Truly the best tacos in Chicago -- and I'd know, I come here about 3 times a week! The grilled shrimp tacos are absolutely unbeatable, and the service is always warm and so friendly. So many great options and the commuter combo is clutch. Everything here is DELICIOUS! You can feel the love that goes into this place -- it's veteran-owned, community-rooted, and a true Chicago staple. The CTA theme is such a fun touch too. 10/10 stars! read more

Pulled over on a whim after noticing the signage and am very glad I did. The employees are helpful and professional. Very clean and reasonable prices. Had Carne Asada and Al Pastor commuter bundles. Extremely satisfied! Char grilled perfection. I'll be back. read more

fun interior and good selection... although prices were a bit high for counter service tacos, you do get a lot of food (if you get the meals) - chips (vegetarians beware, some of the "chips" are chicharrones) and rice and beans. took our kids and basketball team buddies and it was fun showing them around the "old timer" CTA station. loved that [canned] alcoholic bevs and [passable] margaritas were available. the people who worked there were super sweet as well. read more

We wanted to try the tacos from CTA. We decided to dine in. The guy at the counter was very welcoming. He had a smile and carried an upbeat attitude. The decor in the dining area resembles a train station theme. Very cool. My son ordered a grilled fish taco and carne asada taco. My wife ordered an Al pastor taco and fried fish taco, and I ordered a fried fish taco and a carne asada taco. The tacos were all really good. The bite that I got from the al pastor and grilled fish taco were phenomenal. Although I do order fried, the grilled fish was grilled perfectly and had an amazing sauce. The al pastor was tender and juicy. The carne asada taco was very tender as well and perfectly seasoned. Overall we were really satisfied with all the food. If I had to complain about one thing, it would be their salsas. They were spicy at all. I can definitely see myself retuning though. read more

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Tried the fish and shrimp tacos and they were really tasty and a good portion size! The shrimp one was my favorite!! It was so flavorful, had a bit of a kick, and the coleslaw was crunchy and good in the taco. The only thing was that the bathrooms were closed. Friendly service and definitely recommend getting the shrimp taco. read more

Tasty tacos, reasonable prices, fun CTA theme and soon to be margaritas (or so we were told, liquor license incoming?) what more do you need? My husband and I shared four tacos- fish and tinga being our favorite and that was plenty portion wise for us for lunch. Service was friendly and food came out quick. read more

I stopped by this taco place on a Saturday for lunch because the yelp reviews looked great. It wasn't busy during this time. I ordered a shrimp taco and a carne asada taco and they were filling for me. The steak taco was flavorful but the shrimp taco was the star. The jalepeño coleslaw and cajun sauce on the taco were delicious. It was perfectly spicy, I wished I had ordered two of them. They also had a cold water station which was great on a hot day. The only thing that I didn't like was there was a strange sewage type smell throughout the restaurant that bothered me a bit and I wasn't sure where it was coming from and not sure if it is always like that or just that day. Otherwise, the tacos were good. read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Mural - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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When the man at the counter told me the best thing on the menu was the steak burrito, I was a little dubious. But I had asked, and he seemed like a man who knew good food, so I went for it, and he didn't steer me wrong. The burrito is full of steak, set off by crunchy lettuce, delicious guacamole, and brightened by plenty of lime. To my very pleasant surprise there was no rice in the burrito (it's on the side) making the whole thing more delicious and more pleasant to eat. And the whole thing was tossed on the griddle post-assembly lending the finished product additional flavor, texture, and structural integrity. Recommended. read more

The one star is for the high quality and taste of the tacos. The lost the rest of the stars due to the following. First, they up charge on Uber Eats up to $4 extra per taco. The up charge isn't worth it because it was $6.50 for a taco and tiny. Secondly, they didn't pack the horchata or churros as part of the order. Lastly, the elote had no flavor. I really enjoyed my tacos but I don't like practices like this. We all know Uber does what they do but an up charge like that is obnoxious. Hard to say if I'll return but if I do it won't be delivery. read more

Service was quick! Cute decor! Looks like a train with train signs. Mural of Bart Simpson. I ordered a taco salad with steak which was plentiful and delicious. Everything was fresh. read more

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Came here for a quick lunch with a big group of ~10 people. They have an extensive selection of menus and serving speed was quick! We ordered taco salads, tacos, and waffle fries. We also tried their horchata (rice water) which was their homemade drink and it was pretty delicious. The store was overall small but each table would still get sufficient space. They were very generous with the food portions! We had to take the remaining to go. Friendly staff. If you are craving for some tacos, this is the place to go! read more

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I came to eat with a friend because I love this place and had told them it was one of the best restaurants in town. But I was disappointed with the food this time -- especially the shrimp taco. It tasted different, and even the presentation had changed. Jose, I've always loved your food. Please bring that amazing taste back Even though I was disappointed, I still left you 5 stars because I believe in your food and what you do. read more

Amazingly good food. It's a street food menu that's executed to a high level. The chicken tinga was deliciously seasoned and my tacos were elevated when I added the equally delicious elote on top. My friend got a beef burrito and said it was the best he has ever eaten. So now there are two more fans of this great place. read more

Good tacos. Easy to dine in or take out. Can't go wrong with the chicken or shrimp tacos.

