Cool location, but mid-level food. My wife ordered a few tacos and I had the burrito that's listed as their most popular item. The food was fresh and cooked well, but the flavor wasn't inspiring. My wife's tacos were covered with an aioli that was a bit too spicy. My burrito was simultaneously bland and also occasionally too spicy. My wife and I both love spicy food, so it wasn't a matter of our palates being off. That being said, the place is decent if you're looking for something quick and convenient. However, it's not something to go out of the way for. read more

We order from Chicago taco with already regularly and are always very happy with their selection and quality of food. Our favorites street tacos are steak, fish and the chicken Tinga. Love the posole, and if you're really hungry - get their burritos! read more

It was my first time trying food here today and would def come back. I only got to try a couple tacos but everything tasted great so far. Glad to see this place in my neighborhood. Ambiance was great! Had a quick chat with the owner and staff was friendly too. read more

We were in the city buying a car and got hungry. Took a walk to Smoque... one of our favorite spots but they were closed and good thing. So good. Totally wasn't what I was expecting and I'm thankful. These tacos are a little pricey but so delicious. They are incredibly hearty and substantial. I got the steak taco and the surf and turf taco. Not sure I can pick which I like more than the other cuz, seriously, both so good. They also have this salsa bar filled with all these yummy salsas. I love salsa and spice. Go. Eat here. Think of me. You're welcome. read more

Chicago Taco Authority - So much yum... - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the best taco place in Chicago! The food here is always delicious and fresh. Our favorite tacos to order: tinga chicken, steak, fish, shrimp, and you can't go wrong with any of their burritos. We were dining here quite often before the pandemic, the place was always clean and people who work there are really nice. They don't have inside seating now that's why we order our food for takeout or delivery, but we just learned that they have patio seating located behind the restaurant building. read more

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Outstanding, as usual. We got steak tacos, al pastor tacos, and the crispy fish tacos. The tacos and salsa were excellent. 3 tacos per person seemed to be the right amount. I'm so glad this place is within walking distance! read more

Love Chicago Taco Authority. Their pozole (which may be seasonal) is my favorite ever. It's a red broth, and a steal at $12. We often get two and save one for later. read more

You like tasty grilled tacos? You have to try CTA! Really cool concept inside. I will definitely be back! Our order: Steak tacos Shrimp taco ( my wife's favorite) Rice ( it is just like abuelitas rice) read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've only gotten delivery from here but it's a go to for me and my dude. I love the food--and I really appreciate they've been adding new options for tacos (and other things, but we just always get tacos, I've gotten quesadillas a few times and they've always been good). He gets their steak tacos, I rotate between the chicken tinga, carnitas, steak, tropical shrimp, Al pastor (I'm super picky with Al pastor, this is solid but not my fav ever), or bbq bacon wrapped shrimp. We then get chips and their elotes. Their chips are great (as are their tortillas, obviously). Elotes very good. I also love their jamaica hibiscus drink. Docking off a star cause recently (within the past 6ish months) almost every time we've ordered something has been missing from our order. I get refunded by the app I use and all but it's disappointing when you don't get what you're expecting. Also today I tried to called twice to ask if they could add extra lime to my order and no one picked up. I get that it's a Saturday, but still. read more

I've been recommending this place to everyone. I am so disappointed with this place. I am picky with steak this is why this was my favorite spot for surf and turf taco. Unfortunately the last 2 times including this weekend I've received reg steak that comes on the steak taco, and with the wrong garnish both times. I love their shrimp tacos! Never got it wrong always good. But To give the wrong info what comes on the tacos and meat. At least tell the people what you are serving them. Very disappointed dedicated customer.... Just please simply apologize, and fix it. Don't disrespect me... read more

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Friendly inspired choice for tacos. Back patio for takeout is nice though down a side alley. Order inside. Was told they are developing app for patio order. Enjoyed veg buttiro bowl with Chile Reynaldo's 2 lots of food. Good value pricing. read more

I live upstairs and come here when I'm craving tacos. They've got an assortment of different salsas that I dabble in. They now serve burritos. Got guacamole. They got jarritos. The place is family owned. Brings the Chicago culture to the old Irving park. Great addition to the hood read more

Loved it & BYOB! Wasn't busy at all. Went with my best friend & her cousin who was in town. I had 2 surf and turf tacos & one chicken tinga. Problem: cashier never turned in my order so the two I'm with dont want to eat w/o me, but we're confused why no one is cooking after a while. Where we were sitting, the cooks see me foodless and I see them chilling. Me: Them: Me: Them: .. "...did you order something?? What's your name?" They go to the register and snatch the tix, cooked it quickly AND gave me a free taco! Everyone is friendly, homemade salsa is delicious and churros are great. read more

