This place is located on the SE corner of S Hyde Park Blvd and 53rd St. It's located kind of a neighborhood so there is only street parking. We got lucky and the person parked in front just happened to pull out so we got the prime parking spot. When we walked in the sign mentioned wings (see photos) so I had to check to see if we were in the right place. But we definitely were. Workers weee very friendly and legit. We got the chicken burrito meal and carne asada taco meal (see photos). The burrito was stuffed with chicken and had great flavor to it. Carne asada was also excellent. I was so happy we were fortunate to get that parking space because we might have gone somewhere else if we couldn't find nearby parking. Definitely great Mexican food and worth the price. We had some great food in Hyde Park. read more

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My first time, I came for a solo lunch. Second time I came for a dinner date. I need to come more often. I am a taco maniac and this place serves yummy tacos. They are all good - traditional and gringo style. You can't go wrong. My husband liked his burrito. Small dining area but comfy. Good service. If I can write reviews weeks after my visit and still salivate- you know it's a good place!! read more

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My niece just started at UChicago and I dropped in to take her to lunch a couple of weeks ago. She said she was in the mood for Mexican. We found this place and decided to give it a try. At lunch there were a couple people that stopped in but there was plenty of seating. There was one person in the front of the house, I'm guessing he was the owner. I ended up ordering the asada torta and my niece got the enchiladas. We also order a couple of drinks. The food was delicious. The drinks could have been a little stronger in my opinion. There aren't a ton of Mexican options in this area, but this one definitely serves its purpose. Check it out if you're in the area. read more

Tacos El Pastor 53 - Asada torta - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was ready when expected... hot and tasty. You get an enormous bag of nachos when you order them.. Tacos were great. Service was good too. read more

nothing too fancy , but i did enjoy my visit here . the place is small and seems like a hole in the wall. however it was clean , so no complaints there . we were immediately greeted upon arrival . we were then shown to our seats and handed menus. we were offered chips and salsa , but were not told they're not complimentary u til the bill came . $14 for chips and dips is crazy . anyway, the food was tasty and flavorful but overpriced in my opinion. the service could have been better. we were literally the only ppl in the restaurant , but our food and drinks took over 30 minutes . read more

Tacos El Pastor 53 - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I ordered 2 burrito dinners and it was horrible. The rice was absolutely rancid, you could smell the foul odor and it was totally inedible. There was a LONG strand of HAIR inside of my chicken burrito and the steak burrito tasted like hotdog meat. It was absolutely the worst experience, not to mention it all cost me 50 bucks. I will never eat there again as my stomach wont allow it. I am getting qweezy just writing this. Selling bad food should be a crime. read more

Ordered take out but the tacos were delish. They did forget my black beans. Other than that I would recommend

If you just want a mountain - and I mean a MOUNTAIN - of cilantro, this is the joint for you. read more

Tacos El Pastor 53 - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

food is very good, the carne asada they use is actually decent quality and well cooked so it doesn't take 8 minutes to chew through one piece. a little bit on the pricier side maybe? but a solid mexican spot in hyde park. read more

This is our go to spot for tacos in Hyde park. They have a good happy hour and delicious drinks. The food is authentic, flavorful, and served by the family who owns the place. We like to enjoy a good meal here and then walk out to Promontory Point. Good eating! read more

We dropped into this restaurant late last night when we were on a nighttime walk. The owner welcomed us in even though it was very close to closing time. We had really flavorful tacos. The tacos al pastor with pineapple were fabulous! We feel really lucky to have found this place and look forward to coming back. read more

It was mid although I did enjoy the tortas and aqua frescas my meat on the taco was a bit dry

I guiltily confess that we came here for Cinco De Mayo, though we eat Mexican cuisine somewhat regularly. It was right in the neighborhood, and not super cheap but not overpriced either. We split the Al Pastor burrito and tortilla chips. The portion of burrito was substantial! The chips are also good, moist and salty but not too salty. The pork was nicely seasoned and there was enough of it in proportion to the other ingredients. The sauces with it were good too. It's a small place, not very dine-in friendly, but it can be done, but we did carryout anyway. read more

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My friends and I heard the hype about Tacos El Pastor 53 and were very happy with our experience. The tacos were delicious and we had no complaints about the small interior or staff. It's a small business with limited seating but they were not busy when we went. The tacos are a little pricy (2 tacos = $12 with tax) which is why I gave it 4 stars, but I would probably go again if I want authentic tacos. *safe for nut allergies* read more

