Tortas Frontera

Everyone says this is the place to go to in O'Hare. The food is interesting. Id never had anything like it before. The flavors are good too. The only disconnect is the volume of food to the price. I agree with some of the other reviews, theres too much ice in the drink. Also, theres not enough chips in the box, but then theres not enough salsa for the chips that you do get. Its fast and worth a shot if youd like to try something different.

Tortas Frontera at ORD Terminal K delivers bold flavors fast. Juicy eggs, peppers, cheese and rich salsa on fresh bread made a perfect airport bite, fresh, messy, and worth every minute in line. Must-try before boarding!! PROTIP: skip the self order lane and go to the in person order line that just beyond the LCDs.

Your best bet As far as Terminal 3 choices go. Everything was fresh, flavored well, packaged well and the portions were very fair. Order in person or on a kiosk. The salad was super good, birria torta as well. The habanero hot sauce was as super spicy which I appreciated.

First time eating here at Frontera. I’m a crew member always on the go, so food is important. I had the Salad Bowl with Carnitas and it was plenty of food to hold me for the whole day. Fresh, flavorful and quick service. Shout out to Gabriel, the manager, and his whole team for helping me choose and giving me fantastic service. Often we are rushing and running, but he made sure to take his time and be attentive.

I had a cubana clasica tortas. I loved it. The service was fast. The portion size was adequate, but I don't think this is the cheapest place to grab a quick bite. I recommend visiting Tortas Fontera by Chef Rick Bayless.

Order at the kiosk and pick up your food minutes later. The ingredients were fresh and delicious. Nothing like the typical fast food in the airport.

The carnitas tacos are highly recommended, with great flavor. For those who don’t like spicy food, they have a green salsa with excellent flavor and no heat. The way they package their products is impressive, with branded bags and boxes that give a professional touch. Service can be a bit slow, but it’s understandable given the number of orders they handle. The only downside for me was the guacamole — about 3 to 4 ounces for $13, which I think is a very small portion for the price. Other than that, everything is very recommendable.

Tortas Frontera was the top recommendation for food at Chicago O'Hare. This location is situated next to the food court in Terminal 3, and has bar seating, and then tables as part of the court. The service was pleasant and quick considering how popular it was. In total we only waited 7 minutes after ordering our food. I ordered the Beef Quesabirria Torta, and it had a nice smoky flavor and pairs well with the broth. I poured the tomatillo salsa on the sandwich itself then dipped in the broth for the perfect bite. My wife ordered the Chorizo + Queso Torta, and it was better. More of a sweet and flavorful option. The sandwiches are good, but they won't fill you, especially at $18+. But the flavors are there and it's an enjoyable bite. The Mango Lime Agua Fresca is delicious, very sweet, and worth it if you enjoy sweet drinks. Overall, I think it's a worthy ballot for top food at Chicago O'Hare, but the door is open for another contender.

Routine stop when connecting at ORD, as Frontera fare is far superior to reheated food from a bag at the Admiral's Club. Tortas Frontera is fresh and hand crafted before your eyes. There is usually a small line, as travelers with taste know this is the spot. I've dabbled with most the Torta options, all fantastic. Today I was the envy of the Admiral's Club while dining on a Cubana Clasica. This is your quality stop in ORD.

For a $14 cup of soup I expected it to be a full serving. Fast service -- I ordered from the kiosk. No real seating service. More of a takeaway place.

Not being able to make an earlier flight I sought a quick bite to eat. Decided to grab a torta (beef quesabirria) to give this place a try. Order came quite quickly even though the place was packed and then was a line of people waiting for their orders. Taste was pretty good. I did add jalapeños which they put on a little too much as the consume was spicier than expected (guess down in Texas they can't handle the heat ??). When stuck at Terminal 3 in O'Hare, I would recommend this place, that is if you like Mexican food

One of the better dining options at O'Hare. Fresh ingredients and great flavors. I've been coming here for years and sadly feel like they have gone too far with cost cutting by limiting the menu items and putting the bare minimum on a sandwich. Could a chicken cutlet get any thinner? Drinks are good but very expensive (never see them post prices, even on the menu). Torn between 3-4 stars. Prob a 3.5 but being generous.

Waited in line for 25 minutes watching people stand come and go, and never getting to order.... Sigh. I guess I should've come an hour early just to order food? Didn't want to finally order and then wait even longer ans possibly miss my boarding

My go-to place before a flight. The crispy chicken Milanese is fresh and delicious. It comes with a slightly spicy green salsa. The service is quick, but the place is small so it may be hard to find a seat. A busy airport environment, but the food is delicious

My all time favorite airport restaurant. I frequently order online when I have a tight connection so I can pick it up while running between gates. The guacamole salad is my go to. Absolutely delicious. This time I got a chicken and bacon quesadilla as well. The red salsa that came with it was delicious.

