Mr. Bayless does it again. Â And he didn't even have to resort to yelling like his brother does to get attention.
If you go during peak hours (lunch) you can expect a little bit of a wait, but it is WELL worth it. Â Also, I heard that XOCO has begun to take online orders so that might expedite the process for the savvy foodie.
I had the Pork Belly Vermicelli which was done extremely well. Â Belly was tender and the broth was nothing like your mother has ever made, yet twice as good as mom's home cooking. Â
The seating can be somewhat cramped and not for the claustrophobic a there will almost always be a line. But again, it is worth rubbing elbows for XOCO.
Everything I dreamed of and more. Xoco has elevated street food to the highest level while retaining the authenticity and flavors I associate with the foods I've tried in small towns across Mexico. Pork Tinga Tuesday changed my life, thank you Rick and team for warming up cold winter nights.
The only negative is the seating is a little tight and I don't enjoy sitting at a little counter to eat when i'm with another person or group. If this were closer to home i'd prefer to get it to go, but am grateful it is not or I would gain 20 lbs.
I want to eat here every single day of my life. Â I think I could, too. Â It's one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. Â You've been warned: there is always a wait. Â Usually it's about 30-40 minutes.
My favorite item on the menu is the Milanesa: crispy Gunthorp chicken, black beans (made with pork), artisan Jack cheese, pickled jalapenos, tomatillo-avocado salsa. Â I can't even describe how good it is.
I've also tried the Pepito: Braised Tallgrass shortribs, caramelized onion, artisan Jack, black beans, pickled jalapenos. Â Mmm. Â
The Cubana is also good: pork loin, bacon, black beans, avocado, jack cheese, chipotle mustard. Â Amazing
Love the XOCO Salad as well: romaine lettuce, arugula, marinated black beans, avocado, crispy tortilla threads, avocado-lime dressing, grilled onions
Don't skip dessert! Â The churros, homemade Mexican vanilla soft-serve with chocolate, and Almendrado (a chocolate shot with almond milk) are delicious!
Finally tried XOCO since I heard some good things about Rick Bayless. After trying a seafood soup and a torta, my conclusion is the following. This is an overpriced less tasty version of the mexican food I grew up loving. I mean you can go to numerous other mexican joints in the city and get better food for half the price. But I guess you are paying because its Rick Bayless. This guy is turning cheap unhealthy mexican fast food into a high priced option. I dont mean to be a hater but c'mon man.
Review Source:One word - AHOGADA. Â The spicy arbol chile sauce makes this the best sandwich there, and believe me, I've had them all. Â The Pork Belly Vermicelli is perfect comfort food and I love the Cochinita Pibil with the pickled onion and habanero.
Their salsas are distinctive and flavorful, the chips are made from scratch and the churros are as good as they were in Mexico. Â
Depending on what time you go, you may have a wait, but it will be worth it . . . and you'll be back.
Pepito Torta, Seafood Caldo, and 3 churros and soft-serve to match were ordered on a cold wintery night to be split with a friend visiting from out of town. Â We concluded that:
1. Pepito Torta - a bit on the saltier side, but the flavors were outstanding
2. Seafood Caldo - Â recommended by a friend previously, but I found it to be a bit underwhelming. Â However, there were plenty of shrimp in the soup, and it was heartwarming on this wintery night.
3. Churros - absolute best!! Â crunchy on the outside and just a bit soft on the inside with lovely large pieces of raw sugar coating it. Â I would return again and just order the churros.
The wait was not long, perhaps 25 minutes max on an early Saturday evening. Â You line up to order, and then they arrange seating for you before you go ahead and place and pay for your order at the cashier. Â As soon as you pay, they lead you to your seats where they then follow up with your food. Â Its kinda like an altered Chipotle version of pay and sit.
PLUS: we saw Rick Bayless at the store!!
What a gem! I wouldn't call this "Mexican food", I would call it "Authentic Mexican food- straight out of Oaxaca"
Torta Ahogada. Â Yelp recommended, and I approve. Â I ordered it Hot, and got just what I ordered (I'd rate it as 8/10; enough to burn, but not cause pain.... and I consider myself used to most spicy foods). My friend ordered the Carnitas, which were also really good. The chips, guac and salsa were also extremely tasty.
Order at the counter and delivered to your table. Â They also have a huge selection of beers and a specialty margarita, we had mixed reviews on.
One order came long after our others, but this was one of my favorite restaurants of all the ones I've visited, and I will be back for SURE!
