Lucha Cantina

the food was cheap and delicious and the customer service was wondering and the wait was short

A friend and I came to Lucha Cantina for lunch while shopping in Rockford. We didn't realize it until after we had parked, but there is handicap accessible parking on the East side of the building. On the West side, you'll have to climb a set of stairs from the parking lot. All the food here was really good! We started with the salsa tasting trio, choosing pina poblano, smoky chipotle, and chunky tomato. Then I had shrimp tacos and she had enchiladas with red and green sauces. Yum! Our server was friendly and attentive; good job. Would come back here again when I am next in town!

The food is always good. My favorites are the mahi tacos and the salmon tacos. They also have numerous unique salsas. This is a quality restaurant, that takes pride in what they do. Highly recommend, 10 out of 10.

Stopped in after visiting the Japanese garden. Our server was super kind. I couldn't decide between two options and she recommended the fish tacos and they were phenomenal. We enjoyed the salsa option as well. The steak in my kiddos taco could have been slightly smaller cuts but we all very much enjoyed our meal. The decor is so fun! My kiddo made sure to take pictures with the statues. We sat on the patio and enjoyed the warm weather.

I miss the larger menu. I used to love Lucha and it was my favorite restaurant. I understand the need for a smaller menu with the changing times, but I miss the Wahoo Burrito and all the various other options I'd try. Today I chose the Rio Grande bowl and it was mediocre and it was a big bummer. It lacked flavor until I added salsa to it. Our server was fine. Nothing to write home about. They did re-vamp the restaurant and the dining area is a little smaller I think, but there's an event room which is nice. I'm sad.

Walking into the building where this place was located instantly you smell the carpet, you don't actually smell a restaurant until you're at the door and about to go in. And of course it's not the restaurant's fault it's the building owner. However my cousin picked this place for her birthday dinner and because they had been coming with any issues with their food. We had Chloe for our server and she was very sweet, everyone was ordering appetizers and drinks before placing our orders. Let me just say that the elote won tons were delicious but I order the avocado sampler with the tomato corn. Everyone was enjoying themselves and we ordered our food. I got the chicken fajita tacos with sour cream and everyone else order something with steak. When our food came everything except my cousins enchiladas with chicken had too much sauce but she said it's was okay. Anyway my tacos look delicious and you get 3 and I got fries with mine. It wasn't until I took my first bite I noticed maybe the chicken or onions were cooked hard or something so I pulled the hard piece out and placed it on my napkin and to my surprise it wasn't a hard piece of chicken or onion. It was a bread tie I got the servers attention and let her know and showered her what I pulled out my food and asked for the manager. However when the manager finally came I don't think that she even told him what had happened. So I showed him and he took the item that was on my napkin and went too the kitchen. The manager was not happy but he was very apologetic for what was found. Oh and also my cousins guest had found a hair on her drink glass which Chloe admitted it was hers and took it away. By now many of us was ready to go. The manager did comp my food and gave the birthday girl a round of shots and said he spoke to the kitchen staff ( )

Great service, friendly staff, food was extremely flavorful, I wish I would have tried this location out when I was working in the Rockford area 2 years ago. It's located in a strip shopping center, upstairs to the 2nd level, not sure if there is an elevator If you come on Tuesday, you have to try the Lucha-Birria

I first came here in 2014 and left a review. Then I came back in 2019 and updated my review. Now it's 2025 and I still think of this place and drove 2 hours just to eat here again. I like this place that much. The food is a delicious and

Got the chance to visit this place again after having moved away years ago, and it never disappoints! The salsas are amazing, the guacamole is to die for, the drinks are fabulous, and the vibe is super cool. I don't think I've ever eaten anything here that I don't like.

Exceptional and beautiful servings made our meal great Lovely restaurant but difficult to visit on a walker. Service and presentation was excellent

Big Hopes, Bigger Disappointment We'd driven past this spot a few times and thought, "Why not finally give it a try?" Well... now we know why not. We started with drinks--a margarita for me and my husband tried a mezcal cocktail (I think it was called Abuelita's Drink?). They were... okay. Nothing to write home about. But the real letdown came with the food. We ordered the trio dip (guacamole, queso, and elote), which was meh at best. Not bad, but definitely not good. I decided on the chicken fajita tacos with a salad, and honestly, I'm still regretting it. The salad was wilted on arrival--like, it looked tired before I even touched it. And the tacos? So bland they could've used some personality. The ambiance didn't help either--it was dark, quiet, and honestly kind of sad. Overall, the experience just wasn't it. If you're in Rockford, there are way better options out there. Unfortunately, this one's a skip for us.

