El Gallo Bravo has been my go-to spot for over 15 years, and it never disappoints. This place is consistently solid, authentic, and comforting--exactly what you want from a neighborhood Mexican restaurant. On my most recent visit, I had the taco de chorizo verde and a bistek taco, and both were absolutely amazing. The chorizo verde deserves a special shoutout--so many Mexican restaurants don't offer it, and it's something truly rare to find here in Chicago. Flavorful, well-seasoned, and cooked perfectly. The bistek taco was just as good, with jalapeño and grilled onions that added the perfect balance of heat and savoriness. If you're looking for authentic tacos and a spot you can count on year after year, El Gallo Bravo is it. A true Chicago staple for me. read more

El Gallo Bravo - Taco de chorizo verde and bistek taco - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food here is typical late-night Mexican in Chicago, which us pretty good at midnight on a Saturday night. Don't order the water here as they charged me $4.50 for one Styrofoam cupful of tap water. read more

El Gallo Bravo - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Been in Chicago for almost 3 years and this is the first place that asks how I like my tripa cooked. And they have a diverse array of jarritos flavors. Cherry on top is they're practically 24 hours. Its an open grill too -- just like waffle house. What more do you need? read more

El Gallo Bravo - Two Taco Tripas with Arroz y Frijoles - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a burrito suizo. Walked out gagging and almost puked. I went back a second time and had a normal carne asada and had the same issue. The food isn't fresh in my opinion, I usually wouldn't care but if I'm feeling sick when I leave twice I'm not giving a five star. Otherwise, the the staff was polite and service was great. I am not here to talk bad about local food places but I can't give this place more than a three star. I've eaten at plenty of taquerias in Chicago and this was the first where I didn't like the food at all. No hate to the people who run the place, I wish I liked it more and mean no disrespect. read more

Great food , the only thing is they don't have customer restroom!! Tacos hit the spot, and they're open late.

Love going here, it's open 24 hours so definitely a to go spot if your out late on a weekend night after a bar. The tacos are my favorite of course but definitely recommend their tortas Horchata and Agua de Jamaica is always on point. Workers are so welcoming and friendly. read more

El Gallo Bravo - Taco Dinner - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The asada or bistec tacos are spot on for lunch, dinner, or sobering up late night. Hole in the wall fast food restaurant like. Waitress are generally courteous and as fast as they can. read more

Made a quick stop to order some Mexican rice and beans to go. Really say when I get a soupy mashed bean that looks more as if they should've been served in a soup bowl. By the time I got home, they had completely covered the rice. It's a damn shame when a business tries to stretch even the most basic side dish. I used to go to this place a few years ago. But after this, I won't return. If a business can't even have standards on presenting a basic side dish, why should I return here. There are a many taquerias, as one would say, a dime a dozen. read more

I don't even want to give them a star. This lady literally shut the door on me and my friends faces and told us it's closed! They're false advertising. It's suppose to be 24/7. She could of at least told us in a nicer manner that it's closed instead of yelling at us and shutting the door. Never coming here again. read more

El Gallo Bravo - open 4 hrs neon sign - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Super good food! I ordered 4 tacos, 1 Asada, 1 carnitas, and 2 green chorizo(just to try it!) All of the tacos were super good and had plenty of toppings. My partner ordered a burrito Asada and be both tried it, SUPER GOOD, definitely would recommend to anyone wondering what they should try first. Great waitresses, polite and understanding! I was also able to take my food to go, in case anyone is wondering Definitely a hole in the wall, hard to find unless you pass right by it and smell the entrancing aroma and decide to try it, like me and my husband did! Lastly, very affordable prices for great food! read more

Came here on a late Friday night. Interior was surprisingly clean and the food came out quickly. We got the quesadilla with steak and pastor tacos. The employees were nice and very attentive to us. I'm give 3 stars only because the food was bland. The meat tasted like it had been over cooked and just reheated multiple times. I mixed the food with salsa to make it more spicy and flavorful but was still missing something. read more

Decent Mexican food. I grew up in the heart of Chicago and I've been having difficulty finding a really good authentic Mexican place. This is decent. Not too bad read more

