Zocalo Bar & Grill
203 Butterfiled Rd, Vernon Hills, IL, 60061
Zocalo Bar & Grill Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Vernon Hills for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Vernon Hills for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Vernon Hills for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
203 Butterfiled Rd
Vernon Hills, IL, 60061 - Phone (224) 513-5477
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Music : Background
Good For Dancing : Yes
Alcohol : Full Bar
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Mary L.
I have been living in Mundelein for 2 years now and have tried a few Mexican restuarants in the area and I have to say Zocalo is by far my favorite. Even my picky husband loved it. We both got the steak taco dinner and guac & chips. Everything was so tasty. The best part is that it's local as well. There aren't many good places to eat out in the area so I'm glad we found a good Mexican place at least. I would highly recommend this place. At first glance, the place can put someone off but the good places are usually hole in the walls.
(5)Ruth F.
Nice little place. If you're a vegetarian, you're having the roasted vegetable tacos or the quesadilla. The roasted vegetable tacos are pretty good; they could use a little more spice. Served with a small portion of refried beans and the standard orange rice that probably has chicken in it. They do know enough about vegetarians to ask if you want cheese on the tacos, which was nice.
(3)Stephanie M.
I guess I expected this place to be better, portion and taste wise. A three taco dinner was $7.99 a lot higher than the average $5.99 I pay elsewhere for a taco dinner. Also the free tortilla soup that is usually complimentary was $3.99 mind you I got it to go. And to my surprise it's a mixture of chicken, tortilla strips with soupy beans!? Yes pinto beans!? Yuck. I couldn't even finish it. The taco meal in itself was okay minus the beans being a bit bland. Definitely will not be going out of my way to be a patron again with so many other great Mexican places.
(2)Igor C.
Two times in one week. One eat in lunch and one take out. I had the fish taco dinner both times and was very impressed. I tried chicken enchiladas and chicken was very flavorful and moist unlike a lot of places. Good service and the souop rather than chips is a nice touch. Some of the seafood specials looked great and will have to try them.
(5)Taylor M.
This little gem is hidden off 45 in a small strip mall, I almost drove part it. My friend and I chose to meet here based on the stellar reviews on Yelp. We started with the guacamole appetizer and it was huge- a meal in itself! I'm glad we ordered the guacamole, because we were not big fans of the salsas provided. We both ordered pomegranate margaritas (mine with a salt rim...mmmm). We asked for them blended, but it was more like crushed ice. Next time I will order it on the rocks. The margaritas themselves were good and strong. We both ordered steak style meals. My friend ordered the steak fajitas and I ordered steak with peppers and cheese. Bon dishes were huge portions and very flavorful. The one co plaint was that the meat was tough and fatty at parts. But, at the super cheap prices, I guess that is to be expected. Our waiter was super friendly and the staff was all fantastic during our visit. I will definitely be back to try out some other items on the menu.
(3)Stephen M.
We were north of our usual constellation of restaurants, having left an office building around dinner time. Feeling in the mood for someplace new, for someplace that might be a step above not so great Mexican food, we yelp searched and came up with Zocalo. Located in a strip mall, we entered to find only a few people seated in the restaurant on a cold early evening. The pleasant waitress brought chicken taco soup to our table as an appetizer which was different and welcomed. The menu is traditional--the usual items. My partner ordered steak tacos and I ordered chicken fajitas, along with a guacamole and chips appetizer. The chips have a light dusting of chili on them (at least some do) which I liked and my partner sought to avoid. Good guac, especially in comparison to a Libertyville Mexican place which seems to have lost its eye for getting things right, now just getting close and farther away from the target. The chips were also accompanied by a good red and a good green sauce (I used that for my fajitas). Both of the entrees were good. The steak tacos had very small cubes of steak (which I cannot imagine why it is ordered anywhere, but it is)--and that got a passing grade from my partner. The chicken fajitas were well prepared with lots of peppers and onions. I might order this with extra chicken, suggesting to cook it lightly (I mean not cook to dryness). I can imagine this being a lively place on the weekend and the food supporting the evening. 4 stars in the lexicon of cheap eats Mexican places. An upgrade for the backsliding places elsewhere. I was told that Chile relleno is available on the weekend. Worth a visit or visit back.
