50 Best Mexican Restaurants near Island Lake

“food was delicious the owner is a wonderful person highly recommended it, prices are very affordable“

“Best Mexican food you’ll love this place great service and super clean environment“

“Some of the best made-from-scratch Mexican food in the area! Highly recommended.“

“Where do I begin? Welcoming atmosphere, clean restaurant, and attentive service. I'm not a margarita fan, but I thoroughly enjoy my strawberry margarita and would enjoy again! My fiancé ordered salsa and chips for an appetizer and we were both happily surprised with the fresh chips and tasty green salsa! After enjoying our appetizer we both ordered their three taco dinner special for taco Tuesday. My fiancé order steak tacos and I ordered a combination of chicken tinga, chorizo, and their house special campechano. Everything was amazing!!! My fiancé enjoys the spicier salsas and was offered a habenero red salsa. We sampled all three that was received and have nothing but good things to say about them all. Thank you for an amazing dinning experience tonight, can't wait to come back and enjoy a new dish in the near future! ☺️🌮🌯“

“By far the best guacamole I’ve ever had! Love the burritos as well. However, I tried something new fish fries. Absolutely amazing! I’ve tried three different Mexican restaurants in town and this is the only one I eat at.“

“We just celebrated my wife's surprise 65th birthday Sunday with 14 family members. We chose El vado #2 Mexican Restaurant and couldn't be any happier. From them going out of their way purchasing ballons and banners to her complimentary frozen ice cream the service, food and drinks were phenomenal. Very warm and welcoming staff. Very appreciative of your business and fantastic atmosphere. Thank you for this memory. Never felt rushed. Everyone in our family raved on how great it was and was one of our best parties ever. Familiar with their other restaurant in McHenry which is also excellent and reasonably priced. You have to try this place if you like mexican food. A+++“

“Amazing food and even better service ❤️ Raul’s really makes the best tacos I’ve ever had and I could eat them everyday. But they are always suggesting new things for me to try and I haven’t been disappointed yet. Whether it’s a first time guest or a regular customer they greet everyone like family dropping by for dinner. The food is so good my friends from out of state talk about it long after they go back home. All I can say is If you haven’t had Raul’s you are missing out!“

“Definitely worth the few extra minutes driving up here from Round Lake. I showed up on Thursday to find out they’ve got an all you can eat taco special 👀 I gotta roll myself out to my car after this. Don’t let the previous rough construction out front fool you, this place is gold. I had the steak and chorizo tacos that were superb. Mango margarita slapped 👏🏻“

“wonderful selections, great service and value meals“

“Had an exceptional experience using Bella Vista for catering a recent bridal shower. Fantastic food and service. Highly recommend!“

“Super cute inside. Staff is very friendly, food is fresh and taste great!“

“Tiene muy buen sabor sin duda es auténtico en comida no me quejo pero si en q no te dan un tenedor al menos q tu lo pida la muchacha q atiende se mira muy enojada no va ni una vez sola vez a preguntar por cortesía si es q todo está bien,, le pides agua sin hielo y te dice q no se puede q ya toda tiene hielo la comida buenísima el servicio no no bueno Gracias espero q este comentario sea constructivo!!!“

“Friendly and amazing food!!!“

“I can not rave about this place enough. This restaurant is close to me and I go at least once a week. Friendly and I’m telling you, the food is amazing.“

“The lengua tacos were delicious and the tamales were loaded with shredded pork. I’ll be back again soon.“

“Hands down La Fonda is second to none! Best authentic Mexican restaurant in McHenry county!!!“

“Wonderful service, authentic tasty food, great portions for the price, and a nice family owned restaurant. Would definitely be coming back here again for their breakfast burrito and Mexican breakfast with corn tortillas. They also have alot of menu options and atmosphere was cozy and quaint.“

“We were driving thru IL and I found this taco place on my drive. Decided to give it a try. Ended up getting steak, chicken and pork tacos to try. I would rate my favorite in the order. I would come again if I passing thru. Some places in the past have a little station with onions, pico, etc. Be nice to have that. That’s my only complains.“

“✅ Friendly service
✅ Unlimited chips and 5 difference salsas!
✅ Piping hot food, fast
✅ Large portions
✅ Large seating area
✅ Clean bathrooms

What’s not to love about this restaurant?
My husband and I have been on a mission to find the best, authentic Mexican food in the Algonquin area. We, along with our friends and family, agree that this place is it! And we also love that they’re closed on Sundays.“

“Sont judge the place from the parking lot, it is very big inside and it deserves 5 star rating. I had ribeye taco dinner! The beat tacos i ever had. My wife had a fajita and it was delicious. Absolutely the best Mexican place in the 20 miles radius. Highly recommended.“

“Staff was courteous; menu varied with traditional Mexican cuisine.
A bit too pricey for my budget. At $14 a burrito, wouldn't be able to visit regularly with 5 of us.
If your passing through Fox Lake, I'd suggest you give them a try.“

“Owner is super nice, came by and offered me a free taco from his food truck. Went ahead and gave it a try. Show some love if you ever see him around!“

“The best Food and atmosphere. Great friendly service.“

“Been going to Sergios since the beginning. The owner, Sergio, is an awesome guy. I moved out of Lake Zurich two years ago but every time I’m in town and am hungry, I usually try to stop by.“

“La Mesa is absolutely amazing! The food is excellent—fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The service is outstanding, with staff that are friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is awesome, warm, and inviting, making it the perfect place to relax and enjoy a great meal. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a top-notch dining experience!“

