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El Tarasco

3.7 (99 reviews)
ModerateMexican
Open • 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

El Tarasco Photos

EL TARASCO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Good for kids

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The bugs on the napkins and on the table around the vase

There was no wait to sit down and the food was good. There were blue lights in the table flower arrangements that attracted a lot of bugs. that was disgusting.

Tacos de asada y al pastor
Moises T.

If you are looking for good Mexican food with a great vibe, this is the place to be. Bring your family and friends to El Tarasco located in Archer Heights. I've been coming here since 2016, every time I get something different and Every time I get blow away by how good the food is. The first time i came here i was wondering the neighborhood walking around looking for a place to eat and found this Mexican restaurant around the corner from the park. I walked in and I was welcome by the friendly staff and they sat me right away. I was amazed by the theme of the restaurant, butterflies everywhere and a beautiful mural of the Island of Janitzio right in the entrance, the walls were really fun to look at and every-time i come back i find something new. My order was simple, I order one large Horchata and 3 Al pastor Tacos with everything and let me tell you, it was astonishing with so much flavor. The Horchata was cold and creamy, it's perfect for my tastebuds. The tacos had lots of meat on them and there were so delicious. The salsas had so much taste, the spiciness of the salsa complimented the sweet of the Al pastor tacos. In overall the experience was phenomenal and the prices were average. This is a place i will recommend. If you are looking for something fast and good this is a place to be

Camarones a la diabla
Dinora D.

I really wanted to like this place, and maybe it's hit or miss and I chose the wrong dish, but I wasn't the most satisfied. The shrimp seemed to be cooked lazily and the sauce was runnier than I'm used to. The only flavor you got was the spice of the salsa. Fries were soggy, but whatever. My husband got a quesadilla, and the good thing is the tortillas are handmade, but this one was SO thick, and didn't look cooked all the way through. That was super disappointing cuz all you can taste is maza. Chips and salsa was good though - nice Smokey taste. Service was ok - she was nice, but not really attentive. We ordered queso fundido and she forgot about it. Would we go back? I honestly don't think so. I don't know if trying a different dish would change my mind/review.

a man walking in front of a restaurant
Gina V.

Wow they stepped up there game the food is much better. The salsas are very tasty too. Wow I came and got Barbacoa tacos yum tacos had so much meat and they were delicious. The pozole was not that good but much better and they gave us all of our condiments too. We got complementary calendars they were so nice.

Margartias

Excellent jalapeño margaritas, food is good Large portions , staff friendly service quick

Carne Asada Tacos
Adam M.

Solid option for authentic good Mexican food at a reasonable price. I came here with my family and got the carne adasa tacos and loved them. Everyone else really enjoyed their food orders as well.

Quesadilla
Ana M.

Wow this place is so under rated. I truly am obsessed with the food. It taste home made. The restaurant is also very welcoming and happy. Service is always amazing. The prices are great, you can find breakfast starting at $6, and leave full. The cafe de olla is to die for! Must try it :) They also offer parking in the rear. I love that they have a special menu for lent for us that celebrate.

Hamburger dinner

I just picked up our dinner and my son's hamburger burned both sides, why give it to us like that !! Come on !!

Mi favorito gordita de chicharon en salsa verde. Esta bien sabroso. Y estan grandes.

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9 years ago

If you want to have a good authentic Mexican brunch, this is the place to go! Oh and they have really good micheladas and green chilaquiles!

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15 years ago

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11 years ago

I absolutely love there molcajete it's a must try. I enjoyed the service and there margaritas.

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9 years ago

Decent....... the rest of these words mean nothing yelp is making me put more words so here they are.

