We decided to try Taco Vida tonight. We were disappointed when we called and were told it would be an hour before our order would be ready because they were very busy. We reluctantly placed our order and waited. We are glad we did! At the quoted time we drove up to the restaurant for easy curbside pick up and took our food home. We tried the elotes, the refried black beans and a variety of tacos including veggie, chorizo, chicken, shrimp, and al pastor. All of it was great! We definitely know where we will get our next taco fix! read more

Wonderful staff, welcoming vibe, outstanding food! I gladly drive up from Chicago to eat here. In fact, I look for any excuse to do so!

Best tacos! This place is our go to for great tacos. Great service and fun (albeit small) atmosphere. We usually order to go. Well run restaurant. We've used them before for parties. Two thumbs up. read more

We each had tacos and guacamole. Both were delicious. My friend thought the one with pork and pineapple was her most outstanding. Second, she loved the one with chicken and peppers. My steak one and the camarones one were both delish. And both the guy who answered the phone and the guy who brought the order to my car, were kind and cheerful and helpful. A+++ and I even went there from Evanston. read more

Great tacos. We are big fans of the tuna taco. It is served with great ginger slaw. Recommend.

Excellent food plus exceptionally pleasant staff. I highly recommend Taco Vida. Curbside service is very efficient read more

Wonderful taco place near the Northbrook mall! We wanted a quick snack and found Taco Vida on Yelp. From the exterior it looked like a traditional taco joint, however, like another reviewer previously mentioned, it is a bit more pricey than your normal counter service taco place. The place was packed on a Saturday afternoon. There was a huge line as we walked in and it didn' end when we left! Must be a popular place around here! I ordered Freddy's queso dip, while my bf had a few tacos. The queso was so delicious! We ordered it with chorizo (you can choose from veggies, chorizo, or beef). The tacos looked huge! So made sense why they were a bit more pricey than your typical tacos. read more

Damn, what a great find! We were nearby for something completely unrelated and saw this place. Such a simple and cute decor but the constant line of cars pulling up for their pick up should have clued us in. Very friendly bunch! We ordered a bunch of different tacos to go, the Al pastor (really good), shrimp (very really good), Tuna (especially good), quesadillas (very cheesy), churro, and loved all of it. All was super fresh, made on the spot while we waited, tasted as good as it looked, didn't have time to take pics, we swallowed them so fast. Maybe next time... we haven't tried every one, but so far, the best taco place in the area that we found. Will be back for more!! read more

Taco Vida is found in the same shopping area as the DMV, and it's definitely way more delicious. We picked up several different tacos, and loved ALL of them. The guacamole was SOLID amazeballs. I'm pretty sure I wept at how awesome it was. Tres leches cake and horchata, I was squealing with joy. Absolutely loved the gringo taco, which was your standard Americanized taco, but turned up to 12. The tingo del pollo was also SUPER delicious! Everything was delicately flavored, not too salty like other taco joints sometimes err towards. Fresh tortillas with the guacamole, beautifully done. Given the quality and what you get, the prices are totally fair. Very much looking forward to spending even more time here! read more

Taco Vida - Wall art! - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

Pick up was easy and accurate. The best Elote I've ever had! Homemade tortillas were scrumptious! I worked about 10 min from Taco Vida and will definitely be back! read more

I took my daughter for tacos today and we wanted to go somewhere new to us. Taco Vida has been in business for 5 years, but it was new to us. Delicious. Everything we had was delicious. Watermelon Agua Fresca, spicy guacamole, salsa verde, chicken tinga tacos, tuna tacos, and crispy camarones tacos too. Freddy seated us and served us too. Everyone on staff was prepping food for the evening rush and smiling. We dined inside and the air conditioning felt great as today was 90°. The seating area was clean and the colors in the restaurant were colorful and pleasing to the eye. Some reviews say it's expensive, but quite simply, the food is better here. It's fresh, well-seasoned, and the tacos were well stuffed. While many places have fresh tacos, these were so tasty and superior to that of their competitors. We'll be back for sure. Thanks Taco Vida for a great experience today. read more

