Guide to Mexican Restaurants in Bloomington-Normal
Overview
A lot of people know the south-west of Chicago as little Mexico because there are so many retail stores, groceries stores and restaurants located in that area. In Bloomington-Normal there are a few Mexican restaurants and a couple of grocery stores. Many Mexican restaurants in Bloomington-Normal are more authentic than others and the prices of these Mexican stores are very competitive than other grocery stores including American stores (Wal-Mart, Cubs, etc.).
El Porton
901 North Main Street Bloomington, IL 61701 - (309) 820-1625 Open Daily 9am-9pm
El Porton is one of many Mexican restaurants in Bloomington-Normal that would be by far one of the most authentic of them all. El Porton brings legit Mexican food to Bloomington Normal. El Porton is as close as Mexican food you would eat sitting in a Latino’s home. They location is low key but remember good things are hard to find. El Porton has a private parking lot with handicap parking spots. The food is very delicious and the prices are reasonable. The portion of the food is worth every penny. What you are paying for is real authentic Mexican recipes from the food to the beverages. El Porton provides excellent customer satisfaction and the best salsas in town. The restaurant serves many famous entrées to a lot of Mexicans varying from tacos, enchiladas, guacamole, to posole. There is an extensive variety of things you can choose from. They also serve imported and domestic beer. This restaurant was opened nine years ago and was renovated a year ago. It’s a relaxing place to go for lunch or dinner. If you are looking for a flavorful real Mexican brunch, El Porton is the place to be.
El Toro
3805 Ballybunion Rd Bloomington, Illinois 309-661-2500 http://www.eltororestaurante.com/bloomington.htm
El Toro is a fairly new restaurant in town. This restaurant originated from La Piedad, Michoacán, Mexico where they brought their traditional tasteful recipes to Bloomington Normal El Toro is more known for their full sports bar where they show Latin-American Soccer league games. El Toro is also known for their famous unique margaritas. The décor of the restaurant is really nice and the atmosphere is fun and enjoyable. They provide outdoor dining which is really nice to eat at when it’s nice outside. This restaurant is good for families, groups, and dates. The prices for their authentic Mexican food are unbeatable and their daily specials are great. The vegetarian combinations are also a plus for the people who are seeking vegetarian menus in restaurants. They also have big selections of food you can choose from. El Toro provides reservations for specials events and they also cater. Many people of Bloomington Normal go to this restaurant every Saturday nights for El Toro’s special fiesta events. El Toro is located south of Veterans Parkway just off of Ireland Grove. El Toro can be a great way to get the Hispanic feel of the culture.
Los Potrillos
201 Landmark Drive Normal, Illinois 61761 (309) 862-0824
Los Potrillos is a close by Mexican restaurant located just behind Kroger off of college; unlike the others I’ve mentioned this restaurant is a little less authentic than the others. However the prices of the menu for the food and alcoholic beverages are a great deal. Los Potrillos is a good restaurant for many college students around town because students get 10% off their menu meals. Dinner time at Los Potrillos is just below your standard Chilli’s in price, but well above them in quality. This is more of an Americanized Mexican restaurant in our community. The servers at this restaurant do their part in maintaining the high quality service since the time I first dined there. Los Potrillos has an open court yard in the middle of the restaurant which really sets the vibe of a Mexican home in Mexico. The restaurant also provides reservations for business or special events and its location is neither hard to find nor far. So why not try Los Potrillos where the staff is friendly, service is fast, and your bank won’t break!
La Mexicana
1416 South Main Street Bloomington, IL 61701-6760 (309) 827-8904
La Mexicana is a place a lot of Latinos in Bloomington Normal trust because they feel more at home with their culture located on South Main Street. This restaurant was built onto the store which is also called La Mexicana. La Mexicana was opened by two gentlemen from the windy city. Chicago has a ton of stores where they sell groceries and food under one roof. Truthfully it is very convenient and most of the Latino people of Bloomington Normal go to this store to shop and grab a bite as well as other ethnicities. The food they serve is the best Mexican authentic fast food you will eat. They are fast and the food highly meets your satisfaction. The employees in the restaurant and store are all very friendly and helpful. La Mexicana’s Taqueria (tacos) doesn’t have a huge menu like other restaurants do but serves a lot of the basic Hispanic foods one would eat on a typical day. This fast food Mexican style restaurant is number one for authentic than any other restaurant like Taco Bell or Taco Johns. La Mexicana is a really good place to take the family or friends to eat and experience good fast food and high quality meat. The store also has all kinds of benefits because they sell a lot of meats, fish, and chicken at a very low cost than other American grocery stores. They serve how you want the meats sliced at your preference. La Mexicana also has a large selection of Mexican cheese where you will not find in your typical grocery store. All of their products come from Chicago. Vegetables and fruits are very cheap compared to your average Wal-Mart or Meijer. They also provide all types of imported alcohol in this store as well as imported candy. La Mexicana supplies their restaurant with their own produce from their store which really complements the store. Being in La Mexicana and the Taqueria (restaurant) really takes you to a little Mexico in Bloomington Normal.
La Bamba
108 W Washington St BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701 (309) 829-5096, 129 E Beaufort St Ste E Normal, IL 61761 (309) 452-2243, 1512 W Market St Bloomington, IL 61701 (309) 828-6400
La Bamba is well known for its burritos as big as your head. This restaurant has also been in this town for many years. The food is good, cheap, and quick to get. They has a few La Bamba’s in town and as well as a La Bamba with a grocery store on Market St. This restaurant is less authentic than La Mexicana but more authentic than Taco Bell/Johns. The restaurant is more known to college students who are downtown Normal or Bloomington after hitting the bars however La Bamba opened a grocery store a year ago where they are a lot like La Mexicana. They both have good prices and values however they compete with each other. The rib eye steaks at La Bamba are also very cheap compared to American meat shop. I find myself finding more people of different ethnicity there for their cheap steaks. La Bamba is a little less authentic than La Mexicana but is also a great place to check out.
There are many authentic Mexican restaurants in Bloomington Normal and these are the ones that I believe one should consider. The little things matter from the prices to the quality of food and services you receive. The more you go out and explore; the closer you find yourself finding out what real Mexican food is.
