Another spot that has been on my bucket list for a while! I came here with my parents for a late Saturday lunch and this patio is amazing. Definitely a great spot for the summer and apparently they have an incredible happy hour deal. We tried some chicken tacos and the mini bean burrito app. My dad also got some soup and other tacos. First of all, the service is excellent, and everyone is very kind and friendly. They seem to have really good drinks and reasonable prices. You have to get three tacos with beans and rice but honestly, it's worth it because the beans and rice taste super fresh and the tacos are well worth it. We also tried a cauliflower one, but it was really spicy so we weren't crazy about it. I saw our recommendation on TikTok to try the cheese and bean burritos and genuinely these were incredible??? It comes with four little burritos and they are just a little fluffy bites of goodness. I need to come back for the happy hour and get these again. Really a great place and it makes sense to me that they've been here since the 70s because I normally feel sick after eating Mexican food and since everything was so fresh, I felt great! Awesome chips too! I am coming back to try the churros read more

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As much as I wanted to say great things about this place unfortunately I can't. It took about 25 minutes to get an order of happy hour bean burritos. Four mini bean burritos. I thought to myself OK, no big deal. Hot food takes time. except that wasn't the case. The outer shell was warm because they grill it off on the flat top but the beans inside were barely room temperature. So I sit there for a while and no body comes around. I end up having to take the food inside and explain that the beans are "cold" not hot or even above warm.. The girl said ok no problem. 2 mins later she brings me back the same plate of food with the half eaten burrito still on the plate. She literally put the food in the microwave!! THE MICROWAVE!! I mean, is it really asking that much for four hot mini burritos not microwaved?!?! read more

Our first visit to Cafe El Tapatio, and what an amazing experience. First, it's impressive to think this restaurant has been around for more than 50 years. The founders came from Guadalajara, Jalisco, and despite having no restaurant experience, opened what became one of Chicago's early spots for authentic Mexican cuisine. You can learn a lot about a Mexican restaurant from the chips and salsa. Are they unique and memorable, or just the same thing you've had a hundred times? Both were super tasty here, and the salsa packed some heat. We started with the Queso Fundido. You can never go wrong dipping chips into a skillet of bubbling hot cheese, except when you fail to let it cool and burn the roof of your mouth! I ordered the Arrachera XX, while my guests went with the Enchiladas Verdes and Taco Carta. My charbroiled skirt steak, marinated with XX Lager, was flavorful, tender and tasted incredibly authentic. I loved my Piña Poblano cocktail so much that I had to order a second and almost went for a third. The combination with pineapple-infused Pueblo Viejo Blanco was delicious, and the presentation looked as good as the drink tasted. The atmosphere adds to the experience. Between the colorful walls and tile floors, it feels a little like you've done some time travel to Guadalajara. Since Cafe El Tapatio is only three blocks from where we were visiting, I'm certain we'll be back to explore more of the menu. read more

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Love the neon sign & painted exterior wall. We came to sit outside of their cute patio on a perfect summer day. Beautiful flower boxes & nice shade. Servers were friendly. The chips & salsa were great. Warm & salty chips. The salsa was delicious & spicy. No drinks for this afternoon. We had to ask for refills on our water. I ordered the shrimp fajitas. It came with beans, rice & sour cream. The shrimp was tough & I disliked the orange sauce that they were drowning in. The onions & peppers weren't really sizzling. More like stewed. The corn tortillas tasted old & stale. I'd give this 1 star. Beans & rice were delicious. The rice was so flavorful & a little sticky. Loved it. My husband tried their famous enchiladas. Wasn't feeling the fame. Next time I'll try something else & get a churro. Those looked great! read more

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Cafe El Tapatio was great! They have an amazing patio that is super cute. We made a reservation & I was glad we did because it was packed at 6pm on a Thursday night! I got shrimp & cauliflower tacos. The shrimp one was good but really lacked sauce. It needed something more. The cauliflower tacos were soooo good they came with a really really good herby green sauce. I would go back to try more things! read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was awful only surpassed by bad service. We received wrong dish but then waitress told me I ordered wrong. The menu clearly stated inclusions but she insisted no rice. Flautas were also overcooked. Obviously customer always wrong here. Don't go. read more