(4)Ericka F.
Great Service, great food at a Great Price. The free soup they serve as soon as you sit is the best soup i ever had.
(5)Emma's G.
Calling all FOODIES!!! If you are looking for an awesome Mexican place that has a wide variety of tasty yet affordable Mexican food, then this is your spot. This place has a beautiful menu that features pictures of the food, the desserts, etc. It's not the best looking restaurant from the inside, it's deceiving to the eye to see that there aren't many decorations. It's in a little strip mall which doesn't seem to be anything special, but the flavors that come out of this place is what makes it one of my favorite restaurants. It's in Vernon Hills, IL which is far from the city, but totally worth the drive. The chef/owner is the nicest guy, he creates all of the amazing flavors from his own inspirations, they are all so unique and different then all the other Mexican restaurants I've been to. What a gem! A must try if you are in the area, or if you are feeling adventurous to make the trip for flavors like you've never had before!!! Come hungry, because they give you chips and salsa, and also an AMAZING chicken soup while you wait for your entree or appetizers. Enjoy!
(5)Kristy D.
Come for the food not the decor. First time visiting this small restaurant due to the good reviews from Yelp. The food is surprising good. Love the spicy sauces. Definitely will visit it again!
(4)L H.
Only one other table filled while we were here. Fried red snapper was delicious. Paella was good (mixed seafood).. A tad spicy for me but nice portion and well made Enchiladas were ok Service was friendly. Restaurant was clean, will be back
(3)Zach F.
I am definitely a fan of Zocalo. I have eaten a lot of Mexican food and in my opinion Zocalo is better than most places in Lake County. Another reviewer mentioned the decor, which frankly is not fancy nor luxurious; rather think "hole in the wall" type of restaurant. That said if you have lived in or visited any major city ever than you know that "hole in the walls" tend to have great food and that is where this place shines. The free soup is outstanding, the service is a tad slow, but very friendly and the food is fantastic. In addition to the free soup, the shrimp tacos are a must try. The only other Mexican restaurant in the area that I think is on par with Zocalo is Tacos El Norte specifically the Lake Zurich location (Libertyville is not good at all and Gurnee is just okay). If you are looking at trying something new give this place a shot.
(4)Todd L.
Great place! Clean, friendly service, free tortilla soup to start (awesome). Chips & Salsa was incredible. Love it and recommend it!!!!
(5)Brette F.
I live right down the street from this place, just found it today and wow am I happy. I was surprised to see the place as empty as it was after reading all the good reviews it had. Fortunately for my party, that made the server super attentive. She was very helpful with recommending menu items. When we were served the chicken tortilla soup I knew this place was gold. The simplistic ingredients, yet extraordinary flavor, were a great start to the meal. You could tell all the ingredients were fresh and that it was made in house. The fresh salsa that followed was also a pleasant surprise. My friend got the steak burrito which was HUGE and absolutely delicious. He was starving and couldn't barely finish half. I got two tacos, al pastor and chorizo. They were good, but not amazing. The chorizo seemed a bit overcooked, to the point where it was crispy. Nevertheless, I will give this place another chance. Everything but my chorizo taco pleased me. Another reason I'm DEFINITELY coming back is because the two meals together only cost 13 bucks!!! Great deal
(4)Susan S.
Had nachos and a shrimp empanadas . Everything is super fresh they made the tortillas fresh . Came out nice and warm had vegetarian nachos . I would definitely come back and try other items on the menu. . Cute clean tasty food
(4)Bridget R.
