There are literally ten million Mexican restaurants in the city; Perez is not that much different than the rest of them. My sisters and I were looking to grab lunch last weekend; unfortunately the "Little Goat" restaurant across the street was over an hour and a half wait. So we settled on this place, since were were desperate and hungry.
The service was pretty good; my sister wanted an off the menu custom order of nachos and they obliged. I ordered the Milanesa dinner (steak tortilla w/rice and beans). I get the idea that the steak for the milanesa dinner is not supposed to be quality, but this was drier than expected.
Nothing much else is unique about the place; I'd probably order takeout on my next visit.
Pretty good food.  Not Uncle Julios (the benchmark in my opinion) but closer to home  Steak tacos and their guacamole with chips are great- my boyfriend gets something new each time we go and he is always happy with it.  Very satisfied to go or sitting in their very cute dining room.  Not inexpensive but the parking is free.
Review Source:I went here on my lunch hour one day. Â It was when it was warmer so we got to sit outside which was nice. Â Our waiter was friendly but not as attentive as he should have been. Â We started with guacamole which was delicious! Â I had quesadillas with chicken which were excellent! Â I would definitely go back!
Review Source:There are a few places around the city that I really hope never go away. Perez is one of them. Â The food at Perez is consistant. I've got about 4 items on the menu that I'll order when we visit, and they always come out exactly the same, and the food is always great. The chef will probably never win a Beard award, but I think he's just fine with that. Â The service is always friendly but not overly personal. I couldn't tell you the name of anyone that works there and I frequent this place. I would give them 5 stars if not for the fact that there are definitely better mexican restaurants in the city. That being said, those restaurants aren't even really in the same dinging category. As far as the restaurants in town doing what Perez is doing, I think they're definitely towards the top of the list. I'm always excited to return.
Review Source:Perez has a waitress that needs to be depedir'ed.
The eight of us went here for a nice friday lunch break from work. Â We did not have eight waters, we did not have eight sets of utensil and we did not nearly have enough napkins. Â Throughout the 45 minute wait for our food to come out, we repeatedly tried to get the waitress to provide said waters, allows us to order alcohol or refill our soda. Â In that entire span, the waitress either ignored us or barely acknowledged our continual attempts to communicate with her. Â We need more drinks. Â We need more plates. Â There are 8 people at this table. Â Our drinks are all empty. Â
So the entrees finally come out, during which we again asked for refills that would eventually..... finally..... never come. Â So I look at the steak flautas that I ordered only to find she screwed up the order and gave me chicken. Â So I let the "waitress" know that the order is wrong. Â Her response -
"Chef said no steak today! Â Only chicken!"
We then proceeded into what can only be described as sketch comedy miscommunication. Â Six of the other seven people at my table received steak or beef. Â This confused us because obviously there's not only a miscommunication between us and the woman pretending to servce our table, but a miscommunication between the chef and said waitress. Â
We addressed the point that other people had beef and steak. Â We addressed the point that if you cannot provide me with steak flautas that must be communicated to the customer prior to bringing it out. Â This entire time we became increasingly confused because the waitress made a mistake, then proceeded to yell and become angry with us rather than just admit it. Â This nut-job-crazy lady's only response to everything was
"Chef said no steak today! Â I already told you only chicken!"
We were talking to a wall. Â An angry-hispanic-middle-aged-woman wall. Â Yes you told us only chicken. Â You told me this five minutes ago when you brought out my entree and I told you it was the incorrect order. Â When it was too late to change it. Â And you were rude.
So in the end, she wore me down and I gave up and agreed to just eat the chicken flautas. Â Loco waitress' response was
"It don't matter to me! Â It's not my food!"
You're right it's not your food. Â Just like how serving customers is not your responsibility. Â And how receiving a tip is not in your future.
The end.
Perez always delivers a great meal, and has done so for decades. Â The chicken tacos are excellent, the guac is excellent, the fajitas are excellent, margs are pretty good, chips and salsa are excellent.
I am very happy that this place has survived the change in the neighborhood from cheap, good eats to high priced, good eats. Â It will continue to be my favorite mexican joint in the area.
