I've only been to El Faro once, but my buddies come all the time and I finally decided to come with them! From my experience, it's a good Mexican restaurant with a seemingly impossible variety that allows some but not all of their offerings to shine. I loved the enchiladas mole that I got here. The flavor of the mole was mild and sweet, not as smoky as I would've liked. The filling was good and plenty, and the sides were portioned well and had good flavor! I also got two tacos, and I don't think I can recommend them as my tortillas didn't have a great flavor/felt stale. The filling was also lacking in portion and also a bit charred. The flavors were there though, and it may have just been an off night. Either way, I'd be back to try some of the dishes, as they do have such a variety that would bring me back! Definitely go give those enchiladas mole a try! read more

Great food first time eating here came due to a recommendation got flatas dinner and oh ya it was a 10 out of 10 100%. Great service clean dinning area free chips. read more

See all

Doesn't matter anymore how good the food is... a fork fell on the floor and the woman picked it up threw it right back in with the rest of the forks! Ghetto AF!!! read more

embarrassing to admit I've eaten here and/or ordered take out almost every weekend during the last 4 years. I've had their tacos, burritos, tortas, you name it flavorful grease joint. 10/10 recommend read more

Out of the 4 El Faros near me, I'd say this is number 3 on the list, only because a couple things. First, the parking and exiting is annoying, similar to the one off Rt. 31, but if you're trying to head south on McLean from this one, prepare for some strategic planning. I've said that the burritos here are a little bigger than the one in Tyler Creek Plaza, but this burritos fall apart a little easier. - Chicken Burrito (3/5) - Rice and Beans (3/5) - Horchata (4/5) The horchata here is better than the Tyler Creek Plaza location, BUUUUUUT Tyler Creek has refills, whereas this one does not. read more

My wife mistakenly brought me a steak burrito home tonight that had me pulling out gristle from every bite out of my mouth. Absolutely gross! I usually go across the street to El Paraiso who has excellent steak that is trimmed very well. Taco Bell would have been a better choice. Sadly the food wasn't always this bad at El Faro, obviously something has changed. Please see the attached picture. read more

El Faro 3 - Gristle from a steak burrito pulled out of my mouth from every bite. - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Stopped in today and ordered enchiladas with mole, a Chile rellano taco and taco pastor. Taco pastor was the best but all were quite tasty. Many in line to pick up orders. Good food read more

We have gotten food from here a couple times...and I thought it was just okay, but I also live in Elgin, so I live around like a million other little places that I find to be better. I think we both got burritos and I got mine with al pastor and it had chunks of pineapple in it, which I am not a fan of, so maybe I should try it again with another kind of meat. I can't remember what I had the other times, but I know my husband had the carne asada and thought it was just fine. So maybe I'm just picky...but I will probably try it again late night sometime! Because the portions are pretty out of control and the sides were delicious...I won't swear them off! =]] **Edit...on 04/24/08 we went here to get some takeout because I was on a baking frenzy and couldn't use the oven to make the pizza I had originally planned for. So I opted for us to try this place again and had to add one more star. We shared a steak burrito with cheese, sour cream, rice and avocado inside and an order of enchiladas suizas. with a side of beans with chorizo served with flour tortillas to eat it with. Everything was very tasty. Can't complain about anything except the burrito and beans were too salty. But not bad enough to not eat by any means. We will most likely be back if we are in a pinch and need somewhere fast and not too expensive! read more

The Chicken Flautas are like $11.90 with tax but me and my wife split them cause you get 4! It also comes with beans and rice but we get no rice and they give double beans! Add some verde and you got the perfect lunch for two! The avocado and sour cream together makes this particular dish pretty messy to eat but man its delicious! I see a lot of complaints about the parking but its not that bad. The front door is pretty hard to open on a windy day. read more

Burrito as big as a Football! Carne Asada is my favorite. They make it better than anyone and it is filled with rice, cheese, frijoles or no frijoles, and lettuce. Horchata there is good as well. I choose the #3 location because it is easy to get to and park and they are always the friendliest bunch. I've been to many Mexican places but the El Faro Carne Asada burrito is the best I've ever had!! 5 STARS! read more