The food was decent. The guacamole was very good and a good size serving. I had a steak that came out like fajitas. They were decent. Th decor is not undescribable. It is lighted like a school gym with a few strobes. The furniture looked like a garage sale and I thought the same about the dishes. I can't saw it was but it was but I felt it was dirty in there. I don't think we will go back fo dinner.... Maybe lunch? The server was very nice! They have a full bar but it seemed like a very limited selection. The menu is huge with tons of seafood items.
(2)Alli S.
I don't understand how anyone could give this restaurant more than 1 star. Whoever is doing so has never had good mexican food. The interior of the restaurant is extremely small and less than inviting. My husband and I went here for dinner on a Friday night and there were probably 2 other tables with guests in the restaurant and the ambiance was almost like walking into a take out location. The lights were on as bright as they could go and the one tv was the only sound in the entire place, no music, no decor on the walls, nothing exciting. The waitress was also the hostess, but it wasnt necessary to have more staff because there weren't more than 2-3 tables of guests at a time to take care of. The guacamole was fresh, but FILLED with onions to point where that was all you could taste and our entrees (steak burrito and chorizo and steak tacos) were just ok. There are quite a few other mexican restaurants in the surrounding area, but we were wanting to try a new place and since this restaurant received such high scores on Yelp we thought we would try it. Let me tell you, almost every other place around Vernon Hills, Buffalo Grove, Libertyville and Arlington Heights areas are significantly better then this place. We would not go back. Usually relying on Yelp to find new and grest restaurants works great, but this was just so disappointing.
(1)Rob S.
I have driven by this hole in the wall a few times and always have wanted to try it. Glad I did! It's set in a subpar shopping center and their signage is not very prominent. We walked in on a Sunday at 6:30pm and it was quiet. We were the only ones in the place aside from the employees. The decor is like a place you'd find in little village in the city and not fancy, but very clean. Service was attentive and quick. Ordered a piña colada from the bar, wife got chicken enchiladas and I got the steak fajitas. The piña colada was fantastic. The complimentary tortilla soup was phenomenal and had a slight spicy kick. A nice touch instead of the typical chips and salsa. The food was awesome! The steak in my fajitas were plentiful and perfectly cooked. The fajitas were flavorful and served sizzling table side but without the smoke so our clothes didn't smell. Wife's enchiladas were very good as well. Portions are large. Overall, great local spot. Don't be put off my the strip mall appearance. Just try this place it won't disappoint. The only qualm I had was the menu isn't very extensive. But what they do make, they make well.
(4)Josh And Tanya J.
This place is incredible!! We had guacamole which was some of the freshest I have ever had. I had the three taco dinner - steak, pork, and chorizo and they were all amazing! The location is easy to miss; it is in a small strip mall. The salsas were fantastic, the chips were great, and the soup they give when you sit down was very tasty. So happy with this place!
(5)Awais K.
Had the steak enchiladas with green sauce it was really good. Usually not a fan of red sauce but even that was tasty and had a kick. Glad I found this place on yelp would most likely return. Loved the complimenry chicken tortilla soup. I'd give it 5 stars but when my wife told the waitress she didn't like the virgin mojito and didn't acknowledge or take it off the bill.
(4)Harry L.
So lucky to find this hidden treasure within walking distance from my house. The complimentary soup is amazing! Food is super yummy, and I can wait to try more of the menu. And the staff was so friendly and helpful Big hit!
(5)Neema P.
We stumbled upon this restaurant solely with the help of yelp reviews. The service was ok, they messed up one of the orders, but they fixed it and replaced it quickly. The green sauce is really good. I've never liked anything but red salsa sauce. This sauce really outdid it self. My parents who are very picky eaters and choosey about their Mexican food enjoyed the meal as well, including the sauce! Prices are very reasonable. The nachos are the best so be sure to get some and guacamole.
(4)Chi N.
