This place is so up and down - it must literally depend on the night of the week that you come as to whether the meal will be awful or decent. Â This being so close to the house, we keep giving it another try. Â This time the food was okay and the service was fast - but we were here really early (like 5:30) and expect that as people started to pour in after 7, the quality of both would start to decline. Â I had the carne asaada, which had too much seasoning. Â Husband had the breaded steak and thought that it was too "mushy" - they did not keep the breading crispy enough, so it fell apart on the plate. Â The portions were huge and the drinks were made very well (not too weak, not too strong), so they get a bump in stars. Â And, our waiter was super nice and very attentive. Â I still wish there was a better option (not in Oak Park) that was closer to the house.
Review Source:Not bad, but I think there are better places. Â Enchiladas Mole was ok, but like the stuff I made at a "Tex-Mex" joint I worked at in the 80's. Â Tortilla, fill it with stuff, top with a sauce, heat in the oven until the cheese melts. Â Kind of like Chi Chi's. Â The only reason to go here over TBK, which is nearby, is because they sell booze.
Review Source:I've come here on several special occasions and it always seems to hit the spot it's a consistent place with both food and service.
I was here on Sunday with my entire family all 18 of us and we did not have a reservation but they were more than willing to accomodate and find a big enough spot we almost had a little section all to ourselves.
There was so many of us I can't tell you what all of us ate but I can tell you that I had a bomb ass plate!! It was called Ay-Chihuaha pretty much a medium well carne asada with grilled onions mushrooms and melted chihuaha cheese on top with a side of beans and rice and it was deelish!!
The price is pretty reasonable the bill was no where near what I thought it would be! so that's even great!!
a great place for family, friends, and maybe even some social drinking... Def will be back soon!
I've been driving past this place everyday FOR YEARS and just walked in today for the first time.LOVED IT!!! People have been telling me to check it out.I had the Carne Azteca which is a char broiled rib eye steak that has a really good chipotle sauce over it.Really enjoyed it.My waiter was very attentive the whole time.They also have a few unique dessert options that I dont remember EVER seeing at any Mexican restaurant.I went with the Maria's Delight.Its bananas sauteed in Brandy over vanilla ice cream.I TOTALLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!!! Nice interior as well.
Review Source:Good food for a decent price. Love their chips and salsa. They have pretty big portions too. You can never go wrong with their enchiladas. The margaritas are awsome too. There is the right amount of alcohol in it. Â Also really affordable compared to other places. Plus their waiters are nice and friendly.
Review Source:I've been going here for years and it has a great vibe to it. It could be a bit pricey...but ultimately you get what you pay for! I typically love getting the Bistek dinner as it's just huge. When you a dinner, most have the soup or salad options. I chose the soup, which was black bean at the time, and it was great. Though I could have thought they had chowder and chicken noodle...guess it varies by day. Â I took my girlfriend here and she loved the vibe and the tequila china cabinet they have near the entrance. The artwork in this place is great and feels very traditional, at the same time it's great that the staff here speaks very clear in both languages! She loved the michelada while I just got a Dos Equis. If I had to complain about anything, I would say that I wish they had imported draft beers. The deserts are all great and filled with liquor too (you can ask to get a virgin desert if you don't want liquor!). So far with multiple times I've been here, I've noticed that the brandy works really well with the flan and the Mexican coffee with the kaluha and brandy with whip cream and sprinkles is great. If you're looking to impress a date and are on a moderate budget, this is the place to go! Not to mention certain days they have a live mariachi band.
Pros:
Lively environment
Great music and live entertainment
Great food and desert
Amazing art work on walls and ceilings
Cons:
Lack of draft beers
Staff can sometimes be unattentive and not priortize
I love Maria's. The service is A+, a must for me. The margaritas are fabulous! The carne asada, flautas, and burritos are tasty. This is a perfect neighborhood Mexican restaurant and well worth the many visits I make here. BTW I am Mexican (I know Mexican food)! Not related, not an acquaintance, and not a stock holder. PERFECT for private parties, I had my daughter's communion party there. They opened early and were fully staffed just for our party.
