The strip mall does not deserve this caliber of Mexican cuisine. If you enjoy phenomenal family food from south of the boarder rush to eat here. I ordered a taco dinner el pastor, and was amazed with how flavorful and delicious it was. I am ashamed for not visiting El Angel sooner. read more

Most authentic food . Love the el pastor taco and fajitas . Value for you money . Must try the avacado sauce .

5 out 5 for Palatine. There aren't any delicious Mexican places in Palatine, except for El Angel. You go in and sit down. A server comes up to you with your menus and you order. The food comes out fast and is beautiful! The enchiladas are delicious. If you find a place that does it right, it's El Angel. Accompany it with a Mexican Coke and you're money! The prices were inexpensive, frankly it was shocked because I think it's worth more. It was inexpensive and you come out FULL! I want to go back and try more. This is my new go to Mexican joint for Palatine! Hooray!!! read more

El Angel - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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I have passed this place for years while living in the area and it wasn't until I was searching for pupusas recently that it came up for me to try. This is your typical small Mexican taqueria that can fit maybe ~30 people comfortably in there at their tables. A small family owned business where you see the whole family working in back and front. We stopped in randomly because I really wanted pupusas for dinner (you pick your own seat) and were greeted right away by our server. He took our drink orders - horchata was yummy! - and then came back for our dinner selections. I got 1 pupusa of: cheese, beans and cheese, chicharron (pork rind) and cheese. The chicharron and cheese was my favorite. It was flavorful and the slaw accompaniment that is standard with pupusas had a good vinegar amount. My only wish is that there was more cheese in the pupusas overall. They were good but just lacking in the cheese amount, in my opinion. My husband got the carne asada dinner which wow- look at that full plate! While the carne asada was more of a thin sliced bistec instead of thicker asada, it was still flavorful. Most carne asadas come with just grilled onions but they provide an onion and jalapeño grilled mixture. Rice and beans were freshly made. Overall, we'd try this place again! I'd want to try their huaraches the next time. read more

El Angel - Pupusas - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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We stumbled upon this adorable hole in the wall after an athletic meet at a nearby park. Everyone was a bit hungry and who can say no to tacos?? We ordered a 3 taco platter to split and a churro. The free chips & salsa were excellent, very crunchy thin chips and the salsa was so flavorful. We got chicken, steak and al pastor to try the full selection. The whole platter was so good, every meat was great by itself. This may have been the best al pastor taco I have had in a very long time. Even the rice and beans were great. Would definitely recommend coming here, if we lived closer we would be getting carryout here all the time. Also don't skip the vanilla churro! so good! read more

El Angel - Vanilla churro, excellent free chips!! - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

I love this place. I come in pretty frequently and I always get the burrito with pastor. The pastor is juicy and the pineapples taste so fresh every-time not like they are marinating in it like some places. Quick service good food and it's an authentic hole in the wall place. I love you el angel. read more

This place is a hidden hole in the wall diamond in the rough.I don't speak Spanish so some times depending on who is working that day communication can be character building, that being said my wife and really like El Angel. It's affordable , burrito (under 7 bucks) the food is authentic and fresh. My wife loves the shrimp quesadilla Which is always good but never been made the same twice. We are glad we found it and keep it in the " let's go out" regular rotation read more

Dipped in here randomly on a very early Saturday after my kid's cross country meet across the street and was blown away. The taco platter with three different meats was phenomenal and the churro I ordered on a whim was memorable. The service was great and friendly, and I would definitely come back. read more

El Angel - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

I've come here quite a few times. The food is always consistent and great, tastes fresh and exactly how ordered!! The ambience is super nice and cozy and the service is great. Spanish or English they can help you and they are all super kind. read more

Family owned business that makes great food. Super friendly service with an authentic vibe! I Highly recommend

Best taco place in Palatine, they are friendly and the food is delicious! I love the carne asada and the salsa is very good. Thank you for your hard work. read more

Great service with interesting Mexican menu! We've driven by restaurant for years & years and thought we'd stop for lunch. They we not busy when we got there but WOW did they fill in quickly... however their one server kept up great & the cooks were speedy too! Chips were complimentary and just so so but the sauces were excellent! We enjoyed the food & pleasant service! Place was clean & inside was larger than we thought - prices were very reasonable. read more

El Angel - Poblano Peppers - excellent veggie option - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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Excellent food best Mexican I've had in years. Awesome service and high quality ingredients