Tacos were worth the price. Great quality and quality. Service was great. Parking lot was extremely busy and Sysco truck was delivering from the front door. Driver was a grump! read more

Taco Vida is the best kept secret. The ambiance is small, hidden within a shopping strip. However, their tacos are simply amazing. I usually bring them home but on two occasions I dined in and the service was quick and attentive. read more

Unexpected and surprisingly great taco place in the northern suburbs. Swift service and energetic vibe. The horchata was perfect in sweetness and tasted so good. The Sea of Cortez and crispy camarones tacos were so fresh and delicious. And then the tres leches. Wow - what a finish. This is located in a strip mall off Lake Cook road. Must return. read more

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My personal opinion: A bit overpriced and the atmosphere is ok. I don't know if it's the owner or his wife that works there but she is pushy and you feel rushed. I also found her a bit abrasive towards people that wanted to sit while waiting for the rest of their party to arrive. Apparently, you CANNOT sit and wait. There are signs posted saying that. Not very welcoming to say the least. I have been there many times and lately the food is just ok. read more

Taco Vida was our go to place for along time. Freddy is a great guy but there have been so many changes that the experience has been diminished. Warning signs about "do and don't everywhere". Outdoor space (apparently due to the Village of Deerfield) felt like a prison. Cramped and uncomfortable tables and chairs. But even worse: I don't want my taco wrapped in tin foil and steamed! I also don't want to have my salsa served in thimbles. What happened to the plastic bottles of salsa? All seems very "corporate"measured and stunted. Bring back the joy! read more

3.5 stars: Okay Service, Great Food, Okay Price Taco Vida probably makes my favorite guacamole in Chicagoland, and their tacos are good too. It is located in Deerfield in the same plaza as the DMV, so parking may be annoying at time. The place gets pretty packed at lunch and dinner times, so beware of that. Whenever I go, I always order their guac (medium spice level) and then a taco or two. My favorites are Carne Asada and the Chorizo one. Guacamole: Hands down my favorite guac in Chicagoland but that also comes at a cost of $8. Quite expensive but I am willing to pay that amount for some good guac and if you're the only one eating it, it will fill you up. Eat the leftover chips with salsa. Honestly the best value menu item at Taco Vida, which... is my only complaint. Carne Asada: It's a good taco, there's no denying that. But it isn't special like their guac, and the fact that all of their tacos range from $3.50-$6 make me hesitate a bit when it comes to ordering a lot of tacos. Service: You walk in, order some food, they bring the food out for you. Sometimes, they will take care of your trash, sometimes you gotta take care of it yourself. Pretty standard, their service is not bad but not particularly good either. Overall: If I was just basing Taco Vida off of their food, I would give it 5 stars no doubt. But their just-okay service and justifiable but high price brings it a star down. I love Taco Vida and will continue going there as long as they're open. read more

Taco Vida - Guacamole and Chips - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

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I didn't feel like cooking and hubby was in the area so we made a last minute decision to grab tacos. I wish there was an option for online ordering but placing the order and picking it up was relatively painless. Our order was ready within 30 minutes and there is curbside pickup. Hubby had 5 tacos and I had 3 tacos which was a good amount for each of us. I appreciated that the tacos were labeled and we didn't have to guess what they were. They look small but they have a decent amount of filling. We had the following tacos: duck (taco of the day), sea of cortez (beer battered tilapia topped with cabbage slaw, pico de gallo and chipotle mayo), crispy camarones (fried shrimp topped with watercress, watermelon radish, and serrano salsa), carne asada (adobo marinated skirt steak topped with onion, cilantro and avocado), and pork al pastor (layered pork, topped with onion, cilantro and roasted piña). My favorite taco was the sea of cortez. Fish tacos aren't usually my thing but I really enjoyed the flavor of the beer battered fish. The carne asada was decent but the meat tasted a little dry. The duck was okay but it was probably one of my least favorite taco. I also had a bite of hubby's pork al pastor taco and it was well seasoned. His favorite taco was the crispy camarones but I didn't care for it since the greens seemed to overpower the taste of the shrimp. read more

