Dorado

Love this place! BYOB, good service, excellent food, and you can make reservations. We’ve been coming here since they opened, and have been thrilled when we can get groupons for this place. This is among my favorite BYOB high-​end Mexican restaurants.
YIKES – I posted this review a couple of months after our last visit. But, we’ve been going there since it opened. So sad!

Unfortunately this place is closing 2÷9÷13! We went last night to use our google local certificate. If you have a groupon or other cert and you are reading this, go there quickly!
Food was great — we had the steak fajitas and the pork tenderloin. The sauce on the pork tenderloin was excellent. Service was really good. BYOB. As others have said, the location and décor are negatives.
³⁹⁄₃₆₅

Everything about this place was excellent. Food, service, atmosphere, etc.
Food: everyone and the waiters will recommend the duck nachos and so will I. Fantastic. I combined the roasted creamy corn soup (has crab meat in it) with the smoked salmon quesadilla special for my entrée. Mom had skirt steak fajitas, brother had crab crusted salmon. Everything was delicious. We also got the caramel bread pudding for dessert. Very good!
Our server was soft spoken, but very attentive, polite and knowledgeable.
Some reviewers on Unilocal were wondering where the french was… I would say it is Mexican food served french style. I’m not complaining.
Love that it’s BOYB. Cash only doesn’t bother me here.
Made reservations to go back next week!

It was a bit of a trek to get to Dorado, but I’m glad we tried it, thanks to a Groupon. Aside from the location, my only other complaint would be the décor. It isn’t nearly as refined as the food, but perhaps the out-​of-​the-​way address and slightly outdated decorations keep the emphasis on the unusual Mexican/​French dishes.
Our server was extremely friendly and helpful, and I loved that this was a BYOB. We sampled the duck nachos, which my date called the best nachos he’s ever had. They were definitely tasty and unlike any I’ve had before.
For our entrees, I stuck with duck and had the roasted duck breast that came with dried cherries (different than the menu I currently see online). My date had the chiles rellenos de mariscos (chile rellenos with shrimp, scallops, and crab). Both were well prepared and came out quickly.
Thanks to the BYOB policy (and the Groupon), this was a very reasonable meal. With tax and tip and without the Groupon, it was $ 70 – 80 for the two of us. If this were closer, I’d eat here regularly. Regardless, I intend to return.

I’m confused about Dorado’s Unilocal popularity.
Food: So-​so. Nothing remarkable, nothing we disliked, although the dishes tended to be a bit on the rare side.
Service: Friendly and attentive.
Ambiance: Outdated.
Price: Overpriced.
For the money, there are better options. A remodel and/​or relocation may really help this restaurant.

We’ve been going to Dorado for about 3 years now. It’s definitely one of our favorite spots, and we’re worried rumors of it closing down this December might be true. Say it aint’ so Dorado! Move your location, you’ll do superbly in a higher foot-​traffic area (such as Lakeview, where we live!).
Regardless, you can’t beat the Dorado Nachos, their mole sauce is to swoon over, no corkage fee (WHAT?!) and excellent, friendly and wonderful service.
A definite must visit time time and time again.

⁴⁄₅ stars and 2 thumbs up! The food and service at Dorado were great!
Went there on Sunday. It’s a cute little place. Casual and intimate. They don’t have much for décor but it’s still very charming.
Anywho, the food:
Appy: duck nachos. I’m convinced duck has a magical component. It makes everything tastes exponentially better unless anything else. You can actually make a meal out of the nachos. It’s a big order.
Entrée: I ordered the Carne Asada al Ajillo, medium rare of course. It comes with spicy green rice that was fluffy and good. The steak is served over a chipotle tomato sauce that it did not need at all. The sauce actually took away from the awesome flavor of the steak. My friend had the dover sole which I had a taste of. That was also good.
Dessert: Platanos Fritos. Caramel, plantains and ice cream. Diabetics, steer clear. This was super sweet but good and HUGE. All you need is a bite.