An extreme disappointment... my partners food was cold and my burrito was flavorless and full of nothing but rice and uncooked peppers. For some reason the rice is basmati rice?? Never seen that at a Mexican restaurant before. It was also extremely overpriced for not even serving salsa automatically. The best party was definitely the Elote Rangoon. Other than that I would not return here and feel I wasted an absurd amount of money. Overall this place is flavorless, overpriced, and un-authentic.

Excellent !!!! Blackened Salmon & grilled peaches salad was so good ! Everyone in our business lunch talked about how amazing this food was. Nice atmosphere. Very nice staff. A wonderful experience. 2 entrances - with and without stairs. I will visit every time I travel through Rockford.

The lunch menu was very limited and had only 7 or 8 choices.. The prices were between $16 and $18 for one item. One of us had a margarita and the other a beer. $64 for lunch is a bit pricey for sure! Server was outstanding. But wouldn't come back again at those prices.

Came back once again and wanted to see if I could give more stars than five, but unfortunately Yelp limits us to just five stars. But this most recent meal was a 10 out of 5. They keep knocking it out of the park with the great combination, flavors and quality of food and service. Will surely be back again!

Me and my boyfriend went to this place after the Ed Sheeran concert; this was our first time being in Chicago and we had no clue on how the parking was. The men at the front were so nice and helped us figure out the parking situation! They acted like we were friends, and didn't dumb us down for not knowing how it worked. Going further inside the restaurant, the ambiance was nice! The seating was a little close to each other, but that's expected for the small restaurant. Now onto the food -- it was delicious!! I can't remember what the name of what I got was (the chimichanga looking one), but my boyfriend loved his tacos! The pico de gallo they put on the food was so yummy! The best pico I've ever tasted. If I was in the area again, I'd definitely go here! If you're looking for a quick yummy bite, go here!!

I came here on a random Tuesday while in town for work and the bartender Austin was great! I got the queso and guacamole appetizer. I love the traditional style chips and the guacamole was very good! I love the seasoning and that you can taste the lime in the guac! You can tell it's fresh! The queso is good, but very peppery. As in black pepper. I was also able to try the traditional pico and the pineapple and poblano salsas, both of which were good. The traditional pico had corn in it which is different for me, but I didn't hate it. For my main dish I got the birria tacos and they were AMAZING! Some of the best birria and consomé I have had in a while! So definitely come here on Tuesdays and get that! I also really enjoyed their version of a skinny margarita with G4 tequila!

Great find... met our son who came from wisconsin. Chimi was awesome as was the nachos. Best chicken enchilada soup... highly recommend.

This is upscale Mexican fusion. Lots of pros here, with very few cons. The table ordered the dip sampler thing; we got to choose three and they were fabulous! Two people ordered the special, chorizo and sweet potato tacos. I ordered the steak tacos and my husband and I swapped a taco for a taco so I could try the special. BOTH WERE FABULOUS! The fourth meal was the Mac n cheese something or another; she liked it. And then there was fried ice cream, and the two who had it said it was great! My *only* complaint/suggestion.... Get some background music up. It felt like I was in a hospital cafeteria. Very weird. The vibe did not fit the meal service. Huge PRO: the bill came with QR code so I could expedite and pay. This saves servers SO MUCH TIME. Kudos to Lucha for being tech forward and employee centered. It's also a safer option, in my opinion, than watching someone walk away with your card. (America really needs to get away from that. Canada has this on lock since 2012.)

My friend and I went on a Sunday evening. There were not a lot of people there. The waitstaff was friendly and greeted us upon arrival. The inside of the restaurant was decently decorated, the outside patio area looked even more inviting--sadly it was a cold day, so no outdoor seating for us. Appetizers: We ordered the chicken flautas and mussels as an appetizer. They arrived promptly me hot. My friend enjoyed the mussels very much, I did as well. The flautas were decent, I added some of the hot salsa we ordered into them which greatly increased the flavor. The Entree: Excellent in house made fresh corn tortilla's that were still warm on arrival. The shrimp was nice and juicy and fresh with crisp veggies that added some flavor. My only critique--The tacos were tasty, but it could use a bit of spice. I ended up adding some of their hottest hot sauce on it and it really gave it that extra spice I was looking for. The beans and rice were delicious, moist and flavorful--I really enjoyed them. Pricing: Very fairly priced. No complaints for the serving sizes, the servings were very generous. Overall it was a decent meal. I would come back for the drinks and chips and salsa for sure. **Updated rating, meant to put 5 stars when initially posted.**

