I honestly was so surprised by how good the food was. The plant based Asada tacos were seasoned well, the Asada fries came topped with a delicious fresh guacamole, and the star of the show (the Baja tacos) were just phenomenal. I loved that they kept the flavors consistent with how I remember non-vegan food being. And it was such a good concept for the Baja taco to fire avocados as a substitute for the fish. Definitely recommend trying the red salsa to top off the tacos and the sangria to pair with your meal. As far as the ambiance goes, the music was fun , the windows were open, and the vibes were summery and fun. Decor could be slightly more up to date but it didn't take away from the experience. The waitresses were pretty nice , but when it hits closing time they will definitely let you know!! read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Baja taco up close - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Okay vegan Mexican food. Had the quesabirria tacos, and sampled the following: the enchiladas, the burrito, the nacho platter, the elote appetizer, and the horchata. Family members also got the kids' size quesadilla and the Mexican-burger. Horchata was the best. Loved the cinnamon. The consome for the birria tacos was a bit watery and bland. The quesadilla cheese did not melt very well and the nachos also had unmelted cheese. Flavor wasn't bad but wasn't stellar either. Food was 3/5 but I'm giving them an extra star because they were able to seat us very quickly when we were very hungry after a lot of traveling. read more

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The best vegan tacos I have ever had and I have had vegan tacos in a lot of places. Friendly and helpful service if you aren't quite sure what to get. Comfortable surroundings mostly we call it casual. The only thing they are missing: they don't sell cook books. I would love to try these recipes at home read more

Soy al pastor taco and elote both reasonably priced and delicious. I ordered another taco to go because i enjoyed it so much. Service was great, they were very nice, efficient and friendly. It was hot as all get out in there, so i'm not sure what that's about. Other than that it was cute, well decorated, and a comfortable environment. read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - elote cup - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Only been here once so far, but planning my next trip here already!! I LOVED the torta. If you take anything from this review, it's that the torta is good. The torta is the bomb. I don't even usually like sandwiches all that much (with some notable exceptions), but this one was AMAZING. So tasty! So flavorful! Surprisingly light! I also tried the elotes and was sadly underwhelmed. Didn't have much flavor, mostly just tasted like bland, sourish vegan cheese/whatever was on it. Corn could've been fresher, too, or maybe more cilantro/some other herbs or alliums or something would've helped. Pretty big portion, though, for an appetizer - I think it would be shareable between two. Another nit is that the coasters on the table didn't look super clean and were a bit sticky. Service was friendly and fairly attentive, and the inside is cute and has a casual, fun ambiance. Will definitely be back for mi amor, the torta. read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Elote Estilo Callejero / Street Style Corn - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came to Penelope's for happy hour with my volleyball team before a match, and I had no idea it existed before! The restaurant itself has a cool vibe to it with tons of decor, and all the drinks come out in different mugs. To start, I got a paloma. For $7 during happy hour, you get a large mug of delicious paloma that doesn't taste watered down. I was so pleased with my drink. For food, I ordered a Soy Al Pastor taco and a Cauliflower Al Pastor taco. Both were really delicious and packed with flavor in a way that I've never experienced before in vegan food. Most vegan food I've had felt pretty bland and rather uninspired, but these tacos were actually good. Did I feel like I was eating meat? No. But I still enjoyed every bite! Trying Penelope's kind of gave me renewed hope for vegan food. Maybe I'll be more open to trying other vegan places in the future because of this...although it may not be as good. Food: 4.5/5 Price: 4.75/5 (happy hour pricing) Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 Overall: 4.5/5 read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Soy al pastor, cauliflower al pastor tacos - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food (4/5): A vegan taqueria! My asada fries were fantastic and apparently so were the birria tacos--the only gripe w the tacos being that there should have been more! The elote was NOT good sadly; it seemed to have corn from a can and was not mixed with the vegan mayo or seasoned well, if at all. The FOM lemon cake slice we ordered (courtesy of their partnership with Pie, Pie My Darling--a local vegan bakery) was very tasty except for the fact that one side of the cake was very hard, like it had been exposed to air. I think that's a quick fix: either cut off the hard part before cutting a slice, or have PPMD precut the slices and separate with wax paper to ensure moistness at partner locations. Service (5/5): Service was prompt and friendly. We were able to book a reservation online for 8:30, but the restaurant called to say they close at 9 so we may want to get there earlier. We got our food quickly, and actually ate in under 30 minutes. Another quick fix: make the last online booking reservation 8:15. Ambiance (5/5): Very welcoming shop with lots of options for food. The music made it feel even more inviting and it looked like a popular local food spot. There is another location too! read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Asada Fries - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Delicious! That's the best word to describe this good. The menu is creative and the flavors are on point

