Very disappointed. Nice environment, looked clean, great service BUT a BIG let down. The food was not authentic. Â Coming from a person who grew up eating authentic Mexican food her whole life. Extremely extremely pricey for Mexican food. Paid 80 dollars for a bill that, at most, should have been 35. Â The food was bland, flavorless, dry, and cold. Seriously....not joking. Service was good though.
Review Source:Was very excited to see a nice looking Mexican restaurant open in gurnee and even more so after reading a lot of good reviews! Â Went on a weeknight. Â 2 servers working. Â The female who was actually working other tables paid more attention to us than our own male server. Â He dropped off the appetizers but we had no napkins or silverware. Â After sitting for about 5 minutes with no sign of our waiter, the female came over to see if we were OK and then got us silverware, and no we didn't enjoy our by-then cold appetizers. Â I had chili rellenos, which were rather soggy and flavorless and we each got an tiny fish taco on the side and the 2 small pieces of deep fried fish inside were not good. Â Really disappointing since its a very nice looking place and the menu sounds great, but was so not worth the price.
Review Source:It was good Mexican food with a slight twist on some of the favors. A little expensive considering their is a bounty of great Mexican food in this area for way cheaper. Ultimately, it was really good and I'm glad I tried it, but it just didn't satisfy my desire for classic Mexican food, and I'll choose taco's el Norte any day over this place.
Review Source:I found my dining experience to be unique and enjoyable.  I selected my items based on recommendations from other Yelp users.  I first have to compliment the Salsa which had great flavor and freshness.  You could tell that it was probably made that same day from the texture and color.  The Nachos were also very enjoyable, I received about 10 chips each chip individually layered with cheese and meat.  I also ordered the tacos and a combination  fajita plate.  The beef, chicken, and shrimp I felt were pretty good, though I did not care much for the fish.  I would recommend just ordering the meat for the fajitas and having fish or shrimp tacos.  The portion of the fried ice cream was very generous and was much more than what I expected.  It is a large scoop of ice cream that has been fried, with a caramelized exterior served on a thin layer of crispy pastry crust.  Overall I found my experience enjoyable and would eat again
Review Source:This was a wonderful surprise. After dropping off our daughter at six flags we planned to have dinner and a movie while our daughter enjoyed her night with her friends at the park. Coming to the northern suburbs (from Naperville, where we have yet to find a half way decent local Mexican restaurant) this was one of the best Mexican restaurants we have been to in awhile. (And those running the place were extremely friendly)
If anyone has plans to drop off their kids for a night at Great American, make the most of it and check out this great restaurant!
This place gets 5 stars just from its food. Â It is absolutely delicious. Â Their margarita's take a little while... for a reason, they are made fresh with REAL fruit.
It is a little pricey but you get amazing food. Â The service could be a bit better, but the food more than makes up for it.
Wholly frijoles this place is good! Â Start with the strawberry mojito and fresh made guacamole and you'll know what I'm talking about. Friendly staff and cool little atmosphere makes this a a gem for sure.
I had the tilapia in a coconut sauce with roasted walnuts for an entree and unfortunately, it was just ok. Â A little dry and bland. Â My wife had the mole enchiladas and those were pretty good. Nice and plump and flavorful. Â We also had a chicken taco and I loved that. Â Just tortillas and grilled chk to perfection.
For drinks, I think the strawberry mojito was a home run here but the margarita was just average. Seem to come strait from a store bought mix.
Some hits and misses here but overall worth a visit if your in this area.
Best Mexican I have ever had. Gurnee is pretty much a dump as far as good food is concerned but this new place, off 94, is clean, open, with lots of natural light and tasteful decor. The food was incredibly fresh and beautifully presented. The Nachos were individual thick chips loaded with fresh toppings. The "taquitos" were thick, with a fresh corn taste and filled with very tender, juicy chicken. Extremely, and pleasantly surprised.
Review Source:Worst Experience I have ever had dining. Service was non existant and to be honest never recieved foor after an hour and 15 minutes at the table. Took 30 minutes for the waitress to stop by the table at which time we placed our order since we did have plenty of time to review the menu. Lunch special came with soup or salad and that took an additional 20 minutes to recieve after I had to falg down the host and ask for it, and to have them check on our order. Â 25 minutes later still havent seen our waitress had our water refreshed or gotten our meals. Asked the host to just cancel our order as we needed to return to the rest of our day and there was no hope in sight. The worst part of it is the dining room was not even half full. Cant imagine what a full house would be like.