Passed this place at least 100 times and have always wanted to try it. Well I stopped on a beautiful day and dined alfresco. Great patio and shaded by trees. Started out with the free chips and salsa (the first round at least). Second round is $4. Chips were so good but, the salsa was spicy- a little too spicy for me. I had the Famous Suizas Enchiladas beef with beans and rice. It was 3 out of 5 stars. The sauce was sweet and had a different taste. I was hoping for a hint of smoke taste, maybe they have it in their mole sauce? Beans were prepared and tasted wonderful. Rice was decent. Very small pieces of rice but, a generous portion. Now that I tried it, I probably won't be back. I say probably because the patio was great and that was the only thing that was memorable on this trip. read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Famous Suizas Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went here for the first time about a month ago and have been coming back often since. They have happy hour every day from 4-6, including snacks and margs. The margaritas are not anything I would sign off on normally, as a bartender myself, but for $6 I'll take the sugary pre-mix as long as it's paired with any of those delightful snacks, especially in this economy. The mini burritos are such a sweet deal and I'm convinced they taste better just because they're cute. At a regular hour, one of their house made margaritas/cocktails (the Peliroja is a fav) with complimentary chips and ~actually spicy~ salsa is STILL a happy hour in my opinion. Literally cannot get much better. The elote is not my favorite honestly, as it seems to lack salt, but that could also be my scorched taste buds--I asked for hot sauce and they brought this creamy sort of one in an unmarked bottle that was super hot and delicious. Service is fast as hell, patio is great for people watching (they have heaters too) and inside is cozy and well decorated. I am blessed to be within walking distance. I haven't tried their regular menu food yet but I have all the opportunity and intent to. ;) read more

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Happy hour update: patio is so cute, with that cozy neighborhood vibe and the salsa is an absolute blast of flavor. The service is always so fast and kind. All around 10s read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Margarita Chips and Salsa - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Really beautiful restaurant and presentation! Unfortunately, I didn't find that the flavors matched. The guacamole just tasted like avocado, and the nachos were unimpressive. The fajitas were the stand out, good portion and flavor. Service was okay, minimal visits to the table but efficient. read more

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Been a patron for almost three decades and it's ALWAYS wonderful! Great for families and any occasion. Gota order the Burro Bowl!!!

As someone who lives in Dallas, I'm a little critical of Mexican food but this place was so good! They were so accommodating of our huge group, had incredible margs and really good salsa. Highly recommend! read more

Excellent service, cozy atmosphere, quality food with excellent options, and friendly service. This place... I highly recommend! read more

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We have come here multiple times and have always been happy. Service great. They were on top of the water. Chios and salsa perfect- but we like spicy. I had 3 tacos a nd jicama salad. Loved my shrimp and cheese taco, and beef was good. Portobello was ok. I won't order that one next time. Husband had chicken enchilada mole which is always excellent. They were rocking tonight and did a great job. Sitting outside is always lovely on a nice summer night read more

An amazing spot to grab a drink and a bite! Highly recommend the elote and the mojito! The service was quick and everyone was friendly. The vibe was chill and everyone was having a nice evening with friends! Highly recommend if you're in the neighborhood! read more

Not all chips and salsa are created equal, but this place's were great. I had the enchiladas verdes with tinga, and as someone who is very picky about their tinga, I highly recommend. The jumbo margaritas were indeed jumbo! Enjoyed the mango one. Super cute place and love that it's connected to a churro shop as well. We sat outside and while it was chilly they had space heaters. The staff was very accommodating about moving us a couple times so we were closer to the heaters. Unfortunately, the one we were next to died, and while a staff member did turn it back on, it died again which made things colder than expected. The bathroom situation was weird. There was one single stall situated right in the center of the servers' station. I waited roughly 10-15 minutes while someone was in there and felt awkward standing in the middle of the restaurant. Eventually a waiter did direct me to a different single stall on the opposite side of the restaurant. Overall, good vibes and food. We went on a busy Saturday night and were seated promptly with great service. read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Jumbo mango and strawberry margaritas. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place is seriously my favorite. They jump revamped their menu and it did not disappoint. My friend got the pineapple coconut pancakes that were delicious. And I loved the grilled talapia tacos read more

