(English) When I came to Chicago, I heard that tacos are a big thing here. I've dedicated myself to try the most taco joints while my stay here. I've been to really good places, but Big Star stands out from the crowd. This is undoubtedly a taco joint you wouldn't want to miss. We ordered very tasty dishes and I have to admit that they were spectacular tacos packed with massive flavor. Starting by the soft corn tortillas and the tenderness of the meats and then all the tasty toppings was a party of flavors in your mouth. I recommend ordering the Tacos al Pastor and Taco de Carne Asada, both were really delicious with freshness and taste. Also, they have vegetarian options like the Tostada de Hongos which was amazing. I am not a vegetarian myself, but it was just as good or better than the tacos. Big Star has a great lively atmosphere, so ordering a drink would be a good idea! We ordered the Margaritas and draft beers and were both really good. Come by to try delicious tacos and drinks! (Español) Al venir a Chicago he escuchado que los tacos son una gran cosa aquí. Me he dedicado a probar la mayoría de los restaurantes de taco mientras estoy aquí. He estado en lugares realmente buenos, pero Big Star se destaca de la multitud. Esto sin duda es un restaurante de taco que no querrás perderte. Pedimos platos muy sabrosos y tengo que admitir que eran tacos espectaculares llenos de sabor. Comenzando por las suaves tortillas de maíz y la ternura de las carnes y luego todas los toppings sabrosos que ofrecen es una fiesta de sabores en tu boca. Recomiendo ordenar Tacos al Pastor y Taco Carne Asada, ambos fueron deliciosos con frescura y sabor. Además, tienen opciones vegetarianas como la Tostada de Hongos, que fue increíble. Yo no soy vegetariana, pero igual de bueno o mejor que los tacos. Big Star tiene un ambiente animado, por lo que pedir una bebida sería buena idea. Pedimos las margaritas y cervezas de barril y ambos estaban realmente buenos. Ven a probar deliciosos tacos y bebidas! read more

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I enjoyed my meal so much I forgot to take any photos until after I scarfed down all my food!! I ordered the taco de panza, taco de pescado, and chips & guac. The salsa verde that comes with the chips & guac is PERFECT. I could eat that all day every day. Both tacos were super good, and they mentioned they recently revamped the taco de panza, and I can taste the difference, in a great way! So yummy! Their margaritas are pretty good but on the smaller side. This location is really big and spacious downstairs, and there's a whole extra upstairs area too! The staff was super friendly as well. I look forward to coming back and trying more tacos! read more

Big Star - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food is pretty awful. The service we received was decent. The atmosphere and look of the place is quite nice. Basically, the menu is a variety of tacos to choose from as your meal, or a couple appetizers like guac, nachos, queso fundido, or chips and salsa. And that's it! Now, I don't have a problem with a very basic menu. If you have a basic menu and the food is good, then I have no problem at all with that. The tacos that come out look like they are just slop tossed into lower grade tortillas. I ordered the pastor tacos and they were just a glopped together mixture of pork, pineapple, and some kind of sauce. The flavor was not pleasant. The texture was highly unfriendly. The overall look was downright scary. Same goes for the other types of tacos at our table. The contents of the tacos had the look of something that was canned and in large quantities and then just scooped out of a vat and into the shells. I'll be happy to come back here and enjoy the place, the scenery and the atmosphere. I'll be happy to drink there and have some chips and salsa. Their green salsa was quite good. I'll give them that. However, avoid the rest of the menu at all costs. Not good. read more

I went to big star on a recommendation. The venue itself is really nice and spacious. We ordered a pitcher of margarita ($40). I had an order of chips and salsa, which was really good! The red salsa was a little spicy, but I liked it. Highly recommend the taco with the potatoes. I'd go back. read more

Big Star - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

GREAT SERVICE! Treated us like kings. The ambiance is to die for. The food was impeccable. Bye

Horrible service we had 3 separate waiters ask us what we wanted, no napkins, no plates, no water, manager got mad at us without any reason. Food was experience bad. read more

