Frontera Fresco

For a fast casual restaurant, this is 5 star food. Both soups and sandwiches are delicious. If you enjoy tortilla soups, you have to try this one. When you add chicken, it makes a great light lunch.
Other than a soup, the prices do seem somewhat high for this type of restaurant. The pepito sandwich is spot on for those who enjoy something a little heavier but 10 bucks without drinks or a side is a little steep. The biggest problem for this restaurant is seating. A busy summer day or around the holidays and you will have to stand around waiting for someone else to finish up. So if you go during a busy time, be prepared for a slower meal.

More than dependable food, Fresca raises the bar above the usual sports pub, 1000 item menu chains (you know who you are!) in this mall. While service can be spotty (especially when it’s busy), the food is outstanding and echoes Rick Bayless’ other culinary outings in the big city. Standouts are the tortilla soup which is rich and complex, pepito tortas or huaraches with braised short ribs and incredibly fresh sweet corn tamales. They don’t use masa flour and its apparent, just fresh ground corn as if it were picked off the stalk and a side of salsa verde. Good balance of sweet, sour and a bit of heat. Speaking of heat, the Conchinita torta will burn the unholy hell out of your mouth! I can handle hot, but with the habanero sauce it comes with, that takes you straight to the pit of Hades itself. Let the diner beware.

I have given this place so many chances. Again, I come here on my lunch break, it takes 20 minutes for ONE taco, and it comes with cold cheese that’s not even close to being melted like it should. Terrible service too… when I asked for them too add onions the lady just through it on top without saying a word and no smile or anything. ZERO customer service.

I’ve been wanting to try Frontera Fresco for so long now, and finally got around to it this past weekend. We weren’t too terribly hungry, so we opted for a quick bite to share — the fully dressed guacamole. I thought it was pretty good, but definitely not better than what is offered at Rick Bayless’ other casual restaurant, Xoco. The guac was layered instead of mixed and served in a tiny plastic cup, with a whole basket of tortilla chips on the side. It would make much more sense to put the guac on a little plate of some sort for easier dipping, or maybe even pour the guac directly onto the chips. Every time I scooped out of the cup, I’d get a load of corn, but no avocado. The experience itself was good, service was quick (though we ordered something that didn’t require the grill), and I would like to try an entrée next time. We sat right by the grill and watched their quesadillas being made. They smelled so good!

I adore the quac with Cotija cheese. I would eat it every day.

At Old Orchard, every restaurant is overpriced. Make no exception with Frontera Fresco. However, I don’t mind the food at all and I do place it higher in quality than their mall competition, Uncle Julio’s. This tiny joint packs a punch, offering similar tacos to those you find in amazing hole-​in-​the-​wall joints in chicago; yet punching it up a bit with their fancy soups, salads, and designer tortas.
I work at this mall, so I’ve put in my time and I don’t feel bad making minor adjustments to my order. When I go, I get the Chipolte Chicken Cesar Salad. I substitute the croutons with the tortilla strips (found on the other salad they offer), remove the onions, and I make them add extra cilantro. When Frontera Fresco opened, it seemed like all the Eastern Europeans were complaining because there was too much cilantro in the dishes. I heard it more than once and each time it was like nails on a chalkboard to hear, but I didn’t say anything. Of course, the wannabe snotty clientele won and everything about their dishes has changed since they first opened. I still like it over Uncle Julio’s. I just wish Frontera would keep it real and offer a big-​as-​your-​head carne asada burrito for $ 7 without skimping on the meat for us blue-​collar mall savages. We work up quite the appetite putting up with the nonsense of the shoppers that come here.
The staff is awesome and they are food-​service warriors. Treat them nice as I have known some of them for years as they have worked other departments inside Macy’s. I cannot describe to you how poorly I see them treated by shoppers every time I go here to order food. I hope those ornery people are tipping well! If Macy’s donated more space, this little restaurant would be a good spot for after-​work drinks with friends. Solid food. The staff gets it done.

