
Relaxed eatery/bar with art & murals offering a menu of tacos, ceviche & other Mexican classics.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 1820 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
Phone: (312) 877-5400
Website: http://lamejikana.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Order: Order online
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
LA MEJIKÃNA
La Mejikana | Chicago IL – Facebook
La Mejikana (@la_mejikana) • Instagram photos and videos
Reviews
I read the weekends get busy so we came during the weekday which was great bc we had the place to ourselves for the most part. After we placed our order, the food came out within 10-15min.
We started off with salsa and chips which were complimentary. The salsa was spicy and tasty and the chips were perfectly crisp and crunchy!
We ordered the pulpito asado (octopus) with cilantro chimichurri sauce for $22. The portion was smaller than expected but the octopus was tender and the sauce was soo flavorful it was absolutely delicious and I highly HIGHLY recommend! It has a beautiful bright citrus flavor and a little kick from the garlic or whatever spice they used. It wasn’t too spicy just a little heat which added to the flavor. It comes with a piece of sesame bread or seeded bun not sure what it was but it was soft and warm, soaks up the sauce so well and reminded me of warm garlic bread but even better when it’s dipped in the tasty chimichurri! It is so good!
Also ordered the huaracha with carne asada for $10 and it was a great value and portion! They loaded it up generously with meat, tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, sour cream and the huaracha itself was warm and tasted fresh as if it was handmade (not sure if they are). The carne asada was flavorful and not too fatty and chopped into small pieces which I liked bc I don’t like it when Mexican restaurants give unflavored fatty pieces of asada. Make sure you ask for more salsa it also adds great flavor.
One thing I will say I disliked is that the menu does not list the prices for their soft drinks like horchata or hibiscus. I only saw prices listed for their alcoholic drinks. I find this unprofessional and non business like all the prices should be listed on the menu.
Also, they charge 4% surcharge on all orders regardless of cash or CC payment. The online menu when you go thru the QR code shows 4% but the note on the table says 3% “due to current market conditions” whatever the heck that means. I asked the worker and he literally repeated the same thing and could not explain. Rather than argue I just paid. But they need to update that as it is misleading to have 4% on the online menu and 3% on the table. Not sure why they have this surcharge as no other restaurant I have been to has ever done that unless you pay with CC which we didn’t we paid cash. Very strange and even more strange that the employee could not explain why either.
Parking is hard to find, metered.
The restaurant itself is just okay, just bar vibes. It was very dim lighting and cold inside not sure if they turned on the heat but we were freezing and were even seated furthest from the entrance. I think they should add some brighter lighting so people can see their food and it would really warm up the space in terms of making it more inviting.
The other reviews were correct that the waitstaff is lacking enthusiasm. They were huddled by the bar chatting and it took a while before they came to take our order. The vibe I was getting was that the waitstaff did not want to be there. One of them didn’t understand English too well either.
I hope management reads this and can respond explaining why they have a surcharge bc I find this shady. I’m not sure I’ll be back due to that.
A couple things:
1. It was very loud. Both bar noise and music, I think a lot of the issues were the brick walls that caused an echo. I’m young enough so this wasn’t a huge deal for me.
2. This is a pretty high end restaurant, especially compared to others in the neighborhood. The food and presentation are high quality, but it’s not very obvious until you’re in there. Especially if you order drinks, you can spend A LOT of money here if you’re not careful. I did spend a lot here and it took me by surprise. Again, the food was great, but I think at that price point I’m going to be a little more particular.
I won’t be rushing back because it’s not in the budget, but this is a nice place for special occasions or a date
The guy that served us was a star, handelung the whole place by himself and working like a human robot.
Beers were perfect with a great selection of mexican and south american lagers.
Definately you should give this place a try considering the city of Chicago, even with all the theater venues, closes down after 9pm in week end and places like this are quite hard to find
I ordered a few different tacos because I wanted to try a mix: carne asada, lomito, and fish. The lomito ended up being the winner. It’s marinated ribeye with a slice of panela cheese and even a thin slice of apple. I wasn’t sure how apple would work in a taco, but it actually worked, the sweetness balanced the flavor of the meat and cheese. The fish taco was also really good, fresh, crunchy, and piled with toppings. The carne asada hit that classic taco flavor, juicy and well-seasoned, exactly what I was hoping for.
Portions felt just right, filling without being over the top. Service was friendly and pretty fast considering how busy it was.
I really enjoyed this spot. Definitely a place I’d go back to and try more from the menu.
We ended our meal on a sweet note with the churros and flan.
We can’t wait to go back.
We shared the tampiquena and pollito ahogado. The skirt steak was excellent and perfectly juicy and tender. I also loved the enchiladitas! The stuffed grilled chicken breast is flattened and although cooked well, had a slightly odd taste paired with prosciutto. Rice, beans, and spiral cut papa fritas were all delicious too.
Overall we really enjoyed our meal!