I really want to give Dorado a raving review, but unfortunately my experience did not live up to my expectation.
Having heard great things and possessing a Groupon, my and I visited Dorado. The atmosphere was comfortable and quiet, as I expected it would be on a Tuesday evening. Our server was very friendly and took good care of us. Now, for the food…
We started out with and order of black bean soup and roasted creamy corn soup. Both were delicious! For our main course we chose to share the Dorado Nachos and the Carne Asada Burrito. I’m sorry to rain on the hype parade, but the famous duck nachos tasted like a salt shaker spilled on them. My wife actually mentioned the same taste before I said anything, so I was not alone in the experience. The duck did have a rich smokey flavor, but it was almost too much. As for the burrito, the carne asada was cooked nicely. With that said, a $ 15 burrito should rock my world. It did not.
In the end, I do not believe Dorado to be a bad restaurant. I just think that the nachos failed, and the menu is a bit steeply priced for some items. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for good service.

After years and years hearing about the duck nachos, I FINALLY had the chance to try them. I will say, they lived up to the hype. I am a little disappointed to say, the rest of the meal did not. Don’t get me wrong, the food is just fine, but that’s it. Just fine. For the price point, I was hoping for much better.
I ordered the Pollo En Milaneza. I thought the serving size was small compared to the price (+20) and the chicken was a bit dry. The garlic mashed potatoes were very good though. My fiancé ordered the Carne Asada Al Ajillo. I tried a bite and I liked it much more than mine. The meat was prepared as requested (medium rare) and it was very flavorful.
Overall, this was just an average experience. I would return if only for the nachos.

This place is friendly and the food is solid. Its one of my dad’s favorites. I think b/​c of the famous duck nachos. I don’t eat duck so I don’t know but it looks fabulous!
I usually get something like a tuna steak with wassabi mashed potatoes. Sometimes halibut or talipia.
My family and I have been here many times so I’m sure we’ll be back many more.

For an early Valentine’s Day dinner, my boyfriend surprised me with Dorado, an intimate Mexican-​French BYOB restaurant on Foster. With a bottle of red in hand, we slipped in on a chilly Thursday evening. No wait time to be found here — only extremely friendly faces and a very inviting dining room.
I’ll skip to the important part here — start with the Dorado Nachos. There’s a reason for putting that dish at the top of the appetizers page. A little heat from the jalapeño seals the deal, but the smoked duck is the star of the plate. A must-​order.
For entrees, we tried the crab-​encrusted salmon — a perfectly-​designed dish. My boyfriend loved the fresh tomato, an innovative small detail that pulled the whole entrée together. And I couldn’t skip the carne asada — simpler, but well-​cooked and also delicious. To finish up, we tried the Platanos Fritos. Though we had expected more crunch/​crisp on the platanos, the caramel sauce was delicious over the vanilla ice cream.
A nice place with extremely friendly and dedicated staff. Not sure when I’ll be back — but you can bet I’ll be getting those nachos.

I have 2 words for you: Duck Nachos
I have 4 letters for you: BYOB
Its great that its BYOB, but I would have loved to throw a few margaritas down with those nachos.
The Duck Nachos were so good, that me and my two homies had 4 rounds of them (yeah, we over did it).
Nice setting and good service made the dining experience fun also. Definitely a go to spot!

Yep, as usual I’m late to the party again… Hello Duck Nachos where have you been all my life! Somehow I see myself doing drive-​bys to eat these bad boys at home…
Snap shot to me shirtless in my bed laughing and or crying with duck nachos all over my face and below. Screaming DON’T LOOK AT ME!
Whoa! Need to shake that off. So it looks like a hole in the wall. Which hole in the wall places can be great or they can be a downfall (snap shot… oh, I won’t go there). Dorado seems to be a bit of both pending who you talk to. My date and I differed in opinion as to our dishes but both agreed we would come back (if not for the nachos alone). She loved her Tilapia dish, which had great flavor and the really impressive part was how much of it was there. Dorado doesn’t skimp out when plating. I had the pistachio chicken, also massive. It was good but I’ve had better. I would get the dish again though. Service was a bit slow but it was only two people handling a full floor so I don’t blame them.
Add a bit of BYOB and I’ll be back… see you soon my precious duck nachos, see you soon.

