Atotonilco Restaurant

best al pastor anywhere.

Very very fast service and food delivery… food though bland and not good. Ordered a tongue taco and chicken. Both had no flavor to them. Would not recommend. Cash only

Best tacos i have had i have not cooked by me. Quick pick up! Hochata is the best. I love going here. We have done steak tacos. Which are filled with meat and big pieces of avocados. The steak meal is so good to. But it should have something else other than lettuce and tomatoes.

Tried 3 carne asada tocos with everything. They were delicious, the meat was not over cooked, easy to chew and full of flavor. The vegetables were fresh. I ended up ordering 2 extra tacos to go. Staff were friendly. For non-​spanish speaking, they speak english. I recommend this restaurant.

i truly liked the al pastor and milanesa torta. The jalapeño pickled carrots are delightful. The seasoned meat and the toasted roll really compliment each other. Unfortunately, the website is shared with the other locations in Joilet and Stone Park. The website suggests that they sell combos and daily specials but not for the location on 26^th. I suggest that the website and restaurants specify which location has what. That really disappointed me. I was expecting rice, beans and a burrito which this location did not have (which the website advertises). The food was good but not for the money. $ 2.75 for a taco (but the menu online says $ 2.50) and about $ 5.50 for a torta with toppings… side eye.

My favorite spot for tacos. From the asada to the liquados you seriously can not go wrong here. The staff is on point place your order and done no fuss nothing. The only complaint i have is that it’s cash only.

I have been going here since I was a little kid. The best Al pastor tacos I have ever tried. Others make it sweet with pineal which are ok, but nothing beats Atotonilco in Little Village. You should seriously stop reading this and just go there already. The price per taco is $ 2.50, a bit pricey one must say but you’re definitely getting your money’s worth. That price beats 3 tiny, little meat one dollar tacos any day. They are not greedy with the meat at all and always consistent. Once you’re done with your tacos you can try they’re hand made fresh licuado de fresa. Visit this place. You won’t regret it!

Grew up on these tacos. my parents took me there a lot when i was kid n even now we still go from time to time i was there for my 8^th grade graduation years back their tacos are theyre chiles in vinagre are yummy probably my favorite part about dining there! N the strawberry shakes just make sure you stop at a Atm before you go because it is cash only.

Fresh, fast and friendly service.
Cash only. Fantastic torta/​pork. Good carne asada. Restaurant is across the street relative to to the laundromat. Horchata is good. Not to sweet. Will be back, when I’m in the area.

HANDS DOWN THE BEST AL PASTOR TACOS IN ALL OF THE LAND!!!
Have eaten at three different locations and all have been spot on. The jalapeño pickled carrots are the prefect amount of spice and the Tortas are incredible as well.
If anyone thinks they have a place that has better Pastor please let me know because I am willing to try.
Eat Well People

Horrible, I saw roaches crawling on the torta bread, I’ll never go back there. Worst Mexican restaurant, very unsanitary.

La peor comida que eh probado aqui en la villita!!! Ademas caro!!! Jamas vuelvo a este lugar le doy una estrella solo porque ai no lo hago no me dejan postear esto

Atotonilco shares a parking lot with a laundromat across the street, but it’s extremely tight and you’re better off looking for street parking. There is metered parking along 26^th and on some side streets. Search a little harder, and you can find some free street parking on side streets.
It smells delicious in here. It’s also chaotic, we didn’t know where to order. I tried to order tacos at the cashier, but she pointed at the other counter. We then figured out that you can sit at a table (if we could find one) and they would take our order from there. When you want the check, you’ll have to flag down the waiter and then, and only then, do you proceed to the register.
Tables are squeezed in haphazardly, and the restaurant was bursting with people on a Sunday afternoon. It’s obvious that Atotonilco is a local favorite, even though I just thought it was OK.
I had the Al Pastor (pork) and one goat taco. I’ve never had goat, it was okay, there wasn’t much flavor to it and they must chop up the entire goat because I found a few teeny bones in the taco. The Al Pastor is WOW! This stuff is spicy and tastes even better with a squeeze of lime.
Service was actually friendly, which I didn’t expect given the chaotic atmosphere and how busy they were. The cashier did accuse my friend of not paying though. They could use a better ordering system.
Cash only, but there’s an ATM inside.

This place is pretty fantastic, but apparently the secret is out. We got here around 230 on a Sunday and there was nowhere to sit. We ended up walking around trying to figure out where to order when a little kid told us to stand up by the grill– not where they’re taking your money. We stood there and ordered for carry-​out– a el pastor torta and a breaded steak torta. While we were waiting for our food, a table opened up so I snagged it really quickly. It made it a little confusing trying to explain that we’d already ordered but we just wanted to sit down since a table opened up. I put in an order for a melon shake (not exactly sure if this is what I ordered but it was good) and pretty quickly, our server brought out our food.
I loved the hell out of my breaded steak torta. In fact, when my husband asked to switch half, I didn’t want to let it go. I loved how crunchy the steak was and the avocado on top was a nice surprise. The al pastor was just as good, although of the two, the steak was my preference. I almost wished we would have ordered a few tacos just to try them but we didn’t feel like waiting again.
The prices are incredibly fair but don’t forget it’s cash only. They do have an ATM if you forget.
Parking is really tough in this area. They do have a designated lot on the corner, however it was full when we were here. We ended up driving a few blocks and found a metered spot (free on Sunday’s)
I wouldn’t hesitate to come back here but I might come earlier so the parking and lines aren’t as much of a hassle.

IM IN LOVE WITH THE PA-STOR…i get for the low low… lol lol really short and simple. AL pastor tacos are like crack, you hooked right away. Amazing flavor, prepared right in front of you, and most importantly clean spot! Love this place, have been coming for years the tacos always taste the same. hope there around for many many more years, oustanding tacos de al apastor!

Steak tacos, ok but I was disappointed they didn’t have chips, not really juicy too well done. Shake are AMAZING you got to have the Banana con Papaya!

This place only offers 3 things tacos torta’s and shakes but all 3 are amazing. The sauce and carrots are a must with the tacos. I wish they offered chips or more food items on the menu. Service was friendly and quick.

Alpastor con Verdura ! There is very few restaurants within the little village area that compare to Atotonilco’s signature taco de Alpastor. The tortas are just as good, and they’re packed with a lot of meat and toppings — so it’s even better! (1 torta is .50 less than 2 tacos)
Strawberry Licuados are the best when made from 12 – 6 pm (daily) (the lady who makes .uff!)
There is a lot of positive I can say about this restaurant, and not just food wise but business and family wise.
I believe on weekends they’re open ²⁴⁄₇. So there’s that haa I once walked in on a Saturday morning at 3am and I’ve never seen a restaurant be so packed. I was standing shoulder to shoulder with people that just came out of El Baile or Los globos lol

Not too sure what my issue is with Atotonilco, maybe my memory isn’t as good as it used to be? Or maybe the location I used to frequent that is now closed just happened to be better than this one?
Let’s start with the parking, maybe some of you did the same thing I did? I parked in the lot across the street, which has a sign that says something like Atotonilco Lavanderia. So my first thought after parking was, «That’s weird, they have both a lavanderia and a taqueria under the same roof? Ok, I can roll with that.» And then I walked into the Laundromat and almost asked where the tacos were… but before I opened my mouth because my dad always said, «Look with your eyes, not with your mouth.», I backtracked back to the sidewalk and peered across the street and ended up finding the restaurant without embarrassing myself.
I walked in and asked if I needed to be seated and they allowed me to have my pick of whatever table I choose. On the tables are napkin holders with the menu on them, and the menu is also all over the walls. So don’t ask for the menu. As for my table I chose the back wall nearest to the bathroom and faced the front door. I have an unfounded fear that one day I’ll find myself in a scene right out of the movies where the Mafia comes in guns blazing and if I’m seated the way I’m seated, I at least have a chance to duck under my table and use my taco basket as a shield or something. That’s enough about my irrational fears. The food!
For some reason I’ve been eating a bunch of tacos lately. At home, at restaurants, everywhere. I don’t know what I’m looking for or why, but I’ve been looking I guess. What I came away with here is that their tacos are a bit on the larger side, so given the price per at $ 2.50, it would seem expensive compared to other taquerias, but they are bigger, so there’s that. I had a set of four tacos, all topped with cilantro and onion, when I came in. Asked for beans and rice, but was told «We don’t have rice.» I should have clarified with my server. Do you never have rice? Or are you just out of rice at this time, but usually have some on hand? I found that a bit strange given the time I was dining, just after noon on a weekday full of lunch hour diners. Anyways…
Carne asada — Were not very flavorful, they tasted of beef and oil and that was pretty much it. These were also pretty grizzly. I mean, gristle-​y, which made for a bit of a tougher time to chew through.
Picadillo — As opposed to other places picadillo, these were not saucy. This was flavored in the same manner as the steak taco, which is to say minimally. At least there was a lot of meat! I needed a lot of salsa in that taco.
Birria — Which is goat. Which I love. And I don’t mind the goat flavor, which is hard to avoid when you’re eating goat. This has plenty of goat flavor; strips of pulled meat with occasional soft/​tender membranous tissue. Very good with plenty of onions, reminds of a certain Filipino dish.
Al pastor — The star. No, that’s not what al pastor translates to, but this was the star of my meal. True al pastor flavor with slight acidity and the tender fat pockets you only get when the pork shoulder is sliced off the spit gyros style, as al pastor should be served. This was one of the better, if not the best al pastor tacos I’ve had. The only thing missing was the sweetness of pineapple. But still very good nonetheless.
I also had beans to accompany my plate, just beans. Yeah, the rice, I don’t know where it’s at. But the no rice business was a blessing in disguise because it meant that I could eat more tacos than usual. The beans were very salty and had a very smooth pureed consistency. Not my favorite. But it’s beans. My meal was delivered on a plate, and the tacos were so filled and the tortillas not as pliable or warm as I’, used to, so half of them broke in half while I was handling them.
For dessert I ordered a banana licuado. From the picture, I imagined it to be more like a shake, instead it was more like a smoothie, with bits of fruit and ice, but mostly liquid. It was very fresh tasting and a good palate cleanser for all the onion I ate.
I’ll come here again, but will probably order more al pastor than other tacos, and maybe next time they’ll have rice?

Without question, 26^th Street was «Awake» on a early sunny Saturday morning. Hustle and bustle, movers and shakers, and the sounds of the city.
Arrived 7:30 A. M craving some Al Pastor!
The pork flavor is deep, tasty as hell and absolutely enriched by the cooking process. This is «Spot-​On» Al Pastor. The pork texture holds a subtle tenderness equally balanced with crisp charred pieces entered into the mix. Served as Tacos or Tortas… makes no difference. 5 Stars.
Looking for fancy atmosphere…“Fugetaboutit.” This is tables and chairs!
The staff was almost excellent as well. Our server was top notch. The line chef who actually prepared our food was approachable and friendly as one can expect. The «Elder Statesman» whom I believe is in charge of the actual food preparation is amazing. You could not wipe the smile off this dudes face if you tried! He allowed me the opportunity to view his operation. This is a proud man!
We never spoke, however he felt the vibe of my admiration. I felt the vibe of his appreciation.
However, the cashier fails to match up which only proves your as good as your weakest link.

Wow, some good al pastor tacos. This is definitely better than the other location on 47^th.
My mom and guy each got the carne asada tortas and my mom loved it. She really loved the bread a lot. She did wished they didn’t chop up the meat though.
She even ordered a milanesa torta to go. She preferred the carne asada torta.
She wished she could just buy the bread. She also said if I’m ever there, to just pick up a torta for her.
I’ll definitely be back to try a torta and for some tacos next time.
They also have a parking lot across the street. Open late, but not sure if they are good enough to risk my life for.

La birria está 7.7