It just seems like one of those Mexican places that someone in the Trump administration would try coming to before some woke whites would publicly shame them for their hypocrisy until they leave. Then the Mexican staff would say "cool pero they were prob gonna buy tampiqueña & pricy drinks n shit" to which the progressive whites would say "we just can't win ¯\_(ツ)_/¯". Normally ain't a proponent of dining al fresco, but the weather couldn't have been more ideal for doing so on this day. So when deciding where to eat, the standard was set at "ethnic and patio." #GodsPlan Girl remembered this place and it was a good call since it checked those two boxes. It seems trite but the chips and salsa were oddly delicious, and venture to say it was the highlight of the meal. The salsa looked like it was going to be weak af but was low-key spicy. I decided on getting the steak burrito suizo since I really wanted El Cid (the best place for that particular dish imo) but there was no parking. The flavor was fine but it lacked cheese, had too much filler and not enough steak. Certainly no El Cid. We split a peach blended margarita, and while I'm not a margarita person, the flavor was on damn point. The service was fine. Wouldn't say super friendly but they were definitely attentive. I mean they brought more chips and salsa without us having to ask, and my water was constantly being refilled. Couldn't ask for much more. Certainly no benchmark for authentic Mexican but an ideal place if you're looking for an alternative to your standard taqueria. read more

Cafe El Tapatio - El Gradioso Burrito Suizo. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The atmosphere is fantastic - a bit crowded, but lively and colorful. I also enjoy the food here, though on my past visit, the carne asada was a bit bland. Unlike most restaurants, I think the chicken is a better bet! The drinks are a mixed bag: I got one once that legit tasted like ice and nothing else. I think it was a simple mistake, because other drinks I've ordered (and that my friends have ordered) have all been great. The variety here is excellent, too. The menu isn't overwhelming, but there is definitely something for everyone. :) read more

This place is always packed whenever I drive by so I assumed it was good. Well, I was pretty disappointed. My boyfriend had a mojito since they have $6 deals on thursdays and i had a frozen mango margarita and they were both wayyyy too sugary. You could barely taste any alcohol in them. For our entrees I had the enchilada verde and he had the enchilada poblano and they were both ok. Nothing special. Service was fast though once we were seated despite how crowded it was. However, Service at the bar was super slow. There was only one bartender there. I think it's time they hire another hand. Overall, I was unimpressed. read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Enchilada verde and enchilada poblano. Both were just ok. Nothing special - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A friend and I dined in at Cafe El Tapatio for dinner a week ago and it was a great dining experience. Despite a busy evening, the staff checked on our table several times. We both ordered taco dinners that came with a side of rice and beans, as well as chips and salsa for the table. What surprised me the most about the menu is the vegetarian options, such as the Tacos Bellos. read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Tacos Bellos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Let me just say, this place slaps! My gahd, what's in the rice? Idk, it's bomb! How do they get their burritos to be so tighy wrapped and perfectly wet? It's probably easy, but let me just say, I can't make anything close to it at home. What's in the seasoning for the asada?! Delicous! Very comparable spices to a taco you'd get in Mexico. Ooo, so why the four stars? Let me just what was once the seasoning for my asada... a piece of hair. I don't want to get too graphic here, but it wasn't a pretty one. It's been a rough breakup... read more

Amazing food! I had the chicken tinga taquitos, nachos, sala, queso, and the quesabirrias. All very good and the service was quick and friendly. This is a new go to spot. read more

Manager extremely rude and dismissive. Will never return. Food is good but not worth the hassle of a condescending manager with a bad attitude. read more

It was good but now the Burritos Are watery and lost their great Product. We stopped going after Two horrible carry out orders hopefully it changes Back. read more

this place is to die for! i'd never had a sincronizada de papa before and to put it lightly, life changing. the food was amazing, the service was great, the vibes were AWESOME! we sat outside in the winter and it was super cozy and a nice change for the time of year. will definitely be back! read more

Cafe El Tapatio - SINCRONIZADA DE PAPA - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for late lunch/early dinner on a Friday night. Great food and great service - sat at the bar with my bf and the bartender kept checking in on us and provided great recommendations. we got margs, queso fundido, and tacos. all in all experience was 10/10 read more

