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Alejandra's Mexican Cuisine
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 3 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
39 reviews for Alejandra's Mexican Cuisine
Review Highlights
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"The chips and green salsa are fantastic." In 11 reviews -
"i had the "Bistec a la Mexicana" and my wife ordered the..." In 3 reviews -
"Alejandra's has great food and great service." In 4 reviews
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39 reviews in English
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Review from Nikki B.
Melrose Park, IL
5/22/2012
This was my first time at Alejandra's and all I can say is I will definitely be back. My husband and I love Mexican food and great margaritas and this places has both.
I love the fact that there was an outside patio so we got to sit outside. I so had a taste for a yummy margarita and was so excited when I saw that they had cucumber margaritas and the best part is, it was on the rocks. I didn't taste a whole lot of tequilla so I wish there would have been more but my Aunt has been here several times and says there margaritas are usually potent so maybe we just had a weak one.
I ordered the steak quesadillas and they were fabulous. I even ordered some to go for my husband. The waitstaff was really friendly and the service was quick. I'm a huge fan and will definitely be back for more! The salsas were good too, could have been a little spicier but that's okay. -
Review from Jie S.
Updated - 2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Felt like I made the right order today so my lunch was quite enjoyable. I got Tamales with green sauce which turned out great. I prefer the chicken one better than the pork one. The green sauce went great with the corn meal wrapper. Wish I could get a veggie version tamale. Chile Relleno was as delicious as I remembered.
One of the girls loved the black bean soup. Chicken and vegetables for here was slightly undercooked.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/1/2011
A pretty decent place for lunch but I liked the fish tacos better at the nearby Mexican restaurant.… Read more »
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Review from Monica K.
Chicago, IL
1/14/2012
Chips & salsa were good. My A La Diabla seemed like it was dumped in hot sauce rather than a special-made sauce. My boyfriend bit into cartilage of his chicken enchiladas. I wouldn't go there again.
It's fairly safe to gauge the quality of a mexican restaurant simply by looking around and seeing how many actual mexicans are eating there. The place was fairly full on a friday evening and I saw maybe 2 and a half (myself included).
Ambiance felt like a giant children's birthday party.
My plate of luke warm chicken enchiladas was served with canned refried beans, rice was okay. I got through two of the four enchiladas averaging two pieces of cartilage per. My gf's devil shrimp didn't come with tortillas, was rubbery (with tails), and the sauce tasted like jarred tabasco.
We paid $10 and $12 per plate but the quality felt more in the $4-$6 range.
Won't be back unless I'm suffering from amnesia. -
Review from jean h.
Des Plaines, IL
1/15/2012
My husband and I went there at 5:30 on a Saturday night. As soon as we told or waitress we were not ordering "drinks" she got an angry look on her face.
The food was terrible. Chicken Tacos - over cooked cubes of chicken with a touch of lettuce and some cheese on them. No seasonings - no sour cream, no salsa or sauce. Refried beans were terrible and the rice was bland rice with chunks of potato. My hubby had tilapia that had so much lime on it he could not taste the fish.
Do not waste your money or time. -
Review from Mighty G.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 12/13/2011
Been back 3-4 times because it is close to the jobsite and I don't feel like driving around. Food has never improved and probably has got a little worse than the first time.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/4/2011
A pretty decent place but not as good as back in the Bay Area. The salsa wasn't spicy enough but… Read more »
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Review from Nektaria R.
Updated - 12/12/2010
I'm going to miss you Alejandra the most! My company is relocating to Skokie from Melrose Park and we had our good bye lunch on Friday at Alejandra's. With all the chaos as our facility with the movers and everything else that was happening, we got to go to lunch around 2. Their lunch menu ends at 2 yet they still honored it for us.
I had my favorite dish, the Tampequena - OMG, it was so good! I finally had the caldo tialpeno soup - it was delicious. Not too spicy but very tasty.
I will really miss this place for lunch so I'll have to meet people here for dinner or if I ever have to visit our sister facility, which will remain in Melrose Park, I'll have to take some extra time to have lunch here.
If you haven't had the food here, please slap yourself and come by and try the food and have a margarita too!Listed in: Suburban Fun, Mexican Delights, Latin Flair
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/2/2009
Alejandra's is a favorite lunch spot for my coworkers and myself. I don't know why I haven't… Read more »
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Review from Damien H.
