This used to be one of our favorite restaurants but they have really gone down-hill since the INS raided the place. Â Apparently, they deported the good employees and left all the duds.
Service was horrible! Â Food was mediocre at best. Â I know they are virtually an institution here in Springfield but I don't think they will last very much longer if they don't figure out how to get back to the way they were before.
I cannot recommend anyone visit this restaurant until they get back on track. Â As I told the cashier (no sign of the manager) we won't be back anytime soon. Â Apparently, neither will the family behind me as I paid the check as the woman in line behind me couldn't wait to tell the girl how displeased they were as well.
I never understood why this place is so popular. It's merely average Americanized Mexican dishes. Bland greasy food. Every time I've been here I've been disappointed.
The chimichanga was dry - the chicken was bland and had no flavor. I tried the quesadilla once and it was average. They made up for filling by adding lots of cheese. Their chile relleno was terrible - it was slimy. As fast as they turn tables, the focus is on quantity rather than quality.
Their biggest draw is cheap margaritas. Which are light on the tequila on the night they are on special.
My family used to eat at Xochimilco weekly a few years ago before they had a bunch of issues with health code violations and illegal workers. We started going there again pretty recently, and while the food is not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination, it's still tasty and definitely what Springfield natives are looking for -- not really authentic. The atmosphere here isn't that great, but it's very family-friendly, clean and the waitstaff is friendly and helpful. I usually go for tacos, enchiladas or tamales -- their simple menu items are their best.
Review Source:I went again over Christmas break and was pretty disappointed by the overall experience.
First of all, although there were plenty of open seats in both sections of the main dining restaurant, my female friend and I were seated in the bar area where a group of ten college age men were having a rather rowdy night. (Both of us are underage and I probably still won't pass for 21 by the time I turn 30). We were right next to where the waiters hang around so every ten seconds someone else was rushing past us again.
The salsa was not as good as I remembered but still decent. The kicker was the fact that my friend ordered mozzarella sticks (I know what you're thinking- Mozzarella in a Mexican restaurant? Poor choice.) and they didn't come with any marinara. When she asked for some, she was brought a little store-bought, still-sealed package that was half frozen.
Needless to say I was bummed and probably won't return unless a big group of my friends is going.
I love Xochimilco and I have to try and make it there whenever I'm visiting family in the Springfield area. Â I mostly stick to tacos, burritos and what not, but I'm never hungry when I leave. Â Every experience I've had has generally been good. Â The staff has been friendly, the place is clean, and the food is yummy for the price. Â And now I'm hungry...
Review Source:Pronounced so-she-moko, my peach margarita tasted like the world's worst 7/11 Slurpee. It was way too sugary and short on tequila. I couldn't even finish it or more disappointingly, catch a buzz. On a higher note, their chips and salsa were solid, and the salsa was full of fresh cilantro. My entree, a shrimp taco salad, was tiring and bland. I've had better and fresher shrimp at more dive Mexi-establishments. I actually went home hungry... a first after dining Mexican. Nevertheless, Springfield natives love it, so I'll give it a try one more time.
Review Source:I've heard a lot of hype about this place and decided to go there for dinner tonight. We went on a Friday night around 8 and it wasn't busy at all. They only had maybe 4 tables of people in that whole restaurant.
We were greeted and seated very quickly and our server was pretty friendly. I decided to get the shrimp salad and my boyfriend got the Chimmichanga dinner. My salad was very small in portion. While my broccoli and cauliflower were tasteless, my shrimp were way too salty. I guess if you eat them all together it will be fine but bite by bite wasn't so enjoyable.
The chimmichanga was huge. My boyfriend thought it was good but I didn't try it. We had the fried ice cream for dessert and I must say I was very disappointed. What happened to the crusty corn flakes with honey and cinnamon?? Instead, there was two inches of whipped cream with sprinkles on it.
Overall, I've definitely had better.
My fiance and I tried this restaurant because we saw a gazillion people going into it. Â We walked in and the large restaurant was packed, a bit of a rarety in Springfield. Â The food was actually pretty decent. Â It doesn't hold a candle to your local taqueria in Chicago, but for what it was, it was okay. Â The prices were probably the best part. They have 2 dollar margaritas and dinner specials every day for about 5 dollars. Â We ordered the burrito, enchilada dinner special and it was pretty good, esp. at that price. Â Their el pastor taco was definitely the surprise hit of the night. Â The chips and salsa are not very good. Â There is no homemade salsa or pico de gallo in this place. Â The salsa looked like one of those gooky ragu sauces out of a can, but hey, it's free and unlimited.
Review Source:Its wasn't to bad for what it is. The food was decent but I must say the margaritas were aewsome. A little on the strong side sweet and tasty!
edit* 08-07-08*
So I went back last week with a friend and on tues you get fajitas for under $7. AWESOME PRICE. They were So good and I had enough to bring home to my man. Â My friend had chicken taquitos and she said they were great. Service is a little lacking but wasn't awful. Mmmm...chips n salsa.
Has definitely gone downhill in the last couple years. They bought the area next door to expand and it lost a lot of charm. Food keeps getting smaller while the price keeps going up and the place keeps getting dingier.
If I do eat here, you don't want to know me an hour later. I know, gross.