Los Potrillos
201 Landmark Dr, Normal, IL, 61761
Los Potrillos Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Normal for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Normal for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Normal for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
201 Landmark Dr
Normal, IL, 61761 - Phone (309) 862-0824
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :9:00 am - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Dustin F.
This is such an amazing place! I just get the two burritos with rice and beans on the side! It's enough to fill you up for the rest of the afternoon until dinner time. For some other folk, the rest of the day! Overall I only eat my burritos with ground beef and cheese on them, so it's based off of that. The beans are the best thing ever and taste good. The rice is good mixed in with the beans and the meat choice you choose. I do not believe the burritos or the tacos are at all spicy or anything either unless you somehow asked for hot sauce or got a spicy thing on it. It's sometimes busy there, so get in there as early as possible. I'd suggest going right when they open just to be on the safe side. I've never once had a bad experience with staff or anything either. My experiences have been positive as heck. :) This place gets 5/5 for me just for being good food overall and service.
(5)James S.
In the past I have said that this place is not very good. I withdraw this assessment. I enjoyed my quesadilla tonight. The ingredients were fresh, served piping hot and the steak was quality. They may not be consistent in their plates, but they offer a wide range of food and anyone can find anything to eat here.
(4)Korrie H.
I can here based on the reviews, "Best Mexican restaurant in town". We get there on Friday night and it's packed, so I'm thinking this is a good sign. Wrong.my food was so gross, I ordered the combo plate with 2 tacos, there's no option or soft or hard. It's just a soggy hardshell that you will get. It's filled with 70% meat and 29.5% cheese and 0.5% lettuce. The chicken enchilada was indescribable disgusting. Taco Bell has more flavor and Taco Bell actually taste fresher. This place uses very little fresh ingredients, so if you want pico, tomatoes, cilantro or anything fresh you'd expect to find at a Mexican restaurant, you will not find those here. I make better Mexican food at home and my house is much cleaner than this place. Sorry B/N this is NOT good Mexican food.
(1)Trevor R.
With all the Mexican restaurants to choose from in Bloomington/Normal it really is difficult to say one is "the best". I can say that I like the food here, my wife feels they everything she gets has a little spiciness to it, but then again her pallet picks up ANY spicy flavor. Service is decent, non alcholic beverage glasses are very large, I hardly ever need a refill. If you haven't been here it's worth a visit to see if it's your style of Mexican food.
(4)Allison N.
The service was TERRIBLE. The hostesses clearly looked like they did not want to be there. Our waiter was bad. I ordered a margarita and gave him my id. When he gave it back to me he kept moving it away so I couldn't grab it. It was confusing the first time, funny the second, and annoying after the third time. Don't worry he did that with our bill, too. We were the first table to sit down in his section. Sadly, we were the last to get our chips, have order taken, and receive food. The ONLY reason why this place is getting three stars from me is because I loved the food. So, go ahead and try the place out. Just know you may not get the best service. I'll be ordering out from there moving forward.
(3)Rachel B.
It's ok for Mexican food. Service was pretty good. But the food I was really expecting more since it's supposed to be authentic. Def not quality food.
(3)Sheri Z.
Impeccable service and the food was spectacular. We had the Burrito Chipolte and Burrito Don Pedro. Yummy! Authentic! Best place in the Bloomington/Normal area!
(5)Linda Y.
Clean, fast service. Extra napkins at start of visit along with chips and 2 types of salsa. The drinks are extra large I couldn't finish. The burritos are fresh hot and huge. My hubby and I ate for under 30 dollars including a 20% tip.
(5)Colby D.
The food is always great and they are very friendly. But if your in town stop by cuz its great and reasonable prices. The burrito fajita is awesome.
(5)Ted H.
This is the best Mexican food here. Try the chicken enchiladas with tomitillo sauce. You will be hooked. Would go back and try different dishes but why mess with perfection. Ask for the booth where the food is coming out and you will be amazed . Everything looks soooooo good it is hard to choose.
(5)Kent F.
The food here is better than most of the Mexican chain restaurants in town.. I go here every now and again and piece together some steak fajitas because the ambiance is nice (awesome enclosed patio with tacky hanging lights is a major win) and the servers are always nice and seem to care about the establishment
(3)John L.
Food is pretty good but restaurant is extremely dirty. Bathroom smells terrible and floors haven't been cleaned in a long time. Dirty.
(3)Tom P.
I am a local and I think their food is very good. My favorites are their cheese enchiladas with the chili Colorado sauce, steak and chicken fajitas, and the cheese sauce for the chips.
(4)D P.
You can't go wrong coming to this authentic Mexican restaurant. Food is great! Prices are awesome! Services is fast! Margaritas are the best! Be sure to go BEFORE 6pm. That's when everyone and their brother in BLONO decide it's dinner time. So if you don't want to be waiting for a table go early.
(5)Lawrence C.
This is my favorite place in Bloomington/Normal to eat Mexican food. I was hooked when I had their tamales tipicos. Most places have thin tamales that are very dry. You get three fairly large tamales covered in cheese with rice and beans. There is lots to choose from on the menu. I like that they have a quite a few dishes made with chorizo (Mexican sausage). The service is always good. There is one waiter that is really comical. For example, I ordered an ice tea. He replied, "Diet Coke." I said, "No, ice tea." He replied again, "Diet Coke" then walked away. It was an ice tea. It took a minute to learn that he was kidding around. It always provides a good laugh.
(5)Carlton P.
This is our regular spot when we have company from out of town. It is a great place to impress the in-laws.
(4)Emily W.
Having dinner at this place was the worst restaurant experience we have ever had...and we go out to dinner a lot. First of all we waited in line for about 45 mins. The waiter took his sweet time bringing us our drinks and continued to bring chips and salsa to our table over and over. The food was horrendous and the waiter got our order wrong at least 3 times. He then proceeded to tell us it was not his fault. We decided they used a can of hunts spaghetti sauce in place of enchilada sauce. We told the waiter not to bring my sister in laws plate because it was about 10 minutes after we had all gotten our meals. The waiter brought the food anyway and it tasted like someone had dumped a microwave enchilada meal onto a plate and covered it in hunts 4 cheese. After this fiasco the waiter brought us our 54 dollar bill. What's up with people in this city thinking this is good Mexican food...you have to be kidding.
(1)Danielle S.
I moved to Normal in June, and I was really nervous I'd be unble to find a good Mexican restaurant. By good, I mean: salsa that doesn't suck, cheap margaritas, giant portions, and good cheese dip. This place has all of those things. I've been several times and tried lots of different menu items, and so far everything has been good. Sometimes when they're packed it can be a little slow, but other than that no complaints.
(5)Chris J.