I went to the one on W. Randolph.
The margarita I had was terrible. It had no flavor and didn't taste like mango. Â The mix or whatever they used was so bad!
The guac I had was bland and they didn't even make it in front of me. Â who doesn't make it fresh in front of you?
The flautas I ordered had no flavor. Very generic at best!
Given the choice I would NOT go back!
Good food, very casual.
I had a fabulous chili releno, and good chips. Â But everything was rather tame, only a bit of kick, even after adding sauce. Â
Great margaritas - everyone loved them.
Friendly people, good food, and next time I'll have to ask them to spice it up a bit. Â That'll be dangerous.
I'm a little confused with some of the reviews for Perez Restaurant.
After passing the restaurant several times while visiting Randolph Street I finally decided to give it a try. I came to the restaurant on a hot summer day and was able to nab a seat in their outdoor seating.
The service was mediocre. After seating us and then taking our order we really didn't see much of the wait staff despite there only being two other occupied tables. I ordered the steak taco dinner and the husband got two tortas, one steak and one chicken. When our dishes arrived they looked like any authentic Mexican dish you get in SoCal. But after my first bite, I quickly found the steak to be extremely dry and chewy. Â Don't get me wrong they didn't skimp on anything, but maybe the chef was off that day and stopped paying attention while cooking the meat.
I did enjoy my horchata and the free chips and salsa were on point. This place is generally packed, so maybe I'm missing something. Perhaps when I'm craving Mexican food again, I'll order something else. But until then, I must say Perez Restaurant was a major disappointment and definitely over priced.
Probably the best Mexican food for the price. Â
You walk into what seems like the inside of an industrial cooler. Â The walls are stainless steel. Â The place is actually a lot bigger than it seems. Â The seating goes south throughout the restaurant all the way back.
The taco dinner is great. Â I go with 2 steak and 1 chicken. Â I also prefer double rice as I am no fan of re-fried anything... Especially beans. Â You have the option of: Steak, Chicken, Pastor, Chorizo and goat for a little extra $.
Chips and homemade salsa are always a great way to start off your Mexican meal.
I always recommend this place to my friends.
I really like this place. Sure, their food is over priced, but their rent probably is also. Â I kind of expect the prices to be higher in the west loop right on Randolph street.
One thing to remember is that they have alot of things that they don't list on the menu. Including a michelada, which is this amazing beer/hot sauce/lime juice/tomatoe juice concoction. I have had a million micheladas around town and I think this one is the best.
Chicken tacos, and the chorizo are really good. Also the brown salsa stuff is amazing.
The coworkers and I were searching for somewhere to eat during lunch. We had originally decided on another place we ended up here. The service was awesome and the food was good. I ordered the chile's rellenos to share with my coworker. They were so damn good I wanted another order but decided to have a margarita instead.
Drinks were good and they do have a good variety of tequila.
Ok, it is what is. And that's tasty food, nice people that work there, and a low-key atmosphere. Oh yeah and good margaritas.
In an area surrounded by restaurants that top their dishes with a quail egg or make everything with a truffle sauce or something...it's nice to have a simple Mexican meal.
Gracias!
4.5 stars - rounded up. Â We stopped by one weeknight and we were pleasantly surprised. It is good, authentic Mexican at a really reasonable price. We've already been back!
The service was friendly. My one complaint is they were a little slow for it not being busy but I'll overlook that.  The place is No-Frills. I will say the ambiance is a bit off - white floors, artwork that is just kind of thrown on the walls, and the tables  and the ambiance is plain or even off, but the food is spot on.
My husband had the Combination that came with a burrito, tostada and a tamale. Â I ordered the steak enchiladas with the red sauce. Â The food was amazing! Very hot, fresh and authentic. Â The next time I got the Combination and substituted the tamale for the enchilada (just not a huge tamale fan albeit I am sure theirs is very good). Â The dinner entrees average about $10-15. For drinks, they have some beer and Margarita mix, but not a full bar. Â
Overall, this is probably a place we could get some regular Mexican food. Â We've only been in on the weekdays and it hasn't been crowded at all.
