Chicagoland has some really great authentic and unique taco spots for families to try. If you’re looking for a place to satisfy your craving, check out these taco restaurants that are sure to do the trick!
Some of our favorite taco spots are Condado Tacos (we love their chips and queso, too) and El Charro if we’re in the mood for a “puffy taco.” We can’t wait to check out more places on this list!
Best Tacos in Chicago
Birrieria Zaragoza 👑 (Our Readers’ Favorite!)
- Addresses: 4852 Pulaski Road, Chicago; 4800 N. Broadway, Chicago
Try this Michelin Bib Gourmand winning restaurant for the fourth year. Make sure to try their birria tacos, which includes onion, cilantro, limes, picante hot sauce and arbol chiles.
El Hongo Magico Plant-Based Taqueria
- Address: 804 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago
Try this plant-based authentic Mexican restaurant, which serves their signature mushroom tacos. Also, be sure to try their signature green salsa, which is made with garlic and jalapenos.
Flaco’s Tacos
- Addresses: 46 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago; 725 S. Dearborn St., Chicago; 1116 W. Granville Ave., Chicago
Try these made-from-scratch tacos in Chicago that come in flavors such as house-marinated steak, Hawaiian shrimp, street corn chicken, vegan black bean fajita, vegetarian poblano and more.
Mi Lindo Maravatio
- Address: 3314 W. 63rd St., Chicago
This authentic Mexican restaurant features asada tacos, arrachera tacos, cecina tacos, sesos tacos, lengua tacos and more.
Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria
It’s the first plant-based taqueria in Chicago’s North Side neighborhood. Try taco flavors such as cauliflower al pastor, soy chorizo, mushroom chimichurri, barbacoa and more.
Taco Maya
- Addresses: 3053 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago; 2529 Suite B N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago; 22 W. Ohio St., Chicago; 823 S. State St., Chicago
This authentic fast casual restaurant is committed to serving healthy food. Using traditional flavors and the freshest ingredients, Taco Maya has a versatile menu designed to satisfy all tastes including salads, tacos, burritos, bowls and tortas. All offerings are rooted in traditional Mexican recipes, and thoughtfully cater to vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free preferences. They have other locations in Arlington Heights, Bloomingdale, Downers Grove, Niles, Rosemont and Schaumburg.
Tacotlán
- Address: 4312 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago
This establishment features taco carne asada, taco pollo, taco-rajas con queso, taco al pastor, Lalo’s on the Beach taco, taco de birria and more.
Taqueria Chingón
- Address: 2234 N. Western Ave., Chicago
Find Mexican cuisine such as tacos, quesadillas, Yucca fries and chips and guacamole at this restaurant. Taco offerings include al pastor, asada, chorizo, duck carnitas, campechano, barbacoa, shrimp, squash, morcilla, artichoke and veggie al pastor. All of their tacos are made on hand-pressed tortillas.
Taqueria La Zacatecana 👑 (Our Readers’ Favorite!)
- Address: 3024 N. California Ave., Chicago
This Mexican restaurant is family-owned and operated. Try their tacos, which are made with handmade tortillas. Also, try their tortas and burritos.
Taqueria Los Comales👑 (Our Readers’ Favorite!)
- Locations in the city, north/northwestern suburbs, south suburbs and western suburbs
This restaurant first began in 1973 in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood and is one of the first taquerias in the city. There are chopped steak, shredded beef, chicken, seasoned steak, pork, flank steak and Mexican sausage taco options.
Velvet Taco
This restaurant features unique taco flavors such as buffalo chicken, chicken and waffle, Nashville hot tofu, beer-battered cauliflower, Korean fried rice and more.
Zombie Taco
- Address: 530 N. LaSalle Drive, Chicago
This quick service restaurant features braised brisket, veggie, beer-battered fish, pork carnitas, thick-cut jalapeno bacon and grilled adobe BBQ chicken tacos.
