant. They serve very good food at a decent price.
Usually you don’t have to wait long to be seated but if you go on weekends around lunch time or on holidays, you have to wait up to 45 minutes or an hour! Once you are seated, the busboy brings a yummy basket of fresh chips and warm salsa in a molcajete.
Drinks are basic: domestic and imported beer, mixed drinks, and domestic and Mexican soda as well as Horchata, lemonade, and orangeade. I love their Pina Colada!
I usually order a Tampiquena dish which is grilled skirt steak with a mole enchilada, rice, beans, guacamole, and grilled onions. Their tortillas are handmade but I don’t like them because they’re on the thicker side and that just fills you up too soon. All their red meat dishes are delicious but I’m not a fan of their seafood. My husband does love their oysters!
I would definitely recommend this restaurant for someone looking for good Mexican food!

I live and work in the neighborhood and discovered this place with the Mexicans I work with.
LOVE this joint — one of my two favorite places in Chicago (so far…) — the other is Nuevo Leon…
I’ve only been here twice, but I found myself ordering the SAME thing both times because it is simply amazing. I always get the guacamole and for the entrée, the shrimp in chile sauce. Delicious plump shrimp doused in a red chipoltle (?0 chili sauce with a side of rice and beans. They always bring FRESH hand made tortillas (choice of corn or flour).
This is by no means a CHEAP restaurant in Mexican food terms. I thihk my shrimp dish runs about $ 15. I’ve never had the margaritas, just Dos Equis. which is always good :)
Oh, and if you’re an oyster lover — you can get a few dozen to slurp down here too!

There’s something really special about having beer with breakfast and I always get that at La Condesa.
When my Mexican friends recommend a Pilsen restaurant, I know that it will be awesome and this was no exception! We came here for brunch and enjoyed a cold brew along with spicy ham, cheese and onion omelets. SO GOOD! Who would have known that beans and rice would go so well with breakfast foods?
I’m glad I just live up the street, because I will be coming here a lot.

i strongly believe that the best mexican comes from restaurants situated in former fast food joints, and i’m always on the lookout for that burger king-​turned-​restaurante to brighten my day. When I saw La Condesa there, chainlink fence surrounding the parking lot, I knew it had to have the best margaritas and mexican food around. And I was RIGHT!
Seriously.
This is Mexican the real way– with «Tex-​Mex» taking a backseat below breakfast on the menu, and the chafing dish full of seafood taking top honors. The shrimp soup is loaded with its namesake, and the margaritas are not made from a mix. Service is super fast and even mid-​afternoon the place is hopping. When you’re the only Anglo in a packed joint, you know it’s good. Open 8am– midnight.

I love this place. The Margritas are great. The parking is great. However I don’t agree with John. The only thing I’ve gotten from here and not liked is the enchilada’s with the mole on them. The Mole seemed over cooked and almost dry. I have liked mole in the past, but I don’t like this one. I think mole should be smooth. One of the favorite things that I like about this place is that during the dinner hours they typically have live music which helps you embrace the atmosphere.