Enjoyed my trip to Mexico at Los Portillos. Good food, good atmosphere, and fast service. They have a very large menu - so look for recommendations on here or ask the staff (my waiter gave me a good recommendation). I had the Acapulco Especial (shrimp, chicken and steak) and veggies covered with a good cheese sauce. Yum!
(4)Nickie K.
We stopped in to eat while in town for work. We had very good service and the food was exactly as ordered and came quickly. They give the LARGEST size glass we have ever seen...refills are not needed! I have many allergies and they were VERY nice to help me with that. We would stop here again if in this area again. ( the only negative.....the two girls at the front desk...one to seat customers and then one to collect payment...both could be more friendly or at least smile)
(4)Christopher D.
No... Far overpriced for the experience and so-so food. El Toro in Bloomington is a much better choice.
(2)Lisa R.
Very authentic Mexican fare with reasonable prices! Top shelf margarita was less than $7. Chips and salsa with multiple "hotness" kinds too! If you're in Bloomington and want authentic Mexican food at a great price don't miss it!
(4)Sean K.
Good service but very poor food. If you've never been to Mexico or in a heavily Hispanic area then you might enjoy this food. They are very nice people and the ambiance is standard but the food has very little taste or proper texture. Two salsas are brought out, one is a pico de gallo with jalapeño and the other is straight chilled tomato sauce - very poor sign of impending food quality. Can't even remember what we ate because we left after eating 1/3 of it. Ingredients are very low quality and bland as a result. Save your time and try some place else.
(2)Austin K.
Prompt service. Friendly staff and good food. Nice atmosphere and even got fresh tortillas to take home.
(4)Michael N.
The food and drinks were great but i was particularly happy with the service. I went with a group of 6 to celebrate a birthday and without notifying the wait staff, they came around with a free dessert and sang happy birthday to the birthday girl. Our waiter must have noticed the birthday when he was checking everyone's ID's when we ordered drinks. It impressed me so much that i am writing a yelp review about it. Thanks guys!
(5)Bryan R.
Food was edible, service wasn't great and the lady at the register didn't even acknowledge me. Cashier took my bill and money and only spoke with her friend. I felt completely ignored. Will never go back for that disappointing food and service.
(1)Kelsie D.
We walked inside and the people up front did not even acknowledge us until we said something. They took us to our table and sat us right by the dish room (where we could smell dirty dishes) when there were PLENTY of open tables around the rest of the restaurant. Our server was very quiet and stand off-ish, to the point where we could not even hear him. He also did not know the menu. It took a very long time for our food to come and a family that got there after us got their food way before us. Our food finally came and there was something wrong on my plate so the manager came over to our table. He was rude to me saying the plate was correct and I was wrong. Long story short: horrible service and average food! If you want friendly people and great food go to fiesta ranchera!!
(1)Andrew Y.
This is our go to place in town. The food is always good, service is normally good as well. Not always excellent but normally pretty good. The people are friendly and they always adore our kids. I've tried several things on the menu and haven't found anything that I didn't like. My wife loves the Enchiladas Suiza and I prefer their meals with Chicken. Great place to go with good food at a fair price.
(4)Jes S.
After 4 years in Bloomington-Normal, this is one of the places I make sure I go when I get the rare chance to go back to Central Illinois. It's all about the CHEESE STEAK BURRITO. My mouth waters when I start thinking about it. The cheese sauce is so good... and it's so much food (especially after all the chips and salsa) that I usually have a whole leftover meal for the next day.
(5)Sampad D.
The ambiance is quite good. I ordered one Fajita tacos , which was OK .
(3)Philip W.
Chips and salsa were a definite 'A'. Service was okay speed wise, but really unfriendly. I could never thank any of them because they would just run off as fast as they could - not a single hint of a smile. The enchiladas were a big disappointment. No flavor at all. Chicken okay but not tasty at all. I would come back for the chips and salsa and try a different dish.
(3)Mel D.
Had a Coke from a bottle from Mexico. Great start! Yummy luncheon portion (even though it was dinner time) enchiladas suiza. Excellent creamy cheese sauce on top. Chips were ok. Salsa was great. I usually don't like rice at Mexican restaurants, but this was good. Refried beans were tasty, but a little runny. Great meal and cheap. $9.27 +tip for dinner! Great non-chain place in Bloomington.
(5)Jay S.
VERY fast service, polite staff, very good food, and nice atmosphere make for an overall great experience for lunch. I've eaten there more times than I can count and I have never had a bad experience or had bad food. It is the lunch standard for our office! if the weather is nice, the patio is the way to go, but alas...it is either too cold or too hot most of the time to eat in the court yard.
(5)David S.
I literally joined Yelp to write a review for this place. It is the gold standard of Mexican restaurants. My ranking system for Mexican restaurants is based off of this place. There is truly no better Mexican restaurant in the world as far as I'm concerned. Chips and Salsa - 10/10. Perfect chip texture, salty, and two types of salsa that are both amazing. Entrees - 10/10 TO DIE FOR. Everything is covered in this amazing, creamy cheese sauce that makes anything it's on 1000x better. I highly recommend the chicken chimichanga. Even the beans and rice are somehow delicious. Margs - PERFECTION. Perfectly strong, and perfectly tasty. Half-priced on Thursdays. Frozen is perfect, on the rocks is just as good. 10/10. Waitstaff - Amazing. I've never ever once experienced anything short of above and beyond service here. They bring you basket after basket after basket of chips and salsa. Truly amazing. 10/10. I went to college in this town and my (now) fiancee and I ate there well over 100 times. I know that's crazy, but it was pretty cool when they knew us by name and didn't even have to give us menus. In all honesty, we probably ate here around 250 times in two years of having a car at school. I dream about this place, and we go back as much as possible. Keep it up Los Potrillos, YOU GUYS ARE THE GEM OF BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL!!!!
(5)Marcus S.
Whenever we go out for Mexican this is the place we go. I always order "Los Platos Carlos", which is rice mixed with grilled chicken and steak pieces covered with Queso. They also give you 3 tortillas with it. Free salsa is served once you sit down with two different salsa options. They bring you both chucky and blended salsa. On one occasion I did try a chicken and cheese quesadilla, but the chicken was overcooked. I would not recommend that one. My wife has tried different things, and though it is not her favorite place, she does still like to go there. Overall a good place to eat. Usually less that $10/plate including the tip.
(4)J M.
I like to go to Los Potrillos because there are so many entrees to try. The food is very affordable. It is good but not amazing. I wish wish they actually served spicy dishes The staff has always been friendly.
(4)David H.
Been here a couple times now. Every time we've been, the food has been pretty mediocre, and the service has been very bad. On our last visit, the waiter came to our table twice: once to get our order and once to bring our drinks. Another server brought our food. We waited 30 mins for refills and the bill. My wife ended up going up to the hostess and asking for both and saw the waiter hanging out with his bros outside. The food on all of our visits has declined each time we've gone to the point I'm done going. I'm not the biggest fan of Fiesta Ranchera, but I would recommend it any day over this place.
