Jarabe is a popular Mexican spot on Taylor Street. We visited as a group of seven and kicked things off with guacamole and nachos to share. Everyone ordered drinks to go along with the starters. The restaurant was buzzing with energy during the evening rush. I went with the California bowl and added a protein, which rounded it out nicely. Despite the crowd, service was prompt and the food was quite good overall.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

Jarabe - California bowl - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came for Happy Hour with my coworkers, one of them actually recommended this place, the drinks and food were delicious and we had a great time! It's a cute little spot, the tacos are probably some of the best I've had, along with the nachos and tacos de papa. The passion fruit margarita was our favorite. Unfortunately I can't give a 5 star because of the service(I would've given a 3 if it weren't for 1 of the servers that made up for it) We had 2 servers, one with short hair one with long hair, the one with long hair was very sweet and patient with us, the one with the short hair not so much. I get that it was a lot of us and maybe she was overwhelmed but she seemed annoyed since the moment we arrived, until the moment we were ready to pay. To be honest though I would still go again just because the food and drinks were that good! read more

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I was once one of this restaurant's biggest supporters. My introduction to this spot came through a pop-up at my workplace, and the food won me over immediately. I became a regular at the Taylor Street location -- visiting multiple times, bringing coworkers, and introducing small groups to what I genuinely believed was a hidden gem. Sergio, the waiter, made every visit warm and welcoming. The food never disappointed. Today, it all changed -- and not because of the food. When I heard they were doing another pop-up at my job, I was excited. I showed up ready to enjoy a meal I'd recommended to so many people. What I witnessed instead was a troubling interaction that I can't overlook. A customer ahead of me -- an African American woman -- was simply trying to order a side of chips with her meal. The owner asked her three times what she meant, cycling through variations of the same confused question rather than making any real effort to understand. The interaction was unnecessarily prolonged and, frankly, uncomfortable to watch. Wanting to help move things along, I stepped in and translated the request into Spanish: she wants a side order of chips. Instead of a simple thank you -- or even just acknowledging the help -- the owner snapped at me, sharply saying she didn't need my assistance. I told her calmly that her attitude was unnecessary and that I would not be patronizing the establishment again. I meant it. As I checked out at a different restaurant with my lunch, I mentioned what had happened to the cashier there. Her response was telling: she said the owner had come in that day already yelling and in a foul mood. That context explains the behavior, but it does not excuse it. To our dear Sergio -- thank you for always being a bright spot. My group and I will genuinely miss your service. But we won't be back. Owners set the tone for their business. When a loyal, paying customer who has brought you new clientele walks away not because of your food, but because of how they were treated -- that's a leadership problem worth taking serious. read more

The tacos had good flavor, but the portions felt a little small for the price. I also had to wait quite a while for my order even though there wasn't a huge line.It's a decent Mexican food truck if you're in a pinch, but I've had better nearby. read more

I was more than pleased with my experience here. It's a cozy place with plenty of charm and art. The service was prompt and friendly and my tacos were delicious. I loved how the salsa options were already available at the table. Avocado was already included in my chicken tinga tacos, which is pretty uncommon, and I added sour cream, making it even better. They also offer a student discount! With my 2 tacos and agua fresca (very refreshing) my total was about $12. Can't wait to try more items on the menu! read more

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When I tell you that this place was amazing I mean amazing. The food was good. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was out of this world. We went during happy hour, which is from 2 to 8 PM. I ordered the Asada fries, but instead of steak, I got chicken. I also ordered the fish taco. Delicious, delicious absolutely Delicious; the fish was Mahi mahi and it was breaded with tempura batter with purple lettuce. I did truly love the neutral gender bathrooms. The Overall Experience was definitely worth 5 Stars. read more

Jarabe - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was looking for a taco joint to cater a company event. I visited them before I placed an order just to try them out. The food was outstanding. The chicken tacos had so much flavor and the salsas were great! Catering showed up on time, and set up was flawless. The staff was very professional and responsive. Everyone loved the chicken, carne asada, and mushroom tacos. read more

Solid experience here. Nice small place with a friendly staff. Menu covers the spectrum of Mexican cuisine. We had to get the chips, salsa and guacamole which didn't disappoint. Had a mix of tacos and they were great. read more