We love this little taco spot and frequent it often! After 3 years in the neighborhood, we always keep coming back. Food is quick and super affordable. Stand outs are the pastor (our favorite in the city!) and green chorizo tacos. read more

Gallo was recommended by co-workers. By far, it offers good tacos in Chicago for under $3 each. I'm not one to consider paying $3+ for a taco. I had the Carne Asada taco which was crispy. Almost jerky like. It had a good crunch which I liked. I also had an Al Pastor taco. It was made on a flat grill and not on the "trompo". Nothing against flat grills but it's just not the authenticity that I'm looking for. This Al pastor did have more of the sweetness from the pineapple. I also had the lengua taco, cow tongue. It was thinly sliced. It was good but I would have preferred small cubes. read more

So bland and salt less and chewy and insulting to call it food grab a water cause your need it to swallow

My wife and I have lived a block away from here for the past four years. Sad to say in our opinion the quality has consistently slipped. Latest example was this evening when I ordered two tostadas to go with guacamole, chips, rice and beans. I walked there and back which only takes a couple minutes. When I got back my wife unpacked the food only to find her tostada was a soggy mess of slop on a wholly soaked tostada. I ended up walking back to get a refund. Mine was only slightly better. I have to say we're done with this place. My neighborhood is full of Mexican restaurants, and we've tried most every one. It would be nice if one of them could stay consistent in their quality. We're not expecting fine dining- our expectations are fairly low for places like this but we're through with paying good money for crap. read more

Por q dise q sierran a las 5 de la mañana los sábados yo pase oy sábado 9 de octubre a las 3:55 am y q ya estaban cerrados estaban todos los empleados adentro y varios clientes afuera espero el dueño o el encargado les ponga en su lugar gracias read more

Stopped in here on a whim to get a late lunch, and glad I found this place! I ordered tacos de al pastor and a horchata, which were both so good. The al pastor was seasoned perfectly, and the horchata was super creamy. Totally would recommend this taqueria! read more

the tacos are good, the red sauce is good, the only problem is that they never put lemons, the service for me at night is good, because in the afternoon they sometimes treat me badly or as if I did them a favor of buying or eating There, I like the service of the night I recommend them. please put lemons on the tacos thank you read more

El Gallo Bravo - Taco pastor and tripa - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

You guys are all fucking idiots this place should be 5 stars all day long, best late night drunk eats ever. Open 24 hours so whenever you black out you can be sure to eat some ribeye tacos or burritos here and it's amazing. I love it, the chef is a straight ninja zen warrior slicing and scraping and cooking the marvelous meats to get you feeling better again. Everybody needs to come here once after having 4 beers and enjoy a meal. Really enjoyed my meals here. You need to come in at midnight and watch chef sling his Mexican food if nothing else. read more

El Gallo Bravo - Menu is huge so you're dumb if you can't find something you like - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Its just really bad. When the steak dinner looks like a couple of black pressed paper sheets its not a quality joint. read more

Ugh, WHAT a dive. But at 3am you have to lower your standards slightly and focus not on the unsightly rooster-oriented art and garish border town decor, but on the fact that the counter staff will let you order as many tacos as your stomach can handle with a minimum of fuss. Miss Fussypants at the counter WILL stare at you as if you are an idiot if you don't either speak fluent Spanish or fail to order with proper emphasis on the right syllables, but you can circumvent the awkward correction process by simply pointing as you order. The food takes a LONG time to cook. But I like to think that the extra cooking time means fewer bacteria survive the purification-by-fire process. Plus you can enjoy the company and leers of some of Chicago's finest 2nd shift factory workers and drunken "young bloods." Latino men are Shakespeare eloquent after seven(teen) beers, treating you to sonnets about the "juicyness" of your bosom and how fine your "booty" looks as it rhythmically sways as you walk up to get your food. I could go on for PAGES about the inappropriate behavior of the restaurant patrons, but it's about the food - which is clean, cheap, tasty, and has never made me sick. That's a huge step up from a lot of late night eateries. El Gallo Bravo is a Mom & Pop operation, it's open late, and they don't control who eats there, but the cook will threaten rowdy folks with a spatula. Get your food to go, ask for a large orchata to drink during the wait, and book it with bag in hand. Or stay and chat up chola Jenni from da block if you think you can take her sloppy-drunk boyfriend. read more

