

Mexican barbecue-style tacos, ceviche & tequila in a funky warehouse setting with a beer garden.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 180 N Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: (773) 831-9696
Website: http://federalesfulton.com/
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Order and Reservations
Reservations: federaleschicago.comopentable.comrestaurent.com
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Related Web Results
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Reviews
The carnitas tacos were amazing — flavorful, tender, and perfectly portioned. I ordered the carnitas with rice and beans, and two tacos were more than enough for me. My boyfriend ordered the ribeye tacos with rice and beans, and he really enjoyed his meal as well. The food was definitely the highlight of the evening.
The vibe was nice and cozy. It was just the two of us, so our table space was a little tight, but it worked. The music was a cool mix of pop and Hispanic music, which created a fun atmosphere.
We were greeted warmly by the African American woman at the front, and her customer service was excellent. She was welcoming and professional, and we appreciated that.
I also enjoyed my drink; however, I do think the margarita menu could be expanded. The frozen margarita options were limited to tequila rosé and blood orange. It would be great to see more traditional flavors like strawberry, mango, or peach added to the menu.
Unfortunately, our waitress, Elena, was the only downside of the evening. There were long gaps in service, sometimes 20–30 minutes at a time without check-ins. At one point, we had to look around for her, and she appeared to be in conversation rather than attending to tables. Even processing payment took an unusually long time. Consistent communication, even a quick “I’ll be right back,” would have made a big difference.
The food and overall vibe were strong enough that I would return, but I would prefer a different server next time.
Despite this, a large group that had a roped-off section repeatedly placed their drinks on our reserved table, as if it were a communal drop zone. This happened multiple times, even after we explicitly asked them to stop. They had an entire section to themselves, TO THE BACK OF THE BAR- so there was no practical reason for this behavior.
What made the situation worse was that four separate individuals from the same group continued to approach our table afterward ,lingering, entering our personal space, and at one point standing knee-to-knee with my husband to tell him to “calm down,” after we had already asked to be left alone. This was no longer accidental or incidental; it was persistent and targeted.
Notably, there was a table of men seated directly behind us who were not part of this group and were never bothered. The repeated focus on our table felt intentional and discriminatory, and it is troubling that this was not taken seriously by staff.
When we raised the issue with our server, LEO we were told, “That happens a lot when you sit here,” which is not an acceptable response, especially on a night when the venue was not crowded.
To be clear “here” was the high top directly to the right as soon as you walk in the bar area. Parallel to the bar. So if their section was in the back…..there was no logical reason for them to walk out of their way to place their finished drinks on our table other than to be disrespectful. It truly felt racially targeted as we are an interracial couple.
While the server mentioned letting management know, no manager or security staff ever came over, and the behavior continued until we decided to leave.
Guests with reservations should not be expected to tolerate harassment or repeated invasions of personal space, nor should they feel responsible for managing other patrons when staff FAILS to intervene. This is a safety and liability issue, not just a service issue.
We spent over $200 that evening, paid the additional surcharge, and tipped, yet left feeling as though we had to protect ourselves because the situation was not properly handled. Stronger crowd control, better escalation procedures, and clearer staff training are necessary to prevent this kind of incident from happening again.
Do better.