Chicago Taco Authority - 2 chix tingas on the left, surf and turf on the right. - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Welcome to the neighborhood! And thank you for coming to open up this place. Best tacos I have had in Chicago for a 1/3 the price. Quality ingredients in every taco. This isn't Taco Bell, that's for sure. Also the whole decor with the CTA theme is pretty cool. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. read more

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Taco was good but not almost $5 goods I would not return simply due to the price of the food.

Can you imagine how fricking hard it's been to find Chicago tacos that satisfy my Texas BF???? Ridiculous. BUT we've finally found a taqueria that's stolen his heart. It's clear CTA was created by and for the neighborhood. It's also got all the little chef-y flourishes that get hipster taco places all the attention. Each was absolutely luscious: duck, asada, al pastor and short rib. Super fresh ingredients, generous portions, and quick, friendly counter service. So good, we gobbled them all in the car before ever pulling away from the curb. read more

Chicago Taco Authority - A box full of joy. - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Taco time! Ambiance This is a cool taco shop to walk into. They captured the "el" look of the CTA and put it into the shop. It has an old style phone both, street signs and cta color lines. One of the walls is decorated to look like the side of a train car. Service Good service and fast food time. Nothing really more to say. Food The taco is good. They have a nice variety of tacos. The classic steak taco is delicious. I had the al pastor which was nice. The shrimp taco was tasty. They added a nice spice to it. All in all they were good tacos. Overall I read some of the reviews and I half to disagree with the one person that said that it was expensive. The price is very comparable to the other street taco types shops that I have eaten at. Also the quality of the meats would warrant the price. They did not use cheap ground beef for anything. If you want cheap tacos, go to Taco Bell. The quality of these tacos are better than Taco Bell. I would recommend these tacos. read more

I typically like the tacos here, but I'm a bit disappointed this time. I ordered the $10 quesadilla combo hoping to share with my partner. The pic on the menu shows a large 8-slice quesadilla, with two giant flour tortillas stacked up -- kind of like a quesadilla pizza! What I got was one medium sized flour tortilla folded over: half of what I ordered. So, after picking up dinner, I have to head back out again to pick up something else for us. I don't mind high prices if the food is good, but false advertising is frustrating. read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Quesadilla combo pic from menu - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This restaurant has potential, but they need to polish up their ordering system and customer service. Clicked on a link available on their Instagram page and ordered online. An error in their order form (see photo) ended up messing up our order. When the restaurant called to say that they won't have exact change if we pay with cash, I asked if our steak tacos would have cilantro and onion. The woman on the other line said they would. They did not. When we came home with our order and noticed the error, I called and the woman tried arguing with me. Order mess ups are super frustrating when you're paying almost $40. Outside of their ordering system and service, their food wasn't bad... I was not wowed by their fish taco, but did like the steak tacos and elote. The quacamole needed some more lime and salt. Hopefully CTA can turn things around, until next time! read more

Chicago Taco Authority - If you want onion and cilantro, keep these checked, otherwise you will not get these ingredients Ordered through link on Instagram. - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food is great but they are not answering their phone today and the voicemail is full. Argh.

Holy moly! We haven't had tacos this flavorful, bold and delicious since our last trip to the California coast! This place is LEGIT and it is obvious that the owner and employees take a lot of pride in their food. We tried 4 tacos: classic steak, al pastor, shrimp (our favorite) and barbacoa. They were all delicious in their own way. The pineapple on the al pastor added a sweetness to the chile-marinated pork, and the chili aioli and chihuahua cheese really added a velvety delicious texture to the shrimp and avocado. The tortillas were fresh, and we love the collab between Smoque (nearby BBQ joint) sauce on the BBQ bacon-wrapped shrimp. It you're looking for FRESH, flavorful tacos that are like little works of art, give CTA a try! We only wish we lived closer! read more

Chicago Taco Authority - The rice & beans combo is served side-by-side. If I had it to do over again, I'd have skipped this for another taco. - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went in on the strength of the other reviews here on Yelp and I must have gone in on a really off day because nothing really spoke to me once I got it home. They took a really long time to make the food, and we got it home immediately but it wasn't that warm, and it was pretty lackluster. A steak burrito shouldn't be too tough for a great place like this but it was fairly bland. We got a variety of tacos too and ended up tossing most of the food out - even though we hate wasting food - because the flavor just wasn't there. Maybe because we ordered closer to the end of the evening with maybe an hour or 90 minutes before they closed. Was pretty bummed we didn't get better food because everyone else seems to love the place. read more

