Everything to love! I stopped by accident as I was intending to visit the Pho restaurant a couple of doors down. The Food God intervened for me. I'm in love of lust for this place. Exceptional tasting food. Quantities and prices that make you wonder how they are doing it. I had the Torpedo Burrito and I will say one thing: fat man (me) will be back and regularly. Service is quick and the establishment is clean. It reminds me of my trips to Morelia! Do yourself a favor and go. I'd say it's worth a 20 mile drive! Note I almost never do 5 stars, so 4 is great. read more

10 years ago this was the best Mexican food around. 2026: prices have gone up and food quality has gone down. Not sure if management has changed but the food is not the same. My whole family was unhappy with their food. Would not recommend. read more

We ordered in from DoorDash and the food was amazing. I was honestly shocked by how large my burrito was. I got a burrito suizo with carne asada and my husband got a burrito suizo with chorizo then we got chicken nachos to share. The burritos, as I said, were huge, and they were filled with ingredients. I hate when a burrito has feels empty inside, but I definitely did not experience that with my order. It was truly so good, so flavorful. As were the nachos. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, and the chips were nicely stacked with cheese and guacamole. read more

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Gave them my card to pay for an online order. They set the tip to 30% without asking me or telling me the price to begin with. I would've tipped well, and been a returning customer. Not anymore, won't be coming back. Shady move. Not worth it. read more

Solid. Safe go to for tacos and dinner meals. Have been coming here for 10yrs or so. Solid and service is great.

This place was packed -- and closing early for a private event. My taco chingon -- shrimp and bacon -- and aguacate taco -- were packed with onion, tomato, lettuce and cilantro -- and drizzled with the green sauce -- just right. My friend had guarache with meat -- and it was laden with cheese, avocado, sour cream and diced meat -- I had never tried it before but I might just order it again. Food is plentiful, prepared fresh and served fast. See you again soon. read more

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Everything that we've ordered here has been very average, especially by Highwood standards. I would describe the service as ambivalent. The biggest issue I had was the margarita, which seemed to have a base of lemonade from the soda fountain. read more

Extremely Disappointing--Stale Food, Wrong Order, and Poor Service I had a truly awful experience at Tacos El Norte. I ordered the Steak Tacos, but instead, I was given tacos with what appeared to be low-quality ground beef. When I brought this up, the staff claimed the ground beef was the asada (steak), which was simply unacceptable and felt dishonest. On top of the wrong order, the quality of the food was very poor--the tacos themselves tasted off and seemed potentially spoiled. Even the simple side items were bad; the chips were completely stale and old. To make matters worse, the customer service was incredibly disappointing. The poor food quality combined with the unacceptable service and wrong order makes this one of the worst dining Kris:( read more

We've picked up from here a few times before and it is officially our go to for movie night. This place has the best chimichangas ever! So crispy and tasty! The steak tacos are also really good! The staff is very quick to get orders ready so I just call before I leave my house and the food is ready within minutes of getting there. There is also a good amount of seating in the restaurant if you're looking for a night out. Assuming the food is as good if not better when eating in. All in all I feel lucky to have this place within 5-10 minutes of my home. read more

Tacos El Norte - Chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

Wonderful food, wonderful people. The fajitas are out of this world. it seems they will make them as spicy as you please.

This is the type of Mexican place I really like.  No frills, homey (some might say dated), authentic, lotsa Mexican Spanish being spoken, and with an economically priced extensive menu and big delicious servings.  It may not be the perfect setting for every type of outing, but if authentic Mexican food at a great value is the goal, you'll be on target here. Wife had a small bowl (and it wasn't that small) of menudo soup with flour tortillas ($7.99) and an avocado taco ($2.50).  I had their torpedo burrito ($7.99) which contains steak, grilled cheese, grilled onions, egg over easy, and rice.  It was all delicious - the menudo soup had a nice bit of kick, and I only finished 1/2 of the quite large burrito as I also had some of the hearty menudo.  The torpedo burrito was quite nice cuz as another reviewer said, you could have that item for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and it works 24/7!  Their tortilla chips were also crispy and fresh. You can tell this place is good and authentic as about half the crowd was working class Mexicans.  The other half was North Shore gringos, plus us, ha.  They're located in a narrow strip mall with only a small single row of parking out front, but there's more parking right out front of the strip mall on Washington Ave.  I hope to return, but may have to remind the wife that not every place is a first date night kinda place! read more