For an airport eatery experience, this is not bad. The quality of food is far better and fresher than most fast casual places in O'Hare, as is the variety of options. I ordered a chicken bacon quesadilla (filling, good flavor, well made) with a small side of guacamole (it was a little brown, which was disappointing, though flavorful) and a Coke. It was definitely expensive (neatly $30 before tip!), and you also have to find a counter / stool seat yourself on which to sit. Order at a kiosk and your name is called out to pick up your order -- very little "service," but it is efficient. I was satisfied and it was better than my other airport options.

This review is for the bar area and only ordered beer, not food. When we walked in there was the overwhelming smell of sour mop water! I wish we turned around and walked out right then. We sat ourselves at the long table opposite of the bar. The whole table was sticky with crumbs and some trash. We asked the bartender for something to wipe it down and she gave us napkins. She said she had been so busy she hadn't been able to clean. Well while we were there the customers slowed down and she never came and cleaned the area. Hmmmm.... And the tall seats were very uncomfortable. We stayed for about 45 minutes and my partner had a huge reaction to something in this area, possibly the sour smell? He immediately started having a runny nose which wouldn't stop. It lasted for about 10 hours non-stop allergic reaction. There are so many places to have a beer, we would not come back to this location and recommend going elsewhere.

We love Chef Rick Bayles's culinary shows dedicated to Mexican cuisine on the great PBS! During our layover in Chicago last week, we thought it'd be fun to try the food at his restaurant Tortaza, part of Tortas Frontera. When in Chicago... we thought it'd be a perfect choice for our main meal of the day. We shared a Chicken Chipotle torta - it's big, fresh, flavorful, full of fresh avocados, I saw the ladies working here cutting it right in front of my eyes! We also shared a couple of Carnitas Tacos with guac, red pickled onions, shaved radishes. Wonderful dishes, simple, delicious and very fresh - especially for airport food. We paired it up with Lime Agua Fresca-s, which we were tart and fresh, once again, nice to enjoy between flights. The prices are actually reasonable for airport rates and the service was very good. Great choice for a layover at O'Hare! Salud Mr. Bayles for a nice meal!

Whenever I fly through ORD I get a smile on my face because ... Tortas Fronteras. IYKYK. Order on the app then walk up to get your order otherwise plan on 10-15 while they MAKE IT FRESH FOR YOU. What can I say? Everything is outstanding. The guacamole should be a national treasure and any Torta..you can't go wrong. Today I got the chorizo queso. And the guava alfajor. I ate it so quickly I didn't take a picture but here's one from one of the other 100 times I've been there. Ambiance? Lively music. Friendly efficient service. Watch them make amazing food. If you're lucky enough to grab a spot enjoy the atmosphere while you devour your Torta. Close your eyes and imagine you're eating it on a bench in a city park somewhere in Mexico.

Quick breakfast bite at Ohare kiosk only ordering quick and simple menu. We split 3 tacos for a snack before settling in at our gate. Service was good,friendly and served plenty hot. Kinda chill for a busy airport

A Mexican torta shop named one of best airport foods by Time Out Chicago. The lines are always long during lunch and the food does take a while to come out, so don't come if you're in a rush at Terminal 1 of the O Hare airport. I got the chicken chipotle torta, which includes avocado, poblanos rejas, jack cheese, arugula, and cilantro crema. Honestly this was quite yummy, especially with that tomatillo salsa I was obsessed with. So bright, fresh, and added a nice kick to each bite. The torta itself was freshly toasted and it made a very yummy hot sandwich. Wish I got more avocados as the order next to me got half and I got 1/4, but it's not a biggie hehe. There's some seating and a small bar, but depending on lunch rush, it'll be hard to snag a seat.

Great option at O'Hare. I stopped at American Airlines, Terminal 3 but believe they have an outpost at other terminals. I've been to Rick Bayless' restaurants downtown Chicago... both Frontera Grill and the more high end Topolobampo... and he is a master chef when it comes to Mexican chow. So, not surprising that he knows how to deliver when it comes to translating his recipes and techniques into a fast casual concept. The place is busy, so plan accordingly for prep time. My Chicken and Bacon Quesadilla with tomatoes, jack cheese, garlic, mojo cilantro crema was awesome! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Service was fast. Restaurant was packed. I got the Barbacoa tacos. They were street tacos size, but packed with a lot of meat. Very satisfying. I LOVED the habanero salsa! Spicy, seasoned, and had great consistency. My coworkers tried the tortas and said they were great. The only downside was the prices which were inflated airport prices.

