La Mejikana

What great placeFirst time here, and my friend has been here a few timesCocktails are on pointWe tried La guayavita and more cocktails. I don't remember the names, but they are awesome. You can taste the hand-made ingredients Next time, we will try the food menuBartenders are sexys and cool

I don't even know where to start... I haven't written a review in a long time, but I am here to write a review on my experience at La Mejikana. I will never return, but it feels like they didn't want me to anyway.We wanted to grab dinner before a show. My fiancé wanted a burger. He saw this place and wanted to give it a try. Let me start by saying that I live in the Garfield Ridge area. I do not live in Pilsen. However, I have frequented places in Pilsen lots of times.This time, things were different. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. The bartender would barely speak to us. He had a compass tattooed on his neck for reference. Of course he didn't tell us his name. He mumbled and acted odd. I didn't really understand at first. Eventually, I got it. The color of my skin was wrong. My age was wrong. I was wrong for being in there in the first place is the feeling I had when I left. I inquired about the cemitas. I asked about the chicken and the al pastor. He said the chicken. I asked why. He said because he grew up eating fried chicken and he likes it. It was terrible. the chicken was dry and burned. All I could taste is the avocado, chipotle mayo and the bread. There was hardly any cheese on it at all, which is odd for a cemita. I ate it, but I was telling him that it wasn't enjoyable. He said I would have recommended the steak, but you didn't say that as an option. Um........................................................... smh.We ordered a second round of drinks, but since we were running short on time, we ordered doubles. He poured said doubles into pint glasses, which is fine. However, there wasn't any ice in them and just completely filled with soda water. I said to him that I assumed he would have made the doubles in the same glass that he made the single in. He said "double the alcohol, double the soda water." I said that's not usually how doubles are made. He then says that if I had said "double the alcohol and soda, I would have made it in the same glass." Excuse me, it's my fault? I have worked in the restaurant business for years and years. That's not how it works. I said this isn't what I ordrered. He said sorry, walked away and then got on his phone with his buddies sitting at the bar and completely ignored me. I sat there for a few minutes and got the attention of the other bartender. I told him I don't want this drink. This is not what I ordered. Just give me my check. The original bartender hands me a check, which included $40 for those two drinks. Now, I am mad. I stood up and said I am not paying for these drinks. It's not what I ordered and I didn't drink them. The second bartender said ok. I get the new check from the first bartender and I told him I didn't appreciate how he has treated me and he has the nerve to say, " What did I do?" I said you treated me like SHIT!The burger was ok. Nothing special. I can make the same thing in my kitchen. Don't go here.

No complaints! We literally lovvveeedddd everything and plan to return! The beef was so seasoned and juicy! ...my mouth is watering thinking about those tacos! Shrimp quesadillas were fresh and tasty! So much flavor in each bite! Cocktails, refreshing and delicious! Another Pilsen gem! Our server recommended our order! Great service, cool vibe and clean.

La Mejikana is a fun, modern twist on the neighborhood taco spot. It is decorated with splashes of color, vibrant themes, and displays cool Mexican art. The drinks are similarly colorful and eye catching. Flavored margaritas with fresh fruit juices kick things off. The food keeps you wanting to come back. The guac and salsas are fresh and the tacos are super tasty. Enjoy some drinks and dinner for a fun night out, or grab tacos to go if it's a chill night at home.

Honestly, I think I've been here before, but I had them bookmarked and stopped by again last night an hour before they were too close. We had no issues parking right in front. We walked in and were able to sit wherever we wanted. The place was packed and jumping with other customers. The menu was kind of hectic. They have a variety of items that should please everyones pallet. We ordered 2 of the Quesa Birria tacos, and 1 order of 3 steak tacos to go. For drinks, we got the watermelon margaritas. Everything was freshly prepared and came out hot pretty quickly. Our meat was bland. It wasn't bursting with flavors as I expected, same with the steak tacos. They were bland and basic nothing to write home about. For this area, I expected more honestly. I'd come back for drinks and the music, but I'd pass on the food unless I was starving.

This place was soooo good! I came with a friend on a wednesday night around 5/6pm, it wasn't very crowded so we were seated right away (it did start getting a little more full later though). The server was super friendly, the ambiance was nice, chill vibes.We both ordered the quesabirria tacos, which were delicious and had great flavor. I also got the tamama-rindo cosmo cocktail which really surprised me. The tamarind flavor was really pronounced, with just the right sweetness to balance it out. I also asked for mezcal instead of vodka, which I think was the right choice. Honestly, I don't think my usual cocktail bars will ever taste the same anymore because this was just so much better. This is a place I would go back to, both for the food and the drinks. I would definitely recommend it and hope to be there again.

In 2023, I set a goal to visit one "new-to-me" Mexican restaurant each month. These restaurants have been around for years, but for some reason, I've never visited.  La Mejikana in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood was a fabulous choice for the list!The food was so good, I visited twice within one month. There's a nice local neighborhood vibe. The best part about going during the weeknight is there's tons of street parking. If you arrive after 6pm on a weeknight, chances are you'll miss the meter maid and you could try to skip paying the parking meter. One issue I did have at the restaurant is they use QR codes to access the website. Even though I have the latest iPhone and on the Verizon cellular network, I had no cellular service. That happened during both visits. My husband has the latest Android, but is also on the Verizon network, and he had a very slow connection, but eventually was able to access the menu.  Since I didn't want to wait, I asked the waiter to provide us a printed menu. On to the food - again, everything was great and the flavors were bursting. I ate the Tampiqueña, which is a medium-well charbroiled skirt steak garnished with chimichurri salsa, and includes the papa frita (spiraled potatoes) and frijoles charros. This meal also include a traditional cheese enchilada.My husband ate the Pollito Ahogado which includes a prosciutto and chihuahua stuffed grilled chicken breast in creamy poblano salsa, Mexican styled rice, black beans and the papa frita.La Mejikana is a great place to go for happy hour or date night. There's only a few entrees on the menu, but there's plenty of shareables that would allow you to taste the whole menu.

Found this gem while in search for birria tacos and this did not disappoint! Ordered for pickup, and it was ready in 15 minutes, so fast! Really cute spot, dimly lit, loud music, good vibes. We got the chips and salsa to start! Chips were great. I really like spicy things but the salsa that comes with the chips was sooooooo hot. It was fine until I took one bite and had to chug milk! I would recommend getting the green salsa verde if you can't handle spicy! I then got the quesabirria tacos and these were soooooo good. These are stuffed full, and have sooo much flavor. I can't wait to come back here. I would get the quesabirria tacos again and again!

Went to La Mejikana over the weekend for dinner. It was busy inside and barely tables available, however there were many available outside. It's very loud inside, it's basically a club (they had a dj). Outside seating it's more on the quieter side so we were happy for that. And the outside decor is super cute!The food is always a hit- we ordered shrimp ceviche which was decent and tacos that were very tasty! They have an interesting drinks and the ones we chose we enjoyed! Definitely recommend this restuarant!

Great drinks, music was awesome and excellent service. Didn't try the food but will have to do so next time.