Melrose Park, IL
10/26/2011 13 Check-ins Here
This place is great!!! It's owned and operated by a family who obviously has knowledge and great pride in what they do. The restaurant is very clean, staff is outstanding and the menu has all of the traditional staples you'd expect. The quality of the authentic food is great. I've never had a bad meal from here and I visit here at least a couple times per month.
I usually visit here for lunch or dinner. They'll give you the chips and salsa. I'm not sure if the chips are made there but they're crispy but not stale and not too salty or greasy. It's hard for me NOT to order the Tampequena because it's perfection (on a fancy plate). The best I've ever had. The skirt steak is cooked perfectly, juicy and tasty. I also love the Pollo Achiote (also on a fancy plate), a grilled chicken in some sort of red sauce with spices. A very good combination of flavors. If I'm in the mood for shrimp, it's A La Diabla for me. That's right, super spicy chipotle sauce mi amigo's. The Veracruzana is great too. If you're looking to split something, try the Molcajete. I don't know what's in it but it's really good and comes in a large cauldron. After dinner, hang at the bar and sip on some quality tequilas. They also have a dj on the weekends. It gets pretty busy for that and it's been a good time each time I've stayed.
All that being said, if you're ever in the area around brunch time, DO try the best Chillaquillas around. The half order is good enough for me. I usually get it with eggs and steak but you can also get it with chicken. The full order must be massive, I've never seen it. -
Review from Angela P.
1/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fred and I stopped in here one day while heading over to Tony's to do some shopping and were PLEASANTLY surprised! When we walked in, from the decor, it looked like it was going to be like a Pepe's type menu because the decorations were very cliche Mexican. But to our surprise the menu was very authentic and big.
Fred had the chilaquiles and I had some tacos. Everything was very good but the stand out was the chilaquiles! They were amazeballlls!!!!!
The girls working were really friendly and seemed like they were sisters and possibly like the owners daughters or something by how well they knew the menu and everything.
Overall, I was pretty impressed and look forward to going back sometime when we're in the area to try some more things from the menu! -
Review from Hanh B.
Franklin Park, IL
11/26/2011
Best steak i have ever eaten. This place has great mexican food at a reasonable price and it strays away from the tired mexican fare of rice and beans. I love their vegatables and their service is friendly and quick
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Review from Scott H.
Des Plaines, IL
2/25/2012
Nice if your up for drinks and an entree. If your up for dinner keep on going. The Talapia in lime (Al Limon) was swimming in it. The nachos with steak were ok but not special. Chicken tacos were not good at all. Worst of all was the dissapointment on the servers face that we weren't drinking. After that we received service without a smile. Her loss! Minimal tip for her.
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Review from Manuel N.
Melrose Park, IL
6/7/2010
The food is not bad, I give it a 4 out of 10
but what makes it a horrible experience is the RUDE, SNOTTY, COMPLETELY IGNORANT staff.
I went in there with friends for lunch and have been treated better at the DMV!!
The staff is rude not willing to go out of there way to help and seem to get upset if you ask for something or require a refill.
this is one place I will not be reccomending to anyone. If you want good Mexican food, I suggest you look somewhere else, unless you like being treated rudely. -
Review from Jason Z.
Chicago, IL
12/26/2009
The cilantro palace! They must love cilantro as much as I do because I think it is in every dish (or at least the ones that I order).
I am a Alejandra's regular, probably eaten there 50 times for lunch (its my work lunch spot), so this is a long delayed review. Obviously, its a 5 star for me since I have eaten there so many times. My favorite is the JZ Tacos, which is not on the menu...ask for chicken tacos with CACTUS, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream...put their amazing salsa verde on it (which is also great on their hot salty chips). The salsa verde is like a drug, you won't be able to stop eating it.
If you want chicken, try the pollo cilantro, a delicious chicken dish served on top of hash browns with a tasty cilantro sauce. If you want steak, get the tampiquena, a grilled skirt steak topped with chile poblano.
If you are there on a weekend, AJ's Pazole is to die for! It is a pazole verde (green)...warm pork stew in green sauce with hominy...cabbage, radish, onions, avocado, and lime served on the side....AMAZING! -
Review from Carmen B.
