Blanco Cocina + Cantina — Restaurant in Oak Brook

Blanco Cocina& Cantina; what a fun, desirable place to be. If you are in need of a tastefully fabulous, cozy dining experience, I would highly recommend this exemplary eatery.

Some of the key facets that sets Blanco's apart from other Mexican/ Mexican fusion restaurants I've visited over the course of my extended stay in the suburbs are as follows: large, shareable meal portions; fresh, high quality ingredients; every sauce has a distinct flavor, filled with zest but not overpowering; intriguing and smart design, seating intimate enough for a date night or solo dining yet floor plan versatility makes this site prime for larger parties or family outings; atmospheric excellence; calming, yet fun, increasing versatility; this makes Blanco's the perfect setting for group get togethers, reunions or small scale birthday celebrations.

Now, onto one of my favourite aspects of Blanco's; aesthetically pleasing decor. Colorful, yet not overstated, playful interior with those gorgeous exposed ceilings I adore, paired with bold light fixtures and a plethora of lush greenery for the most desirably mod, slightly industrial feel.

(Notation: Additional seating available on the trendy gated patio; full sized sun-shade umbrellas included)

In terms of affordability; every mark surpassed. Considering the ample serving size of each dish and exceptional quality of the meal, pricing was more than fair.

I've decided to incorporate a section into my posts to assist those who'd like to expedite the "picking process" when it comes to meal selection; as most menus can be quite extensive, it is my hope that an "ideal meal" section complete with name of dish, brief description, and beverage accompaniments will assist those new to the recommended eatery.

Let's dive right in.

Blanco's ideal meal (based loosely from my order):

Shareable appetizer: Mexican street corn (AKA elotes; cob-style roasted corn chopped into even pieces, topped lightly with classic mayonnaise, generously with Mexican crumble cheese, tangy lime and chilé based seasoning; flavorful yet not overwhelming level of spice; delicious in every way)

Individual starter: bowl of chicken tortilla soup (satisfying to the taste without being too heavy on the stomach, ideal amount of tender, flavorful chicken throughout and a most savory broth makes for a most enjoyable starter prior to entreé)

Vegetarian starter alternative: queso dip (warm, creamy white cheese dip topped with servings of seasoned and diced tomatoes/onions, sour cream, fresh guacamole and crisp cilantro)

Entreé/ beverage: chicken tinga bowl (tantalizing chunks of melt-in-your-mouth shredded chicken alongside a variety of toppings including mixed cheeses, fresh cilantro, zesty sauce and your choice of beans atop a base of well-seasoned rice)/ topo Chico with lime (the lime gives this sudsy, traditional Mexican seltzer a tangy twist)

Vegetarian entreé alternative: grilled avocado tacos (fresh avocado, crisp cabbage, savory onions, a delectable yogurt sauce and various spices topped with lightly seasoned tortilla strips in the most delicious, thick tortillas; I'd recommend corn based on experience)

Dessert/ beverage: caramel flan (incredibly rich without being overly sweet; moist, thick cake with lightly dusted powdered sugar, cremé and delicious fresh fruit atop)/cup of coffee with light cream (classic accompaniment to most desserts)

For my concluding point, I would like to express the utmost gratitude towards our lovely table attendant; one of the most friendly, warm service experiences I've encountered during my suburban adventures. Needless to say, this solidified Blanco's as a must-return in my book.

Blanco's, you are truly a gem. 💎

Thank you for providing delicious, unique twists on traditional Mexican dishes, and of course; for the exemplary service.

This leftover queen will be returning to sample what remains of the dessert menu in the...

