Checked out this locally owned Mexican restaurant in Elgin. El Faro actually has a few locations. 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. read more

El Faro - Jarritos And The Burrito Vegetariano - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

we walked in everything looked pretty nice. We got taken care of really fast. I heard a lot of good things 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. read more

See all

Went today for lunch, I was the only customer on a Thursday at 11:45 for about an hour. Had a chix fajita burrito which was Mid at best. Crazy that the burrito (with beans and rice) and a can of coke was over $21. I now know why there wasn't anyone eating there. Place has been here a long time and I used to enjoy the food about 12 years ago. Thought I still would, but it wasn't the same, kinda sad, and expensive. read more

Great menudo and pozole. Have to pay upfront. serc8ve needs a little more improvement. Limes need more freshness. But food is great good taste. read more

El Faro - Pozole - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

See all

Bland flavor 4/10. In my steak burrito I really just taste rice & cheese. The horchata w/ no ice is pretty good 6/10 I also got a coconut treat. Ambiance was inviting. read more

El Faro - Burrito is a pretty good size. Flavor more on the bland side I'll say 4/10 - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Took my kids to lunch at El Faro the other day, and it is still outstanding. We got a pastor burrito, and a steak burrito. Food came out hot and fast despite restaurant being really busy with a bunch of take out orders as it was lunch time. The burritos were huge. More than enough for myself and two teenagers. The flavor of both was amazing, but for me, the pastor was the best. I highly recommend if you are in the area and looking for great Mexican food. read more

El Faro - Pastor burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Great authentic Mexican place, it's a classic in Elgin that has been around for many years and can't go wrong with it. I enjoyed my food and overall the staff was welcoming and nice. Classic authentic Mexican that can't go wrong. read more

Best Pazole in Elgin! Wonderful service & the salsa was great too. My partner tried the steak and he was very pleased. Go to the main location if you want full menu options. read more

This place will give White Castle a run for the money on Friday and Saturday nights. Plenty of greasy tacos and burritos are more than capable of sopping up some late-night alcohol. Don't expect miracles, just a dependable friendly oasis with a menu chock full of belly-buster possibilities. No fancy diet shit, just plenty of Meat & Cheese. But rest assured, you can top anything with an egg and call it Breakfast! read more

El Faro - Juicy Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

No comparison.....their burritos are on a stage alone. .not for weak or weary......rhese are mammoth sized burritos......pico is 2nd to none. Period......authentic.....fresh.....nuff said read more

El Faro - Skirt steak n egg burrito....whew - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

See all

I want to like this place so much but honestly this place messes up my order EVERY TIME. Whether it's for dine in or pick up, my order is always wrong. I will literally order something simple. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be going to this location anymore. The last time I went, they over charged my card for meals I didn't even place an order for. Horchata taste watered down. read more

Place is overhyped ... mediocre steak burrito rice was dry x I don't know why local food Facebook groups hype this place up?

I used to love this place. I go grab a steak burrito often. My wife and I called one night to ask if we could get a chimi change with Mole. I know, I know lol but we love it. They did it for us twice and we were in heaven. Tonight when I called I got an angry lady that was like no, not on our menu, can't do it. Then she's like so you want a steak chimi.. I said no thank you. Really??? You did it for us twice and now you can't do it. Sad story I know but we will move on and hope to find a place that accommodate our crazy selves. read more

Very good food and very good prices. Been going here over 20 years and they still are authentic and worth it. I just don't like that some barely speak English so things have been done incorrectly on my orders. Otherwise it's very good food! read more

lomo en chile de árbol, no es lomo y no es chile de árbol, solamente cecina cocinada y le echan arriba una salsa cualquiera, no se los recomiendo read more

El Faro - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Delicious huge burritos. Super nice & friendly. They are not racist like the other El Faro across town. Definitely recommend this location but the parking sucks! Not their fault of course. read more