Nice staff, small restaurant, probably seats 10 inside. Tried tacos, tamale and Pupusas. Take out is never as good as eating in. Pupusas were good and so was the chile relleno taco. Fish taco and chicken seemed a little dry and low on meat. I understand they were really busy today bc of cinco de mayo. I'd like to try it again sometime in the future. Price is good. All the food below plus two drinks were $19. read more

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I love this place for Mexican food. Don't let the small place & simple decor fool you. The owners are husband & wife team. They come out with a fresh trio of Salsa. They all have different degree of heat but so tasteful. The chips are crispy. As for main meal my favorite are the fajitas. I had the combo ( steak & chicken). I love how the steak come out charred just a bit. It makes it more tastier and their do not disappoint. I have their taco. Also delicious. So whenever I come to visit my sisters and want Mexican. It's always this place. read more

I never type in caps but this place has THE BEST CARNE ASADA TACOS I HAVE EVER HAD! And don't get me started on the chocolate shake. Literally THE BEST CHOCOLATE SHAKE I HAVE EVER HAD! I hope this place never closes! And to think I have lived in the area for over a year and have never tried it until today. Note: no pictures taken because the first bite was consumed, and it was nonstop from there. read more

Food ok but workers are rude and have Horrible customer service on multiple occasions. Makes it hard to give your money to rude people.

We tried this restaurant hoping to find our new favorite Mexican restaurant in palatine, but we were not blown away by our experience. I ordered enchiladas with rice and beans, and my guest ordered menudo soup. Overall, my meal was a bit dry, and there wasn't a good harmony of flavors. The cheese looked melted but was already clumpy when I began eating. I appreciated the chips and salsa, which complimented the meal well, but the chips were just average. My guest liked his menudo, but agreed it wasn't the best food he had ever had. Our server was kind and friendly, and made a point to fill our water in a timely manner and asked if we would like to try the house salsa of the day for free. I appreciated the warm sentiment. This restaurant seems like it would be better to carry out, as I was a bit chilly, and it seemed a little run down overall. read more

El Angel - Menudo - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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Really amazing food. It is cooked to order but the wait is totally worth it. Fresh ingredients and real food. Taste just like Mexico. My kids and I love all their dishes. You can get traditional recipes such as menudo on the weekend. The fish and meats are all delicious. For picky kids they have chicken and fries. The fries are so good. From the tacos, burritos, guac, enchiladas and horchata it is a must eat in the neighborhood if you're craving authentic Mexican food! read more

We love El Angel! This is our go to neighborhood Mexican restaurant and we've going here since it became El Angel (the prior restaurant was a healthy/low fat Mexican restaurant-just ok). As Roma S stated, El Angel is not fancy and serves the standard Mexican fare. What makes El Angel stand out is the food is authentic, the owners/family are friendly, prices are super reasonable and the food is amazing! At our recent visit, we noticed they added new booths, tables and chairs-nice! The complimentary chips and salsa when you eat in are the best! 3 different salsas: pico di gallo, salsa verde and a smoky chipotle salsa. Not eating in? Don't despair, they usually have chips and a salsa by the counter while you wait for take out. My go to order are their tacos-can't beat them! On M-W, they are 99 cents for chicken or beef tacos! The standard tacos are great but my favorites are the chili rellenos ($2.50) and al pastor ($1.99) tacos. Nothing like having a cheese stuffed fried battered chili for tacos-this is a must here! The al pastor tacos have perfectly seasoned, charred pork with small chunks of pineapple-another staple for me! Not a taco fan? Then try the fajitas, they are amazing too! My kids also love the burritos. The beans and rice are yummy. No booze here, so no margarita fixes (wah wah)-but you can quench your thirst with the horchata, tamarindo drinks! Yeah, we're big fans here :) read more

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You know you are in the right place when you are greeted in Spanish. Outstanding, authentic, tasty and a value for your money. Came from a 10:00 meeting after skipping a real dinner the night before and I was looking for authentic Mexican food. El Angel definitely hit the spot. Everything you would expect from an authentic, strip mall, neighborhood Mexican restaurant. Walked in and I was welcomed as I would imagine I would be in a local kitchen in a nondescript town in a random, off the beaten path Mexican city, with a basket of chips and three salsas. After I ordered 3 tacos (steak, barbacoa, chicken) I sat down and watched. My taco's were each made fresh and with a passion for the food as locals came and went. Waiting for my food to arrive, I was offered spicy salsa which I immediately accepted. Let's just say that it was so good that I went back for thirds... The food arrived and I was surprised by not only the flavor but by the fullness of the tacos. I loved the steak and barbacoa - both flavorful and authentic in every way. Pulled chicken taco was fine but definitely would do the steak or barbacoa when I return. I finished my tacos, water and chips and I was still the only non local in the restaurant. I will be back the next time I want an authentic Mexican meal. Highly recommended!!! read more

