Met a friend for dinner at La Principal on a Tuesday at 6 pm. There were still tables available but the place was quite busy for a Tuesday night. It's a smallish place with the tables packed in pretty good, but the volume level is great to enjoy a conversation with someone. For drinks we had the Mezcalita and the Smokin' Maria. The former was your classic mezcal cocktail, nice and smokey. The later was a large and delicious spin on a Bloody Mary. My friend said the chips/salsa and guac were really small portions so we opted for the queso fundido as an appetizer. Really good! And a fair size for the price. Dinner I just went for the pescado and carnitas tacos. Both were good! I can understand why people are irritated by the price point of the food but this is about what you would get in a place like Lincoln Park. Evanston isn't really a cheap eats haven anyway. Not my favorite Mexican place, but a very solid meal all the same! read more

Love this spot! It's a super cute and hip taco place located on Main St in Evanston. They do have taco happy hour, so make sure you can go then! I personally like the carnitas taco, and al pastor. The fish taco was just way too spicy for me. But I think their main appetizer that is a hit is their elotes. They are so awesome and tasty and I'd eat one every day if I could! They will gladly cut it in half for you if you want to share it. Great place, great ambiance, definitely a go to spot. read more

This place is a GEM! I was greeted with a warm hello and smile. Started with tortilla chips and an amazing fire roasted tomato salsa to dip. To drink I had a Smoked Paloma margarita...so good. For dinner try the Short rib torta. Absolutely amazing. Very good drink menu. Alex behind the bar is fantastic. Great ambiance! Definitely recommend this place. Please check it out! read more

We have eaten here several times and liked it so much, we asked if they did catering as we had a party coming up at our house for 16 people. Fortunately they did and they were incredibly easy to work with. The owner followed up promptly, got us a quote right away, and on the day of the party, were right on time delivering the food. The person who delivered the food was also very clear with instructions on how to keep everything in as best shape as possible over the course of a 4-5 hour evening. And the portioning was NOT skimpy. I would say we probably could have fed double the number of people we paid for with the amount of food we had. Guests commented too about how good everything was and how they would have to visit the restaurant in the future. We couldn't have been more pleased. read more

Cute interior, great service, verrrrry strong margarita! The carnitas taco was just so so, but the mole taco was one of the best tacos I've ever had... it was amazing. Both tacos also had a ton of meat on them and were well priced. The queso fundido was decent, but oddly came with tortillas instead of chips. The churro was delicious. I will definitely be back to try some other things! read more

Overpriced and mediocre service. I typically tip 20% based on the post tax total, but only tipped 15% on the Pre-tax total because the service and food were pretty bad. For $3 and $4 a piece for an al pastor, carnitas and short rib tacos, I expected bigger servings or better taste. Unfortunately got neither. The al pastor and short ribs were tasty but about the same size as a taco I'd normally buy for $1.50. I could not get through the carnitas, much less pick it up. It was so greasy that there was a puddle of oil beneath it and all over my hands when I initially picked it up. The Bloody Mary was just awful. We sent it back the first time because all we could taste was booze. They "fixed" it and while it no longer tasted like straight vodka, the mix was still pretty bad. It was sweet and mediciney. The elote was pretty good, but not as good as one you'd buy from a street corner in Chicago or NYC. The fresh chicharrones were delish. If it wasn't for that, our kids would not have had dinner! Normally quesadilla lovers, they would not eat the ones here. One of my kids, who is normally the bigger eater, did manage to polish one off (order comes with two). The other stopped eating after a couple of bites. And to top it off, service was slow. We were able to get settled, discover that we left the phone in the car, had my husband run out to the car parked on the street about a quarter of the way down the block, come back, set up a video for our toddler, get up and ask about wifi from the hostess, get water for the table and pick out what we were going to eat ... all before our server came by to greet us. read more

One of my favs in Evanston... and there's lots of them. First of all, I want to start out by responding to some of the negative reviews about noise level? it's a lively, fun, packed w people type of a place... hello!? I have probably tried everything on the menu. I always go back to red ponzole. omg to die for, always end with the churros. There's only one thing I don't love on the menu but forgot, sorry yelpers. read more

The Breakfast Torta served at brunch was amazing. The bread was a roll type and so fresh! Heat level was not too high, but adding the pineapple habenero house sauce and the salsa it comes with fixed that. read more

