Cafe El Tapatio

I live in the neighborhood and enjoy coming here for afternoon margaritas in the summer. I avoid this place in the winter because it is just way too busy for me, but I’ll do take-​out! I’m a huge fan of the pan seared fish tacos and the La Azteca soup. Although everything on the menu is pretty good. The food is fast and the service is great.

Food and service were terrible. The food was soggy and not fresh. Service was very slow

Quaint place with amazing authentic Mexican food. It has a nice outside patio although being on Ashland is a little loud especially when the EL swings by in the background, it is still no biggie. I had the carne asada that was cooked and garnished perfectly.

Absolutely love Tapatio and probably my favorite Mexican restaurant. Their Palomas are way better than any margarita and the Tacos Jarochos were great yesterday. I just need to keep working my way through the menu.

I recently rediscovered them for lunch. Nice atmosphere and good service. The pastor tacos were excellent. Also had some pretty tasty horchata.

You all have to try my favorite dish from here since 1990: Enchilladas Suizas!!! Their chips and salsa are greater welcoming starters, followed by their steak fully loaded nachos! Love it here! Best place to eat by the Cubs home!

This is our preferred Friday lunch place, since we’ve been going here for almost 7 years, staff know our group and are always happy to see us.
I love their margarita and my favorite here is Tiger Shrimp taco. Shrimps are perfectly cooked and well balanced with its sauce and beans.

Easily, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the city. Between the service and the food, it’s all been great.
As far as service, I’ve ordered both carry-​out and ate in-​house a few times, and every time it’s been great. I live around the block and the pick-​up orders are lightning fast. The service in-​house is really great as well, considering how pretty crazy it can get on a given night. What’s really great too is, if the house is full, that they’ll recommend a local bar across the street (McGuiggan’s) and give you a call (or even come into the bar) when you’re table is ready. I’ve spent many a night at McGuiggan’s as well and you can tell they both try to support each other which is nice to see.
For the food, it’s all been great. One of my particular favorites was the Beef Short Rib in Tomatillo sauce which was quite good. The usual suspects are all great though as well, especially the queso fundido after a few margaritas! One area that is particulary great are their Al Pastor taco’s… the Al Pastor has been on point everytime I’ve eaten it. I only wish they gave you more than two tacos per order!
Overall, it’s a great neighborhood joint and I highly recommend!

Finally got a chance to try Café El Tapatio after passing it so many times on Ashland. My friends had raved about it so I was really excited to go.
Got a table for 2 around 7 pm on a Thursday. I think we got the last table, which shows you how busy they are even during the week. For drinks we opted for the $ 5 mojito special they have on Thursdays. They can add fruit too if you want!
Dinner I went with the sincronizada de papa con chorizo. All of the ingredients were sandwiched between two tortillas with rice and beans on the side. It was really good, a little different than your typical enchilada-​like dish which made it fun. My friend’s shrimp tacos looked amazing as well. Their prices are on the higher end for casual Mexican dining in the city but they have really huge portion sizes, which in my mind, combined with the quality justifies the price.
Really enjoyed Café El Tapatio! This will definitely be my go-​to Mexican place in Lakeview moving forward!

I came here for lunch today for the first time and was very pleased with the food. The complimentary chips and salsa were perfect. I ordered simple cheese enchiladas with verde sauce, refried beans and rice. The food came out in adequate time and the presentation was lovely. My only complaint was the big dollop of crema on top of the enchiladas of which I am not a fan. In addition, my friend ordered the shrimp tacos and requested the sauce be served on the side, which it was not. She was not a fan of the sauce and found that it completely overpowered her taco. Service was attentive, but it did take a while to get the check after the plates had been cleared from the table. Overall, I enjoyed the ambiance and food enough that I will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu!

Was here on a Sunday night after a recommendation from a friend to take my family. With a picky mom and my parents eating vegetarian, this restaurant exceeded their expectations and will return back!

