Casa Bonita Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar

These mahi mahi tacos were below average at best! My fish was grilled and it was overcooked and chewy. Also where is the fish under this cabbage topping and where is my chipotle sauce? The acidity of the green salsa did not compliment the fish at all. The taco was soggy and all the wrong textures. And get this it was $17. Secondly, my Spanish speaking friends thought it was a little rude the waitress checked on them in Spanish individually and did not check on me in English or Spanish or at all really. 🧐 all in all wouldn’t recommend this dish and I’m not sure I’ll be back.

This was $17 for 2 cheese enchiladas with a side of rice and beans. Good flavor but overpriced to say the least. Enchiladas was just about 5 inches long. It was a Monday pickup around 1pm. Order with Uber Eats, that for some reason it is always more expensive than the restaurant price.

Use to like this place, its a lot quieter now, and probably as its one of these places that adds a 3% charge on at the end to pay for employees heathcare or something. Its a tactic to add this stuff at the end instead of putting it in the prices, so if you ask for it to be removed you just look cheap. Food is OK, but when your last experience of the night is feeling nickel and dimed then you dont go back. Just get the prices right to cover costs then let us tip! Stop the after fees!

Great place! They were able to accommodate a pretty large party (we had 10 people), and the food was delicious. Highly recommend the Mahi Mahi tacos.

I thought it was wonderful, friendly, attentive and thoughtful service and the food was tasty and fresh. Loved the beans especially and the yummy burrito. Pretty standard margarita but no issues with it either. This was my first time and I will gladly visit again.

The waitress didn't come ask if we needed anything while we were eating, worst part is she came with our check BEFORE we finished our dinner. I asked our table if they wanted dessert, i also told her it was my husband's birthday but she didn't say anything and walked away.

A very tasty Mexican restaurant that goes to pains to make sure that the food tastes good. I would say this is the best Mexican restaurant in the area. The service is generally very good. The wait staff are friendly and attentive and the tables are usually clean. The bathrooms are also very clean which I appreciate more than I can say. The atmosphere is a typical upscale Mexican restaurant feel. Sometimes it's a bit noisy. Sometimes the music is too loud. But overall this is a great place to come to to have a good Mexican meal a good margarita and yes the margaritas are very good and spend some time with people you care about.

Tasty food, we loved the little patio setup they have for outdoor dining. It was a tad chilly but we understand that’s what we signed up for wanting to eat outside. The Fiesta Nachos were very delicious, we added some chicken to it and it really have it a nice tang to the appetizer. I went with the Trio enchiladas and my personal favorite was the red one. It has a great blend of flavors and spices. The mango Daiquiri was refreshing and very delicious. The steak had great seasoning and was delicious too. Service was great no issues really. A nice spot for dinner in the heart of Libertyville.

I really loved the way the spaciousness of this restaurant and choices of where to sit. My party chose to sit outside and enjoy the breeze. The restaurant was peaceful and enjoyable. The menu had many tasty items to choose from. This restaurant provides happy hour, which was helpful to know. I enjoyed relaxing and enjoying the food at this restaurant. I observed some inviting meals and drinks on the menu that I would love to come back and taste.

Came here with my team for our holiday lunch, a party of 17. Entering, it's a super large space with Hispanic decor and music that pairs. I do feel it took a while for them to get us waters but we were only given one server. He took our order very quickly. I would say it took about 10-15 minutes before plates started to arrive at the table. Pretty speedy if you ask me! I ordered the Casa Bonita Quesadilla as an app and it was well worth it. Massive in size first of all so this is for sure a sharer! It wasn't too cheesy either - good balance of ingredients and cheese mixed together. I also ordered the Chipotle Al Pastor burrito which came out on a hot plate. It was really good but I felt it was overly cheesy. Very nice portion of meat too; however, there was more tortilla and cheese than anything. I rated this four stars because I had to kindly remind my server for my side of rice and beans. Nothing bad that I wouldn't give this place another try.

