Hacienda Calavera

Hacienda Calavera reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. L

   Ladwina

   Chicago / Illinois7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Five Stars Isn’t Enough for Hacienda Calavera – A Birthday to Remember! I celebrated my birthday at Hacienda Calavera, and I am still glowing from the experience! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was electric—warm, vibrant, and full of life. The décor was stunning, with just the right balance of rustic charm and bold, artistic flair that made every corner feel photo-worthy. The staff? Absolutely phenomenal. They treated us like royalty from start to finish, making sure every detail was perfect and that my birthday felt truly special. And the food… wow. Every bite was a burst of flavor—fresh, creative, and beautifully presented. I’m still dreaming about the [insert your favorite dish here, e.g., mole enchiladas or mezcal-glazed ribs]! To top it all off, the cocktails were divine—expertly mixed and dangerously delicious. We laughed, we danced, we ate like kings, and it felt like the entire evening was crafted just for us. Thank you, Hacienda Calavera, for making my birthday unforgettable. You’ve gained a lifelong fan!
   

   • 

   Is this helpful?

2. C

   Claudia

   Chicago / Illinois1 review

   2.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   Front door, hostess not sure what they are, rude and attitude… brought a cake for our guest and clearly they were not careful with it! By the time it got to our table it looked horrible. The “Happy Birthday Menu” was not ready, we waited like 20min for it! Our server was amazing! Food was amazing and so were the drinks! We did ask other staff for more chips, like 3-4 times and it took forever to get. Not sure I would go back, if I did it would be because I was invited but not by choice.
   

   Is this helpful?

3. A

   April

   Chicago / Illinois4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This was such a vibe, food was great, Alfonso took great care of us (8 people). I don’t understand the negative reviews, i’ll definitely be back!
   

   Is this helpful?

4. A

   Andrea

   Chicago / Illinois5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Such a fun birthday experience! We had 2 toddlers in the group too and I appreciated them catering music to be at the perfect level too!! So much fun with my family!
   

   Is this helpful?

5. J

   Jacquelyn

   Chicago / Illinois4 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on 12 May 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   The restaurant did not honor my reservation time by seating me 30min later, the waiter was horribly-obstinate-crude-unprofessional-unpleasant-rude that my party of 6 left the restaurant. He was verbally abusive to me and stated there were no more tacos or anything with a tortilla left to eat at 8pm. Not only did he state that but he directed his unprofessional comments to me. I was mortified by the waiter’s verbal abuse to me that as I was leaving the manager asked for us to stay. I told her everything that occurred and would never step foot in that place. If that is the type of staff they hire who feel empowered to speak to a guest like he did, he most likely has done this before and got away with it. Not only was my reserved time not honored, the statement of certain foods no longer available, and the waiter verbally making abusive statements to me I DO NOT recommend this establishment.
   

   1 person found this helpful

6. O

   Oscar

   Chicago / Illinois1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 11 May 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   Eric is definitely a keeper there he brought a great energy and atmosphere to our table. Hope to see him on our next reservation there. Food and ambiance always a plus, but service is key. And Eric made it worth going back again...
   

   Is this helpful?

7. D

   Dionne VIP

   Chicago / Illinois7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 11 May 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Beautiful Mother’s Day celebrations this location was perfect and the food was great!
   

   Is this helpful?

8. M

   Maria

   Chicago / Illinois1 review

   3.0

   Dined on 10 May 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   The place is like any other Mexican restaurant except more expensive, all they do is hype up the location but truly nothing special worth returning to. The food was good, but not the best. You pay too much for a guacamole and they serve in a molcajete and leave the temolote in it and it seems like you’re being served the temolote instead of the guacamole, oh and not enough chips either. At first they said they didn’t have any tortillas for my kids tacos or quesadillas, which I don’t understand how a restaurant cannot have tortillas, but they finally checked and then they said they did, very confusing. I truly wanted to like this place, but I can truly say that overall I can live without returning and I personally wouldn’t recommend the place to anyone, it’s pretty much an overpriced Mexican restaurant… For the price of the food and quality, I truly was better of going to a steakhouse, at least there you get bigger portions and the food would’ve probably been better!
   

   Is this helpful?

9. A

   Aries

   Chicago / Illinois2 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on 10 May 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   I drove from Champaign Illinois which is a two hour drive. Me and my family were greeted by a pleasant smile. We arrived 30 minutes early, and was seated on time. We were sat at a booth close to the entrance, we inquired about a different seating arrangement, but got very nasty feedback in a rude manner. So we kept our seats. My aunt mash potatoes were cold, she requested more, the second plate was cold as well. Our waitress was AMAZING! She did her job very well and made the experience a tad bit more enjoyable. I’m not sure her exact title but another lady came by taking dirty dishes and reached over my cousins plate while she was actively eating. When we mentioned it she said “ oh ok” although we were accommodated for this, it’s still did not justify how RUDE multiple staff were. Customer service is a BIG PART, in the experience Do Better.
   

   Is this helpful?

10. N

    Nakia

    Chicago / Illinois2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 8 May 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    This place is definitely a vibe, they really make you feel special if you’re celebrating a birthday, ambience is amazing, decor is amazing, our waiter was great! Food was ok especially for the price point other than that I loved celebrating my birthday here
    

    Is this helpful?