El Faro 3

The food here is delicious! We ordered the pig, which had a bunch of different meats and they're…read moreall very flavorful The cocktails are fantastic as well, especially their margaritas Service was good. They were attentive and came to check multiple times how we were doing with our drinks, food, and if we need anything else. They have a nice area where you can take pictures overall a nice restaurant for date night or celebration

I just had lunch it was awesome. My server, Macarena did…read morean awesome job. Thank you very much. I will be back.

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No Manches Mexican Grill

4.5(238 reviews)

6.0 mi

We're originally from Arizona so our bar for Mexican is ridiculously high. We've had a lot of…read moretrouble finding comparable food out here. We finally stumbled on No Manches and we can say without reservation that they have the best Mexican food we've had in the 20+ years we've lived here. The Tri Color Burrito is my absolute favorite and I recently commented to a friend that its made my "if I could only have one food on a deserted island for the rest of my life" list. Its that good. The margaritas are excellent as well. In terms of negatives, the prices are high and the music can be very loud if you want to have group conversations. Our server even got our order wrong the last time we were there because she couldn't hear us! That said, any cons are definitely outweighed by the pros. Everyone we've taken there has been thoroughly impressed.

It's been 2 years since I've reviewed so time for an update!…read more As usual this place is packed! I've come at 5 on a weekday and 6 on a weekend. Packed! I always make a reservation and I recommend doing that. Service is always great and quick. Chips and salsa are delicious. My new favorite tacos are both of the shrimp tacos. All of the food is delicious. Same with the margaritas. The only downside of our last visit was that they cleared my plate when I was t done with my rice and beans (on a separate plate) and they took my fork. But other than that, this place is one of my favorites.

Busy place on a Sunday night

Carne asada

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Taqueria Chapala

3.9(78 reviews)

3.0 mi

I met up with a friend, and he suggested we try this place. I'm glad he did because I left…read moresatisfied. I ordered the chicken taco and a burrito. The pulled chicken was incredibly tender, though it was a little lacking in flavor. Thankfully, the server brought out a variety of salsas, which made up for it. The burrito was packed with meat--seriously, meat, meat, and more meat. By the end of the meal, I was completely stuffed from all the protein. Now I know exactly where to go whenever I'm craving a hearty burrito.

Taqueria Chapala delivers some of the most authentic Mexican cuisine in the area, highlighted by an…read moreexcellent chicken dinner and consistently great tacos. The flavors are bold, traditional, and clearly rooted in quality preparation. Prices run a bit higher than expected for the area, but the food backs it up. It's a strong spot for those seeking genuine, well-executed Mexican fare

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Taqueria El Tio Ramos

4.1(138 reviews)

4.8 mi•West Dundee

Last summer, our family was on the hunt for the best tacos in the area. Taqueria El Tio Ramos was…read moreone of the top on our list. We stopped in at lunch time on a Saturday afternoon. It was pretty full but we got a table right away. We ordered a couple tacos, a burrito and a quesadilla. Everything was awesome. The tacos were so good; very juicy and full of flavor. We told a few friends about Taqueria El Tio Ramos and they said, "we have been going there for years!" Why didn't they tell me about it! The restaurant was busy but we didn't have to wait long for our food. It was clean and our server was very nice, a bit soft spoken, but super sweet. We will be back, for sure!

Service was quick but refills take longer, other than that steak and tripe tacos are fire. Alpastor…read morewas a lilttle to sweet for me and not tender.

Other choices

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Burrito + rice + beans

My Cocina

4.4(355 reviews)

5.7 mi

We absolutely love this place. Authentic fresh Mexican food with great flavor and super friendly…read morestaff. We went on a Monday night for their half off Margarita special and 8.00 burrito. They have a nice selection of margaritas. I tried the Mango Habanero. Not too spicey. Ive never had one of their burritos so I ordered a chicken tinga minus the lettuce. This burrito was packed with meat and flavor! Everyone in our party enjoyed their food and drinks and we will definitely be back!

We order catering from here a lot and every time the food is amazing, no matter what we've ordered…read moreall of guests loved it highly recommend! We usually order the shrimp ravioli or their chilaquiles When we go in the restaurant for dinner food is fantastic and the drinks were yummy

Chicken Tinga Burrito

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Black Panther Margarita. Half off on Mondays!