Good food. Especially within the context of the airport. But why 4 stars not five you may ask. One is a fault of its own success... there were too many people and not able to get a good spot to eat our food. We had to take it back to our gate. Also I wish the salsa was spicier. My girlfriend and I found a great apartment today, so that may also be contributing to a proportionally higher rating on my part, as I am stoked. She is beautiful and pretty good drawing. She thought the offerings of several complementary salsas were a nice balance to the meal - though noting the price point was high we would have settled for fewer salsas and a lower price.

02/12/25 - This was the second time I've eaten @ Tortas Frontera a Rick Bayless restaurant. Both times I ordered a a Cubana sandwich. The first time I ordered Cubana sandwich it wasn't very good as I bought this to eaten on the plane knowing there wasn't any food being served. This was a big mistake as this should be eaten right away. The Cubana is a Smoked pork loin, Gunthorp bacon, artisan Jack cheese, black beans, cilantro crema, chipotle mustard & avocado. The second time I ate it right away and it was delicious. Lesson learned 5 stars

Sadly this has gone down hill hard! Rick needs to come and do some quality control. Yesterday had chips and salsa and the birria torta. The chips were bad! Seemed old some what stale. The bread for my torta also seemed like just an over toasted stale bread. Wasn't much meat on it either. I loved this place for first several years it was open but it's not the same anymore. With airport food in general getting very expensive these days at least make sure your food is super on point for the price. I sat at the bar and the bartender/ server seemed like he could absolutely care less about anything. Bummer that this has fallen so hard.

I was excited to see that they offered Mexico City-style tortas at Chicago O'Hare Airport that I definitely had to stop by during my short layover. This restaurant is one of the more popular dining options offered at the food court. They make all the tortas fresh, so prepare for a wait. Online ordering is also available, so you don't miss your connecting flight like I almost did! I wish I had more time here so I could unwind and enjoy some chips & guac and a cold beverage. I ordered the Cubana Clasica Torta, Chorizo + Queso Torta, and Chipotle-Roasted Chicken Torta. These were so good, not only did I order during my arrival but also for my departure flight back home. It smelled delicious, and I wanted to try them all! My favorite was the Chipotle-Roasted Chicken Torta. Inside the torta, the chicken was well-seasoned and tender with a tasty cilanto crema sauce. Followed by the Cubana Clasica Torta, it comes sandwiched between a crunchy toasted roll with a chipotle mustard spread. They should include more veggies to match the meat ratio. My least favorite was the Chorizo + Queso Torta. The chorizo was overly salty and missing a type of condiment to enhance its flavor. Every torta comes with a choice of either tomatillo salsa or red chipotle salsa. These were made in-house and chunky (not watery), just the way I like. If you are looking for a satisfying meal before your flight, this is the place to go!

Located at O'Hare, The tacos were good. Toppings were fresh. Typical airport prices. Service was fast. Sat at the counter on a high stool. It's what I'd expect at an airport, fast and good so I can take time to relax before a flight.

Terminal 3 Frontera Grill is the best place to get a great meal. The Chicken, Bacon Quesadillas are to die for. And Anita the grill master has it down!!! I can't get enough of them!!!

I ordered the torta cubana and a lemonade, and honestly, it was worth every penny. The torta is different from a traditional Mexican torta, but that's what makes it stand out. You can really taste the quality of the ingredients, and the sauce is absolutely next level. I'd definitely get it again.

I stopped by to have a quick lunch before flight. This is pobably the best food around in the terminal. Beef quesabirria was my entree. It was flavorful. Mango lime aguas frescas was a good drink to try.

Easy access in the terminal with plenty of seating. I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. It's was a good torta. Real avocado, tasty bread, the chorizo had good flavor. Really surprised. The service was fast and friendly. I had to walk from another terminal but it was totally worth it.

Solid for airport food! Otherwise the chorizo was pretty salty and the combination of ingredients was underwhelming, but as a whole, it satisfied the hunger and was quick and doable with only a 45 minute layover! Since it's a sandwich station, you can speedwalk to the bathroom midway in Terminal K and back during the time they take to make it and your food will be ready for pickup by the time you're back. I ordered a choriqueso and ate it too fast for pictures of anything remaining but the empty box. If you land Terminal 3 Gate K, and have a layover in G or H, it's on the way!

