Tortazo - Willis Tower
Mexican restaurant · Loop ·
Mexican tortas, bowls, quesadillas, and churros
Mexican tortas, bowls, quesadillas, and churros
"Located in the Catalog at Willis Tower, this casual Tortazo occupies a space between the original Xoco (the informal tortas-and-churros spot that shares a kitchen with Frontera Grill) and the airport contractor-run Tortas Frontera. Frontera will run the operation, but it will not be staffed by chefs. The menu emphasizes tortas, soup, quesadillas, chilaquiles, salads and snacky items such as churro bites and chips and salsa, and there is interest in serving the hot chocolate from the original Xoco. The Willis Tower location is likely to be more geared toward office workers, although the pandemic hit shortly after it opened, so the customer base has been hard to pin down." - Aimee Levitt
"Roaming food writer Scott Lynch stopped by Mexican fast-casual newcomer Tortazo, from Chicago chef and restaurateur Rick Bayless, and deems it “a solid addition to the area.” The crispy chicken Milanesa torta is enlivened by piles of juicy slaw and plenty of jalapeños, and the quesadillas are described as “gooey and oozy.”" - Erika Adams
"Reopened for dine-in service at the Willis Tower, this collaboration involving Rick Bayless and his partners at Jollibee brings Bayless back into the dine-in scene in Chicago; I note the timing is coincidental with celebrity-backed delivery concepts like Mario’s Tortas Lopez, and the mention in the story underscores how Lopez is treading close to Bayless’ territory amid a city full of Mexican torta makers." - Ashok Selvam
"Opened as Tortazo in partnership with Jollibee inside the Willis Tower, the fast-casual concept launched when about 16,000 people worked there and was considered the best address in the city for a fast-casual restaurant, but the location was shut down six weeks later because of the pandemic; Valdes remains a minority partner in the related Tortas Frontera concept at O’Hare, which was more or less rebranded as Tortazo." - Ashok Selvam
"Inside the Willis Tower I see a lot of star power behind this new Mexican restaurant: it’s a partnership between Chicago chef Rick Bayless and Jollibee, and it opens Wednesday as part of a massive Catalog renovation near the Jackson Boulevard entrance. Customers will find tortas, bowls, soups, and salads inside a colorful space with a full bar; a beer should pair well with the loaded guacamole, and tourists standing in the long line to get to the Skydeck can bite into a crispy chicken milanesa torta. It seats 77, has a dedicated area to pick up to‑go orders and online ordering (no app yet), and while it isn’t reinventing the wheel for those familiar with Bayless’s fast‑casual entries, it will still feel new to some and is clearly designed with expansion in mind." - Ashok Selvam