My friend has introduced me to this place a little over a year go and ever since then I love coming here. I really like the whole vibe. If you're from Chicago, when you walk in you will definitely recognize all the signs they have hanging. I think it's pretty cool, and they got creative with the name and the interior design. Aside from the fact that it's a chill place with a good vibe I am a huge fan of their food. The tacos are delicious! One of my favorite spots to come eat at. The food is good quality. The service is fast. The workers are very friendly and it's reasonably priced. It's also BYOB! Thanks for the great service you've been providing. I will definitely be back soon! read more

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Delicious tacos and cool space (Chicago transit themed, natch). Big thumbs up on the classic steak, shrimp, chorizo, and chicken tinga tacos. By comparison the al pastor and braised beef were bland, though the quality was still there. You can tell that they are using good meats and vegetables. Guacamole was fine, but chips are oddly flavorless and boring. They have a small salsa bar, all of which are very good, but rather superfluous given how well the tacos stand on their own. Crowded at peak lunchtime! read more

Having just dropped off my car for service at Berman Subaru, I had a wealth of time to kill and decided to grab a bite locally. After surveying nearby restaurants I decided on Cta due to reviews and proximity. In this area there tends to be a lot of Cubano sandwiches, empanadas or tacos options. So, tacos it was! It was early afternoon and the place was dead except for two others finishing meals. It's possible a rush came through. I looked over the salsa corral and many of their bins were depleted. The area looked as if it had been through some hard work and could use a good wipe down and refilling. As others have stated in their reviews, the place is decked out in Chicago transit authority decor riding alongside a bustling taqueria. It's unique, fun and makes for good photography if wanting to click a quick shot/selfie that would intrigue your "following." They also offer t-shirts, pins and patches with fun slogans and company branding. Their tacos are filled with interesting and flavorful creations. I like that every option is different and unique. Also, you have choice of soft or crunchy shells. (Taco bell lovers should be able to find something they'll like too) These are what I call "foo foo" tacos. Due to its concept it can be elegant. It's not the common found at most taquerias seasoned with solely salt and pepper. Order what you need and you won't break the bank. Based on their concept and the yummy in my tummy, I'm rating four stars. However, it's my hope that next time around I get to sample any of their salsas and I find it in cleaner conditions. read more

wonderful all around! try the fried fish! steak and shrimp bacon are my other two faves!! also their horchata is so great too--not too sweet or watered down. read more

Whenever I visit near this area, I would always make it a point to stop by in CTA. I recently went in here and the cool and chill ambiance of the place welcomed me. It is also one of the reason why I like the to go in here, aside from the good food, ambiance is so nice and at the same time relaxing while enjoying their famous tacos. The staffs are nice and friendly too. I ordered their al pastor tacos, steak tacos and churros with chocolate dip. I have been eating their tacos a lot of times and it is always good. Both have a wonderful flavor but I would love to recommend their steak tacos because it is my favorite taco from them. Its my first time to eat their churros but I can say that it is good as well. After eating, I went out of the place with a smile on my face. It was another great time and experience. Keep it up! read more

Great place for classic steak but I love the shrimp Why are you sitting there reading this run on over and get satisfaction at Chicago Taco Authority read more

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

The first thing that caught my eye was the sign. It looked very much like signs I've seen for transit. It showed just an arrow with the word, "Tacos." I was hungry, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did. The first thing I noticed was the decor. It all had to do with that other CTA, the Chicago *Transit* Authority. I thought it was a cute idea, but that doesn't make tacos taste good. I got a couple of tacos and an horchata. This made a delicious, filling meal. The tacos were barbacoa. They had a delightful flavor, with just the right amount of onion and cilantro. Delicious. The horchata was good; not as good as the tacos, but tasty all the same. I definitely would recommend this place to anyone who likes tacos. read more

