La Estancia — Restaurant in Riverside Township

I have never written a restaurant review before but my experience here needs to be shared to avoid this restaurant make the same mistake to another customer. The restaurant was close to a local zoo that I had just enjoyed exploring, so this restaurant seemed like a perfect meeting point for us all. Two of us, from our party of three asked our server if the taco bowl shrimp contained onions. Coincidentally, our guest and I were both allergic to onions and clearly emphasized the type of severe allergic reactions. The server acknowledged our request and made a note of our orders, but when our meals arrived, both shrimp bowls clearly had “onions mixed with cilantro” completely sprinkled on the very tops. I asked the server if he would kindly correct their mistake, but when he returned to our table, the manager also accompanied him and promptly returned both bowls to us, saying that she could not fix this problem as the “cilantro was premixed with the onions” before they were scattered on the top of our meal! I again explained that neither of us were able to eat these two meals and asked for any alternative replacement dish, so long as it did not contain onions, but the manager insisted that nothing could be done. We left our two meals on the table, uneaten for the duration. My daughter kindly shared a small portion of her meal with us both, as we tried to make-light of this entire, embarrassing situation. I asked if a reduction to the check could be made due to their error, but this was declined by the manager, so we just paid our bill in full, feeling very awkward and disgruntled. I sympathized with our young server, as I could also sense his embarrassment during this entire interaction and so left him with a tip, as he had no say in the management’s bad judgement call. To cap this awful experience, the following morning my daughter woke up with bad stomach pains, which she believes to be from her quesadilla chicken dinner that she had eaten earlier at La Estancia. As a visitor to Illinois, this is one restaurant that I have no intention to ever visit again, or would I recommend to anyone, due to bad management decision-making at every level.

Your recent response is inaccurate ....

We saw the shrimp and pasta dish on the menu and reminded our server that we would NOT be able to eat this dish if it contained any onions due to our severe allergic reaction. The two shrimp and pasta dishes THEN came out with cilantro and onions sprinkled across the top! You said in your comment below that you did not prepare our dishes with the cilantro and onions while in your kitchen. If that was the case, we never went into your kitchen, so how would we have known about "cilantro and onions?" I repeat, the two pasta dishes served to us had cilantro and onions sprinkled across the top! With regards to your comment about my daughter's upset stomach, she had meticulously gone through all the list of foods that she had eaten the day of our visit to your restaurant and the only item that was different than what she usually eats, was your chicken quesadilla. She believes that your chicken was off. I deny you offered to change our meals. In fact, you refused when I asked for our two shrimp pasta meals to be replaced with any type of alternative dish without onions. My two guests would verify the conversation at first-hand. Your sever had actually apologized to us when we pointed out the onions on both dishes and took the two bowls into your kitchen to be rectified. You promptly returned with the same bowls and blatantly refused, stating that nothing could be done, because the cilantro and onions were all mixed together! Professionalism starts at the top. As a manager of a food establishment, you need to listen very carefully to customers requests, including severe allergic reactions. It is your responsibility to kindly correct your mistake, to avoid something more serious happening to a customer, which could indeed, have dire...

My family and I went on a Tuesday at 6PM. It wasn't too busy but the restaurant needed help. There was one person taking orders for indoors and outdoor. He was helping cook the food and make drinks. It took about 10 minutes to even come to the table. He wasn't friendly. We were given chips and salsa. We asked for water for everyone (7 total). We ordered our food and still hadn't been given water. We weren't given a refill on the little bowl of 10 chips and salsa for 7 people. We ordered margaritas. They were just flavored drinks. Not much alcohol at all. I don't think there was any alcohol at all. We asked for water 3 times. The 3rd time someone gave us one bottle from the large pack you buy from Sam's Club. It was a Members Mark bottle of water. We asked for cups to split the water amongst the 4 kids at our table. The steak was too salty. My husband and sister enjoyed their burrito. The rice and beans were good. It was hot inside. We were sweating the whole time there. We couldn't sit outside because there wasn't enough seating for our group. The waiter/cook/cashier was not attentive at all. He did not come to ask if we needed anything. He was on his phone when we were waiting some type of attentiin and for our bill. We wanted to give this place a chance but I wish I had left the moment I thought to leave when we sat down. We were charged tax plus 25% service fee. 35% off our bill was fees and taxes. This place is overpriced and not good. I will NEVER visit again. Oh, my daughter did ask for a piece of candy they have on the counter and the guy...

This was our first time at this restaurant. My feelings about this restaurant are mixed.

The waiter was nice. I unfortunately did not get his name. I think our experience is lack of understanding the culture. We tried to order tacos on the flower tortilla instead of a corn and I don’t think he understood he said yes, but we still got corn tortillas. That was fine. They were good. The food is very good. But then we ordered Water and he said they don’t have water you had to buy bottled water. I am in my 60s. I have never been told. I cannot have a glass of water at a restaurant.

I will say again the food was good. When we were done, he brought over a little handheld machine in his hand and told us our total, he never even gave us a bill. Again, I have never been to a restaurant where they don’t hand you a physical check so you can look at it and see what you ordered and what you will be paying for.

He told my husband the total and my husband paid it, and that was it. I never in my entire life would ever pay for something I didn’t physically see with my own eyes that I was being charged properly for what I ordered. The amount sounded right so I didn’t say anything, But like I said, I would never have paid without having a receipt Physically in my hand. It’s just not proper business. Plus, I save all my receipts for my expenses at the end of the month.

As much as I enjoyed the food, I don’t know if I’ll be back. I should be able to get a glass of water and I should be able to get a paper check in my hand.

Thank you for reading ...