Review Source:This place was awesome. Janette our server was very attentive to our needs even though she was the only server because two servers called in sick. Â She was great fun and really added to the experience we had. Â The salsa was excellent and the chips were crispy and warm. Â Everyone in our party thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Â The strip steak and shrimp combination with the chipolte mashed potatoes was very tasty. Â The presentation of the food ranks up there with fine restaurants in Chicago. Â There's only 13 tables so the weekend is supposedly very busy. We went on a Tuesday at 6:00 pm and there we no issues with waiting, service and the food. Â Since nothing is made in advance it takes a bit longer. Â If you're looking for quick fast food then go to Taco Bell. If your looking for home made Mexican with a flare then come here.
Review Source:We are repeat customers at this restaurant because the atmosphere conveys the warm, generous feel of the places we have visited in Mexico. The restaurant is tiny and is usually bustling with activity, so I wouldn't describe service as prompt but the  food is generally tasty due to the fresh ingredients used.  Don't expect to find typical Mexican fare here, they develop their own versions of standard dishes as well as some of their own creations. Besides, the presentation of the food is beautiful!
My favorite is the shared dinner with a variety of tasty dishes--meats for my husband and seafood for me. The cinnamon ice cream is delicious.
I recommend this restaurant, if you are ready to enjoy a unique cuisine at a relaxed pace.
There are many options for fast and traditional Mexican fare in Gurnee and Waukegan.
Not bad, but not worth returning. Â My wife and I had the hardest time finding a good mexican restaurant while we were here, so we Yelped the reviews but were disapointed. Â My chimichanga tasted like a BK Whopper with avocado, and my wifes chicken flautas, honest to God, tasted like egg rolls. Â I don't know about you, but those flavors are not what I would associate with a mexican restaurant.
Review Source:Found this one on Yelp and it turned out that it was right next door to my hotel. Â A sucker for Mexican Food (southern Cal variety), I headed over. Â Complimentary chips and salsa to start. Â While they were not my favorite chips (the really warm just fried thin style), they were hot and salted well. Â The salsa was not your ketchup style garden variety, and was fresh with just the right authentic flavors. Â Had a starter salad and the Chicken Fajitas, and both were excellent. Â The chicken had just the right spices, and although my corn tortillas were oddly small for the chicken portion, all was delicious. Â This place was pretty busy early on a Thursday night, so they are obviously doing something right!
Review Source:I think I'm missing something. Â I went to this restaurant based on the rave reviews, and I was really disappointed. Â When I sat down and read the menu, I was super excited about the food. Â It's not your average Mexican restaurant menu. Â There is a big emphasis on seafood, and the unique dishes make it obvious that they have a creative chef. Â When my food actually arrived (after a very long wait), I was SO sad because it did not taste good at all. Â Boooo! Â The flavors were really off. Â I didn't even want to eat it, and I am NOT a picky eater at all. Â I rarely meet a food I don't like.
On top of that, the service was practically non-existent. Â I don't know if they were understaffed that night or what, but the wait to even talk to a server was really long. Â The people at the table next to me had to flag down the manager just to ask for their water and soda saying, "I'm sorry, we're just so thirsty!". Â You shouldn't have to apologize to a server or restaurant manager for wanting a beverage! Â I understand that servers can call-in sick and mess up the whole flow of a restaurant. Â However, if this is the case, you HAVE TO communicate with your customers! Â People can be very forgiving if they understand the situation. Â There was no explanation at all, just a lot of people looking around at each other wondering if they were ever going to get out of that restaurant before bedtime.
Wah-waaaah.
Mexican is not my favorite but I was meeting friends there for dinner. Â It was wonderful. Â I LOVE the salsa. Â I ordered fajitas, I probably would not get them again they were just okay, but everyone elses dishes looked wonderful and they were so tasty. Â I did not want to drink so I ordered a lemonade. Â I think it was freshly squeezed. Â It was so yummy. Â My favorite was the salad. Â With their homemade ranch cilantro dressing. Â I could have eaten just that. Â Lastly the waitress we had was so nice and so helpful and very attentive. Â Someone in our party was drinking wine and they got the last of the bottle and the glass was not totally full (it was pretty full though) and they gave it to her free. Â Really a great place I will for sure go back and I highly recommend.