Imagine Napoleon Dynamite saying "GROSS." And that's how you'll feel after going here. To many other reviewers, yes, I found the same...the only reason it's 24/7 is because at 3 AM nothing sounds better than tacos! We went in, to discover it's cash only. So, after trotting over to the Walgreens and then back we missed our first chance at escape. The waitress made us feel like idiots by asking questions in English and I now see this is their intimidation tactic to make you shut up and just point at something on the menu! I can't remember what exactly we ordered, other than chips and salsa...which was the world's most bizarre sauce....and a mixture of tacos. I do, however, remember watching them cook the taco 'meat' thinking WTF IS THAT?!?! I could have sworn it was tongue, heart, brains but NOT chicken! In the end, the food was delivered and my boyfriend and I looked at each other with sour faces and decided it was best to just pay for the food and leave without eating it. Moral of the story: AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Run for your life before eating here! read more

I keep making the same mistake coming here again and again because of the fact that they're 24 hours. Last night I should have gone to bed hungry. Six chorizo tacos for my friend and I that were burnt black, on tortillas that were over-cooked to a raw-hide consistency. We hollered at the chef to take our meat off the grill as he sat there and watched it scorch right in front of us. As we tried to eat them, we kept getting smiles and glances from across the restaurant. I couldn't help but feel like we were being made fun of. I considered walking out right then because I was so pissed off, but I finished one taco, paid my tab and THEN left. That horrible hell of a meal cost them money and time to make, after all. That's certainly not how you treat a couple of politely drunken paying customers. read more

Amazing Mexican food! My husband and I both love visiting this place at all times of the day and the staff is always very polite and efficient. read more

Great place for late night dining. The service is so friendly. They are very attentive and fast. If you want tacos late at night come here. Food is great I'll always come back read more

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Let me caveat here first. I'm from Texas and have lived between Austin and San Antonio my whole life. Then I moved here. I've had my fair share of great Mexican and Tex-Mex food. There are certain things that I love about my Mexican food. My taste and standards are pretty high but while I'm out here I try and go in with no expectations. "We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto." The Review: I don't live to far away from this place and see it often when I'm driving to and from my house. Once morning I decided to go in for breakfast and see what this joint was about. I went with a friend on Tuesday morning around 10ish. We walked in and there was no one there. It's really small, hole in the wall, divey. Honestly that's what I'm use to when it comes to Mexican food places...especially the good ones. Service is mediocre. Our server started speaking to us in Spanish assuming we "Hablan Espanol." Yo hablo poquito espanol. I'm really rusty. I'm not even comfortable ordering food when I know I can. The menu was what we expected the typical tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas etc. I've noticed a big thing out here are tortas which I've had before but they were few and far between in Texas. Since we were set on breakfast that's what we got. We were disappointed because the breakfast selection was very slim. There were a few plates to choose. We were bummed because we didn't see breakfast tacos. I've since learned out here that the breakfast taco is non-existent. I haven't seen them anywhere. If anyone out there knows a place, please holla at your girl. We settled on food Huevos Ranchereros for my friend and the Chorizo plate for me. Food was ok. Nothing exciting...honestly since I'm writing this weeks after I can't really remember anything significant. I remember the Chorizo is different from what I'm use to but it was decent. Will I go back to this place? Eh maybe if it's late and I'm desperate for food. This place is open 24 hours. I feel bad giving this a lousy review but I know there's gotta be better out there. I wanted to like this place but I couldn't This is a great big city and there's tons of places to eat. I'm determined to find a Mexican food place that will fit my fancy. read more

Simply put, it's an honor to live blocks away from 24 hour tacos/burritos/tortas, but the bonus is El Gallo is also amazing. We've placed large takeout orders for dinner parties and done late-night counter service dining in, and no matter what it's reliable and delicious. Salsas are great and so is the horchata if you're looking for something sweet. Be sure to check out the green chorizo for a more unique taco. read more

Holy.. Best Mexican food I've ever had. First off they make the food right in front of you. Which is amazing. Plus I watched them peel my avocados right in front of me. For the freshest guacamole ever. I will be coming here every chance I get. Plus the staff is so nice. read more

