El Vado

Everything was delicious You can either eat there or take home. They even have a little grocery…read morestore attached so you can shop before or after you eat.

Awesome tacos. I had skirt steak, round steak, pork. Gotta go back a see if they offer ground beef.read more

Menu on 2018-Jan-09

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Tacos Pastor with extra toppings... Pastor is the best

Whiskey Diablo

4.3(80 reviews)

0.6 mi

Bring salt! Good atmosphere, good drinks(Mango Tango!), good service. Sadly, the food was…read moredisappointing: I ordered tacos and my husband ordered a Chile relleno burger; both were pretty tasteless. The proteins (beef and chicken) were not seasoned. Even the 'spicy' sauce for the tacos was bland. We had to request salt just to be able to eat what we ordered. However, the tableside guacamole and chips were good.

Date of visit: December 13, 2025…read more I love a good Mexican place, and as much as I enjoy Carlos's, it is good to have other options for when I go to visit my friend in the McHenry/Spring Grove area. The restaurant is very large with a variety of seating options including some interesting swings. I say interesting because it's really more of a novelty than anything; honestly, do you really want to have a seat that moves while you're eating chips with salsa? The menu is interesting, with a heavy focus on birria (think brisket, if you're unfamiliar) including in a dipped/fried taco as well as a grilled cheese sandwich, which is what I went with. While the meat in the sandwich was good, there was very little cheese to speak of, and that should be an important component of a grilled...cheese. However the chips and salsa were excellent, with some of the best chips I've had in quite some time, they really taste like more. In terms of the salsa, they are not lying with the "Diablo" in their name. If you are not a fan of spicy, stay away from the salsas as even the mild is fairly potent after a few chips. Also note that sour cream is available but doesn't tend to come WITH things by default, so be prepared to ask for that if it's a key part of your Mexican meals. Also disappointing, the tacos come with raw onions on top. This isn't mentioned on the menu, and was a very unwelcome addition to the dish. Service was a bit of a mixed bag; Jasmine was nice and attentive but struggled on some aspects, including telling us what the three salsas were when she brought them to the table, and saying that birria was a "biscuit," which thoroughly confused us. She asked if we wanted more chips and we declined, but then she brought more anyways.

Back wall of restaurant

Diablo taco

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Tableside guacamole and interior atmosphere

La Trinidad - McHenry

4.2(20 reviews)

0.5 mi

This is a very nice Mexican place in Mchenry. The combo platter I had on my first visit was good…read morewith the chicken tamale, taco and enchilada. Salsa is nicely balanced and not too spicy for me. But rest assured, they have other salsas that are hotter. The fried tilapia I had my second visit was just exactly what I was craving. Crispy fish with warm tortillas. Really good. The people there are very warm and welcoming. They provided attentive service. My husband really liked it here too.

Went for dinner with friends. We got there and there was a few big parties so the service was a…read morelittle slow but no big deal. The staff was great and took care of us. And we were not in a rush. The food was much more flavorful this time. I have been a few times and thought I had reviewed in the past. I had fajitas they were on special. Very tasty with a nice flavor. The salsa was ok. The other people had tacos, burrito, and stark fajita I had the chicken. The only issue I had was the window was so cold and the draft coming in made it not comfortable to take my hoodie off.

Some one with time to make it so cute lollipop

Cute candy at register

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La Trinidad in McHenry, Illinois. Huevos Con Chorizo.

Tacos El Norte

3.7(131 reviews)

0.5 mi

Tacos El Norte in McHenry. The absolute best tacos anywhere…read more They also have the best chilies rellenos and wonderful shrimp soup on the weekends.

Wasn't bad but not even close to the tacos el Norte in Lindenhurst…read more Service was good and friendly place was clean but food was just ok. Much smaller portions too.

Chips and salsa. The salsa is wonderful!

Steak burrito with a Lengua taco. Awesome!

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Chips and salsa.

Los 2 Primos Mexican Restaurant

4.3(9 reviews)

4.0 mi

Authentic Mexican food with great service. We had carne asada tacos, sope de asada, and tostada de…read moreceviche de camarones, along with the complimentary chips and salsa. The tacos were flavorful and had warm fresh tortillas. The ceviche was excellent and so fresh. All the salsas we tried were obviously home made and very fresh and flavorful too. We both like spicy and loved the level of spice, so for some they may be a little hot. Highly, highly recommend as a great eat in lunch spot or big orders to go. We were there for about 45 mins for lunch and they had tons of to go orders! We will definitely be back to try more things because everything looked and smelled amazing.

