Pit bull playing, not a Carlos-o-Kelley's, if you know what i'm sayin (which is a good thing)
Cheese dip thin, service friendly but a little slow bc not many servers and place was busy. Â
my boo said his chimi had lots of chicken, very big portion.
my meal had shrimp that were juicy and cooked perfectly, fresh avocado
Eh, it's ok. Â I had to add hot sauce to the salsa - to a true Mexican food lover - that could be pretty bad! Â I asked for a hotter salsa and they brought one, it was really hot, so I mixed the two together and walla! Â A happy medium. Â The meal was ok. Â I just happened to be in the area, since they are far away I wod probably not go back or if in the area I'd try something else.
Review Source:Very unfriendly welcome at front door! Â Fajita salad was a soupy mess... Very "heavy"!! And when the waiter asked me how it tasted, and I showed him how "runny" the whole salad was, he admitted they pour cheese sauce on it, and then walked away!! Â Guacamole was tasteless. Service was pretty good... kept the free soda refills coming non stop. Â Portions good!
Unfortunately, an hour later and all 4 of us feel sick to our stomachs.
Not likely to try this one again...
Came here on a suggestion from a local and I definitely felt full. Beware, the chips can be addicting. The food was good and was pretty basic Mexican fare. Nothing blew me away, but it did the trick. If anything it was brought out quick and was the size of the plate.
The only thing that kind of grossed me out was the bathrooms. They were kinda smelly which took away from my meal.
I agree with the reviewer below, I can't understand the four star ratings. Â We hadn't been here in some time and I wanted some spinach enchiladas. Â
1. Â Walked in and three of the people at the front just looked at us, no greeting. Â They waited for the girl behind and to the left to greet us. Â This is stand procedure here.
2. Â Menu has changed, spinach aren't on the menu so I tried the spinach quesadilla. Â It wasn't a fresh spinach item, it was mixed with some type of something to make it white and creamy, like creamed spinach gone wrong.
3. A pet peeve is going to a restaurant and smelling like grease/food when you leave. Â Last night was awful, clothes, hair, coat, the inside of my purse.....even my husband commented.
Will never go back.....need to find 'real' Mexican food, this is not it.
I used to frequent this place quite a bit when I lived right by there, and I kind of miss it. Its a quick, cheap, tasty mexican place with half priced margaritas on mondays or tuesdays.. I don't remember. Anywhere where I can have 3 drinks, be completely stuffed, and everything tastes good for $20 is a win in my book
Review Source:My husband and I both got chimichangas. Â He got pork and I got chicken. Â They were both seasoned and cooked well. Â The pico de gallo and guacamole tasted freshly made but you don't get much of either. Â We didn't care much for their rice, it was dry and didn't have much flavor.
It is close to home, beer was cold and cheap, salsa was good, chips were a little hard, service was good. Â We will go back but it's not much different than any other mexican restaurant.
This is my is wife's and my favorite Mexican place. If you like Ceviche, you need to try it here. The same goes for their Texas Margarita's. The prices are very reasonable and the service is very good. Carlos and his crew are very friendly. The people are one of the main reasons that we keep going back.
Review Source:Great place to have dinner with a group of friends.
PROS:
-Margaritas = good
-Quesadillas = FANTASTIC
-Free chips & salsa (salsa is perfect!)
-Latin music
CONS:
-Service can be slow if you're in a group
-Chimichanga was terrible
Overall, friendly service and good food. Â If you're crusing down Route 59 and want Mexican, it's a more inexpensive choice than On the Border (but OTB has better margaritas however VERY Americanized Mexican food there). Â Friaco's is a good choice compared to the restaurants in the immediate area.
Whats not to love about a Whale tank sized frozen Margreta. The Margreta special here is not to be missed. You can actually almost take a swim in them they are so big here. The atmosphere here is also great. i love how the tables are on different levals and it is almost like eating outside someplace in mexico. The staff here is also always super firendly. For dinner I had the Cheese Enchladias. They were very good. here and cooked exactly the way I like them. I also really enjoy the chips and salsa. The salsa is nice and spicy and has great flavor. All and all a great place for mexican food!!
