I've been coming here for many many years. The food here is really good as a recently I've been absent and when I came in today, it wasn't busy at all. The decor is different. The layout is still the same they used to have in their Tacqueria case.A huge selection of meats this time it was very empty. No one in the restaurant no one calling. It looks a lot cleaner than it did. I feel like there's a new owner.. I asked for a sample and they didn't know if they could give it to me or not. I was surprised because in the past did let you sample whatever you want and they're a lot more Customer Service oriented. My son ordered Carnita quesadilla with everything on the side and they didn't give anything on the side and when he asked for sour cream, they couldn't do that. I asked for hot sauce no hot sauce the food was really good though they mince the Carnitas instead of chunks and I personally like it like that a lot more really tender very moist. I just had one taco was four dollars or 395 a lot of meat. I wonder if the one in Prospect Heights is still the same owner anyway if you want some good Mexican food, the food is great. The burritos are gigantic. read more

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I just had brunch at Carnitas #2 in Prospect Heights, and WOW--the food was absolutely delicious! I ordered the Chilaquiles with three over-medium eggs and skirt steak, and it was so much food that I had to bring half home (which I'm already excited to enjoy later). The sauce was absolute perfection--so flavorful that I didn't even want to add the extra spicy sauces they offered. My waitress, Julie, was outstanding--truly as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She was kind, attentive, and so helpful. The entire staff made me feel genuinely welcome. As a Houston Texan spending time here in Chicago, it was such a joy to experience that warm, home-style hospitality. The atmosphere was inviting, the people were wonderful, and the food was perfect. This is definitely the kind of place you want to stop into after church for brunch, or honestly, for lunch, dinner, or breakfast any day. I'll absolutely be returning. Highly recommend--check this place out! read more

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I so regret not visiting this restaurant sooner!!! Great breakfast options. Chilaquiles - 100% best in the area Birria - 100% Staff so attentive and ready to serve! Keep up the good work!! read more

El Paisa Alegre - Decor very festive - Mexican Near Me - Prospect Heights, Illinois

CARNITAS! CARNITAS! CARNITAS! Amazing!! Traditional and incredible! Leave with a pound or two with tortillas and the homemade salsas are sensational! (First time doing breakfast it was insanely good) Have you ever been to a place that focuses its culinary skill on providing fresh, delicious, traditional carnitas? Well, El Paise Alegre is exactly that kind of gem. The hand cooked CARNITAS ARE THE STAR OF THE SHOW! perfectly tender, juicy, and full of flavor, with just the right balance of crispy edges and melt-in-your-mouth bites. You can tell everything is prepared with care and tradition in mind. Pair it with fresh tortillas, salsa that packs a punch, and classic sides, and you'll feel like you've discovered the real deal. Beyond the food, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, making it a great spot for both casual meals and family gatherings. The service is friendly, attentive, and genuinely eager to make sure you enjoy every bite. If you're looking for authentic carnitas done right, El Paise Alegre is a must-visit. It's the kind of place that doesn't just serve food it serves tradition, flavor, and a memorable experience. read more

El Paisa Alegre - Breakfast was insanely good. Egg and potatoes breakfast - Mexican Near Me - Prospect Heights, Illinois

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Didn't get a picture, but this place is very good and authentic Mexican food! I called to order, and they couldn't really understand me as they all spoke Spanish, but I was able to get my order in once the phone was passed to someone that spoke English. I picked up and they were very nice. I got 3 taco dinners and total was about $53. Kind of steep but we were satisfied. I also got an horchata, which tasted delicious, but needed to be strained because I think cinnamon sticks were blended in. If you are picking up, be careful, as their parking lot has a few big potholes! read more

Tacos are good, but getting rather expensive. They are really plain and rather dry.