You ever walk into a place and think, "Damn, I hope the tacos are as amazing as these murals"? Probably not, but that's where my mind went when we sauntered through the entry. One wall with four-foot tall hummingbirds and the other with jaguar-butterfly hybrids of some sort. Bold and colorful, just screaming energy. Just like the tacos. The food is silly good. "Creep into your dreams to make a guest appearance" good. Elote cup: phenomenal. Onion rings: yes. Horchata: I usually don't even like horchata, but yes. Basically all the tacos: certified incredible. The mushroom chimichurri taco was probably my fav, but it's hard to tell. They were all so damn good. I tried four of the ten varieties, and finding a winner was like one of those horse races where they have to review the final photo to see which one's nose made it over the finish first. I don't support horse racing, though. It's cruel. But I do support taco races. All vegan. All of it. Dip your tongue in the habanero salsa if you want to wake up, because it was hot enough to clear my mind of all else. Treat with caution. Fantastic find. At first I thought our server was a little disinterested in, you know, serving, but I think she might just be very casual energy. Which is fine once you get it. We were well taken care of and the kids menu was clutch. I don't know who Penelope is, but I'd like to give her a high-five some day. Or a handshake. Or just a friendly wave from across the room. Or maybe some awkward half-wave-half-nod, when you aren't sure what the other person is going to do, so you do both, and now you just feel ridiculous and honestly wish you hadn't done anything in the first place, because now you're both uncomfortable, but you have to see it through, because you've made eye contact and it would be even more bizarre to turn away now, so then you half-smile too, trying to improve things, which makes it even more embarrassing, until your two-year-old shouts something mildly inappropriate out of the blue, giving you the opportunity to finally turn away. Just to say thanks, you know? Thanks for having a restaurant. Because like I said, the food is SILLY good. read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Taco Dinner. Fantastic. - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We were excited about Penelope's Taco place coz they had an interesting vegan menu... and ordered five tacos and the strawberry horchata on the waiter's recommendation. Unfortunately, the drink was too sweet, and most of the tacos did not live up to my expectations. I loved the chorizo one, it had potatoes too in it I felt.. somehow tasted like aloo dum a bit. And the soy pastor was good as well--my partner especially liked it. The chimichurri was dripping oil(not olive oil) so the taste(which was good with mushrooms) didn't really matter in my annoyed state. The Baja and chunky queso tacos were okay--we didn't enjoy them much. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend this place too highly. The restaurant is simple, and the service is quick. I wish I had tried the matcha horchata, but anyway... I'm sure it wouldn't have been worth $7. The Starbucks matcha drink is really good, and the sweetness can be moderated, not here. The ambiance was decent and crowded with fully open kitchen. My partner felt it was a 4-star experience. I did not feel it was really worth the ~$40 we spent. read more

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Great food but they don't done enough to make the place look clean. I told the worker twice about the trash on the floor and was ignored. read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was amazing! Might be the best vegan food we ever had and we've tried it all. Nachos and tacos were so good. Service was excellent. Great spot and will definitely go back. read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Nachos - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Ok-I only ordered one time from the Andersonville location and I was soooo impressed. The flavors are phenomenal. I just realized that the River North location is closer to me. While everything did arrive cold, it was not an issue to reheat quickly. It sucks to not be able to have cilantro, salsa and guac amongst other things right now with cyclosporiasis in our midst, but the kitchen followed my instructions to a T. I highly recommend this place! read more

Love this women owned, all vegan establishment. This was my first time to this location. I have been to the one up north and it's a different vibe and much larger. This location is small and parking is difficult. The food was outstanding though. Burritos and chimichanga for my party of two. Beautifully presented, fresh, and large portions. I noticed they had Pie, Pie, My Darling cake on the menu so we saved room for dessert. IYKYK and I was not going to miss out on that cake. It was a massive slice of Strawberry Shortcake flavor and I had to take half home. Main courses and dessert were absolutely delicious. Service was friendly and attentive. read more

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This was my first time at a place that offered vegan quesabirria so of course I had to try and it was amazing! Really really flavorful and I enjoyed dipping the tacos into the broth. My only complaint would be that the tortillas were just a little bit too soft in the middle so the tacos were falling apart a tiny bit when I tried to dip so I had to use two hands to keep them together which got pretty messy. However it was still delicious and I would definitely come back to try some of their other offerings. My server was super duper friendly and the place is nice and clean with a nice bathroom as well. read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Quesabirria - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had reservations as this is a vegan taqueria and was blown away. They put so much flavor into each dish we ordered. We tried the: - Chips & Salsa - Soy Al Pastor Taco - Soy Chorizo Taco - Chunky Quesa Taco - Enchiladas I will say the cheese in the chunky quesa taco was a bit overpowering, but nonetheless all were enjoyable. The salsa also has a very nice kick to it and would but bottles of it if they were selling. read more