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La Mejikana - Taco de Lomito

La Mejikana

4.3(453 reviews)
5.2 mi•Pilsen
•$$

We have eaten here inside once. Loud music but great music. If you want a calm night - they are…read moregreat with takeout and delivery. Fast service as well! Our go to is quesabirria or regular birria soup for delivery but tonight we ordered Chicharrón de ribeye (no pork since we are Muslim but be cautious with beans they add to this has bacon in it) - incredible dish with cheese and tortillas Grilled chicken salad with La Mejikana dressing (my new go to - AMAZING fresh and filling salad) Wings - great a little spicy and not greasy at all

It was not stated anywhere else on their digital menu that they their tacos come individually;…read morecompared to their three taco plate option, but thanks to checking the yelp menu first I was able to make my choice for 2 birra tacos! (inquire about the 4% service charge added) No rice or beans with any of my parties' dishes, not sure if that is an option. Time to be seated was less than five minutes for a party of four around 2:20 PM on a Sunday; busier times or days enforce their 90 minute time limit policy per table. The food was well seasoned, wish I tasted it a little more on the meat itself, yet all the vegetables tasted crisp and fresh. If you are looking to have intimate conversations be prepared to speak a lot louder, the DJ booth by the front keeps it pretty lively, but difficult to hold conversations across the table. Open authentic Mexican soda is always refreshing, and if you're looking for a place that has soft serve margaritas this is one of them. If you notice and unusual wait time or slow service please make your choice accordingly as I started to notice it was a case by case basis like some of the previous reviews had mentioned.

Photos
La Mejikana - Interior of Buisness

Interior of Buisness

La Mejikana - Fish taco

Fish taco

La Mejikana - Chicharron de Ribeye

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Chicharron de Ribeye

Barrio - Quesabirria tacos

Barrio

4.1(1.4k reviews)
8.1 mi•Near North Side
•$$

Barrio - Chicago Strawberry mint margs + Saturday happy…read morehour = YESSS Chips + dip trio with queso, salsa & guac = all 3 were delicious Steak + shrimp tacos = so flavorful & a must try Cornbread skillet = surprisingly SOOO good, so glad we got it 5/5 Loved the fun patio vibes, nice service, clean bathrooms + such a good Chicago happy hour spot! Happy hour is EVERY DAY 4-6pm Check out the full review on IG: @ratedbyaleena_

This place happens to open late as we were able to grab a light dinner after a festival. We arrived…read morea bit over an hour before closing and got seated at a high top. We got the mixed shrimp and steak fajita as the fajita Friday would give us a $5 discount. The fajita gives you a great fire show! However, if we didn't catch the server prepare the first few seconds, we would've missed it, so a heads up would've been appreciated. It felt a bit rushed. The steak and shrimp were solid but for $33 before tax and tip, it is a bit steep. However, the amount of food is good enough for 2 people for a light satisfying meal. I docked off a few stars because while the food is good, service really needs improvement. We had no utensils for 15 minutes. We had to flag the server a few times, nowhere to be found. They didn't even end up discounting the $5 and with how hard it is to get attention from a server, I had to force to leave no tip in the end to make up for the difference, in addition to the very poor service. For near closing when it's not busy, it's not acceptable to not be attended to during the dining service especially we had to leave the food cold waiting for utensils to even start eating.

Photos
Barrio - Interior views

Interior views

Barrio - Chicken fajitas

Chicken fajitas

Barrio - Margarita time!

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Margarita time!

Sabroso! Mexican Grill - Enchiladas

Sabroso! Mexican Grill

4.7(554 reviews)
7.2 mi•Ukrainian Village, West Town
•$$

Over the weekend we had our daughters quince and we used Sabroso as our caters. I ended up finding…read moreSabor last minute after our caterer back out. Our family fell in love with the food at the restaurant and was very certain we had found our caterers for the big day. Working with Sabor has been a great experience. They did such amazing job the day of and of course everyone loved the food. They met our expectations and beyond. They helped even with clean up and cake cutting which was a last minute asked and truly appreciated. I definitely recommend and appreciate all they did. Thank you so much Vincent, Karina, and the catering team!

Four of us (two adults and two kids) visited Sabroso! Mexican Grill for the first time during a…read moretrip to Chicago. I must admit that I had low expectations because quite frankly, I have not enjoyed Mexican food outside of Mexico or California. However, we were hungry, and it was near where we were staying, so I decided we should check it out, and I am so glad we did! The food was great. Both adults and the VERY picky children in our group all enjoyed our meals. I ordered the green chicken enchiladas and the other adult ordered a chile relleno combo, which I also got to try. Everything was delicious and devoured by all! We were so full but the owner talked us into the chocoflan, and we did not regret trying it. It was soooo good! Speaking of the owner, the service was great. We really enjoyed how he and the rest of the staff were very courteous. It is a small establishment, and it gets a good amount of people, so I assume that there are waits during peak hours. I highly recommend Sabroso! And we plan to return the next time we are in the area.