Came here with the wife and kids. Been searching steadily for a decent mexican or even tex-​mex gig in Chicago and sadly come up short.
Let me explain something important here. Anyone here who rates this place 5-​stars has absolutely no idea what good mexican food tastes like. I grew up in Houston, Austin, San Antonio eating authentic incredible mexican cuisine. Sorry, but this place ain’t it.
I can remember being in College Station in 1982 when I had this «new» dish called Fajitas. Honestly, it was one of those moments in your life when you realize just how good food can be. They came out on this cast iron skillet just sizzling hot and piled high, not like you get in most places these days. The skirt steak was marinated and grilled over mesquite wood.
The beef was sliced in very thin strips along with equally thin sliced grilled onions. The server would squeeze a lemon wedge over it, but the skillet was so damned hot that it evaporated in seconds imparting a just hint of citrus in a perfect balance.
As you can probably tell, I love this dish. When it’s done right, it’s truly a work of culinary art. Which is why I give this place just 2 stars. My wife ordered the chicken fajitas. She has some food allergies, which is why she likes fajitas. It’s just marinated chicken breast, grilled over a wood fire and sliced. Nothing fancy. Easy, plain, delicious.
When her dish arrived, it was… I don’t know what the hell it was. Chicken slices with a tomatoey sauce covered in some soupy spice mix. I mean, you needed a spoon to eat it. Still remember the poor waiter’s face… so proud of it.
Yet again, Chicago seems to have failed us in our quest.
My dish was awful. It was one of the saltiest meals I’ve ever had. I really tried to eat it, but ultimately had to send it back and ordered the skirt steak… medium.
It came back… super rare. The meat in the middle was barely warm. I’m gonna send a meal back twice? Knowing it wouldn’t kill me, I stomached it down. Both dishes were mediocre and amateur… all the way. NEVER going back.
Look, I know what some of you are probably thinking… This fool writer must think anything not from Texas is garbage. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Not true. I’m the firs to say that Smoque Bar-​b-​que is on par with if not BETTER than the best barbeque I’ve EVER had… in or outside of Texas.
If food tastes good, it is good. I call it like I see it. This place ain’t that good.

3 stars are for the service, not the food.
Went to Café El Tapatio for the first time on Sunday around 9:30 p.m. with my girlfriend and her friend. The place said it was open until 11 p.m. and it was full when we got there. After waiting for a few minutes we got a seat and ordered within minutes of sitting down. I ordered a full pitcher of Margarita for the table and each of us ordered a full meal. While waiting for the meal, we finished one portion of the chips and another one was brought. Fast forward to 10:30 p.m. I barely finished my meal and I was chomping on the chips when suddenly the lights came on and staff started to clean up. This is fine except that we were basically getting kicked out at 10:30 with a half a pitcher of margarita left (~$ 30). One of the staff members tried to grab the chips off the table with my hand still in the basket-​so I stopped him. Minutes later, when I turned my head, another (maybe the same one) staff member swooped by and took the chips of the table so that we would leave. That is not a way to treat customers. If we were told that the restaurant was closing early that would have been fine. If we were asked if we minded leaving because the staff would like to go home early it would not have been a big deal. Rather, the behavior of the staff left a bad taste in our mouths. It is a shame, because the food was very tasty.

This place was really good, we came here with my parents (who aren’t easy food pleasers). I was a little skeptical when we waited for 40 minutes and I thought this food better be worth the wait. Well it was definitely worth the wait! Excellent fresh tasting Mexican food. The service is quick and food is delicious. Plenty of options for vegetarians and they are very receptive to modifications. I think we found our new city spot when my parents come to visit. Can’t wait to come back!

Solid 4 star Mexican place in the city. Their salsa is great. Tastes homemade and chunky. Steak fajitas are my favorite but the carne asada is pretty bomb as well. Drinks are fairly strong. Recommend for dinner over brunch. The omelettes are only ok.

My wife and I have been coming here for a couple of years, and was genuinely impressed with the food and margaritas (pineapple being my favorite and as big as your head!) They had a good flauta — a top notch carne asada burrito, and their adobo chicken gringas were fabulous.
Then we heard about their choice to expand. I thought «as long as nothing changes, it’ll be okay.» Things have changed and it’s no longer okay.
They seem to be transitioning to a new menu, since they dropped 2 in front of me. There are similarities on both menus, but there are significant differences like the a la carte taco section. I ordered a carne asada taco, a chicken adobo taco, and a jumbo pineapple margarita. My wife ordered her favorite: the chicken gringas with chihuahua cheese and a jumbo lime margarita. The drinks came out and they were a shadow of their former selves. The glass was at least 30% to 40% smaller than they used to be — I was OK with that until I discovered they’re $ 17 each! For a roughly 16oz margarita? The food? They used to serve it with care, now the gringas had very little cheese (all clumped on one side) and the chicken was inedibly dry. My wife couldn’t eat it. My tacos: the chicken one was passable, but the «carne asada» one had ground beef in it that almost tasted like boiled beef tongue and pickled onions — I literally spit it out.
It seems they’re trying to finance their expansion by giving lower quality food and smaller drinks, and it saddens me. My wife and I were loyal customers here, but I can’t support anyplace that makes me feel like I’m getting shafted on quality and price.