See all

Just kinda weird. The time that passed between sitting down and placing our order was longer than the time between placing that order and getting the food, to the point that even if they were absolutely rocking in the kitchen, it probably wasn't made to order. Also almost every single table was filled so that increased the concern about the food being prepared before. Once we sat down and got our menus, for about 10 minutes, nobody came to take an order, and we were just kind of wondering what was going on. Then one of the hostesses at the greeting spot at the hostess stand, directly next to where we were sitting, asked us if we would like to order something. So far all we had gotten was the free chips, why else would we come to a restaurant? Yes we want to order. It was just weird and not great and right now being so concerned with prices and making sure that anytime I go out is worth it, this did not feel like it was worth it. I did really like the chimichanga although the rice on the side was a little bit cold. I will also say that everybody there was pretty friendly and it was very very crazy busy so I don't really blame them for not realizing we hadn't had a waiter come over, that happens, and I'm not upset or anything. read more

We got delivery tonight and this is our first time trying this place! Discovered it a few months ago and have been wanting to test it out! We're currently without a car so got delivery and honestly I wish we waited until we could visit in person or pick up our own food. The food itself was really good - my husband and I agree it might be the best chorizo we've ever had - but the packaging/delivery was really a letdown. The containers are a very standard go to for takeout orders but it didn't work here. I can't tell if the apps we got had rounded lids or were just not closed properly but our bag with the tower of containers inside made its way to us filled with grease and doing a hard lean. We opened the taco containers to find the beans and rice fell on top of tacos in transit (we assume) and therefore the beans soaked the bottom of the tacos and we couldn't even lift them out. Had to eat with a fork and everything was VERY bean-y. Unfortunately for me I don't like beans and planned to not eat those so had to scrap a lot off my tacos. Which was very disappointing. Also did not receive the tortillas with our queso fundido. Not a huge deal as we had some Tostito chips in our cabinet to use. But would've really come in handy to rebuild our tacos today! And being that we spent a lot including a good tip it's disappointing to be missing some food and a lot of the other food be covered in beans. It's a pretty safe bet we won't be ordering delivery again - but we will DEFINITELY go in person to test it out again and add some margs! read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Chicken tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

My wife, son, and I went for dinner after a long day. While the drinks were good, the food was flavorless and not what we expected. I had tacos carnitas that were smothered in guacamole - a meal I specifically chose because the menu said it did not include guac. My son had fish tacos and said they tasted like "frozen fish sticks that had been microwaved and placed on a tortilla." My wife also had fish tacos and did not enjoy her meal's taste. It was disappointing as we love Mexican food, were really hungry, and made our choice based on the ratings. We won't be back. read more

Regrese después de barios años a comer al q era el lugar favorito de mi fam.y fue tan trizte ver toda la comida enlatada q agregan a los platillos la salsa ya no save igual le ponen jitomate de lata eso aparte de que reducieron el salón de los comensales y como si fuera poco solo tienen vevidas de maquina es tan decepcionante. read more

El Tapatio is my favorite Mexican spot in Chicago! My family has been coming here for years and every single time it's so amazing! Staff is so great, warm and inviting atmosphere, and the best Margarita I've had in the city (you have to ask for the upgraded homemade mix one! You WONT be disappointed I promise!) Some of my favorite dishes: The mole enchiladas with chicken (best mole sauce I've ever had) the shrimp ceviche, the shrimp tacos, and there is a chili garlic grilled shrimp appetizer that is so amazing but I can't think of the name. Anyway, if you love Mexican food and a damn good margarita and you haven't eaten here / takeout (ya know bc of covid ) then you have to try them! You're going to fall in love! read more

Stopped by Cafe El Tapatio for dinner on a Friday night after craving a margarita. I got a frozen pineapple one and it definitely hit the spot! I got a bunch of recommendations for their chimichanga and it was delicious. Service was great and we were seated right away. Definitely would recommend for food and drinks!! read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Mango and pineapple margaritas. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I ordered a plate of shrimp tacos 1st they forgot my guacamole 2nd as eating it the tortillas were super wet There was no way to eat as a taco 3th the salsa on the side was super salty very disappointed with my first order at this place I call to ask for my guacamole all they said is that will get it to me the next time ...... read more

Cafe El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Not a fan of the service. Food is good and I enjoyed my chicken dish very much but the appetizers were forgotten and they really wanted us to take the entrees because they didn't want to take them back to the kitchen or make fresh after the appetizers were brought out. The dining room is super loud, but that could just because some folks like to talk really loud. We asked for a box for leftovers but they shot out the food. Decor is nice and it's bigger than expected when you look from outside. Eat on the sidewalk if possible, maybe they'll be more attentive. The two stars are for the food only, otherwise nope. read more

