Mixteco Grill (Lakeview) — Restaurant in Lake View Township

So me and my significant other decided to go eat taco's tonight instead of Italian! We were debating between Taco & Burito House and Buena Vista but my partner said " Ooh ooh!! Babe! Let's go to that one place by Clark and Belmont!! " It's closer she says. I'm like.. " alright dollface let's git attah hea! ",jokingly as we head out on this mildly breezy night.

So we finally arrive and it's the Mixteco place we've walked past before. So we enter the establishment and noticed the Chipotle aesthetics throughout the decor. Seen one man and woman sitting in a corner and one customer waiting to pickup their order. The cashier, greeted us and the 2 cooks were stone faced. The short latina with the glasses and the taller latino male with this look of disdain.

My partner ordered her food first with NO CILANTRO on ANY of her food and adds avocado to all of them. She wanted a surf & turf, seared fish taco, seared shrimp taco and a steak taco. The cashier asked her how she wanted her fish and seared was her request. After she finished taking her order, it was my turn. I asked for 2 steak taco's with cilantro and cebolla (onions). Then I added a surf & turf as well and a fish taco. Which I asked her if it was breaded, she replied it comes breaded or seared, I said I wanted mines seared as she repeated it to confirm my order. My gal added 2 horchatas to the mix and asked me if I wanted anything else, I debated and just told the cashier in spanish, " The Carna asada bein cocida " , she was like " hunh? " and I was like.. 😏 she can't be serious in thought , than I said " well done ". My gal said maybe she didn't hear me, but the cooks did so she heard me. The cooks were entertained with her play along.

Anywho, we went to fill up our drinks and the older guy who was sitting with the lady came up talking to them in spanish about me while they laughed. I had my back turnt to them but took note. Besides the camera footage doesn't lie. I pegged him for a worker or manager in street clothes. We went and sat down to wait for our food. They called us in less than 20 minutes. She asked me to get some salsa after checking our bag's to see it had none. Most taco places give you the option or provide you with options of a variety of salsa choices. I told the cashier thank you and we left. When we got home, my partner was livid! Not only did they get some of the orders wrong, they only gave us 7 of the 8 taco's we ordered! And she doesn't eat cilantro in anything EVER! We called to inform them the first time and the female that answered hung up on us. What in thee entire?!🤔 So she said we're getting a refund and taking this back. So we called again, The cashier " Marisa " (if that's even her real name based on how long she decided to respond ) gives us these excuses as if she was being coached by the other employees on the phone.

Why'd you hang up on us? " Our phone systems acting up", " Oh we couldn't hear you and I was about to call you back "👎 lies.

We'd like to speak to your manager and get a refund. We'll return all of this except for the horchata. " there's no manager here, he'll be in tomorrow at 11am " 🤔 I don't believe you 👎

Can we just return the food back we don't want it. We just want our refund. " I can't give you a refund, our manager will give your full refund when he is in tomorrow "

I asked her what's her name, she waited for a long time to respond like she didn't know her name and told me " Marisa ". 🤔😏 Riiiiight.

First time and will be the last time as a patron here. Seems like when it gets close to closing time at these type of establishments the quality goes down and the bad experiences go up. 👎👎👎👎🚫 I'll be there at 11:30am to speak with the manager and get our refund for the messed up order and bad experience. Thank you and...

During these times it's hard to find a place that takes pride in presentation. I wasn't expecting much from Mixteco, but sometimes you get pleasant surprises.

Interior -

Walking in the place was empty (a common theme during these times.) Mixteco had a full staff waiting for empty stomachs. The pale yellow & red walls with wood paneling gives you a feeling of confusion. 3/5

Prices - I ordered ground beef chimichanga which came out to a whopping $12.24 & a fountain soda which was $2.49. Altogether my total was $16.29. The chimichanga doesn't come with any sides like rice or chips either. 3/5

Customer Service - My food was ready within 10 minutes & I didn't have any issues. 5/5

Chimichanga - Presentation - No wonder this thing costs over $12. They put a decent amount of effort into the presentation. There's a level of pride here that's uncommon amongst the fast food industry. The chimichanga was perfectly fried & then plated on a bed of green sauce. Couple that with a sourcre am drizzle & plenty of meat/cheese then I present a near perfect chimichanga. 5/5

Taste - You want this chimichanga to taste as good as it looks, but it falls just short. The meat isn't particularly well seasoned & while it's not bland... it's not very flavorful either. It doesn't help that the green sauce (which you can't really avoid since it's literally on a bed of green sauce) is pretty average as well. Nothing really stands out aside from the guacamole which was great and it culminates into an above average outing. 4/5

Overall Mixteco brings a lot to the table. They're able to push out these amazing mouthwatering dishes in record time without breaking a sweat & I applaud them for it.

4...

There are a number of places to go for good Mexican or Tex-Mex food in Lakeview, and Mixteco Mexican Grill is definitely one of them. First, I really like the location. It’s located conveniently on Belmont St. in the heart of Lakeview. It’s right in between the red line/brown line stop and Clark Street. Second, the food is very good. I tried the works burrito with steak, chicken nachos and tres Leches Cake for dessert. The works burrito lives up to its name as it is stuffed with ingredients. They also did not skimp on the steak. Next, the chicken nachos where very good. The chicken was tender and the crispy chips were loaded with beans, cheese and guacamole. I liked that the chips were strong enough to hold all of the ingredients. While I enjoyed the nachos and the burrito, the true highlight of the meal was the tres leches cake I had for dessert. It was creamy, moist and was sitting in a pool of condensed milk. No meal is complete here without it. Third, the staff was friendly and the service was super fast. If you are in Lakeview, skip the Chipotle...