This is hands down my favorite Mexican joint in Lakeview. The food never disappoints, they have a nice outdoor seating section in the spring/​summer, and the service is fabulous. I will say, it gets busy on the weekends so you may have to wait a bit for a table, but it’s worth it! Plus the restaurant being packed just goes to show how good the place really is.
I’ve had just about everything on the menu but a few personal favorites are the ceviche, the Coctel de Cameron and the enchiladas. The shrimp cocktail is the biggest I’ve ever seen, it comes in a HUGE Margarita glass and is smothered in yummy tomato cocktail sauce. They also have giant cocktails served in a 32 oz. terra-​cotta pot if you’re looking for some extra fun! They’re great to share with a few people, and definitely get you feeling good.
Lastly the service here has always been particularly great. Twice that I’ve been there now the owner has given my table free tequila shots just because. That’s my kinda place!!!

Hells yes this is the BEST Mexican I have ever had!
Although they don’t take reservations and the small space fills up quickly, there’s a conveniently located Irish pub (complete with real live Irish bartender) that will furnish you a beverage while you wait for Tapatio to call you with your table’s status.
Now let me start off — if you’re perusing their menu online and are shocked by their prices, let me reassure you this is NOT your run-​of-​the-​mill Mexican restaurant. The food is fresh, high quality, and delicious rather than something to soak up the booze at the end of a long night.
From the start of the meal with homemade chips and salsa, prepare to have your expectation of another greasy Mexican joint shattered. The fresh salsa has just the right amount of spice, and the chips are fresh from the fryer. I also recommend the guacamole which comes with delicious pickled red onion on top.
As for entrees, I have had the Tacos Del Mar and the Tacos De Mar De Cortez and have never been disappointed. The fish is fresh, the corn tortillas are warm, the rice is flavorful without being overly salty. I especially LOVE the Tacos De Mar De Cortez — HUGE beer battered shrimp are crispy and delicious.
They also have awesome margaritas here. If you don’t like to be overpowered by sour mix, I would recommend going for the Rolls Royce which is much too big for me to drink alone (I did so once and don’t remember much else about the evening) but perfect when shared. At $ 18 it seems pricey but it is a shareable sized marg with premium liquor. I would rather pay a bit more and not drink well tequila, thanks.
The staff is also friendly and amazing. The owner floats around making sure everyone is satisfied. This place is truly a gem!

Está persona q párese ser el dueño de este lugar no párese q tiene trabajadores párese q tiene animales q solo entienden a gritos es desagradable q aiga gente q trate así Asus empleados solo por ser los dueños ya que grasias a eyos podemos deleitar nuestro paladar con su exquisito sazón y lo rico q cosinan grasias a ustedes cosineros de el tapatío. Los felicito y si doy sinco estréllas es x ustedes no por los dueños

If you’re looking for both good food and good drinks, this is the place for you. I’d heard great things about this place and can’t believe I waited so long to check it out. Getting a table outside for 6 on a Saturday afternoon was no problem.
We ordered margaritas and the bowl drink (I can’t remember the name). Margaritas were delicious but pretty expensive. The bowl drink on the other hand is the biggest steal in the city. Seriously, order this. It’s delicious and boozy and everything you could want.
For an entrée I ordered the grilled shrimp tacos. I was very impressed. Even better was the rice that came with it. It’s no ordinary white rice. I can’t explain it. You’ll just have to try it.
Even if you’re not in the neighborhood it’s worth a trip. Luckily I am so I’ll be back often.

One of the best mexican spots in the city.
Tasty drinks. Warm, gooey appetizers and huge selection of food.
We came for a late dinner and had to wait a bit for a table si we gabbed drinks at the bar. Once we were seated we weren’t rushed with our food at all. We ordered apps before we ordered our entrées. Everyone in our party was very happy with their food. One friend noted that his burrito wasn’t soggy like a lot of other places. Ingredients were fresh and tasty.
A must-​go place if you’re craving a strong drink and a belly filling mexican meal.