Quality tacos and fast service. Fun decor and staff are always friendly. Seating out back and now in front.

Monica & Jose never disappoints when it comes to authenticity. Everything I've had is so delicious but they have the BEST chips and guacamole. There's never any left behind. Lastly, I'm very picky about refried beans and often skip out when it's part of the dinner. I will say they have changed my mind. Must try theirs. read more

I give this review out of love, because I want my old CTA back. My family and I have been ordering takeout from here since it opened. For years, we loved it and ordered a few times a month. Lately, in the last year, the food quality has changed, and it feels less fresh. Sometimes the meat is undercooked or overcooked, bones are still in the chicken, and the taco always feels soggy or not as fresh. I feel harsh writing this, but I had it again today, and my stomach feels funky after eating it. It's a bummer. I hope the quality improves. All love. Hate writing bad reviews. read more

So freaking good. The staff is super nice, the playlist was so vibey and the ambiance was on point. Lots of fun transit references, very fun for transit fans. All the food was great and very affordable! read more

Have been ordering from here since they opened. In the last year the service and quality is absolutely horrible. My family spent almost $100 on tacos tonight. The meat was amazing sternly over cooked, requested steak and cheese, paid for it and this is what we got. Then on top of it didn't receive a single salsa in our order. Even though we specifically requested it. Super disappointed.... And hungry. read more

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Went there with a friend for the first time and it was such an eventful time with my friend. We walked into the restaurant itself & they weren't really offering seating at this time since they're prepping for opening for dining in, but Monica was sweet enough to let us dine in, sit and enjoy the food! We ordered tacos, elote, & hibiscus water that they make in house. Below are some pics that I took from the other day that I tried their tacos. Monica's family owns this place & they were so sweet, she was so patient and checked us on. You ordered and then usually you'd sit down the food. I'm gonna rate the below down below! Steak taco: 5/5 Chicken taco : 4.8/5 Elote : 4.5/5( I'm usually never heavy on cheese) lot of cheese and a little bit of spiciness was on top. Hisbicus water : 3.5/5- wish it was a little sweeter. Food came out really fast & it was really delicious. My friend got the shrimp taco and she rates it a 5/5 and then she ordered 2 more to eat. Tipped before we left and they gave us a free flan each! It looks super yummy :) Customer service is great, tacos were great' read more

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5/5 on tacos! Shrimp taco -- super seasoned Fish taco Chicken tenga -- bit of a kick, like the potato sticks topping Al pastor taco -- all the veg/herbs were on one half Super nice staff helped me with my order but I forgot that to mention that I cannot eat spicy! read more

Well... we did enjoy some items but can't say this lived up to the hype. I got shrimp, fish and steak tacos. The shrimp came deconstructed which I didn't realize at first but once it was assembled, it was pretty good. The steak was good! The fish was unimpressive. My husband enjoyed his tacos but they did come quite messy and cold even though we had a set order time and waited 20 mins past that. The shredded chicken on the side was really good but it was half onions. The elote was also good but nothing to write home about. Overall, with all the options... we would prob try some where else next time. read more

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Food: fresh, made to order, super friendly team members. The chicken taco is the best one I have had. Juicy and caught me by surprise. Service: quick, clean and attentive. They remembered me after a couple times coming back. Only minus thing is street parking, can be hard to find around rush hours. Overall: 5/5, highly recommended. read more

10/10 recommend CTA. Pozole - soooo goood and i can't wait to heat it up to finish it tonight. Tinga - omggg so good! I wish I got 2!! Pastor - also good. They have a great mural outside AND inside, so many gifts that support other local shops, and the staff were so so nice and spoke in Spanish with me. The owner threw in a house made flan on the house for us. It's PERFECT. Get the flan. read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Pozole con repollo y rábano. 2 tacos: tinga y pastor. Right by the window. - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love this place - I can tell it's a neighborhood staple. Always a pretty calm vibe in there even when they're busy. The staff are awesome and kind, and the food is amazing!! The al pastor taco with pineapple completely changed my view on al pastor tacos. I get it every time I go. Their cotija truffle waffle fries are also incredible. And it's CTA themed - so cool read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