It's great to find an authentic Mexican spot close to the loop. I went for breakfast on a Friday morning, and opted for the Machacado con huevo (a tasty scramble with shredded beef and jalapenos) which is served with tortillas--your choice of flour or corn.
Your $8 for this dish will fill you up and keep you that way till well after lunch. I like this version a little better than the one offered at Nuevo Leon in Pilsen, and that's saying something, because I really enjoy their machacado.
The atmosphere is not as cheery as the back room at Nuevo Leon, but the service was friendly. I'll definitely be back--perhaps for lunch next time.
I love Mexican food. Â And this place hit the spot... Â Ambiance wasn't special, but the food was great and they serve you lots of it! Â Service excellent. Â good for big groups.
I went experimental even. Â Had the Goat Tacos... and a couple of regular steak tacos. Fell in love. Â Not too gamey and a whole lot tender than the steak. Â Also couldn't get enough of the Pico. Â Big chunks of Jalapeno peppers... Spicey. ooh makes you wanna eat more! Â Place has great value for the money.
Any place with vinyl-covered tablecloths is a winner in my book. Excellent margaritas, and way too much food. Good spicy salsa and chips that they're all too happy to keep coming.
Both the sampler plates are enough to share, and offer the newbie a good variety of foods to try.
Service is really great. The ambiance is definitely "walk-in freezer" though sitting right by the cash register was surprisingly warm, as though there was an oven directly opposite the wall.
Shiny chrome walls, ridiculous striped tablecloths, understated dark wooden chairs and off-white tile floors. Â The place feels a bit like a cross between a cave and a night club. Â I stopped in for breakfast and there was no one but me and the waiter/chef in the place. Â $7 got me Machado con webos (shredded beef scrambled with eggs, peppers, onions, etc served qith rice, beans, and torti las). Â It was a good solid breakfast + the standard chips/salsa, which is important since the 'breakfast' at the hotel where I'm staying this trip is crap. Â $2 surcharge for credit card under $15 so if you're eating solo bring cash.
Good food = win. Â I'm happy.
My first impression, Perez reminded me of Nocturnal. Someone else described it best: a modern refrigerator. Â
This restaurant makes me weary of all Mexican restaurants who advertise Famous Margaritas. It's become a fact that these establishments are more concerned with their drink selection than their quality of food. The good service didn't go unnoticed.
They serve two types of salsa with complimentay chips. At first, I was afraid to try the black one. No regrets for closing my eyes and hoping for the best; love at first bite!
I ordered the chicken enchilada with green sauce. For $9.95, it comes with three corn tortillas, rice and refried beans. The chicken was overcooked, Â tough to eat. The Server said the green sauce would have heat and I thought it was lacking it.
He ordered the steak burrito. For $7.80, It was served with lettuce, tomato, rice, refried beans and cheese. Be sure to ask for easy to no beans or else you'll be stuck with a majority refried bean burrito.
Coke ccomes in a can, so no free refills!
My review is purely based on taste and not on the restaurant environment itself, as I had take out and did not step foot in the restaurant. I ordered the steak quesadilla, and it had to be the best quesadilla I've ever tried. I wasn't even drunk yet either, haha. But the meat was flavorful, wasn't smothered in cheese, and the tortilla was perfect and crispy. The rice leaves something to be desired, as it was sort of dry. The beans were a-ok (how do you screw up beans?).
I would definitely order from here again!
It says a lot when I consistently order from a place that only has 2 veggie options on the menu. They have the best vegetarian burrito I've ever eaten, and the veggie combo (#3) is great as well.
They definitely need to add more vegetarian options on the menu, but the ones they have are superb. They also have started delivering, which means it'll be an even bigger part of my rotation.
OK I am trying like crazy to like this place in my continuing quest for the perfect modest Mexican Restaurant. This place falls flat.
First, the decor is post modern refrigerator.
They bring you two salsas. The one pretending to be pico de gallo was literally dry. Now I have had watery salsas before, but this one was as if the had towel dried the entire bowl. Bleeh!!