I love this new location!! I've been to the Wicker location, and as others have said, the wait there is usually ridiculous. Plus, I live near Wrigley so getting to Wicker is a pain. That being said, I have always loved their tacos, margs, and queso fundito. I was SO excited that one was opening across from Wrigley! I didn't even know about it until I went to opening day, but I wasn't about to try it right after the end of a game, no sir. So my bf and I went on a Thursday night after work- there was a cubs game that day, but we went 2-3 hours after it had ended. It was still busy, but not insane. This location is a HUGE upgrade from the wicker location, both in atmosphere and service, but retains its high quality taste. Where the Wicker location is cramped and has a grungy feel, the Wrigley location is spacious and lofty. Maybe it's because the Wicker location has been around forever and has probably just SEEN TOO MUCH, but I really like the design of Wrigley with big windows, subway tiles, and bright colors. I also don't feel like I might put my elbow into someone else's taco because there is plenty of space. The food is top notch. Their tacos seem a little pricey, but they are PILED with a lot of meat. The al pastor taco is my favorite and it has a ton of delicious flavorful pork. It is high quality and delicious. The service was great too. Our server was prompt, attentive, and enthusiastic. That may be because everything is still new, but I'll take it. I definitely wouldn't come here in the summer during game days, I can already tell it will have an annoying mix of tourist families and drunk bros, but on off nights, this will definitely be on regular rotation for me! read more

Stopped by for lunch with my family while @ the Wrigley Christkindlmarket. Glad we did, Not the biggest food menu, but everything we had was pretty tasty. On the other hand it is Wrigleyville, so the drink menu was decently large and both the food & drinks were pretty pricey. I recommend the walking tacos, great concept. read more

Big Star - Walking Tacos - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Big Star taco truck parked in a small lot next to G Man Tavern waiting to save monsters like me from Halloween hanger. I hadn't eaten much today so I was really turning into a beast. I ordered one of each taco (papas, pollo & el pastor). All were delicious, well seasoned and beautifully crafted soft shelled street tacos with generous portions of fillings. This evening, I was served by this friendly goddess with a gorgeous smile. The tacos and service were good enough to make me want to visit the restaurant in the near future. read more

Big Star - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Big Star has been on my bucket list for a long time as they are notorious for their tacos and bourbon. And I LOVE TACOS AND BOURBON!!! Unfortunately, I live on the North side and have never wanted to bear the 2 hour waits at the Wicker Park location. So when I heard this was opening I was like YESSSSS! Plus I am all about that credit card points lifestyle and never carry a bunch of cash on me and I refuse to pay an ATM fee because Chase's fees are redonkulous! So that was a hindrance of the Wicker Park location. I came here on Friday night for opening weekend and the place looks magnificent and it is massive. Great location and great views of Wrigley. There are two bars, one on the 1st and one on the 2nd. The first floor bar is pretty big and has about 30 seats. We came on opening weekend at 8pm and it only took my party of 6 to be seated in about 15 mins. Not bad at all for a Friday and the hostesses were very nice! They have massive bourbon list and I am a huge bourbon enthusiast. Prices are pretty fair and they even have the highly touted Pappy Van Winkle family at fair prices. I also had their Old Fashioned as well, which was decent. Good prices for cocktails in Chicago. We ordered chips and salsa, guacamole, and the queso fundito as apps. The apps we're great! The chips were served warm and the salsa had a ton of flavor and not overly spicy for those people who don't like spice. The queso fundito was different as it was more like a solidified dip rather than actual queso. It was decent, but I enjoyed the salsa and guacamole more. I tend to agree with some other reviews that they need to give you more salsa as it tends to run out because it's more liquid than chunky and it runs out quickly. Plus they are served in very small cups that the chips can't fit into them unless you double dip or pour on a plate. For tacos, I ordered the Al pastor taco, short rib beef taco, and fish taco. Our server brought out extra tacos that were charged to us that no one ordered so I also got a walking taco as well. Even though the order was wrong, I won't complain too much as the walking taco was delicious and the more the merrier since this was my first time at Big Star. The tacos were delicious and full of flavor. However, these tacos were so small that they aren't worth the $4 price. They are good, but overpriced when compared to Velvet Taco and Antique taco. Service was mediocre as our waiter didn't come around very much and it took forever to close out. On top of that, we received a wrong order. One thing that I didn't like was since our group ordered a lot of the same tacos. They placed all of the tacos on the same plate instead of a plate of what we ordered. Not having been here before, all of us didn't know which tacos were which and had to split them up ourselves. So it was a little confusing. Overall, food was good and the location was awesome! Big Star will be a great addition to the Wrigleyville neighborhood and will be packed come summer and the Cubs. But I just don't think Big Star lived up to the hype that it has. I realize this was opening weekend so I would imagine service will improve. I will be back on a non-cubs game when I am craving a taco and bourbon. Also, I would like to try their breakfast tacos sometime too. read more