I used to work near here and tried to eat at XOCO twice. Unfortunately, it's a weird place that is always crowded with a very limited menu and pretty unhealthful food. There really are no vegetarian options and the whole routine is cafeteria-style. For the prices, it should be a little less like a cattle call. Weird. So I'll pass by all the tourists and cattle and go someplace a little more in need of my business.
Review Source:This review is just for the breakfast!!
If you like a fresh hearty breakfast, this place is for you. I'd been here two times for breakfast and unfortunately, the food was too much and too heavy for me.
Here are some of the things I've tried:
+ Authentic & Aztec Chocolate--whoa! Super rich and creamy. I can get drowned in this stuff. If you're a die-hard chocolate fan, well, this is for you!
+Made-to-order churros: Okay, these are good, but sometimes it can get oily and super coated with sugars.
+ Open face breakfast sandwich: The bread was super hard--dislike! It was topped with black beans, tomato sauce, egg and avocado. And as the bread absorb these ingredients, it was super soggy. Dislike!
+ Chorizo and egg sandwich: Okay, this is like one of the items that tasted really good...it was just too much for breakfast, but it's nice to save half for lunch!
Overall, it was an okay place. I like the atmosphere though, and would definitely love to come back to try their lunch.
Came here on a Friday night to try it out. It was about a 35 minute wait, not bad as the line was to the door. We got the Smoky Garlic Shrimp, the Torta Ahogada, Chicharrones and Homemade Mexican Vanilla Soft with Churros.
The Chicharrones were ok, they weren't stale, they were very thick and crunchy. Liked the sauce but wished they could have spreaded out the sauce more evenly, along with the onions and cilantro.
The Ahogada can be described as bold. It was at a nice spicy level at medium. The bread was at a perfect level of crunchy and you could make it was soft as you wanted it to be by dipping it into the soup. The soup that came with it was good, it went well with the torta. The carnitas were so good.
Honestly though, I preferred the subtleness of the Smoky Garlic Shrimp. The shrimp and the muskiness of the goat cheese went so well with the garlic and chipotle sauce. It was with this sandwich the bread shined through, the bread just complimented the fillings so well with its crunch, softness and slight sweetness.
The star of the night though was the mexican soft serve vanilla with churros. The churros weren't overly sweet nor overly seasoned, it was a light dessert that was good by itself and went well with the ice cream. Though it was just soft serve the vanilla here isn't your run of the mill vanilla. It was much deeper and richer than the average vanilla. The vanilla lingered on your tongue instead of the quick hit of the generic vanilla.
Overall it was a 4.5, but I'll round it up.
I was really excited to come here.... after hearing glorious and legendary things about Rick Bayless, I finally ventured out to Chicago to try his food. There was a LONG line - came the weekend before Halloween, and there were a whole bunch of hungry, costumed people waiting to order food. By the time I ordered food, I was pretty damn hungry.
Ordered some sort of seafood soup, and although it wasn't bad, it was far from impressive :( Maybe I'll order the famous tortas next time.
Went here on a Thursday night at 7:45 and had no wait, even though the restaurant was pretty packed! I got the carnitas caldos and for some reason, I glazed over the fact there were serrano chilis in the dish. I can't handle much spiciness to begin with, but man, that first slurp of the soup gave me a coughing attack like never before experienced! I tried to continue enjoying the dish but the heat just overwhelmed me. Happily, the staff were willing to make me another dish without the serrano chilis and it was the perfect hot dish for a cold and windy night. The price was decent - maybe a little on the pricey side for a soup dish of argula, carnitas, and gnocchi-looking things, but I would go back and try something else.
Review Source:I'm sad that I've never had the great experience other reviewers rave about... I've been here several times (usually to get take out) and the food just seems to be overpriced and not a lot of flavor. Maybe I'm just ordering the wrong things but  my latest choice, the vegetable meal in a bowl, was inedible because the broth was just so salty. Glad I paid extra for a side of bread because otherwise I would have gone hungry.
Review Source:My husband and I went one night after a dance class down the street and the line was non-existent so we were excited to try it. Â We had tried to go several times prior to that but the line was so incredibly long and we were not inclined to wait for hours.
I had one of the soups which while tasty, it was a little salty for my taste and my husband had one of the beef tortas which was good, but I've honestly had better. Â The salsa was amazing...absolutely get the chips and salsa to try the salsa..both of the styles of salsa are incredible! Â If there is no or a small line, we would drop in, but I'm not sure if we would wait an hour to eat here again.
I can't speak for their entrees but I always end up at Xoco at the end of the night when the dessert menu at a nearby restaurant doesn't sound too thrilling. Their dessert and coffee drinks are worth checking out if you're in the area. I personally recommend the pistachio churro and chocolate cafe con leche.