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We've been here several times and it's always great! We've never had a time where the food taste different or not the same, this place is consistent. It's is a bit pricey, but the quality is great. The drinks are average, more on the sugary side but not mad. Like you have to have a marg at some point! Service is quick and friendly. It's a bit loud in there between the music and people, but when it's almost 70 degrees in March then hey if you can't beat em, join em. Definitely recommend: Carne asada Queso fondido with chorizo Chile relleno Enchiladas crepas with chicken Guacamole read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Carne Asada - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A great place to take friends or family! And they had some really cute Christmas decorations. My friend who is celiac (no gluten) shared the app and got tacos and was fine! We split the queso fundido with chorizo which is so good and very cheesy and fairly big. Make sure to save some of your table chips! Which I was able to do because the table salsa was a little spicy for me. I did the carnitas taco and the abrazo de carne taco with rice and beans. The carnitas taco was juicy and delicious. The abrazo was extra cheesy and definitely very filling but I enjoyed the steak, too. Good portion of rice and beans, too! And of course fantastic margs. read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Queso Fundido with Chorizo - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This restaurant is very small on the inside but they do offer outdoor seating that's heated. I highly recommend making reservations if you plan to go. It is very cute on inside but very close together. Our service was great but no complaints about that at all. Everyone assisted everyone we received extra salsa and tortilla chips when needed water was filled on time no issues with service. The guacamole is made fresh I would like it if they have put some jalapenos in it but it was good overall. My daughter did the taco platter where you can pick three tacos. She ordered the bello taco, abrazo de camarôn, and jarocho taco. According to her she was not a fan of any of the tacos she gives it a 2/5 stars. Now my friend and I both got the combination fajitas I got the shrimp and steak medium well and she got the chicken and steak. We both agreed that the steak was tender had flavor but we just don't think it was a good grade of steak because it had a certain aftertaste to it. Both the chicken and shrimp tasted good we just wish that they gave us more of both even the steak it just looks like a lot on the picture because there were a lot of onions and green peppers on the plate. I may have received about 4 shrimps with the combination. read more

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Save your money and go somewhere else. Food is too expensive and not good. $24 for a burrito that was so watery and runny I could not eat it and threw it away. They said it was runny from the chicken, never heard of that and I've had 100's of chicken burritos that were chicken and not runny. I still gave them a chance with a margarita since at 4pm they're on happy hour for $6, still not good. How can you mess up a margarita? It was Pineapple and had a weird after taste and it's probably because they're pre batch made for happy hour. The one star is for their chips and salsa which is the only good thing on the menu. Can't believe this place is a neighborhood favorite, but then again I am in Lakeview. Most people this way wouldn't know what good Mexican is. They would fail and wouldn't last in Little Village or Pilsen. If I want good Mexican, I probably need to stick to going West. read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Pineapple margarita had a weird after taste - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Tried ordering delivery tonight on their website. I ordered at 5:07 pm and the estimated delivery time was 5:37 pm. It's now 7 pm (almost two hours after I ordered), the tracking info keeps resetting to "28 min away" every 10 min or so, and the restaurant is not answering their phone. Don't order delivery from this place if you actually want to get your meal. read more

Small inside but mid-size patio outside that allows the dog. Sitting on the patio is tight, so big or mod size dogs might need to be seated very tight. Service was not good. Our server made a remark on me being vegetarian. Initially, he forgot our request on hot sauce. After our reminding he brought it but made remark they typically do not give it because no one eats it, so we should not keep it untouch. We sat for a while after our table was cleaned for the bill. He passed us but ignored us. Finally, we got up and paid at the desk. Mumbai Margarita - 3/5 Veg fajita - 4/5 - good taste and big size. The grilled veggies are chopped big and in greasy red masala. Guacamole-3.5/5 Revoltijo - 5/5 read more

Cafe El Tapatio - REVOLTIJO - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Surprisingly great patio for being on a busy corner! I loved the limonada for a mocktail treat, but my boyfriend really impressed with his michelada too!! Birria tacos and elote also made the reorder list for next time for us! The staff were also super kind and attentive! Will be back! read more

Cafe El Tapatio - LIMONADA SLUSH - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good for a low key couple of young adults. Probably wouldn't take my parents here. Delicious. Love the homemade salsa and menu selection. Trains/ambulances are loud on Ashland but fuck it, this place is chill and has great tasting nachos and burritos. read more

Delicious food. i could not stop eating. Patio seating, easy parking and great service. I will return.

Service, Food & Ambiance: I tend to only contact a restaurant when I have had a poor experience - and want to warn others on Yelp. Our 7:00PM reservation was NOT honored We were told to stand in the back for 23 minutes I overheard the front host tell a waitress that - He bumped us for a party of eight - They never arrived so he sat us after 23 minutes Your host never apologized By the time our food order arrived, a full hour had already passed from our original reservation time. My Carne Asada Taco Platter was tasteless - The Carne was overcooked and bone dry - There were no limes or sauces provided - The side dish of Mexican Rice was cold - The side of Refried Beans was over-salted - It took a lemonade and four full glasses of water to wash down this dry, salty food - My final bite of rice had two long blonde hairs - Our waitress had long blonde hair - No one in our party is blonde My daughter asked for a box to take leftovers The waitress reached over my food and the full length of our table to hand her this box She bent her body fully across me to do this Her armpit was right in my face Three drunken patrons at the bar were screaming Our waitress yelled back our order to be heard She yelled it out only inches from my left ear My left ear began ringing at her volume When we paid, it took 18 minutes for the waitress to process our credit card Five waitstaff were outside chatting during all this. The male host who had made us wait for our table played games on his cell phone for the 90 minutes we were in Cafe El Tapatio. You really can not make all this up. How could all this occur during a single visit? Answer: Poor Management and Training. read more

excellent food, ambiance and service. Good variety on menu. Great outdoor patio. Been going here for 34 years and it is still fantastic. One of our favorite places to go In the neighborhood read more

