Taco Joint

Ordered delivery thru Caviar countless times already (
). It’s my favorite delivery place in Chicago and delivery thru Caviar normally takes ~30 minutes, pretty fast.
Really like their guacamole, barbacoa and Baja tacos. But last time I ordered accidentally got confused and ordered Rajas (poblano chile) instead of Baja (fish) tacos, it wasn’t terrible but I’m not big into vegetable tacos! Won’t make that mistake again!

I still love this place. As a Tex-​Mex junkie I always love good tacos. So a place named «Taco Joint» better be knocking them out of the park, right? Well, in my opinion, they do! I also love the fact that you can order them per taco instead of a lot of places forcing you to order a minimum number of each taco. This place basically lets you create a taco sampler!
We started off with some guacamole, because why not? We had the traditional and the rojo. While the rojo was too spicy for my wife, I found it rather enjoyable. The traditional was more her speed, so we pretty much split it there. As for tacos, I went with a Machaca and a couple Cochinitas. Let me tell you, the spice level on these was up there. I love spicy food, so this was perfect for me. But for those who can’t handle the heat, be warned! Those Cochinitas are HOT!
This place remains on my «must visit» list!

They changed their tortilla chips, got rid of the plantains, these taste homemade — they are delicious. I’ve visited this place a handful of times, but I literally ordered from here like over five times in the last couple of months. Food is always fresh, hot, and delicious. Also, delivery is super quick. My new favorite is the braised beef taco and then my standby — the fish taco.

The cochinita taco is delicious. The brisket taco is ok. The reason for the 3 stars is that they charge for salsa. You would never get charged for salsa in an authentic taco place.

When arriving we were seated promptly with our friends that were already there. I ordered the mango margarita. It was a little on the strong side because I forgot to order it blended. Chips and salsa were delicious. I ordered two vegetarian tacos. I loved the rajas. The corn with truffle not so much. Had a nice experience.

Very disappointed. Came here with an open mind having been to the one in Lincoln Park, which is phenomenal by the way. Order guac as an appetizer, but it never showed up. The tacos were good but cold. One in our party ordered queso fondito but it didn’t come out with our food like we asked. The server forgot to put the order in. When it came out, it was bubbling it was so hot and she said «it takes longer than the other meals.» Seriously? Don’t lie to us. Won’t be back.

I can’t comment on the tacos because I’ve never had them, yet I love their «taco joint salad!» It’s the perfect blend of vegetables; Romaine, kale, roasted corn, black beans, red onion, carrots, and yummy queso fresco, with crispy tortilla strips, and a delicious lemon-​serrano dressing.
I added their grilled chicken for protein, which is marinated in a tangy tomatillo salsa, along with onion and cilantro, and I had a caramelized pineapple on top.
It was seriously one of the best salads I’ve ever had!

Went there to grab a quick bite at 9:45 on a Friday night. Really loud music and environment. Wasn’t expecting that, but they had great food and desert. Their salsa was not worth it, wish we would have got some guac. But the flavor and prices were spot on.
If you are looking for a place to hangout with friends to have some drinks late at night this would be a good spot. I’m sure during the day it’s not as loud, but I can’t confirm that.

My quest to find the best tacos in Chicago led me to Taco Joint for lunch with some coworkers, and spoiler alert: they aren’t here! I was really surprised to see how tiny the tacos were for the price. They are pretty much mini tacos.
Anyways, I got the al pastor and the barbacoa. The al pastor was alright, but nothing to write home about. The barbacoa, however, only got one bite. I normally like barbacoa, but this meat tasted absolutely charred. The meat itself wasn’t overcooked, but the blackened crust made me feel like I was a Harry Potter ghost who burns shit just to try to taste again. Needless to say, I didn’t finish that taco. The waitress was nice enough to offer me a different taco, which I declined, then take that one off my check even though I was perfectly happy to pay for it. I figure their barbacoa just isn’t my taste, but it was really nice of her to take it off. Speaking of the service, it was really excellent.
We also ordered the queso fundito, which was pretty small (are you seeing a theme here?) but tasty. It was somewhat difficult to scoop it onto the chip, but I think that’s just because it was real cheese instead of velveeta.
So– my search for the best taco continues. Most of my coworkers really liked them here, but I was very underwhelmed.

