Second visit, and both times impressed by prompt service, personalized sharing of their menu and vision, and well flavored food.
This is not so much "Mexican" as perhaps "Latin" or "World" food. Mostly Central American influence, with a bit of South American in addition to the Mexican billing shown here.
This time, mentioned that I heard they have great soups and found their Corn Chowder as the soup of the day. Very much reminded me of soup I had in Peru, with a subtle, but distinct spice, and fresh corn flavor.
Also tried a chicken wrap, again with fresh ingredients and a wonderful, mild flavor. The portion size was just right (I left full, but not stuffed), and the price was very reasonable at less than $8 for the meal.
Previous visit - we enjoyed the both the Empanada and Sopes, both of which were outstanding! Also, order some of the Chicha - a sweet SA drink which also reminded us of Peru and Ecuador - though not made in the 'authentic' way, which is fine by us. ;)
It's a long drive for me (45 minutes), so will be sure I leave time to stop by when I'm in the area again!
I can't speak for the restaurant itself, but the food is delicious! We had a large lunch order delivered and everything came correctly and promptly. I ordered the quesadillas and they were just fantastic. Almost more like soft tacos, really, but very filling and perfectly cooked. Honestly, the corn tortillas are what made the meal for me. They tasted fresh and authentic. The rice and beans were also amazing. I had a couple bites of flauta which was excellent, along with a strawberry empanada for dessert. Can't say enough good things about this food. My 3-year-old daughter even cleaned her plate (beef taco) and that is somewhat of a miracle. I will stop by very soon to try their food in person!
Review Source:Delicious food and not a chain restaurant - both exciting things to find in Gurnee!
Love the pozole soup - spicy and tasty. Love the fish tacos on Friday. Also, tried the dessert tamales and they were delicious as well!
I have yet to try something that isn't fresh tasting and wonderful. It's such a nice addition to Gurnee! Also, the staff is super friendly and helpful (including the young man at the cash register) and you can tell they're passionate about what they do, which is great to see.
What a refreshing discovery! I might have never visited this privately owned mexican restaurant in the business mall on the southeast corner of Milwaukee and Washington, except for the Yelp raves about it. They are absolutely right. The homemade pan Latin menu here is absolutely delicious and a superb bargain. Step up to the register and make your order and it will be cooked to order and delivered to your table or bagged for take out. I enjoyed the highly recommended fish taco platter which came with rice and beans. The homemade aioli was a nice, mildly spicy touch. The soup of the day was a corn chowder that also had a mild kick. I had a conversation with the owner who told me that she and her business partner had used research on the Gurnee market which said the residents wanted more privately owned restaurant choices in the area. She's right. Gurnee is largely the land of chain food and Momcorn is a breath of fresh air. They serve breakfast and also deliver within a 3 mile radius. The food is great. The hospitality is warm. Momcorn is a must try.
Review Source:The tamales were terribly dry and did not contain much meat. Â They might be better if they were covered with a heated up sauce, not sauce out of a squeeze bottle. Â The kid waiting the tables seemed a bit overwealmed. Â He did not bring us cutlery or napkins, only for the soup. Â When I asked for a glass of ice, I was given a 1/4 cup in a small plastic cup. Â They do not have fountain drinks, only bottles or cans.
Review Source:Third visit here and all 3 were just average. Service has been great, food just ok. I had the corn chowder, steak burrito and rice w/beans tonight. The rice and beans had very little flavor. The beans tasted and looked as thought they came from a can. Corn chowder was good. The burrito was average. I would also suggest chopping the tomatoes and lettuce much finer as pulling out large pieces of warm lettuce/tomato is not appealing. Â I will be back but I hope the food gets better. I expect bold tasty flavors from great Mexican restaurants and havn't seen that yet from Momcorn. There are many options for mexican food in the area and Momcorn certainely needs to improve if it plans on being a force in the area.
Review Source:Everything is cooked fresh. It will take a couple minutes but not too long at all.
I took the family here and took a chance on a few items on the menu.
We ordered a couple chicken and a couple potato with Longaniza Flauta's: Awesome!!
We also had a beef burrito, Torta sandwich, Hot tamales (tried chicken and pork) and Corn on the cob (Elote): Awesome!
Had to try desert. Sweet Empanadas. Strawberry and a couple with guava and some sort of cheese.: Awesome!!.