How about some EXCELLENT Pozole soup on a cold day! Tacos are out of this world too. Great little…read moreplace. Wonderfully kind people. Great service. This is a must go to place. Please support local restaurants during COVID

Menuuu

MENU

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Combination 1

Taco & Burrito Express

3.6(51 reviews)

1.4 mi

The food here is fantastic. Best tacos around. And they have proper rice and beans. We live a mile…read moreaway and eat there at least once per week.

So I noticed how high my bill was $13 for three tiny tacos that did not even fill me up and I'm a…read morelittle guy, it was almost 5 dollars a taco. I just hade meat, lettuce, and tomato on it. they were way smaller than Taco Bell tacos! I feel I got ripped off so bad. I will never go there again. Three tiny tacos, just lettuce and tomatoes for almost 5 bucks apiece. I rather starve than pay That! I would give them no stars, but they're forcing me to at least push one star so I could post this review. What a freaking joke. could forcing me to make you guys look better because you're not worth any stars.

Updated menu photo - October 2023

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The Patroons Mexican Restaurant

3.7(51 reviews)

0.4 mi

The food is always very right and it's always good. The chips are amazing cause they're fresh. Try…read moretheir margarita raspberry and peach it's yummy.

5 stars for The Patroons Mexican Restaurant!…read more From a distance, it looks like just some random hole in the wall restaurant in some mall shopping center. But once inside, you will realize the hidden gem of Mexican cuisine you found while visiting McHenry. The prices are all very reasonable, and the service was very friendly when I dined in. They give you complimentary chips and salsa to start with, and then I had the camarones chipotle and a La Diabla - both were delicious. The Diabla wasn't too hot but had a nice flavor/kick to it. Overall, I'd recommend a visit if you're in the area and want some great Mexican food.

Decor

Chips & Salsa (Hot)

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Inside.

Carlos's Mexican Grill

4.4(160 reviews)

5.9 mi

Carlos's Mexican Grill is located in an easily accessible part of Fox Lake with a parking lot. The…read morerestaurant is comfortable, family-friendly, accessible, and cute. The staff are polite, smiley, and show great teamwork. I had a very nice time during my visit. The food was super yummy and was priced reasonably as well. We ordered the chimichangas and burritos, as well as chips and salsa

I ordered a torta meal. Torta was ok. I don't like their rice. It's no good! Fix the rice reciperead more

Restaurant vibes and menu

Enchiladas!

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El Norteño

4.2(175 reviews)

6.3 mi

We've been coming here for 7 years after a trip to Spain, looking for a good Mexican Breakfast…read morePlace. This place is incredible, the service is impeccable, very friendly wait staff and detail oriented. We are greeted with our favorite beverage and appetizer when we sit down. Whenever we return from Mexico we come back home to Our Favorite Mexican Restaurant in the World. Don't Pass Up this Gem!!

Service was good Salsa good with a kick but you only get one…read morethen you gotta pay They also charged me $0.25 for my soda refill. Rice and beans very good Spicy hot sauces Rolleno was bomb but a little soggy Good red sauce Jake liked his chimi but Jake also likes all food Margarita felt small for the price

Chicken Chimi

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Bartop C.

0

8

10

3 years ago

We just recently started eating food from here and I tell ya, the chorizo tacos are awesome. Tonight they had a party and she still took our order and they made us some very good food. See photos of our chorizo taco dinner and nacho platter with no meat for our vegetarian and she said it was great. My chorizo was perfect like last time. This place is going to be our number one place to order from in McHenry from now on. Thanks for the good food! -Frank with Bartop Candles read more

El Vado - mexican - Updated August 2026

People who viewed El Vado also viewed

La Trinidad - McHenry

4.2

(20 reviews)

This is a very nice Mexican place in Mchenry. The combo platter I had on my first visit was good…read morewith the chicken tamale, taco and enchilada. Salsa is nicely balanced and not too spicy for me. But rest assured, they have other salsas that are hotter. The fried tilapia I had my second visit was just exactly what I was craving. Crispy fish with warm tortillas. Really good. The people there are very warm and welcoming. They provided attentive service. My husband really liked it here too.

Went for dinner with friends. We got there and there was a few big parties so the service was a…read morelittle slow but no big deal. The staff was great and took care of us. And we were not in a rush. The food was much more flavorful this time. I have been a few times and thought I had reviewed in the past. I had fajitas they were on special. Very tasty with a nice flavor. The salsa was ok. The other people had tacos, burrito, and stark fajita I had the chicken. The only issue I had was the window was so cold and the draft coming in made it not comfortable to take my hoodie off.