Pueblito Escondido

4.5(17 reviews)

1.6 mi

Absolutely yes. I loved the Columbian food here. I only wish I hadn't been so tight on time. I had…read moreto scarf my food down in 15 min and take the rest home. It's a family owned, small business which I love. I always want to suppprt those. Located in the basement with a bakery above it, the location is unique. It's very colorful and festive which adds to its charm. I ordered the Bandeja Paisa and it was enormous and cost $29. Pricey, but I got 3 meals out of it. It had pork belly, columbian sausage, rice, beans, a fried egg, avocado, and a fried plantain . Gigantic portions. We also ordered empanadas and they were the star of the show. I wish I lived closer to Elgin. I have no idea if I'd return, but I do recommend.

Such a great find!! They have Colombian, Guatemalan and Mexican food. I was born in Colombia so we…read moreopted for all Colombian dishes. Forgot to get a pic of the empanadas but they were delish. Was super excited to get jugo de maracuyá. Both entrees were perfect. Will definitely come again!

Fresh shrimp ready to delight your palate

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We have a great variety of dishes and cultures in our experience, come and try Latin America

Orale Mexican Bar & Grill

4.9(82 reviews)

9.5 mi

I finally found the right time to try this place, being in the mood for a dine-in Mexican dinner…read more It's a nice place with pleasant servers, and kudos to the guy who filled my water 3 times. I was torn between a chicken mole dinner or just good old tacos. I opted for the tacos Al pastor with rice and beans. I have had Al pastor at many, many places, and it's been interesting to see people's takes on the recipes. These were, hands down, the best I've had anywhere. The meat was charred nicely, yet tender. The marinade/sauce had the perfect balance between the sweetness of the pineapple and the counterbalance of the lime, cilantro, and onion. I was so proud of my selection, that I ordered some to-go for my daughter to try. I also had a delicious strawberry margarita and finished off with a tres leches dessert. Everything was superb! I'll be back for that mole someday, and will also try their Taco Tuesday. Judging from my food, as well as the presentations of others choices that I noticed, I believe their chef is seriously talented and creative.

Orale is a cool place. The decor is nice , the service was really good, and, I must say, the…read morerestroom stood out :-) The food we ordered was delicious. My wife and I are pretty stuffed right now! I had the quesabirria tacos and she had a spicy shrimp dish with avocado and tortillas. Oh, and we had the nachos with a flight of 5 delicious salsas, as an appetizer. In the end, Orale felt different. It had a city vibe to it. We dug it and will be back for more. Near Hanover Park and in the mood for some Mexican cuisine? Check out Orale!

Quesabirria tacos!! Amazing!!

Queso fundido con chorizo yummy!!

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Chile relleno dinner! Delicious!!

Mexico Lindo

5.0(2 reviews)

2.1 mi

The food there is always amazing and the people there are very nice and polite I do recommend this…read morerestaurant plus it's been around for years, so go there and enjoy the experience

Located inside the Fox Valley Flea Market This! Place is Great, authentic Mexican flavors, the…read morepastor tacos are flavorful and Tate's so fresh. Also had steak dinner plate and was delicious, their fresh made tortillas are a great compliment. In the past I had a huevos rancheros plate and the sauce for it was just amazing. Also very clean and friendly staff. Highly recommend it. Only bad thing is that they only open weekend

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Burrito Suizo

Los Comales Elgin

3.4(149 reviews)

3.0 mi

Taco Thursday? Don't mind if I do!…read more Los Comales is a staple for my coworkers! I've had it numerous times in the past, but this was my first time having it in years! I ordered the Taco Combo that came with 3 tacos with your choice of meat, rice, beans, and a 16oz beverage of choice. I ordered a cesina taco, a carne asada taco, and a pollo adobado taco. It was my first time ordering a cesina taco and I'm so glad I did. It was delicious! Usually my go-to is carne asada but it was a little chewier than usual and it just didn't compare to the tender cesina taco. The chicken was alright, but the cesina was amazing! And I chose their refreshing and perfectly sweet jamaica as my drink! My favorite! Check out @taqueria_loscomales for your next Mexican food craving! And if you've never had them before, try the cesina tacos!! Yum!