Review Source:Finally, a great Mexican restaurant in Northern Illinois. Â Of course it had to open after I moved to Texas. Â We walked in with a group of 7 plus a baby on a Saturday night, maybe 30 minutes before closing. Â We were promptly seated, and our drink orders were taken. Â I ordered a Dos
Equis and my mother ordered a lime margarita. Â I was impressed that the margarita tasted fresh, and not from a mix! Â Our appetizer order was then taken. Â We ordered the guacamole and ceviche. Â The guacamole was super fresh and made to order (we like it spicy). Â I also asked the waiter if he could bring us out a super spicy salsa, and he went in the back and made it himself! Â We could see the chilies swimming and it, and it was a great accompaniment to our meals. Â For our main courses, we tried a variety of things. Â I ordered the mixed fajitas (see attached photo) and the thing was ENORMOUS. Â It had a little bit of everything: chorizo, chicken, fish, shrimp, and beef. Â I barely ate a fourth of the plate. Â The whole family was impressed with their dishes as well. Â I got a taste of my mom's chipotle mashed potatoes and they were outstanding.
We were stuffed by the end of the meal, so no dessert for us. Â We appreciated the fact that we weren't rushed out of the restaurant even though they were closing. Â We'll definitely be back!
After rave reviews from neighbors, we finally had dinner at Wholly Frijoles in Gurnee. This was the best Mexican food I have had in years. I could tell the salsa was fresh, and it had just the right amount of heat. Included with our meals (mole enchiladas) were soup and rice. The soup choices were tortilla and cactus, which is a cold soup. I was reluctant to try the cactus, but the waitress, Fabiola, promised that if I didn't like it she would bring me tortilla. The cactus soup was too sweet for me, so she brought the tortilla as promised and it was out of this world. It had the consistency of chili and was very homey. I've had mole lots of places, but this was by far the best - smoky, chocolatey, and not too spicy. I would describe the food as Mexican with a gourmet twist. The enchiladas were packed with quality grilled meat, carrots, and potatoes, and drizzled with sour cream. The enchiladas were also accompanied by a salad with jicama and chayote tossed in lime juice and cilantro. Their limeade is authentic and may make you pucker up a bit. I am not easily impressed, but I would go back here again and again because of the great food and service. One thing they could use is a sign that is more visible from the road. They're across the street from Six Flags next to Dunkin Donuts. Also, if you call ahead they will put you on a waiting list so you don't have to wait very long. Go soon!
Review Source:There's nothing negative I can say about this place!
Friendly and attentive service...check!
Awesome salsa...check!
Delicious Parrilladas Carne...check!
Perfect fried ice cream...check!
Our server (I think his name was Melvin) was so nice to us and my children. This is a definite RARE find nowadays. The salsa was so good, just the right amount of heat and super delicious. I ordered the parrilladas (I posted a pic) to share with my son. I've never heard of it before so I had to ask. But for those of you like me, it's very similar to fajitas, but more meat and alot better. It is served in a grill-type thingy flaming. The tortillas must be home-made because they were really good and tiny, which is great since you'll want to try a few different combos of meat. Tip: Keep some of the salsa at the table to use as a topping. And to finish off this wonderful meal, my daughter had the fried ice cream. I wish I would have taken a picture to share. Let's just say...you NEED to save room for it! :-)
I had a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> certificate but this is a place where I wouldn't mind paying full price AT ALL! I am so glad to have found a better-quality mexican place nearby.
This place is fantastic! They serve fresh Mexican food, and you can taste the pride in every dish. Their vegetable platter with chipotle mashed potatoes is out of this world. Their meat has great flavor and is great any way you choose. And their guacamole is chunky, just like I like it! Give them a try; you won't be disappointed!
Review Source:I've been going to the one in Lincolnwood for years and this Gurnee location didn't disappoint. Food was the nearly the same, but the tacos I usually order seemed a little skimpy on the chicken, but maybe I was just more hungry than usual!