We came by for dinner on a Monday night with some friends. The restaurant is located in downtown Libertyville. There is a parking lot/garage around the corner and plenty of street parking out front. When we walked in, we were greeted and seated immediately as it was after the general dinner hours. Once we were seated we were given menus and were brought chips and salsa. We placed our order shortly after that. We got an horchata, and guacamole to start. I got the Casa Bonita Quesadilla and my husband got the flautas. Both of which were filled with beef. About 30 seconds after we ordered the guac showed up, it was like magic. The remainder of our food came out about 5-10 minutes after. The horchata had horchata flavors but it was a bit more watered down that I'm used to, it may just be because it was the end of the night but I wish it had a bit more flavor. The guac was good, it needed a bit of salt or some lime juice but with the chips it balanced a bit. The Casa Bonita Quesadilla was like a pizza with a dollop of sour cream and guac on top. While the flavors were great it was rather hard to eat because everything kept spilling out due to the way it was cut. I will say, it was super cheesy and had tons of steak and peppers inside, It just couldn't truly be eaten as a quesadilla, it was more like a quesa-taco by the end. All in all we had a good experience, I would be interested in trying other dishes if in the area.

We were at Casa Bonita last night, Jan 23, 2025. We did not have any issues with food or service. What annoyed me the most is the 3% surcharge as hospitality charge. The note says it is not mandatory but the amount is already included and you need to ask the server to take it out. It is the business' responsibility to provide benefits to your employees and not your customers! Please take it off the bill or do not automatically add it!

Great food! We came here tonight for dinner. We made a reservation for 6:30 and luckily we did -- it was packed! Always a good sign. They bring out complementary chips and salsa to start. I ordered a jalapeño cilantro margarita and it was delicious! Just a hint of spice with the actual jalapeño slices in the drink. For my entree, I went with the server's recommendation of the chicken rajas -- chicken in a red cream sauce with a side of refried beans and rice. The chicken had what looked like sliced Serrano peppers and the sauce was HOT! It seemed to have habaneros in it. It was absolutely delicious but I do wish the server would have told me that it was so spicy -- there was no indication of it being that spicy on the menu that I can recall. My boyfriend enjoyed his enchilada trio and Cadillac margarita. My mom always loves the chicken tinga tacos also with a Cadillac margarita. Excellent service despite how busy this place was! It is very casual and a great spot for some good Mexican food (and I say this as someone who lives in AZ).

Stopped in while I was waiting for the train and chips and salsa and a beer it was very good

Been coming to casa Bonita since it opened and the quality of service and food has been falling. Our last (and final) time there, the restaurant was nearly empty and our server was not attentive to us. We were waiting a long time for our food when we saw the waitress running towards the kitchen and bringing out our food a minute later. The food was cold and the serving size of the meals was smaller than the last time. The meat was overcooked - the fajitas did not come out hot. We specifically came back to casa Bonita hoping they had improved but it only got worse. My wife decided not to complain about the meal but rather opting to finish the meal and leave as soon as we can. Sad because we used to enjoy coming here.

Friendly staff. Good tamales. However the pollo mole should be renamed. Mole pollo. Swimming in too much sauce. That or use a whole solid chicken breast.

Checked out Casa Bonita on a girls night to try their margaritas. They have a good variety of margarita and other cocktails and prices start around $10. They offer indoor and outdoor seating, street parking, or parking in a local parking garage. I loved the decor inside but it was extremely warm inside which was a bit uncomfortable. I visited late in the evening on a weekend and was glad that I was welcomed in and not rushed out even though it was close closing. If you're looking into having drinks in downtown Libertyville give this place a try!

Pretty tasty! I've never been to Mexico, so I can't vouch for its authenticity, but I do know some good Mexican food and this was yummy! We got the chips and white queso, some street tacos and salads. My salad was the fajita salad (no meat) from the lunch menu and it was really good. The atmosphere was adorable and super fun. The service was excellent. One of the servers even offered to take my little nephew over to their fake burro, Margarita. Lol! I would definitely return if I'm in the area!

I love Casa Bonita. It's always clean with a friendly staff. They have delicious Mexican food, I recommend the nachos and tacos. My mom loves their chopped salad with chicken. We both agree that they've got our favorite margaritas. I'm partial to the strawberry. Libertyville has a bunch of great places to eat, but you won't go wrong at Casa Bonita.