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My husband and I finally made our way to Penelope's after drooling over their DoorDash menu for weeks--and let me tell you, it was so worth the in-person trip. At first glance, the place looks deceptively small--just a modest kitchen space and a tiny waiting area with a table and chairs. But don't let that fool you. Head up the ramp and you'll discover a cozy upstairs dining room with plenty of seating and a laid-back, homey vibe that instantly makes you feel welcome. Now, let's talk service. The staff here? Angels. They were genuinely kind and incredibly attentive, taking the time to ask how we wanted our food prepared and making sure every detail was perfect. We ordered the crispy barbacoa and al pastor tacos, and a pambazo stuffed with vegan chorizo, potatoes, and onions. The tacos were phenomenal--ultra crispy tortillas, deeply flavorful fillings, and just the right balance of spice and texture. But the real star? The pambazo. This glorious, saucy creation was massive, packed with flavor, and so good I had to save half to savor later (which, by the way, held up beautifully and tasted even better the next day). I would drive across the city just for that pambazo alone. Penelope's Vegan Taqueria has officially earned a spot in our regular rotation--and maybe even a corner of my heart. Don't sleep on this place. Whether you're vegan or just love damn good food, this spot delivers. read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We went to celebrate my sister's birthday. EVERYTHING is vegan. I applaud that. My husband and son went vegan for about nine months. That was not easy. I was happy to try to see if I would want to bring my guys at another time. This place just isn't for ME. The service is SUPER nice and it is so well put together inside. But the food was tasty but definitely not worth the cost. We ordered the elote, fries, quesadillas, enchiladas and pozole. Pretty tasty but quite a pretty penny. We did also get a HUGE piece of carrot cake. That was more than pretty tasty and worth every cent. City Parking - IYKYK read more

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Penelope's has been on my list for a while and I was finally able to check it out in between errands - the service was fairly quick and welcoming. I really enjoyed the ambiance and I was the only customer for an early week day afternoon. I got the burrito and was impressed by the quality and serving size. I would consider if you are vegan/feel like a filling vegetarian meal. read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Burrito - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A vegan Mexican restaurant is very hard to find (atleast out east)!!! The food was DELICIOUS!!!

Not a fan at all. Didn't wanna to order anymore and returned what we did. The elote which was super bland not very fun to eat. It wasn't the cheese or the sauce which are both vegan, it was just there was no spices or flavor to it! Then tried the mushroom chimichurri tacos. They were so greasy that there was oil dripping out of them and the flavor once again not present - vegan food needs flavor (not just lack of animal products). There was also a lack of staff attention to detail and when we wanted to leave, we had people hovering over us like they wanted to grab our table as soon as possible - that should be controlled by the people that work at the restaurant. I was uncomfortable. It was my nieces birthday. They didn't care at all. Cold environment, bright lights, and terrible food. read more

Some of the best vegan Mexican food I've ever tasted! And I've been to many vegan spots in CDMX. The service was fast and friendly. The place was clean and what you would expect for a Mexican restaurant. I would eat here weekly if I lived in Chicago. If you're vegan and like Mexican food you must go here. And if you're not vegan and you like Mexican food you must go here. read more

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I'm not vegan, and I would go here again in a second. The interior is cute and has some fun decor throughout. Our server was very nice, and our food and drinks were brought out very quickly. I had a baja taco (fried avocado inside) and a mushroom chimichurri taco, and both were fantastic. My wife had a taco dinner (3 tacos) that also came with a side of rice and a side of beans. The beans seemed homemade and were very good. Their salsa for the chips and salsa was very flavorful and, thankfully, hot enough to actually be called "salsa." My wife also had a paloma, and it was the best I've ever tasted. Highly recommend! read more

After a 3day stay in hospital, on way home, stopped at Penelope's on north clark & foster. Stood for a minute while the worker shuffled some papers/menus around, I said one, she said sit ANYWHERE, as she flagged what ever was in her hand, I sat, she said this table for 4 or more! I said well you said SIT anywhere, I moved, then this guy came and said as he pointed to back area to sit at small table, this table sits 4 people! I LEFT OUT.. sad, hungry & disappointed w/Penelope's. Was I sitting to close to the door, thinking I may run out on bill? & The last time there, after sitting there for a minute, order not placed, they served someone who came in after me, when I addressed it, was told she thought someone else had taken my order!SMH, what am I to think read more