Best Tacos in the North/Northwest Suburbs
Fat Rosie’s
- Addresses: 870 N. Meacham, Schaumburg; 940 Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire; 4504 W. Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood
This family-friendly Mexican taqueria offers a modern take on traditional Mexican cuisine and craft cocktails. With an extensive menu and generous portions, famous tacos served on corn tortillas include pollo a las brazos (chipotle marinated grilled chicken), coliflor frita (beer battered cauliflower), wild mushroom and camerones (sautéed tiger shrimp). Kids will love the lively atmosphere of Fat Rosie’s, where they’ll receive a free sombrero and can sip on virgin versions of Fat Rosie’s famous drinks. There are other locations in Frankfort and Naperville.
La Hacienda de Roselle
- Address: 35 W. Irving Park Road, Roselle
Enjoy delicious and authentic Mexican food. In addition to making a name for itself with homemade chips, salsa and pickled veggies, La Hacienda serves tacos that taste like they came straight from abuela. Customers can choose from crisp corn, double corn or flour tortillas as a shell, and stuff with favorites including carne asada, carnitas or pechuga (chicken breast).
La Poblanita
- Address: 16 N. Bartlett Road, Streamwood
Enjoy an authentic Mexican experience at La Poblanita. All of their tacos are served on homemade corn tortillas and come in flavors such as chorizo, chicken tinga, al pastor, pollo asado and more.
Los Burritos Tapatios
- Address: 1592 Buttitta Drive, Streamwood
Homemade recipe dishes and bold flavors have made Los Burritos Tapatios one of the fastest-growing family-owned Mexican chains in the Chicagoland area. This no-frills, counter-style eatery offers simple taco dishes (grilled steak, chicken, ground beef, pork) that don’t skimp on flavor. All tacos are served with cheese, lettuce and tomato or cilantro and onions.
Los Fernandez Taqueria
A casual option for tacos with a drive through, Los Fernandez is perfect for families on-the-go. They serve 15 taco varieties including braised pork, bacon, pork rind, flank steak and pan-fried tripe. The tacos combination dish includes three varieties and rice and refried beans.
MAGO Grill
An upscale spot with a Latin-inspired menu, MAGO was born from Grandma Paula’s authentic family recipes brought from Mexico. The menu is comprised of authentic favorites of freshly smashed tableside guacamole, seafood ceviches, savory salsas, fresh salads, and main dishes of steak, chicken, pork and seafood. Standout tacos served on corn or flour tortillas include Yucatán-style pulled pork with habaneros and purple onions and portobello mushrooms with roasted plantains and black bean spread. They have another location in Bolingbrook.
My Cocina
- Address: 43 S. Sutton Road, Streamwood
My Cocina serves authentic Mexican dishes made to order. The family-owned restaurant offers a mix of traditional Mexican dishes with a fusion twist. A fan favorite dish is the crispy brisket crunch taco – a slow roasted bbq brisket topped with chile de arbol salsa. Equally raved about is the mahi mahi taco seared on cilantro lime coleslaw and topped with avocado cream sauce.
Taco Diablo Evanston
- Address: 1026 Davis, Suite A, Evanston
This casual Mexican taqueria and cantina is an independent, locally-owned small business. All of their tacos come with onion and cilantro along with rice and beans served family style. Some of the taco options are chicken tinga, pork carnitas, beef barbacoa, carne asada and verdura.
Taco Maya
- Addresses: 1257 N. Rand Road, Arlington Heights; 365 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg; 7084 Mannheim Road, Rosemont; 8610 W. Golf Road, Niles
This authentic fast casual restaurant is committed to serving healthy food. Using traditional flavors and the freshest ingredients, Taco Maya has a versatile menu designed to satisfy all tastes including salads, tacos, burritos, bowls and tortas. All offerings are rooted in traditional Mexican recipes, and thoughtfully cater to vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free preferences. They have other locations in Bloomingdale, Chicago and Downers Grove.
Taco Nano
- Address: 1743 Orchard Lane, Northfield
This family-friendly taqueria serves made-to-order tacos in flavors such as Sea of Cortez, Pollo Gringo, Crispy Camarones, Pork Al Pastor, The Old El Paso and more. All of their tacos are served on their house-made corn tortillas except for The Old El Paso, which is served on a flour tortilla.
Taco Shop
- Address: 809 N. Quentin Road, Palatine
This quick-service Mexican restaurant specializes in tacos, quesadillas, fajitas and burritos. For tacos, they offer carne asada, picadillo, chicken, al pastor, carnitas, chorizo, beyond steak, soy chorizo, impossible taco, avocado and portobello options.