Had a delicious torta at Tortas Frontera at the Chicago airport. Pro tip is definitely to order ahead. Right before take off I placed the order for when I would arrive. Upon arrival my torta was hot and ready to go, which was a great call since the line is very long here. I ordered the beef quesabirria torta which was money! The meat was tender and a bit spicy, great handheld meal while getting to my next flight.

Chicago O'Hare Terminal 3, Il. Typical high priced that we are subjected to at airports. We ordered at a kiosk, there were a lot of steps, I believe it is faster to just stand in the short line and talk to a human. Easy seating and the food came in about 15 minutes. The Crispy Chicken Milanesa was really good. I added avocado for $3 (!) that really helped perfect it. A tad spicy but not overpowering. Very nice just fried chicken breast and chipotle sauce.There are several sauce choices but chipotle goes well with this sandwich. The Guacamole Salad was huge ($15.50). It really could feed two people. Lots of guacamole and chicken in there with a good dressing. I'll probably just go with this next time.

The chips were stale and the salsa was flavorless. The staff was inattentive and the music was too loud. Not enough seats.

I had a chipotle chicken torta, and it was very good for airport food. It took about 15-20 minutes for it to be made. The combination of chipotle chicken, avocado, arugula, and black beans gave lots of flavor and texture. Like a grilled panini, you have to eat it right away as the bread will be the most toasty after it's pressed. You can still take it on the plane, as long as you are okay with soft bread. 1 star off: The packaging box was flimsy. The cover kept popping off and the bottom kept on becoming folded as I walked with it in a bag. Maybe this is more evidence for eating the torta right away!

At first I wanted to be upset soup was $15. But was actually surprised it was delicious. Would I order this anywhere else for $15, no. But for an airport restaurant this was pretty amazing and subpar food would be expensive anyhow. I ordered the child's cheesy toasty and it was ok for dipping in soup but I wouldn't really recommend for anyone over the age of 8. The negative was how long it took to get my food- about 15 minutes. So be prepared to wait a bit.

It is very overpriced for the portions you get. And the food is not very good. I got the loaded guacamole and the guacamole wasn't even salted, and my chips were over salted. The chicken torta I ordered had pork inside it. I would not recommend eating here.

Still solid food as it has been for all these years. The breakfast torta with chorizo, eggs, and avocado was very tasty and a very good portion size. The loaded guacamole alsoshown was tasty. The breakfast ordering system requires you to go over to the bar to order coffee (nowhere found on the kiosk screen menu). The bartender grumpily is made to have to head back across to the food area to pour a cup from the carafe. Ludacris - I say! needs fixed.

We love Tortas Frontera! Today we had some time in the Chicago so we hunted for this place. The tortas are so very good! I had the chipotle roasted chicken with fire roasted salsa. Chicken, avocado, poblano, jack cheese, arugula and cilantro crema. The salsa had a great heat to it and it brought the flavors of the sandwich forward. Loved it! As Arnold said, 'I'll be back!'

This place is a hot mess. The machines to order don't work management doesn't come to address things when they didn't even offer any kind of apologies or assistance very disappointing at this point maybe I should've just gone to another place. What a poor showing customer service with for people who are in a hurry

This is truly good food- for an airport or otherwise. Been here many times and always happy but this latest visit was the best: I had a perfect bowl of tortilla soup topped with barbacoa. Unctuous, a little spicy, and totally filling. Then I booked another flight. Gotta come back!

My go to meal spot when I'm flying through O'Hare. It's an airport, so I expect I'll be paying a lot for food. Other than the sticker shock, I find little to disappoint me here. No waiting at the kiosk to order. Several people waiting for their food. It takes 10-15 minutes to get the sandwich, but I find it worth the wait. The staff was friendly and having a good time with customers as they cranked out sandwich after sandwich. It's a small space and not a lot of seating, but the decor is Mexican all the way. I normally go for the crispy chicken Milanesa, but this time I went for the beef quesabirria. I couldn't be happier with my choice. The beef was juicy and moist. The cheese was stringy and the bread held up to the demands of this sandwich. I added chips and salsa to my order. The chips were hearty and in large portion. The cups of salsa are a bit smallish. Ordering an extra is a good idea. That's fine with me since it gave me the chance to had red and green salsas. I left plenty full and ready to nap on my next flight.

This place is so good! Roberto explained how this place came about and the idea behind the menu. Most places at the airport are vanilla, basic. Not this place. Every time I'm in town I will stop in. Thank you for the great service.