We were offered a sample of the Chicha Morada and the Horchata. Very unusual and very good. People running the place really took care of us well.
This place is a gem.
This place was pretty good! I had a Groupon for this place so I tried it out. The food was tasty, I was particularly fond of the tortilla soup. The service was prompt and everyone was very friendly. The owner/manager even came over to our table to personally thank us for coming in and told us about how she acquires the ingredients, which I thought was pretty cool. I would recommend trying this place. They are even vegetarian friendly.
Review Source:I've been there a couple of times so far and I still don't really get it. Â Momcorn just seems complicated. Â Its hard to piece together meals off their menu----maybe its just the flow of the writing? Â Maybe they need to make more combinations available? Â Not sure why the burritos are listed as a lunch item, then they will tell you in the evening that in fact they can make you a burrito. Â The hours are a bit strange. Â I think I went there for a third time on a late Sunday afternoon and they were closed. Â I don't know what it is, but I hope they fix it because I want this to be a "go to place" for me. Â Because the food is tasty (I had a chorizo burrito with avocado that was outstanding) I will give them 3 stars. Â Â They say in business, "make it simple" and I hope momcorn does that going forward.
Review Source:My family, my brother's gf, my bf, and i went to Momcorn for lunch because my bf was craving for tacos. When we got there, we were greeted and got seated right away. We ordered our food, I ordered the pasole and the fish tacos. What I don't like is the food comes out one by one, not all together like we thought it would be. So my order was the only one that was done and came out first. I tried the pasole, it was good but I wish they added more veggies to it. After my pasole, my fish tacos came out. I decided to wait until my family and bf get their dishes first. So by the time when all the dishes are out, my fish tacos were getting cold, but that didn't bother me because the tacos were still good. When I tried my dish, I feel like this isn't a real authentic Mexican dish, more like American-Mexican. I'm from California and I'm so used to eating authentic Mexican meals from a hole in a wall joint to a taco truck. Overall, I enjoyed my meal and the service here is excellent.
Review Source:I would love to give a review of the food, but since it was closed at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Jan 5th. 2013, I can't. I traveled here from Michigan for my daughters Navy graduation and found a groupon for your restaurant that was a wonderful deal. The reviews were good and the food sounded awesome. I called earlier in the day to see if you were open on Sundays, since you are not I made it a point to come on Saturday. What a disappointment  to find a sign on the door that said sorry for the inconvenience and nothing else. I now have a worthless groupon that I paid for in advance and will never be able to use. So if I missed out on something spectacular well, I guess it is what it is. Thanks for nothing.
Review Source:Dear fellow Gurneenians- run, don't walk, to this place! You must get past the corny name to realize that this restaurant doesn't use MSG, makes home made food, honors vegetarian choices, and best of all, cooks absolutely fantastic food! Trust me; you will wonder why you haven't eaten here before!
Review Source:Take it from me, this place rocks my socks off.
I have lived in San Diego, Ca for the past 7 years and have had some of the best Mexican food you could imagine. Not to mention authentic. Mom corns is not just comparable but borderline (no pun intended) the best I've ever had. Handmade tortillas, sopes, Â tamales, empanadas, flautas, just downright delicious. The service was awesome. My girlfriend and I fell in love as soon as we walked in. I ordered one of everything on the menu. Literally. And spend only 40 bucks. Overstuffed myself with Mexican perfection. Highly recommend the fish tacos (on Friday or Saturday only). Or sopes.... Holy crapola the sopes. Absolutely recommended !!!!
I've now given Momcorn a second chance and unfortunately my view has not been changed. Â During the second try, I found the service to be extremely slow. Â There were only six people in the restaurant and the one kid simply was not able to handle the business. Â Even with only six people there it took him more than 10 minutes to get our order and slowly bring napkins and cutlery to the table. Â
This time around we went with the burritos and also got a sope and chicken taco. Â The burritos were good, but nothing special. Â None of us liked the sopes and as with the first time around, the chicken taco was bland and mushy. Â My daughter summed up the meal accurately by stating, "mine was soggy and overall disappointing." Â Â
The slow service was once again realized when we were ready to leave. Â We were now the only people there and it seemed the cook and waiter left the main area. Â It was some time before he came back into the dinning area and saw us standing at the cash registers waiting to check out. Â
Sorry Momcorn, but this was my last check in here. Â Â Â Â Â
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NOTE - UPDATE: Â Shortly after posting the below review, I was contacted by the owner stating she was sad to hear that my experience was not as good and what she or I would have liked.