(1)Ben R.
In town briefly so its the only place I've ever eaten in the area. Exceeded by extremely low expectations. Passable food, good service. Nice selection of beer and tequila. Long but predictable menu. Had the chicken in mole which was quite tasty. May revise up or down based on tomorrow's dinner elsewhere.
(4)Carmen T.
The best Mexican dish I have ever had (I'm 46) anywhere in the world, no kidding, was the molcajete dish that I tried a week ago. It was $20 for 2 people but 4 reasonable people can eat it. They have Molcajete Mexicana and Mocajete Americana. I had the Mexicana. I'm going again tomorrow. I don't think it was on the menu. I saw it on their black board but was told they serve it all the time. Ask for the mol ca HAY tay with the soft corn tortillas. This is for meat eaters only.
(5)Kristen O.
YUM. First, got the chicken tacos with SOFT Shells this time. Exactly what I was looking for the first time. Second, tried the small strawberry margarita and it definitely completed my Mexican dinner. Also tried the 'Margarota', a margarita in a bird bath size glass with a Coronita (sound familiar?) tipped into it. Delicious. Try it with a mango margarita, a little more expensive but the taste combination is worth it. I'm glad I came back and will definitely be returning for the summer drinking!
(5)Libby T.
Great food, bad service. This is the only Mexican restaurant I've gone to for years, and it has always been great until the past 6 months. No problem with the food, but service there is terrible! Every time I have gone there (about once a month) for the past 6 months our server has ignored us entirely after taking our order. No drink refills, no chips and salsa and even one time no check for 20 minutes after asking. With our last visit they were behind the bar area the entire time. After years of going, I'm done there.
(2)Meghan B.
Love! Love, I say! This time I ordered a bit more a la carte, since last time I forgot the rice and beans. Woops! I added one extra dish last time, since while it filled me up I still had more room. WOAH I had a lot of food. Too much to eat at the time, but the leftovers fed both me and my husband for lunch the next day. So you know, it was like four meals of ridiculously good food for about 30 bucks. And that included a pitcher of beer for SIX DOLLARS. (So meals were, what, 6 bucks a piece?) Food is exactly right. Service is great. And the prices rock. Not hard to see why it's been packed every time we've been here, at lunch no less!
(5)Michael G.
When we lived in Bloomington this was always our favorite place to eat. The food is excellent and the service is fast. They've become increasingly popular and more busy over the years (good for them) but the restaurant is huge so there's never much of a wait. And the wait staff is always running around, even though they're extremely busy at times we're never left long without attention - refills, more chips, salsa, etc. I'm a vegetarian and always get the vegetarian burrito. It's stuffed with rice, beans, grilled onions, and grilled mushrooms and then topped with cheese sauce, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole. The grilled onions and mushrooms are delicious! They're not the slimy half-cooked canned mushrooms I seem to get everywhere else. Only down side IMO is the decor. The painted walls inside and out are not at all appealing (ugly contrasting colors, tacky textures). The seats and tables are long past their prime but still comfortable enough. It can also be pretty loud. I'll overlook all of that for good food and their food is great. When we moved to Peoria a few years ago we started searching for some place comparable. There isn't. Nothing in Peoria is even close to Los Potrillos so we try to go whenever we're in Bloomington.
(5)Greg H.
Best mexican place in the Blono area. I always get either tamales tipicos or carnitas tacos. Everything is fresh, very inexpensive, and fast. Their cheese sauce I could eat with every meal. El porton is good for hang overs in the morning, this place is good for a good dinner.
(5)Nicholas K.
Best nachos in town hands down! They could feed two easily but my friends and I see it as a challenge. Can't recommend this place enough.
(5)Ana P.
Decent service. Great food and portion sizes. Drinks are very reasonably priced (THEY HAVE MARGAROTAS..you know the carona margartias). Bathroom was a little icky. I think if they remodeled they would probably get a lot more clientele. I am giving a 4 for the value and food quality though.
(4)Tim M.
Whole menu is amazing! Top Picks: Cheese Dip, Choritacos, Acapulco Especial, Huevos Potrero
(5)Devin F.
Just took the cake for worst mexican food in town. Very let down. I was really confused about the lack of flavor to anything, i actually had to salt the rice and beans. the taco(pork), they came in tin foil, like they steamed them after they were placed in there or something, couldn't pick them up to eat beacause they were all soggy. salsa, terrible too. Its a low budget college type place. Pass.. unsure why all the high stars.
(1)Nicole M.
The service is excellent, and they offer opinions of what you might like. I've been there many times, each time getting something new. I can honestly say I have never been disappointed. In fact, I've always been extremely impressed by their food. They also have delicious margaritas, and choriqueso to die for. I love this place!
(5)Brandon C.
My hiatus from Yelp is over. It is not that I forgot about Yelp, but that I did not get around to writing reviews in a timely fashion after performing check-ins. Hopefully Los Potrillos is going to help me change that. The halfway point of where I am from and where I live is Bloomington. I met my family here on a Friday night for a meal. It happened to be family weekend at ISU and this place was packed (good sign). We waited in their crowded entry way for our table with a few Coronas. The staff appeared to be moving things along quickly, and nobody seemed too bothered by how busy the place was. Since we had to wait we took the first thing we could get. Five of us forced our way into a booth made for four but we made it work. The chips and salsa were ok. We spiced up the salsa with the house hot variety by request. I can't remember what my dish was called, but it was basically a giant fajita burrito then deep fried. It was huge and very good. The rest of my family had fajitas or the chicken tacos. Good reports all around. Bonus points for having Dos Equis on draft. Not only was the food good but it came out fast and is reasonably priced. I was most impressed with the staff. They never let on that it was a busy night and chaos was probably flying all over the place.
(4)Lauren W.
Very affordable for the amount of food you get. It's very fresh, service is quick, and is delicious! Unlimited free chips and salsa
(5)Chef B.
Los Potrillos does a great job with portion sizes, decent job with mexican food in general, and an overall good job if your mexican food palate is set exactly at "bloomington-normal." If you tried to take these exact recipes and put them in a place in california, az, texas or anywhere with authentic mexican or tex-mex . . . that place wouldn't stay open a month. But in context of this community and available mexican places, it's fine. They have some decent tacos, and their fajitas, while a little too oily, are not too shabby. The portion sizes, again, are ginormous. If I crave Mexican, i'd rather have el porton, merendon or the taco stand on south main street, but there's a place for Los Potrillos. Filling meal, a full bar, and decent, not bad food.
(3)Benny B.