The inside is so cute and my food was good, however, it was missing the main ingredient. The menu listed that the nachos would also have beans, soyrizo, and potatoes -- while the nachos were delicious and loaded with other stuff, they were completely missing those sources of protein. When I asked the server, she said the cook must have forgotten, and she brought over a bowl of the soyrizo and potatoes so I can pour it on top. It didn't taste the same as if they'd been prepared correctly. I also asked for the jalapeños on the side because I was sharing the nachos with my 1 year old, but instead the nachos came with jalapeños chopped up all throughout the nachos and also giant slices on top. The food was still really good though, the server was kind, and my spicy mezcal margarita was delicious. I definitely would like to come back and try some of the tacos! read more

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Iam not a vegan, not even close, but my husband has certain days he can only eat veg products. Luckily I found this gem! Mexican food is a top 5 lister for me and they did not disappoint! I cant resist a good enchilada plate and I loved it. Was worried because I love mine COVERED in cheese or cheese enchiladas in general are my fav but the potatoe version was delicious. My husband got the Mexi burger and I took a bite and it was just so flavorful. And can I just say, we couldn't have alcohol that day either but I did see they had a non alcoholic version of a Michelada. Was so surprised at how similar it tasted, I loved it! Would definitely come back. read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Michelada (non alcoholic) - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It was date night and me and my bf decided to try this place out and it turned out to be a great decision! Although small it's so cute and well decorated on the inside. The hostess/waitress was so sweet and I'm not vegan but I will try mostly anything once and she took the time to explain the menu to us! When we did get our food, it was soooooo good I almost converted to veganism! I couldn't believe it was made with no meat! I will definitely be back! Oh and their margaritas and hochata (yeah I know I spelled it wrong) is soooo worth it! Please go and show some love! You won't be disappointed. read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Asada Fries - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you want to feel less guilty indulging in tacos, come here! Love their take on their vegan tacos. I can totally keep coming here and not be mad about not having meat tacos anymore. Each taco is full of so much flavor! I stumbled here for lunch. I originally ordered for take-out, and realized they had a nice dine-in set up so I changed my mind, and the nice hostess offered me to sit anywhere. I sat up at one of the few bar seats and was able to eat my tacos still hot along with the fries. The fries order is a huge portion! The spicy aioli dipping sauce was addicting. The tacos are a decent size and was full after 2 tacos. I will be back for their happy hour menu next time! read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friend and I walked in around 8pm on a Friday night and were seated right away. We ordered the elote, horchata, and some tacos. The best part of the meal was the horchatas. The soy al pastor taco didn't have the depth of flavor I was seeking. However, the mushroom chimichurri taco was delicious and I would definitely order this again. The elote got the job done, but was not something I'd order again. Overall, the staff were very polite and the decor was lively. This was a fun place to grab some food on a Friday night! read more

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I love Penelope's! I've gotten the chimichangas before and enchiladas. I usually eat before I can get a pic but I love this place! I really want to go in person to get the full experience. And I can't forgot their cakes are so freaking delicious! read more

Penelope's is my favorite restaurant to eat at in the city hands down! I'm not vegan, but it is my go-to spot because good food is good food. It is a small but cute place with a beautiful mural on the wall. There isn't ever a long wait to be seated or to get your food. The staff is so welcoming, nice, and accommodating. I'm quite a picky person, and they're always willing to put things on the side and take things off for me which is very much appreciated. My favorites are the asada fries, soy al pastor tacos, and horchata. I've tried their chorizo and asada tacos which are delicious, as well. My boyfriend always gets the taco dinner with carnitas. I can't say enough good things about Penelope's. I'd eat here everyday if I could! read more

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Loved the creative options on the menu! There was quite a good variety of options that included traditional vegan/vegetarian meals as well as fake meat options. Really enjoyed the chilaquiles! Service was very kind to us and did not rush us out the door despite being close to closing time. read more

Excellent food!!! Love, love, love this restaurant. First stop when coming to visit Chicago.

