Frontera Grill: Authentic Mexican Desserts in Chicago

We went to Frontera for the first time mostly because of the Rick Bayless hype. I was curious. It’s an upscale place but still feels family friendly, with Dim lights and a chill energy. You can see into the kitchen, which I always like. Staff was Super friendly, always refilling drinks, clearing plates right away. No awkward waiting around. I started with the ceviche and honestly… that set the tone. Fresh, bright, really clean flavors. The citrus hit just right, not overpowering. Fish was tender, not mushy. Good balance of acidity and salt. Every bite tasted incredible, I could’ve stopped there but no, I kept going back for “one more bite” and suddenly it was gone. Then the cochinita pibil arrived. Texture-wise, really good. Juicy, tender, nice portion. But flavor-wise, it felt like it was missing that deep smoky note I expect from cochinita. Still good, just didn’t hit as hard as the ceviche did. I really enjoyed this place. Specifically the ceviche, that still lives in my head.

I hadn't been here in many years, since we lived in Chicago, but I was excited to return and was very happy that it is still excellent. I had the wonderful enchiladas with mole sauce. Our tabled shared the ceviche and plantains plus some mezcal margaritas. The atmosphere is very busy and a bit loud but there is an upscale and intimate feeling. Can't wait to go again.

Amazing hot chocolate! One of the best I've ever had. Everything else was good and tasty, but the flavors didn't stand out. Ceviche was very standard. The grilled steak was good but still a bit chewy. The cuatro cake was too sweet.

Fabulous, of course! I almost didn't write a review because this is such a well known restaurant but it deserves all of the accolades. One issue we had was with parking (we have a truck with kayaks on top); however, the valet had a spot for us right in front of the restaurant on the street - lucky! Now for the food - my husband had the Enchiladas Mole; the chicken was so tender and the mole perfect. I had the Pollo en Manchamanteles - it was spectacular. I had waited a long time to come here and will definitely be back!

We had an absolutely delicious meal at Frontera. The food was top notch - very authentic flavors. The table side margarita service was definitely a highlight. Our server was very helpful and provided great information about all the dishes, and had wonderful recommendations about what to order. Our only complaint was that service could be pretty slow at points. Otherwise we had a lot of fun, would definitely recommend!

You can't really go wrong with Rick Bayless's restaurants. Service and atmosphere are absolutely terrific. The food is very good. It's hard to complain against some of the super excellent hole-in-the-wall Mexican places I've been to, but this is the upscale version of that. Everything was very well prepared. The drinks were spectacular and we really enjoyed the atmosphere. Staff were very welcoming even though we got there at the end of a busy lunch rush.

The food was great but the staff were amazing. They were attentive to all our needs often stopping by the table to check up on us and see if they can assist in any way. Marcos was our waiter and 10/10 service. We were there to celebrate our anniversary. Would highly recommend.

The food is absolutely delicious. There is a full vegetarian menu available if you have vegetarians in your party. Order the chips and salsa as an appetizer. You will not regret it. I ordered the Barbacoa which is a seasonal dish made with lamb. It is topped with onion and cilantro. It comes with black beans a chick pea dip for your tacos, and a tamarind sauce. The options to build your taco are overwhelming in the best way possible. I ended up tearing my tortillas in pieces and pinching the barbacoa and varying the topping options with every bite. My wife who is vegetarian ordered the Puebla vegetarian enchilada it had mushrooms as the filling and topped with onions and cilantro. She offered me a few bites and I may just order that when we return! It was so full of flavor in every bite. We topped them meal off with Mexican vanilla and Mexican ice cream. It tasted exactly how I remember the last time we visited Oaxaca. The staff in the restaurant are all friendly and attentive. I highly recommend you stop into Frontera Grill.