Thought it was just slightly overpriced, but some of the best tacos I’ve ever had. I had the chorizo butternut and short rib tacos. I had no trouble and healing them both in the salsa was very fresh. I would definitely come back. Service was also great. Took me a while to get the food, but it is freshly prepared. know that my meal is over I feel great and tingly. It is and set of old orchard mall so I guess were paying for the location as well.

I don’t think service can get ANY slower. It’s ridiculous. Even when they’re not busy, it takes forever. Only come here if you have time to waste and want mediocre food

Great salad, good guacamole. The 3 mushroom torta was a disaster. Too much acidity and goat cheese flavor. Did not taste any cremini, oyster or shitake.

food was definitely on the pricey side. $ 4 + for a taco and almost $ 10 for a torta.
ive tried the.
garlic shrimp taco (pickled red onion, wild arugula, cilantro crema, smokey garlic mojo) — ehh it was a bit too sour. i feel like they over did it with all the sauce and stuff and made my taste buds confused.
steak taco (onion, cilantro, avocado) — nothing special. needs more meat in there.
pepito torta (braided short rib, black beans, artisan jack cheese, pickled jalapeño, wild arugula, and cilantro crema) — taste like a average pull pork sandwich
cubana torta (smoked pork loin, bacon, artisan jack cheese, black beans, cilantro crema, chipotle mustard, chipotle chile, avocado) — it was pretty good… the flavor wasnt all over the place. the pressed bread was awesome. everything on this torta just goes well together.
I give this place a 2.5 — 3 stars. nothing really to be wow’ed about. was expecting a little more from Rick Bayless then this. only thing I would come back for is the cubana torta.

This place used to be great but lately my visits have been less than satisfying. The food isn’t as great as it used to be, it feels all is rushed and not as much detail. The cleanliness is questionable I noticed the lack of it one day I was the only one there and had time to actually look around and observe. I don’t know about this place lately…

Tacos for take out and absolutely no complaints here!
Parking can be a challenge, but after that, breeze in, swipe the called in order, roar back to the dwelling (or temporary dwelling in my case, I can’t wait to get back to the city) and chow down!
I had the Cochinita Pibil tacos consisting of «roasted pulled pork with pickled red onions, and cilantro» with double wrapped corn shells– they were out of this world.
A friend had the chicken tacos and heartily approved.
Yes, it is a well known chef, but it is fast food. I was pleasantly surprised!

I’ve been here a few times now just because the location is conveniently located by Macys. If you come on the weekend, it is beyond packed so be prepared to wait. I’ve learned the hard way that there service is pretty slow so I honestly just get a take out order since that seems to move much faster. So the place is not exactly a Xoco or a frontera grill but it is pretty good. You order your food, you should definitely get the guacamole because they definitely do that right. The chips, however are kind of eh. They are warm but not as crisp as I’ve had. They aren’t the ones that make you want to eat a whole basket of chips to where you feel super stuffed after.
Now onto the sandwiches, I’ve had the chipotle chicken torta which is a large portion so if I’m with a friend I usually get one to share so value for the price is good at about $ 10. It has spicy chicken, avocado, spicy sauce and some other things that are tasty. Is it good and better than panera or corner bakery? I think so. Is it amazing and am I craving it at this very moment like I am the tortas at XOCO? Nope. It’s too spicy to the point where I like it but I can’t taste all the other flavors that it’s supposed to have, but if I smother it with extra guacamole it kind of takes away the spice.
So overall, it’s a nice little go to spot at the mall when you’re hungry and want a quick bite. However, if you want it quick, don’t wait and get a table because their service takes forever, so I would just do carry out and sit elsewhere when the weather is nice and enjoy.
I’m glad this spot is here but it’s not a spot that I would go to all the time after my shoe shopping is complete at Nordstrom.

