Federales Tacos & Tequila - Logan Square, Chicago — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

Went yesterday with my cousin who is 20, didn’t know it was 21+

We’ve ordered from uber eats, live a couple blocks away in the neighborhood, and wanted to just try visiting in person for dinner.

We pop onto the patio around 5:30 and are looking around at a table inside as it’s blistering hot out. A bouncer comes up to check IDs. I told him as both of us take our IDs out we were just there for food and that my cousin is 20, not hiding anything.

He says that everyone has to be 21+. I say that doesn’t make any sense since it’s dead empty on the patio, and a family is sitting with a baby in a stroller at a table. We don’t need booze, just food.

Most bar first, food second, places don’t do that. I’d understand if the place was primarily designed as a bar, or much smaller, or if we were told we can’t sit inside, but can sit outside well away from the proper bar inside.

I said this is silly and we can sit outside there’s literally only a table with a family and baby sitting out there, he responds that it’s not silly and that “it’s in the name of the place, tacos and tequila”.

What does a place named after law enforcement have anything in the name about tacos and tequila???

It just kept not making sense. We were ready to give this place our money, when they had barely any business on a low period of a Friday, and they shooed us away as if this was a “bar first, food second” kind of place.

Listen, if you have a single person in the back of the bar that makes burgers and chips but that’s it, it’s bar first, food second…when you have an extensive of a menu as this place and are also delivering over uber eats, doesn’t give anyone the impression you’re a bar forward place passing by. It’s only until you go to the website and see the tag line “tacos and tequila” under the name in the logo that I started to understand.

Work on the marketing and the customer service. Why I ask couldn’t we sit down and just be served food? Or myself be served food and alcohol as 21+ and my cousin not? You could be doing a lot more family business on that patio at a minimum but I guess you don’t...

My friends took me here for a birthday dinner. I love trying new places but this place fell flat. I forgot the servers name, but she was very forgetful and also confused with people's order's. She brought us two margaritas we didn't even order, which was for another table. I ordered a Queso Fundido and they brought a Queso Blanco which is a total different dip. She said that supposedly we said no chorizo...but if that was the case, why bring a total different dish? 🤔🤔 We also ordered guacamole but for the price it was a small ice cream scoop and they didn't even bring extra tortilla chips for it 😐

Now I finally received the Queso Fundido appetizer, and I must say that was very tasty. I'd order that again.

Now the tacos:

I had 3 different to try, I had the Pineapple + Pork Tacos, which was a 1 out of 5, it didn't have that Al Pastor taste to it and it was dry. I also had the duck mole, also a 1 out of 5, the mole flavor didn't hit well with my taste buds. I took just one bite and that's it. I also had the battered codfish taco, and that was a 4 out of 5, I enjoyed the flavor combination.

I would've preferred tacos on a corn tortilla other than the flour tortillas. Because it was given Quiero Taco Bell with the flour tortilla

The server, like I said, forgetful, we asked for a box to go, we never got one. My friends asked her to bring dessert for me, she never got one either. They didn't clear the tables from empty dirty dishes either, which should be part of the experience to declutter the table from a mess.

I personally wouldn't come back, nor recommend any of my friends or family to come here.

Chicago has so many restaurants to eat and try.

This place just didn't it do for...

I recently dined at Federales Logan, and I must say it was a truly unpleasant experience. The main reason for my dissatisfaction was the appalling behavior of one of the servers.

Upon arriving, my party and I were seated and decided to order the queso appetizer. Unfortunately, the server brought us a dish with pork, even though I clearly specified that I do not eat pork. I discovered the mistake after taking a bite and immediately knew something was wrong. I've been sick ever since consuming that appetizer.

To make matters worse, it was nighttime, and the lighting was dim, which made it hard to see the food clearly. When we raised the issue with the server, she insisted that we had ordered the pork queso, which was simply not the case. Her refusal to acknowledge the mistake and her argumentative attitude were completely unprofessional and unacceptable.

It's worth noting that the barbacoa chicken tacos we ordered were, in fact, delicious, but they couldn't compensate for the terrible experience we had with the server. In all my years of dining out and even working as a server myself, I have never encountered someone so confrontational with customers. A simple apology and an effort to rectify the issue would have sufficed.

Due to this server's attitude, I can confidently say that I will NEVER return to this location. Such behavior is unacceptable in the service industry, and I hope the management takes this review seriously and addresses the need for better customer service training and accountability among...