Review Source:I think this is a pretty good Mexican place. I have always been content with the food and the margaritas, and the salsa is actually awesome. I guess I only dock it 1 star because while the food is good, I have never had something that really stuck out to me as amazing. But it is still a great restaurant nonetheless.
Definitely worth a shot. I have never had a problem with their service - I think it is great.
This is a great place to come with family, and I think that's the only time I'd ever really come back if in the area. We've celebrated birthdays, graduations, and engagements here. They definitely make it a fun time when you bring a big group of people. If it's your birthday, they'll give you a shot of tequila on the house. But wait! They put a huge sombrero on your head and move your head around in a circle after tipping it back. I love that they've always got someone walking around playing spanish guitar. It's so lovely.
For dinner, I can't say that they're food is too authentic. It's definitely more Americanized, but I don't hate it. I just prefer authentic flavor, stuff that's true to it's country.
They have an awesome lunch buffet! Everything from tacos to fajitas to make your own burritos. It's 10 bucks I believe, and I came here once for a business meeting. Everyone enjoyed it.
The staff is always so accommodating and friendly. Like I said, they make sure you have a good time here, and if it weren't for that, I wouldn't have gone back so many times.
Having recently moved to the area, hunting down a good Mexican restaurant has been on my to-do list.  This place is definitely in 1st place so far.  The service is superb in this very nice, candle-lit venue.  The price is pretty much in line with most Mexican restaurants in the Midwest, but you get much more for your money here!  A salad/soup being included in the price for the enchilada meal was a nice surprise.  The salsa was quite spicy, but I'm not  complaining.  If you're looking for a nice dinner, go here.
Overall, it was a great experience and I will be returning.
Unfortunately I can't vouche much for the food, but this is more for drinks and service.
I came here on a Saturday evening (maybe 6:00 - 8:00) for a few margaritas and conversation with a friend. Though it wasn't very busy, the service was sub-par. We informed the waitress from the beginning that we wouldn't be ordering any food and instead were going to indulge in some margaritas and other drinks. She proceeded to ask us what had to be another 6 times if we were ready to order food. I'm not sure why she insisted that we order food. If she thought she wasn't going to make a good tip because of a low bill then she was wrong, because we were robbed on the drinks.
When ordering the drinks, there were no prices listed, and when we asked, she couldn't give a clear answer as to how much the drinks were costing. We were having a good time in conversation and kept ordering anyways. I had maybe 5, if not then 4 drinks, while my friend had 4, and the bill was over $100. We didn't order any food, no shots, it was only a few margaritas and one regular drink. I would have pushed the issue and asked why it was so high but after we were given the bill the waitress wasn't seen for another 20 minutes so I paid and left.
They had a man going around asking if we wanted him to play a song for us on the guitar and sing. We politely declined but listened when others welcomed his service and I thought that was kind of cool to have.
As for the drinks, they tasted fine. Fair. Nothing amazing but it led us to have some good conversation... But I think we'd all agree good conversation shouldn't cost $100+ for 4 drinks. Blah.
Mole' Mole' Mole'..... very yummy.
I went here with a larger group (8) and were graciously accomodated. The golden margaritas were quite fabulous and set the mood for a fantastic evening.
Great atmosphere, decor and attentive waitstaff. (sorry to the patrons around us, we were a bit loud that night)
The chicken enchiladas mole were exceptional and generous. The carne asada was fantastic as well.
Although not in my neighborhood, I would travel from the NW Burbs back to enjoy more delicious food.
Don't listen to these negative reviews. Â Maria's has the best Mexican food around the Elmwood Park area.
If you like Carne Asada, this is the place. Â You get a huge piece of steak, cooked to order, with generous helpings of rice, beans, and guacamole. Â Their home made chips are fresh and taste great. Â The margaritas are also out of sight!