Fancy tacos? Normally, I’m all about turning my nose up at these. Who needs to pay $ 3.50 for one taco when you can get 2 or 3 for that amount at «authentic» Mexican places. Ya know what I mean?
Taco Joint, however… seriously surprised me. Granted, I didn’t opt for the traditional al pastor, carnitas or even carne asada. The other, unique combinations really caught my eye. For instance, sweet corn and truffle? Roasted cauliflower with tomatillo/​pineapple jam? I die. That roasted cauliflower is only a special on Tuesday, but it is worth dropping by every Tuesday for that thing. I did opt for one chicken tinga ‘cuz I wanted to try a meat taco and, while it was good, I definitely preferred the other two.
The spicy salsa they serve is addictively good. I’ll forgive them for the extra $ 1 that they charged me for it. As for drinks, I was pleased to see some strawberry-​hibiscus concoction on the menu ($ 3). Really refreshing and a great addition to my meal. Also, our waiter was super nice, the food came out quickly and we didn’t even have to fight for a table. I am officially a fan!

First time dining at the Taco Joint and enjoyed great food and service. Try a sampling of different tacos. Also a must try is the «Black & Green Margaritas» (Negra Modelo Beer over frozen Taco Joint Margarita), the drink literally takes me back to sitting beach front in Mexico! The seating arrangements are not the best; but if you come during non-​peak hours this will not be a problem. It’s kind of narrow in there and gets crowded and noisy fast … just like many popular places. Great place for quick Mexican-​American influenced tacos & vibrant atmosphere.

This is a great taco joint– one that I discovered from Unilocal and have returned to several times since. I can’t comment on the dining experience as I always order the tacos to go. Yummy tacos with even better chips and guacamole. My favorite tacos are definitely the ceviche ones.

This taco joint receives an average of 3.5 stars, and I really just do not get it. We gotten takeaway from the place several times and have nothing bad at all to say. There are a varied number of different types of tacos. They have multiple types of guac. There is even a happy hour where the drinks and tacos are reduced in price. It is clean. The people are nice. The service is fast. The food is good. The tables are well spaced out so you aren’t hovering over one another. What more could one want.

Hands down my favorite taco places in the city! My go to tacos are the baja and corn truffle. The baja taco is out of this world as a fish taco. I love that they deep fry the fish instead of just sauté. The staff is always great and super welcoming too!

We love this place! We live in the suburbs, but always hit this place up before leaving the city. Our favorite taco is the Al Pastor, followed by La Cochinita and the Barbacoa. I’m also a fan of the Blistered Sweet Peppers and the Strawberry Hibiscus Agua Fresca. My husband loves to get the Churro Donut Holes if he still has room for dessert.
We brought our son with us last time and they made him an off menu cheese quesadilla which was so nice of them!
Taco Joint has great atmosphere, not too loud, comfy and casual. We usually go for lunch or an early dinner, so I’m not sure what the late night scene is like. We highly recommend stopping by Taco Joint if you’re in the area.

Taco Joint offers small but inexpensive tacos was tasty fillings. Standouts are the Pastor and the Barbacoa. Unlike authentic Mexican tacos there aren’t two tortillas, and there aren’t much in the way of extra ingredients such as cilantro or raw onions.
The guacamole sampler is a good way to try two or three different types of guacamole. They’re severed with both corn and plantain chips. The plantain chips work best with the mango guacamole, but I preferred the conventional and «red» sauce covered guacs with the corn chips.
There’s an extensive tequila list, and they’re served in very small sampling glasses, so you can try several. The standard margarita, which is served on the rocks with salt, is also very good.
Sidewalk dining is available. Service was friendly.

