I think they're always a solid choice for a Mexican restaurant that is open late, infinitely better…read morethan say Taco Burrito King. I love 3 items from here: 1. Fresh fried chips. I salt them to my liking and they hold up the next day. 2.carne asada tacos are seasoned.the cilantro and onion are finely Chopped and I particularly like their red sauce with these tacos. 3. Nachos are totally worth getting. Please note that these are not text mex style nachos so no cotija or pickled onions but they have plenty of meat and cheese and jalapenos. I skip the tomato and my husband skips the sour cream (:() If you're looking for traditional yellow nacho cheese, dont get these nachos. If you're hungry and want a heaping pile of meat and cheese with some jalapenos these are great! What I'm neutral about: Their rice is bland. Their beans taste re-refried. Not always but more often than not. I have no complaints except for the slighly damp smell. It always feels a bit stuffy when dining in so i mostly get takeout. My order is prompt and the waitresses are direct and polite overall.

We originally stopped for another location but they happened to be closed. Taqueria San Jose was…read moreopen! The space is spacious and has an authentic look to it. The service was normal, I can see them being a tad bit slower if it got busy. The food was mid, the flavors were there but it didn't shine all the way through. It was decent but not a place a would come back to.

Amazing food, staff very friendly. Not crowded nice to watch the food get made. The al pastor tacos…read morewere definitely my favorite

Absolutely the best authentic tacos around, bar none. Lingua, when they have it, is outstanding…read morealthough my favorite is the al pastor. The daily special is a steal, but limits you to 1 meat choice for your 3 tacos. Mix and match requires ordering al a carte but does then allow you to order the off menu chorizo y pollo (chorizo and chicken) which is very good also. Portions are large; I'm generally full after 2 tacos and most of my rice & beans on the daily special platter, but I forge on and finish.

Fantastic food, wonderful decor, great service, and some of the best tasting queso around…read more Definitely will be on our regular dining locale rotation.

Eh! This place gets a lot more credit than I'm willing to give it. Maybe because Valpo isn't known…read morefor good Mexican, so it can easily fit in with the others. We had the typical combination foods you can get at places like this and it was typical taste. Eh! Service was odd. I say that because if they offered to bring you something, you never got it. Or if you needed something like silverware (kind of important for eating Mexican), you had to ask several times. The place is small and crowded as everyone is trying it. Give it a few months and I think there will be plenty of room with no wait.

I absolutely love this grocery store. Walgreens on Chicago is closer to me, but I've given up even…read morechecking if they have what I need because even if they do, it'll be 30% more expensive than it is at San Jose. This market has whatever you need! Most grocery items - especially all things Hispanic AND great customer service for the best prices in the city. The owner told me he checks prices daily to stay competitive and boy does he ever! One time I bought the same things at Walgreens and spent $14 less buying the same things at San Jose which is BONKERS. They also have a deli stand that looks clean. I still haven't purchased anything from there though. The store is jam packed with things so it's not handicap accessible, but I'm sure the employees are willing to help. They're always chatting with locals which I love. Definitely worth stopping here before any major grocer. Support local!

3 bananas, 2 tomatoes Total price: $1.05…read more Places like this make me feel like such a sucker for ever setting foot in a whole foods

Coming here for brunch has become a weekend routine. I've tried everything on the menu at this…read morepoint and have enjoyed everything! Reservations aren't required, but recommended, especially for dinner, as slots fill up way in advance.

I really wanted to like Girl & the Goat, but unfortunately the food felt incredibly repetitive. If…read moreyou like sesame seeds, soy sauce, oil, jalapeños, and lots of nuts, you'll probably enjoy it because those ingredients seemed to make an appearance in almost everything we ordered. The same flavors showed up on the steak, the beets, the cornbread, and even the aguachile. There were also so many nuts incorporated throughout the dishes that it became difficult to appreciate the individual ingredients. To be fair, it's not that these flavor combinations were necessarily bad. The problem was that they were used so heavily that they completely overshadowed the actual food. If I order steak, I want to taste the steak. If I order beets, I want to taste the beets. Instead, everything seemed to be competing with the same strong combination of salty, oily, spicy, nutty, and sesame-forward flavors. I can appreciate creativity, but when every dish has such similar toppings and seasonings, the meal starts to feel one-note. Given the reputation of the restaurant, I expected the individual ingredients to shine a lot more.

