La Mex

I have been an outspoken fan of this restaurant for over 20 years. I introduced my wife to this place, and she fell in love instantly. We have always made it a special occasion when visiting, and have left fully satisfied every single time. The food and service has always been top notch. That is until recently. We were so looking forward to going to our favorite place again and making a new memory. But our last visit was horribly disappointing. I'm not sure what happened, but the food wasn't even edible. We felt so bad for our server, but insisted she was not at all to blame. Is it the end of an era? What changed? I hate to think that this iconic eatery has run its course, but naturally we're reluctant to visit again. Please say it isn't so.

The service was really great. Also We thought the atmosphere was spot on. We both enjoyed the food, but I'm only giving it 4 out of 5 stars, since We have had better at other authentic Mexican restaurants. We still recommend that You try Em out for Yourself and see what You think. Enjoy!

This is a great place to come out to celebrate any special occasion. The outside patio with a fireplace is a nice way to enjoy the few summer days in the midwest. The interior is set up like an hacienda and is very easy to accommodate almost any size party, the way the dining room is sectioned off. The bar is nice and carries a very large variety of tequilas and a nice selection of beers. If you go on a Sunday, take advantage of the half of margaritas, they are delicious. The atmosphere is laid back and relaxing. The service is phenomenal, the staff does a phenomenal job keeping your glasses of water full and your table clean. The food is above average and a little more on the Tex-Mex side. The portions are slightly on the small side, but they do a good job spreading it on the plate to give it the appearance of large portion. I have to come back for a dinner and a drink on a day when the mariachi band is playing. The one last thing I would like to point out is the credit card fee. I can't believe that they don't even mention it at all. They are trying to force their customer's to pay cash.

I enjoyed eating there the. Christmas decorations were very cool. My kids loved it. I had the Carne Asada and a margarita it was phenomenal!

Our favorite waiter Felix very attentive. Best pork Chimichanga I've ever eaten.

Menu has a wide variety of items however food was blend no seasoning on the pollo adobado the sauces were horrible not even a hint of spiciness. Drinks were good $5 margarita on Thursday. We chose the patio because inside the restaurant it’s very chilly but outside there's tons of flies and bees bothering you.

LaMex always does a very good job in food prep. They have a wide offering of items. I have tried most of the offerings on there menu and have not been disappointed. Give them a try, I hope you enjoy LaMex as much as I do.

Went to eat there today for a birthday and my daughter found a bug in her rice. You can see the legs and antennas, he tried to tell us it wasn’t a bug, but you can clearly see it. Looks like a baby roach🤢🤢🤢 she almost ate it thankfully she looked down. They weren’t even apologetic, kinda seemed like they were annoyed at us for it. Never go back here, guarantee they didn’t throw it out and continued to serve it.

Went in for a margarita and to get out of the heat. Greeted kindly at the front door where it was very cool and refreshing and dim lighting which was very nice. I knew we made the right decision because there was a sign saying "half price house margaritas," say less. Before we sat down, a gentleman brought us 2 salsas and chips and took our drink order. The margarita was good, and the chips and salsa were better. We decided to get a meal to share so we ordered: Carne a la Tampiqueña $18.50 1/2 portion of skirt steak alone with two cheese enchiladas poblanas, sour cream and guacamole. The steak was cooked perfect and tasty, and the red sauce on the enchiladas was fantastic mixed with anything on the plate. The reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the enchiladas were just cheese or I just didn't see or taste poblano. It was very, very good and the service was friendly. I will go back for sure.

Pati was inattentive and could care less about us. We asked for new chips and she was clearly irritated. Sit somewhere else if you come here.

10/10 great priced food. Got the trio plate (enchilada, tostada and a quesadilla) definitely was bussin

This was a great place several years ago that really slipped last week when I was there. The chips they serve weren't fresh and tasted like baked Tostitos. The salsa tasted like bland stewed tomatoes. The mole tasted like starch and water with no texture or seasoning. The worst Mexican food I have ever eaten. Will not return there.

Food: chicken was pink and the burrito was stuffed with beans, barely any other ingredients. Food came out superr fast but was somehow cold. Rice tasted like dry sweet starch no flavor. Cheese dip got HARD after sitting out for 10 minutes, I had 1 margarita which was super sweet, came home and threw everything up a few hours later. Had severe indigestion and nausea the next day. Service: poor, waitress didn't come to check on us at all, only got us drinks, took our order, gave us bill, when we asked for more chips and never even received them. Worst part was getting sick, haven't felt that in a long time.