Finally based on prior reviews, I tried the chicken fajitas. The food was hot, but the onions in the fajitas where obviously not properly skinned (as in I got some of the onion slice that should have been thrown away, as it was basically outer skin) and half the tomatoes were still half green.
I could go on, but let us just say I wont be going back, and I recommend you don't go either.
The food was definitely a strong 3.5 stars, but the lackluster mango margarita (which I would NEVER recommend to anyone) Â coupled with the "Ike Turner" like manager brought this rating to a 2.
After ordering our mango margaritas, tasting them, and being let down, my table asked our server if it would be possible to remove it form the bill. She asked her manager and we were told that we would still have to pay for the drink, but they could bring us another flavor. That worked fine... until the bill came and we were charged for the awful mango margaritas as well as the replacement drinks.
When we asked about the error on the bill, the server told us that her boss was going to make her pay for the drinks (which we felt was unfair). We asked to speak with the manager and the server had a terrified look on her face, told us he would just be "more pissed off", and if he came over it would make things worse for her. She was really a sweet girl, but her boss had her shook... which made for an overall uncomfortable experience. On top of that they only allow 2 forms of payment so when our party of 4 tried to pay for the meal with 4 credit cards (not actually splitting the bill, but just putting certain amounts on each card) our server once again had a melt down and we had to figure out a different way to pay.
Overall, the food here was pretty good, but I would NOT order any of the flavored margaritas  -- stick to the original... and if you're in a larger party know that you can only give 2 forms of payment (i.e. 2 credit cards, 1 credit card + cash, etc)... will I go here again? probably not...
When it comes to Mexican restaurants, I have a hard time doling out "stars" - that could be because I usually order quesadillas, and it's pretty hard to mess those up. Â I've been to some of the sketchiest Mexican places in the city, and a couple really upscale ones -- overall, I'd say if you're doing Mexican, you're usually better off going to somewhere casual that isn't over priced. Â
Having said all that, I had a great time at Perez and will be back soon. Â It's a cool place with fast service and great food. Â Their steak quesadillas were tasty, rice/beans/guac all great, and their chips come with a spicy salsa that I really liked. Â Another great find in the west loop!
Fabuloso! Â Ooooh..Perez...tu esta muy caliente! Â ---- Thats suppose to say "Ooooh Perez....you're hot stuff!". Â I'm into this place! Â
On our way to an art show opening in the area, my friend and I passed this place and caught our first wiff of Perez's deliciousness.  We almost stopped dead in our tracks, ditched the opening and went into Perez's, but we didn't...we patiently waited until it  was our time.
The gallery gang was all ready to go to Wishbone and we were invited. Â What are we gonna do now!?! Â I'll tell you what we were going to do...we were going to Perez's. Â We ditched the crew and discovered the awesomeness that is Perez's. Â Besides, art gallery people talk slow and I don't think I would have made it for very long at Wishbone without falling asleep.
I love smokey, dark salsa and thats what they were serving. Â Roasted jalepenos, tomatoes and garlic, all blended up into a soupy libation of sorts. Â Ok...so I didn't recieve it and drink it like a libation, but I did dunk about a million chips into the stuff. Â The fresh pico de gallo, too. Â I ordered the 3 taco dinner, sans dairy, with a pork, chicken and beef taco. Â The chicken was sauteed with long strips of onion and green pepper and the flavor was impactive. Â The pork was al pastor and had so much flavor I sort of wished I had ordered all 3 that way. Â The beef was ground beef and looked boring, but actually was seasoned quite well. Â The tacos were accompanied by the usual rice and beans, and who doesn't love refried beans. Â I mean anthing with that much lard in it has to be good. Â
The service was fast, attentive and precise. Â There wasn't a crumble of queso or creama on my plate, which is pretty uncommon when I go out because servers always forget when I tell them that I have an allergy. Â That was refreshing. Â All in all, I am very pleased with Perez and will head back that way for sure. Â Good stuff!
