Moved from city to Northbrook last year and eat here weekly. Might be the best tacos and burritos I've ever had...people are very nice too.

No frills carnitas shop that I've been wanting to try for quite a while (since I love carnitas! And I've passed the shop several times). It's easy to pass up since it's tucked away in a tiny strip mall (most gems like Paisa Alegre are found in such locations) They sell either individual tacos or also meat by the lb. (Tortillas extra, but comes with salsa). Value was pretty good I thought. We ordered a couple of lbs of meat - think the owners gave us some really choice pieces as well. Very happy with the service. You could specify your cut of meat (ribs, belly, stomach, etc). Really nose to tail type of experience. read more

Overall a great place to pickup some carnitas to go by the pound. If you order by the pound it is only for carryout. We ordered 2 lbs of the carnitas and it was plenty of food. The carnitas are well seasoned and the parts we got was a bit more on the drier side. The staff was incredibly welcoming when we entered. They greeted us with a warm hello and then asked if we had any questions. read more

El Paisa Alegre - Mexican Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

The food was fresh and tasty. These are authentic tacos! We got a couple taco plates and 2 additional tacos 3 drinks and it was about 60 but honestly well worth it for the freshness and the people were friendly as well. This is one of those good obscure places that is a hidden gem! Ps their salsas are amazing!!! read more

Let me tell you I ate here twice...and since you come in or call your order in the lady that I think she and her husband are the owners of the spot she is very welcoming and nice, the first time I had a burrito de carnitas just beans, crema, cheese and aguacate is extra. It was flaming.....the following day I purchase lunch for my mangers and they were mercy this burritos are amazing. Very good service and the food was so delicious and fresh....you have to go with the Carnitas....oh and ask for the green salsa the one that looks like aguacate sauce ....it has a nasty kick....meaning is yummy in your tummy. read more

Oh my gosh, I'm so thankful I found this gem on yelp! My friend and I were in town for a conference and trying to find a good spot for lunch. Super fast, good prices, and good food. I will definitely be back next time we're in the area! read more

Service is phenomenal. Food made right in front of you and served hot. Never even thought of a possible complaint.

Absolutely delicious!!! Authentic food along with fast service! My family of 5 loved this random find!

Best Carnitas Around! Fresh and the workers are so welcoming Prices are reasonable Fast service ! Place is always packed Can dine in and carry out read more

Holy moly! I've had so many tacos in my Life, including in Mexico and these tacos are amazing! As close to what you would get as in Mexico! Cilantro and onion and lime on carnitas and steak? Sign me up anytime! These I would say are the best tacos I've had in all of chicago. Yes, all of chicago! read more

Still the best tacos in town! The crew are like family to me...always service with a big smile..."Señor Steve...how are you?" I jave been coming here since they first open...pretty sure I've eaten everything on the menu...its all good and made and prepared with a family pride. Huge portions, quality meats....always hot and fresh. I highly recommend this place. read more

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Several years ago I stumbled upon this little gem and was fortunate enough to visit again recently. El Paisa Alegre is a small, authentic no-frills joint whose specialty is carnitas and all-pork goodness chopped and served up in front of your eyes; it is a haven for carnivores. The earlier you go, the better as they can run out of carnitas. There is limited countertop style seating, and it can get pretty busy with patrons consistently coming in and out. I noticed the prices have increased but don't feel they're unreasonable for the quantity and quality of food you get. My go-to is usually the carnitas burrito with a mango Jumex to drink. The burrito is huge, and their avocado hot sauce is super spicy but deliciously addicting. Majority of customers are Mexican (a good sign,) but I have never felt out of place, and service has always been friendly and sweet. read more