Review Source:Recommended from a friend and was very excited to try!
Immediately coming in, you are greeted and given a table #....then directed to go tot he counter and order your food. I was confused at first....but being open minded, went with the floooow!
Choice of food:
- Ahogada (their signature plate): got it "medium spicy"....should've gotten it "hot" (if you like spicy foods. The plate was unique, spicy chili broth with a sandwich filled with pork and sauteed onions inside a ciabatta type of bread (which was perfect!) It was kinda like a "Mexican version of the French dip?" It was good...but wasn't a wow in my taste buds.
- Posole: uniquely made, looots of flavor and spice! The hominy was soft as well (which I'm not a big fan of)
- Raspberry /lime juice: sweet, bitter, and tangy...but refreshing!
Atmosphere was simple, some seats are tight leading you to stare at a wall.
Service: very nice and friendly
I'd give this place another shot though.
Love this place. Â Love this place. Â Love this place. Â We center our trips to Chicago around Xoco, and try to book the closest hotel to this area. Â Anything with pork belly is amazing from here, but the pork belly vermicelli is unreal. Â The churros are a huge hit with the kids and the champurrado is great on a cold Chicago day.
Review Source:came here on a first date. thought it would be a cool place to grab some good quick food. i was right.
great beer selection, but we passed and opted for the margs, tho insanely pricey at $14 for maybe 8oz, they were so good. our food, of course, was perfect. service and staff were helpful and friendly.
a little overpriced for what we had, but id still go back.
Want a great lunch? Â Come to XOCO. Â What a quick lunch? Â Don't come to XOCO!
The food here is delicious. Â In fact, I loved everything we ordered. Â The tortas are some of the best I've ever had. Â Fresh and not over seasoned, the flavor of the pork really came through. Â The chips and guac were also excellent. Â Guac was a little spicey, so if that's not your thing, you're forewarned.
In short, everything is as delicious as it looks, but be prepared to wait around 45 minutes to order/sit down. Â From a business standpoint, there must be a lot of money not being made due to the log jam of patrons at the door. Â
Moreover, this place isn't cheap, but the food is definitely worth the price. Â We will be back.
This place was SO good, i was just there yesterday and i'm still thinking about it. I went for a late lunch with a friend and i ordered the pork belly torta which was their special for the day. I was excited that they had hibiscus water and ordered one but i think it was a bit too sour for me. The food however was incredible. i typically only eat half of whatever i'm served but i could not help myself, i had to eat it all. it was an incredible combination of flavors, the sauce was not too hot but it had a good spicy kick to it. We ordered churros with chocolate sauce after to top it off and it definitely hit the spot. i would go back to xoco in a heart beat. I recommend it to anyone.
Review Source:Xoco was pretty good although not super authentic. Â We ordered for carry out. Â Love that they were playing spanish rock in there.
The pork belly torta was very good. Â The bread was super fresh. A bit pricey, but it isn't your run-of-the-mill taqueria.
The pozole was not very good at all. It was completely unauthentic and was not even leftover worthy.
The guacamole was yummy but again, on the pricey side.
I would try Xoco again just to try their other menu items.
Hey guys, Pat S. here.
XOCO is dope. It's a new semi-casual restaurant by master chef / fake Mexican Richard "Rick" Bayless. It's right next to his other two restaurants but it's much cheaper and just as good. So if you can't get into those spots, then just come here.
The tortas here are real good. They cut open the top of your mouth, so get ready for that. There's one torta sandwich that is served face down in a pool of hot soup. I never get that one. The guacamole is fresh as well as green. It's nice to sit outside in the summer and watch people walk around and pretend they're busy.
There is this one pork torta and (i'm sorry Rick) I don't know what it's called but it's so good. It's got pork and pickled onions. I had a dream about that torta last night.
They got tortas, they got chips, they got waters, they got churros, they got really spicy habanero sauce, the got guac, they got soup-tortas. And it's all dope!!!
Peace.
The concept behind Xoco (which translates to "little sister") is "contemporary expressions of Mexico's most beloved street food and snacks." Â Basically, you come inside and tell the hostess how many people you have in your party. Â If they have a table available for you, they allow you to order at the counter and the food comes out steaming hot about 10 minutes later. Â If they don't have a table available right away, you hang out until one is ready.
The staff is really knowledgeable and basically suggested everything that my boyfriend and I ended up ordering including: Chicharrones (fried pork rinds), carnitas soup (meal-in-a-bowl), pepitas torta (shortrib) and churros. Â Everything was beyond delicious. Â It was one of the best lunches I have ever had and I can't wait to come back over and over.