Was hoping for a better experience. Food was great, but not at all for what we ended up paying. Highly overpriced, everything you see in the photo costed us $66.10! Ordering was very hard, no English knowledge to understand what you want to order, luckily my party was bilingual or we would have needed google translate to order anything. We asked had to ask 4 times for chips & salsa as well. Overall experience, it was way too overpriced, & hard to order anything if you don't speak Spanish. read more

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First time here, took myself out to lunch for my birthday. Got the taco dinner with asada, carnitas, and al pastor. Tacos were generously filled and well-prepared. The al pastor had the smokey flavor that I don't prefer, personally, but it was good quality meat and well-made, just not my preference. I always like to try al pastor in places to see how it compares to my favorite, La Chaparrita in Little Village. Carnitas were moist and had a good balance of meat and fat. Asada was good- moist, good flavor. Average rice & beans. Standard horchata. The complimentary salsa and chips were served warm. Salsa wasn't spicy, but had a rich tomato flavor and I think there were chunks of carnitas, which definitely added to the richness! read more

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Always amazing, authentic food and service. I haven't had a bad thing on this menu yet. I'm coming here for over 10 years. Definitely recommend. read more

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Bold flavors abound here. Get anything with carnitas, it's seasoned spectacularly. Fresh ingredients, generous portions, friendly service. Highly recommend! read more

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Horrible service- took 30 mins for toco Tuesday . Empty restaurant. Lady's on the phone talking or talking to each other while my order was ready. read more

Best Carnitas and salsa in town! Carlos and his family are legendary! Also don't miss out and order tacos campechanos ! Thank me later!

The reason for three stars is solemnly on the quality of the food, which is AMAZING. The waitress was RIDICULOUSLY uneducated and had no idea how to do her job. We ordered the most amazing meat by the pounds however, the waitress was unable to explain to us that it was an additional $7 per pound of meat if we ate within the establishment. I was shocked to see an $80 bill for 1.5 lbs of meat. I would go back only for take out, service is a -1! In addition to this, the waiter started screaming at us and at the owner saying that there are cameras and that we could rewind them and see that she told us. We all had an absolutely delicious meal, but a terrible experience with the waiting staff. read more

Was my first time there, my friend recommended the carnitas and i must said the carnitas were really good. Terrible service though, will i come back no read more

I literally had the weirdest experience ever in this place. Felt like I was in the twilight zone!! Sat down with my family of 5 and was asked "drink?". 3 Jaritos and a coke... not rocket science right??? Total look of confusion.. did not speak English or Spanish. then we order food.. 3 steak taco dinners... easy... NOPE?? I then order a burrito... NOPE no burrito tortillas.. got up and left. Will never go back or recommend. read more

Food is very good, service is not They charge a 15% gratuity straight without notice and the server ask if you want to add a tip when they charge already but be careful because the 15% charge is of party of 4 or more. read more

We came in family of 3. We sat down ordered drinks waited 10 minutes for them. We got chips and salsa after 15-20 minutes after being seated. Waited 30 minutes for simple food 3 tacos and 2 soups. We noticed other people that came in within 2 minutes got drinks and there chips and salsa and this was a family of 8, all of them got there food within 10 minutes. The server added 15% of tip and said that after a family of 4 15% has to be included but we were only 3. We talked to the manager and got our gratuity back. I don't recommend this place at all for service. Food was amazing tho! read more

I would like to order food but they said they open at 8 and when getting they're still closed!

It was Día de la Independencia and we were craving some Mexican food. The staff helped service us right away and the food was delicious. Ordered the chicken tacos. The Ambiance and atmosphere was a bit quiet, as we came in towards the end of the day, but overall we enjoyed our food and will return in the future. read more

Very tasty and abundant portions. Tried the carnitas, al pastor and cecina tacos. Carnitas looked delectable but were probably the least flavorful of the trio. The cecina was well seasoned and served with a smear of beans and caramelized onions. The al pastor was something else. Can something have too much flavor? Wow! The meat was smoky, slightly charred and served with nice chunks of equally charred pineapple. So good! Probably the most different and best I've had in the area. Beans were a bit salty. Overall the food was great and I can't wait to come back and try some of the other varied offerings. read more

Worst service ever. Did not let us know that they charge to eat there. They overcharged us for a pound of Carnitas. When I went in to go ask, the guy looked at me and said uhh ohhh ! which means this is not the first time this has happened. Do not recommend whatsoever. If I can give negative stars, I would. read more

Food was amazing! Everything was fresh and the portions were large. The owner came out of the kitchen to introduce himself. We were impressed and we will definitely go back! read more

