New to Chicago's Roger's Park area so trying what's around. Decided on this Mexican spot and got my food to go to watch with tv at home. Their menu is expansive so you have a lot to choose from. I got the steak fajitas and chicken empanadas. Empanadas are perfectly crispy on the outside, great seasoning on the chicken. Steak is cooked amazingly and the portion sizes ain't nothin to F*** with. While I was waiting, I saw the Tostadas and will be back for them. The ladies working were exceptionally nice and answered all my questions as well as made note of my food restrictions. It's a cute spot with a lot of seating. Great energy in there. Might dine in next time I go. read more

El Pulpo Loco - Empanadas de Tinga / Chicken Empanadas and Fajitas Mixtas / Mixed Fajitas (Steak) To-Go - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friends live pretty close by and love this place. They highly recomend the huarache azteca, which I tried from my boyfriend's plate. It was so yummy and all 3 of them ordered it. As someone who prefers to share food, I usually prefer to get diff items but the huarache azteca was so good I understand why they all wanted their own. I also liked the horchata and jamaica, although I don't know if I'd say they're the best I've ever had. Good though! I got the tostada de ceviche mixta which was really yummy and I am curious about the rest of their seafood. We also got the chicken tinga empanadas which were also good. This was one of the best meals I've had all month (maybe the best). read more

El Pulpo Loco - Chicken tinga empanada - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food lacked luster extremely bland no taste also the tacos had a spoonful of meat Nothing to brag about they Jane a lot of work if they want to establish repeat customers empty on a Saturday night this tells the story. Very bland skimpy on meat presentation 5 would not recommend read more

Stopped by for dinner and I love the decor of the place with a playful octopus on the wall. I guess why the name loosely translates to the crazy octopus. I order the steak burrito dinner for $13.99. That's a good price compared to other places. While I waited for my food, they had a nice and lively crowd in the restaurant. I received my food and asked do they have a certain dish and they do. When I said that I like spicy, the nice lady behind the counter informed me that the red salsa has chile de arbol. The burritos was loaded with carne asada while the lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, onion and cilantro was a great add. It wasn't a filler for the burritos. The steak was delicious like it was cooked on a well seasoned grill. The rice had a really good garlic flavor. It was gone in a heartbeat. Not a lot of places have flavorful rice, I could eat an entire bowl of the rice. The beans were good but nothing spectacular. Overall it was a great meal. read more

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All around very strong. Shrimp taco was especially good. Maybe a little more oriented to the gringo palate.

Fire, was looking for a random spot to eat at and this one was the closest and had the most stars Ts fyeeeee PLUS live music a whole vibe read more

El Pulpo Loco - Skirt steak and al pastor - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered a burrito and it was terrible. The meat was tough and dry and did not have any flavor. I will never order again from this restaurant read more

Located in Rogers Park neighborhood, the restaurant is only 5 minutes away from Loyola Beach. Street parking is available nearby. We ordered ceviche mixto which came with tortillas - you can make tostadas yourself. It was flavorful but the price is steep for the portion ($30). We also had Al pastor burrito - it tasted fine but the meat was fatty and burnt. read more

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Stopped in for a marg and a quick bite and was really happy with the good food and quick service. A neighborhood spot I will be back to. read more

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It means El Crazy Octopus but there is nothing crazy about the delicious food here. The features at this restaurant are many, but for me, the seafood tostados featuring shrimp, fish and of course octopus are favorites. Very fresh and bountiful portions, a single serving can fill you up if you're not too greedy, but I am, so I order more. Also, the Fin de Semana dish Guisado de Puerco con Corundas is outstanding and saucy, real home cooking, if you haven't had it, try it! The atmosphere is highly local and the vibe is casual and relaxed. Beer is served and seems nearly synonymous with the fare, but soda and other drinks are available. Recent renovations provide a super-clean feel and a freshness that makes the food shine. Longtime waitstaff are cheerful and welcoming! I fantasize that they will get their rotating dessert case working again, it has a magic for me. Also, to get to the bathroom one must go down stairs to the basement, not optimal but a small sacrifice for the experience. read more

El Pulpo Loco - Tostada de Ceviche Mixto - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We tried the chicken flautas, pastor tostadas, and chicken quesadillas. All quite tasty with a good variety of ingredients in the toppings. The one improvement that could be made is the flautas: the tortilla that formed the casing was very crisp and a bit hard to chew. There is a similar Hungarian dish called Hortobagyi husos palacsinta, with a crepe for casing that fries up much more chewable. Perhaps switching to a flour tortilla as an alternative would be worth trying. Also, the mole verde supplied was not sufficient for the order of four flautas, at least twice as much would be better. Despite this, a very satisfying meal! read more

The tacos dinners were great, filled tacos and delicious beans and rice, three members of our party enjoyed them. Will definitely return.

