Nativo Mexican Cuisine — Restaurant in Bannockburn

It’s a nice place in the space that Opa! once occupied. It has a nice space for outdoor seating and would be a decent place to have drinks and enjoy the chips, salsa, and homemade guac.

However, my review for Nativo can be summed up in one word: bland.

The chips are very salty, so the salsa washes some of that off, but these and their margaritas are good. Everything else is flavorless.

This was the first time we’ve had fajitas with no flavor. There was no seasoning whatsoever. The chicken was dry and the shrimp was tasteless. Even the Mexican rice had no flavor.

Our server was zipping around the restaurant helping everybody and was constantly refilling drinks and chips, but never stopped to see how our dinner was. A runner brought our food and had to bring mine back as I requested no onions and they were in my fajitas. I think our server may have noticed. Also, my wife and I asked for extra rice and no beans. We got the beans, so back they went. It wasn’t a nice start, but the staff was friendly and I think they were busy earlier since it was Cinco de Mayo. The Mariachi duo were a nice touch.

Not sure we’ll be back as there are plenty of spots that offer flavor in their meals.

If you like blander fare, Nativo is your...

As a Texan on a business trip to Illinois, I can confidently say that Nativo Mexican Cuisine exceeded all my expectations – and that's saying something coming from a state known for its incredible Mexican food! The Bannockburn Way margarita was a premium experience, smooth, and perfectly balanced. The nachos with succulent carnitas were an outstanding appetizer, with incredibly tender and flavorful meat. For my main course, the salmon was cooked to absolute perfection, flaky, moist, and impeccably seasoned.

Beyond the incredible food and drinks, the service was second to none. Attentive, friendly, and incredibly efficient, the staff anticipated our needs without being intrusive. Nativo Mexican Cuisine isn't just good for Illinois; it's good by any standard, even those of a...

We must’ve caught them on a bad day. When we were seated, we started catching up as a party of seven. We must’ve been asked to order five times within the first five minutes of having menus. Once we ordered, the food came out warm and in about three minutes. It was some of the worst Mexican we have ever had. It was almost as though the food was just sitting in the back. Everything from the appetizers to the entrées was just terrible. to be honest, my margarita was terrible too. The man who was seating people hovered over our table so we felt rushed out. I would never go back and what a shame because even mediocre Mexican is easy to do and they just...