Got so hype up over this place on TikTok and went yesterday for brunch. Ain't all of that. Service was terrible, understaff with only two servers and the place was just packed. My party had to wait 35min to get service and another 20min to just get the waters. We waited almost half and hour for our drinks and then when the food finally came out was cold (could tell was sitting out for a while) The manager came at the end and apologized but at that point was too late since our server from the start was rude and disrespectful Don't recommend it By far my worst experience read more

Seems like a good place to take a big group of kids or family, however the food is not good. Had carne asada, now my belly hurts. Had the soup, it was poop. Kate Z signing off. read more

Made a reservation for 3 people, they tried to give us a 2 top and said they were expecting a lot of walk ins. This is a 5pm..and about 20 open tables. Rude and inconsiderate. We won't eat here again. read more

This is my favorite Mexican in the area. The chips are fresh, the salsa is spicy and the margaritas are great. They have a nice little kids menu and are great about bringing out 'kids salsa' (red enchilada sauce) so the kids can also enjoy the appetizer. We usually go with a large-ish group of 5-10 with kids and they are very accommodating and service has always been prompt and accurate. Patio seasonally is nice and still has great service. For all that, you should try to go and sit at the bar, everyone is friendly and the bar tenders are all fun. Get their spicy shrimp appetizer - it's AMAZING. Verde sauce is great on their chicken enchiladas and their meals are all fantastic. read more

First time - got the combo fajitas. Really good margs and well-seasoned food. However, the fajitas didn't come with cheese, tomatoes, etc. Just beans and rice with some mixed greens. Asked and paid a bit extra. read more

When last nite they close at mid night I order a margarita and tortilla soup And crepa de cajeta taste weird mango instead of peaches on my crepa My margarita was really good Hija de la guayaba Next to me was a 6 top walking They ask the server what's good on the menu He said anything is good but don't order mar y tierra or empanadas Haaaaaaa wonder why read more

See all

I have been going here for years. This place never disappoints. The margaritas (lime on the rocks) are so good and strong! The pina coladas are one of the best I have ever had. The servers are always attentive and nice. The food- the food is great! I have yet to have a bad meal here. I have had the arrachera, carne asada, tacos del mar, steak tacos...all amazingly delicious! I love coming here for a girls' night, date night, or just with a small group of friends. I highly recommend it :) read more

Went on a Tuesday evening for dinner and drinks and was able to get a table outside very easily. Not much of a crowd which I definitely enjoyed. The weather was great so a perfect night to sit outside. Had the Paloma drink which was part of their specials that night and then a regular lime margarita, nothing really amazing but I still enjoyed them. You get free chips and salsa, salsa had a slight kick to it which I really liked. Don't recommend the quesadilla appetizer as there is nothing special about it. I had to get tacos since I LOVE tacos and they weren't bad but also not amazing. read more

See all

This place is DELICIOUS. I went here about a month ago. I have been craving it EVER since. I had Pechuga Bandera when I went here and I was part of the "clean plate club". We also had Cazuela, a few Paloma Blanca and other drinks. The food is delish and the bartender definitely know what he/she is doing. The service was excellent. We were seated right away (on a friday night). read more

Not sure if there's new management or what but this place went downhill. My husband went in for drinks and got ripped off and the owner or manager basically made fun of him and was bullying him. On top of that our food was wrong. The whole experience was awful. It's a shame because it used to be good. read more

Great place but it's really become disconnected with its customers. Multiple occasions I've waited over an hour for a table and the staff just completely forgets you and sits down another party. We even had the manager refuse to break apart a larger table to seat us despite knowing we've been waiting. Good food but don't gamble on then honoring reservations read more

I saw this place all over Tik tok so I decided to give it a try. 10 out of 10 for the mango margarita, the taquitos, and the elotes. You MUST GET THE ELOTE. Best I've ever had. The cheese fondito came without chorizo or the peppers like we ordered. By the time we flagged down someone to help, it was cold. The server sent it back but just added the chorizo on top of the same cold dish. No peppers. We didn't eat it. I thought the server would ask why we didn't touch it but he never did that. Also, the bill was completely wrong. Prices didn't match the menu prices. The server said they just increased their prices without changing the menu. This is fraud to guests & really unethical. He changed out bill when I asked, but make sure you check your bill. Ours was about a $8 difference. Overall I might be back. Probably not though. There's too many other Mexican restaurants in Chicago without all the mishaps. read more

Food, drinks and customer service was excellent! Will definitely have a return visit soon!!