Initially, I was planning on getting some of their carnitas tacos. I arrived around 3:30 or so and they' close around 5 and they were already all gone. This place has no frills and seems to be known by the locals. It's definitely a hole in the wall. I ended up order a couple steak tacos and one lamb taco. The tacos are packed pretty full. Their carnitas are a top seller so be sure to get there earlier in the day to ensure you get some. Make sure you ask for salsa for your order. It goes well together. As standard, they throw in some salsa verde and some salsa roja. If you're particular about which ones you get be sure to voice that to them. They' don't throw in any napkins or utensils. This too you'll have to let them know if you want it with your order. The portions are pretty nice for each taco. If you're not able to handle too much heat but still enjoy it I recommend drizzling it on each of your tacos. Otherwise, you'll be suffering from that heat a bit. As for the meat quality itself, each of my tacos had dried up meat pieces in there. They could've easily picked those parts out as they put my order together but they didn't. I was the only customer in there so they shouldn't have felt rushed. It was a bit of a letdown to be honest. Their pictures looked great too. I'll have to try their carnitas tacos next time I'm in the area. As far as safety precautions go, for the most part it's all just for show. If you look at my pictures posted you'll see that a lot of their signs are handwritten. Signs like that upon entry aren't generally taken seriously. On top of that, their signs are only written in Spanish. English speakers don't all understand that so they'll easily dismiss those signs despite the restaurant's good intentions. It also didn't help the fact that their cashier was encouraging me to come inside and order despite the sign that says in Spanish "limit 1 customer inside per order". They don't follow their own signs. If social distancing is important to you go when it's not busy. Unfortunately, the workers don't enforce their owns signs and on top of that other customers coming through there didn't really practice it either. You have to enforce it yourself when you're there. Go at your own risk. Inside they have also closed off the dining area and only take take-out orders. read more

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Been a while, thought I'd pop in had one corn carnita tacos . Greg meat was good but could have used fat a little Dry. Nice warm corn tortillas, great green sauce . Could have included napkins. I kinda want to make carnitas now . My 21 year old went into the army on Jan 4 not sure how to cook for two new w. He was great at cleaning out the fridge and he did the dishes read more

El Paisa Alegre - Meats - Mexican Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

Probly not the best place for a vegan even though when i searched on vegan food this place came up ..... I am trying a veggie burrito anyway .... still charged me full price even without meat cheese or sour cream .... it was a pretty good burrito and the people were very nice but certainly only a place you should come if you're looking for meat meat and more meat read more

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Unbelievably unaccommodating!!! I ordered a burrito and requested only green salsa but was given 2 green and 1 red. When I asked the lady at the counter to exchange my red for a green, she refused. This is how they do it. read more

Always top notch ! Fantastic burritos , Tacos and Tortas! Suggest the steak burrito but be hungry. You will probably get two meals out of that burrito. read more

My daughter's coworker (who is Mexican) told her that this was the place he goes for tacos. Otherwise, we would have never realized the shop was there. We're so glad we tried it, and we'll definitely be back. Loved the variety of meats and salsas. The creamy (avocado?) salsa was so good but spicier than we expected. Tacos were more expensive than El Famous, our usual taco place, but they were loaded with meat. The restaurant seemed well-staffed, and I appreciated watching them prepare the food. They have a second location in Prospect Heights, which we'll also have to try. read more

The best carnitas I've ever had, they're not greasy at all! Great prices and nice to be able to choose what meat from the carnitas am able to get for my tacos. Nice variety of meat to choose from borrego, birria, Carnitas! Fast, friendly service! read more

Love this place! We stop by and get tacos and burritos pretty often. Great food and good prices. The quality is excellent and their salsas are so good! It's a hole in the wall sort of place, so don't expect a fine dining experience, but everything is excellent! read more

Fantastic food, but still not being able to eat inside is ridiculous, the vid 19 is over. There was no one else in the place and we started to stand at the counter and eat but they stopped us and told us to leave. Had to sit in our work truck and eat. Would be 5 stars if people lived in the present and not 2 years in the past... read more

I called ahead for a Carnitas burritos, was ready by the time I got there, was very hot and fresh and tasty, the green sauce was a little hot, but it was great. Not sure I want to try anything else because the burritos is so good. Priced reasonably., read more