River Grove, IL
11/9/2011
I really wanted to love this place. I wanted to find my own "Lalo's" (when Lalo's was good) in my area. Yeah, this isn't it. If they could use a cheaper mix for the Margaritas I would be quite shocked. I just don't get it. The food has potential. There is some flavor there. Just not enough. And there definitely wasn't enough food on my plate to justify the bill at the end of the evening. I can't say that we were paying for the atmosphere because there wasn't any! And the waitress, while not outright rude, wasn't very pleasant. And the owner/manager/guy slanging the guitarist and bringing him to our table and making him play a song for us was not a comfortable situation. I'm fine with entertainment but when said guy told us to "tip however much we think we should" that awkward moment when you break it to them that, "hey, I have no cash, I'm putting this on my debit card and am not about to pay a fee to get cash out of that ATM over there which is why I didn't call him over here to begin with so why don't you take out your wallet and tip him your damn self?" puts a damper on things. Newsflash: Not everyone carries cash!!
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Review from Dutch B.
Chicago, IL
6/24/2010
I'll give it a 2 because the servers were sooo nice.. The place needs Gordon Ramsey to roll in and wake-up the owner..
Yaws-eeeeer! -
Review from Maurissa S.
Melrose Park, IL
8/4/2011
Delicious and authentic Mexican cuisine.
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Review from Adi C.
Des Plaines, IL
4/19/2011
me, my wife and son were super hungry on a saturday night and decide to go out looking for a Mexican place , cause we were craving tacos.
i had to meet a friend briefly in melrose park , so i asked him if he knew good place nearby. he recommended Alejandra s and we took his advice
i gotta tell you , we were impressed with the food here. i had the "Bistec a la Mexicana" and my wife ordered the "Enchiladas con salsa verde" ,while our son went for the "milanesa" .
The meat in my dish was just perfect , not too chewy and not too soft.
for desert we went with the "Crepas". While being kind of small, they were super tasty in the caramel sauce and with the complementing ice cream.
we are already planning to visit this place again -
Review from Joe A.
Chicago, IL
8/17/2011
This place is real good. I always get the tilapia a la diabla it is spicy and delicious. The best Mexican food in the suburbs.
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Review from Jose H.
Berwyn, IL
5/7/2011
Great food and a nice set up. Five stars!!!!!!! The only bad thing is seeing all the old dumb people from high school.
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Review from Susan M.
Downers Grove, IL
8/9/2011
This restaurant is horrible. Who puts bacon in fajitas? They do. The margaritas are awful the chicken is a burnt smokey flavor, the service is horrendous, and the food prices are to high for what they offer. We left all of our food on the table.
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Review from Stella C.
Chicago, IL
3/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
The tortilla chips come out nice and warm and crispy. The red and green salsas were watered down and not very spicy or flavorful. The horchata was not as good as I've had at other places. I ordered a quesadilla with chicken and it was really tasty. My family members enjoyed their soups, enchiladas and chicken taco orders. For the price, it's really a good place to eat for Mexican food.
I'd go back again to try the chicken flautas. They have a pretty good sized menu and a lot of the dishes sounded really good. -
Review from Judith B.
Elmhurst, IL
Updated - 4/13/2009
New year, new review, STILL AWESOME! I love this place! I love the huge menu and the bar is fantastic! MOJITOS RULE!
I think I've tried at least, half the menu I've been there so many times! I recommend the vegetarian Chile Relleno, Tia Juanita. SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD, spicy. and still the Tlapeña Soup is still the best soup EVER! I' going to suggest they serve a cup to everyone who orders an entree. Oh and all the appetizers are great.
I had my baby shower there and they were nice enought to close the restaurant to the public for me. Of course I had 109 ppl and no one else could fit... but it was great! The staff was attentive and everyone had a good time. In fact I've been back for 3 parties since then that were booked on the experience they had from my shower.
I've also had a few business meetings there with decent sized groups. I plan on starting a book club that meets there monthly. It's a great environment.
I work in the neighborhood and I wish the delivered, hopefully soon. But going out for lunch every once in a while is good. I crave their horchata.
If you haven't been, YOU MUST GO!Listed in: Northlake, City of Friendly…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/10/2008
I love this place! The food is great. I would venture away from the typical tacos and burritos… Read more »
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Review from Nickie C.