El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant

4.4

(176 reviews)

It's a quiet little place, but they do have some outdoor seating too. The salsa is good, especially…read morethe verde (spicy). The chips are ok, definitely not fresh or made in house. I got a strawberry daiquiri and it was very good. The sopapillas were delicious treat. We got guacamole, I'd pass just because it doesn't have much flavor at all. I would recommend if you're in the area. The staff is all very friendly.

This place was very good. When the chips and salsa are awesome it's always a good sign!…read more I had the menudo and enchiladas. All were very tasty and the service was top notch! Muy exelente! I will be coming back when I am in town next.

Tacos El Norte

3.7

(131 reviews)

Tacos El Norte in McHenry. The absolute best tacos anywhere…read more They also have the best chilies rellenos and wonderful shrimp soup on the weekends.

Wasn't bad but not even close to the tacos el Norte in Lindenhurst…read more Service was good and friendly place was clean but food was just ok. Much smaller portions too.

Carlos River Cafe

3.5

(117 reviews)

Excellent food one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Amazing tostadas and tacos are fantastic…read more Service was great and the ambiance is good.

Love this spot. Classic feeling Mexican. Open kitchen. A few tables. Quality food. All the…read moreclassics. Very fair prices. Highly recommend for a quick classic taco night.

Memo’s Tacos

4.0

(35 reviews)

We have been on the "greatest taco in our area" hunt for about a year. Memo's is one of our top…read morefaves. My husband and daughter tried it without me one Saturday afternoon. They described in mouth-watering detail how good it was. I forced them to take me the next week. We have been back many times since then. The tacos are always good, and we have tried quite the variety. The barria tacos are a favorite of both my adult-ish kids (19 and 17). The tortas are fantastic. We haven't had a bad meal. The hot sauce is perfect. Service can be a little slow, especially if they are busy filling to-go orders. Silver lining... food is freshly made and hot! The restaurant is always clean and quiet.

Ordering for the first time and I get a hair on my tacos... I will not be ordering from here again.read more

Carlos's Mexican Grill

4.4

(160 reviews)

Carlos's Mexican Grill is located in an easily accessible part of Fox Lake with a parking lot. The…read morerestaurant is comfortable, family-friendly, accessible, and cute. The staff are polite, smiley, and show great teamwork. I had a very nice time during my visit. The food was super yummy and was priced reasonably as well. We ordered the chimichangas and burritos, as well as chips and salsa

I ordered a torta meal. Torta was ok. I don't like their rice. It's no good! Fix the rice reciperead more

Restaurante El Sol

3.9

(37 reviews)

This review is based off two visits. I ate here twice in a week, it is that good…read more The chips are crispy but not warm. The salsa is spicy, it is a sauce full of seeds versus salsa I am used to with tomatoes, onions, etc. Overall I rate these pretty high in flavor and being satisfying. My first time I ordered steak and shrimp fajitas. The fajitas were very good; they really give you a lot of steak and shrimp. I like the meal a lot and would order it again. The next visit I got the enchiladas and they were great; I also had a steak taco and it was killer. Next time, I may go for tacos and nothing else as they were awesome. My server, Javier, was young, polite, industrious, attentive, and helpful.

Very good Mexican restaurant attached to a small market…read more We were immediately served some homemade chips and a couple of salsas, I really liked the smoked tomato/habanero version that was sweet, smoky and spicy. I then went with the carne asada and a side of beans. The serving was very large and came with five corn tortillas, grilled jalapenos and onions. The meat was perfectly cooked and very tender. The salsa verde accompanying it was perfect on the tacos. Service was very pleasant and the prices are great for the large portions you receive.

La Cocina Genoa City

3.3

(50 reviews)

So good! Strawberry margarita was more like a smoothie, yum! My significant other had a traditional…read more(large) margarita and it was huge! He didn't taste the tequila because it was made right! (Meaning-it had plenty of tequila!) The chicken mole- amazing. Empanada-amazing! Elote-amazing! Churro-amazing!

The food here is super super good. If you're stuck for what you want for dinner, ask the waitress…read moreask the owner they will give youtheir recommendation. They have never struck out with me. I wouldn't recommend this to everyone check out the hot sauce you can buy, brother It'll knock your socks off.

Cuco's Burrito Express

4.1

(135 reviews)