Costera Cocina Tulum - Chicago
Mexican restaurant · West Town ·
Coastal, Mayan & traditional Mexican cuisine in a jungly setting
Coastal, Mayan & traditional Mexican cuisine in a jungly setting
"If the pounding bass-heavy music bleeding onto the Fulton Market sidewalk indicates anything, it’s that Costera likes to party. The liberal use of straw, palm trees, and basket lights leans into its Tulum theme, while the dim lighting and loud DJ sets prove that it’s taken Clubstaurant 101. You’re not really here for the food—it ranges from just fine tacos to tableside flamebéed al pastor that fizzles out into a jammy disappointment. Stick to the drinks and those tacos or a quesadilla (they’re the least offensive). And if you’re here past 11pm on the weekends, it gets even livelier as bottle service starts and airplane-shaped trays full of shots and sparklers fly around." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen
"What To Expect: Costera likes to party: you can tell by the pounding bass bleeding onto the Fulton Market sidewalk and the liberal use of straw, palm trees, and basket lights inside. After 11pm on the weekends, this Tulum-themed clubstaurant gets even livelier when airplane-shaped trays full of shots and sparklers fly around. What’s Up With The Food: Al pastor is flambéed tableside and then fizzles into a jammy disappointment. You could do considerably worse at some other places on this guide, but stick to the just-fine tacos, a quesadilla, or one of the pastas. Verdict: The real draws here are the tasty fruit-forward cocktails and flame-topped margaritas." - veda kilaru, adrian kane
"This Fulton Market restaurant might lean a bit too much into theatrics for some, but if you’re looking to pair your mariscos with a nightclub atmosphere, Costera Cocina Tulum might just be the ticket. This spot highlights the Gulf Coast’s culinary traditions — flavors often overshadowed by other regional Mexican cuisines in the city, especially when it comes to mariscos. Dive into the hamachi tiradito, a dish where the fish is treated like a Peruvian ceviche, delicately sliced and soaked in a lively habanero-watermelon broth that adds brightness and depth. The use of fruit, often found in ceviches and aguachiles from the Yucatán peninsula, brings a nice balance of sweetness, acidity, and the spiciness of the region’s most popular chile: habanero. Next, try the well-executed lobster taco featuring creamed corn, onion, cilantro, and crispy onion for crunch. For a quieter experience, we recommend visiting during lunch hours." - Brenda Storch
"The owners of The Hampton Social and Nisos bring a taste of Yucatan tourist hotspot Tulum to Fulton Market with a playfully decorated restaurant serving up club vibes along with pancakes topped with berries and passionfruit butter and breakfast burritos stuffed with chorizo, scrambled eggs and salsa verde. Turn any beer into a michelada or wake up with El Secreto, a blend of tequila, cold brew and housemade coffee liqueur. Make a reservation through OpenTable." - Samantha Nelson, Eater Staff
"Clubstaurants are rarely known for having great food, and eating isn’t the point at Costera Cocina Tulum either. But this recent entry into the pool of West Loop untz-untz spots has its uses: a fun birthday for example, or when the Morningstar Investment Conference is in town and wants to go all out on a Thursday night. In other words, if you're excited about seeing a pineapple on fire, you will have a good time at Costera. The “modern Mexican” dishes are benign if unmemorable, the drinks are tasty despite being batched, the service is attentive, and the overall experience is everything you want from a place you plan to plaster all over social media. photo credit: Veda Kilaru photo credit: Veda Kilaru photo credit: Veda Kilaru photo credit: Veda Kilaru Pause Unmute The sprawling “Tulum-inspired” space is decked out in straw, palm trees, and enough rope for a legion of double-dutch teams. The scent of palo santo fills the air, mixing with whiffs of sulfur from bottle sparklers which appear as early 6pm. If you’re seated on the heated patio (regrettably dubbed “jungle dining”), be prepared to shout-talk over thumping house music and to use your phone’s flashlight to read the menu. The restaurant transforms into a full-fledged club after 10:30pm—that's when the fog machines emerge—but a meal here is an event no matter what time it is. Many of the dishes at Costera emphasize style over substance, like a mini trompo al pastor flambéed tableside for 20 seconds, then whisked away to the kitchen to be returned as a bowl of overly sweet pork. Much of the surf and turf-heavy menu is perfectly fine: good enough that you won’t be mad, but slightly annoyed that you spent $58 on nicely charred snapper where most of the flavor comes from a side of semi-mushy tomatoes. photo credit: Veda Kilaru photo credit: Veda Kilaru photo credit: Costera Cocina Tulum Pause Unmute There are better Mexican restaurants in the city than Costera. But you’re not here for a meal that's going to blow your mind. You’re here for flame-topped margaritas served in tiki cups and rounds of shots delivered via airplanes with sparklers on the wings. At Costera, your sustenance is "vibes" and nature’s majesty in the form of carved wooden monkeys hanging on basket lights. photo credit: Costera Cocina Tulum Food Rundown Short Rib Quesadillas It’s hard to identify what’s under the disproportionately large pile of iceberg lettuce and cheese. Turns out it's short rib and tangy salsa verde wrapped in soft-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside fresh masa. And it's one of the best things on the menu. photo credit: Veda Kilaru Peruvian Ceviche Despite being piled high with ingredients showing off some excellent knife work, the coconut leche de tigre tastes watery, and the only seasoning seems to come from the salty chips that accompany the dish. photo credit: Veda Kilaru Pork Shank Pibil No matter how artfully the waitstaff plucks the bone from this dish as a final flourish, it won’t disguise how borderline dry the pork is, and how under-salted the beans are. Fortunately, the pickled onions provide plenty of heat and a nice crunch. photo credit: Costera Cocina Tulum Surf And Turf If you ever thought a McDonald’s burger would taste better with more salt and topped with a disconcertingly chewy mini lobster roll, then this is the burger for you. photo credit: Costera Cocina Tulum Tagliatelle With Ragu Barbacoa The pastas are generally a good choice, and the tagliatelle is a solid option. The noodles have the right amount of bite, the sauce is rich and tomato-y, and there’s a nice big dollop of truffle requeson to round things out. photo credit: Veda Kilaru Spaghetti Con Langosta This just-fine spaghetti arrives with little seasoning and a lobster shell on top. Another great example of a dish that prioritizes plating over flavor. photo credit: Costera Cocina Tulum Mini Trompo Al Pastor The one true miss on the menu. Costera’s showmanship is on full display with this dish, but we can’t justify ordering what amounts to a bowl of inedible jammy pork and canned pineapple. photo credit: Veda Kilaru" - Veda Kilaru
