For groups over 5 I like calling ahead even if the location doesn't normally take reservations. My boss asked me to call Tacos el Norte, our employees go here often and I've called in the recent past and know they take reservations. The person who answered the phone asked me what day and when I told her, she hastily said the restaurant isn't taking reservation for Cinco de Mayo. Ooookay...our group of 11 will be going to Chili's, they never take reservations, but they said they will be more than happy to accommodate our group and are looking forward seeing us. read more

This place used to give you large portions and we would go out of our way to come here for the Carne Asada. Now the portion is half the size but the price did not change. Not happy about that. read more

I'm not sure why this place gets such low reviews. I go here all the time they know me by name. Mostly because it's like a mile from my house. The reason for docking a star is because their prices are way high and they change consistently for the same items ordered. I will typically order the same thing every time and depending on how they decide to ring it up, I will pay a different price every time. Always different. And every thing is an up charge per taco. Even if you take all of the other things off like tomatoes etc. you will still get up charged for anything added. No substitutions making your meal ridiculously expensive if you want things like avocado, cheese, and sour cream which don't normally come on a taco. It's unfortunate, because there is an amazing taco place in Zion which make the best tacos. For $8 I get a 3 steak taco dinner with anything I want on it. Same thing at Taco El Norte is like $14. read more

Cecina tacos are amazing, guacamole is fresh, and the Maserati margarita will make it a home run. Some of the best Mexican food I have ever had, you won't leave disappointed. Delicious! read more

Service is quick, food is delicious, and the mood right.

I usually eat here when I'm up here working in the area and it has been good in the past but I just left there today service was ok food was cold I had the carne asada and poblano stuffed pepper, not only did I have to cut thru the pepper but the cheese as well, the cheese on the beans wouldn't melt either i guess they don't serve on hot plates anymore either very disappointed doubt I'll go back there again read more

This place has awful service! It took 30 minutes to place our order and the waitress ignored us

I love Tacos El Norte and have been going to there for years. (Them, because you know they have more than one location.) But I'm writing about the one in Gurnee, IL. However, last night we were charged almost 50 bucks extra by mistake. There were four of us and we ordered plenty nicely. But it was my husband that picked up the tab and he noticed like right away! They apologized for the mistake. So, beware if you go and betta check that bill. Their service is good though and the food is delicious. I'll continue going. read more

We decided we would try this restaurant and I was very disappointed. We arrived at the same time as a different family, we were seated at the same time. They were served their dinner and taken care of within 5-10 minutes, however, my husband and I were left waiting for 20 minutes before getting our order taken, while the other family boxed up their food. We had to flag down a waitress to even get attention from any of the staff and she took someone else's order before helping us. We were not even given an apology or explanation for the wait. We will not return. read more

I used to love this place. But their prices are THROUGH THE ROOF! I ordered a 3-taco dinner with guac and chips for $20?! I told her "no just one dinner, not two." She just said "$19.80". I will NOT be going back unless they cut their prices. They have forsaken their namesake for ripping people off. But hey gringos, you kinda deserve it if you pay double for meh Mexican. read more

I seen the cook take the trash out and come back and start cooking his food with out washing his hands

Went here this past Sat night 3/24 for dinner with a group of 7 people (3 kids) - they were able to seat us quikcly. Good crowd, with a mix of couples and families. Wait staff was attentive, I made a number of special requests for my order and it was exactly as I requested, thus included asking for my skirt steak to be done medium rare - spot on. Decor is a bit dated but appropriate and it was kept clean. Kitchen is in the open so you can see orders being prepared fresh. The Al Pastor is not the tranditional version from 22nd street (think Antotonicos) but were good. All in all enjoyed my dinner and will return. read more

Delicious food! Great prices! Anytime a craving for Mexican food arises, this is the place to go!

great prices great food & margaritas were so good. a great place to go out with friends or the family. real authentic food with a great atmosphere. read more

OK, OK, I'm finally sending in my review after eating there a number of times. The food each time was excellent, from the Taco trio, to the burrito to the chimichanga. All the food came quickly and was hot. You can't beat the prices either. I wish I lived closer, but at least it's close to the expressway. Where I live has a couple of great Mexican restaurants, but none as all around good as this. Mark B read more

Excellent value great food . The service was very fast and good. I would highly recommend this place if you like Mexican food.