Tacos El Pastor 53 - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I ordered a chicken quesadilla with a side of guacamole and sour cream. When I got home I realized the guacamole was missing. The quesadilla was white and I had to put it in the skillet to brown it. The chicken was seasoned,but not worth the money for this small portion. read more

Tacos El Pastor 53 - This quesadilla was not a good portion and I had to put it in the skillet to brown it myself - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Okay so I had already heard a few coworkers talk about this place so we decided to go try it out today! I got the chicken burrito dinner with cokes with a HUGEEEE chicken burrito along with rice and beans! Literally the chicken burrito is enough to feed 2 people because there's so much filling and the tortilla is so big!! The rice and beans that come with it are really good also! We also got some chips and guac on the side! Let me tell me - one of the best guacamole I've ever had! I'm obsessed!!! The thing that I absolutely love about this place though, is the salsas!! Omfg they have 2 types of salsa - red and green. Both taste absolutely phenomenal! They're spicy and tangy and so so flavorful! I CANNOT STOP EATING CHIPS AND SALSA!! This is literally the reason I will keep going back! The place is super cute inside but it has a freaking drive thru!! So you can order ahead and just pay as you come by to pick it up!! Amazing service, amazing food! Absolutely Iove this place!! read more

Tacos El Pastor 53 - Chicken burrito dinner - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

the food is well cooked and seasoned, service is nice the owner is nice and sweet and runs a little to get to everyone, music is nice volume. cute mexican decorations as well. star they don't tell you is everything is a charge. read more

Tacos El Pastor 53 - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I got a delicious ground beef burrito with fries. The burrito was very good. One of the best burritos I've had. Those provided sauces were delicious and the fries were perfect. The service was good if not a bit slow. The place gives off good vibes. read more

Best tacos in the area. Great customer service. Also used them for a work lunch enjoyed by all.

I had a taste for mushroom tacos and was excited to see a newer taco spot in the area. I ordered online for pickup and went in about 5-10 before the 20 min window I was provided. There was a couple dining in and I noticed they had bottles of salsa on their table. After giving the lady at the counter my name, I asked if the tacos I ordered came with salsa. She replied by asking if I was talking about the salsa that comes w it or additional. By her response, I assume this means that it comes with it so I said ok and shared that it was my first time visiting so I didnt know it came along. She curtly handed me my bag which had been ready the entire time and while walking away tells me to not talk to her that way along with other rude mumbles. I was completely taken off guard bc I was not rude and only provided my name along w asking if salsa came w the meal. I tried to share my confusion and that I had never been before..she ignored me and walked out the space into the back kitchen. Terrible experience for a first timer. It was completely unwarranted and unprofessional. With that, the tacos were good just sad that the people there care so little about the patrons in the community or the impressions they leave. read more

Very tasty tacos. Excellent quesadillas. Sauces good. Big serving of chips. Ordered online was ready when I got there. Feed the street meter bc these parking meter hags will ticket you. read more

I had to review Tacos el Pastor because, frankly, we bought our home because of them. We'd been looking for months, including in Chicago suburbs, and when we saw a place in Hyde Park we liked and en walked just a block to eat at Tacos el Pastor, the food really had an effect on us. We were talking about these various homes over these huge, luscious burritos that came with crispy, perfectly spiced fries, and it just really made the call for us. We continue to order from them every month and are never disappointed. Great pastor, yummy beans; huge servings and the avocado hot sauce is so good.. read more

Consistently delicious, reasonably priced food. No frills, no fuss. We get takeout like 2x per week. It's not too greasy or heavy. Always fresh. So happy this place is in Hyde Park. read more

I'm glad this place is here; it's definitely the best Mexican food in the nearby vicinity. They do not play in that restaurant-- they do not tolerate the slightest hint of rowdy behavior. I can appreciate that. The food is authentic and it is a decent value for the price. I like the mushroom burrito. There is a walkup window that is sometimes open. read more

Food is great especially Al pastor! Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is b/c the last couple times they've forgotten to put something in my order. Just double check your order B4 you get all the way home. Customer service is top notch read more

tacos were extremely soggy and the meat was not flavored . I sent my husband in to order and the gentleman that was working was really rude and acted like he wanted to be on his phone rather than take his order. We love Hyde park and wanted to give this place a try but you can't have bad service and bad food . read more

Food looks amazing. Cooked to order. Very fast and fresh traditional tacos and other options available read more