She didn't offer up excuses or defend her establishment. Â Her communications was very professional and was genuine in wanting to correct a customers experience. Â I certainly appreciated and respect her approached and promised that I'll revisit and give Momcorn a second chance. Â Â
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Original Posting
It appear that my experience here at Momcorn was not a favorable as my fellow Yelpers. Â Â
I will agree with the many comments regarding the cleanliness of the establishment and the the staff being very friendly and helpful. Â Â There is a large menu on the wall which is easy to read through and enables you to pick through your choices. Â
The time to get the food was also quick and I'd say the presentation of the food is also good. Â For my first trip I got four taco's (2 different types) along with rice and beans. Â The taco's themselves I found somewhat bland and when I first started eating them I was not sure if was the chicken or beef and had to look at the meat to see which one it was. Â The meat was also somewhat sparse. Â Speaking of sparse, I personally thought the amount of rice and beans served was a very small portion. Â Generally these are the two items which are generally piled on the plate, but not here... it's almost a garnish rather than a side. Â The frustrating item was I thought the beans were really good and perhaps the best part of the meal!
I'll probably come back again to try another item on the menu, but I certainly would not go out of my way to come here.
Tried Momcorn based on fellow Yelper reviews. Got the free Elote check-in deal. Very tasty!
So I basically got a bunch of dinners to-go with a little bit of everything to try.
Overall, everyone liked the Elote, fish tacos, and pozole and corn chowder soups the most. Out of the tamales, we liked the corn and the chicken types. Washed the meal down with refreshing horchata drinks.
The only thing we didn't try was the fruit tamales. Next time for sure. Veggie-friendly also.
Second time here. First time was ok. This time was pretty darn good. I got the Argentinas (beef and veggie) empanada, a beef flauta and a flauta with potato, onions and peas, and corn in a cup. Everything was delicious with the green sauce. My daughter loves the fruit cup with the Tajin seasoning. This place could easily turn into a five star with a few changes. Serve chips & salsa, even if you have to charge for it. Have music playing. Both of these things would make the wait time more pleasurable. And lastly, I would like to see an option to build a combo plate with items like an empanada, flauta, quesadilla with rice and beans. Very happy to find a non-chain restaurant up here. And I love how fresh everything tastes.
Review Source:I work in the area and all I can say is that their service with a smile and the food is MMMMMMMMMM!!!! BUENO!!!! (translation:mm good!) Sergio(owner), Kathy, Jacob, and Arturo(the cook) are all AWESOME and welcoming to VIP customers (such as myself) and all customers. Some may have bad reviews, but as long as you are a patient person and let them do their jobs they will deliver!(No, literally...they deliver, as long as it is in the delivery circumference). Do not go by what other "critics" say or "don't knock it before you try it..at least once". My phierce recommendations for a quick snack would be the Empanadas(beef and veggies and my ALL TIME FAVORITE~chicken and cheese! THESE ARE DELRIOUSLY DELICIOUS!!..ESPECIALLY the breakfast!! You should try once at least, but with the friendly service and laid-back atmosphere, can't go wrong! ;*
Review Source:My husband and I were introduced to this place because we had a Groupon voucher. This is truly a gem of a restaurant. Not only is the food absolutely fabulous and the place impeccably clean, but the staff themselves are so friendly!
As we finished our meal, the owner came by and striked up a conversation and what a welcome! Kathy knows how to keep her customers and new found friends coming back :) with a great team, freshly made meals, and an easygoing, friendly personality! Â She also informed us of their website and a Momcorn app - which eventually led us to Yelp... Please continue to keep up the quality of the food and the care that's put in them. We will be back!
We were on our way to Six Flags for Fright Fest when we decided to let our Yelp Mobile App go hunting for a great place to eat. Â Momcorn popped up and had an amazing Yelp deal and free elote for checking in. Â This was a done deal and we decided to go and try it.
We walked in and were greeted by Kathy, who quickly sat us at a table, when she found out we were going to be dinning in. Â We had some time to look over the menu and decided to order a bunch of food. Â We also had some time to talk to Kathy the owner, who told us a lot about her business. Â We were so excited to learn about how them made everything homemade. Â I love restaurants that care about what they are serving there customers and not just opening cans and heating up food. Â I can do that at home if I wanted to!