oh man, penelope's day! any year i'm in the city i make sure i get at least one meal from PVT and this year was no different. this time i got a torta (add carnitas) and the asada fries with the plan of making it two meals. the torta was *massive* and well seasoned. it was a complete mess to eat, but i'm glad i went for it because it absolutely delivered. and with that salsa verde on top? eeeyup. i sort of wish i was drunk before ordering it because it really would have been top-top tier. the fries were tasty but nothing revolutionary. the portion was big and had a generous portion of guacamole, but their asada is just (i think?) plain ol' beyond burger that's crumbled up... definitely a disappointment there, but i'd still recommend this is a sharable. i've also tried basically every taco on their menu (see: pics), and enjoyed them all. their quesabirria's not great imo but that's just me! you really can't go wrong in my experience. overall, food's tasty and the portions are good. as a note though, order with caution if you have a legit wheat allergy or celiac -- i hesitate to recommend a place too highly that claims they're safe for food allergies when at least some of their staff doesn't know what gluten is. as a vegoon with no food allergies though, it's some of the best vegan food you can find anymore. read more

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We went to where it could very possibly be the best damn Mexican restaurant in the USA, maybe the world or perhaps the galaxy! I'm kidding but I am also not kidding. This place it's legit. They have tacos , enchiladas , ceviche , buñuelos Too many to list. We got the taco diner. 3 tacos with rice and beans. The taco Tuesday special. Silvia got the carnitas , Al pastor y asada. These were my favorite! The spices and flavor were just like I remember them. I got the quesibirria tacos with are stuffed with mushrooms and vegan cheese, fried in guajillo sauce with a consomé dipping sauce. OMG. It will knock your calzones off ! We finished it with a glass of horchata and a macha horchata. Couldn't decide which one was better. Delicious. Chef kiss. 1000 . If you are ever in Chicago. Make yourself and your mouth a favor and visit Penelope's vegan taqueria. You're welcome read more

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I recently visited Penelope's Vegan Taqueria to try Taco Tuesday. This place has been recommended by a lot of my friends and I'm glad I finally got a chance to visit. We ordered 2 Taco dinner's for the table. Each Taco dinner comes with 3 choices of tacos and rice and bean. We also ordered a chunky queso taco for the table. We ordered chimichurri mushroom, baja, cauliflower al pastor, barboca, and soy al pastor tacos. I think chimichurri mushrooms was my favorite, followed by cauliflower tacos. I also ordered pineapple kombucha along with food and it was a bit sweet for my taste. What we didn't like is that the tacos were served in the same plate as rice and beans and without any holders making the tacos very soggy! I am a sucker for Vegan food and I'm glad there is a plant-based taqueria in Chicago neighborhood. I will surely visit them again to try more Vegan authentic Mexican dishes. The ambiance is very quirky, and they have a lot of captivating murals further enhancing the vibes of the space. Also, the vibrant pink entrance adds to the charm. The service is good and overall we had a great time at this place! read more

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Friendly, knowledgeable and energetic staff. Amazing food. New find to me was the chimichanga. Oh my! Huge, incredibly tasty with perfect combination of textures and flavors. Nachos are also a must. Check it out! read more

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Half of a chimichanga! Amazing - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There are only a few fully vegan restaurants in Downtown Chicago and I'm so glad that Penelope's is one of them! Their menu is more than just a bean burrito or guac that most taquerias offer as a plant-based option. No no, they do it much better here. I loved the music and the vibes inside Penelope's. The walls were colorful and bright, staff were very friendly and informative, and it was such a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy a fantastic meal. We started with the Cauliflower El Ceviche ($13.50), a wonderful tangy appetizer accompanied with chips (which were quite salty). Next we had the Quesabirria ($16), three amazing mushroom tacos accompanied with veggie broth where you dip and bite. This was my favorite hands down. We also had their Torta ($12.50) stuffed with veggies and potatoes and this sandwich was both filling and satisfying. Everything here was great and I'm happy to see that they are around to offer some wonderful plant based options in Chicago. read more

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Love, love, love this place!! Did I tell you I love this place? The tacos are amazing, the corn with takis is a lot of fun and the chimichanga is delicious. Love the ambiance, they have beautiful murals and the space is very comfortable. read more

I love Penelope's. Their plant-based Mexican dishes are delicious, whether you're vegan or not, and we like the friendly service and relaxed atmosphere. Convenient location right by the Chicago stop on the Brown Line. We ordered a few dishes to share, starting with the street-style elote in a cup. The corn was served with a generous amount of mayo, cheese, and Tajin, and the whole family loved it. My kid also got the kids quesadilla, which seemed fine. The kids menu is a little pricey for the portion size, but it was nice that they had some simpler options for the little ones to choose from. The two other dishes we ordered were amazing - the quesabirria (mushroom birria tacos with melted cheese that came with a vegetable broth for dipping) and the salad, which was far from plain with toppings of cabbage, carrots, jicama, pepitas, avocado, and corn. Together, the salad balanced out the heavier tacos, and both had fantastic flavors. We would absolutely get either of those again. Looking forward to returning and trying more! read more

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