Easily best tacos I've had. Very authentic and rich flavors yet not greasy (that I personally preferred to tacos I had in Mexico ) Also comes with great complimentary soup. I would give 4.5 stars because the location is a bit too far in Vernon Hills but restaurant setting and service were both wonderful.
(5)Toukta P.
The food was delicious and the service was nice. The server said the new menu and sign would be up soon so the place wont be hard to find. We dined in and got a small complimentary chicken tortilla soup which was nice and refreshing with lots of flavor. We also ordered steak tacos and chicken fajitas which came out really good and seasoned and mango margarita. We will definitely go back again, great hole in the wall. All this for $27!
(5)Kyle K.
Went in with a friend of mine to check out Zocalo because of the positive Yelp reviews. I'm thinking we ordered the wrong items because we were unimpressed. I ordered steak/chicken nachos, and Chris ordered some enchiladas. When the enchiladas came out, they had the wrong sauce on them according to the menu, and the cook drizzled sour cream all over the food without putting it on the side. It turns out Chris is not a fan of sour cream, so this mattered. The waitress did offer to take it back, but he said he would keep it. Nachos are one of my favorite things to eat, so I was really looking forward to the dish. The first thing I noticed was that is seemed to be lacking meat. There wasn't much chicken or steak on it. The chicken tasted fine, but the steak had a very odd flavor that I can't describe. It seemed like all I was eating was lettuce and chips to go along with the odd flavor of the steak. It was a huge disappointment!! The ambiance of the place was below average, and the bar looked like it hadn't been occupied in years. I will say that the service was very quick, and efficient. Like I said above, I'm hoping we just chose items that just didn't work for us. Maybe I'll give it another try down the road. On an interesting note, one of the patrons in the restaurant was having a very loud conversation with her husband, and was complaining about Obama allowing all the "illegal immigrants" to have amnesty so that they can vote for democrats. I think she forgot that she was sitting in a Mexican restaurant. lol
(2)Emily M.
The food is always wonderful at Zocalo. My coworkers and I go out for lunch as a team and they are all happy I introduced them to Zocalo! We all love the chicken tortilla soup! Today, we all took additional soup to go for dinner tonight and maybe to share with family. The quesadilla is delicious. It had spinach, mushrooms, poblano and chicken inside and fresh guacamole on top with a tasty sauce. It was so good last time we were here that everyone ordered the quesadilla this time. :-) They are doing some remodeling and they have a vinyl sign up outside - which makes Zocalo easier to find!
(5)Jodi H.
Based on Yelp reveiws, hubby and I decided to give this neighborhood spot a try. So glad we did. The food was outstanding and so was the service. Will definitely be back soon!
(5)Kari M.
Can't wait to come back to try more from the menu. We've driven past this place a few times not even certain if it was open for business! Well it is and what a great little find. Their outside sign is more like a banner. We ordered our meals to go but there is an area to eat in. Our order consisted of taco dinners and the guacamole and chips. The tacos we chose were Chicken , Choirizo, and tacos al pastor. Served with cilantro and onion on corn tortillas, very tasty. Beans and rice accompany the dinners which were average but tasty. The guacamole was very good, chunky verses creamy, very fresh tasting with maybe just a hint of orange? The chips were good as well, definitely tasted freshly made.
(4)Jenn B.
After reading the good reviews, I was excited to try this place! This place is definitely a hole in the wall. They have one painting on the wall-which was crooked, cement floor, ancient chairs. We arrived at 6:30 expecting it to be a little busy. We were the only customers. We ordered our food and margaritas. They brought us chips and 2 salsas. The waitress/hostess warned us the red one was the spicier of the two, and boy was she right! My husband LOVES spicy foods and that was too much to handle. He was sweating from his head and face! Even the 'mild' salsa was very spicy! We then received free soup- a chicken based version of tortilla soup-was ok. My chicken enchiladas were delicious! Flavor was very good! My husband had the beef burrito, and after he tried a bite of the chicken I ordered, he wish he had gotten the chicken. He said his beef wasn't the greatest. Our margaritas we ordered were mediocre. My frozen came out warm, believe it or not, and a lot of salt must have gotten in because it was a crushed ice/warm/salty mess. Not sure I would come back to this place... Overall, ...just ok.