Chicago, IL
10/5/2009
It's one of the best restaurants in the area.
Good somewhat upscale food, not the usual greasy grissly slop you find at most Mexican restaurants. Decent prices.
Marking down 1* cuz the plates usually have a chip in them. -
Review from Paul S.
Melrose Park, IL
6/20/2011
MEH! The food is as good as "Lalo's"....which isn't very good at all. It's quite lackluster and tastes like they left the "flavor" on the stove they cooked it in. Down the block is "Bravo Restaurant", while a smaller place, the food and decor is far better. "Taqueria Mi Palenque" is down the street at North & Wolf and serves far tastier food.....the decor and set-up is where Alejandra's wins against Mi Palenque though. Just saying.
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Review from Esmeralda B.
Westchester, IL
4/13/2011
I come here regularly mostly on the wekends for drinks. They have great food, great night life and great drinks. I just tried the horchata marini! YUM!! I had never tried this before and it was great. I love coming here and watching games.
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Review from Patty E.
Melrose Park, IL
2/5/2010
By far my favorite Mexican restaurant in the 'burbs, my favorite dish has to be the Tampiquena steak...delicious!! I also tried for the very first time cactus, and WOW, I loved it.
It's a family owned restaurant they're super friendly and always remember your face.
Last year they added salsa lessons on Friday night for $5 (oh, and $3 margaritas, what a bargain!) You get to learn awesome salsa moves and then practice them until 2am. The instructor is super down to earth (and hilarious!!), great addition to an already great restaurant. You gotta check it out! -
Review from Nicole B.
Chicago, IL
7/15/2011
Best mexican food within a 10-mile radius of Chicago. The beans, the rice, the enchiladas, the chips, the salsa, the pasoles, the salads - everything is amazing. I work just down the street and call on them every year to cater our company picnic. I need to come here more often. The owners - Luis and Luis - are fabulous.
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Review from Juanita G.
1/23/2007
This place is fabulous! It's defintely not your typical taco stand. That atmosphere is very pleasant with the white tablecloths and attentive waitstaff. It's very calm in the restaurant and I often forget I'm right on North Ave. The staff is always very helpful and willing to make recommendations. I feel like I'm a welcome guest in the home of the waitstaff. Sure they have the standard burritos and tacos but you can be a little adventurous and order regional Mexican cuisine here. My favorite is the entree with the Chile Relleno (stuffed poblano pepper) and steak. For lunch I'm a big fan of the tostadas.
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Review from Tina T.
1/23/2007
I was not too impressed with this restaurant. Although the atmosphere itself is nice and clean, the food needs work. The owner was a wonderful man, very friendly and attentive; when we were there he came around to our table, brought us free appetizers, and inquired as to our evening. But I thought the food was very average for Mexican food, and a little bit too greasy for my tastes. Also, we were there on a Friday night, and it seems to turn into a dance place later in the evening; the rap music and dance music was a little frenetic for my tastes and did not seem to go along with the environment.
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Review from Jason N.
9/15/2010
We actually found this place on accident, and we're glad we did! The restaurant is clean, a good size, and has a full bar. They offer many authentic mexican dishes that I wan't to try as well. To start I ordered the Elotitos, 2 mini versions of the famous mexican street corn. They were very good. I had a huarache for the main course, it was homemade, cooked to perfection, and the meat, cheese, and salsa complemented it very well. The chips and tomatillo salsa were also excellent. It's not the typical taco/burrito joint you expect in Northlake. Definitely a good spot and a great establishment for the area.
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Review from Mark G.
I decided to give this place 5 stars due to some good experiences here lately. They have an awesome lunch menu, and you get your food fast! I also took my mother here for her birthday, & the wait staff & the owner are super friendly. They gave my mother free flan & sang "happy birthday" to her. Last but not least, the food here is simply good. Highly recommended!
Listed in: Burrito Mania!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/2/2009
I've been to Alejandra's quite a few times, and it's unlike many mexican joints in the area (most of… Read more »
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Review from Yuly M.