Had excellent food here on two occasions. We're from California where we have authentic Mexican food on every corner. We brought our newly graduated US sailor here yesterday to celebrate his awesome achievement. Food was yummy!

Loved the margaritas and super friendly staff! We split the Fajitas and a Molcajete Bowl for 3 people and it was more than enough food. The spicy cucumber margarita was spot on. Looking forward to returning again soon to try some of the other flavor margaritas. Great spot for birthdays as they give you a sombrero and sing to you!

Best Mexican restaurant in the area. The mole is the best I've had in the U.S. - almost as good as the first mole I had in Mexico City. Also, Margaritas are very good and they have a wide variety. Service is also friendly and they welcome family and children.

It's good Mexican restaurant in Libertyville downtown with good food options and nice drink options too. Could get a little loud during summers with it being right off the road.

I'm giving them a high rating because the food was really good. My burrito al pastor was tasty, moist, and huge. The queso fundito appetizer nicely incorporated chopped onion, chorizo and tomato. Even the table top salsa was medium hot and fresh. My frozen mango margarita was spot on, if a little light on tequila. If the staff had not practically pushed us out of the place at 8:30 - we got there at 7:30 and it closed at 9 pm - I could have given them a five star. Hate to feel rushed and it took some of the fun out of the evening.

This is not the famous Casa Bonita of Colorado. I can't comment to food quality but they should change the name. Ignore my previous review since I can't seem to delete it.

I went here for the first time which is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Libertyville and they offer outdoor seating. If you are going to sit outside here I recommend instead sitting on the side on Lake Street and not on Milwaukee as it's noisy. The complimentary mild salsa and chips was excellent. Other Yelp reviews said the guacamole was really good. It was actually just ok and overly priced at $13. Stick with the chips and salsa. The watermelon margarita special for $10 was fantastic. The skirt steak burrito was an ample portion for two people and very tender and flavorful. The waitress was attentive and I agree with other reviews the outside chairs are very uncomfortable. You are better off sitting at the bar. I will definitely be back!

We started with guacamole to accompany the delicious chips and salsa. The guacamole was chunky but no so thick that it broke the chips. Garlicky notes permeated through the guacamole and the spicy (but not too spicy) salsa. The chips were well seasoned and still warmed. After much debate, I ordered the Casa Bonita Enchiladas -- I opted for the Chihuahua cheese filling and mole sauce, a personal favorite of mine. The mole sauce, slightly sweet with a faint cocoa flavor profile, paired well with the rich Chihuahua cheese and golden tortilla. The side of rice and beans made for a perfect plate. The service was spectacular and I really enjoyed the colorful interior and the open-air atmosphere. I'll definitely return next time I'm in the area.

I would go back only for the drinks, the food wasn't as tasty as it looked. The place is beautiful and neat.

Stopped in for some Margaritas and apps at the bar. Service was prompt and attentive. Mango habanero margarita is delicious! Had the flautas and shrimp plate. Both were fresh and prepared well, but lacked a bit of salt to make the difference. Overall, good experience. The restaurant was REALLY warm, though. I had to step out twice.

Sunday Funday Took a ride out to this funday Sunday with no particular place in mind. Then this place came to mind. Last time we stopped here it was a ride out on the Harley and we sat outside. The place was packed and there was a group with a large contingent of kids right next to us not well monitored by the adults in the group. But today another try and I'm glad we did We sat inside as the cold and overcast day forced us to and it was nice. Food, drink, and service was excellent. I had a mango margarita frozen and mahi mahi tacos , and I must say yummy to infinity :) So if you're cruising the downtown Libertyville area make this a must stop. You'll be glad you did. And if by chance the hostess tries to seat you outside near a crew of unruly out of control kids don't do it. :) In short , stop in , you'll be glad you did Have a great day and as always be safe Bob

Food was authentic and the portions were great. I love the atmosphere and location is perfect.

It looks like this restaurant is not in business if they are they need to put a sign up stating that they are. I would also suggest the posted sign stating happy hour is I believe either 2 to 5 or 3 to 5 makes no sense. They Need to understand what a real happy hour looks like. We will be looking for another Mexican restaurant that understands the need of customers. Obviously they don't read yelp!!!