Really a 4 ½ star rating — I’m being conservative since my review is based on my first visit. Went here with my family — my brother and sister-​in-​law have been pretty enthusiastic about this place for awhile, so I was looking forward to it.
This was like going to a fine dining American restaurant that serves some of the usual entrees one would find in such a restaurant, BUT with hints of Mexico added. The appetizers we ordered were excellent — Queso Fundido, Salmon Quesadillas and their renown Duck Nachos. All were good and tasty.
Entrée-​wise, we all had some pretty typical «American» dishes — grilled pork tenderloin, roasted pork chops, dover sole and chicken milanese. But all had flavors and sauces of Mexico. And the mashed potatoes are fantastic!
Wonderful experience. Seating can be a little tight — it wasn’t real busy when we were there, but I’m sure it’s a tight fit in spots when the place is full. BYOB.

A Saturday night, booked 10 minutes in advance, to seat 3, done.
This restaurant was unbelievable. I really had no expectations going in, as it was a recommendation of a friend of a friend.
The duck nachos were amazing, though not as unearthly as others had described them. Soft delicate duck with fresh pickled jalapeño slices evenly spread with Chihuahua cheese. Since we were dining three, it was the perfect amount not to fill up on.
Dorado is pretty low key, sparsely lit, quiet, and eloquent. The service here was perfectly minimal. There were no interrupted moments in our parties conversation, they took away our BYOB empties as soon as they were finished, and the timing of appetizer-​drink-​water-​entrée-​desert was flawless. There was no reason to be boastful, or to push their limited special dishes.
Let me just say the stuffed colossal shrimp over crab meat was perhaps one of the better dishes I have had this year. There was a subtle spicy wave in the undercurrent of the shrimps beurre blanc emulsion; but paired with the mango compote, made me actually savor every bite. The rice was pretty impressive too. It also boasted quite a kick, and allowed for the meal to be broken into smaller increments, while still resonating the overall tonality.
Ending with cappucino & the bread pudding topped me off. They might as well set up mattresses in the back, as I was thoroughly satisfied.

They’re known for their tasty duck nachos, but I love the French-​Mex fusion that dominates the entire menu.
While the duck nachos are a great, upscale version of a popular favorite, we noticed last night that they’re perhaps a victim of a tough economy… as the dish was served sans the usual guacamole and had much less of the smokey duck this time around.
That wasn’t much of a damper because shortly afterward, a succulent crab-​crusted salmon with basil sauce and capers over chipotle mash came to the table along with my dover sole fillet with lobster emulsion. Each entrée was priced north of $ 20, but it was well worth the ride my friends.
I’m salivating as I type this. I want a rematch.
We very well could have walked out of there at this point, quite happy with our dining experience BUT… we requested a slice of phenomenal ambrosia that is their caramel pecan bread pudding. It’s definitely a bit gooey and full of Butterscotch goodness.
I’m just gonna be a fat ass all my life it seems, if I keep laboring as a Chicago foodie.

I went here last night for a Grubwithus meal and it was outstanding. They gave us an insane amount of food and it was all good. We had:
For starters~
Dorado Nachos (Dorado’s famous nachos, topped with smoked duck, melted Chihuahua cheese, Bermuda onions guacamole, pickled jalapenos, and a lime cream sauce.)
Queso Fundido con Chorizo (Melted Mexican cheese with chorizo, and sliced Poblano peppers.)
Croquetas da Cangrejo (Crabcakes over fresh guacamole and smoked chipotle tomato sauce.)
For entrees:
Grilled Pork Tenderloin con Camote Picante (An off-​the-​menu special dish for our Grubbers!)
Crab Meat Crusted Atlantic Salmon (Served over chipotle, fresh basil, tomatoes, capers, and Citrus Beurre Blanc.)
Chiles Rellenos de Mariscos (With shrimp, Diver sea scallops, crab meat, and lobster shrimp emulsion.)
For sides: Mashed Potatoes & Green Rice
For dessert:
Plantanos Fritos (Caramelized plantains, deglazed with Armaretto, served with vanilla ice cream, and drizzled with caramel sauce.)
Everything was so wonderful. I’m ready to go back, once I finish digesting. The company was great too! I would highly recommend this place. BYOB is great!

