El Cortez - Country Club Hills

We were in the area looking for a great Mexican restaurant. El Cortez was listed as #1. I try to share good places during this time....

The food at this restaurant is very good. Although there are no explicitly vegan dishes on the menu, there are some vegetarian options that can be modified to be vegan. The fried beans and rice are not vegan or vegetarian, but there is a whole bean option that can be made vegan by omitting the cheese. This review was updated on March 18, 2022.

The food at this restaurant was incredibly tasty. I ordered the Manny dish and was pleasantly surprised by the generous portion size and rich flavors. The exterior of the restaurant may not give off the best impression, but the food speaks for itself.

This was by far the worst dining experience I have ever had! The food was terrible and poorly prepared. The shrimp dish I ordered was a complete disappointment.

This Mexican restaurant is small but vibrant. While it may not be completely authentic, it is definitely a step up from Taco Bell or Chipotle. The quality of the food varies, with some dishes standing out more than others, but overall everything was decent. The service was friendly, but a bit slow. We visited for lunch on a Saturday and despite there being only 3 other occupied tables, it took a while for our food to arrive and for us to receive our check. Additionally, the presence of intoxicated patrons detracted from the overall dining experience.