Although I wanted to like this place, I thought the food was not very flavorful or fresh, and the prices were high. I did like the patio seating, and the server was attentive.

Staff was making faces and I treating us with a less then stellar attitude. The food was good, drinks were rough. We spent over 600$ and we won't be returning.

I came here on a Saturday afternoon around 1pm with a friend in search of a good sangria after Sangria Fest in Chicago was cancelled. The inside was completely empty and the patio still had plenty of seating - yay! We opted to sit on the patio, which fair warning, the stools are NOT comfortable at all and barely fit either of our bums. Our waiter was nice, but never offered to bring us waters, and I felt like I needed to track him down for every little thing. I also ordered flour tortillas (personal preference) with my veggie fajitas ($16.99) and was brought corn (which I really do not like due to texture), but he took too long to circle back to request a quick swap ... I was hangry. The fajitas were absolutely delicious, even with the corn tortillas, can't wait to try them the way that I order them lol. I also ordered the red and peach sangrias ($8,95/ea). Bigger fan of the peach vs the red, but they were decent for being restaurant sangrias vs the fresh batch sangrias we were going to be sipping on at the festival. There isn't the typical condiment/salt/pepper trio on the tables, and I DESPERATELY need hot sauce with my fajitas. It took awhile to find any waiter again to order some, but once I was able to track the waiter down, I asked for hot sauce, and he seemed almost annoyed that I was even asking?? Isn't this a Mexican restaurant? Am I missing something with the hot sauce request? He warned me it was spicy, which isn't an issue for me, I just wish we were brought waters at some point during our meal. Overall, I'd probably visit again because the food is good, just not a fan of the service.

I used to like this place a lot but my last visit will likely be my last. There are a ton of upcharges now, in addition to higher prices and added fees. I ordered something that said it came with sour cream but then it wasn't served that way. When I asked why I was told it depends on the type of cheese you order. Huh??? So I had to order side of sour cream which was basically like a tablespoon of it in a tiny cup and they charged me $1.50 for it. A similar tiny cup of guac was a $2.50 upcharge. Then, we were a table of 5 people and a 20% tip was automatically included, PLUS another 2.5% "hospitality charge" that they say they use to give their employees health insurance, etc. We asked our waitress if she has health insurance and she said no. There are so many Mexican places in Lake County, I'll go somewhere else!

My Abbott Labs coworkers treated me here for my birthday dinner this past night! It was my first time here too--What a GREAT time!!! We were here for almost 3 hours! The food and drinks were EXCELLENT--fresh, authentic and flavorful! We had 2 orders of queso fundido (awesomely delicious) I had the Steak Relleno for my entree (also amazingly awesomely delicious) and washed it down with a tasty drink called The Paloma (which I had them add mescal to)----DAAYUM, it was good! Our server and all the bussers were very attentive, quick and efficient!! Plus the interior and ambience were very colorful, comforting and welcoming! I think we'll be having a lot more department "meetings" here more often!!! ;-)

All I can say is best food around with regards to Mexican food wonderful atmosphere wonderful service strongly advise coming here best ever.

Visiting from Buffalo,NY. From the service to the food, everything was amazing! I'd eat here the time if we lived here.

Casa Bonita was a great environment for a big group. The food was nothing too special (especially for the price) but the ambiance made up for it. The service was good as well. It felt surprisingly authentic.

Casa Bonita sits on the corner of the street so finding parking along the street depending on the time of day can be difficult but there's a little parking lot across the street that doesn't make to bad of a walk. I went here for a group dinner so we had the back tables of the restaurant. I will say they have delicious chips and salsa. The guacamole is also pretty good it does have a kick that I wasnt prepared for but was pleasantly surprised. The horchata wasn't the best I've had but still was at least able to stomach. I ordered the steak tacos on flour tortillas. The seasoning of the steak was just average. I would have like more flavors coming through. Their rice was just your average rice nothing special. I was too full to even think about dessert. I barely finished my plate because I filled myself up with their chips and salsa. The staff that took care of us was friendly and attentive for the most part but occasionally got some of our items mixed up or forgot some things but they corrected the problems right away.