I passed Perez when heading to a gallery opening at Western Exhibitions and was overcome by the delicious smell. I knew then and there I wanted to eat there, it smelled so good. After the opening we made a mad dash towards Perez and I was starving!
To start they brought us some salsa and fresh pico de gallo. The salsa was out of this world. It was dark brown, smokey and not too spicy. I had to ask what was in it. Turns out its pretty much roasted jalapenos and tomatoes. It was fantastic, we almost finished the whole bowl. We were sure there were chipotle peppers in it, but we were wrong!
My friend went with the 3 taco dinner and it looked great. I tried a bite of the pork taco. I was expecting more of a carnitas style of meat, but to my surprise it was al pastor and really delicious (better than Arturo's). My friend also has some food allergies (dairy) and Perez was able to accommodate these needs with no problems.
I had the Combo #1 which was skirt steak (with grilled onions), a chile relleno, a cheese enchilada, rice and beans and a choice of tortillas. First of all, everything was absolutely delicious. My shirt steak was tender, the chile relleno was perfectly cheesy and spicy, the enchilada was tasty, the rice was just alright (not bad) and the beans were good. OH MY! There was SO much food. I could barely finish half the meal. Everything reheated well and made a killer brunch the next day.
I also had a mango margarita, which was my mistake. I should have gone with a regular one on the rocks, but nooooo mango sounded good at the time. It was okay. The drink was blended, oops, I should have asked. I like sweet drinks, but this was too sweet. It was very strong though.
The bill was $34, which is not bad considering my margarita was $8. The food was really good, especially the salsa. I'll definitely be back. Street parking was pretty easy too.
It's not every day you get to enjoy your Mexican comida in an old meat locker. Â It's also not every day you can get your coworkers to cross the highway to eat lunch. Â So HOORAY a double special day at Perez!
The food was pretty good, nothing exceptional, but it did the job. Â Friendly staff, but a bit slow. Â We had to request water refills several times.
And it's really not that cheap. Â I think I discovered this place by searching cheap loop lunch. Â In any event, not quite as good as my standby (La Cocina), but it did the trick. Â Chips and salsa were tasty and filling...nice and spicy salsa.
Also, rumor has it, they will serve you a frosty michelada if you are in need. Â The blend of tomato, lime, salt and beer is perfect for a slightly achy head and sour stomach from the night before...BUENO!
You know those weekends when your out-of-town friends visit and you have a fabulous night in the city, black out and wake up $200 poorer? Â Well Perez is where you go on night number two. Â
The food is good, they'll put the margaritas in a pitcher, and they let you share entrees. Â Even if you don't you won't break the bank. Â
The restaurant is in some kind of old freezer, so the walls are metallic and the tables covered in rainbow table clothes under plastic. Â Perez is the ideal West Loop casual night and there's always seating on a Friday or Saturday when you forget to make reservations somewhere earlier in the week.
Because I both work and live in the area, I have had the opportunity to dine in and order delivery from Perez. Overall, the food is satisfactory - I always enjoy a more authentic dining experience.
The first time I dined in I experienced their shrimp fajitas. I thought that for the price the value was decent, although I could have used more shrimp and less peppers.
Since then I have primarily ordered lunch and after trying several plates I believe I have found the ultimate dish. The shrimp salad is hands down one of the simplest, freshest plates of food I have ever had. It is always consistently yummy. It is very light, so may not be the best option for meat lovers or empty stomachs, but the mix of lettuce, tomatoes, diced onions, fresh shrimp and citrus is wonderful. My suggestion - skip the dressing and ask for a side of salsa.
The only reason for the 3 stars versus 4 is because their margaritas are not as delicious as I feel a true Mexican restaurant should delivery. The sour mix is a little too sugary for my taste.
This place is in a meat locker? Are you kidding me? FYI, I've been here a handful of times and never noticed. Clearly my powers of perception are top notch.
Decent Mexican you *don't* have to hike over to Pilsen or Logan Square for. In the heart of the West Loop, Perez is a mini cab ride from the Financial District and I recommend walking back, because you'll need it after a lunch here.