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I've been coming here for years and typically really enjoy it. It's authentic Mexican food and the prices are very good. I've always gotten the combination plate with a taco, enchilada, tamale, rice and beans and it has hit the spot. More recently, I decided to change it up and went with the burrito suizo and it was truly just bad. The sodium level was through the roof and I really only tasted salt. Once I scraped off the red sauce, it was edible. I'll be sticking to something more basic next time. read more

Tacos El Norte - Burrito Suizo - Mexican Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

Great service and lovely people. Food is terrific and reasonably priced . I have never been disappointed in my meal or beverages.

Consistently good Mexican food! I created my own combo with cheese quesadilla, carne asada taco, and a tamale which came with rice and beans. It was filling and all tasted fresh! They have a 'tamale of the day' so be sure to check the board when you enter. You are given complementary chips and salsa on the table which is always a nice touch! Reasonable prices. Usually busy inside. read more

Tacos El Norte - Mexican Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

Steak sope was the winner of this combo. Chicken enchilada came in second, and chicken taco third. The tacos did have the double layer of corn tortillas which was perfect and authentic. All great juicy flavor, but missing maybe a little more spice blend (like cumin). Rice wasn't worth it, very oily tasting. I'd say rice and chips could use a bit more excitement, but main course was amazing! read more

Tacos El Norte - Combo. Steak sope, chicken enchilada, chicken taco. - Mexican Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

Food was excellent. Everything was very flavorful and delicious. Free chips and salsa. Salsa was excellent and they provided us with free extra chips. I would go back again. Very casual Mexican restaurant. read more

Great salsa, sometimes it's very spicy for me, but I love the flavor. Food is consistently great; I eat here often. The have a mole enchilada that is great. Also 'chicken a al coca-cola' or they might call it 'chipotle chicken' now is a spicy chicken in tacos and other dishes. The flavor is amazing. read more

I had the burrito suizo with pork. It was delicious and fresh. Definitely recommend if hungry

I know this is a popular place. I decided to check it out. Now, I'm somewhat of a snob when it comes to Mexican food. There's a clear difference between Mexican and Tex-Mex or American-Mexican food. I don't knkw why authentic Mexican food isn't more popular. It's cheaper, fresher, and tastier. Stepping inside, I got an authentic vibe. The place isn't fancy -- in fact quite simple -- so I expected it focused on Mexican customers more than anything, which means more authentic food. When I got the food, I was so pleasantly surprised. The food was absolutely amazing. Everything tasted fresh, the dishes were authentic, and service was pretty quick/ I've come here many times. And sometimes I regret ever trying them, because I've ended up spending a lot on them! Any time I have a hankering for Mexican food, this is my go-to place. read more

The good: Their menudo is delicious and their salsa is clearly fresh-made. The bad: Practically everything else. Starting with the major things: - We sat outside. Their outside seating is in the parking lot, which slants downward at a steep enough angle to be very noticeable. My 7-year-old daughter leaned over to tell me something and her chair fell over, causing her to hit her head and arm on the ground. They were paying so little attention to the people sitting outside that no one even came over to check on her and ask if she was okay. (We checked her head, her eyes, and her arm, and she was fine) - Again, they were barely paying attention to people sitting outside, so we had to get the same person's attention and ask him twice before getting our water refilled. The restaurant was not at all slammed (they had roughly two seated tables, total both inside and outside, per server). - Their tortas are really not good. Epically not good. Legendarily not good. They are basically a burger bun with chopped meat, globs of sour cream, tomatoes, and mounds of shredded iceberg lettuce. Zero flavor, and the textures of white bread and iceberg lettuce predominate. - The kids quesadilla was made with a cheese that, when pulled apart, can be best described as a "popcorn ceiling" texture. No gooey, pulley cheese at all. - The first batch of chips they brought out were very stale. The second batch were... just somewhat stale. Overall, this was a disappointing experience. I would actively recommend against going here if anyone asked about it, and would recommend/request a different restaurant if friends invited us there for dinner. read more