This place is delicious! The service is great. The ambiance is fun and very lively. Everything starting from the decor to the great tasting food is very authentic. Food smells good, looks good, tastes awesome! It is one of our favorite places to sit down and eat. A little pricey but worth it in my opinion. If it's your birthday you even get a cute sombrero! Great Margaritas! 2 thumbs up!

The ambiance and drinks are great, the food is serviceable. First off, if you can get a table outside, do so - you get a beautiful view of the street, because they're right on the corner of downtown. Inside is still fun, though - the place is incredibly decorated, it's a very fun atmosphere. In terms of drinks, my boyfriend got a piña colada and it was absolutely delicious. They have an extensive drink menu that all sounds tasty. Food wise? Nothing to write home about - the chips were stale and clearly not made in house, but eh, they were free. I got the mushroom tacos and they were fine - a little heavier on the wine flavor than I was expecting. I've had fish tacos here before, and they were delicious, and all of the fish specials sound tasty. My boyfriend got the grilled stuffed peppers, which were enormous - it came with two, each the size of a meal on its own. They were pretty greasy, and the restaurant absolutely loaded them up with cheese. Overall, two entrees and a drink, plus tip, cost us about $60. It's definitely a "get drinks and hang out" type of place, but you'll get better food elsewhere downtown.

Previous owners ran a pristine Mexican bar and bistro. Today a bunch of kids are playing in a clubhouse. Rude management and staff. We went to being regulars to halting business. Place needs better people.

I visited yesterday for the first time and I did really like the place! Mind you it was 5 de mayo and it was super busy, but I had a reservation on the patio, where I always wanted to sit since I drive by every day on my way to work! We didn't stay for food, but we did for drinks and Guacamole! Everything was so yummy and freshly made. I am sometimes skeptical about margaritas since I've had many bad experiences in other places where they just give you a margarita mix drink... but not here, I promise you! Same deal with guacamole, freshly made even without the ingredients you don't want (in our case, my mother in law doesn't like jalapeno, so they made one without it for us!) The rest of the food smelled so delicious, and definitely we'll be back to try it while sitting in their lovely patio! Also, attention was fantastic. I sadly didn't get the name of our waitress, but she was THE BEST! I'll update this review for sure! We'll visit again!

Ate here last night. Great service and nice place. My wife had tacos which were great. I had chili relleno's which were disappointing. They did not look appealing and tasted bland. Looked like they may be have been made elsewhere and frozen. Do not recommend them.

You can never go wrong at Casa Bonita! Best guac around! Fresh chips. Yummy margaritas! I got chicken casadillas and they were great!

The food was excellent, seasoned well, every bite had flavor to enjoy. Service was nice, they made sure everything was good and if we needed anything else/extra. the staff are extremely friendly. The ambiance is nice, clean, decorated. Music in the background but not overpowering If that makes sense. I highly recommend coming here if your looking for that Mexican food fix.

I love so many things about Casa Bonita! The main attraction for us is the covered year round outdoor patio. Early on in covid, they added free standing heat lamps. Now they have invested in overhead heat lamps that keep you warm and toasty even in the coldest weather. VERY considerate for those of us that can not dine in because of health. The freebie fresh warm chips & salsa was the best! The great music and party atmosephere made it a fun dining experience. The food ranged from good to great. We loved the Fajitas and the shrimp dishes. Complementary sombrero on your birthday! Prices were reasonable for huge portions! Thank you Casa Bonita!

We came in with a really big group for a team dinner and service was great! Everything went very smoothly and tasted amazing!

I'm not impressed. You will get a far tastier meal at Tacos el Norte. Granted you will need to go to Mundelein or Lake Bluff now, but that's worth it. The menu is way to over priced for what it is they are offering. The food is very bland. The chips were stale and the salsa tasted like tomato juice with stuff mixed in, but somehow no salt or spice. My boyfriend got a steak burrito with no beans. The messed up and gave him beans. They did make that right immediately, but he said there was no flavor. This burrito was thinner around than a loaf of baguette bread. Needless to say he was still hungry and he usually is the type to eat only half of a burrito. I ordered a steak chimichanga, since I seem to always get tacos or tostadas from places. This thing was so small I finished it in 8 fork full bites. Thank goodness I do eat beans and rice so I was at least comfortable but not full. We didn't order alcohol and our bill was $54. I had received a call for a work emergency while waiting for the check. I paid at the table and the waiter asked if I wanted a itemized receipt. I said no I had to go, but wished now I had gotten one because with the tip it was $62 and I am now like for what??? We will not be going back.