My husband and I drive by El Paisa Alegre II every time I pick him up from the Prospect Heights train station. We finally stopped by one evening and were pleasantly surprised. The prices are very reasonable, the portions are HUGE and the food is wonderful! We had three beers and two dishes with leftovers for dinner the next evening and spent less than $30! I loved the authentic hot sauces, the friendly staff and the variety of customers that came into the establishment while we were dining. One thing to remember when you order is how big everything is. I ordered a quesadilla with spicy pork and fresh avocado and it came as three huge wedges...it was like one and a half. My husband's burrito was the size of a football! Splitting a dish is definitely possible. read more

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Food was amazing and came out quick. Although there was a slight language barrier between the "cashier" and my group, she was extremely friendly and pointed out all of the "best" items on the menu. Would definitely recommend, I will be going back!! read more

First time here, ordered the steak burrito. Time was 5:48 so everything should be good. The meat was greasy, the rice was dry and there really was no flavor to it. Hardly any lettuce or tomatoes. To be honest taco bell would have been much better. read more

Wow! Definitely above my expectations! Food is great, especially the chips and salsa (easiest way to predict the quality of the food). The salsa is warm with chunks of carnitas - pure goodness. We ordered a platter of carnitas and a platter of beef barbacoa, both of which were tender and delicious. We could have easily ordered one platter for the two of us with the size of their portions. I'll be there soon to try out the rest of the menu! read more

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Listen, I grew up in LA and was surrounded by the Mexican culture and food and it takes a lot for me to be impressed. And this place damn nailed it, great food and portion. And their hot sauce? hot damn man, they are awesome. Although I haven't tried anything other than the carnitas, I can and will tell you that this place has one of the best carnitas in Chicagoland. And probably my top 3 ever. Seasoned perfect with all the different organs(unless you want to go lean meat only) and option of being fine or rough chopped. Toss that bad boy on some warm tortillas and their hot green chili sauce. Man, you got some food that will put you in a coma real quick. And the portions? They are crazy generous. We are probably looking at least a pound of meat. Added with rice and beans? Man, you are in for some great food coma later. A must place to visit. read more

Definitely more on the authentic side but the meat falls a little flat. Tried the carnitas tacos with braised pork skin and pork ribs. The pork was a little dry and both the skin and ribs were underseasoned. Even with salsa, the flavor was still lacking. Corn tortilla were dry. Also has the quesadilla con carne with asada meat and corn tortilla. The tortilla was grilled but got really dry. Again the asada was underseasoned. Chips were super greasy. It did have a nice crunchy texture and came with a pork dip. The pork in this dish was seasoned very well. This was actually the best part of the meal. Overall the food was decent but could raise the bar if the meat was seasoned better. You do get a lot of food and the price is good. Service was mediocre. read more

El Paisa Alegre - Carnitas tacos - Mexican Near Me - Prospect Heights, Illinois

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We stopped in on the way home from hockey, lured in by good Yelp reviews. This place totally delivers, theres a whole roast pig right when you walk in the front door. we ordered carne asada, surita (mix) and ribs in burritos. they were huge and the sauces were fantastic. They served salsa with pulled pork in it for an appetizer. They did a brisk take out business,While we were there-- we even took home a pound of the chicharrones. read more

Stopped in from the train station for a bite to eat, first time visitor and on a complete whim to try something new. Boy are we glad we did. In the wintertime it can get pretty cold in the dining area, but they have some hot sauce for that ;) Tip - portions are monstrous so know that going in. My wife and I could have easily split what we each ordered. In fact, half the food went home with us as leftovers. She ordered the quesadilla and I ordered the burrito. Both with pastor. They were both really good. My burrito was the size of a football, in the infamous words of the 75th, "It was YYUUGGEE!" Minus the beers we ordered, our food ran us $20. VERY reasonable, you get a lot of bang for your buck here. If you are not into big sizes, I would advise to order the tacos, they are much more manageable in terms of size. They are not open late, in fact, all the signs in the window are homemade and they recently adjusted their hours. We will be back. read more

El Paisa Alegre - Burrito pastor and quesadilla pastor (SERIOUSLY LARGE portions) - Mexican Near Me - Prospect Heights, Illinois

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This is my favorite place for tacos in the suburbs as well as my husband's. We frequent this place so often, that we may get it as often as once a week. They do close on random days occasionally, so it's nice to call ahead of time to make sure they're open before you head over. My go-to's are the cecina and the carnitas. The cabeza de res is very fatty and rich, which is a nice once in a while treat for me. Al pastor is not bad as well. Highly recommend this place! read more