Review Source:My Tuesday spot for margaritas. Chips and salsa are very good and I usually order a half size of the fajita nachos (combo chicken and steak).
I'm usually there around 6pm so the place isn't crowded. Yes, there are regulars that sit at the bar and eventually you get to know them.
I'm always trying out other Mexican restaurants and this is always in the top 5.
Carlos (the owner) usually makes his rounds so don't be afraid to speak up if something isn't right.
LOVE Friaco's! We stopped in on a whim, and probably hit it once a week for lunch ever since! They lunch specials are great portioned and prices from $4 - $8.
The "cheese dip" is PHENOMENAL. My boyfriend and I clear nearly two baskets of chips (which are light, crisp, & amazingly delish) every time we get the cheese. My boyfriend says they have the perfect salsa, a good mix of saucy & chunky with a medium spice.
We have had the fajitas, nearly every "Friaco's" named special (Friaco's Burrito, Friaco's Chimi, etc.), and have not once had a single complaint. The rice is average, but the beans are great. The steak and chicken marinades are flavorful and everything has a little *kick* to it (not to be confused with "hot" or "spicy" it is noticeable but mildly so) which is how I feel Mexican food should be. You cannot go wrong with this menu, there are options for everyone, including the kiddies.
Service has always been great. We have had a different server each time, and believe the manager actually served us this last Monday. They are always polite, swift, attentive, eager to refill your drink/chips/salsa and make sure everything is going great!
Bottom line: With so many commercial (On the Border) and sketchy (El Famous Burrito) Mexican restaurants in the Aurora/Naperville area, go for the only one guaranteed to give you great food and great service every time - Friaco's!
Love this place. I am addicted to the salsa as well as the fajita nachos. They have this amazing cheese sauce. You can get it in the side as well. A side of it is a  little pricey but worth it. They always have drink specials. Margaritas are good but don't have a lot of alcohol. Been here a lot of times and have never been disappointed.
Review Source:The entire family loves dining at Friacos. The margaritas are great- the chips are salsa are addicting - the food is authentic - service has never been an issue for us - kid friendly. It is our go to place when we are in the mood for Mexican food. Â We have dined there about 2 dozen times.
Review Source:There is one thing I've learned and that thing is that a leader has to make some tough decisions. That's why I went with the chimichangas.
Salsa is good.
Chimichangas are good.
Margaritas are good
Pina coladas are good.
There's nothing about Friaco's that really jumps out and screams authentic Mexican cuisine, but I like it because they have good food at good prices and good service as well.
I recommend coming here for some margaritas and a bite to eat after some shopping at Westfield Fox Valley mall, which it's conveniently located next to.
Holla!!!â„¢
Totally a fan of this place. Â Good Mexican close to home. Â The chips are always fresh and the salsa just a little bit spicy. Â Service is quick and friendly. Â They have an expansive menu, but my favorites are the fajitas and spinach quesadillas. Â The sangria is not the best I've ever had, but the margaritas are top notch. Â Solid place if you're needing some south of the boarder goodness near Fox Valley mall.
Review Source:Like Batman when the Bat signal is raised (for me it's to grab a brew, not save the world), I'm usually there. One day my friend called to meet up at Friacos for their happy hour specials. He ordered the monster margarita and I had a huge stein of draft beer for about $9 each. Along with that we were both offered the free taco bar and chips with salsa. The taco bar was nothing special. In fact, the meat tasted a little too greasy and the tortillas were stale. But hey, who can complain when it's free? And when you're drinking, food flavor really isn't that important; it's just something to soak up the liquor.
The second time I went here (for a proper dinner), I tried the monster margarita. This thing is the size of a big round dinner plate. It's huge and well worth the money. It's also great, just don't expect to be driving yourself home afterwards. I'm not a lightweight drinker and I felt it kick in hard about halfway during the meal. The food was good. I ordered the beef enchilada, chicken taco and beef burrito. They're pretty solid on the flavor and the portions are big. And yes, I love the little bowls of salsa with the chips because I'm a double dipper and chip hog as well. The waiter was attentive and friendly (though he was pushing me to order another margarita. You have to be kidding. I'm not that much of a lush).