Hit or miss. Sometimes real good, other times not. One huge tip, when talking in Spanish, please don't be so damn racist. I really hate the white people bad mouthing, hello they love your crap, you should be nicer. I really didn't appreciate the comments about my friend, who is white. And apparently you didn't know I spoke Spanish. So rude. read more

I love this place for several reasons, I live 3 blocks away, it's open late, good prices and amazing food. I usually bring it home, there aren't a lot of seating options inside. Parking can be limited as well, due to a narrow alley right beside the building, parking is in the back They have a pretty good choice on the menu, pictures of dishes all around, fast service, and real authentic Mexican cuisine. My only issue would be the size of the dining area, and a "cheap" feel to the place. But for a great meal, I will always overlook that. I feel the food outweighs the parking hassle, and less than amazing decor. I recommend them to any lover of Mexican cuisine. read more

El Faros never disappoints! I miss this place so much I've been playing catch up by eating a steak burrito every day since I've been here on vacation! They start with a lightly toasted tortilla, spread on a layer of refried beans and proceed to fill it with a combination of browned, marinated carne asada, mild cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. If yopu get the dinner you also get sides of spanish rice and refried beans. I'm not sure what they put into their green tea but its somewhere inbetween a unsweetened tea and a sweet tea. Put a lime on it for more SABOR! The hand made salsa comes in green and red. Redder is better. (I like spicy) Ok, they also serve rice water, tamarind, and cokes in glass bottles. ENJOY! read more

I haven't been here in quite some time. Last visit was to pick up a burrito for lunch to bring back to work. I sat at my desk with anticipation as I opened the box only to find a large curly black hair that appeared to be place right on top as a garnish. I took it back. They gave me crap. I got my money back and not going back. The workers seem to have a problem with white people. read more

Came here for taco Tuesday, great selection of dollar tacos. The meat tasted amazing. We had al pastor and carne asada. I liked how small the tacos were actually, you could taste the tortilla. My boyfriend went back and got a combination meat burrito and he said it was amazing. The wait for the food is not bad at all. It's a cozy little place on the corner. read more

Bland boring burritos, tasty tacos and a bit pricey. I've had better Mexican and don't think I'll be going back to El Faro. Nothing wrong with it, just had higher hopes going in. read more

Favorite restaurant in Elgin, never come here without a trip to the Faro. Can't ever get enough El Faro. Complimentary chips and salsa as with most Mexican restaurants, but their salsa is more like pico de gallo and it is wonderful! Burritos and tacos are wonderful, the steak is great, but also enjoy the pulled chicken. Warning, the Jr. Burrito is big enough for most people, and also a phenomenal price. This is authentic mexican food at its best. Would also highly recommend the guacamole. read more

Great food. Great prices. My buddy got this fajita dish that was ridiculous. Full of shrimp and steak that came out sizzling. Atmosphere was ok. Not much ambiance. That said the food... Wow. Close to Elgin CC too! read more

El Faro 3 - Great food. Great - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Always come to get the "Platillo Arriero" for the hubby! The Orden De Flautas is great choice too. read more

See all

best Mexican take out in the area. nothing fancy but tasty for sure. I'd give them 5 stars but sometimes you will get dicey meat (unknown things in it, like bone or weird hard grisly stuff), but I guess that comes with the territory. if you are expecting a fine dining experience, you'll be let down, but if you are expecting fast Mexican take out, you'll enjoy it. read more

Food was very good but service was lacking. I had a carne asada burrito and my son had the Mexican burrito. Both were very good, and we appreciated that the chips and salsa were complimentary and had a little heat and a little better flavor than the usual Mexican restaurant. read more

As much as I try to avoid Elgin, sometimes it can't be helped. After a client visit, I dropped into El Faro for lunch, and am pretty glad I did. The place has a diner feel, and the seating is small but comfortable. I purr like a kitten when waiters speak to me in Spanish, means my spray tan is working - so I order up asada tacos and get a free side of compliments on my fluency - bonus points! The asada was tender and free of any fat goblets which always turns my stomach, the tortillas tasted fresh and weren't greasy, and the tomatillo salsa was just the right amount of spicy. I had a fast, quality meal for a great price. If you're ever in the area, try it out! read more