For more about my experience at Xoco - check out my blog post: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fyoungfoodies.com%2Fweekend-in-reviewpart-1-xoco%2F&s=ea0c3ec256cb8859041e5099fea17e9b455065a5f240c699eac89caf0d56521b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://youngfoodies.com/…</a>
Maybe my bromance with Rick Bayless skews my rating a bit but I love this place. Â The cochinita pibil is amazing, but beware of the habanero sauce that comes with it. Â A bit on a chip and it doesn't seem too hot, then you douse your torta with it and get ready for tears! Â The fresh churros and ice cream are a treat not to be missed. Â I don't normally do desert but I always, at least, grab a churro.
Review Source:Love the decor here, very friendly staff. I tried the pork belly special torta, the side salad, a churro, and the ice cream with caramel and bacon streusel topping. I also tried a bit of the mexico city thick hot chocolate but it has cinnamon and other spices in it and I don't like those in my chocolate, but some like that kind of stuff. To start, I loved the side salad. Great dressing, fresh ingredients. I would come back just for this. Dessert was awesome, and I'm not usually a churro person. The torta was very good, except that the glaze was too spicy for my taste. I didn't realize it was that hot, so make sure to ask about the spicy add ons if you like it mild. I like that they find a seat for you so you don't have to worry about it and you don't have to get your food all at one time. They will stagger it for you. Overall this place was great
Review Source:I'm visiting Chicago from Los Angeles, and needed a quick dinner as it was almost 9PM and I had just gotten out of a long day of meetings. I had read about this place, and thought I'd try out the pork belly vermicelli. I thought it was pretty solid. The broth towards the top can be a little thin, but if you let all the avocado and pork belly settle in, you'll have some wonderfully warm comfort food to make the cold Chicago night not so frigid. The pork belly is superbly done, and probably the best part. I felt there might have been a touch too much cilantro, taking away from the heartiness of the broth, but I'd never had it before so I couldn't judge.
I got take out, and it only took like 10 minutes to prepare. They also provided me with what looks like real silverware (albeit thinner metal) but still not the cheapo plastic picnic stuff I'm used to.
Fast service. Hearty yummy food. "Yay! I'm a fan."
Listen, I know Xoco (show-co) has like 1500 reviews, but I can't help but want to add my voice to the masses. Â This place is THE BEST. Â Specializing in Mexican soups and sandwiches, you really cannot go wrong here. Â If you are indiscriminate when it comes to Mexican food, start with the caldos. Â
Little known fact about Xoco, it's a great brunch spot. Â Come in the summer for breakfast and sit outside. Â You know, on one of those fresh June mornings, with the dew still wet on the ground and bright blue skies. Â Yeah, try that out.
Still, getting a seat at Xoco can be a beast, so I highly recommend skipping on the meal and just coming here for hot chocolate take out. Â The hot chocolate is bean to cup, which means it wasn't sitting in a bar or powder before it was made into a delicious steamy beverage, it was still a cacao bean. Â Or something like that. Â I usually get the chocolate and water. You don't need any dairy for this hot chocolate to be the richest and most creamy hot chocolate OF YOUR LIFE. Add in an order of churros and you are good to go. Â
The moral of the story is, the food is good but the hot chocolate is the star. Â Waiting in line is the pits, so save up and go to Frontera and stand in line there. Â Get the hot chocolate to go for your evening stroll through the beautiful streets of Chicago. Â Mmm.
Oh wow. I love anything with a modern and unique twist to it, and Bayless's XOCO does wonders with Mexican food. I'm going to ignore everything about it, though, and just focus on their churros.
They're perfect. Or, well, near perfect. They could be a bit fluffier, but I wouldn't hold that against them because I can see what they were going for because these churros were designed with their glazes, which are technically optional but pretty much mandatory if you enjoy eating, in mind. Given that, these churros are supposed to be a bit on the crunchier and crispy side, because they can't faulter under the weight of all that pistachio flavor.
Came for lunch with my husband on a cold weekday. There was no line! Upon walking into the restaurant we were immediately pleased with our choice. Delicious smells and spices were wafting around the kitchen. We choose a couple sandwiches and drinks as well as a churro to go.
Our menu selections:
Pepito torta
Ahogada torta
Hot chocolate
Agua del dia (cucumber and mint)
Pistachio churro
My husband thoroughly enjoyed his ahogada and half of my pepito since I was stuffed! It exceeded any and all of his expectations while I, on the other hand, thought it was quite good but not my favorite food selection. Also, I'm not huge on hot chocolate so that was lost on me. My favorite item was the agua del dia which tasted like kiwi juice. So delicious! And the churro was incredible. I would love to order one a day in each flavor.