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I think this place was pretty close to 5 stars, the only things I don't like were 1.) The chips were not free and they were average, they didn't have that fresh-just-made-this-morning taste at all, although there was a special chip rojas salsa. The special salsa was good. 2.) Although the place was not expensive, it was on the border for being expensive. Once you start charging about twenty dollars for three tacos + rice + beans then the expectations go up. 3.) For some reason they didn't double wrap the tacos. Were they just trying to cut down on expenses? I guess there were fewer carbs so that's good, but the tacos did explode since there was only one taco shell. Okay now that that is out the way, the good things! 1.) The ambiance inside was better than average. It felt authentic and the lighting was good, and had a bit of a classy feel. 2.) The service probably couldn't have been better. Tacos were brought out immediately. Our server checked on us a lot. The bartender was super nice and chatty when I started to chat with him. 3.) The taste of the tacos was great. I had the fish, carnitas, al pastor, and lengua tacos. All were unique and delicious. I have had better tacos, but these were definitely better than average. 4.) The margaritas were done pretty well I thought. The weren't in a traditional margarita glass but I kind of liked that. read more

The elote here is a JOKE. Mexican restaurant but didn't see one Mexican employee. Food is a reflection of that read more

La Principal - Mexican Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

More like 4.5, but who's counting? I'll get straight to the point. Pretty darn good tacos and a very pleasant deck. I had Carnitas, Pescado, and Beef Short Rib tacos and they were all excellent. $3-$4 each, so my "main course" was only $10. They brought me pickled fresh chili to add, which was spot on. Wine list is OK, but they let us BYO for $7 corkage, so that's worth an extra half-star for sure! The desert list is short: We had churros and pumpkin flan, which were both yummy too. Service was friendly & attentive, but not clingy. Muy bien! read more

Only been open 2 days but we loved our meal. Simple small tacos and an awesome pork stew. Also a very solid beer selection. Pro Tip...ask for a pint of water because they give you shot glasses for water normally. read more

The food was good. I had the Elotes, Green Pozole and a couple tacos. I also had a few drinks. They have a great selection of spirits. The atmosphere is also pretty cool. I really wanted to like this place as I now live in the neighborhood. The service wasn't great. Our server forgot about our appetizers (the Elotes), which eventually showed up after our entrees. He never really apologized. The drink service was really slow as well. read more

Great place and nice taco specials for happy hour! They were busy but service was good.

One of our favorite places in Evanston! The short rib torta is exceptional (on bread from Hewn!), as are the elotes and the Al Pastor, Carnitas, and Short Rib tacos. The yellow salsa (habanero pineapple?) is a favorite. The real reason to go? The churro. Oh my god the churro. With the chocolate dipping sauce. Just go. read more

Their $2 tacos for happy hour (before 6:00) is a great deal and tacos are wonderful. I had the chile rellano tofu and sweet potato tacos. I was pretty disappointed with the chips and salsa - there wasn't anything special about the salsa and the chips were pretty off the mark. The vibe is very trendy and the drink selection is fun! I would recommend! read more

The food was good, very decent margaritas. Good specials. The decor is cute and it's very comfortable.

My wife and I drove up north from spending the night in downtown Chicago, and she heard of this place from others. We arrived on a Sunday, late morning, and was greeted by the bartender (forgot his name) but he looked like a slightly heavier looking Vince Vaughn. (Kid you not, and no it wasn't him- but he gets that a lot so he said lol). Place was clean, not a lot of people and they were just starting service, which was perfect. Our server, who was new, was EXTREMELY nice, and was very attentive, and we were told to order the Pozole (Red...so we ordered one of each: green and red). Look my wife comes from Mexico City, so she knows the difference between good and bad Pozole...and for her to tell me that this one is better than her mothers: !?!?!?Well....What do you think!?!?!? We had Chips and Salsa, which were very fresh and the chips were warm...(outstanding)... The Churro? On Chocolate Ganache???? You all did it right. Thank you. Enough said. We're coming back again. Without question. read more

5 stars for service! They were genuinely friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was very nice too. Perfect for a hot summer day- I like the variety of seating options: open air window seating, bar, or at the back of the restaurant where you can still people watch through the windowpanes. 3 stars for tacos but to be fair, I think these tacos were made for health conscious people :) Pescado and carnitas tacos lacked in flavor with no salt shaker to be seen. Just kept pouring one of their three hot sauces over everything but to no avail. 10 MILLION stars for the churro! That chocolate sauce tho.. read more