I came across El Pulpo Loco while randomly looking through Yelp for Mexican restaurants on the Northside. I saw the great reviews and thought it was a must visit. I am so happy I went to check out El Pulpo Loco because it was one of the best torta sandwiches that I have had in awhile. I also got to try a milanesa torta sandwich for the first time and I cannot go back. Our waitress was very friendly. She greeted my party as soon as we arrived and got drink orders as well as menu quickly. The inside of the restaurant is spacious enough to accommodate a a variety of group sizes but mostly 2-4 people parties. I loved the artwork on the main wall. I ordered a burrito and my husband ordered the milanesa torta. The food came out ratherly quickly. I was able to sample the milanesa torta and the first thing I noticed that the bread was fresh (soft and not stale). The steak on the torta was nicely seasoned. The burrito was delicious but I ended up liking the torta a lot more. The burrito was jam packed with with steak and not overly filled with filler items. I was able to able to easily get two meals from my burrito. I would highly recommend visiting El Pulpo Loco if you're in the area. read more

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Everything we ordered was so well seasoned and absolutely delicious!! Highly recommend!! https://el-pulpo-loco.restaurants-world.com/menu read more

Upscale dive with basement restrooms and what appears to be a party room or late night speakeasy down there? Food is okay but greasy and overpriced. Probably better after a drunken night out. ¡Adios, Muchachos! read more

This is a local favorite of mine in Rogers Park. It serves some of the best-tasting steak tacos served street-style in Chicago. I love the great-tasting margaritas and all served up by Betty and the rest of the staff. Highly recommend! read more

Restaurant name translation- The Crazy Octopus Food This Mexican restaurant is a little Rogers Park gem spot! Traditional cuisine for the knowledgeable consumer. La locura del sabor - mi gente! Service The service is bilingual, knowledgeable and friendly. I had a few subs and they were okay with it. The food is fresh served piping hot. Expect to wait 10-15 minutes for a made-to-order experience. Ambiance Beautiful and ultra clean environment and its octopus themed decor is tasteful, just like their food. Last note - Order the flan!!!!!! read more

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Todo esta bien caro, mejor voy a la tienda y lo ago yo. Se que subió todo pero exageran. Como un platillo de 25 sube 10$ mas todavía unos 3 o 4 pero no manchen $35. read more

They have the best vegetarian tacos I've ever had, with potatoes, peppers, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, and probably more. Last night I tried for the fish tostada. I got it with mayo and covered it with their green salsa. That is my new favorite! The service is always excellent! This place might not might not be ideal if you're in a hurry because they make the food fresh. It's so worth the wait! read more

Came in here because the spot looks cozy and welcoming. But when inside the service wasn't all that great. It was almost as if we were an inconvenience. Not very friendly. Food was good. read more

Absolutely delicious food! I love their Pulpo ceviche! They also have a Campechano taco (or burrito) that is out of this world! read more

El Pulpo Loco - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place has become a regular stop on my list of places to get a great meal at a reasonable price. I always love the food, particularly the steak burrito suizo dinner. A generous portion, and the addition of the fresh guac really puts this over the top. Always friendly service. Pretty easy street parking right out front. read more

El Pulpo Loco - Pastor taco, cilantro and onion - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This Rogers Park storefront Mexican place will blow you away with their seafood, service and margaritas. Their ceviche Tostitos should not be missed and their shrimp fajitas are outstanding. read more

El Pulpo Loco - The best Fajitas de Camaron. Perfectly cooked, fresh, flavorful and a generous portion. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have visited many seafood restaurants/places but this place is by far the best place in the Rogers Park area. The staff and environment are always friendly. read more

El Pulpo Loco - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I would recommend this place it's in Rogers Park neighborhood with plenty of parking . It's intimate and has authentic food . We had carne asada tacos with guacamole and it was delicious! They have good margaritas too. read more

This place is my favorite restaurant in all of Rogers Park! I always love to try new places but am always tempted and drawn back here. Staff is super sweet and food is so affordable. My favorites are the Chicken Taco Dinner (my boyfriend always gets the chorizo) and the Enchiladas. Oh! And the margaritas are great too read more

El Pulpo Loco - Chicken Tacos Dinner - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fantastic food. Chicken tacos were actually amazing!!!! I'm Latino and this place was legit. It genuinely impressed me.