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It's open 24 hours and the service was nice. They have help wanted signs in the window for a waitress and a cook. It was clean, not much artwork and piped in music playing. Food was ok but not worth price for taco dinner and a coke. Chicken tasted fatty and rice was reheated in microwave before being plated. Not in a hurry to return. read more

Tacos are decent after coming out of some club... The taco guy is a beast... He flips those tortillas in a blink of an eye... Service can be great but let's give the lady a break she works by herself.. Taco guy tall skinny guy... Best time to eat at2-3 am.. read more

What can I say. AWESoMe that's what. Burrito carne asada is superb. What is also really amazing and totally unique are the 2 salsas they give, creamy and tasty, never had anything quite like it. I asked about it but he just smiled. A secret sauce. I want to buy a jar to take home. Just right. Yummy read more

El Gallo Bravo - Awesome food here - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place is great! I don't leave a lot of reviews but this place saved date night. The first place we ordered from was actually closed. This place was fast and you need to try the pastor taco. So good read more

Dudeee! Bomb as Tacos de Bistec! Late night tacos are the best and this restaurant just hits the spot! Usually stop by after any concert! They are always open! And service is really good! read more

El Gallo Bravo - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

In my opinion here you can find the best tacos in town . I love trip tacos and the asada torta . They have a huge variety of authentic Mexican food and everything is good ! read more

I've found that bad drunk Mexican food is usually hard to find, but for that, this place is a goldmine. Nearly everything we tried here was inedible and extremely bland-chips, enchiladas, rice/beans, and don't get me started on the meats. Don't let any crowds in this place fool you-- a very regrettable $25 wasted last night. Wish we ended up at T-bell instead. read more

SKIP THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS! My mom and I go to the gym near this place, and one day after our work out we saw it packed with a lot of people. Of course we decided to stop in for a post workout meal. I ordered two carne asada tacos and she had an order of chicken flautas. What a disappointment. The flautas were completely overfried and the chicken texture/flavor was gross. The carne asada tacos were filled with the fatty parts of the meat, which was unappetizing. We also ordered some chips and guacamole. Again the chips were over fried and greasy, and although it seemed like the men made the guacamole right after we ordered it, it was completely brown and there was more cilantro than avocado. The horchata had wayyyyy to much sugar/cinnamon to the point where I could actually taste granules. As stated in previous reviews, it's a decent place to go if it's late and you're hungry. Other than that I would find someplace different. read more

I tested out El Gallo Bravo the other day. I drove by and realized it was the closest 24/7 Mexican restaurant to my apartment. Thus it was critical that I sample the food to find out whether it was the closest good 24/7 Mexican restaurant to my apartment. The answer is yes. I tested out my standard steak taco dinner. I noticed the restaurant to be more Mexican and Americanized. Soccer was playing on the tv despite it being Sunday afternoon. Sure enough my tacos came with cilantro and onions instead of the lettuce and tomato. This is not a problem as I love my tacos both ways. I was not disappointed as the tacos were solid, the meat was well cooked and the service and value were good. Add to that 24/7 hours and EGB has a new customer. read more

El Gallo Bravo is open 24hrs. A good place if you live in the area and coming from a late night rally/party and had a little too much to drink and you want food. Prices are ok. i believe a taco of Carne Asada cost $2. Burrito is about $5.50. read more

I really hate to give a 2 star review, but this place just doesn't do it for me. The first time I tried this restaurant, I ordered a carne asada burrito. I was quite disappointed to find that the meat was ground. It really tasted just like hamburger and was super greasy. 6 months have passed, and I found myself with a 20 minute wait for the Montrose bus across the street, so I thought I would try them once again just to be fair. I noticed that there is a bistec burrito on the menu and thought maybe they just gave me the wrong thing last time. I was in the mood for chicken though, and skipped the beef altogether. I got home, and once again, ground meat. It was actually chicken, but I just didn't like the texture. Also, some of the meat seemed white and slimy. I was afraid it was going to make me sick. I literally stopped eating it after a few bites and tossed it. That is the first time in my life I have actually hated a burrito. Service was friendly enough, although there was a girl behind the counter playing with her hair who also packed my takeout bag without washing her hands. Needless to say, I won't be back. read more