Xoco: User Reviews

Like with nightclubs, amusement parks and Pink’s Hot Dogs, I’m just too old and cranky to stand in line with fellow hungry humans. But after eating at Xoco, I would wait patiently behind the herd.

So badly did I want to rip Xoco apart. Seeing those lines out the door all but wrote the intro for me. IN ALL CAPS. Such a line is a non-starter. So I woke up at an ungodly 10:45 AM and hit lunch by 11:00. I ordered a Cubana sandwich (which I was hoping was the more digestively-affectionate version of a Cubano if you catch my drift) and my partner-in-dine ordered the Jamon but without the Prosciutto. Used to such bizarre order contradictions I said nothing when suddenly the server offered to put the Prosciutto on the side. “Not many Prosciuttos are made in America” she helpfully explained and since I was clearly into eating pig she would be remiss to let me pay for a Jamon and not get the key ingredient. I didn’t want to get into specifics of what was meant by “Made in America” since American Prosciutto is akin to American Champagne so we patiently took our seats and waited for our meals.

And waited. And waited. Could it be that this was the reason behind the line? Most likely. My companion, who was, by this time, a Xoco veteran insisted we order chips and salsa which we completely devoured by the time the sandwiches arrived. But arrive they did and splendid was their sight. And smell. And taste. Both sandwiches had a delicious coating of black bean paste, avocados and cheese. The Cubana had pork loin and bacon while the Jamon was supposed to have the venerable Prosciutto which came instead on a plate. A big plate. With a lot of cuts which made me wonder if the Jamon was typically 5 inches thick. No matter. It was absolutely divine. The payoff was worth the wait. And the $30 tab.

So as much as I regret not being able to shove Xoco down Balyess’ apron like I did with Trotter in his high of price and devoid of taste To Go venture, I stand convinced once more that when Bayless puts his name on something, right down to the mass-produced salsa at the grocery store, we should expect nothing short of excellence. Sir, if I had your autograph, I’d eat that too.

Love,

Mealschpeal

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Wha' happened? I can just hear Gordon Ramsay screaming at Rick about this food.

The line was long, although after all the hype it wasn't surprising. It moved relatively quickly and we were seated (the seating process is a bit odd). But overall I was digging the vibe and it smelled great.

But then the food happened. Tried two soups (the short rib - recommended by the person working the register - and the chicken), the chicken torta and the chips & salsa. All of it (and I mean everything) was unbearably salty. The soup, the chips and the torta. Everything. I couldn't finish my bowl of soup, and I didn't enjoy the taste of my companion's soup. I did eat my half of the torta but more out of hunger than appreciation. I still am confused about what happened.

I love Frontera and Topo and loved the concept of this place. After all the type and the reviews from the pros (I guess some skepticism should be warranted with local critics reviewing a local celebrity), I envisioned myself stopping by to have great, local food on a regular basis.

I couldn't have been more disappointed. I really really wanted to love the place. And I can't decide if I am going to give it another shot. I am having a really hard time trying to get on that horse again - it was that bad. Maybe just an off night, but it was waaaay off.

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I am not a big fan of Frontera Grill , but this is even worse. After standing in line for an hour and being skipped when I finally did reach the front of the line I was not in the greatest of moods, but my husband and I were sure the food would make up for it. The guacamole and chips although quite mild were pretty good. However, the Cubana and Milanesa sandwiches that were ordered definitely didn't warrant standing in line for an hour. The Cubana was just nasty, the Milanesa wasn't completely terrible but was slightly below average at best. For dessert, we had the churros which were ok, and the chocolate espresso which was plain disgusting. Rick Bayless was there which was cool since he is so famous, but I don't understand at all why people think he is such a great chef.

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took my mom there for lunch after much bragging about how wonderful this restaurant is that just opened up, and another fabulous creation by Rick Bayless which I think is the best Mexican chef around. we both ordered a torta, guacamole, i got a churro---very AWESOME, and my mom got a mexican chocolate and hazelnut cookie---that had a hair baked into the cookie. i know things happen, but when you pay premium prices for mexican street food, it shouldn't have hair in it.

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My husband and I waited 40 minutes to eat dinner. I undered a mild chicken caldo, churro and hot chocolate. My mild chicken caldo was hotter than the flamin wings at buffalo wild wings. When, I asked if they had mistakenly brought me a different soup, I received a second soup with no kick, taste, and incredible number of onions. The second soup was a pale imitation of menudo it eat every news years from a small mexican grocery store. The only difference was chicken instead of tripe and soo many onions, I grabbed two sticks of gum as soon as i left. The Churro's i received were cold and my husband said his sandwhich was worse than a typical hole in the wall mexican food. I would say this restaurant is over hyped and below average mexican food.

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Was there the end of the opening week. The top on the chicken torta was burnt, the onions which were suppose to be carmelized were just cooked and definitely NOT carmelized. Service was very quick but when I mentioned the above problems to an employee he just said OH ! Can't say that I'd go back.

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I am currently in a food coma from lunch today at Xoco. Be warned, it is not fast. But the service is top notch and the food is delicious. Not sure how it will all pan out, you can tell Bayless doesn't want to loose the high end customer service with his 'fast food' experience. I'm not one to complain about getting treated well, so unless I'm in a rush, I will go back anytime!

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Hopefully service improves quickly. They state they open at 7am and when I arrived to avoid the long lines last week, a sign was posted to come back at 8am. Not good! They should have another line for coffee and pastry carryout rather than having those people wait in the long lines plus have to pay for parking!

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Rick Bayless blesses foodies of Chicago with yet another Mexican delight. Xoco is the perfect hub for the penny pinching youngsters of Chicago to enjoy the bold flavors of Bayless's cuisine. My friend and I shared the Choriqueso and Ahodaga. Both delicious, but the Ahodaga really knocked my socks off. And to put the queso on the guacamole, Rick Bayless himself was there plating and schmoozing with the crowd.

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I might feel differently about Xoco if I didn't walk 20 minutes to get there and then waited another 20 minutes in line--I also had very high expectations based on everything I had heard. There was nothing wrong with it per se (other than that there seemed to be some confusion about our order upon delivery to our seats and that it was rather expensive) but sadly I just didn't think it lived up to the hype (I had the Gunthorpe chicken sandwich and my friend had the spicy pork one. We also ordered the Aztec drink and agua fresca--the agua fresca was my favorite part). If you live/work in the neighborhood and have a flexible schedule, you might feel differently but after the big buildup, both in terms of hype and wait, I don't believe I'll be returning. I wish I had had the transcendent experience a lot of other customers have had but not the case, although I wish Bayless the best.

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