“I call ahead and pick up a bag of tacos omw home for easy dinner on tuesdays. Always so good!“

“Good the best“

“Food is really good. They gave large portions and prices are excellent. They have a bigger menu then I was expecting. Food is really good, but not spicy. They give you chips and salsa and a small bowl of soup for free. The decorations are also very colorful. If you come during the day, it is not very busy.“

“Great lunch menu, delicious. Great service.“

“Stopped by on a whim and was very, very surprised. The outside is quite attractive with an outside eating area. The inside is nice and clean with plenty of seating. We ordered chips and salsa, Pollo with Mole, and the Steak Burrito Fajita. The chips are homemade (as expected) and very good. The chicken in the Pollo with Mole was super tender. The mole was rich. It came with homemade corn tortillas. The Steak Burrito is filled with fajita fillings, so steak, green and red peppers, and onions. The flour tortilla was filled and grilled giving the whole a nice smokey flavor. It was one of the very best burritos I have ever had. Look over my reviews. I have eaten a lot of burritos. They have a creamy salsa verde that is great, a very nice Roja sauce, and a hot sauce that is no joke hot. Our server was great and the whole experience was a great one. Will be back soon.“

“Super cute "authentic" vibes 🇲🇽 DELICIOUS food!!!“

“Great Mexican Food in Downtown Round Lake with a Mexican Bakery next door“

“Love the food here! But, not great customer Service. The service was pretty fast… But they did not have any cheeseburgers as it said on their menu for the kids meal. I also did not have any chicken nuggets from the kids meal, They also had no Lengua tacos and only enough steak to make three tacos. And I would also recommend updating your website to include that you no longer serve alcohol“

“Cute small restaurant off Rt 134 in Round Lake with excellent margaritas and delicious food. Got the Mexican Eggs breakfast and it was perfect! Eggs not runny or over cooked, more than enough for the 4 tortillas provided. Generous portion so I am bringing some home! Yummy on the rocks strawberry margarita with plenty of strawberries 🍓 floating in it. Several lime slices and an orange in the traditional margarita. Would recommend and we will definitely be back to try the $1.99 tacos on Tuesdays. 😁👍“

“very good quality food and a friendly,Kind and caring staff“

“Delicious food & drinks. Authentic atmosphere.“

“We eat there everything was amazing, food was amazing and delicious. The service awesome,very nice and friendly people there. 💯 recommended.“

“I ordered a Steak Fajita dinner, and it was one of the best meals I’ve tasted in a long time. Their hot sauce is very good; it’s not so hot that it would burn your throat.

MAY 2020 UPDATE: With the reopening after the COVID-19 shutdown, they started skimping on the meat for the Steak Fajitas; the portions of steak are now much smaller and they are compensating by adding more vegetables. Yet the price is still the same.

*NOTE: This business imposes a $10.00 minimum charge on credit & debit card transactions.

2025 UPDATE: Some of their menu items are starting to get overpriced. This business has also started imposing a 3% surcharge on credit card payments. Recommend paying by cash or debit card.“

“Went here for the first time service was exceptional. They let us know today was mothers day in mexico which I loved it doesnt change anything but it was cute that they mentioned it to us. They stopped us on our way out to give me and my friend roses for mothers day. They were quick and on top of everything, very attentive. Two mom with two little ones was a challenge but they made us feel very welcome. The enchiladas were great 9.5/10 the quesabirria was ok 6.5/10 not my favorite I couldve order soemthing else but I was happy enough. Absolutely would go back again.“

“Kelly is an amazing host and person to work with when we were planning our daughter's baby shower for 20 guests. Lots of compliments from our guests about the appearance of this venue. We would HIGHLY recommend Main Street Station for a smaller venue atmosphere!“

“I was moving from an establishment and was waiting for a ride.. simple question asked if I'd ok to wait for my ride. Whomever the name .....she gave a few tacos while I waited. She dint have to do anything for me but, her kindness should not be taken advantage of. I recommend this place.“

“A mi en lo personal me gustan mucho las carnitas y sus tacos dorados ni se diga! Siempre Han sido muy amables con nosotros! Eh ordenado comida para un evento y todo rico!“

“super rico y muy buena atencion recomendable“

“Friendly staff and some of the yummiest food I’ve had! Come try it and I promise, you’ll want to keep coming back.“

“Nice small place tucked into a strip mall. Add tacos barbacoa. Which were excellent. We also had the largest tray of nachos ever. It serves over four people. The staff was friendly and the food was served quickly and piping hot. Superfresh.“

“Me and my teenager love this place. Tacos are great!“

“The Mexican sweet bread is the best anywhere around this place. The chicharrones are the best in all of Chicago. If you are going to buy nopalitos and you want them without thorns, they will clean them right away. All their work staff are kind. God bless them and they laugh at their well-deserved money.“

“Small cozy restaurant with great and attentive service 👍🏻“

“Buen lugar buena birria 🥳🥳“

“Always a delicious spot for lunch and dinner. Daily specials posted on the white board inside. Tacos never disappoint! I always get 2 tacos and some rice with a horchata. Dine in available but beware parking a little weird outside and if you're unfamiliar with unloading wheelchairs in a slight slant I would park in the side or exterior of the building of at all possible. Parking is limited and easier to pull into going north bound on rt 12. South bound you sit in the meridian until traffic dispurses. There are also signs posted for not parking at the local deli next door, just avoid the south end of the building actually.“