We called ahead so we didn't have to wait, which was nice. I agree with everyone else that the service is a little lacking. We waited a good 5-10 minutes at our table, before our waitress even came over to take our drink order.
After that, it was smooth sailing through each one of their delightful courses - hot tortilla chips, fresh salad (I'm probably the only one who doesn't like tortilla soup) then tacos. Wish I had room for dessert as they looked so good.
I recommend the tacos, taquitos and about everything else on their menu. These people know Mexican food!
LOVE that they branched out from Lincolnwood! This is my favorite restaurant now and I take all my friends here. My favorite is the perfectly cooked Carne Asada with chipotle mashed potatoes! I always get their salad, which comes with most lunches and dinners, because the cilantro dressing cannot be beat.
If you are looking for a unique and fabulous dessert, then you simply MUST try the Fresas con Crema. To. Die. For. Â It is cinnamon ice cream with fresh strawberries and a tangy whipped cream or crema. I always leave room for dessert because they have some yummy options.
I have always had nothing but the best service too. They servers are so friendly and very knowledgable about the menu and they are willing to make substitutions if you wish.
Great place to eat! I really am totally thrilled that I don't have to wait to be in the Lincolnwood area now that there is one so close! Yay!
This is one of the best places to eat in Gurnee! Being vegetarian, I can only highlight the vegetarian options. Â The place is festive and brightly decorated. Â The tortilla soup alone is a reason to go-it is delicious and filling! The Wholly Frijoles salad is a large portion-definitely enough for 2-3 people and has a yummy tango cilanto dressing. Â The grilled vegetable platter is perfectly seasoned and grilled. Â The vegetable aren't just the standard peppers and onions, but also jicama and, I think, cayote. Â It also comes with chipotle mashed potatoes which complements the dish perfectly. Â
The enchiladas with green sauce are to die for. Â The green sauce is the best I have ever tasted. Â
Although I have never had the dessert, they sound very tempting and delicious.
My kids love the burritos and nachos off the kids menu.
Sometimes there is a wait for the food but I figure it is because they are making everything fresh
I give this place 4 1/2 stars.
A friend and I ate at Wholly Frijoles yesterday and the food was outstanding! Â My friend has eaten at the one in Chicago and she was curious if the food would be the same quality. Â She was not disappointed. Â The guacomole was freshly made with large chunks of avocado and tomato and came in a large serving. Â The carne asada and enchilda combination came with either soup or salad. Â I chose the salad with the lime vinegarette dressing - delicious. Â The carne asada was cooked to perfection and had mashed potatoes with a slight spice to them. Â The chicken enchilada was topped with green sauce and the chicken was moist and large chunks, my mouth waters thinking about it. Â My friend had the same only her chicken enchilada was topped with mole sauce and it was scrumptious. Â We topped our meal off with the coconut flan and it melted in your mouth. Â Â Our waitress and service was wonderful. Â This was my first time at Wholly Frijoles and I highly recommend it. Â Every dish was a large portion, fresh and had plenty of flavor. Â Â Wish the restaurant was closer to my home. Â Highly recommend. Â Go and enjoy!
Review Source:I went to check out the new location for Wholly Frijoles in Gurnee for lunch with  high hopes for this new outpost that opened on January 10, 2011. The new location has a full service bar eliminating the byob situation at the original location.
To start they bring you chips which are not quite as light and airy as the Lincolnwood location but are made fresh with tortillas and the salsa is rich and delicious. Lunches and dinners come with soup or salad here and the tortilla soup is excellent and very much the same as the original.
I had the seafood sampler of grilled (not fried) red snapper, shrimp, clams and scallop in the spicy "macho" sauce and it was delicious although the shrimp were overcooked for me but the scallop which is usually harder to cook well was nicely cooked. The mashed potato's that come with the dish have a smokey richness that is very good and having it served with their tiny tortillas lets you make little tacos out of any of the dishes.
One person in our group had the shrimp & steak combination which was grilled (planxa) shrimp along with a lunch size skirt steak that was very good and the other had the grilled shrimp lunch which they liked.
Wholly Frijoles needs to work on getting the cooking time on the shrimp and shellfish to be as good as their original location but the quality of the fish and meat is high and this bright and inviting new space complemented with a bar for the after work crowd will do well and is very needed in the area.
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