(3.5 stars) El Faros is a solid restaurant for those who want simple, no frills, food. I haven't dined in at El Faros so my review is based on ordering out tacos. For those unfamiliar with the parking lot, note that you'll need to drive westbound on Highland Ave. and turn left into the lot, right before State St. My wife and I typically order the steak taco dinner, which comes with rice and beans. The tacos are served with onions and cilantro, and you can't go wrong with onions and cilantro. The steak does the trick, although the meat can sometimes be dry. I'll sometimes order the lengua (beef tongue), which I am starting to prefer over the steak, as it's more tender. My wife also likes the horchata, and I make sure to pick one up each time I take out. While the food is pretty good, the prices really make El Faros a go-to spot in downtown Elgin. Make sure to stop in on Tuesdays for the $7 taco dinner special. read more

Definitely not my first choice for Mexican food but it's close to my office. If want Mexican food for lunch it's my go to. The only thing I will order is the mole enchiladas of chicken lunch special. I don't really care for anything else on the menu. read more

My favorite Mexican eatery of all time! This place has it all folks! Great food, great prices and they're open late. I've been going to El Faro since i was in high school in the mid nineties and it very well may have been my introduction to homes-style Mexican food. I've been to many places since but no one seems to come close to the quality and deliciousness. The Portions are huge (giant gosh darn burritos!) and even the chips and salsa they give you when you dine-in are excellent. To make things even better, they're open quite late during the week and i believe for 24 hours on the weekends. So whether the bars have just closed or you just want a burrito for breakfast, I highly recommend El Faro!!! read more

See all

Excellent service and food. Coming from someone who worked at a Mexican restaurant in Elgin, el faro on state has the best food in town. The shrimp fajitas are big enough for two people. Fries are crispy unlike a lot of other Mexican food places around the area. Their burritos are fantastic, not greasy. Overall great establishment. read more

El Faro - Torta de asada con todo (carne dorada) - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

See all

Walked around the Cinco de Mayo fest in downtown Elgin today but the food truck lines were too long and I was too hungry to wait. A 6 minute walk later, I ended up at El Faro right past the Metra Elgin stop. This spot is open 24 hours a day and boasts of delicious, authentic, and cheap Mexican eats. Watch out for their weekly specials!! I had long been a huge fan of Nuevo León in the Pilsen neighborhood. Loved the machaca con huevos breakfast dish and was so excited to find it here!! read more

El Faro - Macha con huevos - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

THE BEST STEAK BURRITOS. Always delicious. Tacos are also really good. Whenever I come home to Elgin, I always have to stop by here.

Oops, accidentally posted this review for the wrong location in Elgin...so here it is in the correct place now! This place is near a friend's house so we decided to give them a try for dinner take-out. The carnitas (pork) in my burrito was dry! I've never had dry carnitas before so I'm not sure if this was leftover from the day before or what, but I was very disappointed. The other ingredients in the burrito were fine and they are HUGE! One burrito would easily be two meals for me. My friend had the steak burrito and he said his steak was also on the dry & not tender side. Hmm. Perhaps they didn't have as busy of a Monday or Tuesday lunch hour so this meat wasn't fresh... I will say I loved their refried beans and rice! So flavorful I could have eaten those as my entire meal. I'm sure we'll give them a try for other stuff again so hopefully I'll have a better review update to share in the future. read more

So I drove by this place a few times and finally decided to stop in. When ever I try a New Mexican place I like to order the steak taco dinner as a barometer for how good their restaurant is. So we sat down, our orders were taken quickly, and chips and salsa were brought to the table. The salsa was excellent, but not a lot of chips. After a short wait my tacos were served with rice and beans. Rice-Excellent Beans-excellent Veggies on the tacos- good Steak- meh... The steak was boiled and not grilled, so not as salty as grilled steak, a little dry, and a little chewy. They provide you with plenty of guacamole and sour cream to moisten up the taco but it's hard to get over the blandness of the steak. Aside from the steak this place is legit, the prices are fair, the atmosphere is solid, and the service was quick. Next time I'll just try the chicken read more

El Faro makes some delicious Mexican food at extremely affordable prices. This particular location has quite a bit of seating, and is right next door to Fanny's Thai ice cream so you can visit both small businesses in one trip! I found the service at this location to be excellent- attentive, chips and salsa on the table immediately, and very friendly. Our food was served quickly and was delicious- my husband had some tacos and I had the carne asada torte. I am a bit wimpy with spice, but I was able to eat everything just fine as I avoided noted hot items on the menu. The most challenging part about this El Faro location is the parking, something they can't really help, but it can be frustrating. There is a lot not too far away, and that is where we parked. We will definitely be back for more delicious food in the future. read more

I'm a fan of this location as well as the one on McLean. El Faros does burritos and gorditas right! I like their pastor and asada. For the price, the burritos are great. You get so much food! I like the fine in experience better than take out only because I feel like it's so much messier when you try and eat out of the foil in your car.. I mean when you get home.. They offer chips and salsa at the table when you dine in as well! Overall, a good affordable place to get a good burrito! read more

Get here early as the lunch crowd usually fills up the limited seating. The food is ok. Not the best Mexican food but if you're looking for decent food and a reasonable price then this is the place for you. The steak and chicken could use more seasoning on. It can taste bland if you do not add any salsa. The chorizo is not as greasy as most however its a bit mushy for my liking. I prefer chorizo to be a bit crispy. The place has its own "chips and salsa bar". You can help yourself to chips, pico de gallo, their red or green salsa, and jalapeño slices with carrots. I've had the regular burrito and burrito suizo and I prefer to eat the burrito suizo as the sauce and cheese help elevate the flavor no matter the protein you chose. There are daily lunch specials. My favorite is on Wednesdays. 3 burritos for $10.95. That's less than $4 for a football sized burrito! read more

El Faro - Chips to snack on while waiting on your meal - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

visited el faro on state street last night about 2 am .i ordered the skirt steak breakfast with eggs, beans and rice. instead of skirt steak, they gave me lomo..oh..the gringo wasn't suppose to know ?..COME ON.it wasn't skirt steak..and then the beans and rice were old, not fresh. and THEN we are eating , a bum from outside came in to beg for money...real nice...so then they still charged me for the skirt steak breakfast, full price..$13. with my orcheta, that was watered down..i told her easy ice, but she filled with ice to the top, then filled the glass, so the warm orcheta melted the ice, watering it down...wasn't even sweet.. so just a few questions, would i return, eat there again...no would i recommend to a friend...no was the food good? ...no was the service good..yes sorry el faro...i wont be visiting your restaurant any time soon.. GOOD LUCK ! read more

I've been coming to El Faro (Big Timber) for some time now. I don't have a complaint with their food or their prices. They are always friendly and the establishment is always clean. I appreciate the daily specials. Especially the Wednesday special: 3 burritos for $10.00. You can't beat that! You have your selection of beef, chicken, steak or vegetable and there is no up charge for steak. The burritos are a nice size and very filling. I've also tried other items on the menu and have yet to be disappointed. With all of the tacos places is the area, El Faro maintains their place in the neighborhood. I'm always satisfied when I come here. read more

Tues day special is $7 for a taco dinner. If they tasted good it may be worth it. I ordered enchilada it was made with dry beef and the Salas on the table. Rice was sweet, no one can mess up beans. Nothing ...like cheese was stuffed. I tried and I'll will not recommend. read more

I'll give 2 stars for past memories. Frankly, have been bumy more thsn 20 times in the past two years during their stated hours of operation on their door and they are NEVER OPEN. Frankly they haven't been reliably open since they reworked their shared foyer at keast two next door tenants ago, that's got to be nearly four years ago! I knew the Bartlett restaurant on Lake St. Since their opening 5, now 4 star), and frequented their Elgin location on McLean for years a strong 3-1/2 stars), but got hooked on dinner in the AM when driving a cab and later working third shift. Am disappointed that they are NEVER OPEN in the morning despite claiming to be open at 8 AM M-TH. (L-Ju). I am giving up. Three weeks ago not ooen at 11:15 AM, Last week still not open at 10 AM, Today, still dark at 8:15 AM. For cripes sake, put a sign on your door stating your abbreviated hours, and scrape off your decaled or painted hours on your door. Won't try again. Disgusted! read more

I couldn't get a fajita burrito with shrimp??? I could only get steak or chicken??? They have shrimp, steak and chicken fajitas, but only steak and chicken fajita burritos??? I told them I would pay the extra for shrimp but was told again, only chicken or steak. I did get the steak and it was just okay. The chips were bland as well. I doubt that that I would return. read more