Huge fan of Frontera; every menu item is complex and has so much flavor. Never had a bad meal here. Current favorite is the Chipotle Chicken Torta!
Only reason they don’t get 5 stars is because the staff has messed up my order EVERY time, so make sure if you’re getting something to go that you keep your receipt and check your bag before you head out to chow down.

This location is a tiny one located at Old Orchard by the Macys! It is ALWAYS packed, so be prepared to stalk a table (inside or outside). Guests are usually courteous and leave once they are done eating, which opens up tables consistently. The food is really good, made to order, and takes some time to get to you. So, don’t expect fast food! Wait is usually 10 – 15 minutes depending on how busy they are.
The chipotle chicken torta is my absolute favorite item on the menu! The chipotle chicken flat bread is good as well and just tastes healthier because of all the lettuce on it. I prefer the torta though! YUM! My tummy gets happy just thinking about it! My husband loves the cubana torta. The guacamole is good and you can add various toppings to it. I have yet to try the tacos, but I don’t think you can go too wrong, they are pricier than a taqueria though. The roasted corn and Poblano chowder was very good! I want to try the tortilla soup next time!
They serve beer and wine there. I enjoy the agua frescas (lime, mango, and some other flavors). The mango is on the sweet side. I love the lime! :)
Always eat here before I start shopping… need the fuel! :)

After a shoe shopping adventure at Nordstrom (always an adventure when kids are involved) it was time for lunch. We thought about walking over to our old standby, epic burger, but since we were short on time decided to try the nearby Frontera Fresco. It’s also happens to be my favorite dining destination when at Ohare airport.
While ordering I learned that all the Frontera Frescos are franchises and owned by different people. This one happens to be owned by Macy’s and doesn’t serve any bfast food (bummer) like they do at the airport. The service also moves way slower than at the airport. If I had ordered at the airport I may have missed my flight by the time we were finally served 1 cheese quesadilla (for the kids) and 2 salads (for the adults). The few people occupying the other tables had the same complaint about the service.
Of course after waiting more than 30 minutes for her quesadilla my daughter managed to drop hers on the floor after just 1 bite. Before the tears could start the manager ran over to say he’d get us another quesadilla within a few minutes & even gave her a bowl of chips to munch on while she waited. She was all smiles again and Frontera Fresco earned a 3^rd star from me just for that.
My salad was OK. Not quite as good as the food I’ve experienced at other Rick Bayless restaurants, but it was fine.
I wouldn’t be opposed to giving them another shot, but based on the food, slow service, lack of space/​tables, etc next time I’d probably walk the extra few minutes to Epic Burger, The Bagel, etc.

One of the many Rick Bayless restaurants. All the food that Rick Bayless creates is like a good explosion in your mouth. Every bite has unique flavors that speak the language of deliciousness.
They have all the selection that come with a Rick Bayless mexican restaurant. My favorites are usually the tortas, most notably the Tortas Cubano. Love love love this place!

The only negative is that this place is tiny, and there’s not a lot of room to sit. This place is so popular that the line was out the door.
Everything is made fresh and the staff is really friendly. Had the steak torta and it was fantastic!

Great great great guacamole! Had it twice over the course of two weeks.
Tasty tortas as well, though for vegetarian fare the roasted garlic mushroom tacos are the way to go. The wait can be long at peak lunch hours, but the food is the best I’ve had in Old Orchard. Free refills on soft drinks, too!

Love this place, particularly considering the dearth of options at Old Orchard and in Skokie in general.
I’ve tried most things on the menu, but particularly recommended the tacos and the tortas. I love the torta cubana, but it’s enormous, so frequently opt for a couple of tacos or a salad instead. I love all the tacos, but I actually don’t recommend the shrimp– in my experience, there’s not much, and it can be kind of cold. My fiancé loves the quesadillas, which come with a small side salad. Loaded guacamole is a must– we fight over the bacon on the top!
If you’re hungry at Old Orchard, consider this your only option.