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Of course, not the most authentic place to eat tacos... But, it is yummy. Really cool place and ambiance. Service was super friendly and food delicious. Margaritas? Yes, they are good! Great addition to the neighborhood and to the Gallagher Way area. Lovely place to hang out. Try the walking taco! read more

Big Star - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Big Star has done it again, this time in Wrigleyville near the much heralded Hotel Zachary, named for the architect of Wrigley Field. Cashing in on it's reputation as a Wicker Park taco staple, the wrigleyville Big Star is poised to lead the pack amongst the new bars and restaurants installed for this renovated Chicago neighborhood. While the summer months are the time during which Big Star historically shines, the taco spot had few seats available during the second day of business. Warm temperatures and a robust patio atmosphere are sure to have business booming on home game nights. read more

Big Star - Pouring the margs - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went on a weekday afternoon for a quick work lunch and was not impressed. They have a very limited menu of a few tacos and some sides, if you're looking for a more substantive menu, go elsewhere. This should be a given but if you're looking for "authentic" tacos, there are way better and cheaper places in Chicago to go. We were looking for some good food that wouldn't take too long after running a couple of work errands on the North side- only the latter was fulfilled. My lunch partner ordered the potato, fish, and carne asada tacos and I ordered the braised pork belly, al pastor, and carne asada. Neither of us were particularly impressed with any of our tacos; the meat was dry, something I was surprised about given the amount of marinade that the meat seemed to have been cooked in. The flavor was subpar, again, surprising given the amount of marinade. I give it 3 stars because the food came out quickly and the service was good. read more

First off, amazing location! I would recommend Big Star to anyone coming to Chicago for a Cubs game looking for a yummy place to eat near the field. It's perfect! Although, you will be paying the price the location is wonderful! The margaritas are amazing (Jalapeño is my personal favorite)! I would recommend getting the pitcher if more than two of you are planning on drinking just to save some cash. I also love their option to mix and match tacos, if you're feeling in the mood to try some variety. You also can't go wrong with their taco salad! All in all, it's a great place! It tends to get busy so if you are in a rush I would recommend looking elsewhere but if you have time to sit down and have a wonderful meal and enjoy the fun atmosphere Big Star has to offer, I would stop in!! read more

I've wanted to try Big Star for a while. My daughter used to live near the Wicker Park location, but she would never take us there because of the long lines. We stopped at the Wrigley location late night after a concert down the street. The place was busy, but we were able to get a table right away. We had some guac and the Taco Al Pastor. Fantastic! I definitely want to go back and try more items from the menu. read more

Well it would be nice if I was writing a review for food but never was served. Visited the establishment on 8/22 before a game. Sitting for 15 minutes and took approximately 10 minutes to even get water Waited another 5-7 minutes and got up and Left. This was after noticing tables sat after us had been waited on. Mind you we weren't sure if we were put at a table that didnt have an assigned server but we did get water. I understand there is a staff shortage everywhere so patience patience patience. What PISSED me off and reason for the review (would NOT have written one otherwise) the hostess was a B---h!!! Didn't give a darn and condescending sorry' tone. Had she been sincere and tried to accommodate us it would have not been a big deal May try them again but so many Mexican places don't have to put up stank attitudes - so probably NOT!! read more