I order 6 special tacos, thinking i was going to get a good meal, turns out i almost die. There was…read morea twist tie inside one of the tacos!. I don't know if it was on purpose or accidentally fell in there, all i know is that i will be avoiding this establishment.

Counter

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Outside

La Casa del Pollo Asado

3.9(73 reviews)

1.9 mi

Been here twice - Tacos very good. Half Chicken dinner excellent! The beans are truly different,…read moreand awesome ! They are better than most places I have ever been to across the country! The salsa bar really is a nice feature that allows you to try, or create the salsa you prefer. The value here is outstanding- I strongly recommend La Casa del Pollo Asado!

Found myself way down Randall Road and in the mood for pollo rostizado but given that it was close…read moreto 8pm I knew the likelihood of that happening was very low if I headed back home so I did a quick search and found that Elgin had their own (original?) Casa del Pollo Asado that stays open until 9pm. I took that as a good sign and headed that way. The restaurant is pretty big with a good amount of tables and booths. It's counter service with self-serve fountain drinks and salsas. They also have beer for sale. I originally was just going to order an 8 pc of only chicken but since I had driven out I decided to make it worth my while and get the 12 pc meal. They were unfortunately out of corn as a side so I got mashed potatoes and beans. They have big TVs in one section of the dining area and a World Cup match was on. My order was ready in about 5 minutes and I'm happy to say that the roasted chicken was still steaming hot and delicious when I got it all the way back home. The salsas are all very good although I didn't get any pico de gallo because it looked pretty soggy. The beans are good and the fries are fine but the mashed potatoes and gravy could use some revamping. Also, I felt like I we didn't get very many grilled onions or chiles with our order. Those things in combination with the slightly high price is what make me not so confident I'll make the trek back to this Casa del Pollo Asado soon.

Menú

Self serve salsas

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Exterior

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8 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Dee R.

124

16

1

11 years ago

Just went to El Faro Lillian and am very disappointed. I ordered carry-out. The order when I got home 20 minutes later was wrong. When I called, they told me I could come back and pick up the correct one. That would have been at least 30 minutes round trip. I opted out but asked for a credit for the next time. They said they couldn't do that because I would get free food. Who would pay for my time and fuel for me to go back? I am gluten free and the wrong order was a burrito. The steak was fatty. At least my chips and salsa were good. I wonder if they realize the good pr they would get had they offered me a free meal the next time? Instead they are getting this post on Facebook, my blog, G+, Twitter, any other outlet on which I find them. read more

Violetta T.

261

7

0

11 years ago

Great little authentic Mexican restuarant. Easy to miss on the corner with a small building, but excellent service and food! We love to have simple steak tacos with cilantro and onion!!! Chips and salsa always given before the meal and the home-made empanadas are to die for!!!! Will always come here!!!! read more

Jessie J.

1

6

0

16 years ago

Ginormous burritos! Tacos are great too. This location has really crappy parking access, though. Hard to get in/out especially during dinner time/rush hour. Food is worth it, though! read more

Jo G.

1

14

1

10 years ago

Excellent food excellent service! You really can't go wrong eating here, fresh cooked and salsa is excellent as well.

Steph H.

0

1

0

8 years ago

The workers were rude and food took about 15 minutes. Parking is horrible and food is average.

Susan P.

0

18

4

6 years ago

Food is good, but they get the order and charges wrong every single time we go there.

Tom M.

0

4

1

13 years ago

it was ok, The carna asada taco I had lacked flavor, pork was good though.

Rochelle S.

24

63

13

12 years ago

Best Pico you will find in Illinois.

El Faro 3 - mexican - Updated October 2026

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El Faro

3.5

(119 reviews)

Checked out this locally owned Mexican restaurant in Elgin. El Faro actually has a few locations…read more It has this one on State Street. A pretty standard menu of what to expect from this type of cuisine. There's of course burritos and tacos, along with more traditional items like tortas. Bare bones kind of place with not much of an atmosphere. It's got a counter to order at along with booths. There's just handwritten signs on the walls. A lot of traditional items. There's some that are unfamiliar to most Americans, though they should be able to recognize quite a few things. A bad thing is there's no alcohol. It's about $3 for Jarritos. There's also cans of pop. It's about $10 for one of the big burritos. The one we each got was the Burrito Vegetariano. It's got cheese and sour cream which I left off. There's also beans, lettuce, onions, peppers, rice, and tomatoes. Comes with some bottles of hot ass sauce to add to it. The rest of the menu has fajitas and seafood. Even though it's not pretty, it's still a good option for authentic Mexican. It's located on State Street. There's a lot of meaty items, but there's a few things for vegetarians.

