Xoco

This spot was ok. Rick Bayless is a cool dude and all, but prices here are way too high for what you get. My margarita was on happy hour, but it was just ok but my barbacoa was so fatty and so expensive. I mean, I had Chipotle yesterday and had a bigger serving of less fatty barbacoa in a bowl for $ 8.
Guac was good, but I didn’t care for the build your own guac concept.
Bottom line, for the price, no thanks. I have enjoyed a better meal at Rick’s Frontera at O’Hare.

Food was very good but pricey. I’d say price would be worth it however the bartender did not make me want to stick around. He was not very attentive and we were the only 2 seated at the bar. Will be back to try nightly specials and hope for better service.

Great manager and service at this location. This is our go to place when we have friends visiting. Love the home made churros with the goat cheese caramel sauce. The roasted chicken is one of my favorite dishes in all of Chicago. Super tender and full of flavor.

Food was ok but in a busy area in Logan square. With all the restaurants in Logan square, I would honestly go somewhere else that is better. I love Japanese food and there are plenty to choose from. If I don’t feel like that then there’s plenty of bars.
Overall food was ok, staff was really nice but prices are high! I bought a torta for $ 12 and it wasn’t really big either.
We did get some free churros because they dropped some plastic cups off the counter on to our table area. The churros would have been really good if they cooked it for a bit longer. They were chewy so they dough was not cooked enough.
Disappointed in this place after having great food at Frontera.

Love this place. It’s definitely a great place to stop in to have some killer drinks and enjoy some DELICIOUS food with friends.
To start, everything is great. No like seriously. I have never gone to this place and had a «well, this is alright» experience about the food. It’s like delicious. I might be drooling right now thinking about it.
I always get the chilaquiles because they are so rich and gooey that it’s so worth every bite of this splurge. Sure, I eat chilaquiles like once a week but hot damn, these are amazing. The salsa verde is tangy and has just the right amount of heat. The eggs are always cooked right. And all the ingredients are local!
My friends always get this one chicken dish, takes a bit longer to come out, but they are always moments away from licking their plates until I remind them that they’re in public and seriously they need to act like grown ups.
Next, the drinks. Wowzers! They’re great! These are not those watered down margaritas, folks. They’re perfectly crafted boozy cocktails that take even the most boring night and turn it into a glorious evening of tequila heaven.
The service is top notch. Never rushed, so you can have a really great leisurely dinner, but very, very attentive.
Stop in and you will not be disappointed!

1 star given to the venue. Great job with the layout, design, and décor. There is also patio seating (partially covered which is a plus if it’s raining).
1 additional star for the staff/​service. We had a wonderful waiter. He even brought me a sample of their premade xoco margarita to taste to make sure I’d like it. It was supposed to have a twist of cucumber taste, but it didn’t. It tasted like a regular margarita. I went with the Paloma and wasn’t disappointed! It tasted great!
Unfortunately that’s where the good impressions stopped.
We ordered:
Poloze w/​chicken (soup) — overall a good dish, good priced, healthy portion of meat and veggies. It could have used more seasoning just to give it more of an authentic spicy kick.
Fundido Chorizo — not your average chorizo, and by that I mean quite sub par! Tasted like Velveeta mixed with small cuts of veggies sans chorizo! It was sent back.
Chicken enchiladas — mind you, for $ 20 you’d expect this to be a good, filling dish. It was everything short of it. 3 thick, soggy tortillas holding sweet mixture of chicken and black beans. Super disappointed!
Overall, good drinking spot, the crowd was lively and the bar area was full. It seemed like people came here to pre game and grab a torta and apps, rather than coming here for a full dinner, and I don’t blame them!