I've always taken my tacos to go from Big Star, but this time we decided to slow down and dine in. Really interesting experience. Still great tacos, service not that great. Hostess checked our IDs the minute we walked in, and we wanted to eat not drink. That was a little weird, but what was weirder was her grabbing a guy that slipped past us and yank him back to check his ID. Clearly he was also under the impression that it's a restaurant and why would the hostess card you when you walk in? Already that was off putting. When we sat the server wasn't really attentive. We ordered chips, salsa and guacamole. It came out within 5 minutes. I mean, rapid fire. Our dinner was 3 tacos and 3 walking tacos. The tacos all came out on the same basket, and the walking tacos on another plastic basket. There were three of us... we asked for a taco and a walking taco each but all of it came out on the same single serving plate. It was easy to separate the walking tacos, but the tacos were a little challenging to pick up in the small basket. We were expecting to have our own taco orders in our own served basket. Food-wise, The chorizo taco was really flavorful and packed with meat and toppings. Never tried that until then. And the walking taco was better than the one in Wicker. At least it felt like there were more beans and cheese in it. We were in and out of the restaurant within 30 minutes. Definitely a fast meal.. when we were looking to slow down. Probably won't dine in again. Would recommend carry out. read more

If you're a fan of the Wicker Park location, read no more...you know what you're in for as the Wrigley location is very similar. Why change a good thing, right? If you're a Big Star virgin, by all means read on! Very limited menu with a short list of creative tacos. Not your traditional steak/onion/cilantro that you might find at your usual Mexican joint....think more sophisticated proteins (braised beef, chicken mole and beer battered tilapia) and infused sauces and non traditional toppings (chipotle crema) mixed with the more traditional ones (here's where onion & cilantro come in). Tacos are all ala cart so you can mix and match. Tried the spicy margarita which packed some nice heat. Overall all, the food and drink were excellent. My only gripe is they are very stingy in certain places which is a little annoying. My first margarita was literally 3/4 full and considering the small glass size means it made up about three sips, the rest ice (the second margi I ordered actually filled the glass); their draft beers are served in small glasses, not pints. The salsas were literally gone before even half the chips were, but they kindly refilled them without charge (chips/salsa are charged - but only $3 and totally worth it IMO). The space itself is very nice and VERY large, something the original is lacking when their patio isn't open. Staff is all super friendly but still learning, as would be expected during their second day open. Thrilled to have Big Star in Wrigleyville! read more

Big Star - Chips and (lack of) salsa. - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Usually a good order for us, but ordered today 2 hours in advance at 5:30 pm for a 7:30 pm delivery. It's now 9:35 pm and no food in site. I get there are issue with everything going on, but no one is answering the phone and it seems like they should have cut off orders when they knew they couldn't make all Update: updated to reflect response by management and previous quality of food we have received. read more

Went for my birthday pre-COVID and I had a great time. Never got around to writing my review, so here I am. Fun drinks, good eats, friendly service. Got there around the time they opened for lunch so it was not crowded. The fish taco is always a hit for me. read more

My obsession with Big Star began with its inception in Wicker Park when I lived 2 blocks away. I used to go and read at the bar in the middle of the day when no one was there. Have some chips and guac, a margarita, and listen to old honky tonk tunes spun on the record player. Fast forward to me not living in Chicago anymore, visiting for a Cubs game and my hubs and I getting to sit at the new GIGANTIC Big Star. The food is still the same. The space is super nice. So much seating and they take credit cards!!!! Got some chips and guac, a margarita, the pescado taco and the walking taco. Husband got the pollo rojo and pork belly and a michelada. We miss those micheladas. We had a great time and it is such a killer location and view to Wrigley! I think it is weird that the bottled salsas are not on the table, but you have to request the sauces. They come in little ramekins and are still free. The upstairs bar was where we sat and it was great! Excited to come back! read more

Alright Big Star. You are great. So, why are you only getting three stars? Well.... The food is great, right? You get these amazing tacos that are filled to the brim. Why are they so expensive, though? How did two margarita and some tacos turn into sixty dollars? The price isn't really worth the location. There tends to be large groups, drunk people, and just not enough space for you to enjoy your meal. It's usually quite loud, especially on the main floor. So I'm paying for overpriced items, screaming to hear my friends, and getting bumped into by other people for some pretty good tacos? It's just not my scene. I will admit, though, the tacos are beautiful. read more

Love the new location. Grabbing a drink at Big Star before or after the Cubs game is absolutely the move, especially if you can score a seat on the patio. The margaritas are delicious AND strong, all the tacos are amazing (try the walking taco for a twist), and the queso dip is my favorite. Basically the only way you can go wrong here is by not going at all. With the new Wrigley location, I'm ready to spend my whole summer here! read more

