La Catedral Cafe - New Eastside — Restaurant in Chicago

Nothing special about the food, that's not a bad thing, but... there’s an overwhelming number of first-time reviewers here... that's a big red flag, and they serve regular Mexican food sold at what we consider highly inflated prices.

Homemade-style Mexican food is already delicious, so when restaurants try to make it "gourmet," it feels unnecessary and often just comes off as a way to inflate the price$$.

On the other hand, it's here and not "there," so for people in the neighborhood desiring this food, that’s great.

But are local residents the main customers, or do most people come from other neighborhoods, struggling and paying for parking just to eat here?

(Stand at the door and watch)

That’s not the most important thing.

What really matters to locals is the staying power of a business because it means reliability and a place we can actually count on.

And that’s where the big question comes in:

What kind of research do restaurant owners do before opening at 400 E Randolph?

In our 42 years living in this area, not a single restaurant that’s opened here has lasted.

Why?

Because none of the restaurants served the needs of the 10,244 people in the New Eastside Community, with a median age of 32 and a median income of $108K.

(And other, more nuanced reasons.)

In any case, in our world, the place is way, way, way too expensive for what you get, and unless their expenses are crazy low, and their customers keep on trekking in from distant places... we hope they find a way to connect and build a base with the people who actually live around here.

The owner's response says a lot - and from our perspective, not in the best way.

It’s emotional, defensive, and misses the point of the review entirely.

Instead of engaging with the actual feedback, they dismiss it as “hate,” which tells you how they likely handle criticism in general.

There’s pride in what they’ve built, but it’s paired with a thin skin and a tendency to lash out.

The sarcasm (“since you think you have all the answers…”) doesn’t help... what could’ve been a moment to show professionalism and connection turns into a big red flag about how the place is run.

From what we're seeing, the place has a loyal following. That's great.

We just know the neighborhood, and from what we're hearing, return visits are not in people's...

I live right next to La Catedral and was genuinely excited to try this new spot in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, my first visit today left me quite disappointed—mainly due to how the service handled a simple issue with a coffee order.

I came in with a friend just to grab a coffee. I was choosing between two mocha options and specifically asked our waitress which one was less sweet, since I don’t enjoy overly sugary drinks. I was guided toward one that was described as more coffee-forward, so I went with it. When the drink arrived, it was extremely sweet—sweeter than a Starbucks Frappuccino, for comparison—and not at all what I expected based on our conversation.

I took a sip and immediately let the waitress know I couldn’t drink it. I first asked if they could dilute it with a cappuccino to tone it down, but the proposed solution was just to add brewed coffee (with no milk), which didn’t make sense for a mocha. Ultimately, I let her know the drink was undrinkable and asked them to take it away.

When the bill came, I noticed the coffee was still included. I politely asked if that was a mistake, and was told that since I had already sipped it, they couldn’t take it off the bill. I understand policy is policy, but I think some flexibility and better handling could’ve gone a long way here.

It's frustrating not to be offered a reasonable solution, especially over something as simple and inexpensive as a coffee. I don’t expect perfection from a newly opened spot, but I do expect some attention to customer feedback—especially when it's given respectfully and in the moment.

I truly hope La Catedral rethinks how it approaches situations like this. A small gesture—like replacing the drink or simply taking it off the bill—could make a big difference in building goodwill with neighbors like me who want to support local spots. I’d love to come back, but only if the customer...

I only had a few days in Chicago, visiting for work, so I didn’t have a lot of choice over where I ate while I was there, but on my last morning, I found this spot on Google Maps, not too far from my hotel and with the great rating, I thought I’d check it out.

I’m very glad I did, as the staff, service, atmosphere and food were all amazing. I felt very welcomed when I came in, even though I was just a table for 1. I wanted to try the chilaquiles as I’d never had them before and wasn’t disappointed. As it was my first time trying them, I just went with the Verde which is perhaps a bit more plain than some of the other options but I added grilled chicken at my server’s recommendation and it was delicious! Full of flavour and had a really good mix of textures.

Portions are huge! I didn’t see that the orange juice was 24oz when I ordered the large size, and it was bigger than my head! But then again I’m not used to US portion sizes, but I was just upset I couldn’t fit it all in, as it was all delicious. Even the iced americano, which is a pretty plain coffee order as they go, was really good!

I would definitely come back here if I ever find myself in Chicago again. Thanks to all the staff for...