Guzman y Gomez - Buffalo Grove — Restaurant in Buffalo Grove

Wow! Just Wow! My wife, Son and I went to the grand opening of Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen in Buffalo Grove tonight and we were blown away by the customer service, friendliness and kind treatment we received from everyone. To start, because the parking was a so packed, because of the of it being the grand opening, I was not able to park in the handicap parking (having hip replacement in 5 days) right in front of the entrance but on the other side of the restaurant. As we walked to the entrance there was a super long line out the door and I knew I would not be able to stand in that long line to get in the restaurant, but I ran into Andrew (first picture), who is the head of US operations for the restaurant chain, and he, knowing my situation, took us straight in to bypass the line so that I could sit soon. Andrew even offered to have my vehicle driven to the handicap space in front of the restaurant! Then as we sat to enjoy our dinner we met Evan (second picture) who is the owner's twin brother who talked with us for a good 20 minutes and even gave my son a pair of Guzman y Gomez socks that are only available in Australia! And to top it off we met Tom (third picture) who is Head of Digital Productions for Guzman y Gomez in Illinois and he too spoke with us for quite a while and he even went and got us a dessert for each of us, on the house. Now-a-days customer service is lacking so much and Guzman y Gomez is the exception and makes you feel right at home! And as for the food it to is outstanding and again was a pleasant surprise that on opening night they were able to get orders correct and not have to wait to long for the order to be ready, and we are talking all day they were swamped with customers. All the food we had was very delicious and the restaurant's atmosphere was spot on with music playing but the restaurant was not loud so we could talk normally. For a not-so-usual great customer service experience and outstanding food as well you can't go wrong with...

We stumbled on Guzman y Gomez while hunting for Mexican food in the area on a whim, and what a surprise it turned out to be. At first glance, we thought it might be another fast food spot like Chipotle or Taco Bell, but we learned it originated in Australia and that Chicagoland is the only place in the U.S. where you'll find it. That exclusivity reminded me of how In-N-Out is revered by the west coast, so we had to check it out

From the moment we arrived, the exterior was clean and inviting with an outdoor seating area, but we chose to dine in to see how Guzman y Gomez captured the authenticity of a Mexican restaraunt. And wow, this place did not feel like fast food at all. The music, the interior, the bilingual staff, everything about this place reminded me of Mexican cuisine and culture.

We ordered a spicy chicken burrito and steak tacos, and let me just say, the spice options were a dream come true for me. I love spice, and the fact that they offered green suace, chipotle sauce, and a habanero sauce with tamarind and orange made it perfect for me. The food could stand on its own, but with the sauces, it really turned the food from a 10, to an 11. From the burrito, every bite was packed with various fresh ingredients and I could taste each indidual one. The rice, the beans, the lettuce, and the chicken tasted amazing.

What really sealed the deal was my mom since I came here with her and my older brother. My mom is a traditional Hispanic woman who dislikes Taco Bell and Chipotle, and the fact that she enjoyed this says a lot. We told the staff how this was our first time coming here, how hospitable they were to us, and how this is our new weekend spot to eat with family.

This place is CRIMINALLY underrated. If you're in the area and love Mexican food, especially burritos, do yourself a favor and give Guzman y Gomez a try. I would love to see how Guzman y Gomez expands upon their menu in the...

I decided to try this place out and place an order online for pick up, and overall, I was pleasantly surprised for a franchise that's not even Mexican to get the food right. I ordered the Cali burrito; as someone who grew up in Southern Cali, where the Cali burrito comes from, I wanted to see how it compared. I've had it before at other establishments in Chicago that sell it, and I was not impressed then, so I decided to try it. It was a good meal; they got the ingredients right, and the meat was tender and not rough. I got it spicy, and it had a decent spiciness; not as spicy as I like it, but it was good. The tortilla was okay; it felt like a regular flour tortilla. Not the best quality, but it was good. I was unsure about the chipotle seasoned fries, as I had seasoned fries before in a burrito, which could have been better. However, the seasoning in the fries gave it a perfect compliment.

I only had a few minor complaints: the burrito price was too expensive for the size. I'm used to going to SoCal and getting a Cali burrito for about $10, and it's 2x the size. I expected that for how much it was. Additionally, I didn't particularly appreciate how I had to pay extra for the steak; traditionally, the Cali burrito comes with Carne Asada (Steak), not chicken.

With that said, I will be returning, and I'm happy that this place is in BG. I will probably frequent this place over Chipotle as the quality is better; plus, I can get a Cali...