I didn't know what to expect going to a fresh- made to order- fast food taco place. That serves beer and margaritas!! My friend who has been a bunch told me she loves to order the tortilla soup, Guac and chips, and the ground turkey tacos. We split the guac and it was very good! Tasted fresh and homemade for sure, with huge chunks of avocado in it! I loved the fact that they offered taco boats instead of a shell for people who don't want to eat taco shells (soft shell corn). I ordered three tacos and it was enough for me! The carne asada was kind of dry to me, and that taco just didn't taste very good. The fish taco however(beer battered) was delicious! There was a kind of slaw on top that made each bite crunch! I also ordered the grilled chicken taco and it was good, although my favorite was the fish! The owner was there and extremely friendly, seemed like this is a great place to be a regular! read more

Taco Vida - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

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Cute place with a nice theme and pop of color with the pink. The place was packed at around 12:40pm on a Monday which is always a good sign. Other reviewers have said that the carne asada taco lacks flavor and it does. They don't properly grill the skirt steak to give it flavor, you have to use the salsa that they provide in order to make it taste good. I do love that they give you and nice chunk of avocado on the carne asada which mister restaurants don't do. You get a nice portion of skirt steak and the salsa verde was delicious, the best I've had yet. The habenero salsa is also really good and I had that on the beer battered tilapia taco with cabbage slaw and habanero mayo which was delicious. Will definitely be my go to taco spot near my job. read more

Taco Vida - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

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Fantastic Deerfield upscale taco restaurant with multiple interesting menu items. They are successful in a small restaurant format where it always feels very crowded and fun read more

Not sure how my coworkers have been loving life at this place for the past 10 months and I didn't get wind until now. Love the ambiance! A little "Dia de Muerta" but with vibrant pink touches. Great menu; simple to order yet expansive, offering the classic favorites like tableside guac, churros, and even margaritas. So far we've had the following tacos: Pulpo - pleasantly surprised. Octopus wasn't tough, and tomato toppings were a nice complement. Tuna - wonderful ginger and slaw toppings but not exactly the bright pink "ahi tuna" you'd hope for. Served one but chunk of tuna that was seemingly cooked vs. raw. Sea de Cortez (beer battered) - my personal fave! Carne asada - meat could use some additional flavor. Spicy camarones - good, but Sea of Cortez is better if you're going seafood. Pollo Tinga pollo - just was described and tender, too! One of our favorite parts is the homemade tortillas; thick enough to hold the meats without having to double up. We'll definitely be back. One recommendation is definitely get a taco with some kind of sauce on it, even if it's salsa you add. It's the best part of any taco and without it, could lack some flavor. read more

Taco Vida - Crispy caramones - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

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Only been their once, pre-pandemic, and everything was great. Great big deli gourmet tacos. Gets really crowded and the place is small but everyone is nice and friendly, I even got to sit with complete strangers which was fine and definitely preferable to having to stand or having to leave and eat in my car. Will definitely be going back read more