I have never had a bad meal from here in the 15+ years of coming. We hadn't ordered from here in a while so I picked up the usual 3 carne Asada burritos and 3 steak tacos with a side of rice and beans. The food was ready when I was told to pick up. However, I was utterly disappointed in the taste, amount of food in the burrito and the quality of the steak. I hate leaving bad reviews but something has changed here. The ownership or something. There is no way that this is a burrito from El Faro! There was barely anything in each of them. For most of it I felt like I was just eating a plain flour tortilla, a few bites in the middle had more to it but it was mainly beans! It was so bad I don't think I will even give them another try. I wonder what happened, and if maybe they sold off some of their locations. Maybe we will check out there location on McLean and see if we can still get good food there? read more

Elgin and El Faro, a match made in heaven. If by heaven we mean copious servings of Mexican fare paired with unhealthy amounts of sour cream, guacamole, refried beans and rice, then yes...this is heaven. Seems pretty authentic. I liked the musical selection, which varied from silence to "Cholo" to Mexican guitar strumming. Way to mix it up. The food was actually quite good. I had a sope and a quesadilla, and I found myself staring it down and saying, "you win, my friends." I could not finish. Open 24 hours on weekends. Parking is easy. If you are unsure of what to order each and every dish is photographed for your viewing pleasure. The lineup surrounds the restaurant as sort of a border...nice touch. However, one tip might be to pretend (at least for the portrait) that all of the food groups don't run amuck and ease into each other (beans should really stand on their own, ya know?) But oh well, suppose its part of the charm... Healthy portions, and horchata. The Diet Coke comes in plastic glasses. Best way to be. If you ever find yourself way out in Elgin, you know where to get a burrito or seven... read more

I couldn't agree less with Jessica T.'s claim that "if you dig around there are better Mexican joints nearby." I haven't found better Mexican food in my life. (Admittedly, I haven't been to Mexico.) Instead of telling you why I love El Faro, I'll provide a few anecdotes from friends: -One friend that lived in Mexico for the first 13 years of his life said that El Faro's is only place that reminds him of authentic Mexican food. -Another friend who visits Elgin occasionally will pick up El Faro on his way into town, want to eat there any chance he can while in Elgin, and then get another fix on his way home. -I recently got a text from a friend (who lives in Chicago) saying that he and a friend were on their way to Elgin (45+ minutes of driving) just to get some El Faro and then head back to the city. I hope those stories convince you to give El Faro a chance. Maybe I'll see you there around 2:00 A.M. on some Saturday morning. read more

The veggie tacos are so good here - red salsa, onion, lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, rice & beans (no sour cream for me). I tend to go here and get a taco late night when i am famished - usually after a drive back from the city. The women that work at El Faro are so friendly. Their kitchen is quick. The bakery that is attached to El Faro is also great. I love their tres leches cake. read more

This place SUCKS! Go to the location up North. In Tyler Creek plaza. Food is consistent, delicious, refills, and Pico! I've tried this location and it doesn't live up to the name El Faro....sorry! read more

Of the three El Faro's I've been to, this is the nicest one. Not a bad place to grab a bite (the burritos are HUGE and usually a good deal) and catch up on your Mexican soap operas if you're into that kind of thing ;) Portions usually border on the generous (did I mention the HUGE burritos??) and pretty well priced compared to other places. It's not the dirtiest place around but far from the cleanest either. For the location to my daily routine and the money, it's not a bad place at all. There are other Mexican places within a short drive I'd prefer to go to, but overall, I'll be back in line for my HUGE burrito :) read more

I love the El Faro chain - I have been going to the one in East Dundee for years but today I found myself in this part of town. I got the El Pastor Burrito - dang, I forgot how huge they are. Like a different reviewer noted, this thing was as big as a football...and only $5 with tax! It was so huge it'll be lunch for two days. The flavor was great and the salsas made my sinuses burn - which is a good thing this time of year-clears the sinuses! :) read more

Yum Yum Yum, This is officially the best-closest to authentic (but w/more flavor) mexican food i have ever had. Everything is full of just the right amount of flavor and at least tastes fresh. I love their chicken suizo burritos. And a big plus (for me) is that they always get the order right and are always friendly, even to us gringos. read more