A good friend of mine recommend this place and it lived up to it's billing! Very friendly staff and the food was great. Had the carnitas tacos (excellent!), you get three plus beans/rice. Portions on everyone's meal were big. The margarita was just OK but the beer was cold. Chips were warm and the salsa (two kinds) was very tasty. Glad we got there early evening, it was getting crowded which is a great sign of a good restaurant.
(5)Rollina B.
When I first moved to the neighborhood I loved being able to walk to dinner here. After 6 months of always and I do mean always having the chorizo burned I no longer go. The restaurant is in need of a serious cleaning. Cobwebs hanging from the ceiling along with grimy booth and tables are simply not acceptable. I have voiced my concern to management but nothing changes. The service has always been poor. Waiters speak little English and rarely get my order correct. Please train your waitstaff and clean up the joint because when done right your food is great.
(1)Thom Z.
The hot sauce on the table is nothing but burn. Painful. But the food is nothing but taste. Whether or not that taste is authentic is regardless of the delicious taste of the food. I'm not going to tell you that the food was the best Mexican I've had, because there isn't a chance that it's near that, but it was decent for the price. The beans were flavorful, the sauce wasn't half assed and the meat (according to the girlfriend) was flavorless, aside from the sauce. It wasn't great, but by no means was it bad. The margarita was a piece of shit. But was it bad? No. It was better than other restaurants and bars have tried to pass off. At least the brand of tequila was obvious: Jose Cuervo. It's not my first choice in Mexican in Normal (that's La Bambas) or my first choice for Margaritas (that's Las Palmas in Naperville). This place is decent food, decent drink and decently priced. It cost $20 to get two folks drunk and full. Also, if you're a student at ISU, WU, HCC and LC: you get 10% off.
(3)Daniel S.
As far as Mexican food goes, this place is fairly average. I've never been to Mexico, so I can't vouch for the authenticity, but I imagine it's not super authentic. The food is cheap, and it's pretty good. I'm a salsa snob; they bring you two salsas, one that is decent and another that seems to just be pureed tomatoes. Defnitely request for more of the good stuff. The staff is very friendly. We have a baby, and it seems like people always come up and touch her, which is only borderline creepy. It really is pretty average, but at the price, we've been here a handful of times.
(3)Bert B.
Not bad for a place a couple miles off the interstate as we head south on 55. Chorizo was excellent Huge portions for fair prices Spinach Enchiladas did the job but slightly bland Spinach burrito was yummy Brava Fajitas were huge and good...way more meat than veggies!
(4)Bill O.
Solid Mexican food. The portions are large, the food is always hot, and the wait staff is very friendly. Great value for the money. I usually get the faitas (chicken and steak) followed by fried Mexican ice cream, which is absolutely wonderful. The chips and salsa are good too.
(4)Kelly M.
Ok, so Los has been my FAV Mexican restaurant for a couple of years. I love the staff, the food, and the SPEED of service. In the last month or so (which represents about 5 different visits), service has been off. Really off. A group of 6 of us went to lunch and left 90 minutes later. That's a LONG time for a weekday lunch. The food is still good, but the salsa is different- not as fresh- nor are the chips. They are doing a lot of remodeling, so perhaps they are trying to get a lot of things done all at once...not sure. I will update my review as I go back...it's just not the place that I pick to go first anymore :(
(4)T. K.
After having a few meals at Los Potrillos I have come to the conclusion that it is just okay and not much more. It just comes down to the fact that there doesn't seem to be a consistent level of quality in the food. Most things on the menu fail to stand out. The portions are good for their price however. If I want to have Mexican food in Bloomington-Normal 9/10 of the time I'd rather go to Fiesta Ranchera or El Porton.
(3)Patrick M.
The food here is great although it seems to have dropped in quality from when it first opened. I originally went here as an assignment from a professor to review an authentic Mexican restaurant, I chose here back when it first opened a few years ago. I've only been a few times since then and it hasn't been as great as I remember it being - but it is still better than most of the alternatives in town (ahem la bambas). My major knock on the place is the wait staff - one waiter in particular has been the most awkward waiter I have ever had at a restaurant. He does not speak English well and his efforts at small talk come across as creepy at best, to the point that I would prefer to take the food to go. Although he has been the only waiter I've had the past few times, so I shouldn't judge all of them by his behavior.
(4)Jason T.
Not terribly authentic, and very very greasy
(2)Jesse L.
If you are looking for authentic Mexican food, this is NOT the place to go. The food is bland and the ingredients (i.e. guacamole) are not fresh at all. Went here because they served margaritas, which tasted like a sugary, pre-made mix, and am real disappointed I did. The server was ok, but the staff who check you out at the front were more pre-occupied with closing out the tabs for the night (and talking with each other) than customer service. Big time disappointment!
(2)William W.
I'm going to upgrade my score to 5 stars. They've kept up a consistently high quality of service, and it's by far the best Mexican restaurant in town. Also, you can't beat it for the price - at lunch, they're only slightly more expensive than fast food. At dinner, they're well below your standard Chilis/Applebees in price, and well above them in quality. Over time, I've only grown to love Lost Portholes more, not less. That's worth another star.
(5)Kim B.
I went to college in Louisiana and I am always in pursuit of good Tex-Mex cuisine. Surprisingly, it does exist North of the Mason-Dixon and it is in Normal! The food rarely disappoints. I love the quesadillas, nachos, carne asada, and all of the enchiladas. The queso dip is delicious (queso blanco vs the "yellow" stuff) and the margaritas are good (and cheap!). The staff is friendly, service is prompt, and you won't break the bank!
(4)Jamie L.
I love, love, love Mexican food and this place is always great. The service used to be a whole lot friendlier, but the people that bus tables and bring food out are still very nice and friendly. It's hard to come by a friendly server anymore. I don't go there for the servers though:) It's all about the food and the food is very good.
(4)Daniel J.
Decent food, a bit heavy, but very good prices. Service was prompt for very large group.
(3)Tom H.
You can't beat the quality or portions for the price. Service has always been good even when they get busy. On the weekends you may encounter a wait, but it shouldn't be too long. The take out is extremely speedy. You don't even have to call ahead if you want take out since it's so fast. It's great for local college students since you get 10% off. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
(4)Kelly S.
Super authentic Mexican menu. Very good prices. Sometimes the waiters don't speak much English so it's a good place to practice Spanish. They have a cute, open air, courtyard area that's perfect for sipping on the strong margaritas during nice weather.
(4)m m.
pretty decent mexican food. i had the tacos carnitas. didn't come w/ the onion, cilantro, lime that i expected as other restaurants do. a lot of food for the money. i think i like el porton more, though.
(3)adam e.
meh. had a fast cheap lunch here. definitely nothing special but not terrible. i had the enchilada combo and it was pretty standard for "gringo" mexican food. if u want some sit down mexican at a really cheap price, check it out. otherwise, do yourself a favor and got to taqueria el porton.