Photos
Sabroso! Mexican Grill - Interior din6

Interior din6

Sabroso! Mexican Grill - Enchiladas

Enchiladas

Sabroso! Mexican Grill - CHICKEN TAQUITOS

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CHICKEN TAQUITOS

5 Rabanitos - Chilaquiles verdes

5 Rabanitos

4.2(853 reviews)
5.1 mi•Pilsen
•$$

The chef who owns this restaurant trained with Rick Bayless for 19 years and it really comes out in…read morehis cooking. All of the food was absolutely delicious. We came later on a Monday night so we did not have to wait to get a seat although it was still pretty busy. The place is decorated nicely. Well on a block with many other Mexican businesses. Located right off the pink line it is very easy to get to and also noted to be near the Mexican art Institute. The chicken mole enchiladas were delicious. Spicy and bitterness of the chocolate balanced super well. rice was also cooked perfectly. The shredded beef dish was short rib and mashed potatoes. They were meant to be assembled into a homemade tortilla - a very interesting concept. The homemade tortillas were so warm and fluffy. I have never had such good tortillas. I took a tamale plate home. It was large and had a good portion of shredded pork. Super flavorful, but also I felt the texture might've been firmer than I would've expected.

I was introduced to the place by a Mexicans from Chicago and it's such a hidden gem. She suggested…read morethe we try the sopes and i don't regret it at all. I got the chicken tinga and carne asada and it was really good. We had the verde ceviche (not pictured) and it was a table fav. We also got the elotes which were good but nothing special. It was my first time have queso fundido and i really like its. The staff was really friendly and the place is so cute. Most places are going for a minimalist look not but the bright blue, green, and yellow works really well today as well as the various artwork!

Photos
5 Rabanitos - Interior

Interior

5 Rabanitos - Chips & Guac

Chips & Guac

5 Rabanitos - This bright mural on the side of 5 Rabanitos drew us is for refreshing Micheladas!

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This bright mural on the side of 5 Rabanitos drew us is for refreshing Micheladas!

Frontera Grill - Trio Ceviche

Frontera Grill

3.9(2.8k reviews)
8.1 mi•Near North Side
•$$

The vibes were really nice for casual Mexican food. Dim lighting, candles on the table, and a cozy…read moreatmosphere. 8/10. The Chicken Taquitos (8.5/10) were perfectly crispy with tender, smoky chicken inside paired with fresh guac. The Corn-Masa Quesadillas (8/10) were more like crispy cheese-filled turnovers. The cheese pull was crazy, and the tomatillo salsa added a nice tangy kick. The Enchiladas de Birria (8/10) had tender, savory birria with a nice crunch from the cabbage and radish. The chile-sesame salsa added a great depth of flavor. The Barbacoa (7/10) was tender. I wasn't a fan of the salsa borracha, but the consome was delicious with a nice kick. The Fried Sweet Plantains (8/10) were soft and caramelized. The crema and cheese were a great addition. Overall, a solid spot for Mexican food when you want something a little nicer than a casual taco spot.

It's a terrific still solid stalwart of restaurants in Chicago's legendary portfolio of amazing…read moredining experiences. Creative authentic Mexican specialties and delicious specials. The service is impeccable warm and welcoming! The restaurant interior and adjoining dining experiences are beautifully art directed from Rick Bayles's brilliant eye for art culture and food. The mole is lendary and the branzino was delicious. Beautiful food great full bar and drinks.

Photos
Frontera Grill - Back room, additional eating area at the bar

Back room, additional eating area at the bar

Frontera Grill - Duck carnitas

Duck carnitas

Frontera Grill - Pork shank

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Pork shank

El Tarasco - mexican - Updated October 2026

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