Costera Cocina Tulum
Chicago
At a glance
Located in the bustling area of Fulton Market in Chicago, Costera Cocina Tulum offers a vibrant taste of Mexican-inspired cuisine with an emphasis on fresh flavors. Tulum is known for its coastal influences, and this is reflected in the menu that showcases a commitment to high-quality ingredients and traditional techniques. Guests can expect a lively dining experience with a menu that captures the essence of coastal Mexico. The interior is designed to invoke the relaxed elegance of a beachside setting, featuring elements that evoke a sense of tropical escape. The atmosphere is lively, making it suitable for casual dinners as well as celebratory gatherings. Whether dining indoors or enjoying the open-air seating, patrons are treated to warm hospitality and a culinary journey that highlights the rich and diverse flavors of Mexican cuisine.
Reviews
Delicious! Ordered the pollo tacos, chile paella, chimichurri potatoes, and highly recommend all. Great environment and drinks were delicious but not super strong. Great for group settings, perfect level of volume and space
We celebrated my niece’s birthday while visiting Chicago and had such a great experience at Costera Cocina Tulum. The whole vibe of the restaurant was beautiful — dim lighting, stylish decor, and so many picture-perfect spots throughout the restaurant, even down to the bathrooms and hallways. The food and drinks were amazing. The Brisket Tostada Tower starter was definitely a standout, and the fish carnitas tacos, pollo tacos, and asada tacos were all full of flavor and perfectly made. Everything from the presentation to the taste was on point. Definitely a place I’d recommend if you’re in Chicago.
We liked the vibe of the restaurant, definitely give you the idea of Tulum vibes ? It was festive and very well decorated. They did have live Dj playing some good Afro house music The plates were well presented and the portions very generous. We like it but not love it , we ordered Peruvian ceviche the flavor was good but for our likes was missing more fish A side of chimichurri potatoes and the beef was missing a lot of flavor. Other than that it was good We enjoyed the churros and the drinks very refreshing
Came here for a date night with my wife and had a lot of fun. Great service and a fun atmosphere. We tried their lobster tacos and did not like that every bite had some shell of the lobster and really disliked that especially when they charge so much. Everything else was good. Cocktails we’re on point ceviche was delicious and the mini trompo was surprisingly good. The tacos were over priced for my opinion and didn’t carry much flavor. Would I come back ? Probably only for the drinks and the mini trompo. Cool atmosphere if you are coming for a fun night, maybe not for you if you don’t like a loud atmosphere but I think that was not what they are shooting for here.
Went to Costera Cocina Tulum in Chicago for Valentine’s Day and the night was honestly a mix of great food and unnecessary frustration. We booked in advance, but the Fulton Market area was packed and I couldn’t find parking for about 20 minutes, so I called the restaurant to ask if they could extend our reservation. The person on the phone told me they were fully booked and that I’d have to wait unless someone canceled. That already felt stressful, but then we walked in and there were empty tables, and the front desk seated us pretty much right away. So the person on the phone and the host stand clearly aren’t synced, which is annoying when you’re doing your best to be on time. The space itself is beautiful and totally Instagram-worthy, but it’s VERY loud to the point where you can barely hear the person you’re with. We started with drinks, the Mayan Mirage and an old fashioned style drink, and both were pretty average and forgettable. For appetizers we ordered the Peruvian ceviche and the guac. I understand ceviche is seafood, but the smell was so strong I couldn’t eat it and had to send it back, and to their credit the server removed it from the bill with no drama, so kudos for that. The guac was good, but not amazing for the price. The mains were the best part of the whole night: we got the short ribs, the creamy langosta spaghetti, and chimichurri potatoes. For a Mexican place I expected the “Mexican” items to be the highlight, but the pasta was actually incredible and we ate the entire thing, and the short ribs were flavorful, soft, and easily the standout too. Those dishes were so much better than the drinks and appetizers. For dessert we tried the churros two ways with churro cake, cream cheese stuffed churros, dulce de leche ice cream, and chocolate sauce, and it was good. Final note, the tables are very low, you’re seated really close to other tables, and there’s smoke coming up from the floor which looks cool but we hated it. Overall the place looks great and the mains were strong, but between the parking chaos, the reservation confusion, the noise level, and some underwhelming items, it’s a one-time visit for us.