The place is really cute from the outside and inside. It was nice to see really great prices tacos among other things in their menu. The service was also lovely, amicable, and courteous. I got three different kind of tacos and my friend had four garlic shrimp tacos. They were delicious! He also ordered a coconut horchata. I, personally, don't like the coconut in an horchata but it wasn't bad. The only reason I'm rating this low is that a couple of hours later both of our stomachs did not sit well. Not to the extend of food poisoning, thank goodness, but still it was no fun. I am willing to give the place another try because the food and price was really great. Hoping that the tummy issues don't occur again. read more

Jarabe - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Was nice place walked down a few stairs... a but hard to see if you're not looking good. Food was good place was nice. Service was decent they got order wrong but cleared it up. Fish taco was amazing! read more

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I really wanted to love Jarabe. The interior is so well done and the menu sounded promising. They had a great playlist and great decor all around. Unfortunately the food was average at best. No complimentary chips or salsa which is standard IMHO in Mexican restaurants though you could argue this is more TexMex so do the same rules even apply? The main issue is the meat used for steak tacos would benefit from fat being trimmed a little more and cut into smaller chunks. The single tortilla doesn't hold the weight of the meat so you have a taco that falls apart. A little salt is needed and a squeeze of lime helped bring the taco to life so there's some potential especially when pairing with the salsas they give. Tldr; Food: 3/5 Service: 4/5 Decor: 5/5 read more

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New location on Taylor street, they used to be at the Dr. Murphy's food hall. Came in for taco Tuesday and had a great dinner on the cheap. Surprisingly we were the only ones dining in but had a ton of pick up orders while we were eating. Highly recommend: - fish tacos - nice crispy fish and slaw - garlic shrimp - tons of shrimp and love the garlicky flavor - Al pastor - nice and pineapples added a good contrast - birria - a little dry and not my favorite of the bunch but I ate it last so might have been too full... - horchata - love - chips and salsa - good and fresh tomatillo Definitely will come back for tacos on the cheap and the cutest decor. read more

Jarabe - Fish, shrimp, pastor and birria - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a hidden gem on Taylor Street! My daughter and her friend recommended we try this Mexican restaurant. Glad we did. From getting greeted, the interior, food and service is phenomenal! Sam, the young lady present on the evening we arrived was wonderful. We started off with their chips and salsa (not complimentary). Their tomatillo sauce is to the point. My wife ordered veggie burrito basico and I had their basico burrito with chicken tinga. Pretty big burrito, tasty, made correctly. I finished mine. We also took home chicken tinga tacos for the next day. read more

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My order was incomplete. After several unanswered calls to the restaurant I sent am email. I actually got a call back and an email response promising to provide me with a coupon code for my next order. I haven't heard from them since that call. read more

Jarabe - Receipt - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went to Jarabe for lunch and it's pretty good. Their pineapple passionfruit margarita is so delicious and refreshing! They also had another specialty cocktail with hibiscus, which was really tasty, but I preferred the pineapple passionfruit one. We had the steak tacos and the birria tacos and they were both good. Our server gave us a free order of chicken nachos and they were so flavorful! Chicago has tons of taco restaurants and it's hard to say which ones are the absolute best, but Jarabe is a solid option. read more

This was my first time here and I had a Basico burrito, rice on the side, and my son had the steak tacos, and everything was great. He's been here before and loves the place and now I do too. This is a small restaurant a few steps below street level. The front offers outdoor seating and the dining room has more space for indoor dining. The menu is taco and burrito-centric, but they also offer tortas and many breakfast options. Jarabe keeps things simple and that works perfectly. The menu is 2 sided and laminated. Overall this is a cozy little spot on Taylor Street to get some great Mexican food. read more

Jarabe - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great food, fast service and great prices! I'll definitely be returning. I had the nachos and Mahi tacos, which is my favorite fish and is hard to find in Chicago. read more

Jarabe has become my new favorite taco spot! The first time I had Jarabe, I ordered the taco dinner, which comes with the rice and beans. Their refried beans are made with black beans, which is different. I'd prefer to just have regular black beans and not have them refried, but sadly, that's not an option. I found both the beans and rice to be average in terms of taste. I ordered the chicken tinga tacos, which were delicious. I also ordered carne asada, which was decent, but not the best I've ever had. I liked them so much that I decided to order a small pan of the chicken tinga and carne asada tacos for a party I was having. My party guests loved the food. The one thing I didn't appreciate was the $45 delivery fee they charged for Door Dash to deliver it. So, I paid $45 for delivery AND had to tip the driver as well. That was bulls×it! What was the fee for? I'd already paid for the food to be prepared and packaged. Next time I'll pick up my order. Price gouging customers isn't a good look. A week after the party, I ordered takeout again. This time, they got the order wrong and actually sent me chicken adobo, which I didn't care for. It had no flavor whatsoever and was very dry. I had to put salsa and pico de gallo on it to spice it up. In comparison, the chicken tinga was moist and very flavorful. I'd never order the chicken adobo again. I'd probably skip the rice and beans, too. I had the chips and salsa, which was ok. I liked the salsa and pico de gallo but didn't care for the tortilla chips. A couple of suggestions I have for restaurant staff - the to-go containers need to be stronger. The bottom of the containers get really soft because the material is presumably not thick enough. Also, please double up on the tortilla shells! Times are hard, but come on... giving one tortilla shell per taco, ain't it! read more