Hey wow 8 steak tacos with no onion, no lettuce, and a side of that red sauce amazing. My brothers ex gf worked there. Funny story I guess she called my mom And said she saw My wife (( soon to be ex)) with her new boyfriend Robert (( man he loves the color blue)) And tacos! Such a nice guy. I found his computer with taco sauce on it. Somehow my ex wife knows everyone And really hits it home on both me and my brother! Thanks kid! Great service, btw I didn't look at the cpu we all know your fantasy football bets are set in stone anyways.

We have been here previously and enjoy it very much. The food and service were good. I love the salad and my husband loves getting the poblano pepper shrimp.

So appreciate the integrity of the food in this place! Living a plant focused lifestyle, there are not many places in Rockford with clean options. Let alone- THE BEST tequila in all the land!

Food is great! And service has always been very good! Cactus appetizer. Yum Poblano peppers. Great salads

This place was amazing! I ordered the chicken enchiladas and it was delicious! I have not eat handmade purple corn tortillas since I traveled to Mexico so this was a plus!

Doing some shopping in Rockford looking for a place to eat we stopped stop at Lucia Cantina at 1641 North Alpine drive. It had a nice outside dining area, which we to enjoy while the weather is still nice. My husband started with a porter. It had great flavor for a dark beer. My husband ordered the steak and a cheese chimney which came on a bed of rice and a delicious cheese sauce over it. It was large enough to bring half of it home. The spinach and chicken enchilada caught My eye and was also delicious both of us ordered the The Mexican street corn which was the best street corner I have ever had. The service was great and I'm sure the next time we're in Rockford we will plan on going there again.

Delicious food, friendly servers, fun atmosphere. We had lunch on the veranda last week, so tasty and enjoyable. Good prices, good food, good fun. Afterwards take a walk around the shops just down the sidewalk.

This was the perfect place for us to do late lunch after our visit to the nearby Anderson Gardens. All staff was friendly and efficient, from the host to our awesome waitress Jessica. The food was great with fresh quality ingredients and good flavor. Highlights of the meal were the Hawaiian spicy shrimp tacos and the tres leches cake as dessert. We ate on the patio which was a nice plus. It does overlook the parking lot but since it's actually a balcony with plenty of trees around it makes for a nice "green" location. Good place, good food, good staff, a rare trifecta nowadays.

Amazing!! Time and time again, best quality and over delivers every single time! Highly recommend !! Steak tacos, Fajita tacos and best Guac!!

Well, Lucha Cantina broke the cardinal rule of any restaurant. The food was boring and without flavor. We ordered the guacamole and two side sauces. The guacamole tasted like it was merely mashed avocados with no apparant spices. Garlic? No. Jalapeno? No. The two side sauces were also flavorless. I was sorely tempted to ask for some salt, pepper, or perhaps some hot sauce to give it something, anything. Just bland. I then ordered the Wahoo fish tacos. Again, a complete lack of flavor. There was no there there. Bland. For all the hoopla about this restaurant I was expecting a wow factor. Nothing of the sort occurred. Not bad food. Just not really that good. Off night? Perhaps. But I suspect not. I've been all over Mexico and have tasted what the regions have to offer and this pales in comparison to even the most lowly taco stand.

Very easy and quick takeout order system! I love ordering the chicken/rice/fajita veggies in bulk for my lunches during the week.

We went for takeout as we were just passing through. They have a great system - you pull up to a back entrance and call them and they bring your order. Very convenient.. The food was wonderful. Yucca tots, spicy shrimp tacos and steak tacos. Wife is gluten free and their food was fine. The flavors were authentic, and everything was well cooked and properly seasoned. I would go back. In a heartbeat.

This is a great gem. The habanero garlic salsa is really hot so beware. The Yuca fries are very unique and tasting. Next time I will have to try the wahoo tacos. Don't forget to try their house Mexican beer. Only downfall is the area needs some updating and the chips and salsa isn't complimentary.

Because this is a "Mexican Fusion" restaurant, the chips and salsa are not complimentary?? So be prepared to pay $5.99 for a basket of chips and salsa. I ordered the steakhouse enchilada, which came with a mushroom gravy. Very little cheese in the enchilada and the mushroom "gravy" was like brown flavored water. I am glad I ordered that on the side. The saving grace was a small side of cubed potatoes which were crisp and very good. They do not have frozen margueritas. On the plus side, our waiter was very attentive, I give him 5 stars.