I don't know that many (if there's even any) chef-driven taquerias in the North Shore, so Taco Vida is definitely heaven-sent. The restaurant, although part of a plaza, feels cozy and inviting. It's counter service, so after you order, they'll hand you a number and your order will be brought to your table. We started with some warm chips and salsa (we were able to do half & half of the tomatillo and guajillo). For $2.50, it was plenty. I found the salsas a little too acidic so they were a bit overwhelming for me, but my bf liked it so it's just a matter of personal preference. We ordered the camarones, pollo, pork al pastor and carne asada. They were all tasty, but the camarones was my favorite because I loved the combination of the crunchy shrimp with radish and watercress. The carne asada was a bit chewy. All of their tacos are served on housemade corn tortillas except for the Gringo, which is served on flour. Not sure if you can substitute but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to ask! It's one tortilla per taco, unlike other places that double up. It was thick and didn't fall apart. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about the price of each taco until I saw the size and the filling (and of course the taste and quality). Great value. Now on to the elotes. The elotes kind of stole the show for me because it was the best damn elotes I've EVER had. They use fresh grilled corn which definitely elevates it, and it was just the right amount of creamy. Soooo yummy and definitely a game changer!!! Owner/chef Freddy checked on us multiple times which was definitely appreciated! read more

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Have seen this place in the parking lot and had been meaning to try it for awhile. Looked like a fun place. Ordered from the car and didn't take too long. There is vegetarian rice and beans labeled as such so that's great! Always a good start. Other than that though what's funny is there is only one vegetarian taco choice. So I mostly got sides and the rice and beans which were good. I liked the corn but the fries jalapeños were just okay. The flan for dessert was tasty. I wish they had a vegetarian soup I guess they do at the moment as a special but it should be there permanently. They also should have more than one vegetarian taco. The menu is not particularly big. They focus on tacos mostly which is weird for a Mexican place but I'd be fine with this if like I said there were more vegetarian tacos. If they had more vegetarian taco choices I'd be giving this place a higher rating for sure. read more

Taco Vida - Veggie taco beans and Mexican corn - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

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I initially heard about this restaurant because my company caters from here on Tuesdays. Side note--my company is super health conscious so that should say something about the type of food at Taco Vida. The store front is very colorful and welcoming, you order in line and then sit down with a number and the waitress brings it to you. Today I ordered the carne asada taco, pork pastor taco, and chicken quesadilla. The carne one comes with generous slices of avocado and the pork comes with a slice of pineapple and lime for extra fruity flavors. The chicken quesadilla is pretty standard and plain. I would recommend the any of the tacos from this place--it's always made with quality ingredients and made pretty quickly! Definitely my favorite taco spot in the greater Chicago area read more

Taco Vida - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

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I found Taco Vida searching restaurants on Yelp and lo and behind a 4.5 star rating. I went to a different Mexican style restaurant earlier in the week and left mildly disappointed, so I decided to give Taco Vida shot as their menu looked to be on point. I came around 2 PM in the afternoon and there were quite a few people there. It's tucked away in the Deerfield Shopping Center that has the DMV, Jimmy Thai, and a few other places. There was plenty of parking too. The menu was expansive with a wide range of tacos. I opted to try the Crispy Camorones which is a fried shrimp taco, the Carne Asada, and the Taco of the day which was the Ribeye. I split Guacamole with my buddy who came with. Everything is made to order and fresh. The guacamole came out first and it was very flavorful. We ordered it Medium on the spice scale. They also do mild and hot. The tacos came out next and they were very flavorful. The seasonings were on point. The staff was excellent. The bring out your order to your table along with a variety of salsas. The Camarones and the Ribeye were my favorites. The Ribeye stood out by a long shot. It was phenomenal. We somehow decided that we had enough room to try dessert (Great Move because it was amazing, terrible because I was full) and I ordered some churros. They came out fresh, piping hot with some chocolate dipping sauce. The churros just melted in my mouth. It was all delicious. Overall, Taco Vida will be on my lunch rotation going forward. Their tacos are on point, fresh, and made to order. The staff was excellent and so was the rest of the food that we ordered. read more

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Good tacos, with good portions. We also ordered the guac, they gave us a little tub with a bunch of chips. The food came out very quickly and was fresh. They only have outdoor seating with a couple of spots along with curbside pickup. read more

Taco Vida - pollo - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

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I travel frequently to Deerfield and was frustrated with only having chain restaurants in the area and no real good Mexican food. I am so happy I discovered Taco Vida. The Carne Asada and Chicken Tinga tacos are excellent. The queso is one of the best I've tried and that says a lot as I live in Colorado where Mexican food is available on every other corner. I will be back! read more

