The wait for a table at Rick Bayless's acclaimed Frontera Grill can top two hours, and a seat at the neighboring Topolobampo needs to be reserved up to two weeks in advance. Luckily, the third Bayless venue on the scene makes it a snap for anyone craving a quick quesadilla to forgo Taco Bell in favor of Frontera Fresco, a cafeteria-style fast-food counter in the seventh-floor food court of Macy's State Street locale.

Frontera Fresco's assembly-line creations are served under fluorescent lighting, accompanied by the expected clattering cafeteria trays and sometimes-competitive first-come, first-served seating. But even if the ambiance doesn't measure up to Bayless's other establishments, the food itself doesn't disappoint. Tortas, grilled Mexican sandwiches, are served with smoky chipotle or creamy cilantro sauce. Huaraches, corn flatbread layered with black beans and chipotle sauce, are grilled with steak, chicken, chorizo sausage or peppers. More typical Mexican fare includes quesadillas and tamales. All items costs less than $8, making it easy to have both a bargain-price lunch or a grander meal, should you add a bowl of Bayless's signature tortilla soup and a festive raspberry-prickly pear limeade to your main course.

If you don't mind the food-court vibe and the impersonal service, Frontera Fresco is a good enough place to sample the world-famous cuisine of Rick Bayless. It won't impress a date the way a table at one of the classier joints will, but if you have $10 in your pocket and a craving for tortilla soup, this might just be the answer.

Centerstage Reviewer: Aimee Hall