Tiny spot in wheeling but the carnitas are fresh and yummy. Remember to bring cash! You can order by tacos or lbs of meat. They also sell sides like beans. read more

Delicious large and fresh burritos. My hungry teenage boy can only finish half of it. Fresh ingredients. Will come again if we are in the neighborhood. read more

El Paisa Alegre - Pork - Mexican Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

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HOLY guacamole batman is this place off the chart good. - the taco de carne cecina is huge and good and flavorful and $2.59 and filling Enough to eat just one and be ok for lunch, eat two and be stuffed. After eating both I am convinced that quality wise these are the best tacos I have ever had, PERIOD. No really. Not just an exaggeration. The above being said - the atmosphere (literally the air) sucks and if they could get rid of the smell of what they are cooking before you eat it that would be great. They need a outdoor seating area and table service and this would be a Mecca for anyone from 50 miles away or more. read more

El Paisa Alegre - The owners wife Julie - Mexican Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

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A legit "football size" burrito for $10! I ordered the steak and watched as the fresh meat was seasoned, grilled, and and chopped finely. Super tender and flavorful. Loaded with beans, rice, lettuce, cheese and a drizzle of sour cream (I don't do tomatoes). The chef on the grill was a master, and then seeing them actually roll this behemoth was equally impressive! Several different fresh meats to choose from. I'll definitely be back to try the others, but maybe downgrade to a taco next time! This is seriously a burrito for 2!! haha ; ) Oh! And, not a knock the place at all, but just a heads-up...it is VERY small. Definitely not a sit-down joint. Although, they do have stools for counter seating. They can get VERY crowded VERY quickly (especially during peak hours). And, the place also tends to be VERY noisy...between the music, chopping meats, and the phone ringing. But, from that noise comes some damn good food, folks! Giddy Up!! read more

El Paisa Alegre - "Football Size" Burrito is PROVEN! I didn't know if I should eat it, or PUNT it! haha - Mexican Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

Amazingly fresh and authentic Mexican food! I've been looking for a place like this, and am happy to become a regular. This place has everything, and it's made fresh before your eyes. Highly recommended. Portions are huge, by the way! read more

El Paisa Alegre - Mexican Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

The place is not suited for pure vegetarians and semi-vegetarians maybe able to get by. The first time I came here after seeing the positive reviews, I was grossed out by the strong / free meat "smells" so had to leave without placing an order. Then another morning, I was craving so bad for a cheese quesadilla and this was kind of my only option so I was more determined to place an order this time. I wish they would do something to reduce the meat smells because it is not tempting like it maybe in KFC etc. Nevertheless, the service is good and I would go back to pick up a veggie quesadilla or taco if other nearby Mexican restaurants are not open. Beware, their "green salsa" is quite spicy. read more

El Paisa Alegre - Mexican Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

This is the 2nd time I've been here. It's a tiny little place with absolutely no frills, very limited seating and Now they have a menu board. Awesome service & food. The burrito is enormous & large enough to feed a family of 4. If you can eat the whole thing they will roll you out the door. I only ate about 1/3 of this monster and it was more then enough to satisfy my hunger. Super nice people, good food and inexpensive read more

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Great portions for the price, authentic food, and fast. The tacos are massive--2 is more than enough for one person. This makes them hard to pick up and eat thougThere isn't much seating, it's like bar style seating and maybe only can seat 8 or so people. read more

El Paisa Alegre - Meat selection - Mexican Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

I have been here twice, once 3 years ago, and the other time today. The customer service from everyone is great and friendly! The food is incredible. Seriously sooooo good. Very authentic. read more

Working our here in the northern suburbs and came across this gem. Tiny location but very clean, great friendly service and amazing food! I had a torta de asada with everything and avocado. So delicious! Salsas are also very flavorful with a perfect balance of flavor and heat if that's what you want. I'm really looking forward to next week to continue trying the rest of the menu. Excellent spot! read more

