Garcia's Restaurant

Mexican restaurant in Lincoln Square. Metered street parking is available on Western and Lincoln, and there's lot one block south. You can also try to find free Street parking a few blocks away on the residential blocks.With the acoustic and room layout, it is also noisy and hard to have a conversation. The bar side is slightly quieter. The drinks are good, especially the margaritas. The food is a bit hit or miss. My husband always get the skirt steak. I've tried a variety things but nothing really stands out. I like their recently added specials of the day, which includes fish tacos, pozole, and quesabarria.

Went here for dinner with my two sons.What we liked:- very friendly and fast service. Within minutes the waitress brought us chips and salsa and water. Gave us a few minutes to peruse the menu and then she was back for our orders.- portion sizes are generous and the prices reasonable - had the flautitas as an appetizer and those were delicious - the restaurant is HUGE so probably a great place for big family dinners or events - margaritas are also enormous What could improve:- the food was ok but kind of flavorless- we had the carne asada, the tortilla soup, carne asada tacos and beef tongue. It was all just ok - nothing really standout.

Great margaritas and a burrito that could feed three people! We got the Chicago's Best burrito and it did not disappoint. Not only is it huge but every bite is delicious. The combo of meats and flavors are sure to put a smile on your face. Service was good and friendly and the ambiance was nice with an elevated local feel. Prices are also reasonable for generous portions. Try also start you off with friendly chips and salsa and they are pretty great.

Garcia's has had a special place in my heart for over 25 years. My first job was at The Davis theater & one of my favorite things was when we would all go to Garcia's after work. Their location has expanded dramatically since I was 16, but they always seem to keep the house packed, and for good reason. The food here is some of the best Mexican food I've had. No matter what area or neighborhood I've lived in, this is still my favorite. Someone once told me you can tell a good Mexican restaurant by how good their rice & beans are, and Garcia's are always perfect, and that's just the rice & beans. I have had almost everything on their menu, and I've never had something that I didn't like. My go-to menu item lately is the combination plate, simply because I can never decide on one thing. I always get the combo with a pastor taco, a steak tostada, and a chicken enchilada with mole. I don't know what it is about their Pico de Gallo that is soooooo good, but the recipe has been consistently the same for all of these years. Their margaritas are the perfect mix of strong without being overpowering, and you can get them by the glass or by the pitcher. I've tried every flavor, and the only one I didn't care for was the Ginger margarita. It was a little heavy on the ginger flavor for my taste, but you get what you ask for! My favorite appetizer is their shrimp ceviche.The staff are always courteous, helpful, and fast. The exterior and interior of the restaurant are both beautiful. The ceilings are tall, with beautiful murals circled with brick walls. Bright papel picado are strung from the ceilings, and there is always great Mexican music playing at an ambient volume where people can still easily conversate. They are great for an intimate date or for a group celebration. Bathrooms are bright, clean, and stocked. They take cash and card. They take to-go orders, AND they sell their Pico de Gallo by the cup! The parking can be touch & go depending on how busy Lincoln Square is at that time. The brown line is one block away, and there is a paid parking lot next to the station, but it fills up quickly. Almost all of the street parking that I've utilized is also paid. Garcia's you will always have a place in my heart!

About a 1-1.5: Garcia's has been around since the early '90s in the Lincoln Square area and is apparently known for their chimichangas.Their menu also offers various appetizers, salads, fajitas, beef/chicken/seafood dishes, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tostadas, tortas, and breakfast options.We came here for an early dinner, and we ordered:+the Carne Asada chimichanga - we opted for the fillings of beans, onions, and cheese, served Suizo-style (topped with melted cheese), with a side of the salsa ranchero+horchata - we opted for the large size - this was definitely on the sweeter end, more like candy-like; check your sugar levels afterwards!Making the entree a 'dinner', this came with a side of rice, beans, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream and guacamole. The rice had no flavor and was dry; the refried beans were also unseasoned and more on the gritty/gloopy side. Guacamole was okay, and definitely preferred to dip the tortilla chips in rather than the extremely watery salsa that was served.The chimichanga itself didn't seem to have been drained well, as it was very oily - I thought the 'melted cheese' would be more of like a queso, but seeing the melted cheese on top was disappointing - it was also flavorless, so it didn't really add much to the chimichanga. The salsa ranchero tasted literally like the watery salsa that was served with the chips.The fillings of the chimichanga were okay; it seemed as if there were generous amount of carne asada within, but there were some parts that were too fatty or gristly.I was also surprised with the amount that we paid for the chimichanga meal, being it almost close to $40, in addition to gratuity, with the drink - not sure what various surcharges that were applied, but that was a bit ridiculous. Sure, they give you a generous amount of food, but there was no value to it due to the quality that was served.Service was friendly, but we could have been checked in more often for refills of water, condiments, and/or getting the check. The place seemed to get busier as the evening went on, and you can tell that this is a popular spot for the locals.Unfortunately, the craving for a delicious chimichanga was not satisfied, and this place was a no dice - definitely a hyped joint.Metered parking spaces available. +overhyped (and, overpriced) chimichangas+watery salsa and salsa ranchero+inattentive service+metered parking spaces available

Better places to find Mexican food on the north side don't bother with this placeGo to Mi Fogota Also Rainbow tacos on north Lincoln Ave

The best. Awesome guac, chips and salsa. Large drinks with refills. Servers are so kind. I love the tortilla soup. It's like homemade. The chimichangas are huge and awesome. I've drove from the burbs just to go here.

Pretty great Mexican food outside of Pilsen! Excellent burritos and beans. Came here with a large party and everyone got their food at roughly the same time! Recommend if you're in the area. Big portions, so be prepared for leftovers!

Hands down best Steak Burrito in Chicago! No one touches this place on Steak Burritos! Always consistent!!

Good food however it was a slow day and they fumbled 2x on the order. Then up charged for chicken we didn't have in our soup and an extra soup we didn't order! That wasn't as much an issue as them fishing through the soup to see if there wasn't any chicken. Unprofessional and unsanitary! I liked the waitress but we will not come back just because of that. One thing we don't mind is paying for good food but service can make or break whether I come back!