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Clubstaurants are rarely known for having great food, and eating isn’t the point at Costera Cocina Tulum either. But this recent entry into the pool of West Loop untz-untz spots has its uses: a fun birthday for example, or when the Morningstar Investment Conference is in town and wants to go all out on a Thursday night.
In other words, if you're excited about seeing a pineapple on fire, you will have a good time at Costera. The “modern Mexican” dishes are benign if unmemorable, the drinks are tasty despite being batched, the service is attentive, and the overall experience is everything you want from a place you plan to plaster all over social media.
photo credit: Veda Kilaru
photo credit: Veda Kilaru
photo credit: Veda Kilaru
photo credit: Veda Kilaru
The sprawling “Tulum-inspired” space is decked out in straw, palm trees, and enough rope for a legion of double-dutch teams. The scent of palo santo fills the air, mixing with whiffs of sulfur from bottle sparklers which appear as early 6pm. If you’re seated on the heated patio (regrettably dubbed “jungle dining”), be prepared to shout-talk over thumping house music and to use your phone’s flashlight to read the menu. The restaurant transforms into a full-fledged club after 10:30pm—that's when the fog machines emerge—but a meal here is an event no matter what time it is.
Many of the dishes at Costera emphasize style over substance, like a mini trompo al pastor flambéed tableside for 20 seconds, then whisked away to the kitchen to be returned as a bowl of overly sweet pork. Much of the surf and turf-heavy menu is perfectly fine: good enough that you won’t be mad, but slightly annoyed that you spent $58 on nicely charred snapper where most of the flavor comes from a side of semi-mushy tomatoes.
photo credit: Veda Kilaru
photo credit: Veda Kilaru
photo credit: Costera Cocina Tulum
There are better Mexican restaurants in the city than Costera. But you’re not here for a meal that's going to blow your mind. You’re here for flame-topped margaritas served in tiki cups and rounds of shots delivered via airplanes with sparklers on the wings. At Costera, your sustenance is "vibes" and nature’s majesty in the form of carved wooden monkeys hanging on basket lights.
photo credit: Costera Cocina Tulum
Food Rundown
photo credit: Veda Kilaru
Short Rib Quesadillas
photo credit: Veda Kilaru
Peruvian Ceviche
photo credit: Costera Cocina Tulum
Pork Shank Pibil
photo credit: Costera Cocina Tulum
Surf And Turf
photo credit: Veda Kilaru
Tagliatelle With Ragu Barbacoa
photo credit: Costera Cocina Tulum
Spaghetti Con Langosta
photo credit: Veda Kilaru