Food was just ok, not special. And how are you charging $6.25 for a bottle of Miller Lite??? That's just greed, first and last visit for us.

Always a good vibe. Mainly come for the drinks... food is okay just typical mexican food could use seasoning. never a long wait for seats or food even when super busy.

This place use to be very good don't know what happen now is Low grade meat very expensive Cooper Hawk is even cheaper.

This place has some really good music that I could vibe to. Whenever I go to a new Mexican restaurant. I always order the taco dinner. If the tacos are not good then I really don't care to try anything else. These tacos were amazing. The rice and beans were so good. They taste super fresh. I can be snobby when it comes to rice and beans. This is definitely a place to go to. It's literally an hour from me, but I will definitely come back again. My husband had a margarita and he liked it. The service was really nice. The girl was very attentive. We will definitely come back and try something else. So definitely a place to come check out.

Great service from Brandon tonight. Agree with previous reviews. Enjoyed the 1/2 price margaritas. Thanks to the reviews we read we had the beef enchiladas, chicken burrito and pollo poblano. Order the house made hot (mild) sauce. It had nice heat and flavor to it. We sat on the patio which also elevated our experience

Let me just save you the trip, go there if you want GREAT MARGARITAS!!! I've been here about 5 times and the food was trash. DO NOT GET THE CARNE ASADA STEAK! Anyways I'll go back to the positive stuff, they have great and friendly staff and they are fast. Don't eat inside during beautiful weather, use patio. Also owner needs to brighten up the place, it's dark inside for no reason. STRAWBERRY MARGARITA ON THE ROCKS Don't forget to tip your waiters if you're reading this.

Came here for dinner the other night. The service was great and the food was tasty. I recommend the enchiladas poblanos and a pina colada. Yum. It was a little loud at times and the lighting was a little distracting to me, there was this green ambient light that made things look weird to me.

Good food, ample servings and ok prices. Server was ok. Met family here and had a good lunch. Place was empty.

The food here is Always great! When we have eaten here we are have tried several dishes but have settled on favorites! I enjoy the combo fajitas and my husband the steak Diablo! The adult beverages are good also. There is often a celebration going on or a party atmosphere in the spacious dining areas. We have been seated in most areas however not the patio yet. No matter where you are seated it seems like an intimate setting. Everywhere you look there is beautiful artwork. The hostess' are welcoming and the wait staff are nice. The only thing is having a slight language barrier when asking for pickled jalapeños. I seem to say it wrong and it takes asking other wait staff sometimes. () Other than that I would strongly recommend dining at La Mex in Joliet, IL

Drinks are good. The food has been horrible both times I've gone. The lighting is way too dim, I can barely see my food. I really really don't recommend this place

Only giving a 1 star because you can't give a zero first off I'd like to start by saying I firmly believe people only come here for the drinks the food is god awful no flavor the rice is bland n room temperature the margarita was given with no limes or salt they have no salsa verde or horchatas!! What Mexican place don't have salsa verde or horchata I'm absolutely appalled and on top of that the waitress must of forgotten we are here because we've only seen her 3 times the waitress also clearly profiled my white girlfriend and assumed she wanted beef tacos instead of steak who tf eats beef tacos gross the ambience is nice tho 0 stars

This is only the second time in over 10 years that I've lowered a 5 star review. When we entered the restaurant we were not greeted and had to wait almost 10 minutes for the attention of the hostess to seat us. They were talking to a waitress and never made any acknowledgment that we were there. There were 2 hostesses and our issues were with the older one. Our waiter was horrible and never brought out water and our food took 55 minutes and they were not busy as it was a weekday night at 4:30 pm. The waiter also forgot our shells for our fajitas. We asked the same hostess to help us and not only did she not acknowledge us but rolled her eyes at us. When she brought the shells back she didn't apologize and rolled her eyes again. So by the time we got our shells it was 23 minutes after we received our food. I'm not paying for food with crappy service. No thanks! Would not recommend going forward.

We returned for the 3 rd time. I had the spinach, mushroom, cheese enchiladas. I found out I didn't miss the meat. It came with rice and beans. I want to reduce carbs and processed foods so this was a good healthier choice for me. Recommend for anyone in that same situation. Healthy can taste great with this dish. Great service and a splurge of 1 margarita made it a great dinner out that didn't break the bank.

Great Margueritas served, and certain 1/2 price days. The food and service basic but reliable.

Great selection of Mexican dishes to choose from the servers are very great and hard working, the wait can be long but it's definitely worth it as the food is delicious, very nice family environment and I definitely recommend trying this restaurant.