After a long bike ride, long run, and a half hour workout, I had a ravenous appetite. While scrolling through restaurants on my delivery app, Chicago Taco Authority jumped out. Glad that is where I paused. The fish taco was outstanding. The slaw on it did not taste vinegary. The shrimp taco had plump shrimp on it. The guacamole and chips hit the spot. I saved the quesadilla for breakfast the next day and was glad of it, because it was good. The rice and frijoles were perfect sides. When the pandemic eases up, I will go to the restaurant for a sitdown so I can get on-site photos to feature on my blog. They don't disappoint. read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Tacos: Fish and Shrimp. Guacamole and Chips. Arroz y Frijoles. Quesadilla. - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My son and I just had lunch. I had a fish taco, shrimp taco and carne asada taco, all were excellent. My son had 2 carne asada taco's, also excellent. First time having Jaritos (mandarin), another new favorite. read more

I got 4 of the 5 items on the regular taco menu - steak, fish, surf and turf, and Al pastor. All very delicious! Reasonable prices. Staff were friendly. Did not wait long for food. My only complaint is the floors and tables are not maintained but I don't feel like docking a star for just that. https://www.yelp.com/collection/8mCXaaKQAQ7hn-PPUG9iXQ?utm_content=Collections&utm_source=ashare read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Chicago Taco Authority is a great taqueria of Chicago. Great food and ambiance. Cool decor as they represent the city of Chicago. 5 out of 5 stars. read more

We ordered so much food and it was all so good. I don't think you can go wrong with this place. My favorite was the fish tacos but everything was equally good. The flan was a bit thicker in texture than it is when I've ordered it elsewhere but it was still very good. My least favorite item was still very tasty, the steak tacos. The meat was high quality but it tasted a bit dry. I believe this is because I ordered delivery. Will eat here in person next time. read more

Whenever me and my partner visit, the first stop is Chicago Taco Authority! The tacos are delicious, and you need to try all the salsas / sauces at least once. Our personal favorite is the Chicken Tinga taco with a side (or 2) of the Chipotle Adobo sauce. Can't miss with the Classic Steak tacos either. You will be missing out if you don't try this spot - 10/10 recommend! read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Chicken Tinga - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Loved the variety of tacos on the menu along with non taco items (bowls, salads, sides). We got five taco and elotes, total was $23 (before tip) and we are both STUFFED. The meat tacos seemed small wrapped up but once opened up, they had a lot of meat/filling so definitely don't judge the size in the foil wrap. The veggie and fish taco were big and came in individually wrapped boxes. Steak - a lot of flavor Al Pastor - not as much flavor as the others but still good Chorizo - great flavor and spice Fish - huge chunk of fish, maybe a little heavy of cabbage and sauce but would definitely order again and just ask for less cabbage and sauce, good portion of a perfectly ripe avocado Chile Relleno - Excellent vegetarian option, must try! Not to mention it was a HUGE taco Elotes - creamy sweet and spicy. How is this possible? Don't know but you should try it. read more

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Next time, I need to order tacos!! Good quality meat and flavors. My bf and I both enjoyed what we each got. I did the CTA Express Bowl (loaded elote, guacamole, barbacoa), and it came with 2 corn tortillas, red and green salsa. Well priced and generous with their meat! read more

Chicago Taco Authority - CTA Express Bowl - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Flavorful food in comparison to other taco spots in the area but not worth the inflated price via delivery services! $7 for a teaspoon of ingredients and burnt onions throughout the Al Pastor. No salsa included despite making the selection with each item. Perhaps it's a better experience in the restaurant. Wanted to love this place but I'll pass... read more

Finally got a chance to visit the CTA -- Chicago Taco Authority. Located on busy Irving Park Rd, not too far off the Kennedy junction, there was decent amount of street parking, if you don't mind trying to parallel park while cars are coming at ya. Street parking, is not free, but this is Chicago. There is some parking on the adjacent side street, but beware as most are permit parking, considering this area is close to the Blue Line and Metra. Chicago Taco Authority, if you haven't guessed yet, plays on the Chicago Transit Authority theme. Their menu is sectioned-off by tacos, burritos, salads, sides, etc with CTA lines to denote the categories. The overall CTA theme is pretty clever and quite honestly is what drew me to this place, with the name alone. On the high-seat bar tables along one side, they put up a tiny window wall decor to mimic as if you were sitting on a CTA train. CTA offers fresh cucumber water dispenser for all your hydration needs and a salsa bar with a variety of salsas include Mild, Hot, and Pico. All salsas are made fresh as I saw them preparing the pico. My favorite was the pico. Call me boring. I went ahead and ordered the following: Steak taco -- a classic taco. It came with carne asada, cilantro, and raw onion. Somewhat dry, compared to the other tacos, but was ok. Probably my least favorite out of my order, but still good Shrimp taco -- Cajun shrimp, coleslaw, two big sliced avocado pieces, chili aioli. This one had a huge amount of coleslaw, but it was really good Fish taco -- grilled fish, with cajun seasoning, heaping amount of coleslaw, Chihuahua cheese, cilantro aioli, and flour tortilla. This was very flavorful, but honestly, too much coleslaw for me Chicken tinga taco -- Pulled chicken in chipotle adobo sauce with jalapeño coleslaw, avocado, and chilli aioli. Really good. The meat was very moist and juicy. One of the best chicken taco I've had Brisket taco -- braised shredded beef brisket, iceberg, radish, queso fresco, and house salsa. Came in a nicely crunchy taco shell. Probably my absolute favorite Elote -- Corn, mayo, cheese, chili powder, and lime. They mixed it in a bowl fresh. The gold standard. Order your food at the front, give out your name and they'll call out your name once your order has been freshly prepared. BATHROOM REVIEW: Located near the back, there's a single-person bathroom for men. Unlike the CTA subway, the inside of this bathroom was super clean. There was a motion detection paper towel, so no fear of touching anything. I was extremely pleasantly surprised at how clean it was. The tile and everything reminded me more of a Chipotle bathroom. Sit or squat? Sit! read more