(2)Sheri Z.
Impeccable service and the food was spectacular. We had the Burrito Chipolte and Burrito Don Pedro. Yummy! Authentic! Best place in the Bloomington/Normal area!
(5)Linda Y.
Clean, fast service. Extra napkins at start of visit along with chips and 2 types of salsa. The drinks are extra large I couldn't finish. The burritos are fresh hot and huge. My hubby and I ate for under 30 dollars including a 20% tip.
(5)Dustin F.
This is such an amazing place! I just get the two burritos with rice and beans on the side! It's enough to fill you up for the rest of the afternoon until dinner time. For some other folk, the rest of the day! Overall I only eat my burritos with ground beef and cheese on them, so it's based off of that. The beans are the best thing ever and taste good. The rice is good mixed in with the beans and the meat choice you choose. I do not believe the burritos or the tacos are at all spicy or anything either unless you somehow asked for hot sauce or got a spicy thing on it. It's sometimes busy there, so get in there as early as possible. I'd suggest going right when they open just to be on the safe side. I've never once had a bad experience with staff or anything either. My experiences have been positive as heck. :) This place gets 5/5 for me just for being good food overall and service.
(5)James S.
In the past I have said that this place is not very good. I withdraw this assessment. I enjoyed my quesadilla tonight. The ingredients were fresh, served piping hot and the steak was quality. They may not be consistent in their plates, but they offer a wide range of food and anyone can find anything to eat here.
(4)Korrie H.
I can here based on the reviews, "Best Mexican restaurant in town". We get there on Friday night and it's packed, so I'm thinking this is a good sign. Wrong.my food was so gross, I ordered the combo plate with 2 tacos, there's no option or soft or hard. It's just a soggy hardshell that you will get. It's filled with 70% meat and 29.5% cheese and 0.5% lettuce. The chicken enchilada was indescribable disgusting. Taco Bell has more flavor and Taco Bell actually taste fresher. This place uses very little fresh ingredients, so if you want pico, tomatoes, cilantro or anything fresh you'd expect to find at a Mexican restaurant, you will not find those here. I make better Mexican food at home and my house is much cleaner than this place. Sorry B/N this is NOT good Mexican food.
(1)Trevor R.
With all the Mexican restaurants to choose from in Bloomington/Normal it really is difficult to say one is "the best". I can say that I like the food here, my wife feels they everything she gets has a little spiciness to it, but then again her pallet picks up ANY spicy flavor. Service is decent, non alcholic beverage glasses are very large, I hardly ever need a refill. If you haven't been here it's worth a visit to see if it's your style of Mexican food.
(4)Allison N.
The service was TERRIBLE. The hostesses clearly looked like they did not want to be there. Our waiter was bad. I ordered a margarita and gave him my id. When he gave it back to me he kept moving it away so I couldn't grab it. It was confusing the first time, funny the second, and annoying after the third time. Don't worry he did that with our bill, too. We were the first table to sit down in his section. Sadly, we were the last to get our chips, have order taken, and receive food. The ONLY reason why this place is getting three stars from me is because I loved the food. So, go ahead and try the place out. Just know you may not get the best service. I'll be ordering out from there moving forward.
(3)Rachel B.
It's ok for Mexican food. Service was pretty good. But the food I was really expecting more since it's supposed to be authentic. Def not quality food.
(3)Colby D.
The food is always great and they are very friendly. But if your in town stop by cuz its great and reasonable prices. The burrito fajita is awesome.
(5)Ted H.
This is the best Mexican food here. Try the chicken enchiladas with tomitillo sauce. You will be hooked. Would go back and try different dishes but why mess with perfection. Ask for the booth where the food is coming out and you will be amazed . Everything looks soooooo good it is hard to choose.
(5)Kent F.
The food here is better than most of the Mexican chain restaurants in town.. I go here every now and again and piece together some steak fajitas because the ambiance is nice (awesome enclosed patio with tacky hanging lights is a major win) and the servers are always nice and seem to care about the establishment
(3)John L.
Food is pretty good but restaurant is extremely dirty. Bathroom smells terrible and floors haven't been cleaned in a long time. Dirty.
(3)Tom P.
I am a local and I think their food is very good. My favorites are their cheese enchiladas with the chili Colorado sauce, steak and chicken fajitas, and the cheese sauce for the chips.
(4)D P.
You can't go wrong coming to this authentic Mexican restaurant. Food is great! Prices are awesome! Services is fast! Margaritas are the best! Be sure to go BEFORE 6pm. That's when everyone and their brother in BLONO decide it's dinner time. So if you don't want to be waiting for a table go early.
(5)Lawrence C.
This is my favorite place in Bloomington/Normal to eat Mexican food. I was hooked when I had their tamales tipicos. Most places have thin tamales that are very dry. You get three fairly large tamales covered in cheese with rice and beans. There is lots to choose from on the menu. I like that they have a quite a few dishes made with chorizo (Mexican sausage). The service is always good. There is one waiter that is really comical. For example, I ordered an ice tea. He replied, "Diet Coke." I said, "No, ice tea." He replied again, "Diet Coke" then walked away. It was an ice tea. It took a minute to learn that he was kidding around. It always provides a good laugh.
(5)Carlton P.
This is our regular spot when we have company from out of town. It is a great place to impress the in-laws.
(4)Emily W.
Having dinner at this place was the worst restaurant experience we have ever had...and we go out to dinner a lot. First of all we waited in line for about 45 mins. The waiter took his sweet time bringing us our drinks and continued to bring chips and salsa to our table over and over. The food was horrendous and the waiter got our order wrong at least 3 times. He then proceeded to tell us it was not his fault. We decided they used a can of hunts spaghetti sauce in place of enchilada sauce. We told the waiter not to bring my sister in laws plate because it was about 10 minutes after we had all gotten our meals. The waiter brought the food anyway and it tasted like someone had dumped a microwave enchilada meal onto a plate and covered it in hunts 4 cheese. After this fiasco the waiter brought us our 54 dollar bill. What's up with people in this city thinking this is good Mexican food...you have to be kidding.
(1)Danielle S.
I moved to Normal in June, and I was really nervous I'd be unble to find a good Mexican restaurant. By good, I mean: salsa that doesn't suck, cheap margaritas, giant portions, and good cheese dip. This place has all of those things. I've been several times and tried lots of different menu items, and so far everything has been good. Sometimes when they're packed it can be a little slow, but other than that no complaints.
(5)Chris J.
Enjoyed my trip to Mexico at Los Portillos. Good food, good atmosphere, and fast service. They have a very large menu - so look for recommendations on here or ask the staff (my waiter gave me a good recommendation). I had the Acapulco Especial (shrimp, chicken and steak) and veggies covered with a good cheese sauce. Yum!