I was very happy with my meal at El Angel. It is a small Taqueria that has been here for quite a while. We pass it all of the time and have been meaning to try it. When my son was out here for a visit we decided to try it. El Angel is rather small and kind of laid back. The server we had was very nice but not very fluent in English. Fortunately, my son is fluent in Spanish. At first, they bring warm chips and salsa. Actually, they bring three kinds of salsa - one red mild salsa, one red spicy, and a creamy Avocado salsa (also kind of spicy). The chips were great, and so were the salsas. I had a Steak Burrito. Jon had a Lamb Torta. We had rice and beans and I skipped the rice and had their refried beans. The steak was tender, but there really was not a whole lot in the Burrito It was mainly lettuce. There were also beans. I've honestly had better burritos, but the refried beans were probably the best I've had anywhere. Jon raved about his torta. I'll go back - but I think I'll try the Al Pastor next time. read more

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Food was okay.Customer service was good. The inside was okay. But I found a weird pice of meat in my burrito.

Solid food for a late night sunday or day of drinking. Totally recommend! Super friendly staff as well.

The pupusas were super dry, the beans seemed like they were at least a day old and the rice was hard as if it had been recreated in the microwave at least 2 other times. read more

El Angel - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

As soon as I walked in I was greeted with multiple friendly smiles. Asked whether I would be dining in or carrying out. When I side I'm dining in I was told to take a seat anywhere I'd like. As soon as I sat down chips and 3 types of salsa where brought to me. I was presented with a menu. The menu was slightly hard to read because of the amount of items per page. I ordered a platillo of enchiladas verdes (platter with enchiladas covered in green sauce). The food was brought out to me about 5 minutes after ordering. The food was delicious, and very filling. The atmosphere of the place was modest. There are banners hanging everywhere displaying Mexican culture. As I waited for my food people came in and were also greeted with pleasant smiles. You felt the love and the warmth radiating from the people working. I'd eat here again, and would recommend eating here if you haven't yet. read more

El Angel - Enchiladas Verdes (4) - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

My wife and I eat here at minimum two times a month, and the food is consistently great. If you've been looking for a traditional, delicious, straight from Mexico al pastor, please take the time to try this place. Don't judge a book by it's cover, the place might not be trendy inside, but it's clean and really the food is amazing. The beans, rice, tacos, are so flavorful, and made from scratch. I didn't love the flauta, they were dry, maybe over fried, but that's kind of common to be honest. The salsa's that are served when you eat in, are to die for.. All drama aside, really, we can plow through the salsas and not even realize it. We have never felt uncomfortable for not speaking Spanish, and can always work through the language barrier. In fact, we don't even get menus anymore and they know it, and remember the 'usual' order. They have a taco Tuesday special, we have never tried, becuase the al pastor is worth the menu price. But there is a constant flow of people getting food to go, and eating in, and it's all kinds of people. Try a great local mom and pop establishment, you won't be disappointed. read more

Wonderful- just wonderful. Great food- fast and authentic. Sauces were superb. Chorizo burrito tastes awesome and presentation was pretty nice as well Well done read more

Fresh authentic Mexican food. I am not sure why the elite Yelp squad have not yet discovered this hidden gem. The food is nothing fancy, but is just good comfort yumminess. The tacos are the big draw here and at $1.75 each you have your choice of meats- chicken, pork, chille relleno poblano (nice smokiness) and beef tongue. On Monday, Tuesday's and Wednesday's they have 99 cent tacos. Limit ten per order. Believe me this will be the best $10 you will ever spend for a meal. The freshly made chips and three different salsas provided on the house is also a big bonus. It is just so fresh. Make sure to also order a side of guacamole. You will regret it if you don't. El Angel has been a Palatine staple for almost a decade and this hidden gem will be here for decades more for the good food and friendly service. read more