Tacos El Norte - Chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

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So freakin delicious! Food is always amazing. Service is laidback, and we never have to wait too long to order or get our food. My husband grew up eating here and now we've been going consistently for the past 11 years. Tacos are usually my go-to but I've enjoyed a lot of other things on the menu too. The rice & beans are perfect. The vibe of the restaurant isn't anything fancy, which honestly I think tells you it's the good stuff. read more

Mexican food is great! Especially the red salsa! Would recommend any time. You can always order ahead of time as well to pick up!

Ordered three tacos here and an horchata. (I'll be back to try more and may change my review then, but for now 3 stars for the food I tried). Got the ribeye taco and it was delicious. Meat was great and it comes with just grilled onions in it and nothing else. Fish taco wasn't too great. It was similar to a normal fish taco at other places, but the fish was a bit small and it was missing some type of sauce in it. It was dry and not typical compared to other fish tacos I've had to balance the flavor. Chicharrones taco wasn't what I expected. I had imagined it would be the crunchy chicharrones that I've had on the side before, but it was soft and fatty slabs of...fat? I guess pork skin but tasted like I was eating slabs of fat. I didn't enjoy it but I can't say I've had this before and have nothing to compare to. The ribeye taco was good enough to make me want to come back to try more though...it was a bit more unique as I've never had this at other places. Horchata was large and well worth the price. Wasn't the best horchata I've had, but decent. Another plus, they serve complimentary chips and salsa! read more

Sooo freaking good! Food is always top notch! Service is always chill and pleasant. :) My hubby and I love it here. (100% chefs kiss) Steak 100% Rice & Beans 100% Tongue (lengua) 100% Dinner (tampiqueñia) 100% Tortillas 100% read more

Been going there for years, but the last 3 times, including tonight, the food lacked flavor. Prices have increased, which I understand, but I had a steak burrito that was mostly lettuce and sour cream, with little steak and little flavor. Salsa was watered down, not spicy at all. Won't be going back again! read more

Delicious food at reasonable prices. I love their burritos and margaritas are flavorful

Let's start with the friendly service. Triple teamed, but not in an overwhelming way. I had a chile rellenos , chicken enchilada, and taco with egg. ALL were excellent, I mean really good. So I had to try the Tres leches cake even though I was stuffed but I'm a gluten for punishment. It was excellent as well. A perfect meal, what a rarity. Thank you guys!!! read more

Always consistently good! Great prices and service. The food is always great, authentic and exactly what you would expect.

Today I was converted to Tacos El Norte from another local taco place! The low key vibe of the restaurant drew me in, and the service and food will keep me coming back. The menu is vast, the faces are friendly and the authenticity shines through. If you are in the North Shore area, this is a must visit. I went with a burrito with rice and beans this afternoon, and will be back for the tres leches. read more

Delicious. The best Tacos El Norte I've been to. Delicious rice and beans, loaded taco, cheesy enchilada, and moist tamale. Everyone loved their food. We ordered a pitcher of margaritas and they legit gave us a full pitcher of margarita without any ice.. full value and no watered down BS. Definitely recommend. We'll go out of our way to come back. read more

Tasty food, friendly people, clean place, fair price, parking available. Fast delivery.