We were in the area with family and stumbled upon this restaurant and decided to walk in. It was an early evening (5ish) and we were first told that if we don't have a reservation then they couldn't sit us as everything was booked for the night. They asked if we would be open to sit in the bar area with high chair tables. Kids seemed hangry already after walking so much that we decided to go with it. We started out ordering for the kids, cheese quesadillas and chicken fingers. For us, had to get a pitcher of classic margaritas with spiced rim on the glasses. Yum! And we also opted in for fresh guacamole. The service was top notch and quick. Everything came out in the right order and at the right time. Well planned! And the food was delicious as well! You will not be disappointed.

This place was recommended by a friend, so I decided to stop in for lunch. It could have just been the dish that I ordered, as my friends did enjoy their lunch. I ordered the 3 meat enchiladas (contained beef, pork, and chicken). The quality of the meat was tough. The rice it came with was ok. The beans were a mixture of different kinds. My friend got the chicken fajita tacos which she greatly enjoyed. My other friend had a burrito which he enjoyed. Service was great; he was very attentive. Although it was a miss for me on this visit, I would come back to try a different menu item. Lots of the appetizers looked great!

Nice place to meet, eat, socialize! Chili con queso with chips is delish. Tacos are good.

Our experience tonight was with take out. Great packaging & plastic wear! The food was fresh and tasted DELICIOUS!! Thanks for a great take out dinner!!

Hawaiian tacos = delicious Service is always great. If you don't already eat here, you absolutely should.

Lucha is always amazing! From the chips with queso or quac to the chicken fajita tacos and salmon southwestern chop salad they are always on point! Whether you like carry out or dine in the quality and taste are the same!

My wife & I had the Valentines day menu with delicious U-12 scallops, tender broccoli and rice which was amazing. The owner and staff were totally present and aware of what was going on, we really love this place. The food is always consistently good. We also like the fact that Lucha hosts Music on the Mall in summer.

It was my first time here on Thursday and let me just tell you, I WILL BE BACK. I had some of the best wings of my life there. If you're still reading, stop and go get some. You won't be disappointed. But, the absolute best part was our server, Jordan. We were laughing the entire time. The service was fantastic! 10/10!

The service is very friendly Julia was a sweetheart. Making sure everything was ok. The place is amazing loved how nice it looks. And the food is amazing!!! 10/10 would recommend. Enchiladas were great, Steak Taco tacos delicious and let's not leave the appetizers behind the Yucca tots are delicious!! I recommend coming here if you are looking for amazing service, amazing food and are looking to expand your horizons with food.

The food is all awesome. Margaritas outstanding. Go here and get the BBQ pork nachos, get the lucha tots, get the moo peep oink enchiladas. Or anything else. It's all fantastic.

This modern Mexican cantina has indoor, outdoor and bar seating. The dining room can definitely get loud when full and the chairs aren't very comfy inside or outside. Our server was very nice but pretty slow compared to the other servers, our dinner took 2 hrs. Chips were extra but they were very good, the queso was my favorite. There are so many salsa options for every taste but the guacamole wasn't very authentic. The burrito was great and the tacos stayed together well with the homemade tortillas. There were many vegetarian options including a house made veggie burger. Overall a great modern Mexican restaurant , it's not authentic but still very good. Loved the eco friendly take away containers!

Vegetarian menu options in abundance making it difficult to make a decision on what to eat! Usually when I go out to eat there aren't many items to choose from to fit a vegetarian lifestyle, so this was a very welcomed experience. Definitely a vote of two thumbs up and highly recommended!

Stopped in a quick lunch. We went on a Sunday and they have a limited menu. I'd be interested in checking it out when the whole menu is available. I had the spicy shrimp tacos and they were tasty. My hubbys steak tacos looked great. Salsa was very hot and the (most mild) pick also had some heat. Too much for me. The queso had a strange flavor. Although I wouldn't order that again I'd def try again.

Food was fresh and recipes inspired. All very traditionally made but with a fun twist. Drinks also delicious. Our server Joe was knowledgeable and personable. Made for a great visit. Can't wait to go again.

the service wasn't that good. they were very slow so there's no issue why there's bad service. the sever wasn't very aware of the food or menu. food good as always tho.