Chicago, IL
3/20/2008 2 Check-ins Here
Since the first time I ate at this place I have no complaints. Everyone is very attentative. The owner is really nice and friendly and their food is GREAT! I've had their tampiquena, carne asada as dinners and appetizers, enchillada, tamales, nachos etc and their soup is bomb too. Even if your not a big mexican food person I can assure you that you won't b dissapointed. Very tasty.
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Review from Rick M.
Chicago, IL
11/27/2009
I have to say that they just started Fridays now with Salsa that brings the extra Latin Touch to the place. They have a salsa Teacher there that funny which makes the class more exciting and easier to learn. The class is only $5 for 1.5 hours..wow better than going to Bally's :). Food is excellent and looking from the other reviews I am on the same boat as them. Make it a fun night with your friends and family I am going back every Friday!
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Review from Jennifer Q.
Chicago, IL
3/20/2010
How could I have never given a proper shout out to Alejandra's? This was our regular after work get together place, as it was located conveniently between both facilities where we all worked. Alejandra's has great food and great service. They are pretty busy at lunch, but some weeknights are great if you want to bring a big group there because they are not really busy at all! You will dominate the whole place. Ask the manager about special packages -food deals per person to go with your drinks. They are very accommodating and nice.
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Review from Amanda Z.
Chicago, IL
2/5/2010
Surprisingly good mex food in the burbs. The chips and green salsa are fantastic. The horchata is just ok. The chicken with cactus tacos (not on the menu) are AMAZING, served w/white corn tortillas that are so yummy, and the spanish rice is good too. The skirt steak is pretty good although i think their slab of beef is too thin and fatty compared to better restaurants, and it wasn't that flavorful. Pretty inexpensive, quick service, prob one of the nicer places in that area of town (i wouldn't really know). Def will quench any mexican cravings, so may as well give it a try if you're around!
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Review from Mary L.
Northlake, IL
9/22/2010
2.5 It is ok, the best you are going to do in the area. It has acceptable Mexican food. It isn't anything that is going to wow a foodie. I had ok service, not sure what other people are complaining about. It is authentic.
The side salad is really good as is their soup. A good lunch option, I wouldn't take a date here unless it was somebody you were "comfortable" with and not trying to impress. -
Review from Carolyn K.
Schiller Park, IL
3/27/2009
GREAT food! Great service! Great prices! What more could you ask for?
We are regular's and it's definetly our absolute favorite Mexican food spot! (Aside from Mexico!) -
Review from Mark T.
Boise, ID
4/26/2010
The food was ok but not good enough to deserve a return by me. The chips and salsa were decent and the side salad was ok. The bistec a la Mexicana was very tough and the sauce was acceptable but had not been cooked enough to marry any of the individual flavors. The red enchilada sauce was too bitter. The corn tortillas were fresh.
The Chicago area has way better options for Mexican food. -
Review from Angie R.
Franklin Park, IL
1/19/2009
I have been to this place on Fri and Sat nights. The first time I came was for a birthday party for a friend and it was hoppin. I came again a few times and again on halloween. For a small place in the suburbs I would really recommend it. Its definitely for the 20's -30's crowd and mostly spanish/ house/ classics/ old school. I run into people from the area and surrounding towns. Prices aren't too bad and I think Fri is or was ladies night. They are open until 3am so that is a plus too since I usually can't come out til midnight anyways. The only downfall is there is little parking and you have to park on the street and walk which stinks if you have stilletos on.
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Review from marisol m.
Melrose Park, IL
3/30/2010
Okay, Yes it is good mexican food and in this area probably the only nice sit down mexican restaurant. I have been here a few times before and I have to say when they first opened their doors they were much more attentive to service. I have noticed over the course of my visits that service is not a huge priority. I was there with a large group and opted to wait to place our orders on a few late arrivals. (good time for them to sell us drinks and appetizers) However, I felt as though we were being rushed to place our order even though there was no one else there. when I said we would wait for the remainder of our party the waitress mistook that for don't come back to my table for 20 min. water was not replenished unless asked. she didn't come back throughout our dinner and ask if anyone wanted anything else to drink or not. I felt that our table was ignored. although I did get the impression the 2 waitress' on staff had something very interesting to discuss in the corner and perhaps that is why service lacked. Food again is good but portion size is small. Their flan is VERY tasty. I personally would go back if invited but would not again take the initiative to go there on my own and certainly not for a special occasion or with a large group.