We finally went to this place and have already been there twice The margaritas are great. We had a beef enchiladas and only which they wrote up that it came w/ geeen Chile. Scrapped it off and was great This last time we ordered steak n shp fajitas Great. Will go back soon Only issue is they have a small and go to extra large margaritas.

This place continues to disappoint me despite their mediocre food. Margaritas are always good but the bar service always stinks. I'll keep going but mostly because there are no other options. I thumb my nose in your general direction, inconsiderate male bar tender...and shame on you.

The host take us to seat next to employees table that everyone comes to seat on their break. It's very uncomfortable to hear all employees talks on the phones or watching videos. A lot of empty table but don't know why we have to seat in that area. We didn't get chips and salsa as usual, the food was okay. Not really impressed to have dine in dinners at La Mex.

I told Virgilio I'd like to take him out for lunch today and he suggested we try La Mex Restaurant. We arrived at 1pm, it's Mother's Day so maybe I shouldn't have been surprised to see lots of cars in the parking lot and the restaurant well attended by guests. We were greeted with a friendly smile at the door and seated promptly. At the table our waitress Nancy took our drink order while another server dropped off nacho chips and salsa. Virgilio ordered a Top Shelf Patrone Margarita, it was quite tasty and definitely contained alcohol. I stuck with a simple ice tea which I'm happy to report had a good tea flavor, just the way ice tea should be. The menu has a goodly selection of typical Mexican offerings plus a nice selection of salads and other items making it a good option for mixed groups and families. The nacho chips were luckily not too salty and paired nicely with the tomato/cilantro based salsa. The salsa was quite mild while the flavor was quite enjoyable. Nancy returned with our drinks and took our order, offering Virgilio her suggestions on the menu. He ordered the Botana La Mex which is apparently an appetizer but also a full meal. It came with steak, shrimp, spinach quesadilla and avocado. He enjoyed it to the last bite. I got the Diablo Stake Burrito which was advertised as hot and the waitress warned was spicy. That's just the way I wanted it. As I chewed it was a bit hot and the heat built up a little in my stomach, which just seemed perfect for Diablo anything. I used a few of the nacho chips to chow down on the refried beans and rice. Nancy stopped back near the end of the meal to make sure everything was good and see if we wanted anything else. You really couldn't ask for better service, prompt, helpful, attentive but not overly so. We both enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant, cozy knocks and larger dining tables plus a good sized bar off to the side. The Latino music was fun, upbeat and a joy to hear over lunch. It would be perfect for a date or family gathering as evidenced by the many groups dining today.

A recent trip here was my first here in probably 20 years, so that tells you they've done something right for a long time. Good food with a broad menu of Mexican comfort choices. Carne Tampiquena is a solid marinated skirt steak with cheese enchiladas. Chicken Jalisco has a creamy queso on chicken breast-everything was solid. Lively atmosphere and service is quick.

Food was good. Skip the cheese sauce. Service was ok, but slowed towards the end. Did not appreciate being charged for drink refills without saying anything to us. Margaritas were good. Will try other places when we go back.

Have not been there I. A couple years and always loved it there in the past ! BUT.... Tonight not so much. First the lime margarita on the rocks was wayyy too sweet, it took 4 extra limes took make it drinkable! The rice was so bland and was almost all white ,no tomato base. I never do reviews but this was a horrible meal for the money!!! On a positive note our waiter was very nice !!

Hard to rate because the food and margaritas are very good. Everything we ordered was perfect. Their flautas are with corn tortillas so really are taquitos. We'd love to come back. The real issue here is the erroneous information the manager has given her staff about Service Dogs, and is setting the restaurant up for up to $150k in fines. If you go there with a service dog you do NOT have to provide any paperwork or other nonsense. Your dog does not need a vest but we have one on ours. Fortunately the staff did allow us to enter but it was unnecessarily stressful.

Definitely an entry level tex mex bar/grill. Chori-queso was mid and carne asada left much to be desired in terms of seasoning. Rice and beans were bland and salsa had no spiciness. Service is fine depending on time of day. Quantity over quality

The service is lacking, went back for the LAST time. First off, we go in and there are 2 guys using washing the stairs with a hose. OMG, it was 40 degrees out and when open! Come on, then he let go of the hose, luckily we weren't hit with water, then the hose was crossing by the door, DAH! We thought maybe good service, hell NO! There were other servers who were working hard, of course we get the bottom of the barrel. Only took order and delivered, no refills, no coming back, as we wait and wait. Then comes back to get check, just GOT it. Then we wait and wait for him to come back, had to flag down for the 2nd time. Don't get it, never going to bother on another failure in Joliet! Food isn't worth wasting your time WAITING!