Tacos Gingi
- Address: 5128 Dempster St., Skokie
Check out Chicago’s first kosher taco joint. It is best known for its fresh, made-from-scratch, delicious Mexican cuisine. Owners Ricky and Aliza Bielak, from Mexico City, went viral in the area when word about their once-a-week homemade taco packages for pickup spread like wildfire. A few years later, Tacos Gingi was born, giving customers a customized experience for high quality tacos.
Taqueria Los Comales👑 (Our Readers’ Favorite!)
- Locations in the city, north/northwestern suburbs, south suburbs and western suburbs
This restaurant first began in 1973 in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood and is one of the first taquerias in the city. There are chopped steak, shredded beef, chicken, seasoned steak, pork, flank steak and Mexican sausage taco options.
Verde Avocado
- Address: 7240 Niles Center Road, Skokie
This cozy restaurant serves up delicious, fresh Mexican fare in huge portion sizes. All recipes have been passed down through generations to offer a truly authentic experience. A la carte tacos are affordable, at $3.50-$4 each, with varieties ranging from carne asada (skirt steak) and lengua (beef tongue) to chile relleno (stuffed pepper) and pastor (spicy pork). Taco dinners also include rice and beans.
Looking for more taco spots? Check out some of our favorites near the North Shore and in the northwestern ‘burbs.
Best Tacos in the South Suburbs
El Cortez
A family-owned establishment where the owner’s recipes are authentic from her mother and mother-in-law, El Cortez is known for its tamales, enchiladas, flautas, tortas, tostadas and of course, tacos. Taco dinners include every protein under the sun (pork, shrimp, steak, chicken, tilapia) and are marinated and cooked to perfection with a side of rice and beans.
Fat Rosie’s
- Address: 28 Kansas St., Frankfort
This family-friendly Mexican taqueria offers a modern take on traditional Mexican cuisine and craft cocktails. With an extensive menu and generous portions, famous tacos served on corn tortillas include pollo a las brazos (chipotle marinated grilled chicken), coliflor frita (beer battered cauliflower), wild mushroom and camerones (sautéed tiger shrimp). Kids will love the lively atmosphere of Fat Rosie’s, where they’ll receive a free sombrero and can sip on virgin versions of Fat Rosie’s famous drinks. There are other locations in Naperville, Lincolnshire, Lincolnwood and Schaumburg.
Maiz & Barro
- Address: 6050 W. 159th St., Oak Forest
Nestled in the heart of Oak Forest, this vibrant and authentic Mexican restaurant transports your senses south of the border. From sizzling fajitas to mouthwatering tacos al pastor, their menu is a journey through Mexico’s rich culinary tapestry. All tacos come in handmade corn tortillas for tostadas, with varieties ranging from grilled shrimp and beer battered fried cod fish tacos to crumbled Mexican sausage and marinated pork shoulder.
Mama Maria’s
- Address: 16117 S. La Grange Road, Orland Park
Mama Maria’s is an upscale Mexican eatery specializing in Mexican street food. While they boast an extensive menu consisting of traditional Mexican favorites like taquitos, guacamole and sizzling fajita platters, the tacos take center stage. Mix and match more than a dozen varieties including baja fish, beer braised beef, crispy pork belly, and gulf shrimp.
Next Mex
- Address: 319 Front St., Lemont
Try this restaurant that prides itself in a fusion of modern twists on Tex Mex and traditional Mexican cuisine. Try their tacos, which are made with homemade corn tortillas and come in flavors like al pastor, carne asada, carnitas, portobello & plantain, quesa birria and more.
Taqueria Los Comales👑 (Our Readers’ Favorite!)
- Locations in the city, north/northwestern suburbs, south suburbs and western suburbs
This restaurant first began in 1973 in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood and is one of the first taquerias in the city. There are chopped steak, shredded beef, chicken, seasoned steak, pork, flank steak and Mexican sausage taco options.
Zap Taco House
- Address: 19711 Mokena St., Mokena
True to its name, Zap Taco House serves elevated tacos, margaritas, beer, and more in a laid-back atmosphere. Zap offers anything but standard tacos, with menu staples like red skull (Korean BBQ Shaved Ribeye with sesame ginger slaw), Nashville nemesis (fried chicken tenderloin smothered in cayenne oil), and the whippersnapper (flash fried shrimp with passion fruit slaw). Vegetarians don’t fret – Zap offers a delicious plant-based seasoned beef taco.