I wish I could give zero. I've gone to this place many times and every time I've done a pick up they forget something. This time was the last straw I will never return. I ordered 16 tacos 2 tamales chips and salsa and a drink. They forgot the tamales. The lady "forgot" $10 in change until I asked either she thought I was stupid or she was. All 16 tacos were supposed to have cheese but as you can see in the picture some did not. I called back to resolve the issue and was told to bring all 16 tacos back so by the time I returned home again they would have been cold. So disappointing would never return. read more

El Angel - Taco with no cheese - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

This is no doubt one of my very favorite places. This is a family place. The family all works here and the food is always good and fresh. Today's a great day to come as it was snowing outside and I had a hot bowl of soup in front of me. Coming here from multiple years and I've yet to find anything as good in the northwest suburbs. Come try it you'll love it! read more

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Fife stars for Burito con Lengua. Always fresh and always delicious. All food taste like delicious homemade. read more

El Angel - Burito con Lengua - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

Authenic as you can get. Super friendly staff. I had the Chile Rellenos dinner for take out. 8.50 cant beat that and its 4 minute drive from my house. Very nice egg batter coating its not heavy on the egg flavor I was very pleased with that. The rellenos were really garnished well. I liked the light feeing after eating them as it was good as they were not heavy on the cheese. It was a good balance. The rice is good as well. read more

El Angel - Menu board while waiting for food sorry its not complete and all of the heart decor is because it was February. - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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I am super disappointed in the service at this restaurant. I bought food from there before and honestly the taste was great didn't seem to be a problem. I went to order from them again tonight and looked at the menu to decide what my family and I would be getting. When we went to pick up the food (not knowing the total because they said the machine was being used) the total was completely different to the 3 different menus you can find online. After telling the person they said they changed the prices but didn't update it anywhere. I wish they would have honored the posted price because then we wouldn't have been blindsided with a $60 bill. I don't think I'll be going back until they update their prices online. read more

El Angel - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

I have passed by this place for years & for some reason I never ate here. About a month ago I finally decided to give it a try & I was not disappointed. I decided to dine in. When you dine in they give you complimentary chips & salsa. They brought three different types of salsa to the table & all three were delicious. I went ahead & ordered the steak burrito dinner which comes with beans & rice. The beans & rice weren't a big portion but they were good. The burrito was delicious. Most burritos I've had lately from other places tasted too salty or were pretty small, but not here. The burrito tasted fresh & full of flavor. The size of the burrito was just right. It wasn't the biggest burrito I've seen but it definitely got you full. I have ate here a few times since my first visit. I walked in one day & got an order for take out, it took a little longer than expected but they were busy so it didn't bother me at all. The restaurant is clean & the staff is always friendly so it makes for a good dining experience. This restaurant is one of my new favorite burrito places & I look forward to eating here again. read more

El Angel - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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Asada burrito was delicious and horchata was good too. People were very friendly and food came out very fast. You can see them cook from the counter. read more

El Angel - Menu as of 12/19/2015 - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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El Angels is a pretty good Mexican restaurant. Of all the places in the area this place is my #1. Their service is good, although sometimes the wait can seem a little long. BUT I don't blame them because they get a lotttt of take out orders. Standard Mexican restaurant. Dining in though is great, you get free chips and 3 different sauces/salsa. I think their tacos are delicious, I always go for the steak or chorizo. Their burritos are also really good, as well as their chimichangas. Their tortas are also another favorite of mine. The horchata is also really good, BUT I am pretty sad because their large size is now smaller then it was before. It's not in those giant cups anymore. Still love this place tho read more

El Angel - Taco dinner, comes w 3 tacos. I got 2 steak and 1 chorizo, all A+. Flautas dinner, the chicken ones. My mom said they were eh - Mexican Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

I had lunch here the other day, grilled fish tacos, and I ordered tamales to go (1 chicken, 1 pork)which were not on the menu. Totally fantastic! So today, I was craving their food again and instead of getting the same thing I ordered Pozole, which I have never had before but it's my sister's fave. I also ordered 4 tamales to go and 4 churros which were freshly delivered while I was there. The Pozole was so delish and the staff, all family, are wonderful! Very pleasant and kind. I also had the habanero salsa! Wow!!! That was great!!! You much check this place out! read more

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The food reminds me of "street fest tacos." I've had their chicken tacos, steak tacos, beef tacos, steak burritos, rice, and beans. I love their little salsas! My kids even like it and they're picky. However, they forgot my guacamole and chips today. I will probably order again but check to make sure I have everything before heading home. read more

Humble storefront with great comfort food for good prices. The menu hits a great sweet spot of variety and quality. Their salads are also on point. Service is very friendly. read more