We've been coming to Tapatio for a few years now and we're always happy with the place. It's pretty expensive for a Mexican restaurant but the food and drinks are always high quality, even when you order takeout. The dining room is quaint and usually busy. Yes they give out free chips and salsa if you dine in. Yes the salsa is spicy. I usually do a smothered burrito and I'm getting hungry just thinking about it now. read more

My fiancé and I frequent el tapatio almost weekly. No matter what time of day the food is always amazing. They are willing to customize almost anything on the menu Dinner The nachos are out of this world and made with fresh jalapeños that could start a fire. They also include pickled jalapeños by request. With each chef they are made differently so it makes it feel new each time we order. The camarones de jaunita are amazing and also bring the heat. The shrimp salad is great for a lighter fare while the enchiladas are served with a great green sauce. Brunch The chilaquiles may be the best in the city. Super flavorful with the best green sauce. The huevos rancheros are also a close second to order. We also did eat the late brunch bloomers that they offered the month of March which was an ideal brunch deal that offered a taste of all tacos and unlimited house margaritas, beer, micheladas and sangria. Drinks Hands down the best michelada I have ever had. On Mondays they are $6. They've inspired us to make our own. The bartenders are amazing and make all the drinks with focus on quality. The skinny margaritas are also fantastic. They are fresh and not super sweet, made with agave over sugar. Overall Best Mexican in chicago at the right price. You can't help but love a place that's run by family. read more

See all

Beyond amazing service. I made a reservation at this restaurant for my birthday dinner. They were very accommodating for my party since I was running about half an hour later than my scheduled reservation time. We were greeted by what I believe was the owner, who held the door open for us. Our waitress was Nancy and she was so sweet and professional. We were given a shot of their homemade pineapple infused tequila... YUM. The food and drinks were delicious. I recommend the micheladas here if you love them as much as I do. My friends mentioned their tacos (Al pastor & deshebrada) were super tasty. I appreciate the staff for such a great experience. I will definitely visit this restaurant again when I'm in the area. read more

This place NEVER disappoints! The waiters are always friendly and efficient, and the owner walks around to say hello and make sure you are taken care of often. You can't go wrong with any of the menu items, but my favorite is the Sopa Azteca and the cantina margarita read more

Amazing experience at Cafe El Tapatio. This is one of our favorite neighborhood spots. The service during our recent visit was exceptional. The Asada Frites was so delicious and perfectly prepared. We had dessert for the first time here and oh my gosh, the churros were so amazing -- freshly fried and absolutely delicious with choice of different dipping sauces. The flan served over strawberry puree was also great. read more

Felt the need to write this review due to service. Food was great, Margaritas not so much. Server was rude almost mad to be there. We let her know that margaritas were not good and she basically said too bad. We were not going to drink them so we ordered a different type of margarita which was better but still not great. We also asked server for a different type of salsa which she said they did not have. Someone in our party then asked if they had green salsa to which she said they charge for.. again we did not have a problem paying for it, she never asked. Lastly when she gave us the bill there was a service charge attached to it, when we inquired about what the charge was she seemed bothered. Again she assumed we were paying with credit but we were actually paying with cash. She seemed bothered to have to take charge off. Really bad experience with this service. We still tipped her but really the way we were treated was terrible. Needless to say we will never visit this establishment again. read more

Great margaritas!! Camarones Juanita is an excellent appetizer! Food is always delicious.

Wow! $35 for UNLIMITED chips and salsa, tacos, margaritas, sangria, and beer, you say?! This place was wonderful. I will definitely be back on a Sunday for "brunch" again next time I'm in Chicago. Four stars only because of our waiter. It was definitely busy, but this man was running around like a crazy person. The other waiters were staying calm and doing a good job, but our guy was working himself into a frenzy. He messed up our drink orders every time except once, and basically tossed everything on the table and ran away before we were ever able to say anything. They were unlimited, so we just drank what we were given, but come on. read more

What a great find! We had lunch today with family and we all walked away loving this place. It has a nice friendly atmosphere and the staff were attentive, kind and accommodating. The food was delicious, large portions, and probably one of the better authentic Mexican food around. I had the chilaquiles with green sauce and eggs o er easy. Just wonderful. Prices were reasonable. I can't wait to come back for more! read more