(4)Nickie K.
We stopped in to eat while in town for work. We had very good service and the food was exactly as ordered and came quickly. They give the LARGEST size glass we have ever seen...refills are not needed! I have many allergies and they were VERY nice to help me with that. We would stop here again if in this area again. ( the only negative.....the two girls at the front desk...one to seat customers and then one to collect payment...both could be more friendly or at least smile)
(4)Christopher D.
No... Far overpriced for the experience and so-so food. El Toro in Bloomington is a much better choice.
(2)Lisa R.
Very authentic Mexican fare with reasonable prices! Top shelf margarita was less than $7. Chips and salsa with multiple "hotness" kinds too! If you're in Bloomington and want authentic Mexican food at a great price don't miss it!
(4)Sean K.
Good service but very poor food. If you've never been to Mexico or in a heavily Hispanic area then you might enjoy this food. They are very nice people and the ambiance is standard but the food has very little taste or proper texture. Two salsas are brought out, one is a pico de gallo with jalapeño and the other is straight chilled tomato sauce - very poor sign of impending food quality. Can't even remember what we ate because we left after eating 1/3 of it. Ingredients are very low quality and bland as a result. Save your time and try some place else.
(2)Austin K.
Prompt service. Friendly staff and good food. Nice atmosphere and even got fresh tortillas to take home.
(4)Michael N.
The food and drinks were great but i was particularly happy with the service. I went with a group of 6 to celebrate a birthday and without notifying the wait staff, they came around with a free dessert and sang happy birthday to the birthday girl. Our waiter must have noticed the birthday when he was checking everyone's ID's when we ordered drinks. It impressed me so much that i am writing a yelp review about it. Thanks guys!
(5)Bryan R.
Food was edible, service wasn't great and the lady at the register didn't even acknowledge me. Cashier took my bill and money and only spoke with her friend. I felt completely ignored. Will never go back for that disappointing food and service.
(1)Kelsie D.
We walked inside and the people up front did not even acknowledge us until we said something. They took us to our table and sat us right by the dish room (where we could smell dirty dishes) when there were PLENTY of open tables around the rest of the restaurant. Our server was very quiet and stand off-ish, to the point where we could not even hear him. He also did not know the menu. It took a very long time for our food to come and a family that got there after us got their food way before us. Our food finally came and there was something wrong on my plate so the manager came over to our table. He was rude to me saying the plate was correct and I was wrong. Long story short: horrible service and average food! If you want friendly people and great food go to fiesta ranchera!!
(1)Andrew Y.
This is our go to place in town. The food is always good, service is normally good as well. Not always excellent but normally pretty good. The people are friendly and they always adore our kids. I've tried several things on the menu and haven't found anything that I didn't like. My wife loves the Enchiladas Suiza and I prefer their meals with Chicken. Great place to go with good food at a fair price.
(4)Jes S.
After 4 years in Bloomington-Normal, this is one of the places I make sure I go when I get the rare chance to go back to Central Illinois. It's all about the CHEESE STEAK BURRITO. My mouth waters when I start thinking about it. The cheese sauce is so good... and it's so much food (especially after all the chips and salsa) that I usually have a whole leftover meal for the next day.
(5)Sampad D.
The ambiance is quite good. I ordered one Fajita tacos , which was OK .
(3)Philip W.
Chips and salsa were a definite 'A'. Service was okay speed wise, but really unfriendly. I could never thank any of them because they would just run off as fast as they could - not a single hint of a smile. The enchiladas were a big disappointment. No flavor at all. Chicken okay but not tasty at all. I would come back for the chips and salsa and try a different dish.
(3)Mel D.
Had a Coke from a bottle from Mexico. Great start! Yummy luncheon portion (even though it was dinner time) enchiladas suiza. Excellent creamy cheese sauce on top. Chips were ok. Salsa was great. I usually don't like rice at Mexican restaurants, but this was good. Refried beans were tasty, but a little runny. Great meal and cheap. $9.27 +tip for dinner! Great non-chain place in Bloomington.
(5)Jay S.
VERY fast service, polite staff, very good food, and nice atmosphere make for an overall great experience for lunch. I've eaten there more times than I can count and I have never had a bad experience or had bad food. It is the lunch standard for our office! if the weather is nice, the patio is the way to go, but alas...it is either too cold or too hot most of the time to eat in the court yard.
(5)David S.
I literally joined Yelp to write a review for this place. It is the gold standard of Mexican restaurants. My ranking system for Mexican restaurants is based off of this place. There is truly no better Mexican restaurant in the world as far as I'm concerned. Chips and Salsa - 10/10. Perfect chip texture, salty, and two types of salsa that are both amazing. Entrees - 10/10 TO DIE FOR. Everything is covered in this amazing, creamy cheese sauce that makes anything it's on 1000x better. I highly recommend the chicken chimichanga. Even the beans and rice are somehow delicious. Margs - PERFECTION. Perfectly strong, and perfectly tasty. Half-priced on Thursdays. Frozen is perfect, on the rocks is just as good. 10/10. Waitstaff - Amazing. I've never ever once experienced anything short of above and beyond service here. They bring you basket after basket after basket of chips and salsa. Truly amazing. 10/10. I went to college in this town and my (now) fiancee and I ate there well over 100 times. I know that's crazy, but it was pretty cool when they knew us by name and didn't even have to give us menus. In all honesty, we probably ate here around 250 times in two years of having a car at school. I dream about this place, and we go back as much as possible. Keep it up Los Potrillos, YOU GUYS ARE THE GEM OF BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL!!!!
(5)Marcus S.
Whenever we go out for Mexican this is the place we go. I always order "Los Platos Carlos", which is rice mixed with grilled chicken and steak pieces covered with Queso. They also give you 3 tortillas with it. Free salsa is served once you sit down with two different salsa options. They bring you both chucky and blended salsa. On one occasion I did try a chicken and cheese quesadilla, but the chicken was overcooked. I would not recommend that one. My wife has tried different things, and though it is not her favorite place, she does still like to go there. Overall a good place to eat. Usually less that $10/plate including the tip.
(4)J M.
I like to go to Los Potrillos because there are so many entrees to try. The food is very affordable. It is good but not amazing. I wish wish they actually served spicy dishes The staff has always been friendly.
(4)David H.
Been here a couple times now. Every time we've been, the food has been pretty mediocre, and the service has been very bad. On our last visit, the waiter came to our table twice: once to get our order and once to bring our drinks. Another server brought our food. We waited 30 mins for refills and the bill. My wife ended up going up to the hostess and asking for both and saw the waiter hanging out with his bros outside. The food on all of our visits has declined each time we've gone to the point I'm done going. I'm not the biggest fan of Fiesta Ranchera, but I would recommend it any day over this place.