Not impressed with my lunch…
We ordered a Cubano Torta, Xoco salad with carnitas and guacamole.
I was expecting Bayles mind blowing food and I got a bunch of over seasoned food.
The guacamole was basic. The only thing different is they sprinkled chicharon which basically did not change the taste. For 9 dollars the only thing I got from Bayles was an over priced guacamole.
The torta was gross!!! The Cuban torta had way too much going on inside. Every bite was so rich it’s really difficult to eat. The taste was so incredibly salty. I don’t understand how Bayles allows this to be served. I had to scrape off sauce and remove a piece of bacon. I stripped it down one bread. I was only able to eat half.
The salad was so sour!!! Just too much it made it not edible. The rest of the ingredients just did not complement or help the salad.
The only thing I liked was the carnitas on top of the salad. They were very well seasoned and tender.
I love Bayless food but what I ordered was a complete miss.

Margaritas… wow. The loaded guac… unreal. It was a brief encounter, but rest assured this place is worth stopping into… even for ‘just one’ (drink).
Cheers

The absolute worst service. Sat there at our table for over 20 minutes without any server coming. To add insult to injury when we walked out and told the host he was like oh ok. Basically didn’t give a hoot and then people wonder why businesses go under.
Management needs to pay attention because I wonder how many others have been in the same situation

Rick Bayless does it again! I love everything about his Xoco in River North and finally made it out to try this in the heart of Wicker Park. I went on a weekday for lunch after the 12 o’clock crowd so there was plenty room for my friend and I. The AC was blasting in there so it was quite chilly. The décor is really cool with so many nice modern Mexican art pieces.
We were immediately greeted by our server who knew the menu very well and gave us some recommendations. I got the hibiscus juice which I really like but can be too sweet so I mix it with the sparkling water and it’s amazing! We got the sopes for appetizer. These were the best thing we ate! The meat was so incredibly tender with the sauce and cheese… delicious perfection! My friend got the chicken torta and I got the special of the day seafood paella. My friend said his torta was good but dry and he used the meat from the leftover sopes to put in the sandwich and loved it more. My paella was very good as well. It had plenty pieces of shrimp, scallops, muscles in a delicious broth. I would definitely get it again.
The only reason I dropped a star was because it was quite pricey. With no alcoholic drinks and with the order of just 3 dishes it came out to $ 60 (including tip) for a lunch for 2 people. I would go back for a special occasion and can’t wait to do so!
Thanks Bayless!

I went to Xoco a few weeks ago with a few friends. I enjoy Mexican inspired dishes but am not a big spice guy. So initially I was very hesitant to go but the reviews of Xoco were great so I decided to give it a shot.
We arrived at 7pm on a Friday and got a table for 5 right near the kitchen. Our waiter was training in a new employee and was very jovial. I likened him to Jack Black actually because he kinda looked like him and had an infectious personality. The drink menu was vast and featured a great selection of margaritas, beers, tequila and mezcal, We ended up settling on a few margaritas and a few beers and tucked into the chips and guac. The guac was a little too spicy for me but I enjoyed it none the less.
Eventually we turned to the menu. There are a ton of options here and I had trouble deciding what I wanted to eat. I eventually picked the Pollo a la Lena which is a ancho chili garlic marinated half chicken with queso mashed potatoes, salsa, and knob onions. The mashed potatoes got me! The waiter told me it takes a little long to cook given that it’s a half chicken but reassured me it was completely worth it! My mouth was officially watering… The worst part about the menu was the fact that it was dirty and featured old cheese smushed between the pages. That’s a little gross.
Eventually the food arrived and boy was it good! The chicken had some heat to it because of the marinade but the meat was perfectly cooked and so tender and juicy. The mashed potatoes were a little disappointing because I expected a little more queso but I still ate them because they were good. My dish also came with little tortillas which were perfectly cooked, light and fluffy, and mopped up some of the marinade quite well. I had to order another beer to tamp down the fire in my mouth because of the spice but it was all worth it.
Would I go back? Of course! The food was great and the service was excellent. If I lived in Wicker Park I’d go here more often! 4 stars.