The food here is decent, nothing to rave about. Their live performances are interesting until Elvis comes around to your table and you're trying to enjoy your meal. The waitresses were quick and food came out quick as well. read more

Bad experience for our family outing on Mother's Day. Service was bad, how does an order of tacos de asesina come to table presented as tacos de milanesa? and how does a burrito come to the table with a big slit across it, it was cut in the middle like it's suppose to, but on one of the slices, there was a slit across it and it was all open and the meat was spilling everywhere, and of course my favorite, how does a fish a la Mexicana come back to the table without pico de gallo? Guess the cook was just wanting to cook things his own way. Oh and my aunt was told it would take them an hour to bring her tacos back to the table, were they chasing the cow in the back? And to think we have to return here for my little cousin's celebration of her first communion for her banquet. Ridiculous. read more

The food is pretty good, worthy of about 3-4 stars. The service is 0 stars. We were seated immediately then began the waiting. It took a full 5 minutes before our waitress came to even say hi and take our drink order (and we were one of 2 tables in the restaurant at the time). Then we waited and waited for our drinks. We probably saw our waitress 3 times the entire meal. Avoid this place if good service is something that's important to you. read more

Came to have dinner here last month. I really was hopping for good food and servixe, like I have had on the past visits. Food didn't taste fresh. I could taste the freezer burn on the meat from steak burrito. And my girlfriends steak was undercook ( we ordered it well done). Waitress too it back to get cooked and didn't ever waited 5 mins to get it back but was still undercook. I ordered a michelada, I was disappointed on how they made it. Presentation was weak, and taste was horrible, too spicy with no flavor at all. Not once did our waitress came to table to see if we need something else. I really felt like she was avoiding us. I will never return to eat here. read more

This place is ok. I have went here in the past and had great experiences. I recently ordered take out and the food was cold as cold could be and it was lacking ingredients. I will give this place another try anyways. read more

Sure wish I could give 0 stars! Looks like my daughter and I weren't the only ones having a bad experience on Mother's Day! We had very poor service and finally got our dinner after an hour of being there - and after we had to mention it to a nearby waitress. When we finally got our food, it was very bland and barely even lukewarm (probably sitting around the whole time). When our waitress finally came to check on us, we decided to return the food and leave. There were no apologies and we were told there was no charge. I know I will not be rushing to eat here again.. or to recommend this place! read more

Decent Mexican food and reasonably priced. I've gotten better in Milwaukee but for Gurnee, this is a nice option. My big complaint however is the roaming mariachis. I would've gone with three stars if it weren't for those dang men with instruments! It's not authentic, it's what Mexicans think Americans want out of a Mexican experience. read more

I had been here before and was put off by the loud jukebox music and so-so food, but decided to give it another try. I ordered the vegetarian fajitas thinking that I was going to get a sizzling platter of vegetables, but instead I was served a plate of mushy vegetables (peppers, onions, zucchini and potatoes) in a tomato sauce on my plate with runny refried beans and rice. The vegetables were so soupy that I could not eat them with the tortillas without making a mess. The food was not spicy at all. If you like bland food and listening to the loud bass from a jukebox, then this is the place for you, but it's not for me. read more

I've been going to this place for years and it has always had fast and sufficient service and great food. (Pretty great prices, too) However, the past two times I've gone, I've waited at least a half hour for a waitress to come take my order (during a slow time) and even had to ask a waitress to order after watching multiple people that came in after me get served. I'd still recommend this place, but not if you're in any kind of hurry. read more