By far the most amazing Tacos I have ever eaten, the owners have put their hearts and souls into making Taco Vida a destination for an unforgettable experience. You will not be able to resist coming back time and time again. Truly has become a staple on the NorthShore and well worth every penny. I have eaten here dozens of times and the quality is unsurpassed. I promise if you eat here once, you will become a regular. Enjoy!!! read more

Fantastic food at extremely affordable prices. I don't think there's a taco on the menu that's more than $5, and that was for a fancy tuna taco. Most tacos are in the $3-4 range. Top notch meats and veggies fill the tasty tortillas. The choices are similar to what you would find in most taquerias...steak, chicken, pork. Be sure to check the daily and weekly taco specials on the board. Definitely order the chips and salsa. You'll be offered red or green salsa. Just get both. The salsas are awesome, and the chips are served fresh and warm. The fried plantains are an interesting and delicious side dish. If you like fried bananas, then definitely order this! Service is efficient and friendly. They hand you a number when you place your order and bring the food to your table. Beer and margaritas are on the menu too! Highly recommend! read more

Fresh tasting tacos with wonderfully seasoned fillings, attentive service, and a clean no-frills setting made for a wonderful dinner with hubby! read more

Taco Vida - Fried jalapenos, plantains, beans, veggie taco, mahi mahi taco, shrimp taco, and a RUMCHATA! - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

Went with my brother tacos were good service was excellent . I think for a carry out the price was on the high side. read more

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I stopped in today because my coworker and I were in the area for a meeting. We were looking for your standard "Taqueria" And since our meeting was across the street, we did a quick look at the reviews and figured we would give this place a shot. Turns out this is one of the greatest decisions we made of the day. This place is 100% on point. Luckily we arrived around 11:15 am and there was only a few tables that were filled. We each ordered three tacos rice and beans and some fried jalapeños thinking this was not enough food but to our surprise it's 6:20pm in the evening and I am still full. Words cannot explain how great the tacos were and how generous the portions were. Chef Freddy even stop by our table for a quick chat. The tacos were so flavorful I had one of the chorizo, one of the chicken Tinga and one Carne Asada. They were filled with so much flavor but weren't over powering the spices were flavorful hot not burn your taste buds hot. I will definitely be back and cannot recommend this place enough!!! 5 stars all the way!!! read more

Taco Vida - Tacos carne asada, chicken tinga, Chorizo and cheese. - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

Everybody loves this place and for a good reason, tacos are stuffed to the max with protein. Guacamole is house made and chunky and tasty. I have eaten here twice. Each time I remember that I wished the carne Asada had a bit more spice/ punch but I can achieve it by adding the homemade sauces. Pollo taco flavor punch needed and achieved by my extra sauce, then enjoyed. But other tacos are on point with no add in by me They are full of flavor. They are a stand out with amazing flavor profiles that cater to the spicy liker. Now for the reason I only gave 3 stars. I wanted to give 3.5 and only take a half point off for the cheese issue. They didn't follow my specific directions. Food ordered without cheese due to my severe dislike, and not originally noted as being part of the taco ingredient recipe I read on yelp, which mine was loaded with melted cheese. I was disappointed and was urged to call. We decided to call and although they said they'd remake them, it was too late to go back in my opinion. I gave the food to another diner. Everybody was already eating and nobody wanted to drive back. We double confirmed on the phone the order so that was why I was disappointed. The place does a good job normally and was more than apologetic about the error. I really wanted it to be great and hope to give them a chance to do it better next time. I want to give it one more chance. I've updated my review as the owner pointed out how harsh my original one was and I am sorry for that. It was not my intention. I try to give honesty in my reviews. I must have been hangry when I didn't get to eat my extra two tacos. Sorry. read more