I had a steak burrito with no beans! This burrito was good and I will definitely return. My reason for 4 starts as opposed to 5 is because of the price. It was $15, ridiculous! They considered the burrito to be a whole meal, which it is very big and fulfilling. I really don't believe it's worth $15. #monalisaapproval. read more

The servers here are very nice, no doubt. It was the first day for my waitress, but what she lacked in knowledge, she made up for in attitude and effort. Pork is definitely a mainstay here. When I walked in I was greeted by the remains of a pig under a heat lamp. Perhaps that's a delicacy for some; it made me reconsider vegetarianism. Once seated my waitress brought these really thick corn tortilla chips and, the best part of the meal, four types of salsa: two mild, two hot. As others have said, this is a very traditional spot; when they say hot, they aren't kidding. I told the waitress I wanted a chicken dish with vegetables. She suggested the chicken salad. It was a sautéed piece of chicken cut in strips sitting atop a tasteless bed of iceberg lettuce with a few slices of tomatoes, avocados and a large chunks of white onion. No dressing served, only a few pieces of lime. The chicken was tolerable and the avocado fresh, that's the most I can say. The refried beans were nasty. They tasted like pork and were dried out. I took one bite and almost lost it. I can't remember the last time I didn't clean my plate. Much as I like the staff, I don't think I'll be returning any time soon. read more

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Place is ass. Tacos are better at Taco Bell. For real and I hate Taco Bell. $14.99 for 2 taco dinner. Rip off. They love lettuce and tomato on the tacos here. read more

If you're looking for quantity over quality this might be your place. I had a steak burrito, diet coke and a horchata. The good news: The burrito was huge. Can feed 2 people with this thing. I The horchata may have been one of the best I ever had. The staff was very friendly. The bad news: The burrito had more rice than the Rice A Roni factory in San Francisco. All filler. The meet was chopped so much that it looked like ground beef. The burrito was $10 by itself. So a rice filled burrito with remnants of steak, a can of coke and a horchata cost $17. If you're on a budget and don't mind sharing a below average meal, this can feed 2 Not worth it, really. read more

Food is so good! Must try! Tables were spaced out, can take out. Service was great! Definitely will try again, food will not disappoint. Great portions for price. read more

El Paisa Alegre - Really good food! - Mexican Near Me - Prospect Heights, Illinois

I love the place, food is amazing,and for hangovers I recommend menudo and the consome. My favorite is the goat soup. (consome de chivo) read more

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Exquisite food is like you are tasting food from Mexico everyday the dishes are traditionally Mexican real food so if you're looking for a place authentic Mexican food this is the only one in northwest suburbs read more

I had really high hopes for this place going in but I had a very strange experience. Today, I went in to order food to-go around 2-3pm. There was no wait and a lady came up to me to take my order. The display menu signs weren't on for some reason and there was no other menu in sight. The lady asked what I wanted even though I didn't have a menu to order from. I then told her it was my first time there and she gave me a menu to look at which was not easily accessible. She then gave me time to look at it and then I ordered. (Later when I was paying for my order, another new customer had come in to order for to-go and the employee asked him what he wanted to order without presenting a menu to him either. I don't know what the deal is with not having a presentable menu in the front of the restaurant.) I ordered one lengua taco and three steak tacos, all with additional cheese for an extra $0.39. The original taco prices were crossed out and raised to be at $2.99 each. I ordered an horchata as well. The bill came out to be $17.99! I was not expecting four tacos and an horchata to come out to be that much money. The horchata was $3 and only came in a medium size cup. That's too expensive in my opinion. Here's where I was most disappointed: I got home and opened my tacos to find that none of them included cilantro and onion. I thought this was the default topping. Why didn't I have any on any of my tacos? This was a huge disappointment and I'm still not sure why it wasn't included. The positives about this place was that they gave me a generous amount of limes, four selections of salsa, and included a lot of meat in each taco. The wait for my order was very short too. However I'm just not sure if I want to return to pay this much money for tacos and horchata. I wish this place had met my expectations since I don't live too far from here. read more

Saw this place and stopped in. Fresh food and the portions are big. Great service and fast. Will be coming back with a bigger appetite. Order the carnita plate and asada taco and cecina taco. Also order the guacamole with chips. Very simple place and plenty of room for big groups. read more

El Paisa Alegre - Mexican Near Me - Prospect Heights, Illinois