Good food, lacking service.
We always get the trio of guacamole, and the 3 different types of chips is a nice addition. They never give enough chips, so we end up asking for more. Steak taco and the battered shrimp (the Friday special) are my go-​to tacos here. We get the bottles of margaritas, rather than by the glass. Mango passion is tasty! For dessert, I’d skip the flan — did not like the texture or the flavor. The doughnuts were doable.
As for service, our waitress was often nowhere to be found, and was not pleasant at all. It’s Friday, we want to relax and have a good dinner, and this girl just kills our vibe.

Really cool joint! The tacos were flavourful and the drinks were. Tried the veggie taco (can’t recall the name), shrimp taco, roasted peppers and a mango-​pineapple margarita. A very nice place to hang out with friends and it has a patio during the summer. The customer service was fast and the place was very clean. Had a great time and would recommend it!

If you’re in town and visiting from Jersey, this is like the Taco Truck. But better because it has booze. I enjoyed my tacos. The Steak Monterrey was the clear winner over the Al Pastor in my humble opinion. I thought the flavors balanced a little better but both were pretty good. I didn’t love my sangria but my server swapped it out for a corona without a problem. 5 stars for service (and if you follow me you know I rarely complain about booze).
I would definitely return to try other menu items because some of them look quite tasty. Service is great and it’s a fun concept.

Taco Joint has an über cool loft atmosphere that’s good for chilling, celebrating with friends, or enjoying a casual bite/​drink. It’s got an industrial vibe that resembles a renovated warehouse.
The hostess was at her station and greeted me with a friendly smile. She offered me a table but I chose to sit at the bar near the bicycle delivery guys. Everyone was very friendly and accommodating.
I started the evening with guacamole. I was impressed that there is an entire guacamole section on the menu! I opted for the Del Dia which was guacamole that included kiwi and one or two other fruits. It was pleasant change to have rich creaminess and then a burst of refreshing, tart, sweetness. They served the guacamole with three different kinds of chips. My favorite chips were the ones made out of plantains. They were perfectly light and crispy.
Next I got their version of Elote. It is corn cut off of the cob and mixed with cheese and spices served in a tin mug with a spoon. It’s like a richer, thicker version of creamed corn. M and I both loved it. Taco Joint is soon changing the Elote to being served on the cob rather than cut and in a mug.
I also enjoyed the Chile Mango Margarita and Horchata. I could smell the spice from the Chile Mango Margarita before I tasted it. I appreciated that I could taste the spice in the drink and not just on the rim. I thought it was a well-​balanced drink: a perfect blend between chiles and mangoes! The Horchata is a deceitful little b-​! It tastes like sweet creamy dreamy goodness and goes down smoothly but packs a punch!
We did not enjoy our tacos and I hated my Tortilla Soup! We were disappointed that after so many excellent dishes that Taco Joint would have such an epic fail on their namesake! My biggest complaint was that our tacos and my soup were so salty. It’s SO easy to add salt to a dish but impossible to take it away.
I also did not like that my Ceviche Taco was served in a hard shell. The Shell was light and crispy and wonderful; however, it made it impossible to neatly eat. Juices continually ran out of the back end bringing shrimps with them. I’m used to wrapping a soft tortilla firmly around the meat and veggies and tucking the end in so that nothing comes out.
My Tortilla Soup was thick like gravy and had way too much going on. It had strips of hard tortilla on top and too many other things in the dense broth. I’m used to Tortilla Soup being light, bright, and refreshing. This version was heavy and possibly catered toward cold-​weather heartiness.
After guacamole, elote, tortilla soup, an empanada, two tacos, and four drinks our bill was $ 69 (before tax and tip). We think that price is appropriate — especially for a downtown, trendy place. We were just kicking ourselves for buying the wrong Groupon. Apparently there are two Taco Joints and they are related but still different. They both offer Groupons and they are not interchangeable.