I wouldn't call it the best Mexican food I've ever had. But when those taco/enchilada/burrito cravings kick in, Friacos is a good bet in this area.
We've been here twice and have been horribly disappointed both times. I don't understand the positive reviews and have to keep wondering if I'm missing something.
Our food lacked presentation and was bland to the point of awful both times. If you like a rich mole' sauce, this is not the place to get it.
Like I said, maybe I'm missing something.... but I would be happy to never return.
I'm new to the Aurora/Naperville area - straight out of the city - so I know that I'm going to be hard to please at times. Â Keeping that in mind as I stepped into Friaco's, I ordered a variety of things to just try them out. Â
The interior is pretty generic Lalo's-like Mexican chain place. Â I did like the cactus guy on the table with the buggy eyes. Â My husband looked a little nervous like we were going to hate the food but I stuck it out.
A basket of chips and a good amount of salsa came out right away along with 1/2 price margaritas (the special on Tuesday) which put the marg at $2.75. Â Not a bad price at all. Â It wasn't the best margarita I've had for sure but it was about what I expected...margarita mix and fruity but pretty heavy on the booze which was appreciated after a long day of work! Â
The chips were great. Â Not too thin but not thick and heavy. Â I really liked them and the salsa was good too. Â I often don't eat many of the chips and salsa (like back at Garcia's in Lincoln Square I usually skipped them because they were so heavy) but I couldn't stop myself.
I had the tres amigos combo with a mole enchilada with chicken, a friaco's enchilada with chicken and a shredded beef taco. Â The enchiladas were fairly forgettable. Â They weren't bad but they weren't all that great either. Â That taco, though, was so delicious! Â It was so tender and juicy and filled with great flavor. Â Whatever they did to that meat they deserve a round of applause. Â I loved it.
My husband had the carnitas plate which came out with a few huge hunks of pork and the fixings for making your own tacos. Â It was ok - not what we were expecting from carnitas we've had before - but not horrible.
Our waitress was so nice and sweet. Â She seemed to know a lot of the customers which was nice. Â She was very attentive. At the end of the meal we were and I mentioned that the shredded beef taco was great. Â She mentioned the queso appetizer and I said, "Oh yeah, I saw some folks on Yelp saying that was great. Â I'll have to try it next time!" Â She told me to wait one moment and she came back with a fresh basket of chips and a plate of the queso with shredded beef on top. Â Even though I was so full I managed to snarf down several bites and would have to agree it was pretty tasty stuff. Â If you're the type to like queso dips you're going to like this one for sure!
All in all, I think I might not be back here that often but if I do, Â I'm going to stick with that taco I loved.
A note to waiters everywhere: If you are unable to properly remember detailed orders, then you should probably write said orders down.
Last night was my second trip to Friaco's. The first time I went, I was very impressed. The drinks were above average, and the chicken fajitas I ordered were perfectly cooked, while not being too greasy. The chips and salsa were also excellent.
So, last night some friends and I were jonesing for Mexican food, so we decided to head over to Friaco's. The drinks were good, although this time I was a little disappointed in the lack of fruity goodness in my sangria. The chips and individual bowls of salsa were delicious as before and the bowls are great for double-dipping.
Now on to the main dish. There were 5 of us, and the waiter didn't write any of our orders down. I am always afraid when this occurs. Well, my fear was realized. Two dishes were screwed up, one even to the point where it had to be sent back. I ordered the chicken fajita burrito this time, which was ok, but I was wishing I had ordered the fajitas themselves again. The BF ordered chicken nachos, which were very good. Others ordered the fajita chicken salad (review: it was good but soggy), colorado chile chicken (review: excellent), and a combination dish (review: ok).
Overall, I would still go back, but I'm not as excited about Friaco's as the first time I went.
Friaco's was good. Â We sat outside since the weather was nice. Â It was a cute little outdoor seating area. Â
The chips and salsa were fresh, and it was nice that we each got our own little bowl for salsa. Â That way, we could double dip as much as we wanted to.
