Maria’s Mexican Restaurant

Maria’s is one of those places that’s kind of tucked away behind some buildings, but once you know about it, it’s amazing. It’s like a tiny mythical unicorn that like the TARDIS is bigger on the inside. The mini chimichangas with lobster are way better than expected. Interesting combination and just the right amount of flavor. The food is flavorful, decently priced, and the outdoor patio provides some great atmosphere.

The service is terrible. We were there with a fairly large group which I know can be daunting but it would have helped if the waiter wrote things down so he wouldn’t mess up our orders. He then argued back with us that we didn’t actually order what we did. I will never go there again.

I pretty much feel like I’m mentally prepared to s***t my entire life away in a few hours. Everything pretty much blew. The food was super greasy. It took a long ass time for our food to arrive. Our waiter sucked and took his sweet ass time. He also forgot to split the check after we asked twice. I’m annoyed. Their watermelon margarita is mostly watered down and tastes awful. The cheese was not as stringy and delicious as last time. It was chunky and tasted weird. The chicken in the enchilada is not shredded but cubed-​aka, the worst!
I’m pretty disappointed they fell off so hard within a few months.

I don’t know how this place is always so crowded. It’s your standard Americanized Mexican place. When it’s available, the ceviche is delicious.

Food is excellent however service was far from. Starting with the hostess seating someone else when she called our name, then waiter took 15 minutes to acknowledge us, another 15 minutes to bring our drinks and then 45 more minutes to get our food… Server was no where to be found when we needed water refills or take home containers and bill… absolutely terrible service! Thank goodness the food was really good!

I went for Mother’s Day, so this review will be based on my experience from that one day. I got the carne asada it came with guacamole, rice, beans, choice of salad or soup. The food itself is cooked very well it taste very fine and authentic. I like the dark set up of the restaurant they have a patio also, food music playing and the prices are perfect I would say a good plate for 20 – 25 dollars. I highly recommend

Great margaritas and food! Came here with a large group and we all enjoyed everything we ordered. Honestly had way too many margaritas to remember what I ordered but will make another visit soon. So will update. All I know is the drinks and food were authentic and on point!

This is a great place to get together with friends and have a wide variety of Mexican food. All the meals that we have had at this place have been very tasty and appropriately spicy. Margaritas are very good and not made with a mix.

I was in town for a one day meeting. I decided to go to Maria’s because the other restaurants close by either had so so reviews or cost more then I wanted to spend. One reviewer called this one of the best Mexican restaurants in the country. I had to try it out.
I walked to the restaurant from the Loews hotel. To be honest I almost went somewhere else. The host was smoking outside and the building looked rundown. I decided to take a chance. Once inside my fears went away. It was dark and has a large bar on one side. It was clean and comfortable.
The first thing I tried was the chips and salsa. I was not impressed. The salsa was just okay and the chips tasted like the plain doritos (without the cheesey flavor). Maybe people love that… me not so much. To be fair I did snack on them until I got my food.
I ordered the Cheese Quesadilla and the Ay! Chihuahua.
The Cheese Quesadilla was great. It had lots of cheese and came with guacamole and sour cream.
The Ay! Chihuahua is a Charbroiled skirt steak with vegetables and melted cheese. I think it was the most expensive thing on the menu (~$ 23). The skirt steak was GREAT. Much better then I had expected. It was tender and flavorful.
The servers did a good job. I can’t speak to how authentic the restaurant is since I have never lived in Mexico, but I believe all of the staff I interacted with (except the host) were Mexican.
If I was to offer a few suggestions to the restaurant they would be:
–No smoking in the front.
–Lose the orange and cilantro sprig on the plate. It comes off as cheap American diner to me.
–The refried beans were bland. A little salt might help a lot.
Overall it was a good restaurant. The best in America? Probably not. Worth stopping by? Absolutely!

Hidden Mexican food gem! The restaurant is decorated super cute and the service is great. I had the red sangria (note: the watermelon margarita is seasonal) and the vegetable quesadillas. Both were sooo yummy! This restaurant really likes cheese so if you want them to take it easy on the queso specify, otherwise enjoy!

Wasn’t too impressed was more upset with being charged a different price then what was on the menu. The room was nice and very nicely decorated.

Ive been here before and its always been delicious and that goes for my last visit. The food was amazing but the service… Mmm not so good. The entire time she made it seem like we were a bourdon to her. Not even a smile when she greeted us. After our meal was done she gave us the bill on the table. Well we were three girls catching up and chatting so of course we arent in a hurry to pay the bill bc we arent finished talking. There were tables open so it wasnt like we were taking up a table. Not even 5min later she came and opened the bill, my friend told her we havent gotten to it yet. Three more times she came and looked and watched us to if we took our money out yet. We gave her a dirty look to give her the hint to relax and go away. We stayed maybe a half hour after we finished our food. We payed the bill and i watched to see if maybe her shift was ending and thats why she was hovering, nope, she had new tables seated and waited on them.
When a restaurant keeps refilling your water even after you are done eating, you rate high up on my list bc that shows you care about your customers and care if they return, but Marias didnt do that. Not even to check in to see if we wanted dessert or see how we were.
Would I go back? Sure bc the food is very good but it surely isnt my first choice

This Mexican restaurant was near our hotel. There wait staff took our drink and food orders really quickly. My plate of food was huge and I didn’t go back to my too hungry.

This review is long overdue…
We were starving and popped in for a quick bite to hold us over before dinner. The area has limited options for off hours. We sat at the bar since we were in a hurry. Our bartender was very quick once we told him we were in a hurry.
I ordered the chicken tacos. There are three to an order but enough food to feed two people! Seriously you can split it if only wanting a snack. The salad was good and I would get that again.
The place has a homey feel and I would suspect a lot of regulars. Low lighting.