TACOS TACOS TACOS. woah! I came here because I was desperately craving a margarita & a spicy soup, got tacos instead & was so so pleasantly surprised. first off, they're bigger than the usual size you'd get. they're extremely tasty & juicy????? the taste is soooo deliciousssss. also, the margarita????? UGH, so good. come here for some quality mexican food, you won't regret it and the waitresses are so nice & cute. I came here after a training sesh & this hit the spot. 11/10 read more

El Pulpo Loco - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time here and I really enjoyed their shrimp empanadas, guacamole, ceviche tostada and tampiquena (carne asada). Their green salsa is THE BEST and they made me an awesome mezcal Paloma. My new favorite Mexican in RoPo read more

Too expensive and not compared with other Mexican restaurants. Portions are small and they call my husband to the cashier to pay while we were still eating because they had to do cashier reconciliation, who does that? Will never go back. It is not worth your money, there are way better Mexican restaurants. read more

Very good food with quick service. The tacos, rice, beans, and horchata were fire I would recommend!

Pretty dang good Mexican seafood restaurant. The salsa that was served with the chips before we got our main course were SUPER spicy, but flavorful -- I loved it! The seafood was generally really fresh and well made -- especially the fried red snapper and the ceviche. I'm interesting in trying their caldos the next time around. I would skip the tacos because they were nothing to write home about. I tried the lengua, fish, and shrimp tacos and they were quite overcooked and underseasoned. Someone wrote on yelp that it's BYOB -- but it's not the case anymore. They have a liquor license and sell their own alcohol. read more

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The best Mexican food and incredible margaritas. It's the best Mexican spot on Clark. Highly recommend. read more

El Pulpo Loco - Al Pastor Taco Quesadilla de Maiz Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great dinner last night at El Pulpo Loco. Tilapia a la Mexicana and Camarones al Ajillo were both well prepared and tasty. Nice crowd on a Saturday evening, but still got a table for 4 as walk-ins at 7 p.m. Recommend! read more

Flavor bomb! This was such a great find that exceeded my expectations! I had been on the search for good Mexican food on the north side after spending some time living in closer proximity of Pilsen. I'm glad to have finally found a place that serves flavorful tacos as well as fantastic salsas! I tried a variety of their meats in the forms of tacos, burritos and tortas- all were excellent choices and tastes good on their own but were elevated by the addictive salsa. Yes the salsas have a kick to them, but its a satisfying one that will keep you coming back bite after bite. Planning on returning to try more of their seafood entrees and ceviches! Perhaps I'll be patient enough to actually take pictures next time... read more

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was surprised at how busy this little neighborhood spot was when i came in for an early monday dinner, but that's how you know it's good! didn't have time to study the menu like i usually do, so i have no idea what i ordered but it tasted good! everything was flavorful and the portion was a good size for the price. read more

El Pulpo Loco - Bistec a la Mexicana - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Big taste in a smaller space. Incredibly fresh tasting pico de gallo. Had the bistec con rajas torta (sliced skirt steak, grilled jalapeños & onions with guac), really excellent unique flavor. Reasonable prices, clean and a nice staff. If you're near Rogers Park don't pass it by. read more

I come here all the time and always get the same thing - the taco dinner that comes with beans and rice. Delicious and a great price! read more

El Pulpo Loco - Chicken Tacos Dinner - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great seafood and nice service. Clean restaurant lots of menu choices. Everything I've had has been delicious. Save room for the flan! read more

El Pulpo Loco - Shrimp fundido - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I don't see what the hype is on this place. Granted I didn't order the ceviche tostada but to me, the steak tacos aren't good. I ordered the steak taco and the shrimp empanadas and they arrived to my house cold. The steak was very dry and tough, and the tortillas were gummy. The shrimp empanadas were decent but I wouldn't order them again for the price of 12 bucks. You get 4 of them with some sliced up avocado on top and I just don't think it's worth it. The sauce they serve with the empanadas was good but the green salsa is very bland. Also, what's up with not throwing in some limes in the order? Like really, not even one lime?! All in all, I won't order again for them. read more