When the waiter came to take our order, he didn't write anything down. Â I've found in the past that sometimes this works out much better than expected, but often it's better if they just write it down. Â There were 5 of us so it was a fairly large order, but this was definitely one of those cases where he should have written it down. Â A few of our orders were not quite right, and one actually had to be sent back. Â The waiter took it back without a problem and promptly brought out the correct item, though. Â
The drinks were fine. Â The food was very good. Â I had the chicken fajita salad. Â It was very flavorful. Â The fajita meat was excellent, however somehow the salad was very soupy. Â I guess it was more fajita than salad, but in the bottom of the shell-bowl, there was a pool of juices, queso, and probably melted sour cream. Â It was tasty, but a little weird. Â I will definitely try something else next time, and there will be a next time because the chicken and the queso were so tasty.
Good food (addicting chips and salsa), and out of this world service. Â I must have eaten here about 20 times in the past couple years. Â The staff is as efficient as any restaurant I've been to. Â In all my visits there I only recall one time where we actually had to wait for refills, or the check. Â The food itself is your typical Mexican fare and I love their chips and salsa. Â They bring out baby carafes of salsa along with individual bowls for everyone, thus promoting the guilt-free double dip! Â The one thing I did not care for was their margarita, it's so gringo (think a ton of mixer and virtually no tequila). Â I
Review Source:Yum. Â A few friends and I had dinner here yesterday and it was worth it. Â All of us love Mexican (authentic) food, and while this may not be the best we've ever had, we each were pleased with what we tried. Â The salsa had a zippy flavor and the chips were appreciated while we waited. Â
Actually, I arrived late, but as soon as the server saw me, he came by to fill a drink order and was back with refills when he saw we were close to needing one. Â
The fajitas, chimichanga and the tamales were on our order. Â Each was served with rice (again, not the best I've had but ok...) and either refried beans or charro beans (like a bean soup). Â My only disappointment was that they don't have black beans, which would have been my preference. Â
We stayed late to talk but had so much to eat that we didn't try a dessert. Â While it was busy, it wasn't overly crowded or loud while we were there. Â It was a comfortable setting for conversasion. Â
Both friends said that it would be one of their favorite places for a Mexican meal in the area...and it was the only place I could think of, so the other reviews were helpful!
My family has been hunting for good Mexican/Tex-Mex food in the Chicago 'burbs since moving from TX 2 years back. So far all the Mexican restaurants we've hit have been some degree of disappointing, ranging from "Ehh, that could have been better" to "Man, that SUCKED!!" Â Friaco's was a fairly solid entry in the pantheon; here's the lowdown:
- Good queso! It was queso blanco (white cheese), not Velveeta, and was seemingly free of pico de gallo, yet still had some kind of spice to it. We wolfed that down with the slightly thick yet small chips, being grateful that it didn't have ground meat in it [what IS with the "queso fundido" craze up here??]
- Drinks. I had a strawberry margarita, which had NO liquor in it whatsoever (I am a lightweight and got no buzz at all, nor even detected a whiff of booze); the taste was a bit odd, fruity at first but a chemically finish. Also, the salt rim was table salt rather than kosher. VERY salty! The folks had sangria, which they enjoyed.
- Dinner. I ordered steak fajitas, which were a bit overcooked and thus slightly tough, but had a good flavor, and I was offered an option of corn or flour tortillas. Parents enjoyed their chicken fajita burrito and beef enchiladas respectively.
- Dessert. Fried ice cream. A fist-sized scoop of vanilla battered and fried, then set in a fluted, cinnamoned tortilla shell, festooned with whipped cream. We made short work of that, let me tell you. Even my father, who claimed he didn't need any dessert, ate about half of it.
The decor is bright, with tables and booths carved and painted with flowers and the restautant's name. The service was generally prompt and good, though we lost our waiter a bit toward the end (more patrons were starting to arrive at this point; unfortunately, it was also when we were looking for our bill).
Overall, not the best Tex-Mex I've ever had, but certainly a lot better than some of the stuff in this area. Reasonable prices, especially drink specials. I would return.