Had a burrito it was good have had better in Chicago okay for what I have experienced in the area quick service picked up parking lot is a little tricky to get out of other then that was okay read more

When compared to El Faro on State St ... and any other Mexican restaurant... El Faro 3 is lacking. I ordered the cheese enchiladas, which is a staple of mine, and received what seemed to be a microwave dinner. The enchiladas sauce was clearly from a can and a microwave was definitely used to heat it up. My stomach was uneasy the rest of the day. I'd stay away from this one and drive the extra bit to the one on State. read more

This is where it's at. Very few burritos get me excited anymore, but I'll throw down on an El Faro steak or pastor burritos. My brother and I used to have a tradition of eating one every X-mas eve.. 1.) because we loved it and 2.) because it was the only damn thing open. An Elgin staple. read more

Watched them dump the Salsa out of one customers serving into another bowl, add more and serve it to another person. When I brought it to the waitresses attention she said that is what the owner wants us to do. The restaurant decor is very outdated, would categorize it as a sh*t hole. Service slow with attitude. Certain dishes are good. read more

Such good food when you want Mexican! They are fast and you get what you want when you want it. Lots to choose from on the menu. Great chips and guac! read more

Great steak tacos the burritos are good also the guacamole I'll pass on too expensive and not that flavorful

I tried this place for the 1st time today and it was not good at all. I got 3 steak tacos to go and when I got home and started eating the 1st one the steak was fatty and hard burnt pieces felt like it could chip a tooth tried the others and all the same gross hard pieces of steak. I will not be going back here for sure!!! read more

We love Mexican & this is probably the best (take out) Mexican in the Elgin area. It's quick. Good portions and affordable. Tiny restaurant, but huge menu. Our favorites are the Combinacion Galilea & steak burritos. Can't beat home-cooked, but this restaurant is great for the price, portions, and flavor. read more

The food is always amazing; the guacamole must have crack in it because my boyfriend and I always get a large and never leave enough room for the actual entrees. Service is quick and you can easily eat in or place the order for takeout. Bonus Points: Inexpensive! read more

Good taqeria. Food is consistently good. Expect the floors to be greasy, and don't look too closely at the bathroom fixtures. On weekend evenings, there's a wait and always a group of people pushing their way in to pickup their carryout. Bulbous. read more

Everyone loves the steak burritos here, but they are just okay. Al pastor gorditas are where it's at.

This place used to be good. Now all I ever seem to get is burnt, day old steak. Maybe the other locations are better-but this one is terrible now a days. read more

Always totally great service and best mexican food I have ever had anywhere in the country..... Wish the one on rt 31 was as good,,, they usually suck read more

Visited for the first time on June 21, 2011 and the food just blew us away! THE BEST authentic Mexican food I have had, outside of visiting Mexico! To hell with On the Border and all the other fast food and other Mexican restaurants that cut corners. Everything was FRESH, HOT, and cooked to perfection! The wait ladies were on top of their game and we will return !! The place itself might not be much to look at, but it is CLEAN inside and out! The staff was constantly cleaning the tables and making sure that what they were working with was CLEAN! read more

This place has great platters. I try a different one every time and they amaze me on how good they are. If you haven't been here then you need to come and try it! read more

Worst tacos I've had. The tongue tacos were completely burnt and super dry...disgusting! The steak was low grade steak with too much fat in it. I also ordered an al pastor taco and it was bland. It was my first time trying this place out since I moved a few blocks away and I will not be returning. read more

If you can't tell the difference between Taco Bell and Ma Bell then this is your spot. Greasy, bland and uninspired.

I decided to try this place tonight after reading the reviews and driving pass the restaurant for years. I ordered two steak and one lengua taco with lettuce,tomato, cheese, and sour cream on the steak tacos. Their was no flavor in the tacos just a hint of grill taste the shells were not cooked or heated and there was barely any sour cream on the two tacos. Not to mention the fat that was in the steak and the gristle I bit into too. Disgusting!!! I will never go back read more