The salad I ordered was literally brown. looked like the lettuce was rotting. it honestly made m so sick to my stomach. they should be serving food in that condition. also not to mention it was $23!!!!!!!!!!! are we kidding? so gross

So, I went to the restaurant and was very unhappy with the food but this location redeemed them. I wanted to grab something to eat on the plane so I ordered their Cobb Salad as well as chips with guac. While the pricing is a bit excessive (which is expected in any airport), the food was delicious, flavorful and fresh. I will definitely go back the next time I find myself at O'Hare. The location was festive and the staff were very helpful.

The torta milanesa was pretty good. The chicken was crispy and saucy. Because they assemble to order, the breading stayed crispy. The salsas were excellent as well as the Jamaica agua drink. Unexpectedly tasty for an airport food stand. It's somehow affiliated with Rick Bayless since his name was on the packaging. You order tibia 2 kiosks, where you can customize the sandwich to your liking. They do try to upsell you after almost every click, so that's annoying. Ordering in this fashion is also not friendly to people who are not tech savvy. I stepped in to help a lady who struggled with the machine for a while 10 minutes while the line behind her got longer.

I love delays at O'Hare because of this restaurant. The guacamole Cobb with crispy chicken and the agua frescas that are made in-house is the best thing that can happen to you during a layover. They are also quick after ordering, in addition to having some bar seating and tables. The price is right and the food is fantastic.

Although there was no line today (Saturday afternoon), ordering online was definitely the way to go! I arrived at Terminal 1 and found the location there was out of their vegetarian sandwich. I put in an order at T3 and by the time I was there it was ready! Lots of layers of flavor in the eggplant and definitely enhanced by the green salsa, it was an easy to eat and satisfying bite at the airport. I'd definitely return next trip. There are a few nice seating options if you are okay to walk - the Rotunda, for example, is bright and open!

While flying through ORD on a layover, I stopped in, as the place seemed like it would have a nice selection of freshly-made Mexican dishes. I sat at the bar, the bartender was moderately busy, but not very busy and service was ok. The menu wasn't very vast, just offering several different items. I opted for chips & salsa, with their habanero salsa added (they charge $.50 more for it) and their torta made with a fried chicken breast... It arrived cut in half, the first half I ate seemed to have chicken in it all, but the second half I ate only had a small piece of chicken. The chips were decent, the salsas were just OK, but that habanero salsa was really spicy. The silly music with the same latin beat was annoyingly loud and redundant. Overall - Not worth stopping in... I won't return.

I love that they make everything from scratch - or I assume they do because a simple to-go sandwich takes 15-20 minutes. I don't know if they need to figure out how to optimize production of their less than dozen menu items (including soups and salads) or if they need to pay staff enough to care, but if you're heading for a flight give this a pass. This isn't a one time thing, but it's finally become a last time thing for me. Edit: the Cubana was fine, but not 18 minutes worth of fine. It had no special requests. Edit2: ships-soups. No aquatic vessels here.

Bought the tortilla soup for dinner. Had a 4hr flight. All I could taste was salt. It was awful. Actually inedible. Threw it out on the flight. So not only was I out $12, but I was starving on a 4hr flight. Hopefully it was just the chef who made it that day, but I'd never risk it again.

On a flight back from Montana, my friend and I went on a search for some good airport food - something that is not fast food and we were not in the mood for a burger or pizza. We found Tortas Frontera and it was that excellent airport food we were looking for. Made to order and quick. You start by ordering at a kiosk. It is big touch screens that are very easy to navigate. The service was friendly and quick. NOTE: keep your receipt. You need to show it in order to pick up your food! The sitting area was a bit noisy, but we were able to find a quieter place eventually - it's open in an airport....

I am back in Terminal 5 at Chicago O'Hare Airport waiting for a connecting flight back to NYC, so I had to come here for a bite and a cocktail. It's been a few years since I was last here, but it hasn't changed a bit (I wish I could say the same thing about this airport, which is a mess). The menu is small--less than a half-dozen sandwiches, a few soups, a salad and chips 2 ways. Drinks include a small selection of wine, beer (their on-tap selection is more interesting than the cans/bottles) and cocktails, which I recommend. They have a kids' menu and are open for breakfast with a separate menu, which I didn't have. Service was pretty good (I have seen some reviews where people had long waits for take-away, but I guess it depends on when you get here). I have never had the pleasure of eating at any of Rick Bayless' other restaurants, so I am happy I got the chance to eat here again.

Flying back to LA after the holidays and Nick helped me out with some great recommendations and a fun atmosphere.

Surprisingly good food in an airport. I got the Chorizo Queso torta and a mango lime agua Fresca. Service was prompt and friendly. The torts was delicious. Hit, fresh, and filling. The agua Fresca had a good sour not to sweet refreshing quality. Next time I'm in O'Hare I'm going here again for sure. No pics was really hungry.