Honestly, I loved my dinner the other night and was pleasantly overstuffed. Which is crazy to me since I tried their downtown location for brunch and hated it. Hated the cost and the mediocre presentations. Nonetheless the other night I dined with a group of seven. We shared a couple appetizers then dined on tacos, sandwiches, soups and more. Everything came out with a quickness I had not experienced the previous time at a Xoco having far less business.
I think what made this more unique was the ability to share plates. Because of it, I got to sample more of what amazes many of the usual Rick Bayless kind of fans. Am I sold? I dunno. But for the fact that it was easy to see the freshness, the quality, the farm to table awesome and homemade tortillas… I don’t think more needs to be said.

Surprisingly. We went to brunch at wicker park to a place accross From here and those people were pretentious and overpriced. The prices were reasonable and the drinks/​food and service were amazing. So glad we came here
Even with a nasty hangover this place was great. Service made it better. Chilaquiles and torrejA (with bacon crumble) are so good they are the Latino French toast
The margaritas were delicious

3.5÷5
Arrived Saturday around 7:30pm and there was a 30min wait as they don’t accept reservations. Xoco is well, openly lit and had a bright welcoming vibe. Scene wasn’t too loud and is good for a date or a group of friends to hang out. I reviewed the menu while waiting and entrées are in the high teens to twenty range. OH, they have zombie dust on tap so that definitely boosted their score. If you don’t know what zombie dust is, let me know and we’ll taste why it’s so great.
We started the meal with Coctel Rojo (shrimp cocktail in red sauce) and this was a bright balance to the Queso Fundido (baked cheese & poblano in cheese sauce) we had. I wouldn’t order the Queso Fundido again because it’s too much cheesiness with the tortilla. I’m not talking about quesadilla style, but more like the consistency of nacho cheese in a tortilla, making a mess everywhere: not fun to eat, especially on a date. Coctel Rojo cleaned the palette very well and everything about it just lightens your sense. I felt like this was the best going into the entrées.
I had the Saturday special: goat barbocoa. I liked how the meat wasn’t gamey, but was able to tell it was goat meat. The seasoning and spice level was pretty good, but they really need to calm down on their salt. It was like eating tortilla chips at the bottom of the bag that collected all the salt. We also had the mole poblano, and holy mole the chicken was huge: I didn’t expect it to be half a chicken! There’s a vegetarian option for $ 6 less, but come on people, $ 6 for half a chicken at a restaurant is a steal, go MEAT. I was surprised how juicy the chicken was and it was impossible to finish after having appetizers. About 40% of both our plates were leftover. I would strongly suggest getting one appetizer to share, or none even. The portions on the entrées are good enough to be content.
We had the churros with chocolate ice cream. The server was very generous and gave us a big cup of ice cream instead of the small ramekin it normally comes with because we were sharing the dessert (3 churros for $ 5). I wasn’t a big fan of the ice cream because it was too sweet. I actually thought it was mouse based on the texture though the menu clearly said ice cream. Either way the churros by itself was good enough to devour.
Xoco is worth going back knowing how much and what to order. I had 2 apps, 2 entrées, 2 drinks, and dessert that was a little over $ 100. I’ll definitely be cutting back on some of the food next time and substitute it for another beer.

this is only a review of the chocolate + almond milk drink which was four dollars after tip and tax or so. it’s really interesting! Not sure how much sugar or fat was in it, probably more of a dessert thing. Very thick, but because it’s mostly cocoa and almond milk there is not too much sweetness — it’s very short and then gives way to a slightly bitter fruitiness which is nice. A nice alternative to alcoholic drinks here, much appreciated. would go again if i lived in the area!
the two-​paddled fan things here are funny.
our waitperson correctly deduced which credit card went with which person