I was underwhelmed with my experience here. I ordered 7 tacos and a side of rice and side of beans for my wife and I for carry-out. I added avocado to the tacos. Turns out I was looking at last years menu prices posted on a Yelp! picture, so instead of $2.59/taco and $0.35 extra for avocado, it was $2.99/taco and $0.75 for avocado. The menu didn't have the price for the sides but I thought probably $2 each, but those were $3 each, too. So I was expecting about $25 plus tax but instead it was over $35. That's too much for lunch for two people - what happened to the days where tacos were $2? This seems pricey for Wheeling (same price as Taco Nano in Northfield, which has higher quality). I thought after the price misunderstanding the guy might throw me a bone and knock a few bucks off the price, but there wasn't any kind of offer. He just explained that their tacos are large, and that avocados are expensive for them too. Each taco had probably 1/4 of an avocado on it - I would think if they're ordering in bulk they could still make a profit at a little more reasonable price. Most places offer a meal (3 tacos plus rice and beans) all together for a discount, but I didn't see anything like that on the menu. Beans weren't great either (I prefer the refried beans to whole beans). I could have lived with all this if the tacos knocked my socks off, but honestly they were just okay. We had two chorizo, two chicken, two carne asada, and one al pastor. The best were the chorizo, but the chicken left a lot to be desired with the little thin stripes of it, a little dry, and the carne asada a bit difficult to chew. The lady asked me what salsa I wanted, to which I responded "verde" meaning green. I didn't bother to check the bag until I got home and discovered 2 green and 5 red. I guess it's okay, because their green salsa was pretty spicy and my wife and I prefer the more mild salsa. Overall, tried a new place and found it to be of average quality and overpriced. Sorry amigo, I won't be coming back. read more

This is place is known for their carnitas and they have meat from the whole pig included tendons and organs. I ask for a couple of lbs of lean and fatty meat along the with the habanero salsa and tortillas. I thought that the carnitas was good but a little dry. It might be my fault since I didn't know what part of the pig I want the meat from. I thought their salsa is one of the best. The salsa has a good consistency that was very spicy but still with good flavor. read more

Excellent typical Mexican well made with love food! Using very flavorful and quality ingredients and preparations. It is a small place attended by the owners. The portions are unbelievable we went way out of our way this past Sunday, it was worth the trip! You can order trays of the different meats sold by the pound (catering) which is ideal for an authentic Mexican food party at home. The food is cooked in front of you and is freshly prepared! I would say that is best to order for pick up since there aren't that many seats inside. Thank you Paisa! we left very Alegres for sure. Keep it up!! read more

Went to this place on a Sunday during lunch - place was absolutely packed to the gills. Loud ambiance - kitchen was very busy and everyone was speaking Spanish while loud music/tv was on in the background. A little discouraging as I waited 40 min for 5 tacos and everyone before and after me got served. I did not receive a number like everyone else but was told that they would call my name which never did happen. As for the food, the red sauce was very good, my husband was not enamored with his Asada (steak) tacos but their specialty carnitas was a hit with him - he ended up eating my tacos instead. If the service was fast I would give more stars but would not say it was worth waiting 40 min and watching everyone else get served before me. read more

No thank you!! For starters the pig smell is so overwhelming. I bought chicken tacos and they were horrible!!!. The chicken had no flavor what so ever and then over $3 for each one?!?!? NO WAY NOT AGAIN Over priced food and cashier was not welcoming at all. She did not have good customer service to be working there, read more

This is the real deal! This is your place if you want low key no frills real deal tacos in the area!!

Really good local Mexican restaurant. Not a large seating area, only bar stools. The burritos are huge!! I could only eat half. Lots of sauces available also. I wish they had water to drink though. Mostly fruit juices and coconut water. read more

El Paisa Alegre - Mexican Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

Family owned ,,super good,,very authentic,,very busy,,,got to wait, but it's worth. Very tasty food. read more