Stopped in after shopping for casual dinner with the family. Very pleasantly surprised with the experience. Excellent in value in that the food was great, prices were good and service was friendly. Portions were very healthy and kids loved it. I will definitely put Tacos El Norte in my regular rotation of favorite restaurants. Highly recommended! read more

There really should be a zero star option..this is literally my first really bad review..the place is big but you can tell the investment on it was purely cosmetics..the service was mediocre for we did wait quite a bit in between dishes.. the food..which is the important part was below average..we had the nachos..they were ok.. then i had the shrimp on skewers..oh.. we first ordered a pitcher of sangria..and finally the fried ice cream.. i should've called it quits before the desert for my stomach was NOT happy..but I had to see it thru.. bad call btw..cheap ingredients thru and thru..i would've much rather have gone to a taco bell for Mexican food and that says it all.. after the fact i feel bad for leaving a poor tip since mostly it was the crappy food that made my experience horrible. Moral of the story..I would DEF not go here again.. ever!! I'm Mexican and this food does NOT represent me read more

This place is good for what it is. A cheap fast decent Mexican food joint. The horchata is good, as are the shrimp tacos. Desserts are ok too. Great value. Fast service. Recommend. read more

Went there for the first time ( kind or early 5:30 ) tonight and was not impressed. The food arrived quickly and was just ok..but trying to get the waitress for a check, then to give her my credit card and the long wait for her to reappear with the receipt was annoying. I don't know if I would go back or not. read more

The name is appropriate - with an emphasis on the Norte. This is North American Mexican food - but that doesn't make it all bad. The location in Gurnee is a little upscale from the ones in Round Lake Beach and Mundelein - which means more kitchy Mexican art on the walls - but that is OK too. What I like about the place is good combo plates for reasonable prices served very quickly. A good place to come for lunch with a crowd. The salsa is homemade so it can be a little inconsistent - the last time it made me sweat -previous times it was a little bland. I suggest the steak tacos instead of the ground beef (mystery meat?) and the flour tortillas used for the tacos are homemade and excellent. The menu is far-ranging with prices from $1.99 to $16.99 but I've only had the $7.99 combos - which have all been excellent - so I can't speak for the expensive dinners. (but any restaurant where "expensive" is $16.99 can't be too bad). They have Dos Equis on tap so if you're looking for a good mexican combo and a pint in the far northern burbs -- this is your place. read more

Refried beans. Check. Salsa. Check. Burritos. Check. Waiter. Check please! lol This place is a wonderful adventure for anyone who is looking for a healthy, fun mexican dining experience. Tucked in the wonderful town of Gurnee, Tacos El Norte brings the passion and the zing. I was supposed to meet my mom here after the day I was fired in January but she never showed up. She doesn't have gps and it was snowy so it was just me and some other local diners. It worked out great because i got to know a drifter type who happened to walk in around the same time I did. I paid for his food and we shared a few martinis afterwords as well. He told me he used to be a goose catcher in the southwest suburbs and he wanted to eventually get back into that. He was originally from alaska and he showed me a scar of where a huge alaskan bear bit him lol. the scar ran all the way up to his calf. The waiter was gracious and didn't mind him using the mens room as a cleaning/shower area as he hadn't cleaned up in about a week. I let him stay with me and mom that night and we helped eachother with resumes. He did get busted by mom once for getting into her wine jugs but everything worked out and i think he's doing fine, maybe he got his old job back lol. i can't wait to go back and grab some more tacos at Tacos El Norte! who knows who i'll meet next.. maybe you? lol read more

I used to live right down the road from this place so I got takeout a few times. Its totally average, bleh Mexican food. The menu is boring and the food isn't very good. I'd recommend going down the road to one of the many Mexican joints in Waukegan. read more

I like this place, the food is consistently good, the service is good, decor is good, it's clean. It's a Mexican "go to" for me.