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Grabbed a last minute reservation here and it's a $15 deposit per person. Unfortunately my time at Big Star wasn't as great as I've heard. I was met with mediocre service and overpriced tacos. The tacos we're actually pretty good but around $5 for a decent taco. We also got the queso fundido which I would highly recommend however, we ordered the chorizo on the side and it was very burnt. After complaining we got another side of it however I was surprised that'd they would serve ash. Below are a few pics of the chorizo that was initially served vs the new one. Overall, if the service would've been better and chorizo wouldve came out right, I'd slide this place a solid 4 stars. I hope to come again one day and give it another shot. read more

Big Star - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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First visit to the new Wrigley location was a success overall. When we were checking in it seemed like the staff was not fully prepared for the rush of a Cubs game. After they were finished setting up the upstairs section we were seated at a table by the windows which had a great view of the park and Wrigley Field and a nice breeze. Shout out to the bus boys, as water arrived at all the tables immediately after people were seated. Chips and salsa came out quickly, and the chips were hot and the salsas were quite good. A mild and garlicky red and a hot green version. The beers were all very reasonably priced, and I very much enjoyed having $5 tallboys before paying $10 inside the stadium. The spicy margarita was a hit as well. We tried the chicken and pork belly tacos, and they were good but nothing to write home about. Overall this is a solid spot and adds some nice variety to the neighborhood. read more

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Checked in here on a Sunday evening. Parked a few blocks away. The evening was nice to walk a few blocks to the restaurant but parking in Wrigley area is a hit or miss. The location is in the heart of Wrigleyville. Ambience is pretty cool. Hostess sat us down fairly quickly. She was friendly. Our server greeted us on a timely manner. We ordered chips and salsa as the app. The chips were tasty and warm. Salsa wasn't too bad. Then We ordered the Al Pastador, Pollo, Steak and Fish tacos. The tacos were good but I had better, just tasted like any other tacos at a sit down restaurant. I think this place is known for their tacos but feel like they should have a bigger selection, small menu. Bathroom seems updated and clean. The service was fairly good. Rating three stars because the tacos were just average. They weren't bad but not a wow factor to earn four or five stars. read more

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So felt compelled to write this review again even though first one didnt publish So keep it short and sweet this place was raved about this past summer by friends as a good spot to eat. Obviously they were drunk cause the food is nothing to rave about. Came for tacos- and they are out of 2 of their main Stays. So since al pastor or tofu we opted for steak, fish , and pork belly with chips and guacamole Guacamole rating 1*. Small portions, lacking flavor. Might as well just be a avovado in the vitamix and throw red onion on top to garner it Pork belly taco -3* best of what we had but could not save for the other tacos we has Fish- 1*too much cabbage , not much fish, and very little chipotle mayo Carne asada- negative 4* probably some of the worst steak tacos ive ever had. Taste like pot roasted red sauce , and meat quality had grissle. Needless to say disappointed is an understatement. Lifes too short to waste money on bad tacos. Rather have had taco bell! And to think we spent 60 on bad tacos and could have had shake shack at half the price read more

My favourite tacos are finally in Wrigley!!! I love how nice the whole place looks!!! Cant wait to take my pup and enjoy margarita on the patio!!! I pretty much order same thing! Waljing taco is a must!!! I was warned its spicy hot but it didnt seems too hot for me so thats a plus! My favourite is Al Pastor as always as well!!! Great margarita!!! And awesome selection of beers!!! Nice atmosphere! read more

Big Star - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Encountered a super rude hostess. Unaccommodating. Uninterested. Unacceptable.