we walked in everything looked pretty nice. We got taken care of really fast. I heard a lot of good…read morethings about this place so I had to come try it out. The tacos were very good and flavorful. The fish was not the best would not recommend. The burritos was also very good and tasty. They also forgot a lot of stuff like try tortillas and drinks and our chips and salsa when we first walked in.

Taqueria Chapala

3.9

(78 reviews)

I met up with a friend, and he suggested we try this place. I'm glad he did because I left…read moresatisfied. I ordered the chicken taco and a burrito. The pulled chicken was incredibly tender, though it was a little lacking in flavor. Thankfully, the server brought out a variety of salsas, which made up for it. The burrito was packed with meat--seriously, meat, meat, and more meat. By the end of the meal, I was completely stuffed from all the protein. Now I know exactly where to go whenever I'm craving a hearty burrito.

Taqueria Chapala delivers some of the most authentic Mexican cuisine in the area, highlighted by an…read moreexcellent chicken dinner and consistently great tacos. The flavors are bold, traditional, and clearly rooted in quality preparation. Prices run a bit higher than expected for the area, but the food backs it up. It's a strong spot for those seeking genuine, well-executed Mexican fare

Taqueria Parrilla Azteca

3.5

(33 reviews)

A friend recommended this place for dinner. This is a neighborhood taqueria with cozy dining area…read more Upon entering, a friendly staff greeted us and asked if we were ordering takeout out or dining in. We could choose our table since it was not busy. The price was affordable with generous portion. The food was flavorful. There were a few people came in to pick up their order. Even though the dining area wasn't too busy, it looked like a place that people come for take out.

I live 5 mins from this place , ordered the lomo burrito , it was cold , only thing in it was…read morelettuce ,sour cream , and a couple small pieces of steak , no beans , rice or anything . And to top it off it shows $8 for this burrito , ordered two . Total was $29 ??? Def won't be going back here !!

Burrito Parrilla Mexicana - Algonquin

4.2

(145 reviews)

Stopped by for a quick bite. Ordered the grilled chicken bowl. Comes with cheese, lettuce and…read morechoice of beans. Very underwhelming and not worth $9.99. I would not recommend getting their bowls. Their tacos, however, look good. Restaurant was clean, empty and quiet when we stopped by around 2:30pm. Staff were friendly and fast with ordering and food.

I've passed by this place several times in Algonquin. I finally decided to drop in with a coworker…read moreat linch and check out some eats. The place was nice clean and open on the inside. We both received service with a smile. The food preparation only took a few minutes. I had a three taco plate with black beans and rice for $14.99. I was surprised by how well the tacos were. They were American style with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. I ate a grilled chicken, a grilled veggie, and ground beef taco. All three were delightful and well seasoned but the ground beef was my fav! My coworker had a burrito and said it was great. I would be happy to return for a shot at a good burrito or maybe a torta.

Tamazula Tacos

3.5

(28 reviews)

The food was good. The chimichanga fried burrito service was really good. Nice clean place. A good…read moresmall Mexican restaurant in Carpentersville that me and my parents went to I like it there. It's like a 5 or 10 minute drive.

Get some pretty authentic Mexican at this small cantina in Carpentersville. It doesn't look like…read moremuch because it's in a strip mall, but forget about looks. Tamazula Tacos is about the most authentic you can get around here, and there's lots of Mexican places. Of course that says a lot about it. Prices are okay and you can get things like tortas and more. Came in to get carryout. It's pretty boring and nondescript decor inside. They must be expecting customers to take it to go it seems. Has a few tables inside. There seems to be no bathroom though. Basically it's order at the counter. I got the Aguacate Torta. It's about $6 for this classic Mexican item, not a bad price for as big as it was. Basically it's filled with avocado and beans. Other fillings include cheese, which I left off, jalapeños, and lettuce. Also I got the Guacamole. It's $7 for a small cup, kind of a lot to pay for it. This wasn't as fresh as it should have been for as much as they charge for that. For sure authentic. It's one of the most authentic around here. The bad thing is it's limited for vegetarians.