(1)Ben R.
In town briefly so its the only place I've ever eaten in the area. Exceeded by extremely low expectations. Passable food, good service. Nice selection of beer and tequila. Long but predictable menu. Had the chicken in mole which was quite tasty. May revise up or down based on tomorrow's dinner elsewhere.
(4)Carmen T.
The best Mexican dish I have ever had (I'm 46) anywhere in the world, no kidding, was the molcajete dish that I tried a week ago. It was $20 for 2 people but 4 reasonable people can eat it. They have Molcajete Mexicana and Mocajete Americana. I had the Mexicana. I'm going again tomorrow. I don't think it was on the menu. I saw it on their black board but was told they serve it all the time. Ask for the mol ca HAY tay with the soft corn tortillas. This is for meat eaters only.
(5)Kristen O.
YUM. First, got the chicken tacos with SOFT Shells this time. Exactly what I was looking for the first time. Second, tried the small strawberry margarita and it definitely completed my Mexican dinner. Also tried the 'Margarota', a margarita in a bird bath size glass with a Coronita (sound familiar?) tipped into it. Delicious. Try it with a mango margarita, a little more expensive but the taste combination is worth it. I'm glad I came back and will definitely be returning for the summer drinking!
(5)Libby T.
Great food, bad service. This is the only Mexican restaurant I've gone to for years, and it has always been great until the past 6 months. No problem with the food, but service there is terrible! Every time I have gone there (about once a month) for the past 6 months our server has ignored us entirely after taking our order. No drink refills, no chips and salsa and even one time no check for 20 minutes after asking. With our last visit they were behind the bar area the entire time. After years of going, I'm done there.
(2)Meghan B.
Love! Love, I say! This time I ordered a bit more a la carte, since last time I forgot the rice and beans. Woops! I added one extra dish last time, since while it filled me up I still had more room. WOAH I had a lot of food. Too much to eat at the time, but the leftovers fed both me and my husband for lunch the next day. So you know, it was like four meals of ridiculously good food for about 30 bucks. And that included a pitcher of beer for SIX DOLLARS. (So meals were, what, 6 bucks a piece?) Food is exactly right. Service is great. And the prices rock. Not hard to see why it's been packed every time we've been here, at lunch no less!
(5)Michael G.
When we lived in Bloomington this was always our favorite place to eat. The food is excellent and the service is fast. They've become increasingly popular and more busy over the years (good for them) but the restaurant is huge so there's never much of a wait. And the wait staff is always running around, even though they're extremely busy at times we're never left long without attention - refills, more chips, salsa, etc. I'm a vegetarian and always get the vegetarian burrito. It's stuffed with rice, beans, grilled onions, and grilled mushrooms and then topped with cheese sauce, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole. The grilled onions and mushrooms are delicious! They're not the slimy half-cooked canned mushrooms I seem to get everywhere else. Only down side IMO is the decor. The painted walls inside and out are not at all appealing (ugly contrasting colors, tacky textures). The seats and tables are long past their prime but still comfortable enough. It can also be pretty loud. I'll overlook all of that for good food and their food is great. When we moved to Peoria a few years ago we started searching for some place comparable. There isn't. Nothing in Peoria is even close to Los Potrillos so we try to go whenever we're in Bloomington.
(5)Greg H.
Best mexican place in the Blono area. I always get either tamales tipicos or carnitas tacos. Everything is fresh, very inexpensive, and fast. Their cheese sauce I could eat with every meal. El porton is good for hang overs in the morning, this place is good for a good dinner.
(5)Nicholas K.
Best nachos in town hands down! They could feed two easily but my friends and I see it as a challenge. Can't recommend this place enough.
(5)Ana P.
Decent service. Great food and portion sizes. Drinks are very reasonably priced (THEY HAVE MARGAROTAS..you know the carona margartias). Bathroom was a little icky. I think if they remodeled they would probably get a lot more clientele. I am giving a 4 for the value and food quality though.
(4)Tim M.
Whole menu is amazing! Top Picks: Cheese Dip, Choritacos, Acapulco Especial, Huevos Potrero
(5)Devin F.
Just took the cake for worst mexican food in town. Very let down. I was really confused about the lack of flavor to anything, i actually had to salt the rice and beans. the taco(pork), they came in tin foil, like they steamed them after they were placed in there or something, couldn't pick them up to eat beacause they were all soggy. salsa, terrible too. Its a low budget college type place. Pass.. unsure why all the high stars.
(1)Nicole M.
The service is excellent, and they offer opinions of what you might like. I've been there many times, each time getting something new. I can honestly say I have never been disappointed. In fact, I've always been extremely impressed by their food. They also have delicious margaritas, and choriqueso to die for. I love this place!
(5)Brandon C.
My hiatus from Yelp is over. It is not that I forgot about Yelp, but that I did not get around to writing reviews in a timely fashion after performing check-ins. Hopefully Los Potrillos is going to help me change that. The halfway point of where I am from and where I live is Bloomington. I met my family here on a Friday night for a meal. It happened to be family weekend at ISU and this place was packed (good sign). We waited in their crowded entry way for our table with a few Coronas. The staff appeared to be moving things along quickly, and nobody seemed too bothered by how busy the place was. Since we had to wait we took the first thing we could get. Five of us forced our way into a booth made for four but we made it work. The chips and salsa were ok. We spiced up the salsa with the house hot variety by request. I can't remember what my dish was called, but it was basically a giant fajita burrito then deep fried. It was huge and very good. The rest of my family had fajitas or the chicken tacos. Good reports all around. Bonus points for having Dos Equis on draft. Not only was the food good but it came out fast and is reasonably priced. I was most impressed with the staff. They never let on that it was a busy night and chaos was probably flying all over the place.
(4)Lauren W.
Very affordable for the amount of food you get. It's very fresh, service is quick, and is delicious! Unlimited free chips and salsa
(5)Chef B.
Los Potrillos does a great job with portion sizes, decent job with mexican food in general, and an overall good job if your mexican food palate is set exactly at "bloomington-normal." If you tried to take these exact recipes and put them in a place in california, az, texas or anywhere with authentic mexican or tex-mex . . . that place wouldn't stay open a month. But in context of this community and available mexican places, it's fine. They have some decent tacos, and their fajitas, while a little too oily, are not too shabby. The portion sizes, again, are ginormous. If I crave Mexican, i'd rather have el porton, merendon or the taco stand on south main street, but there's a place for Los Potrillos. Filling meal, a full bar, and decent, not bad food.
(3)Benny B.
