Barro Mexican Cuisine

(312) 346-8457

73 E Lake St
Chicago, IL 60601 41.8857 -87.6255

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Neighborhoods: Loop, Central

DININGIN.COM

Years in business

Established in 1979

Price:

$$

Last updated 2.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard, Debit Card

Restaurant Special Features:

Quiet, Theater District Dining, Date Spot, Bar Scene

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Mexican

Smoking Permitted:

Yes

What People Are Saying About Barro Mexican Cuisine

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – It's a bit on the dark side, but orange walls and large, colorful paintings brighten things up. Loop lunchers sit at pint-size tables and sink their teeth into massive burritos, enchiladas, tacos and molcajete, a large stone mortar filled with pork ribs, carne asada and grilled chicken breast. The carne asada on its own is a thin strip steak finished with grilled green onions, rice and beans. Margaritas are mixed individually. – –

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
The dining room gets particularly crowded on Fridays at lunch, so be sure to arrive early in order to avoid waits.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. Great place for lunch or dinner, very cozy and kinda romantic.
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. good variety of drinks.
food quality
100.0% positive
  1. The prices looked very affordable and the food looked good so we went in.
  2. Cravin some delicious spicey and tangy Mexican food?
  3. Very good gourmet mexican food.
  4. We ordered fresh guacamole and nachos.
  5. Good food and service
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. good variety of drinks.
service
100.0% positive
  1. Really attentive and nice service.
  2. The barman was attentive, but didn't hover.
  3. Good food and service
value
100.0% positive
  1. The prices looked very affordable and the food looked good so we went in.
1 Star Rating: Poor

11/23/08

Worst Mexican food in the city

by nlerret at Citysearch

My fiance and I recently tried out this Loop Mexican restaurant with a group of friends because it is very close to our apartment. We visited Cocina Barro on a Saturday night and were surprised as to how empty it was. The prices looked very affordable and the food looked good so we went in. First, the food was beyond AWFUL and tasteless. We all ordered fried plantains but basically got served cold banana chips. My empanadas were cold in the middle so I asked to have them reheated and NEVER got them back!! We then asked to talk to a manager and were told that the manager wasn't working. Our waiter also was obviously avoiding our table and only came back once after bring the food (this is when I gave him my empanandas and never saw them again). All in all I have never had a restaurant experience as bad as this. We try new places at least once a week, if not 2 or 3, and have never had a problem even similar to this in the great city of Chicago. Do yourself a favor and do NOT eat here.

  • Pros: price
  • Cons: horrible food, wait staff, drinks, and cleanliness
4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/06/08

Delicious, inexpensive, and wonderful!

by columthursday at Citysearch

Barro (aka Salvador's) was recommended to me by my wife's co-workers. The key benefits to of this place is the extreme value - we ate & drank our fill for under $20.

We popped in for a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Aside from a few other patrons, we had the run of the place and sat up at the bar. The barman poured my wife a red sangria while I drank a soda water. We ordered fresh guacamole and nachos. The barman was attentive, but didn't hover. The location (at the corner of Lake St and Michigan Ave) makes Barro an ideal stop for some quick, cheap eats while you explore Millennium Park and work your way up the Magnificent Mile.

3 Star Rating: Average

01/03/07

Not a good example of mexican food.

by smithseusa at Citysearch

I always wondered why this place was so empty most evenings. Now I know! Chips and salsa should have warned us. Overbaked chips and runny salsa. Ordered dinner anyway. Enchiladas were not good at all. The fajita's tasted good, and the beans and rice were pretty bland, but OK. The stomach ache that followed the meal kept me in my room the rest of the night. No complaint about service or anything else, just the food.

  • Pros: Service & no waiting
  • Cons: Bad food, certainly nothing like real mexican food.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

11/20/06

Good food and service

by aninaz at Citysearch

Enjoyed a nice dinner on a saturday evening. Ambience was good. However, it did get crowded and then service did slow down. Reasonably priced 10$/ entree, 6$ drinks...

Overall I recommend it for a relaxing evening

  • Pros: :)
  • Cons: parking- take the train
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/17/06

AFFORDABLE GOURMET MEXICAN FOOD

by latingirl_j at Citysearch

Great place for lunch or dinner, very cozy and kinda romantic. Great for a lunch or dinner date, for family or friends. Very good gourmet mexican food. Great mix bar...good variety of drinks. Really attentive and nice service. One of the many downtown hidden jems.

  • Pros: GOURMET MEXICAN FOOD, PRICES, SERVICE
  • Cons: PARKING

The Details on Barro Mexican Cuisine

Place Categories:

  • nice dinner
  • nice service
  • good tangy mexican food
  • very cozy lunch
  • attentive barman
  • cold banana chips
  • fresh guacamole
  • good ambience
  • very good gourmet
  • not good enchiladas
  • affordable gourmet mexican
  • recommended barro
  • cold empanadas
  • good variety
  • very affordable prices
  • delicious spicey
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