Have been going to this restaurant for over 30 years and was always good service and excellent food. Not anymore. Service was terrible (not a smile in the place), food was lousy, enchiladas. Last time we were there had the steak tacos that tasted like pot roast. Apparently, according to the "manager", we were given an "old" menu, so what should have cost us about $55.00 for lunch, cost almost $75.00. I realize prices have gone insane, but for that kind of money for lunch, it ought to be outstanding. We will no longer be patronizing this restaurant and will not recommend.

La Mex!!! I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. Delicious food and great margaritas. I like going on Thursdays when they have the enchiladas on special and the margs 1/2 price! You can't go wrong with the strawberry marg that includes fresh strawberries. The owner Izzy is great and definitely what keeps us coming back!! Mondays they also have a live mariachi band. And let me tell you- the patio is the spot to be in the summer! Lots of shade and authentic plants. Can't wait for summer on the patio with a cold marg!!

Bff and I had dinner last night and were so delighted that their extensive menu, friendly service delicious margaritas, and perfectly prepared food was just as it was pre pandemic. The carne asada was just as ordered-- medium rare, combo plate item and burrito were spot on and out from the kitchen in short order! The sopapita dessert is deliciouness as was the coffee with a touch of cinnamon. Thank you for providing a perfect meal as we gather together with friends again. Forgot pictures. To hungry.

I'll be honest, the only reason I come here is because of the proximity from my children's activities. I've stopped by twice hoping that something would resonate with my palate...only to be let down. From what I've experienced, however, the history and culture of the venue is the most appealing component of La Mex. Both times I've been in the place has been alive with chatter and groups of friends meeting to chat. Quick summary of my meals (w/ pictures already uploaded): Chips - standard; not made in house Salsa - watered down; little to no flavor Steak Quesadilla - not bad; great cheese Diablo Steak Burrito - not very spicy as listed, but steak was good Simply put: If you're looking for a family friendly place with great weekly specials and generously poured drinks to hang out, La Mex is for you! If you are a drive by patron looking for a great meal...keep driving.

I had previously visited this location with a friend of mine and had a decent experience. The food was good and the drinks were delicious. I called recently (Father's Day) to be exact to place a take out order. I understand that Father's Day is a busy day and now that IL is open without restrictions I understand how restaurants could be swamped. I guess this was the case on this day because the phone kept ringing and no one would answer. I finally was able to get through to someone and the person who answered the phone was very rude. After I stated I wanted to place a take out order he rather harshly stated they "were not taking orders at this time" and abruptly hung up the phone. He wasn't apologetic or anything... just simply ended the call. I think in the future businesses should look into putting an automated message in place to redirect phone calls or simply not answer at all. I wasn't going to leave a review but that phone call left a bad taste in my mouth. Initially I didn't think twice about visiting this location again but now I'm not so sure, I think I'd rather take my business elsewhere.

This place used to be the best place ever to get Carne Asada. If I have a "bad" meal, I will wait and reserve judgment. Last week I came here with my daughter who is a pharmacist and her meal was gross. Today 4/6/21 I came with my friend and the refried beans were rancid. We both ordered the Carne Asada and it was so thin that my friend said, " It looks like they cut it in half and half again". The meal was so disappointing. Must be a staff issue. I will not be coming back.. for $19.99/plate for Carne Asada with shrimp .

Probably the worst flautas I've ever eaten. They had no flavor whatsoever. Rice was very bland. How can you mess up rice? Well they did. Service wasn't good. The salsa was too soupy and not even spicy. Honestly, probably the worst Mexican food I've ever eaten.