A good friend of mine recommend this place and it lived up to it's billing! Very friendly staff and the food was great. Had the carnitas tacos (excellent!), you get three plus beans/rice. Portions on everyone's meal were big. The margarita was just OK but the beer was cold. Chips were warm and the salsa (two kinds) was very tasty. Glad we got there early evening, it was getting crowded which is a great sign of a good restaurant.
(5)Rollina B.
When I first moved to the neighborhood I loved being able to walk to dinner here. After 6 months of always and I do mean always having the chorizo burned I no longer go. The restaurant is in need of a serious cleaning. Cobwebs hanging from the ceiling along with grimy booth and tables are simply not acceptable. I have voiced my concern to management but nothing changes. The service has always been poor. Waiters speak little English and rarely get my order correct. Please train your waitstaff and clean up the joint because when done right your food is great.
(1)Thom Z.
The hot sauce on the table is nothing but burn. Painful. But the food is nothing but taste. Whether or not that taste is authentic is regardless of the delicious taste of the food. I'm not going to tell you that the food was the best Mexican I've had, because there isn't a chance that it's near that, but it was decent for the price. The beans were flavorful, the sauce wasn't half assed and the meat (according to the girlfriend) was flavorless, aside from the sauce. It wasn't great, but by no means was it bad. The margarita was a piece of shit. But was it bad? No. It was better than other restaurants and bars have tried to pass off. At least the brand of tequila was obvious: Jose Cuervo. It's not my first choice in Mexican in Normal (that's La Bambas) or my first choice for Margaritas (that's Las Palmas in Naperville). This place is decent food, decent drink and decently priced. It cost $20 to get two folks drunk and full. Also, if you're a student at ISU, WU, HCC and LC: you get 10% off.
(3)Daniel S.
As far as Mexican food goes, this place is fairly average. I've never been to Mexico, so I can't vouch for the authenticity, but I imagine it's not super authentic. The food is cheap, and it's pretty good. I'm a salsa snob; they bring you two salsas, one that is decent and another that seems to just be pureed tomatoes. Defnitely request for more of the good stuff. The staff is very friendly. We have a baby, and it seems like people always come up and touch her, which is only borderline creepy. It really is pretty average, but at the price, we've been here a handful of times.
(3)Bert B.
Not bad for a place a couple miles off the interstate as we head south on 55. Chorizo was excellent Huge portions for fair prices Spinach Enchiladas did the job but slightly bland Spinach burrito was yummy Brava Fajitas were huge and good...way more meat than veggies!
(4)Bill O.
Solid Mexican food. The portions are large, the food is always hot, and the wait staff is very friendly. Great value for the money. I usually get the faitas (chicken and steak) followed by fried Mexican ice cream, which is absolutely wonderful. The chips and salsa are good too.
(4)Kelly M.
Ok, so Los has been my FAV Mexican restaurant for a couple of years. I love the staff, the food, and the SPEED of service. In the last month or so (which represents about 5 different visits), service has been off. Really off. A group of 6 of us went to lunch and left 90 minutes later. That's a LONG time for a weekday lunch. The food is still good, but the salsa is different- not as fresh- nor are the chips. They are doing a lot of remodeling, so perhaps they are trying to get a lot of things done all at once...not sure. I will update my review as I go back...it's just not the place that I pick to go first anymore :(
(4)T. K.
After having a few meals at Los Potrillos I have come to the conclusion that it is just okay and not much more. It just comes down to the fact that there doesn't seem to be a consistent level of quality in the food. Most things on the menu fail to stand out. The portions are good for their price however. If I want to have Mexican food in Bloomington-Normal 9/10 of the time I'd rather go to Fiesta Ranchera or El Porton.
(3)Patrick M.
The food here is great although it seems to have dropped in quality from when it first opened. I originally went here as an assignment from a professor to review an authentic Mexican restaurant, I chose here back when it first opened a few years ago. I've only been a few times since then and it hasn't been as great as I remember it being - but it is still better than most of the alternatives in town (ahem la bambas). My major knock on the place is the wait staff - one waiter in particular has been the most awkward waiter I have ever had at a restaurant. He does not speak English well and his efforts at small talk come across as creepy at best, to the point that I would prefer to take the food to go. Although he has been the only waiter I've had the past few times, so I shouldn't judge all of them by his behavior.
(4)Jason T.
Not terribly authentic, and very very greasy
(2)Jesse L.
If you are looking for authentic Mexican food, this is NOT the place to go. The food is bland and the ingredients (i.e. guacamole) are not fresh at all. Went here because they served margaritas, which tasted like a sugary, pre-made mix, and am real disappointed I did. The server was ok, but the staff who check you out at the front were more pre-occupied with closing out the tabs for the night (and talking with each other) than customer service. Big time disappointment!
(2)William W.
I'm going to upgrade my score to 5 stars. They've kept up a consistently high quality of service, and it's by far the best Mexican restaurant in town. Also, you can't beat it for the price - at lunch, they're only slightly more expensive than fast food. At dinner, they're well below your standard Chilis/Applebees in price, and well above them in quality. Over time, I've only grown to love Lost Portholes more, not less. That's worth another star.
(5)Kim B.
I went to college in Louisiana and I am always in pursuit of good Tex-Mex cuisine. Surprisingly, it does exist North of the Mason-Dixon and it is in Normal! The food rarely disappoints. I love the quesadillas, nachos, carne asada, and all of the enchiladas. The queso dip is delicious (queso blanco vs the "yellow" stuff) and the margaritas are good (and cheap!). The staff is friendly, service is prompt, and you won't break the bank!
(4)Jamie L.
I love, love, love Mexican food and this place is always great. The service used to be a whole lot friendlier, but the people that bus tables and bring food out are still very nice and friendly. It's hard to come by a friendly server anymore. I don't go there for the servers though:) It's all about the food and the food is very good.
(4)Daniel J.
Decent food, a bit heavy, but very good prices. Service was prompt for very large group.
(3)Tom H.
You can't beat the quality or portions for the price. Service has always been good even when they get busy. On the weekends you may encounter a wait, but it shouldn't be too long. The take out is extremely speedy. You don't even have to call ahead if you want take out since it's so fast. It's great for local college students since you get 10% off. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
(4)Kelly S.
Super authentic Mexican menu. Very good prices. Sometimes the waiters don't speak much English so it's a good place to practice Spanish. They have a cute, open air, courtyard area that's perfect for sipping on the strong margaritas during nice weather.
(4)m m.
pretty decent mexican food. i had the tacos carnitas. didn't come w/ the onion, cilantro, lime that i expected as other restaurants do. a lot of food for the money. i think i like el porton more, though.
(3)adam e.
meh. had a fast cheap lunch here. definitely nothing special but not terrible. i had the enchilada combo and it was pretty standard for "gringo" mexican food. if u want some sit down mexican at a really cheap price, check it out. otherwise, do yourself a favor and got to taqueria el porton.
(2)