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Amazing taco spot in Little Italy! I stopped by after the gym today and ordered two tacos to go. The food came out in less than 10 minutes and the staff were amazingly friendly. The al pastor taco was one of my favorite tacos ever! I would definitely order again. I sat in the outdoor area which was really nice. The inside was nice and quiet as well. Little Italy has a TON of bees right now so be warned if you are eating outside! read more

Jarabe - Al Pastor Taco, Carne Asada Taco - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Jarabe is amazing! I went to the UIC campus and discovered this place. It's very close to UIC so for students, it's great. They also offer a student discount so it's even better. When we walked in, we were greeting by this very kind person, Sam I believe who let us choose a table. I enjoyed the ambiance inside, it had a very home feel to it and you could tell the food was going to be good. Our food came relatively fast, I got a basic burrito and my boyfriend got the California burrito. The prices are affordable and the food came out in a timely manner. The food was delicious and everything was perfect. I will definitely be going back! read more

I was a frequent visitor when Jarabe was in its original location on Taylor/Ogden 8 years ago or so. Their carne asada was some of the best I ever had, not the grissle/fatty beef like most other Mexican restaurants serve. It's been years since I have been back and visited their new location next to Subway on Taylor. Looks like they switched to the cheap stuff other restaurants use and the fries in the burrito were cold. Sadly, will not be back. read more

I live close to this place and finding it is a marvel. The quesadillas, the rye tacos, the salads, and well, what can I say? Every time I go, I become more immersed in Mexican culture. I love playing Pac-Man with my boyfriend and eating delicious food with the very pleasant service, who always give me the best advic read more

Jarabe is my go-to Mexican place. Their tacos and burritos are the best, and they're super generous with their sauces on the side. They give one of each of their 3 sauces for each "entree" you get. This time, I got a quesadilla which while good, was not as good as their tacos and burritos. They also have room to sit down inside if you'd rather dine in than take out. read more

Jarabe - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had some of the best nachos of my life. Homemade chips, absolutely delicious. We had the Austin chips and queso as well, which was delicious. The birria tacos were excellent. Service was nice and ambiance was cute. Definitely check this place out if you're in the neighborhood. read more

The carne asada torta was excellent, flavorful, the beans the meat all season to perfection and the bread soft. The Aguas de pepino (cucumber) and the Horchata also was great. We need a spot like this in the L.A. area read more

I got a carne asada torta and it was the best I've ever had and my mom got these tacos with fresh corn shells and she loved them too!!! Place is really nice and we sat at the beautiful wood sun table. read more

10/10 hunny. Get the quesa berrios tacos hunny! So good. And the ambiance? Amazing hunny!

#tacotuesday @jarabe allows you to explore the regional food cultures of native Mexico. Everything is made from scratch and cooked to order using only the finest ingredients. The masa (dough for the tortillas) is also made in house using a very unique and rare conico azul corn (blue corn). Along with the tasty food, there are some great drink options such as the hibiscus lemonade or the cucumber water (and if you know me, I usually never get anything besides water). My favorite part of this meal was trying all of the sauces! The also do catering so call them for you next event! I met one of the owners, Teddy, and his passion and love for creating the best meal for his customers is undeniable. He has spent many days learning the science behind corn tortillas and experiments/tweaks his recipes everyday. Ft. ~ Calabacitas (Veggie) Tacos (Summer squash, zucchini, corn, roasted poblano, topped with Mexican crema, & queso fresco) Vegan and Vegetarian version ~ Guacamole (Fresh avocado, cilantro, tomatillo, red onion, lime juice, salt + homemade tortilla chips) ~ Chips & Salsa (Warm roasted tomato salsa, fresh pico de gallo + homemade tortilla chips) ***I'm a sucker for these fried tortilla chips read more