I went here with a group of friends. The ambiance is fine, it's actually pretty nice at night. The service was good as well. But the food is definitely not worth the price, it was kind of just eh. I was a bit surprised since it's always so packed but that may just be a product of the area. read more

The only thing this place has going for themselves is the location. The food was not good, the blood Mary was so spicy, I couldn't drink it, the service was decent, had to ask multiple times for plates. Will not be returning. You also couldn't split the bill, so we had to put it all on one card read more

My friend and I decided to stop by for drink. Server was polite and right away showed us where we can seat. Place is new, nice decorated.. we quickly decided to go with drinks and chips and salsas, add guacamole for 6$. Nothing special. It is just eatable. How time flew by and we still wanted to sit and chat we decided to try tacos. 4 $ and 5$ tacos should be waaaaaaaaaay better. It is shame that such location serve that and called it tacos. read more

Great atmosphere, small food menu but large drink menu. Taco review: Steak taco- below average... good char but steak is dry Pork- my favorite Fish - good, great batter Potato - good, potatoes are crispy Chicken - good, great flavor not too dry read more

Big Star - Bar area - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was pretty disappointed with Big Star. I have always generally liked this place. The food is good and the location is awesome but I tried to do something special for my boyfriend for his birthday so I called a day ahead of when he was supposed to go with his buddies to see if they did anything for birthdays and the girl I spoke with was super sweet. She said that they didn't do anything specifically for birthdays and they don't have any deserts on the menu but if I wanted to call when he got there, they might be able to work on doing something. Called the day of and the girl I spoke with was so rude and basically was just like nope, sorry there's nothing we can do. I explained that I had just spoke with someone the day before and all she had to say was that I was mistaken. Not the greatest way to treat your customers. The least they could do was get their stories consistent and not mislead me. Pretty disappointed. read more

Idk the tacos don't suck but wow was that a pricey dinner. The server was basically daring me not to leave a tip. Rude, inattentive, brought us things we didn't order and didn't bring us thing we did order. If you get me drunk enough I usually leave a huge tip. Too bad there's zero tequila in the Margs. Go to El Tapatio a couple blocks down! read more

I had a large group (30 people) for a private lunch. We set it for 1:00pm and then called about 30 minutes later and asked to start it at 12:30 which the catering manager confirmed. I sent someone in advance to make sure everything was ready as we were on a tight schedule. Nothing was ready on time. The staff didn't even arrive until 12:30pm as they were told 1:00pm. Staff was scrambling to get it ready and seemed irritated to be there. Besides the clusterf--- this caused, the catering manager was unwilling to work with our budget. My corporate office requires an 18% tip, but they automatically charge 20% (which is my normal tip when not on at corporate card) plus an additional 3% service charge and non-alcoholic drinks are not included in their catering packages. The taco bar was lukewarm and self serve, and they didn't even have basic drinks like ice tea available, so what exactly is with these fees? Overall this disappointing experience cost more than it would to feed the same size group lunch at Shaw's Crabhouse where they are willing to accommodate us and our budget for much better food. For them to be so unprofessional and disorganized on top of being so expensive, it was entirely disappointing. There were only 4 other customers in the restaurant at the time so you'd think they would make more of an effort for a party of 30. read more

Never again!!! Uncooked food is very unhealthy!!!..I don't know if they got the memo. 0stars read more

Big Star - Food was very bland & uncooked No napkins!.. just a huge waste of money! We won't be back! - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very mid. The food was good! But the prices? Ridiculous. The Margaritas were $14 for a small glass. And chips and salsa were $6??? I have never been to a Mexican restaurant where I have to pay for chips and salsa so maybe that's just standard, but it felt very boujie when it didn't give boujie vibes. The tacos were great! but the prices were just not worth it to me unfortunately. I would rather have gone to an old Mexican restaurant with sticky menus. read more

We hired their food truck in June for a graduation party. They arrived 45 minutes late. They never brought the dessert that was in the contract. The person on the truck said we would not be charged for the dessert. WE WERE!! We have tried reaching out and we cannot get an answer to get the issue rectified. Do not hire their food truck!! read more

We went with a group of 20, which is usually hard to accomplish, but big star got us all seated in less than 30 minutes on a Saturday night. The servers were great getting us all our food at the same time and making sure my gluten free tacos were on a separate plate! The margarita pitches were super good and I could have had 10 of the chips and guac platters. We shared 4 between us and it was perfect. Tacos were also supurb, we all ordered the first 3 on the menu! If you're gluten free avoid the fish taco but besides that you're good to eat here! Very gluten free friendly read more

Big Star - First 3 tacos on the menu - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois