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    Taco's El Norte

    3.7 (63 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open • 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Taco's El Norte Takeout or Delivery

    Taco's El Norte Photos

    TACO'S EL NORTE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Taco's El Norte

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    Jim S.

    I keep liking this little place more and more all the time.....it is very popular with the local Mexican American population and for good reasons!!!

    Taylor M.

    I was a bit surprised by the reviews for this place. I mean it was okay, but nothing spectacular. I know its fast food Mexican Taylor, what did you expect? Well I guess I was hoping for better meat quality like Moe's or Grande Jake's. I know generic Americanized Mexican food places, but at least their meat isn't fatty. I'm get weird about fatty meat. Yes, it adds flavor, but to me it seems like a cheap filler that I have to weed out from my food. Other than the fattiness of the meat, I thought Taco's El Norte seemed pretty authentic. The service was friendly. We ordered our food for carry out and it was ready to go in about five minutes. I really liked the green sauce you can top your burrito with. While we were waiting we ordered a horichata (I probably butchered that). I am not usually a fan of it, but it was pretty good here. I would go back, but next time I will not order the steak!

    Langua burrito

    The langua burrito here is really really good. I used to work in the area and went once a week for lunch. Then life happened ans I moved downtown. But whenever I'm in the area, I always make sure I come back for the langua burrito.

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    2 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    7 months ago

    Absolutely love the chicken tostada and tamales. Generous portion of meat and friendly staff.

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    9 months ago

    Great food at an affordable price and it comes out fast. Friendly service and welcoming ambiance.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great authentic tacos! I love the Al Pastor! Friendly servers. Take out is a great way to go.

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    this place is beyond amazing!!! the food is phenomenal and always fresh!! i also love that i can easily customize any menu item!

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    14 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    I was a regular at the gurnee location, but recently moved. This location is just as good! Quality food and service

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    3 years ago

    Food was wonderful, best in Mundelein. Service was friendly and quick. The whole family loved it

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

    I been going to tacos el Norte Mundelein for 28 years and I love it , I don't agree with some reviews

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

    This place was nothing special. Very large and spacious, but food was barely ok. Service was decent, but the menu was a bit blah.

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    It was my first time here. I'll have to give them another chance.food was good not great but the service was on point

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Taco's El Norte

    Review Highlights - Taco's El Norte

    “I love their food but we have ordered three separate times via door dash and the first two times they forgot our guac and my husband had to go get it.”

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Carnitas Don Chuy

    Carnitas Don Chuy

    4.0(65 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    •$

    The food here is delicious! The carnitas are tender and flavorful, not dry at all. The gorditas are…read moregenerous, and the tortillas are fresh and handmade. Prices are fair and well worth it.

    Finally got to try Carnitas Don Chuy. It's awesome that this is one of the places up north that…read moreopens on Sunday and before noon, since we tend to have early lunch because of the kids. Love the hours they operate, which would be a primary reason we will likely returning again! I made a wrong turn into strip mall plaza instead of turning right on Diamond Lake Rd. It's right behind the Bill's Pizza & Pub. Orange/white square building. We were very pleasantly surprised by the quality, quantity, and overall value of the foods. We ordered two tacos, one Platillos, one burrito, and a horchata and came out to be ~$30. I almost didn't pick up the horchata, and one of the staffs stopped me to make sure I get it, so thank you! Platillos-- carnitas was really flavorful. The pork skin was amazingly done. The texture was sticky but not greasy, reminds me of braised pork belly in Asian cuisine, but not as oily! The rice and beans are very fresh and delicious. They top it with lettuce and a slice of tomato. Compared to other places, the green sauce was not as spicy and a bit more sour, which is great because my kids can eat it too. The red sauce has some kick to it but not mouth burning, which is again great because I could actually eat it! The smoky dark flavor of the red sauce was a pleasant surprise! Asada taco and Al pastor taco-- I preferred Al pastor taco. The asada steak was a bit too tough for me, but the flavor was great. The Al pastor has more spices and very tender, even in comparison with the carnitas. I liked both but maybe preferred Al pastor even more. I love the corn tortilla flavor. Horchata-- I really liked the flavor they had. It's not super strong on the cinnamon flavor, which was great for me. It was super smooth and no gritty texture at all! For the next run, I'd like to try their gorditas with chicharron, nopales, and rajas fillings. Hongos quesadilla. Maybe the tamarindo drink, too.

    Photos
    Carnitas Don Chuy
    Carnitas Don Chuy - Carnitas Gordita amazing

    Carnitas Gordita amazing

    Carnitas Don Chuy

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    La Mera Mera

    La Mera Mera

    4.6(99 reviews)
    2.7 mi

    We had such a great experience with the team that catered our wedding! They were amazing to…read morecommunicate with and always responded quickly. They also brought everything they needed for the food, including utensils, a griddle, tables, and more. I truly didn't have to worry about a thing! We had al pastor, chicken, and steak, and everything was delicious. The steak and al pastor were definitely our favorites! We highly recommend them for any event--we couldn't have asked for a better catering experience!

    We went to La Mera with a large group and made the reservation weeks in advance. Our group was…read moresplit up amongst a bunch of tables. The main server took orders, got drinks to everyone in a timely manner and brought chips and salsa to everyone. And that was primarily the good part of the evening. The second part was actually bringing what we all ordered. It was quickly realized that anything that had lettuce in it was going to be sopping wet. The bowls were drowning in water. You know when you eat a bowl of Apple Jacks or Cocoa Puffs and the milk changes color to pink or brown respectively taking in the flavor of the cereal? Well, that's what happened in the burrito bowls. The water became a discolored mess of burrito "juice". It was gross to look at. Suffice to say, many had to get new burrito bowls. I ordered tacos. Two tacos came on a small plate and rice on a separate plate. I don't know why this place doesn't invest in bigger plates to hold all the food as all the separate plates take up a lot of space on the table. One person got fajitas and she had five plates. FIVE. PLATES. Seriously, WTH?! And of course, I had lettuce on my tacos and they were drowning. And before I knew I had to give my chicken and steak tacos life preservers, I had already added verde sauce. So imagine my seriously wet tacos now being infused with more liquid. They were gross. But let's go back to the time before I had my dinner. Our group took up four tables. Our table was the second one to order, but our food never came out. To give a reference, one couple arrived about 20 minutes after we ordered. They then placed their own order and received it before we received ours. So the main waitress apologized profusely and said she'd bring more chops and salsa, but she'd also bring over chips and guac. Which she did do. She brought chips (no salsa) and chips and guac. Then finally our meals came. I mean my meal and the two other people at our table. Well, sort of. One person never received the side of chips and guac. Just the one for the table for the unplaced order. My wife's meal took another ten minutes to arrive. However, a server who seemed perturbed brought her an al pastor (pork) taco. She said she'd bring ordered chicken. The server got upset and then quickly turned on her heel to bring the wrong plate back to the kitchen. She almost hit me in the head with the plate. Thankfully, I saw what she was doing and turned away just in time. So she was finally brought almost the right meal by the owner who had to make four trips as he kept forgetting to bring her everything she ordered. When the bill came, we were charged for the chips and guac. The one that was brought to the table as an apology, not the one that was actually ordered. It was quickly removed from the bill. The owner thanked us for our patience and then said that they were sorry about everything but didn't know they'd be so slammed due to homecoming. Um, we made our reservation weeks in advance. They were just understaffed for the evening and the kitchen doesn't seem to know that after you rinse the lettuce, you drain the water and maybe dab it with a towel to remove all the excess water. I'll say this: there are plenty of Mexican restaurants around that we'll never return here.

    Photos
    La Mera Mera  - Kitchen

    Kitchen

    La Mera Mera  - Shrimp Fajita

    Shrimp Fajita

    La Mera Mera

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    Zocalo Mexican Bar and Grill - Molcajete Mixto

    Zocalo Mexican Bar and Grill

    4.2(245 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    •$$

    We come here pretty often and it's always great. This time we got the molcajete mixto and tostadas…read moremixtas, both were fresh, flavorful, and packed with tons of ingredients. We've also had the ostiones preparados before and they were super tasty and fresh! The place is always clean, the music's just right, and the vibe is relaxed. The staff is friendly and they even recognize our family now, which makes it feel extra welcoming. Definitely one of our go-to spots for seafood and Mexican dishes

    I've driven by Zocalo many times, but finally tried it for the first time today. I met a friend for…read morelunch around noon on a Tuesday, and when we arrived we had the entire place to ourselves. I ordered the chicken enchiladas with green sauce. When I placed my order, the server said "good choice" and she was right. They were served with rice, beans and lettuce and really hit the spot. My friend ordered tacos and also commented that the food was really good. By the time we left, only one other party had arrived. Considering how slow business was, we noted that the service was pretty slow. Our server was attentive when we arrived, but once the food came and we ate, it took an awhile for her to bring the check and then awhile longer for her to process our payment. The place has a lot of visual interest from the moment you walk in, with scenic landscapes and photos of people covering all the walls. That made the ambiance fun in what is otherwise a pretty casual place. Overall, this was a good experience and I'd like to return. I hope others try it, too! They need a better lunch crowd if we want them to stick around!

    Photos
    Zocalo Mexican Bar and Grill - Interior

    Interior

    Zocalo Mexican Bar and Grill - Tostada Toastada Mixta

    Tostada Toastada Mixta

    Zocalo Mexican Bar and Grill - Restaurant Front

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    Restaurant Front

    Taco's El Norte - mexican - Updated October 2026

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