3.5 stars --Rick Bayless is amazing, but the wait can get out of hand.
TIP!!! -- The O'Hare airport has XOCO and Frontera Grill at the airport, which serves the same sandwiches. If you are traveling, you should stop at the airport, instead (prices similar) and use your time in Chicago NOT waiting in line.
_ _ _ _
I've tried his other restaurant, Topolobampo (very high-end) and the flavors were so rich, I had to try his other restaurants in Chicago. XOCO is the more casual, affordable, no-reservation needed kind of restaurant.
FOOD: Â Aztec Hot Chocolate--a must !! The flavors are so unique. There is a blast of fireworks when it hits your tongue.
All the sandwiches ($10-14) Â have an explosion of flavor and kick. I only wish the bread was a little thinner so that the carbs don't get in the way of that goodness inside the sandwich.
Churros--Just ok. Good fresh, but tough as a brick later--so don't save this as a snack.
SERVICE: Great--the line was so long, we were given free hot chocolate while we waited. :)
VERDICT: Great if convenient, but if the line is out the door--not worth an hour wait. Move on.
I had to visit Rick Bayless' place on my trip to Chicago especially when all my friends from Cali raved about this place! And boy he did not disappoint!
My friend and I got the Baja Chicken and Ahogada. Both were very good but I would recommend the Ahogada! Ahhh the pork carnitas were so tender and flavorful! It literally melts in your mouth! Definitely try it if its your first time here.
We also got the Churros with the chocolate shot and soft serve ice cream. It was very good. There's something about a warm churros with cold ice cream. Personally I would forgo the chocolate next time.
I will most definitely revisit XOCO on my next Chicago trip! ^^
Right off the bat XOCO made a good impression with their very attentive service. My buddies and I arrived just before they started serving lunch at 11. I guess they know how awkward it is to transition from breakfast to lunch but they had a hostess guide us through the ordering process, which was a little complicated with all the separate bills for our one table. She also helped us navigate the small size of this location by getting us a large table in the back.
The slight complication was really a blip on my radar once we got to the food. Some highlights of XOCO included the churros (try using the very very thick and not-too-sweet aztec hot chocolate as a dipping sauce) and the Cochinita Pibil, a torta made with a crusty bread and really tender pork that walks the fine line between a mouthwatering punch of flavor and destroying your taste buds well. Side note: Do not take the cashier's warning lightly. The habanero sauce that comes with this torta is indeed really spicy. Also, the guacamole and chips sound simple but don't be deceived. It's creamy and flavorful without being too salty. Highly recommended.
I also had a chance to try the ahogada torta, which contained some really juicy carnitas but I didn't like that it was served already sitting in the tomato broth. There's no way you can eat the entire hefty sandwich before it gets way too soggy. Also, I'd recommend sticking with the tortas. I had a taste of the Pork Belly Vermicelli, which, while it had a very nicely done pork belly, was overwhelmed by the uber-limey broth. Also, I might be biased because I'm used to eating soup noodles with chopsticks but I found it really hard to eat this with a shallow spoon and fork. Didn't particularly enjoy this dish.
Nonetheless, XOCO is well worth the wait. The food is exciting and done well. Go for it.
If I had more of a sweet tooth, I probably would've bumped it up a star.
BREAKFAST AT XOCO!!
I tried the chorizo and egg (and avocado and cheese) torta which was absolutely delicious. Â It's definitely a must-try if you're in Chicago for breakfast, and it's not too spicy and full of flavor! Â I'm pretty sure our cashier said house-made chorizo too...
CHURROS FOR BREAKFAST!! Â 3 for $4, with a melted, thick, creamy, rich chocolate dipping sauce (order in addition). Â What a way to start off the morning! Â The churros are rolled in some spiced sugar so they're a bit sweet for me but perfect for someone craving sugary-sweet food for breakfast!
They also have some great breakfast drinks; my sister's lactose-intolerant so she definitely appreciated their ALMOND MILK chocolate drink!
I also saw some mouthwatering french toast go by when I was sitting down...
Breakfast is from 8 am to 10 am (make sure not to get there a minute too late!). Â We went the day after Christmas at 9:30 and it wasn't busy at all!
They also do take-out for breakfast which is a great on-the-run option!
Xoco was good enough for my sisters to eat it 2 mornings in a row... and they probably would've done 3 if we had stayed in Chicago!
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