I was such an ugly eater. I mean I was shoving mouthfuls and mouthfuls of delicious food down my throat. I had al pastor fat dripping down hands, guac on my pants, and sauce on my face. I don't even think I came up for air. I found this on Yelp and decided to check it out. I walked in and my eyes were tickled with hot pink colors with grey accents. I quickly scanned the chalkboard menu on the wall and decided on 1 taco Al pastor and a side of guac (spicy). The cashier, who also seemed like the manager, was extremely nice and friendly. The food was absolutely phenomenal. The meat is cooked legit Mexican style like a gyro. My taco had pineapple and onions on what seemed like a homemade corn tortilla. The guac was perfectly spicy, not too much where I couldn't enjoy it and not too mild either. The chips were warm like a winter jacket on a cold day. Overall, this may be some of the best Mexican food I've ever had, and coming from California, that's saying a lot. The only regrets I have are not being able to eat more and also not able to tip the staff :( so here's my tip for Yelp: go eat here, you won't be disappointed. read more

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Okay I was super exited to try a new taco place in the north shore as my favorites have always been in the city and I was like, why can't they have something close to big star but in the burbs. I came with my friend on a week night and it was packed which is always a good sign. The staff is very nice and the place has a cool decor so they get some stars for that. Oh and I really liked their red hot spicy salsa so bonus points on that. However for us personally the food fell flat. The chips weren't my favorite, a little on the over salted side. I ordered the pastor taco to try and it was over flowing with grease, I mean I like a little bit of fat but it was just drenching in it and all over my little plate. Then the steak taco was better but could of used a little more of a kick. The shrimp taco was okay. Maybe it was just my plates but I wasn't in love so not sure if I'd be back but if you live close by and you want a reasonably priced fast taco night you should def give this place a try!! read more

Taco Vida - Mexican Near Me - Deerfield, Illinois

I have been meaning to try this place and got that opportunity today on a Friday. The place was bustling at 12:30. My daughter and I were concerned that we wouldn't be able to get a table, but as the cashier assured us that by the time we got our food, one would open up, it did. You order at the register and are given a number and they then bring the food to your table. We were VERY happy with our food and how quickly it came out. We had the guacamole, two cheese quesadillas, a tuna taco and 2 turkey picadillos tacos and we were VERY full. I am really happy to have this great taco place so close to home. Everything was extremely clean, including the bathroom. I would also recommend the tres leches cake as they are absolutely delicious! My only complaint would be that the music in the bathroom was deafeningly loud! That may just be because I am a middle aged lady! read more

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Finally getting over here and so glad we did! Read about how busy it gets so we went at 4 in the afternoon on a Saturday and there was one other table and while we were there a few others came in, so I'm glad we went at an off time. I had the Crispy Camarones fried shrimp topped with watercress, watermelon radish, and serrano salsa and the taco of the week the Grilled ribeye steak topped with serrano chimichurri salsa, grilled onions, charred sun gold tomatoes and crispy potatoes. My significant other had the Veggie red pepper, poblano pepper, and Portobello mushroom rajas and crispy potato frites it comes with a cilantro cream and cheese but he got it without but added avacado. He also got the housemade to order guacamole medium and said it was really good. I also had the elotes. Everything was really good! Can't wait to go back! read more

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I asked my husband how many stars he would give Taco Vida. He suggested giving it five tacos instead of stars. I'm comfortable with that. We've been here an absurd number of times since it opened, a testament to our commitment to living every day like it's taco Tuesday. It's easy to do, though, when you can choose from an extensive menu of options. It would be hard to narrow down a favorite but I find myself returning to the shrimp taco repeatedly as well as the al pastor taco. We also indulge in the guacamole occasionally, a perfect balance of buttery avocado, garlic, tomatoes, onion, and just a hint of jalapeno. I love the seasonal taco option because it means the menu stays fresh and exciting. The ahi tuna taco featured when they first opened was excellent; we're always eager to see what's new on the board. read more