Find even more family-friendly taco locations in the South Suburbs.
Best Tacos in the Western Suburbs
Fat Rosie’s
- Address: 22 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville
This family-friendly Mexican taqueria offers a modern take on traditional Mexican cuisine and craft cocktails. With an extensive menu and generous portions, famous tacos served on corn tortillas include pollo a las brazos (chipotle marinated grilled chicken), coliflor frita (beer battered cauliflower), wild mushroom and camerones (sautéed tiger shrimp). Kids will love the lively atmosphere of Fat Rosie’s, where they’ll receive a free sombrero and can sip on virgin versions of Fat Rosie’s famous drinks. There are other locations in Frankfort, Lincolnshire, Lincolnwood and Schaumburg.
Jefa Tacos 👑 (Our Readers’ Favorite!)
Try authentic Mexican cuisine with a modern twist at this Mexican restaurant in the western suburbs. They have asada, tinga de pollo, chorizo, picadillo, barbacoa, al pastor, fajita veggie, shrimp, taco, chile relleno, quesa birria, breakfast and jefa tacos.
MAGO Grill
- Address: 641 E. Boughton Road, Bolingbrook
An upscale spot with a Latin-inspired menu, MAGO was born from Grandma Paula’s authentic family recipes brought from Mexico. The menu is comprised of authentic favorites of freshly smashed tableside guacamole, seafood ceviches, savory salsas, fresh salads, and main dishes of steak, chicken, pork and seafood. Standout tacos served on corn or flour tortillas include Yucatán-style pulled pork with habaneros and purple onions and portobello mushrooms with roasted plantains and black bean spread. They have other locations in Arlington Heights and South Barrington.
Rito’s
- Address:3450 Montgomery Road, Aurora
In addition to being known for its out-of-this world guacamole, locals can’t get enough of the tacos al pastor at Rito’s. This slow-cooked marinated pork is juicy, tender and full of flavor. It can be served in a crispy shell or soft tortilla and is served with Spanish rice and refried beans. If you’re feeling spicy, Rito’s also serves more than a dozen Mexican beers and giant margaritas (frozen or on the rocks).
TACOCHELA
- Address: 2321 Ogden Ave., Downers Grove
This authentic Mexican food restaurant features made-from-scratch items and one-of-a-kind originals such as the flamin’ hot burrito, nacho fries and tacodilla. Try birria tacos or regular tacos.
Taco Dale
- Address: 1036 Maple Ave., Lisle
Taco Dale has one of the most extensive taco menus in the Western suburbs! With more than 14 taco varieties to choose from, including chile relleno, lengua (beef tongue), shrimp, chicken breast, and more, there are many options for all different palettes. Other menu standouts include homemade pozole, flautas and traditional flan.
Taco Maya
This authentic fast casual restaurant is committed to serving healthy food. Using traditional flavors and the freshest ingredients, Taco Maya has a versatile menu designed to satisfy all tastes including salads, tacos, burritos, bowls and tortas. All offerings are rooted in traditional Mexican recipes, and thoughtfully cater to vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free preferences. They have other locations in Arlington Heights, Chicago, Niles, Rosemont and Schaumburg.
Taqueria Los Comales 👑 (Our Readers’ Favorite!)
- Locations in the city, north/northwestern suburbs, south suburbs and western suburbs
This restaurant first began in 1973 in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood and is one of the first taquerias in the city. There are chopped steak, shredded beef, chicken, seasoned steak, pork, flank steak and Mexican sausage taco options.
Todopos
- Address: 2048 Aurora Ave., Naperville
A casual, counter-style restaurant nestled inside a strip mall, Todopos is a hidden gem in Naperville. Voted the best Mexican Restaurant in Naperville on Yelp, Todopos serves all menu items fresh, from produce to meat. Shells come in crispy or corn, and meat options include steak, shrimp, chicken, pork, barbacoa and Mexican sausage. Toppings range from the basic (lettuce, tomato, cheese) to extra hot peanut sauce.
Find more kid-approved taco joints in the West Suburbs.
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