Old Pueblo Cantina — Restaurant in Chicago

we had received a Ballyhoo gift card for Christmas and decided to forgo our usual favourite spot (Coda di Volpe) and try something new.

the place pretty much met my expectations and i don’t mean that in a totally negative way. it was a slightly kitschy Mexican restaurant ambiance (e.g.: the contraption the skewers come out on where they dangle is ridiculous, especially for the smaller tables). but the overall food was pretty decent and what i expected when looking at the menu.

i enjoyed the cheese crisp thing they are known for (basically a flatbread/cracker crust pizza), and the blackened mahi mahi taco was pretty good, as well as the street corn side.

the red chile beef and al pastor tacos were subpar (especially the beef which had almost no flavour). the homemade flour tortillas were pretty good, though i probably still prefer my tacos on corn.

the free chips and salsa were a plus+!

and the cocktails were decent but probably overpriced.

the server was very attentive and had good recommendations, though he (possibly mistakingly) made me think the sides came with the tacos which they did not and we paid for them separately. but i’ll let that slide because it my just have been a communication issue from both sides.

not the best tacos i’ve had in the city, which led me to the conclusion that we really don’t need “elevated” street food. it just becomes an adventure in higher prices with less flavourful tastes.

so, most people will likely enjoy it, others used to street tacos and corn will probably find it overpriced and less good than what you’d actually find on the street or in many of Chicago’s...

Very excited for a taco and margarita! Cute place great atmosphere.ordered a classic margarita with no salt and received extra salt so I let it slide . When ordering I asked the bartender if they offer vegan/ vegetarian taco the bartender suggested a sweet potato and corn taco I asked her for no cheese she also asked if I would like beans and I asked if they were pork and she said they were so I declined . If I don’t eat meat why would I want port beans . So I receive my order and on the taco was cheese and a side of pork beans so I asked the food runner to please remove the cheese and beans , the rice on this dish was cold like it had been sitting out for a while . While waiting for the order another bartender approached me to inform me that the tortilla were made with lard . I don’t understand why this was not communicated to me when ordering . I really wanted to like this restaurant and understand it’s not a vegan or vegetarian friendly just please train your staff on the menu and to listen to the customer when ordering food ! Did not receive a apology regarding the huge mistake the bartender made by not listen to the customer . I did not want to make a scene in the restaurant because I have worked in the industry for many years ! I also don’t appreciate the 2 bartenders and food runner speaking about me at the end of the bar this was a very uncomfortable situation. Just train the staff...

I was excited for Old Puebla to open up in the neighborhood as a differnt food option, but sadly the food did not live up to the pricetag. The atmosphere is very homey and nice, and the wait staff was fast and courteous; however, both my girlfriend and I were underwhelmed with our food, which even if it was delicious was pricier than it should have been.

I ordered the Catina Burrito (Steak), and the meat was overcooked and the burrito was dry. It was also $17.95 for a burrito with no sides whatsoever. I would have rather gone to chipotle for half the price. She ordered the grilled chicken tacos and liked her food more than I did, but still felt like it very average for mexican food in the area, which for the price, is not good enough.

We both also ordered margaritas, her ordering the classic lime margarita, and I tried the Lobo Loco margarita. The margaritas were ok, but tasted slightly watery and more sour than we expected. We typically like to order 2 or 3 drinks while we are out for a nice dinner, but were both content with just sipping on the one.

Overall, I wanted to love this place and for the food to be something we couldn't wait to come back for, but it didn't live up to our expectations. Hopefully it gets better over time or I imagine it won't last too long in the...