Very nice addition to the E-Town scene (does Evanston have a scene?). I love the atmosphere when I like to go which is the amazing happy hour. $2 tacos and they are good! Very nice staff too. read more

La Principal - Mezcalita! - Mexican Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

The recipes are not authentic Mexican cuisine but maybe their own take on it. The food was ok but not enough to draw us back. The pumpkin flan is nothing at all like real flan. Not to be rude but it had the texture and flavor of thick unsweetened pumpkin pie filling. I don't know how to feel about the place. Is this cultural appropriation? From the waitstaff that can't pronounce the items on the menu to the Loteria card clipped to our check. That Loteria card made me do a double take and think "really?". There is some cultural significance and history to that game and without explanation it comes off as no more than a cheap trinket someone found at a supermercado and thought would be "cool" to hand people with their bill. read more

Update here. Looks like they got rid of the chicharrones taco and now have a fish taco in its place. I got to try the fish twice and it was VERY good, will come back for that. Food was great! The happy hour deal is great too, and I had a great margarita. You'll be seeing more of me! read more

Overall, La Principal is good. I love their margaritas and the food is well done. The location is fantastic, atmosphere is cute, and the service has always been good too. I just wish they had more vegetarian options. It's the only reason why we don't go there more frequently-there are only a couple of things we can eat on the menu. And the guacamole was disappointingly bland last time we went. Please consider adding more veggie options. But in general-glad it's in my neighborhood! read more

Pros: lots of vegetarian options, the variety of amazing, homemade hot sauces and the pumpkin flan, which was AMAZING. Cons: the waitstaff and bus-people clear your dishes before the last bite is even in your mouth, and they continually refill the water when the pitcher is already on the table. So many people were constantly at our table clearing and refilling that it was difficult to have a conversation, and we felt rushed the entire time. read more

Terrible service!! I stood in line for 15 minutes to order one taco to go. I was told it would be a 45 min wait. I called the manager and she really didn't care. Although I live down the block from this restaurant, I will never go back. I've eaten there before, the food is not that great - just okay. read more

I've been here a few times, never been a huge fan of the food but I found a winner! I loved the Ahogado. It's a pork torta with black beans, red onions in a chile broth. So good. The service, drinks and atmosphere are always fantastic. If you want to venture away from common cocktails, I'd recommend ordering the Smoked Paloma. It's my favorite. read more

La Principal - Ahogado. Smoked Paloma and Margarita. Wonderful! - Mexican Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Unimpressive menu , I swear there wasn't a steak taco available. First real offense was charging for chips and salsa , seriously? There's 10 Mexican restaurants in Rogers park where it's free and the good ones are made in house. Second offense Led Zeppelin loud over the stereo. I better stop now , just go two miles south and get authentic at half the price. read more

We ordered the Elote and although it was served on the cob, it was delicious! For my meal I had the chicken torta with a side of salsa de arbol. That salsa was so spicy but it was so good I couldn't stop eating it.. even though my mouth was burning. Good thing I had water! For dessert I had the pumpkin flan which I would recommend trying. It was a cute little place with decent service. read more

We finally made it here, after living nearby for 3 years. Our favorite Evanston taco place is definitely Taco Diablo, downtown, but La Principal is different enough that I can see us coming here a lot, too. I like that you can get their tacos a la carte, instead of having to get a full dinner. We weren't starving, so we each got a taco (I got the chicken tinga) and it was VERY good. Flavorful and fresh tasting. We also shared chips and salsa (salsa was great, chips were good but a bit too salty) and queso fundido which was....not like any queso fundido I've ever had. It was ok, but it seemed less cheesy (from most I've tried) and more like spreadable cheese with peppers and cheese in it. It almost seemed over cooked or something. I wouldn't order it again. Margarita was just alright - a little too syrupy sweet for my taste. I prefer less sweet and sour mix and more lime juice flavor in my margaritas. Our waitress was very sweet and on top of things. All in all, a great experience. We'll definitely be back. And since it's so close, we may have opened the flood gates to many more tacos in our life, which isn't a bad thing! read more

This place was a total disappointment We ordered our food, four tacos , elotes, chips and salsa. And two Margaritas. Got the drinks and paid for all. Fast forward thirty minutes later no chips and salsa no tacos. Nothing. However everyone's that placed an order after us have eaten and left the premises. Now I go to inquire about our order and why it has not been delivered and I hear from her I'm the only here. As I see at least five other employees mingling around in the back Long story short an hour later we do not have our food they have our money and we can't get a refund. Wish I could tell you the food sucked but they didn't give me a chance they just stoled my money. Don't waste your time or your money here read more