I went here after I drove to Mixteco one night and found out they were closed. It helped fill my Mexican food cravings, and everything was done really well. The food was great, but overpriced. The service was not that great. And the place was dead.
But, damn, those duck nachos are killer!

Wow. I had no idea that hiding inside this tiny little place that I drive by multiple times per week were some of the most solid dishes I’ve had here in Chicago. Collectively our group had the Dorado Nachos, Chiles Rellenos De Mariscos, Grilled Tilapia Ala Diabla, Grilled Pork Tenderloin Con Camote Picante, Crab Meat Crusted Atlantic Salmon, Tres Leches, Pecan Bread Pudding, and Platanos Fritos. Every single thing was delicious… every.single.thing. The seafood dishes were definitely my favorite though. Dorado is also BYOB… another big plus!
Luckily they had really awesome food or this review would not be very favorable for them. The thing that stopped me from giving them 5 stars was the service. It was bad. Really bad. We had a reservation and still had to wait about 15 – 20 minutes for our table. Then, we didn’t even get water for another 15 minutes-​and that wasn’t even from our waitress-​she didn’t show up for about 5 minutes after that-I’m sorry but not seeing your waitress at all for 20 minutes after you sit down-​unacceptable, especially when we had white wine and beer that needed to be chilled. We were also seated next to a window which, while it can’t really be helped, was still extremely uncomfortable because it was so cold right next to it. I had to keep my bulky winter coat on the whole time. Foodwise it was great, but because the service was so poor, I would be hesitant to come back.

Yeah. .. no. .. yeah. .. no.
I’m hitting on the side of. .. firmly mediocre. I was very excited to try this place, it had been on my list for a LONG time. I wanted to like it. Finally, the stars aligned tonight, 7star and I headed out — this place was on our way, and actually convenient to our ultimate destination.
The location of this place being a bit. .. how do you say. .. not convenient and only accessible by bus.
We thought — get some soup and a bunch of appetizers to really get a feel for their flava and then maybe come back for dinner if we were blown away. We wanted to be blown. .. away, but we just. .. weren’t.
BYOB we like, sipping our awesome $ 9 (yeah, we’re big Machers, baby!) bottle of Segura Viudas Brut Rose (from my cute guys at Andersonville Wines and Spirits — props to them!), we were ready for ACTION!
Black Bean soup and Creamy Corn soup — I loved these. Yum. Really good. Corn soup with crab meat? Yum. And a little jalapeño in the Black Bean soup — a very nice touch. Got no complaints about these, the soups are solidly delicious.
The appetizers. .. salmon quesadillas, shrimp quesadillas and crab cakes. Just. .. meh. A lot of cheese, good, but really nothing amazing. Solidly very good enough, but it didn’t make me practically wet myself with goodness. .. I actually thought (and this, for me, is amazing) they had too much cheese. Hm. The crab cakes were a little overdone and mealy.
The waitress was charming enough, if not particularly attentive. But, the prices. .. um, no. Crank those bad boys down at LEAST $ 9 – 10 per entrée and you have a charming neighborhood joint that would be worth a return visit. What you have now, at $ 22 – 29 per entrée is. .. overpriced Mexican food. Maybe this place was once awesome when they first opened, but I think all the ebullient reviews now are a little bit. .. overenthusiastic. Or, maybe I’m just cranky from the summer heat. But, I don’t think so.