OK-​XOCO bistro is a fun place, nicely decorated and in the heart of Wicker Park where everything is jamming during the night. Great people watching area too. Xoco has lovely windows to view the neighborhood. Came with my brother, sister in law and the hubs.
Had the barbacoa plate for tacos. It was really good, very heavy but flavorful. Tortillas are so darn tiny but truly NOT, they are the size they are in the streets of Mexico City so you can try many different ones. Really delicious. The special for today were the Chile Rellenos. My sister in law really liked them. Brother and hubs ordered the Carnitas plate for tacos. My husband said they were just OK not crazy flavorful. Brother agreed.
For a drink, I ordered the grapefruit paloma mixed drink. Fricking delicious and refreshing! I would definitely get this in the summer too.
Had the churro for dessert with Aztec chocolate drink, smooth but I would have liked it a touch spicier post dinner with my churro. The churro was deliciously fried, not oily, and tender inside. The drinking chocolate would be ideal for Winter months.
I think I expected so much more but it did do the job. I just keep hearing so much of Rick Bayless’ places, I watch his shows and really wish I was in his kitchen at his place to eat with him! (not gonna happen for sure haha!)
Try it, you may like it. It was a fun place.
Price points were not bad at all.

I came in with some friends just for drinks on a Saturday night. The venue has a great atmosphere! Great service! And yummy drinks! Our bartender was AWESOME!!! He was so helpful and friendly. Great service goes a long way! My paloma was so tasty!!! :)
I can’t wait to go back and try the food… I was eyeing the food at other tables and it looked so yummy! I imagine that it is just as good, if not better, than Frontera!
Definitely check it out. Until next time!

Came here for a quick meet up with a friend on a Friday at 430P. Not many people were there, but happy hour was well on its way, and was just getting crowded as time passed by. Great service at the bar, and gave great suggestions on food and beer. Had the fundido that came with tortillas and salsa (so you can make a taco basically). We had the seasonal fundido and had a great texture and crunch and a kick, all in one, just like the bartender said! Some guy sitting next to me had a chicken entrée, and definitely coming back for that! Not to mention they had three Floyds zombie dust on draft!!! (it’s true, many – including myself — judge bars by the beers on their draft system).
I am always in wicker park and always passed this restaurant on the corner, I am so happy I finally got to try it out today! Hidden gem. Must try :)

Wasn’t impressed with this place…
I ordered a dip made from pumpkin seeds, which was too rich. It had an interesting, earthy taste, but was a little on salty side. It came with celery and jicama, but I couldn’t finish it.
The Aztec hot chocolate was okay. It was slightly spicy and not too sweet as I expected, but I thought it would be thicker and more chocolatey.
The special chicken dish I ordered took 20 minutes to make… and I thought it would be something super amazing… but it turned out to be a regular half chicken that was nicely marinated. I don’t think that was worth the wait. The mashed potatoes were buttery with good texture, but the green onions were somewhat inedible.
I probably will not choose to come back. Rick Bayless is good, but I think this restaurant is too much, and is on the pricier side, especially for Mexican food.

I have been a long time Bayless fan and wanted to try one of his restaurants during our Chicago visit. We tried coming on a Saturday night and were told it would be a 1.5 hour wait. We came back on Sunday and were seated immediately!
We got a great table in the front corner of the restaurant overlooking the street. The food was tasty but a bit overpriced for what it was. That said, the service was friendly, the margaritas were smooth and we had a great evening.
Chips and salsa were good although we had a bit of a debate over the quality of the chips. One person said they were overcooked and salty, someone else said oily. I thought they were just right! Salsas were red and green. The tomatillo version lacked a bit of kick.
We shared an order of sopes. I thought these were good although the beef could have been a bit more flavorsome.
The mains were the highlight. The carnitas were tender with just the right amount of fat. The same for the pibil. The chicken mole was delicious and, I’m pleased to say, much better than any version I tried while traveling in Oaxaca. The chilaquiles were gooey, cheesy and the perfect comfort food. I’d like to come back for a big plate of them next time!
The churros were also hot and crunchy. A great way to end the meal.
Overall, a great meal although a bit pricey for what it was — $ 240 for four of us. But definitely worth stopping in for a try if you’re in the area!