These tacos were delicious Americanized gourmet style. My husband brought home a grab bag of tacos. My favorite was the sweet potato. It was perfectly balanced with sweet and savory. I also enjoyed a brisket style. I can't wait to go in and eat there! read more

Ordered the green pasole. Came do the table luke warm. The waiter never bothered checking back to see if the food was good or not. Also ordered a churiso and a flan. But the waiter decided to bring out 2 churiso. And no flan. Pathetic. The manager was also lame when we voiced our concern. Will never go back there. read more

La Principal - Mexican Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Great spot! it's a place to chill, especially mid-day saturday; amazing food, the soup/stew is great; elote is best ever; staff is friendly and responsive. Kid friendly during the day and early dinners; great drink menu read more

La Principal - Mexican Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Great tacos, served quickly with a nice ambiance. Good selection of various kinds of tacos with each one exhibiting lot of fresh flavor combinations. Also, the food was well thought out and tasty for a pretty reasonable price read more

Wow, I'm so excited to have finally tried this place. We have been hoping and searching high and low for a great Mexican Restaurant around here, and today we found it! Oh my goodness. The guacomoli reminded me of the kind I've had in San Diego. Thick, chunky, fresh, and full of flavor. The short rib Taco's were amazing. Super juicy, packed with flavor, and a nice amount of spice. The Habanero salsa on the table was great. I added it to both the taco and the guacomoli which added a wonderful amount of heat to the already delicious food. I love spice. Anyway, the place was clean and comfortable and the service was friendly and attentive. All around a wonderful place. I highly recommend it. read more

Sat at the bar with my date. Tacos were prepared well. Beef tongue was excellent. And that is a taco myself or my date would never order, but Joe the manager recommended it and he was 100% right. It was awesome. Thanks Joe!! Good drinks and beer selection. Good vibe, Friendly staff. Will be back, read more

I"m SO down with La Principal. My husband and I stopped in for a quick 5pm drink and a bite to eat because he had been through the breakfast window (apparently they sell breakfast tacos out a window in the morning) and was feeling the food and wanted to try the regular menu. Well, we arrived so early (we're old and lame) that the happy hour special of $2 tacos, $2 chips and salsa and $2 off margaritas was still happening in the bar/lounge so we ponied up to the bar, ordered a drink, some chips and salsa and all of the non-vegetarian tacos to share and try. Boss. My fave was the carnitas, but truly, all tacos were excellent. Nice and big, filled with fresh ingredient, they felt a step above standard Tex-Mex tacos. A normal person could easily eat 2 tacos and feel satisfied for their dinner. You really can't beat a $2 taco happy hour. Get to it! read more

It was our anniversary--a big one at that. It began with major car damage and continued when we walked to our first-choice restaurant only to find it closed. La Principal was open, so that's where we went instead. The margaritas were very good--fresh. The chips and guacamole were straightforward and fine. Great fish taco, ok taco al pastor (meat sort of mushy but saved by palpable pineapple). Though certainly not the cheapest tacos in town (and by town, I include Rogers Park), they were amply proportioned. The space is cheery, casual and open. I went in with some expectations that it would be a disappointing evening. And it wasn't. It was fine. Good, even. Also I love it that they have a morning window. read more

This place is my new favorite neighborhood restaurant to go to. Our host and server was fletcher and he was really good. Knew all the answers to our queries and was very attentive. The chicharonnes with lime were crunchy and flavorful; the elotes we couldn't have enough of. Creamy and perfectly spiced. Tacos al pastor and carnitas were perfect; the ahogado came dunked in a red chile sauce; bread was crusty and pork so tender; quite delicious. My only quibble is that the sauce was too tomatoey. Not enough chile and spices. The churros are reason enough to keep coming back. Perfect chocolate dipping sauce! read more

La Principal - Churros - Mexican Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I love this place! The tacos are excellent--- a little similar to frontera fresco, but a little more creative. They have a lengua taco as a tofu poblano taco, for example. Both of those are good, but I often end up getting my go to-- chicken tinga and al pastor tacos. The meat is stewed so well and with great flavor, and the food comes out so quickly and fresh. A great little neighborhood spot to relax and enjoy Taco Tuesday with some drinks- especially because they donate some taco revenues to charity each Tuesday! Can't forget their breakfast to-go window either. It's right by the train, and I love picking up a taco and cup of joe for breakfast! read more