We were skeptical at first because good Mexican food is not always easy to find outside of the city. This place puts a nice twist on their dishes, and we were sold from the very first visit. Julio is an amazing server, his recommendations were key, and we often seek him out when we go now. We have been there several times in the last couple months. We have taken groups there and have had the best time. We have even placed DoorDash orders (which were packed so nicely) and we’ve ordered take-out as well (more on that experience below – you won’t want to miss what happened to me). But let’s first talk about the food & drinks. The guacamole is fresh and light. Their chips are different than other places and they are tasty and perfect. The fajitas are delicious! We order them Mixed so that they come with all the protein options. There is an upcharge for ordering them this way, but it is absolutely worth it. The Carne Asada melts in your mouth, the chicken is juicy and delicious, and the shrimp is big, amazing, and fresh. It is my favorite dish by far. The drinks are also delicious. The Strawberry & Habanero Margarita is my favorite. Try it only if you like spice because it has a good kick. I usually order it with a premium tequila upgrade. I love that they have so many good tequilas to choose from. Now to my take out experience. This was a couple of days ago. I had a really tough work week; it was late in the day for me to finally be leaving (like 8:20 pm) it was snowing, and the roads were awful. I placed an order to pick up on my way home and was told that I had to be there by 8:45 because they were closing. I rushed to get there in time, and I did; Only to be told that my order would not be ready for another 30-40 min. I asked to sit at the bar while I waited. The place was clearly packed, so I know this mishap was not intentional, but after the week I had and at the end of a long day, I was less than happy. I ordered a drink at the bar and chips and salsa while I waited. The manager Jordan came out to introduce himself to me and to apologize for the wait. He was extremely apologetic and so kind. He came to talk to me again 10 min later to provide me an update, which I felt was so responsible and I appreciated that very much. The bartender than informed me that my drink and chips were comped for my troubles. Again, over and beyond what I would expect from most places these days. Taylor (another manager) then came out to hand me my food and introduce himself. They took really good care of me and made what could have been a bad experience a very good one. I know that mistakes happen, and no place runs perfectly all the time… but the service is what matters most. How they handled themselves against a simple mishap, spoke volumes to me and it just made me more of a fan. My night ended nicely, and that could have been spoiled somewhat by that experience… but it wasn’t because the management team and the servers really care here. You add that to good food & drinks and that’s an amazing winning combination. If you have not tried this place. I encourage you to. Thank you to the staff at Blanco in Oakbrook – keep doing...

Came into Blanco tonight with the wife and sat at the bar. I was instantly greeted by the female bartender. Then- she totally disappeared. About 15 mins later we notice she’s back in the bar but this time with a cart full of random bar stuff. (Bottles and liquor mostly). Ordered margaritas 20 mins later (unacceptable) and she took forever to make them…… we said we would like a ceviche appetizer that came out right away. Then she left again. This time the other male bartender was “watching “ us, however he was non existent in his service. He was totally preoccupied making a handful of drinks for servers. It wasn’t busy by any means. He then would walk around the bar and not even so much or us more chips that were completely empty with literally a half order of ceviche. I witnessed 2 girls sit at the bar next to us for over 20 mins before he even said hi to them. This guy was horrible and completely out of it. Then we flagged him down to place our orders (tiger shrimp fajitas and shrimp tacos). The food took forever!!!! (40 mins plus). The bar was disgusting. Dirty plates EVERYWHERE including 3 bar tables that were never cleared. Walking to the bathroom I counted 11 tables that were gone, that had mountains of dirty glassware and plates on them too! Like no one here cares. Not even management because they were non existent in helping their staff. I went back to the bar to spend my money and took another 20 mins or so for this guy to even offer me another drink. I flagged down the female bartender for a tequila list, she gave me one but absolutely zero follow up from her too. Guess what, she disappeared AGAIN- leaving me with the long haired guy who couldn’t care less. No personality. Not attentive. No anticipation of our needs at any time. I had to get up and walk over to a table to snag roll ups for my wife and I also!!! Finally the kicker here tonight is that we watched a couple next to us leave and all of their disgusting plates just piled up were sitting on the bar the entire time (well over 45 mins). There were 5 people at the bar. Thats it!!!! This guy forgot to make my wife her margarita not once but twice we had to remind him that we were waiting for it. SMH. There was absolutely ZERO teamwork here with this bar staff. It was horrible and flat out pathetic. We go out 3 days a week and we have never seen a bar as bad as Blanco. After I used the men’s room for a second time, I noticed that at 7:40 pm all of the tables that were dirty an hour ago were still filthy and loaded up with plates. I noticed a manager on the floor and I pulled her aside to ask her if she had any bussers. She said no. I told her that to look around. This is the nastiest and most disgusting restaurant I have ever dined at. This is Oakbrook. Do better! It will take a lot for me to ever consider coming here again. Horrible management is to blame. Staff was totally non motivated to do the basics. Also horrible I mean horrible bartenders. Btw. My bill was $142!!!!! Really?’ You charge these prices for 2 people you need to back it up with service. Please feel free to reach out for more dirty details, Blanco. ...