Taco Tuesday will never be the same for these Chicago guys who love good tacos and Lucha Libre…read more Life is God. Family. Tacos. Lucha Libre. Santo Tacos is the new temple of tacos. We drove a long way to get there and we were - initially - put off by the appearance. It kind of looks like a strip mall fast food joint appropriating the Lucha Libre legend El Santo. We walked in - not expecting much and walked out full of great food and great company. This is a must visit for Lucha fans and taco lovers. My last Birria taco was in Puerto Rico at a little hole in the wall that made their name on Birria tacos. I decided to see if this little joint in Valparaiso could compete. I warned Chantal (our server and occasional photographer) that I had high hopes for the Birria. She was unfazed. She knew. She was confident. We started with a nacho plate with salsa and guacamole and warm cheese sauce. Everything was fresh and flavorful. We stuffed out faces as we marveled at the décor. We discussed who was who in which poster and which masks were in our personal collections. When Chantal brought the three tacos to the table, it was clear to see they were of the highest quality, perhaps even better than Puerto Rico. The spices were blended perfectly. The meat was moist and the tortilla was soft where it needed to be and crunchy where it was supposed to be. Fresh food always elevates the dining experience. This food was all fresh and well prepared. I have been having bad luck with smoked jalapenos lately so I only ate half of it. It was also quite good, but I know the danger that lurks in a smoked jalapeno. My buddy got a burrito - it was a monster. He and I have eaten many Mexican dinners before or after a Lucha Libre show. He tends to eat with moderation. Not this time, he destroyed that burrito talking between bites about how good it was. We had Chantal take some pictures around the restaurant at various spots. We're two corny old guys having fun with our hobbies (tacos and Lucha Libre). She was very patient and accommodating - doing everything in her power to get the best pictures she could for us. When the service is five star and the food is five star - the only problem is the distance. We will be back - of course - but sadly not every Tuesday as we'd like.

First off the server said he couldn't serve me a margarita because he was not licensed. As I…read moreordered my water, I set my arms on the table which was very sticky. He came back with water. No chips? I said I needed a minute and he said "you don't want to order appetizers?" I said no. Really!! No chips and a waiter than can't take a drink order...at a Mexican restaurant?!?!? Then dirty tables to boot!!! I walked out!

Carbon is one of my favorite taco spots in the Chicagoland area! Their new cantina is beautiful and…read morehas a great atmosphere. I've visited twice during the daytime, and it's been nice and quiet each time. The only downside was the service. On my most recent visit, it was so quiet that our server forgot to bring our checks. After waiting more than 20 minutes, I finally walked over to the bar and asked for it myself. Thankfully, that was the only issue. The food, however, never disappoints. Everything is fresh, flavorful, and consistently delicious. My mom absolutely loved her burrito and said it was the best one she's had in a long time. I came for the tacos, and they were incredible--especially paired with an ice-cold bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola! If you're looking for great tacos in the Chicagoland area, Carbon is definitely worth a visit.

Great time. Food was good, and the service was good. I highly recommend this place. Lobster tail…read moreand sliders were fire!

Delicious. I came here for lunch and had the steak tacos with cilantro and onion. The meat was very…read moredelicious and seasoned well. The service was fast and the cashier was very friendly. I will definitely be back

Food is ok they have rudest most vulgar staff. They don't care about there customers. Never would…read morego there again.

I don't know what happened to them since '22-'23 but their food has fallen off the face of the…read moreearth. Everything tastes boxed or generic now. Even the staff used to be so nice and now there's a lot of pretentiousness. Even the ambiance seems empty now. Idk if they got new management or maybe just a rotten apple but this place used to be my favorite and now they're just trash. They don't even try anymore. Did the owner die or something? Serious question. don't even have a pic of the food because I was so mad and threw it out the window on the expressway

The menu is misleading--if you order the tamales appetizer you will get a variety of tamales;…read morechicken, pork, I think chorizo (too flavorful for ground beef). If you order the meal you get just one variety. WONDERFUL staff, and warm atmosphere.

Takes credit card. Lots of seating indoors. Parking can be tough so you can find street parking or…read moreresidential. AAPI owned. It's the same concept as Boiling Crab or Kickin Crab in California. It is BYOB! So I walked across the street to Target, got some Seltzers and brought them to our table. This is prob the one thing that I love the most. Great service. The seafood boil is pretty good. They give you a bib and gloves to keep you relatively clean. You have to use your hands to eat your food and work for it. Go for the seafood Cajun sauce (garlic, butter, lemon pepper). It was super good flavor. Mild is the way to go. We asked for spicy sauce on the side for an extra dollar. I would skip the preset family meals. Order 1-2 lbs of your favorite seafood. They have prices per lb on the large chalk board. The shrimp, crawfish was cooked well. The crab legs were boiled before cooked, so the shell was soft and easy to cut with scissors. Next time, I'd get the shrimp, crawfish, clams, and mussels. The family feast ($145)- came with king crab, snow crab, option of 2 from shrimp, crawfish, mussels, clams. Also, a scoop of rice, green beans, garlic noodles, and fries. I would pass on the king crab and snow crab. Garlic noodles were average. Fries were average . They also sell boba drinks if you like that

The waiter was really friendly, helpful and checked on us often. There was a lot of seating and…read morethey have a sink outside so people can wash their hands without having to go into the bathrooms. The garlic butter pasta was really oily. The wings were good but too seasoned. The fries were perfectly done. The shrimp was a good size. The snow crab legs also had a decent amount of meat. I would not recommend the chicken bites for the kids meal. They were very dry.