Tacos El Pastor 53 - Counter service view - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was my first time here and I got 3 tacos (mushroom, shrimp, and chicken). They were all delicious. They packed the chicken taco with meat and it was juicy. My favorite were the shrimp then the mushroom. Sooo good! read more

I saw the photo of the trompo on Google Maps so decided to go all-in on the Al Pastor tacos, getting them in a dinner platter. Unfortunately, the meat was tough and dry. So, if there even is a trompo in this place, the meat had been carved from it hours ago, and was left to dry out rendering it unsuitable for a taco. I could tell there was good flavor there - cloves, cinnamon, etc., but none of this matters if the meat isn't juicy. read more

When we get delivery, a quarter of the time it's from here. I particularly like the tortas. Really all the food is great. If they could get better descriptions/photos on the toast app they use online ordering that'd be nice. Highly recommended! read more

This is a much-needed new addition to East Hyde Park: tasty authentic tacos and adjacent Mexican food. So far I've only tried the taco al pastor and one of the sopes: The meat in the taco is very good, and will scratch my al pastor itch pretty consistently. It is a little expensive for a small taco, so be prepared for that, but at least it was tasty. You may be even better off going with the sope. A sope is sort of like a much thicker corn tortilla, almost the thickness of a mini-pizza, with toppings. These are harder to find and are particularly nice here. Next time I'll try the torta. read more

I've been supporting tacos el pastor 53 pretty much since it opened. The food is very fresh, tasty and consistent. The staff are always warm yet professional. The actual restaurant is always clean and well kept. It's my favorite taco spot in Hyde Park. Both salsas are amazing and a must-have. And if you're a drinker, they now serve very tasty, very strong margaritas. It's a great place to go after a long day of being outside or to stop in for to-go plates. I'm so happy they're in hyde park and urge everyone to try their food. You won't be disappointed !!! read more

We caught a glimpse of Tacos El Pastor 53 while taking a bus down S. Hyde Park Blvd to the Museum of Science and Industry. After spending several hours at the museum, being the taco lovers that we are, we walked the .7 miles back to the restaurant for lunch. We enjoyed good service and high quality food at a reasonable price. read more

Wow the food here is delicious! They use actual Arrachera for their carne asada tacos with options for both corn and flour tortillas. They make fresh agua frescas and rotate in a new flavor ever two days or so. They use chihuahua cheese for their quesadillas! This place is totally worth the price! Pasqual is very nice and humble. read more

Tacos El Pastor 53 - Tacos de carne asada de arrachera y una quesadilla con carne asada y camarón - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered the chicken nachos for the first time. While this is not my first time patronizing this restaurant, this was my first time trying them out. I normally eat out, and I did the same with this order had them delivered. I do feel they gave more chips than toppings. I had tomatoes, sour cream, and I had the cheese put on the side for fear of the nachos getting soggy during delivery. The chicken does not seem as if it was freshly grilled chicken, it seems like it was store-bought. The customer service there initially was great with the young man that is Front manager. I believe he may be the owner. I'm not sure. But when his wife or girlfriend started to work in front of The House, she was very dismissive. she was not friendly. She never smiled. She never spoke upon coming into the restaurant. when I mentioned that she was rude she got even more of an attitude and walked off to the back ,the manager was more on her side than he was on my side, and I believe that the customer is the asset. read more

Friendly service, delicious food. Order via ToastTab for delivery. Excellent, every time.

Wasn't a fan of this place. Didn't like the taco soft shells. The meat tasted way too salty and I didn't care for the seasoning. I know this place was shut down by the public health for a while. Not sure what that was about but I won't be back. read more

Going to this restaurant was a spur of the moment decision that was the consequence of four indecisive people being indecisive. All things considered, it was a good choice. I can't readily say that this was the most authentic nor stellar food, but it does the job for when one may desire Mexican food. Food was overall very good, the guacamole was especially fun, and the dinner plates were large and filling. Our waiter was truly excellent, bantering with four college students, one of which speaks Spanish, two of which can try, and one who simply can't comprehend it. Service was 10/10, shoutout to Pascual. It's a rather unassuming restaurant but had nice decorations and was clean, little to complain about. I hope to see Pascual again when my Spanish has improved. read more

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best place in Hyde park! huge portions, fast service, lovely staff and ambiance. Never disappoints!!

Food is good! Service is good! Prices are ridiculous! I went there with my wife and two daughters. Our bill for a total of 10 tacos, chips and quac, came out to about $100. read more