Las Fuentes: User Reviews

Where have you gone Chef Geno??? When we ate at Tepatulco back in the summer of ’07, we loved it! The appetizers, the moles and the margaritas shaken at your table made it a welcome addition to the myriad generic taco and burrito joints in Lincoln Park.

We recently ate there again, and man, how it had changed for the worse! The margaritas which we loved are gone, and have been replaced by pedestrian grog which tastes like the stuff you buy pre-mixed at Jewel.

Much of Chef Geno’s original menu has also changed. In place of his delicious and authentic creations are the standard burritos and tacos which could have been made across the street at La Bamba.

It’s too bad, as they have a awesome patio and outdoor dining area. Unfortunately, the food doesn’t merit another visit, even on the most beautiful of Chicago evenings.

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Seems like they are still working on pulling things together from the atmosphere but the food was great. It was recommended to us by a couple neighbors who go there every week. Maybe not every week but great food overall and a great spacious area for outdoor seating.

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We visited Tepatulco yesterday and sat outside in the courtyard. It was a packed evening for the place. But with rubber table cloths and tiny tables, large screen TVs, there was a definite lack of ambiance. We wanted the chef's tasting menu, having read the high ratings for it. We were told by our server after a return from the kitchen that it was no longer offered. What we ordered was fine--- I very much enjoyed the seviche. But my lamb with dark mole (borrega?) was pretty ordinary and I would be hard pressed to say was worth the tab. My spouse's duck was fine, but not extraordinary.

When we mentioned to the manager how disappointed I was about the discontinuation of the chef's tasting option, he said that it must be a mistake, since they still offered it. He gave us desserts on the house--- but event then, when I ordered the goat cheese crepes, our server said it was no longer offered. The flan I got instead was heavy, and uninteresting. My spouse's cheesecake was pretty ordinary as well.

Our server said that Bahena rarely came to this restaurant anymore and was focussed elsewhere. Had I known that, I would not have come

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We hosted a celebration for a co-worker here - there were 15 of us. We were given our own beautiful space as well as several waiters. The food was spectacular, far more sophisticated than a thousand calories of enchiladas (not that that isn't fun, too). The mole burst with flavor. Several ordered the chicken that came in amazing simmering lava pots, replete with grilled cactus. All the meat choices were marinated, tender, perfect. Our evening was above average in service and presentation - but the amazing flavors coaxed from the ingredients - those flavors wowed us all.

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The absolute BEST seviche I have ever had. The food here is some of the best mexican in the city. Run here now and try it. The decor isn't much to speak of but who cares? It's what is put on your plate that really matters. And what Tepatulco puts on your plate is absolutely phenomenal. Great margaritas and an impressive list of tequilas. Some of the most authentic food I've had outside of Mexico.

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This place was terrible. I took one bite out of my dish and almost had to spit it back out. I didn't eat another bite. The only thing that tasted good was the dessert, but really how could you mess up vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.

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We tried Tepatulco last weekend and loved it! From the outside, you wouldn't expect such a nice restaurant witth such great food and drinks. Our food was fabulous--very fresh and delicious. And, the drinks were outstanding.

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My friend and I went in on a slow cold monday night. She had been really curious about the place and since our usual neighborhood mexican was closed on Mondays we decieded to give it a try. The menu was definitely more upscale than average neighborhood mexican restaurants and was a welcome suprise. I certainly don't mind paying a little more cash for a far better meal. The chef has a seasonal menu using ingrediants that are fresh and local. Flavors were cohesive and dynamic. We loved the chile relleno appetizer, a much fresher alternative to the egg-batter fried standard we're used to from most kitchens. I had the vegetarian enchilada's and she had the Salmon. Both were fantastic. The coconut cake and strawberry ice cream desert we shared was excellent as well.
As for service, it couldn't have been better. The staff was kind and attentive. They seemed genuine about wanting us to enjoy ourselves. I would reccomend this to anyone who would like to try higher end mexican cuisine without paying downtown prices and dealing with downtown pretentions.

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We were walking down Halsted looking for brunch spots and out of curiosity stepped in to look at the menu. The older man who greeted us was very nice and the menu looked great. We decided to stay and were not disappointed. The food was really good, as well as the service. I recommend the cheese enchiladas with red sauce - it was particularly delicious. I would definitely go back even though it's out of the way and not near my neighborhood.

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My wife and I just had lunch at Tepatulco on a Saturday afternoon, and we were extremely impressed with our meals. We started with margaritas and the sopes. The margaritas were neither weak, nor too small. Of course some Mexican restaurants serve larger drinks, but our margaritas were tasty and a decent sized cocktail. The sopes were delicious -- tender, slightly chewy dough with shredded chicken and excellent mole sauce. My wife had chicken tacos and I had the duck tacos. Rather than filled tacos, both entrees were platters of meat, guacamole, salsa verde, and black beans with hot, fresh tortillas on the side. The chicken was whole pieces of chicken breast in a green sauce -- well prepared and quite delicious. The duck was crispy, the sauce was yummy and the dish was outstanding. We had the cream cheese flan for dessert. Maybe not so traditional -- I thought it had the flavor and texture of cheese cake, but also delicious.

The meal that we just had was the best "Upscale Mexican" food that we've eaten in 10 years of dining in Chicago. It was a little pricey, but we don't mind paying for a meal that is superb from start to finish.

Some people are disappointed that it no longer Las Fuentes. This is a different restaurant and they are trying to do something different. Comparing it to the previous restaurant isn't a fair basis for a bad rating.

Don't listen to the bad reviews. If they've had service probems, hopefully they've been resolved. We were there for lunch and had no service problems whatsoever. If you do go on a Saturday night and the place is packed, don't expect fast food service. Slow down and appreciate this neighborhood gem!

We can't wait to go back for dinner. If we have another meal as good as our lunch, we'll be very happy Chicago diners

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