My office took me here on my very first day of work - it's definitely a favorite for "slummin". We've also ordered in on days when we just couldn't make it out; they gave us enough guacamole for a village with delivery.
If there's a way to achieve orgasm and increase your HDL cholesterol all at once, QUESO FUNDIDO is definitely it. Chorizo, cheese, a bit of cilantro and peppers...amazing. Grease and fat galore. Perez also totes a great, well-made, well-seasoned tamale. And they've got the cheapest, tasty and giant taco salads in the city.
Caveat: I've had better albondigas, tacos and enchiladas, but then again, I am from LA, and used to have Hispanic cooks. (I swear it's not as OC/Real Housewives as it sounds!) Their burritos are pretty basic, but they're huge, bigger than Chipotle. Margaritas here are hit or miss. Sometimes I love mine, and sometimes I don't.
The spice factor's pretty decent; they have these peppers that look oh-so-innocuous until you have one and steam billows out your ears. No exaggeration: the only guy in our office who eats the peppers is actually Mexican-born and bred. His verdict: not bad. My sad Asian verdict: I wish their cups of water were larger...
Service - eh. Perez is not a secret by any means, and the busier they run, the slower your meal goes. Not a big deal when you're awaiting to return to your cubicle and afternoon food coma. Fairly traditional in the laidback décor. Overall, it's cheap (less than $10 a plate), and definitely on the tastier side of Mexican in the Midwest. Understandably that doesn't say much, but it's worth a trip.
Of course, I would choose to eat at a Mexican place that shares my same surname. Â It's named Perez - so SATISFACTION guaranteed, baby!
And with the ratings it received and its location in West Loop, I expected it to be good. Â But I didn't just like it, I LOVED it.
I swear, it tasted like my Grandma and/or Mom was all up cookin in their kitchen. Â I ordered the grilled bistec and grilled onions with frijoles covered in asadero cheese and rice. Â We ordered a side of guacamole to go with the chips and chipotle salsa -- which was pretty good, not too lumpy, not too pureed with just the right mix of tomatoes and onions.
Even better, is this place even feels like a Mexican restaurant. Â The servers are all smiling and friendly viejitas who know minimal English. Â The decor here is the antithesis of the sexy moody De Cero across the street, and is divey at best. Â Everyone is right about the aluminum - like it used to be a 50s diner or something. Â But I think that in itself gives it more street cred, and more charm.
Two entrees with a side of guacamole and two Tecates was $33. Â Dirt cheap, and a steal.
My only complaint would be tiny (yet freshly made and delicious) flour tortilla they give you and the fact that the kitchen closes at 9 PM on Thursdays. Â But even though it was 9:15, they still accommodated us, and with a smile. Â Extra points for that.
Perez is a W Randolph St institution. Â Long before the west loop was as hot it is now, Perez was there serving up their good Mexican fare... I can remember when I worked in the area 6 or 7 years ago going there frequently simply because there were only other 1-2 choices in the 5 or so blocks near my work. Â Now the thought of 3 choices in that 'hood is almost laughable. Â I still go here once in awhile and it hasn't changed much over the years.
The tacos here are good standard taqueria tacos. Â They have a brown homemade salsa that's really unique and very good.
Love this spot. Â A local independently owned restaurant along a strip of fancier spots but it totally holds its own. Â Solid real mexican cuisine and a nice laid back atmosphere inside.
The staff is attentive and you get a lot on your plate. Â The chips look to be home made too and the salsas are excellent with a good amount of kick which I love.
Didn't try and of the margaritas since they just aren't my drink, but the menu bragged about them.
Perez is an odd duck on the trend-o-rama strip of Randolph just west of the highway. It's cheap, unpretentious and (wonder of wonders) actual Mexicans eat there.
Don't get me wrong, I like, e.g., De Cero even though it's expensive, pretentious and inauthentic, because their food is good. It's just that the food at Perez is good too, and for half the price. I've sampled a number of their tacos, and I've never encountered any of the spotty quality Issues that seem to strike otherwise wonderful neighborhood taquerias.
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