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Kind of a cool themed taco restaurant in the motif of a CTA inspired interior. They just hit their 1 year anniversary Mid December 2018. The walls have paneling that resembles the corrugated metal exterior face of the train cars w/punched window openings from the trains. There are a number of signs from the red & blue lines that adorn the walls. The menu sign is cleverly designed w/items tied to all the CTA train lines. MENU ITEMS/TRAIN LINES * Green Line - Tacos & Salads * Blue Line - Tacos * Red Line - Sides * Purple Line - Drinks * Orange Line - Dessert * Pink Line - Burritos I ordered 3 tacos, 1 steak W/onions & cilantro, 1 grilled fish & a shrimp taco wrapped w/bacon * The beef taco came w/a nice sized portion of beef, but the beef was a little tough & kind of lacking flavor. 3 Stars. * The fish taco had a generous sized piece of grilled fish, cole slaw & a green pesto sauce. The fish was very good w/the cole slaw adding a nice crunchy texture. Very good taco -4 Stars * The shrimp taco wrapped in bacon. This was my favorite taco. - 4 Stars The rest of the decor was kind of cool with things like an old coin operated phone booth in the corner. Kind of a blast from the past. They also had street signs one for ORDER HERE & one for the SALSA which I didn't even realize it was there until after I finished eating the tacos. read more

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I got an email from Caviar that they have a limited edition available. Look at that photo-- doesn't that look soooo good? So that's what I've ordered through Caviar. Soon, I got a phone call that stated that the owner put it out there for Caviar but ordered wrong ingredients so they are not able to make the chicken tinga sandwich. So she offered to make chicken tinga burrito, even though it costs more. I still opted for it because they have good reviews and I needed to lunch anyway. I get my order in promised time and comes the food that are pictured. How disappointing is that to go from picture A what I thought I was getting, but in a burrito version, to picture B, what I actually got. That was very disappointing. I thought there was too much of mushy rice inside the burrito. Plus side was the burrito huge, but down side is I didn't want to finish it. The family quesadilla, however, was good. I would order that again. Chicago Taco Authority- please don't put false advertisement like that and hype up people. The sandwich looked really good and I couldn't wait to try it! And then had a huge disappointment. I've ordered a special order through Caviar through another restaurant and that was positive. This time, not so much. read more

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Amazing food for a great price. My fiancé and I came here while waiting for my car to be serviced up the street and were not let down; we will be back. We tried the steak, al pastor, fish, crunchy barbacoa and relleno tacos along with a small side of guac and elote. Each taco was better than the next and the elite hit the spot. Worth the visit! read more

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Chicago Taco Authority not only has great tacos, but really leans into a fun theme (I love a good theme). Venue: Walk up counter to order; seating inside; small patio outside. The CTA theme is carried throughout with great signage like you would see with the Chicago Transit Authority. The outdoor seating has a great mural of a train, bus stop - great for social media photos. *as of 5/29, indoor seating is not available. They plan to have indoor dining within the next month! Food: We ordered all tacos: Chicken Tinga, Shrimp, Al Pastor, Steak, Barbacoa. The combination of flavors in the Chicken Tinga, Shrimp, Al Pastor were fantastic. The meat in the Steak was so good - we actually ordered additional. Each taco has a generous amount of meat and I loved the flour tortilla on the Shrimp taco (all the others were corn, also good). The only one we didn't like was the barbacoa. Service: Friendly! They will text you when your order is ready, which is great. We are definitely going to be back! read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Chicken Tinga - loved the crunch in the taco - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Stopped in yesterday afternoon for a steak taco and Chile Riano taco I'm very disappointed the steak meat tasted nothing like authentic Mexican tacos should taste it was very Bland. I requested no rice and light beans and those were both added as normal.. smh I believe there are new owners and I can clearly see the entire staff is different. I need to find a new location for my tacos! read more