Trip to La Mex I typically don't like going out and especially somewhere that doesn't offer the best experience. Therefore, I will be honest about my experience there. As we entered the restaurant, our first impression was the dim, hazy, yellow lights and the rhythmic Mexican music. The familiarity of Spanish music gave me a sense of welcoming and cozy feeling. The effort in authentic Mexican decor was well done with the colorful paintings and flowers across the walls. without being too much. We were escorted to our tables by a nice lady. She reminded me of my art teacher, by her amiableness. As far as the size of the restaurant, it wasn't small per se but it was definitely not big either. This is not a traditional Mexican place, not only because of the lighting but of other factors as well. Approaching the service, the waiter was very nice when escorting us to our tables and was very useful in helping us choose what order after we told her it was our first time. I was surprised with the variety you could choose from.It definitely took me and my mom to choose from the menu. We ultimately ended up choosing a plate of enchiladas for my mother and a salad for myself. For me, the salad was not that great and the enchiladas were nothing special, somewhat bland as they lacked flavor. I wasn't satisfied with the lack of flavor. The rice accompanied with both of our plates were not very good. My salad just tasted very much like your average salad. As for my mom, who came with me ordered enchiladas and I tried it too but they were not that good. The cheese filling was okay. I had high expectations for it because Enchiladas are my favorite. So, despite having a traditional dish in their menu, it really didn't taste like the rich Mexican food I'm used to. In general, it seemed like the dishes were really simple. I couldn't feel the effort the place had in regards to the ingredients they used. I was curious to try the other menu but was not looking forward to trying out more dishes that would be made with much effort. The ambience was good and the food was average so I'll give it a three out of five stars. I would go back to that restaurant if I was extremely hungry but don't think it'll be a regular place. I will start eating in on a regular basis. Especially with my rather large family. We usually get loud when we're all together and this restaurant is rather quiet and reserved. Saying that, I think the restaurant is perfect for those who are looking for a relaxing place to eat a filling meal. I respect that they're introducing a variety of dishes but they need to make more flavorful dishes. I would've liked it if the salad had felt fresher and more seasoned. I'm overly critical of many places and I don't like going out more so I was skeptical of going out but the welcoming made me feel good.

Horrible service. Waited for our waiter to come and take our order. So when he arrives to the table he picks up our menus and leaves, we were like wtf.....then he passes by looking at us until I told him we've been ready to take our order. He looked confused. This was not the first time. Food isn't that great, not authentic and bland.

Took my sister out here to celebrate her birthday along with her 3 sons and we had a blast. We all ordered huge platters of carne asada which were all really good. I told the waitress it was my sister's birthday and she was nice enough to throw a little impromptu with a small dessert with a lit candle and we all sang the "happy birthday" song. Overall she had a blast.

Wow, You will be impressed with property and the potted plants The food is fabulous Very offordable lunches.This place is the best I have ever ate in.

The food was as good a quality as that of a Pepe's restaurant only. The drinks were okay but a bit watered down. Even the house chips tasted stale. The staff tried to be good but it showed in their faces that they were annoyed with our group/their customers. I would prefer to go elsewhere

We sat in the patio area which is very nice and surrounded by plants to block the traffic sounds. We ordered enchiladas, tacos and margaritas which were excellent! They seemed to be struggling with table service. We sat for 20 minutes before we were able to flag down an employee to help us. It seemed like a different server had each table. Once the employee clearing tables (not our waiter) saw how we were not being helped, he kept stopping by our table to see if we needed anything the rest of the evening. Many tables were complaining about the service. We will go again because we like the food and hopefully the service will be better.

I used to go to La Mex years ago and loved it. I am disappointed to say I recently returned for a lunch date with my hubby and was quite underwhelmed. The tortilla chips brought to our table tasted like generic store bought chips & most were broken in tiny pieces. Not freshly made. The salsa tastes like store bought with little flavor. Disappointing. I didn't receive the enchiladas that I ordered but was so hungry I ate them anyway. This used to be a fun spot for my sisters, mom & I to meet for a night out. Wow has it changed.

My wife and I went here today for lunch. Service was excellent and the food was outstanding. The menu is huge prices are reasonable drinks are good. I would have gave this five stars except the salsa is very out of the jar store quality a restaurant of this quality needs to roast their vegetables and make their salsa fresh. Probably my new favorite Mexican restaurant outstanding job.

I came here since it was my grandma's birthday and I didn't want to be disrespectful but, the food was horrible the asada meat was extremely dry the tortillas tasted soggy and were definitely microwaved and the cilantro and onion was dry aswell, the rice was alright but everything else tasted horrible, but the decor and the atmosphere was nice

Food was great. We order steak tacos and steak quesadillas. I would highly recommend. Didn't have to wait long for it to come so that's always a plus. Didn't not try the cocktails unfortunately but I'm definitely coming back. Ambiance is nice....Lots of private seating.

Me and my friends have been coming here for several years but recently a certain bar tender has been very ugly towards me and my friends we don't cause trouble but are a little loud when celebrating birthdays. I really don't care for the service here and the food isn't all that good. We're not rowdy we just like to have fun.and the tips we leave are tremendous by but I'm pretty sure we won't be coming back

The service was amazing. The food was ok. It was a great selection of food, but not the best. It wasn't the worst either. The o ly reason for the one star deduction is because it was quite warm. Almost got in there. Several people took notice of this.