It was 1987. Rick Bayless and his wife, Deann Groen Bayless, had just returned from an extended stay in Mexico, where they had been researching their first book. They wanted a restaurant that tasted and felt like their travels. So they hung colorful Mexican folk art on the walls, turned up the Mariachi music and packed the menu with the foods that reminded them of their travels: tangy tomatillos, rich black beans, fiery chiles. And that’s how it’s been ever since. Not that we haven’t changed. We change all the time, adding new authentic flavors to our menus, developing new relationships with the Midwestern farmers who provide us with everything from summer squash to maple syrup to goat. But at the end of the day, no matter how inventive our techniques or local our ingredients, our food still transports you to the same place: the colorful, vibrant kitchens of Mexico.
Don’t forget to order your margarita with Herradura Tequila!
Happy Hour Weekdays 4:30-6pm & Weekends 2:30-4:30pm
Bites
- Just-Made Tortilla Chips & Salsas $5 Three chile & roasted tomatillo. Add a side of guac +$4
- Frontera Ceviche $12 – Pacific albacore, lime, tomato, olives, cilantro, green chile, on toastaditas
- Seafood tower* half $30 or full $60 – One dozen oysters, Classic Frontera ceviche, Aguachile de Salmon, tomatillo-habanero “miñoneta,” smoky chipotle-garlic salsa, Mexican limes
- Our Famous Tortilla Soup $10 – Dark broth with pasilla, smoked chicken, avocado, artisan Jack cheese, homemade crema, crispy tortilla strips.
- Corn-Masa Quesadillas, Mexico City Style $10 – Crispy corn masa “turnovers” filled with artisan Jack cheese & epazote. Avocado tomatillo salsa
- Sopecitos Rancheros $10 – Crispy little corn masa “boats,” braised beef filling, roasted tomato-serrano sauce, avocado, fresco cheese
- Smoked Chicken Taquitos & Guacamole $10 – Crispy smoked chicken taquitos, black beans, classic guacamole, homemade crema, roasted tomatillo salsa, fresco cheese
- Crispy Carnitas Tacos $15 – Gunthorp Farms pasture-raised pork carnitas. Served with handmade tortillas of organic heirloom corn from Mexico, salsa verde, guacamole
Drinks
- Rick’s Margarita $10 – Real del Valle reposado tequila, orange liqueur, lime, agave, Tajin rim
- Oaxacan Old Fashioned $10 – Del Amigo mezcal, Oaxacan pasilla, house bitters, orange oil
- Sweet and Spicy Margarita $10 – Ojo de Agua blanco tequila (infused with hibiscus), Elemental mezcal, orange liqueur, habanero agave, lime
- Guava Daiquiri $10 – Uruapan Charanda blanco rum, lime, fruitful guava, Angostura bitters, simple
- Sunset sparkler $10 – Granda Vallet Pomegranate liqueur, orange liqueur, Jean Louis sparkling wine, splash Topo Chico
- Zen Margarita $10 – DHOS blanco tequilla, DHOS orange, agave, lime
- Mango Chile Sparkler $10 – Oaxacan pasilla, Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey, lime, mango puree, DHOS orange, Topo Chico, Tajin rim
Bubbles
- NV Miguel Torres, “Estelado” Brut Rosé, Maule Valley, Chile (País) $10
White
- 2023 Matetic Vineyards, “EQ Coastal” Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile $10
Red
- 2017 Peregrine, Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand $10
Brunch
Mastercard
Monday