Sometimes the service is slow, but that's when they are slammed or have huge parties. Â This place does a real good business, I can't believe all the negative reviews. Â
IF YOU DON'T LIKE MARIA'S, YOU DON'T LIKE MEXICAN FOOD.
My friends and I were here almost every Friday night about 10 years ago.  The food was ok, the booze was never watered down but all that has changed.  We have been there several times in the past few months only to be disappointed again and again.  We felt we'd give them a chance since we liked it so much some 10 years back, but it seems every time we dined there, something went wrong like an order was incorrect, poor wait staff, and worst of all, very poor  food quality.  Twice I ordered steak tacos.  You simply  can't mess up steak tacos, right?  Wrong.  It was like eating charcoal on a tortilla.   Some of my friends ordered the steak burrito.  It was like a charcoal filled tortilla that had no flavor other than burnt steak.  Disgusting.  The chicken was flavorless, the fajitas were extremely greasy and God forbid if you ask the wait staff for anything.  I swear the guy rolled his eyes when we politely asked for another glass of water.  As if  we were bothering him.  I guess he was too busy trying to score with the table full of drunk girls that sat across from us.  I don't understand how this place can be as packed as it is.  I guess some people just don't know good food.  Oh well Maria's, I really tried to like you again but it was just too many strikes.  Maybe the staff can lighten up and the cooks can learn how to season the food and NOT BURN THE STEAK EVERY TIME.
Review Source:Ugh.. where to even start!?
My wife and I were here just a few nights ago. Â We're pregnant with our second and she was seriously craving some Mexican food. Â So we went and I have to tell you.. that the food was absolutely horrible.
We started off with ordering a virgin pina colada for the misses and it had a strange aftertaste with each sip. Â Almost like a metallic type flavor, never found out what it was.
Then the standard chips & salsa.. the salsa was utter blasphemy for anything even remotely labeled as "salsa". Â It was literally canned tomato sauce (think Hunt's) with some oregano spice dashed into it, served cold.
Wow. Â Disgusting.
The plates were on the same level. Â Just writing this review out is making my stomach go queasy.
I have found memories of my childhood of this location once being a Pizza Hut. Â Too bad it is now just a place for ignorant "Mexican" food lovers to get drunk on bad drinks.
Not much to recommend. Was here last night, and the atmosphere is nice enough. The bar looked friendly and lively.
The food however, was extreeeemly mediocre, bordering on bad. Mini chimichangas seem like a good idea, however, are mostly tortilla. Nachos were smeared with greasy cheese. One of my companions was completely underwhelmed by her enchiladas.
Unexceptional margaritas. This was a group consensus, otherwise I'd have not gone here. I wouldn't go back. Took FOREVER to get our check, we had to put our coats on and begin to leave.
Oh, and those whistles? Lose those damn things before they get jammed down someone's throat. Supremely annoying.
I was really disappointed by this place. Â They used to have a big, beautiful space in Des Plaines, where the food was always great, but for some reason it only stayed open for about a year before it was turned into a Lalo's. Â
The decor was pretty nice with cool ancient Americas murals on the walls, but appeared to be getting a little run down. Â Chips and salsa, pretty tasty. Â Three of us ordered Dos Equis Amber, which came with limes. Â Just because Corona is refreshing with a lime doesn't mean that every Mexican Beer should come with one!
As for the food, the guys were happy with their entrees, steak fajitas and a carne asada. Â They were gigantic, and still my friend Carnivorous Artur managed to eat every bite. Â I got Enchiladas Mole with Chicken, and for some reaason there were canned stewed tomatoes inside, which was, well pretty gross. Â Also, my mole was very sparse, and not very flavorful. Â At least the rice and beans were good. Â
One reason I liked this place previously was the awesome Black Bean soup you can get before your entree. Â At this location, though, it was kind of bland and a bit undercooked. Â Overall, food was tolerable, but nothing out of this world. Â
Service was way too slow and sometimes nonexistent, another disappointment since I recognized our server from the Des Plaines location. Â I may try it once more, but it's not at the top of the list.
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