Average food, not too flavorful and some of the food we ordered did not show up. I got the Ben Aqui for an appetizer but it was just a bowl of cheese and beef and poblano and onions. Interesting but not incredible. There was nothing to eat it with but a spoon. Then I got the Suizo which was a potato, sour cream chicken tinga burrito with a lack of flavor, I asked for hot sauce and got a spicy cold salsa. My partner ordered a Shrimp soup, it was large and he said it was lacking spice and very hot. He was supposed to have tortillas on the side and they never came. We also ordered a kids quesadilla and it came with beans and rice. The staff were kind and the music was nice read more

Still the best Mexican spot in Chicago. Stand out dishes: elotes, papas primaveras, taquitos, suizo burrito, flautas, short rib tacos, chicken mole... wait, did I just name everything on the menu? :) Oh, yes, also the margaritas. read more

Cafe El Tapatio is worth a trip to Roscoe Village!! We discovered this restaurant on a whim when we needed a quick bite before a class. And we've been back 4 times since! I love love love their brunch offerings and nightly happy hours. I love that the manager comes to check in every time. The Azteca soup is delicious. The marinade on the fajitas is fantastic. Tacos are good but small for the price. The enchiladas were huge. I definitely plan to continue coming back and trying more of the menu! read more

We arrived late afternoon and ordered off the Happy Hour menu. The food was delicious and the service was great. This is also a bright restaurant with good acoustics so you can have a conversation. It was busy but not crowded. I would recommend this to anyone who wants great food, great service and reasonable prices. read more

Stopped in for lunch on a Thursday. It wasn't crowded at all so took a table in the back. The free chips and salsa were good but note the salsa was very spicy so be careful if you don't have water on your table and you are not expecting it. They have a full bar but we were not drinking. The lunch menu has lots of options. I had the tacos with rice and beans and they were all very good and just enough food not too much. The service was good. Parking is street only and they have an outside area in the summer. Would eat here again when I am back in the city. read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Lunch/Breakfast Menu - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went to the restaurant during happy happy and got some of the things off of their HH menu. Everything was so fantastic. Along with that the service was so amazing, from start to finish. I can't wait for my next visit, I would highly recommend to a friend. read more

We went to celebrate my birthday and the food was so yummy, we got a classic pitcher and spicy pitcher of margs and they were equally as delicious!! Edgar our server made me feel so special on my birthday! Such a cute restaurant. read more

We started with a queso with chorizo and it was delicious. Real chesse instead of the usual 'nacho cheese'. I ordered the carne asada with frites and it was also delicious. read more

A burrito shouldn't be more than 19 dollars. I don't care who you think you are. You are Mexican food. Not even an infusion. Your cheese, soggy veggies, and beans should not be mashed together to make a 19 dollar burrito. Holy cow. Food service workers and owners are so delusional in Chicago. If you're Mexican hanging around gentrificated cuisine, keep your honor and class and make the best damn Mexican food you can for the price that it is. Now you've just made it disgustingly expensive vitamix blended Taco Bell inspired cuisine. Chicago palette is broken. read more

Everyone is super nice, food is good, and vibe is great! Big fan, been 2 times in last couple weeks already and will be more

Wishing I could give this place high praise, but unfortunately that isn't the case. I wasn't even able to try anything as securing a reservation means nothing here. Had a reservation and was waiting over thirty minutes to be seated, yet all other waiting patrons were seated before me. Disappointed to say the least. read more

Such good food, such horrible service. We got in and stood at the host stand at noon at a mostly empty restaurant for 10 minutes. No host came to greet us and the bartender didn't even turn around. We finally sat down on our own, grabbing the nearest table. There were only two other tables in a very open restaurant, we still had to flag our waitress to bring us water and menus. She came back with three waters, some chips, and a single napkin. The food is truly great, but we have to flag her down again to get our order in. After giving our order, which she did not ask us for any drinks, she never refilled our chips. We had to for more napkins, at least one for every person. The order came up quickly, and she delivered it. For the next 30 minutes, however, she never checked on us, never refilled our waters, never checked on the food or offer more chips. She did nothing. Eventually, we had to get the bartender to give us our bill. I have not had this bad of service in many years read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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