I am probably giving you one more stars than deserved. I have been a long time fan and regular customer; however, this is probably the last time I will visit. I dined on a Saturday night and upon entry the restaurant was warm. Another patron asked if it was cooler in the restaurant - as well as I did; the manager said it was - which was not true. I do think transparency would have been nice. I have gotten nothing else to eat here except Carne Asada. The price went up which I I could deal with if the food was as good as I usual. It was a thin piece of flank steak, and it was over cooked. I ordered it medium but it was definitely not medium (my friend (who dined with us) ordered the exact same thing and we were both disappointed in our food. I have had better Carne Asada it on the border and when I usually get it there I don't think it's that good so this is not really saying much. Another friend had tacos, and she said that Taco Bell was better. The thing that really sort of drove it home for me was that the place is not what it used to be. The service was bad. Our server never came and asked us how our food was; never asked us if we wanted more drinks (which we did) and never refreshed our water. She brought the bill so quickly and it was obvious that the bill was prepared already (she didn't ask if we wanted anything else she just handed us the bill). We waited and we waited and we waited for her to come and take our credit card for payment which she never did! The manager walked by (he never checked on us either, which in a nice establishment you could expect that.) Since the place was warm, we wanted to leave, and we asked the manager if he could please get our server so she could take our payment. If he were a good manager, what he would've done was grabbed it himself and said, let me take care of that for you instead; he said he would take care of it and she still never came by. We instead had to go to the front and pay then so we could at least leave as I mentioned it was hot in there. I'm not sure what was going on with the air conditioning. It was cooler outside. I asked the manager if he was new and he replied he's been there 2 1/2 months. It's clear that they have new ownership and new management. This place is not what it used to be which is unfortunate because it's been a long time staple and I think it has a very good customer base but after reading many reviews on yelp and my dining experience tonight, I think I'm no longer a customer - the manager could care less about our feedback as well, which is also disappointing. I will note that the guacamole was great.

Mediocre food, small portions, drank a margarita pitcher and felt nothing, added service charge on receipt automatically. Just not worth it unfortunately.

We have been going to Casa Bonita for years and I have noticed a steady decline in the food and drinks which is really unfortunate I used to absolutely love their house margaritas and now it is poured out of a spout at the bar and is crazy sweet. I usually order the vegetarian fajitas and some times they're delicious but most of the time they have no taste to them which I have asked them on several occasions to please make sure the veggies are seasoned. I'm pretty sure there isn't even salt or pepper added ‍ so it's very bland. Their chips and salsa used to be awesome but now I think they have gone to a store bought type of chips and salsa but I could be wrong. They just taste like something you would buy at the grocery store. It's a real bummer because this place used to awesome!

Top tier Mexican food. Their skillets are amazing. Their chips are amazing and their key lime pie is really good so overall. 4/5

A great Lake County Mexican food restaurant in charming downtown Libertyville. Appetizers, food and margaritas are excellent. Seating available indoors and outdoors.

It's...fine. Basically how I felt about the whole experience. The prices were way too high for the quality of food and drinks that this restaurant serves. We started off with some drinks and I'm sorry, but the margaritas are not worth the 12.99 they're charging. As any Mexican restaurant we got our chips and salsa first. Very average, could've probably opened the same salsa from a bottle as well. we ordered our food and most of decided to go with the safe options, tacos and enchiladas. I wasn't too hungry so I settled on the enchiladas. They, too, were very average. There was no distinct flavor or spice that was jumping off the plate. I believe the reaction was the same with the tacos. That being said, if you are in Libertyville downtown area, this restaurant is very conveniently located with a free parking garage a block away. The environment was fun and could definitely be a place to stop before going to a few of the other spots for some drinks. If I could do it again, I would've grabbed a few appetizers for the table, skipped the drinks and made my way over to one of the other bars for a better quality, better priced drink.