Jarabe - Vegetarian tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've ordered several times for delivery and they always get something wrong. I explicitly say no rice in their bowls--guess what I always get... They also severely skimp on the portion sizes compared to in-house, even when paying for"extra meat" in my burrito bowls. Shrinkflation, yet again. read more

I came to this place with higher expectations based on reviews and was unfortunately disappointed. While I did think the Al Pastor tacos were tasty, they weren't authentic and did not have the typical toppings you'd find at a taqueria on them. The meat is a big larger, but to pay $4 basically for each taco seems a bit high in my opinion. Also, they asked if we wanted to start off with chips and guac or salsa. We decided to do both cause why not? We didn't realize there was an extra cost (which isn't that big of a deal), but we got a bunch of chips separately and salsa and guac separately, and the guac was not good at all! Just flavorless! They don't add tomato, onion, lime, etc... so we took matters into our own hands and added it ourself with the pico de gallo. Birria tacos themselves were just okay. Honestly there's really no reason for me to go out of my way to come here. The service was nice and friendly, but the food for me was left to be desired. Given that we are closer to Pilsen and Little Village, I'd make the trek down there for some better tacos. This place might be perfect for the college students nearby, but that's about it. read more

The best experience here. We sat outside in their courtyard. Excellent food, lovely service, crazy-good prices. Had the Old School nachos, sooo good, and a delicious gin and oj and pineapple drink made by Sergio. Highly recommend this place. read more

That chicken taco was on point. Fye. That pastor taco can preach all day long and that fish taco for me hooked. Them beans and rice OMG. This was a very good meal so tasty and flavorful. The staff was very kind and polite they are beautiful people here. read more

Jarabe - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came out with a group of friends during Liberty, We had orders burritos cali and the basic. A torta, birria tacos, fries, tacos of each kind, lemonades... food was great!! Atmosphere was mellow love their theme. Oh their salsa and chips is fresh so good. 10/10 would highly recommend. Service was great, they were attentive! read more

Delicious!!! I highly recommend Jarabe! The salsas are so very flavorful. The chicken is always moist. If you're lucky, the house hand made tortillas will be blue corn (utterly fantastic). This is my favorite restaurant on Taylor that's not Italian, (perhaps even favorite including Italian). Try it! Savor it! Enjoy! read more

Prices are nice here but quality was a bit inconsistent unfortunately. I think their recipes are great because we've had good tacos catered from here but when ordering on a random weekday they were really hit or miss. The carne asada taco was horrible with it being difficult to chew and the tortilla was tough, but the shrimp mojo and Al pastor were pretty good. The sizes were decent but at almost $4 a taco, I'd rather just take the extra time to head down to Pilsen for more authentic tacos. The sauces that they give you I will say are fantastic and I will defs be keeping those. read more

This place is really good. I really fell in love with this place when they were on Taylor St during their soft opening. Everything is fire.

Food was amazing, so flavorful and generous meat portions! 5/5 for food The 1 less star was for atmosphere, there were people openly stocking and moving things in the restaurant, carts left in the walkways. The people constantly pacing around and walking (not catering tables) created an uncomfortable dining experience. Would come back for take out in the future! For reference, we came around 4pm so maybe they were preparing for something. read more

Jarabe - Carne Asada Tortas, Carne Asada Taco, Birria Taco, and Chicken Taco - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Located in Dr. Murphy's Food hall, this place was delicious! Ordered a breakfast burrito and it was loaded with meat, potatoes, beans, avocado, and arugula. It was made to order and crispy. They offer 3 levels of hot sauce on the side. I ordered the medium and it had a good flavor and a tolerable spice. The cashier was super friendly and provided great service. read more

Jarabe - Breakfast Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Workers were really nice and food was really good :) Loved the interior design as well! read more

Jarabe - Chilaquiles Verdes - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've heard mixed reviews about Jarabe which has made me hesitate from trying them myself. I didn't consider the restaurant worth the trip while they were in the food court because of the parking, but now that they have a more convenient store front I decided to give them a chance. I ordered extra meat on my taco and bowl, and it seemed as though the decided to make a mockery of my order. They're was barely any meat in my order although I paid the extra money for it. The toppings weren't any more fresh than Chilango or any of the other competitors in the neighborhood. For the price, I'd rather go to Rubi's or other competitors in the area. Jarabe is not with the price or effort. You recommend that you check Chilango out in the area or take the trip to the near pilsen neighborhood to get yourself a worthy taco. read more

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