OK. Â Texas girl in me is going to have to speak for this one. Having only been in IL for 2 years now and having grown up in Texas, I can still savor the flavor of a lot of authentic Mexican food and your traditional Tex-Mex fare. Â I cannot say that Friacos is bad in anyway. Â It is very different from the food that I accustomed to, but they will make enchiladas with corn tortillas if you ask, and everything else is standard fare. Â I will be honest here in stating that I have only tried 2 different menu items as I am EXTREMELY picky about my Tex-Mex, but of the items I tried they were not bad. Â When I need a break from making my own salsa and cooking my own Tex-Mex, Friaco's is my first thought (and trust me when I say we have tried A LOT of Mexican food restaurants and still fall back on Friaco's).
Review Source:I really like this place! Â They have great food! Â The only thing I've ever kind of been let down about was the Guacamole. Â They put a bunch of lettuce in the bowl first and then stack the Guac on top, so it looks like you're getting a full bowl of Guac, but you are barely getting a half bowl, at least it is good! Â Anyway, they always have good beer specials, like XX 12 oz drafts for only a $1.99! Â They also have $13.99 margarita pitchers a couple of days out of the week too, and they are good margaritas! Â I've always had good service when I've gone as well. Â Everything on their menu is also priced quite well.
Review Source:While the service was a bit spotty, we were there after hours so I'll assume that the B-team was working the place. The air conditioner was set to arctic circle, and since I hadn't brought my parka with me I was a bit chilly.
I enjoyed the salsa and chips quite a bit. Individual salsa bowls make for a nice touch.The menu is full of typical Mexican fare that you'd find at any tex-mex type place; if you're a frequent Mexican food eater, you can likely order without seeing the menu.
I was happy to see that they had beef tongue, so I went with that. It was flavorful, cooked decently, and there was a lot of it. The particular style cut they used wasn't especially to my liking; it was a bit thin. Given that it's so rare to find tongue on a menu, I'd order it again. I enjoyed it, and certainly left with a full tummy.
I've never had to wait for a table (most likely because of it's location near the mall), but that just means I get to the food quicker.
The food selection is definitely not your standard Mexican fare, and the Garlic Shrimp tasted great, although the presentation was average. The servers were attentive and got a generous tip (at least generous by my standards!).
I always try to eat here when I am in the area.
I have been to Friaco's many times and have not once had a bad experience which is why I was surprised at the one star review on here. I live in West Town in Chicago and there is certainly a difference in style between the Mexican restaurants here and Friaco's. I still would not say that Friaco's is not authentic though. I have tried a number of things on the menu and have loved everything that I have ordered. I personally love the chicken flautas, they are always delicious, nice and moist and the dinner comes with rice, beans, pico, and guacamole. Very filling.
My sister usually gets the enchiladas and she has raved about the sauce, they must put nutmeg or Mexican cinnamon in it.
The margarita's are great, no complaints here and Tuesday I believe is half priced jumbo margaritas. I'm not sure how anyone could complain about that and if you are you won't be for long.
To quote my sister, "Michaelangelo's frozen enchiladas are better than this."
I will tell you what authentic is, authentic is when the beans aren't out of a can, but actual beans, that look like beans, with bits of pork stewed together with onions and tomatoes. Authentic margarita? Uh, no. This was mixer margarita. The meat was tough, the enchilada was disgusting.
We have high standards. Best Mexican of the Aurora/Naperville area does not mean it is good Mexican. It just means it's the least bad.
Very nice almost authentic Mexican restaurant in the Naperville/Aurora area (on Rt 59). Really nice outdoor seating for a casual weekend or weekday meal al fresco. Delicious margaritas as large as you can take 'em. Very nice coastal dishes, besides the usual northern mexican offerings make this a special spot.
Great for any outing, from family to business.
My wife and I were struggling with finding a good "authentic" style Mexican restaurant. Since we had moved to the area from living in the Indianapolis area, we just couldn't find a place we really liked.
The other thing we could find, was a place in the area that had the white cheese dip you dip your nachos into. Most of the authentic places had this fried cheese in a skillet, not the same.
Well, a friend of mine suggested Friaco's and it was just the place we were looking for. It's tucked away  behind the Tweeters store in the Fox Valley Mall parking lot.
The food was great and so was the service. We have already eaten there 5 times since discovering it at the end of December, just before Christmas.
I can't recommend this place enough.
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