For me the star of the show was the Beef and Veggie Empanada. Â This was the best empanada that I ever had in my life. Â The ingredients were so tasty and fresh plus the dough surrounding was so light and flaky. Â When I told Kathy how much I loved it, I think she had a tear in her eye. Â I had no idea that she made those. Â And I can hardly wait to come back to have a few more. Â I highly recommend that you order one of these.
I also wanted to have a pork tamal but was saddened to find out that they did not have pork. Â Kathy told me that she could not get the right meat and that she was not going to make them until she had it. Â Again I love that conviction to making a good product. Â I was able to order a chicken tamal. Â One of the things I loved was at how juicy the Masa was. Â At other restaurants these run the risk of being too dry but not here.
Next I moved on to my ground beef burrito and I really liked it. Â All of the ingredients were really fresh. Â There were two hot sauces a red and a green but I would say that they were more mild then hot. Â The green was my favorite but I wish it was kicked up a notch or two. Â I mentioned it to Kathy if she had anything hotter and the cook in the kitchen got a smile on his face. Â Kathy delivered a plate of jalapenos. Â I decided to add them into my burrito and wow it changed everything for me. Â These were not your ordinary jalapenos...they were roasted and then pickled along with sauteed onions and carrots. Â Are you kidding me? Â These things were out of this world. Â I am going to need the recipe on these because I just searched the internet and nothing is coming up on how to make these. Â Score one for the chef behind the grill. Â And yes the grill is open so you can see them cooking and preparing your food. Â I love that.
They also have a great kids menu too. Â My little one ordered two chicken tacos and she loved them. Â Talk about kid friendly. Â They just get it here. Â I have been to other places that try and serve my little one a hot spicy taco off the kids menu. Â Really? Â But not here! Â They care enough to make sure it is full of great ingredients. Â The chicken was nicely cooked and shredded and topped with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes per our request. Â I never saw my little one eat so fast and finish everything. Â Wow!!!
I also received the free Elote for checking in on Yelp. Â I love a Yelp check in that gives you a bonus too. Â Kathy asked if I wanted the Elote on the cob or in a bowl. Â She then asked if I wanted it Mexican Style. Â I looked at her and said" Mexican Style in a bowl please". Â I have seen people in Mexico City eating the corn on the cob covered in butter, mayo and Chili powder and thought that looks good and messy. Â So when it was offered to me in a bowl I jumped on it. Â I can not tell you how amazing this dish was and to think that I received it for free for just checking in. Â Thanks Momcorn for hooking me up with this incredible dish.
As we were finishing up our lunch Kathy brought out her partner Sergio who was busy in the back cooking. Â Sergio was very cool and we had a great time talking food with him. Â In fact, Sergio asked if I owned a restaurant and I was completely flattered by his compliment. Â I just looked at him and said, "No we eat out and cook at home!" Â It was so much fun to talk food and culture. Â Sergio is from Spain and he brings the flavors to the dishes.
You know that saying..."Too many cooks in the kitchen!' Â Momcorn has all the right cooks and each one has there special dishes. Â It's amazing how they all come together and deliver a knockout!
I love this place for its customer service because they want to deliver an amazing experience to everyone that walks in there door.  I love that they make everything fresh because this shows me there love and passion for food.  Also, there prices are very affordable for what you get.  I hope that the locals understand this great new place that is hidden right under there nose.  Plus all you Six Flaggers  stop in here for breakfast, lunch or dinner...they are serving some amazing fresh food unlike in the park.
I can hardly wait to come back and hopefully they took my advice for a hotter hot sauce. Burn me! Please!
I honestly liked this place a lot.
My husband, brother and I came here with a Groupon. The deal was $9 for "$15" - which was really two combo meals (of your choice) and a drink. With the Groupon, it honestly was a fantastic deal.
With the combo meal you get your choice of a main, a salad, and a soup, and then our drinks were included as well.
For our mains I had a Chicken Torta - which was fantastic and very filling, and my husband had Two Original Sopes - which were much less filling. We had a Corn Chowder and the Pozole as our soups. The Corn Chowder was not too creamy, but sweet, and the Pozole had a slight kick to it, which was pleasant on a colder day.