Tacos del Valle

4.6

(48 reviews)

Tacos Del Valle is such a great little hole-in-the-wall spot! The menu has tons of options, so…read morethere's definitely something for everyone. I got the tacos and they were absolutely delicious - full of flavor and freshly made. It was very busy during lunch, which is always a good sign, especially with so many people in the area stopping in. It's primarily a pickup spot, but they do have picnic tables outside if you want to enjoy your food there. I saw several people eating outside, and everything looked - and smelled -amazing! The staff was also friendly, helpful, and welcoming, even with how busy they were. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area and craving some good tacos!

Ordered steak burrito- delicious. Ordered same for my daughter she loved it. Ordered beef burrito…read morefor brother in law - enjoyed emensely

Los Comales Elgin

3.4

(149 reviews)

Taco Thursday? Don't mind if I do!…read more Los Comales is a staple for my coworkers! I've had it numerous times in the past, but this was my first time having it in years! I ordered the Taco Combo that came with 3 tacos with your choice of meat, rice, beans, and a 16oz beverage of choice. I ordered a cesina taco, a carne asada taco, and a pollo adobado taco. It was my first time ordering a cesina taco and I'm so glad I did. It was delicious! Usually my go-to is carne asada but it was a little chewier than usual and it just didn't compare to the tender cesina taco. The chicken was alright, but the cesina was amazing! And I chose their refreshing and perfectly sweet jamaica as my drink! My favorite! Check out @taqueria_loscomales for your next Mexican food craving! And if you've never had them before, try the cesina tacos!! Yum!

I order 6 special tacos, thinking i was going to get a good meal, turns out i almost die. There was…read morea twist tie inside one of the tacos!. I don't know if it was on purpose or accidentally fell in there, all i know is that i will be avoiding this establishment.

Elly’s Mexican Tacos

3.0

(22 reviews)

This has become a go to staple, the food is always fresh and delicious. Love their tacos and…read morewashing them down with a cold horchata. The pastor torta is also go to. Staff are extremely nice and quick.

Today I ordered 2 tacos 1 Sopa and 1 Torta and 1 large Horchata. We dined in so I asked if they…read moreoffered chips and salsa. They said "No, it is extra". I said no problem and asked how much it was. They were changing $6.99. I declined because I felt that was overpriced. We got our food. There was barely any steak on the torta. And they were charging $12.75 for it. I normally don't complain as I used to be in the food service industry and know how it is but decided to bring it up to them due to the price. I asked if they could put more steak on the torta. The cook came to the front and was extremely rude and said "if you don't like the food then just give it back and we will give you a refund.". I told him that I wanted to get what I paid for and to not my money back. And he said something about it being portion controlled and he just works there but continue to be rude and said he could just give me my money back. After some arguing back and forth we decided to give him the food back. My wife ate half of her food I took two sips of my horchata and he only refunded me everything but the $8 for the sope. This was extremely unprofessional. Again I don't complain much especially with reviews, however this was very disrespectful. I asked to speak to the owner and when he would be in but they said they don't know and we're extremely dismissive. Another thing to note is that we ordered off of the large menu in the restaurant then come to realize that most items listed on the receipt where at least $0.75 more that we paid for. We ended up paying over $3.50 more than what was advertised on there menu that people order from every day. Buyer beware please make sure you check your receipt when you order from there. I did bring this up to the cashier and he said "oh yeah those prices are old". I understand that but they should be updated it would take no more than 20 minutes to update the menu.

Casa Lara

3.7

(3 reviews)

I'm annoyed with this place. First time, the lady was super nice and allowed me to buy some tacos…read moreto go. THERE was two people dining in. Second time, friday hours stated they were open, they were not. Third time, the guy was super rude and said dining in starts at 7pm. Seriously people either change your times or your racist attitude, because obvi if I wasn't a white mexican you would serve me. Done with this place.

First time coming to this place with my husband and we had the best service and the best food we…read morehave had in Elgin. Nicest people you will ever meet. Their tacos were so quality ,authentic and tasty! comida increíble

Ramiro's Restaurant

3.0

(25 reviews)