I finally had a chance to visit the Chicago Taco Authority. I've been meaning to go for time time and the time was now. It's located on Irving Park, not too far from the Kennedy expressway and close to the Blue Line and Metra. You order your food at the front; just remember everything is a-la-carte. You give out your name and they'll call out your name once your order has been prepared. The cucumber water dispenser is very refreshing, so stay hydrated during this hot summer. They will give you small to-go containers to fill for the freshly made salsa. Green mild salsa, Red hot salsa, pico de gallo and hot pico de gallo. I ordered the following: Chili Relleno - Nice size chili stuffed with cheese, topped with cilantro, onion, rice and refried beans. This was my ultimate favorite hands down!! Very TASTY!! Shrimp taco - 3 nice size cajun shrimp, coleslaw, sliced avocado , chili aioli. This was one of my favorite tacos because it was very tasty! Brisket Taco - Braised brisket, iceberg, radish, queso fresco, wrapped in a crunchy taco shell. The brisket was flavorful but there was barely any meat in the taco. This seemed like a play from TacoBell. If this is the standard here then it's not worth the price to pay for this taco. Mexican Rice: This is a very flavorful Mexican red rice and it was not dry like most places. Refried Beans: The refried beans were very flavorful and soft. This would have been a 5 star but the price and lack of meat on the brisket taco was meh. read more

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Good tacos but not sure it lives up to the hype. Chorizo, Barbacoa and Pastor were all misses. Shrimp taco is the highlight

It should be a requirement to have a solid Mexican joint near wherever you live. I'm glad Chicago Taco Authority, or CTA, is close to me to fulfill that role. The chicken taco salad is my usual go-to. The portion size is extremely generous--like, almost for two people! I can only finish half on a good day, but it's always solid. The chicken is flavorful and the ingredients always taste fresh. The chips and guacamole are always a requirement too. The guacamole is always fresh--never the old, "this has been sitting around awhile" icky brown you sometimes see other places. The CTA (as in the transit agency) decor is a neat touch. Chicago Taco Authority will continue to remain high on my list when I have Mexican cravings, as it's solid every single time. read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Chicken taco salad. Delicious and huge portion size. - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Cute decor, they really kept up with the CTA theme. Very fast food, nice tacos - the al pastor was quite spicy and the fish taco had a lot of creamy sauce. Some of the items on the menu were not available and the salsa bar looked out of commission. Nevertheless, the items I had were still good. Was in and out within 15-20 min. Fast food! read more

Red pozole here is SPOT ON DELICIOUS. This is going to get me through the winter. Perfectly spicy, the amount of pork they give in a serving is perfect, and the tortilla chips add that extra lil bit of touch when you dip them into the soup. I walked in just thinking I was going to order steak tacos that I heard a lot about, immediately though I was welcomed by the delicious smell of pozole. It reminded me of how our kitchen smelled when my Madre makes it, so it was a no brainier, order the pozole. All this to say buy a steak taco it'll get the job done, but buying a taco and pair it with a bowl of pozole, you'll be extremely satisfied! read more

Taco authority was delicious!!! Very unique and tasty. Definitely a 10/10! This place has shot up to one of my favorite taco spots! read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Shrimp / chicken taco - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food here is AMAZING!!!! So why do I give it 3 stars? This is going to be short and to the point! THEY HAVE THE ABSOLUTE DAMN SMALLEST TACOS IN THE WORLD!! They are TINY!!!!!!! I ordered one pork, chicken, and beef steak taco. Absolutely phenomenal!! TINY!!!!!!! read more

Quality has done and I have found another place! CTA WAS SO AUTHENTIC at one point! But they have lost the touch or patio. For the place. Before the Pandemic the presentation was so cute ! But now it feels like your normal taqueria. They don't give you avocado in your Tinga taco! And the quality of the stake it's not the same. Go back to basics if you want to know your place growing! read more

The food was great and the cashier Jessica was very attentative and helpful. Will be back again

What is not to love about CTA?! Good food, fast service, good prices. Everything is so fresh so clean (unlike the...other...CTA). A staple for me to get there is their taco salad, but I can imagine all their entrees are stellar. My only complaint is that I wish I lived closer! read more

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

I love the decor and theme inside Chicago Taco Authority, aka CTA! One wall is done up like the side of a train, and the utensil station looks like an old school newspaper stand. I live on Irving Park, and I passed by this place quite a few times, before I even noticed it was there thanks to the sign on the back of a vehicle parked near by. You really have to be looking for They are BYOB, which is a plus. I tried the steak, chicken tinga, and pastor tacos and were pleased with all three. The flavor was on point, but for the price I feel they could have used more meat. I will say they were a little more pricey than your average Mexican restaurant, but were about the same price-wise as other fancy taco places like Big Star or Cochinita. read more

Chicago Taco Authority - Steak taco - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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