Everything we had was very good. I wish it was all a little spicier, but nonetheless it was delightful. I especially enjoyed the fact that the flavor profile was so different from your run-of-the-mill Mexican restaurant. Everything here (that we had) seemed so much lighter and healthier.
The cashier we had was very nice, and I enjoyed the open kitchen.
The restaurant is small, but very bright and clean. I will definitely be back again - especially if there is a Groupon. I know that they've had a Yelp deal for awhile now, as well as the fact that they use Belly there.
Also! If you check in with Yelp you get FREE Elotes! Which is a Mexican style corn dish. It was the first time that any of us had tried Elotes before, and honestly it won't be the last. It was so good - as long as you stir in the mayonnaise and try to ignore the caloric intake.
We'll be back.
What a gem of a place!! I sure hope the Gurnee residents know and understand the heart and passion this place puts into there charming restaurant. Â It is so rare to walk into a "mom and pops" place and instantly feel welcomed with open arms.
From the moment I walked in, the kind woman greeted me and explained the menu and ordering process.
The food came in a timely manner. I ordered the ground beef burrito and was given a red and green salsa to accompany Â
After a few bites, realizing the salsa were to mild for my fire breathing taste buds, I asked if they had anything hotter. That's when they brought out a side dish of the roasted and pickled Jalepenos (in house) !!! Yummy!! Wow. It absolutely took a good tasting burrito to a fantastic level! Â
I also had to try the home made empanadas. Honestly, the best empanadas I have ever had. EVER!!
I cannot wait to come back and explore more of the menu.
This place has a lot of heart and truly understands the value of each and every customer walking through there door.
I have to agree that this place isn't good. Just went there my first time Friday night and we were the only people there. It has to be that the food quality and/or freshness isn't there. My food was either super spicy or bland. There's a reason why this place is not busy. You're better off going to Chiptole and I think they are just ok.
Review Source:forget the commercial, the fast food and blandness that surrounds our everyday lives and head into momcorn. There are three parts to me rating a business. Food and freshness, the service, and would I come back? Well I started off with the Longonisa potato flautas. Dressed with lettuce, onions and a slice of fresh cut avocado. Just awesome, the tortilla was nice and crispy and the ingredients were fresh full of flavor. Let that be the window into their food. I also tried their quesadillas and tamales made fresh not like those frozen cooked that you find at tacos el Norte. Secondly the service was more than stellar. I'm a big believer in supporting local business and these guys are spectacular. The environment seems corporate but the aura is mom and pops. Clean cut with a home feel and I love it. The people are wonderful and willing to exceed your expectations as they are very grateful for every one that walks through that door. Support local! Go to Mom corn!
Review Source:Never again. This must be a conspiracy because i cant believe the reviews on this place. I hate to be the barrer of bad news but seriously im a foodie and its hard for me not to like any food but seriously i disliked the food here! sorry. I dont want to mean, I too was excited that there was an "aunthentic" mexican restaurant opening up nearby. The day i went i ordered a little of everything. The torta had mustard on it! the bread was stale, the pozole was bland and the tacos my daughter had were just bad. Oh and the tamale was dry...mmmm yeah, to my previous statement. Never again.
Review Source:Great food. Very nice staff. Â You can tell they had some opening glitches, but that should be expected.
If you want some good, wholesome food come here. It's cheap and the staff seem very dedicated and nice. Â Give them a chance.
One suggestion I have... make homemade corn tortilla chips and serve them with your great salsa. Â THAT would definitely keep me coming back. Â Love Chips and Salsa.
This place is right by my work and i was so excited to see something different in the area and couldnt wait for it to open! Once they did open i had to try them out and i wasnt dissapointed at all!! Chicken Tamales? Thats unheard of in the suburbs! And once you try them.. OMG they are amazing! I also tried Pozole soup for the first time, i reccomend their spicy red version! Everything is fresh and their kitchen is open so you can watch everything being made.
Review Source:My first visit - I was very pleasantly pleased! Â I had a pork tamale that came with a red sauce that was very tasty and not "too" spicy - the tamale itself was very moist and flavorful. Â Also tried the quesadilla with cheese, epazote and jalapeno - a real treat! Â The corn tortilla was made fresh - no factory tortillas here! Â Also had esquites, which is basically elotes in a cup - seasoned corn with mayo, parmesean cheese and chile seasoning. Â Enjoyed everything in my meal. Â Will definitely go back!
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