Tacos el Norte is always fast, always friendly, and always delicious. Located in an unassuming strip mall in Highwood, this little family restaurant is my go-to first choice for fast, fresh Mexican food. While I've had their excellent tacos, I'm more of a burrito man in general. My favorites, up until my last order, have always been either their vegetarian burrito or their chili relleno burrito. That is until I decided to try their insanely decadent Torpedo Burrito. I have no idea if this is their own creation, or if it's a standard dish I've just never heard of but allow me to describe: it's got cheese, it's got steak and grilled onions, it's got an egg over easy and it's got a little rice. You could literally eat this burrito at any time of day, from breakfast or lunch, to dinner, to late night. I imagine it would be great for nursing a hangover as well (speaking of which, they've also got delicious margaritas and drinks). It's my new, I-can't-eat-this-every-day-but-I'd-sure-like-to, favorite thing. Right now they have I think for little greenhouse-type pods outside for contact-limited dining. We tried that a few weeks ago and it really scratched the going-out-to-eat itch we've developed after not dining out for a full year. read more

Great catering service. They put together an amazing taco bar experience for a party! Very nice quality, quantity, and value. All guests loved it! Chicken TacoRibeye Taco Vegetarian Burrito Tortilla Chips read more

Always seems like we come here with a large group and directly after seating, the place packs up to maximum! Must be good I say! We called ahead to reserve a table for 6pm on pumpkin fest weekend. The had our table set and equipped with chips ready for us. The server was super friendly and knew exactly how to handle a group with more children than adults - what challenge eh? I like the menu options, you have your typical tacos and burritos, lots of nice meat selections, various kids meals for $4.99(generous portions). The winner is the soups. I usually have the Al pastor, in this instance El Norte does somewhat of an Al pastor stew in the burrito, which was different, since I'm not used to it. It was quite yummy though, and quite filling for $6.99. My wife had the caldo de mariscos, which is a seafood soup with some large shrimp. Very seafood rich in taste and went perfectly with mi amigos: cilantro y onions. I love their complimentary chips and their hot salsas are absolutely great slathered on everything. I liked the salsa Verde picante as it had a consistent heat to it and complimented with acidity to the richness of the meats. Definitely will return again, El Norte - especially in Highwood is a winner in my book, service, value and food are splendid. read more

I must start with this: Tacos El Norte-Highwood has (a) some of the most conscientious employees ever and (b) they're working their butts off to accommodate Covid restrictions. They work fast, package curbside and takeout orders securely, including all sauces and implements and this last time I even got called, "Honey." And I've never had a bad meal. The quesadillas, the chimichangas, the fajitas, all excellent. But...I took off a star because, and children close your eyes now, they add WAY TOO MUCH FREAKING SALT! Great Caesar's Ghost! as my old editor, Perry White, at the Daily Planet used to say. Particularly the queso fundido. Did they trip and launch a full salt shaker into the cheese vat? My tongue tingled all night. Cut the salt and I'll add that last star. I'll be back to check. read more

I had the pleasure while working to stop in for a bite for the first time All I can say is great all the way around. Food was excellent and the service was awesome too. Thanks guys and gals for a very nice experience. I will be back for another dinner soon Great job Officer Bob :) read more

Tacos were a bit greasy. Margaritas were good. Overall I've had better elsewhere. So many taco joints popping up and this place has been around way longer than most but the food def needs an update. Outdoor seating area was fine for being right in the parking lot. I'd come back I guess read more

Tacos El Norte - Mexican Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

Went there tonight based on Yelp and when in the restaurant the food exceeded our expectations! Soy chorizo chimichanga was amazing Super Burrito was very good Best Mexican we've had in the suburbs so far! read more

Yum!! I've been craving a steak burrito & someone mentioned the torpedo burrito. I was intrigued and took a look saw it has an egg and decided why not. I'm so glad I tried it! It's a steak burrito with grilled cheese, grilled onions, rice, steak and an over easy egg inside (I had it to go so the yolk hardened but it was still awesome). The steak was tender and crispy and everything just tasted fresh. The combo of ingredients comes together and it works! I highly recommend! My sig other got veggie fajitas and a margarita to go and said both were really good. We'll be back! read more

Tacos El Norte - Torpedo Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

Ambiance is what you would find in a local restaurant in a small town. I just love the food. I have my favorite dishes when I go. I have been going to this restaurant over 20 years. The cost is very reasonable. read more