If Topolo pampers and Frontera dances, then XOCO rocks. Though the word is Mexican slang for “little sister” (from the ancient Aztec language), there’s nothing little about XOCO’s big, bold Mexican marketplace flavors. Open early, late and closed on Sundays and Mondays, this quick-service cafe from Rick and Deann Bayless proffers contemporary expressions of Mexico’s most
beloved street food and snacks: hot-from-the-fryer churros and flaky empanadas; frothy Mexican hot chocolate (ground from Mexican cacao beans right in our front window!); warm, crusty tortas (Mexican submarine sandwiches); and made-to-order caldos (meal-in-a-bowl soups) that feature everything from roasted vegetables to seafood to pork belly.
- Seating capacity: 40
- Hours:
Tuesday–Thursday: 7am–9pm
Friday: 7am–10pm
Saturday: 8am–10pm
Sunday–Monday: Closed
- Reservation policy: XOCO does not take reservations.
- Menu: Some of Mexico’s best street food from one of America’s top chefs. Tortas, Caldos, Churros and housemade hot chocolate. Start your day with breakfast at XOCO.
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- Breakfast served until 10:00AM
- 10:30AM to 11AM: Pastries and beverages only
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- Tortas served after 11AM
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- Caldos (soups) served after 3PM
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- Churros served all day
- Take-Out: XOCO offers takeout for breakfast (until 10:30AM) and after 3PM. We do not
offer takeout from 10:30AM to 3PM. Beverages and pastries are always available
for takeout.
- Beer & Wine: Mexican and local craft beers along with wines carefully selected by Frontera/Topolo sommelier Jill Gubesch.
- Green Room: XOCO has been awarded LEED Gold certification for it’s environmentally conscious build-out.
Part of Mexican street food’s allure is it’s rustic immediacy—experiencing the aromas, sights and sounds of each dish being crafted, interacting with the cooks, customizing your choices. That’s why your first step into XOCO is a step into our kitchen, where each torta is built, each baked good is fashioned, each hot chocolate is whipped to a froth as you watch. Just as street food stalls attract passersby with the rustic allure of wood fires and boldly aromatic offerings, the centerpiece of XOCO’s kitchen is its wood-burning oven where tortas get crisped and suckling pigs for cochinita pibil and lamb for barbacoa are braised overnight in banana leaves.
Rick and Deann Bayless, Proprietors
Carlos Alferez, Managing Partner
XOCO | 449 North Clark Street (enter on Illinois St.), Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312-334-3688 | Email: info@rickbayless.com
At the Corner of Clark and Illinois: The XOCO Blog