(3)David G.
Really authentic and flavorful food with lots of fresh ingredients and spices. The chef even came out to our table unexpectedly to ask how everything was. I told him how delicious everything was. While unassuming on first sight, this place will make you want to come back. This is not your run of the mill strip mall Mexican cantina. This is serious authentic Mexican cuisine at reasonable prices for the inner foodie in all of us! 5/5 stars!
(5)jim s.
cute little place with freshly prepared food and good service i only knew this place existed because i saw it on yelp it is in a very out of the way strip mall we yelpers need to support small independent places like this!! there are too many chain places with uninteresting food taking over the world!!!
(4)Jennifer H.
I wasn't impressed one way or the other. Menu seems a little small, they delivered chicken tortilla soup as a free appetizer. It was okay but not my thing. I had the enchiladas and the green sauce was a little spicier than I'd like but I don't do well with spicy food. My friends were even more limited in their choices as they are vegetarian. I'd still prefer to go to El Barrio in Mundelein.
(3)Michael H.
Not sure if it was because we ordered it as a takeout meal but we weren't really impressed with this place. I will also caveat to say that we are in the area and we really wanted to like this place. We were looking for a local place and based on some yelp reviews, gave it a try. We each ordered tacos. Again, acceptable but not sure if I'd crave this place. I'm willing to try it again to see if it's a different experience. For those wondering, it wasn't a bad experience by just not an experience where I would want you to absolutely check out.
(3)Tracy C.
Love their service! Noel is awesome & love love their MINI NACHOS & langostinos.. I have to eat there at least once a week
(5)Emily T.
Found this place on Yelp so my boyfriend and I checked it out. It was a Wednesday so it was dead but the waiter was super nice and everything came out fresh and quick. The food was actually really good! I want to steal the recipe for the free soup they give you, I could eat that all day everyday. When I go back I'm getting a big bowl of that and more guacamole because that was super fresh and delicious. I had steak tacos which came with really good and unique Spanish rice. I loved the tacos cause they were simple (onion, cilantro and lime) and done well. My boyfriend had the chicken enchiladas with red salsa, that was really tasty too. Great sauces and salsas, gotta be homemade cause they taste authentic. Oh and solid margaritas, did the trick for sure. Overall I highly recommend a visit cause they have great food and they are local business owners!
(5)Christina B.
The restaurant is not too big and not in the best location. I ordered chicken enchiladas with the green sauce to take take home and OMG...they were delicious! I couldn't believe it. Will definitely go back to try the steak tampiquena to try out their mole sauce. The bathrooms really need some work, so hopefully they'll do more business so they can fix up the place a bit.
(4)Roberta F.
Went here for lunch and it was excellent. Complimentary soup was very good. Guacamole was very fresh and outstanding. Excellent spinach, mushroom, chicken quesadillas. Sign is not up yet so somewhat hard to find. The waiter was very attentive! Highly recommend.
(5)Chris R.
This place was very good. Went with a friend during lunch hour. Got the steak tacos, also came with free soup which was excellent. Was kind of hard to find at first because the sign above their building is not up yet. The decor was nice, and all around good Mexican food.
(5)Boones K.
I was thrilled to see a new restaurant open in this location, but this is definitely no Arrachera. Everything we ordered was bland, and I guess they are still waiting for a liquor license. Maybe I'll try takeout in a few to see if anything picks up.
(2)Randall S.
Wonderfully prepared Mexican food with friendly service. Am trying the shrimp tacos tonight. Next week they'll be expanding the menu. Looking forward to that, especially if the new items are prepared as well as the original ones.
(5)