I wan to start off by saying that this review is pretty generous.
I’ll start off with the positives. First, the spinach quesadillas were great and very soft, and the loads of guacamole you get with it is crazy good. Second, there was a man that was playing music and made our experience much better, he was open to any songs and was really funny.
Now for the negatives. It was really pricy for the amount of food we got (4 plates and drinks for $ 90). Second, the salsa tasted like soup, mild and medium, neither were very appetizing. And lastly, the straws in the piña coladas were to small and flimsy to pass the large ice pieces! That might seem like it’s not that big of a deal but it’s truly a struggle.
Overall it was a fun place to be and the guac was definitely the highlight of the meal.

It’s official. Maria’s is unequivocally my favorite Mexican restaurant of all the time. Let me scream it from the mountain tops… or should I say the valleys (I mean we are in the Midwest where it’s flatter than flat)…wherever I yell it from, I just have to let the world know that Maria’s is the best Mexican food you can eat. I’ve eaten at a whole lot of Mexican restaurants in a whole a bunch of cities, but who knew that the best one was in my backyard? Who knew indeed? But you learn something new everyday — at least that’s what they say — and let me tell you, I got schooled in authentic Mexican food.
All of these other Mexican restaurants would do well to take some lessons how to make damn good salsa like they do here at Maria’s. Here, their salsa is thick and has the most explosive flavor unlike some of these other restaurants where you will get «salsa» but it’s actually Pico de Gallo. You could satisfactorily fill yourself up with the chips and salsa, but you can’t do that because there are so many other items you need to try, one being the queso fundido. It’s the cheesiest, gooey-​est bowl of joyous queso with the freshest, fluffiest tortillas. It’ll make you moan — it’s that good.
If you’re not full by now (I wouldn’t blame you if you were) you gotta get the Chimichanga Suiza — or whatever it is that tickles your fancy — which comes with a choice of soup or salad (as do all of the entrees). The entrees are all about $ 12-​$ 15 which may seem costly but considering the amount of food you receive in each entrée it’s a fair price to pay. All of the other food that came sizzling out of the kitchen smells and looked delicious, but I can only tell you about the chimichanga which was freaking fantastic.
Oh! Oh! Oh! And if that’s not enough torture to get your stomach growling then let me tell you about the the dessert we got — Maria’s Delight. It was a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream with fried, caramelized bananas smothered in honey and brandy. It’s seriously pornographically good. We got this in place of the rice pudding which we learned is only served on the weekends along with their ceviche (just in case you’re wondering). Their margaritas are also like full-​blown desserts — they’re huge and made just right. I got the strawberry margarita and I could have easily drank 3 more of those and been one happy camper.
I’m sorry I just went on and on about the food, but it was, honestly, the best Mexican food I’ve had. Maria’s also had a great, lively atmosphere that made it quite enjoyable to eat there. Everyone around the bar was having fun and it seemed that Maria’s attracts a lot of «regulars» so that has to speak for its popularity and quality of food and drinks.
I also noticed that we were in and out of their fairly quickly, especially given that we had an appetizer, entrée and dessert. The food was all prepared and brought out extremely quickly so we never had to wait between the different parts of our meal (maybe for better or worse digestion-​wise).
I absolutely loved everything about Maria’s and I wouldn’t mind coming back here whenever the urge to eat a burrito strikes.

The place is amazing in my book. Its full of culture and very authentic. I have been here a handful and I have never been disappointed. Their guac, quesadillas, cancun pasta, fajitas, cheese and meat dip are among my favorites. Be aware that their dishes are massive, its best to share. Make reservations, prepare to wait and you will have a great time.

Came here while I was staying at the Loews Hotel next door and enjoyed my meal. Sat at the bar and the bartender was very friendly and talkative.
Margarita was good but not too strong. Food came out very quickly. I had the chorizo quesadilla appetizer and the mini-​chimichangas. They were both good, although I like my chorizo more spicy than sweet and this was on the sweet side. The guac that came with them was good.
Also, the salsa they served with the chips to start was very good. It was almost creamy but it had a great flavor, with not too much cilantro. The place was very clean when I was there as well.
If you are staying near by, this is a solid food option.

Maria’s Mexican Restaurant is located near within easy walking distance from a number of O’hare airport. It’s not a bad choice if in the area.
On a Monday night visit I ordered the Enchiladas Verde with chicken, the menu is quite basic with the typical Mexican American staples. Nothing very inspiring, but good for those that aren’t very adventurous. I sat at the bar I placed my order with the bartender, after asking a few questions it was apparent the she new very little about the menu. That said service was acceptable. I was offered the typical free chips and salsa, the salsa was quite good. My enchiladas arrived quickly. They were good, not all that memorable but better the most Mexican chain food. The Verde sauce was better than average, the chicken a bit under seasoned. Portions were fair. All in all I was satisfied.
This is a solid 3 stars, maybe slightly higher. However I believe meals are $ 2 to $ 3 over priced. The lighting was poor, being a bit dark. Still you can do a lot worse than Maria’s. I would return if in the area.

It seems Maria’s is not the same Maria’s.
They do not serve the most authentic & flavorful Mexican food (as I indicated in my original review). I recently ordered the Chicken Enchiladas & the chicken pieces were pitiful. I also recently ordered ground beef tacos & there was NO flavor.
Their Carne Asada is still savory & tender. Their Black Bean soup is still their favorite of the crowd. Also, they seem to have set up a nice patio but the air planes sounds are intensely loud.
Since I did not enjoy my last two visits, it confirms that a Mexican restaurant like Lomelli’s in Round Lake is far better, more authentic & worth checking out.