Taqueria Taco Bueno

Had a great lunch here. Food was as authentic as you can find anywhere in Chicago. Guacamole was a freebie and was fresh and home made. Loved it.

This is an attentive family operation that serves up some better than average Mexican fare.
It’s just like mom serving you excellent Tacos for Breakfast without asking you to do the dishes!
You kind of want to fill your pockets with fresh made guacamole as well for the ride home…

I was around the area with my friend as we were getting our cash washed nearby. We walked to the first place we could find and the reviews were pretty good, so we figured why not give it a try? I ordered 3 steak tacos with rice, beans, onions and cilantro. Yes, I know that is a hell lot to fit in a taco, but I like variety. They give you a nice cut of steak, but it is too chewy for me. It is good, but I do not prefer huge chunks of steak in a taco.

Dang so good!
salsas, free guacamole, and the best chilaquiles this side of the mason dixon line.

This is a great mom-​and-​pop Mexican food spot. The owner is there frequently and oversees the cooking… the attention to detail can be noticed in the high quality of their food. I’ve been coming here for years and never had a bad meal. My favorite is the chicken enchilada dinner. They will include a small piece of skirt steak (carne) with it — a tasty little surprise. The guacamole is great too. Heads up: cash only.

I’ll make this quick.
The good–
Relatively cheap. Huge portions! Chiles rellenos de picadillo (ground beef) — hard to find outside of Mexican homes. Other dishes that are not that common at Mexican joints catering to GRINGOS. Such as tacos de chicharrones (pork rinds). Pozole and menudo on weekends. And no I’m not referring to the latino boys band. Freshly squeezed OJ.
The bad–
Food is good but won’t blow you away. Go here for good but not awesome cheap eats and hard to find stuff (see above).
The ugly–
The restaurant. Yuck. Misspelled marker menu (eg. azada instead of asada)
I’ll be back again!

Living in Little Village/​Pilsen for over 35 years and been in may Mexican restaurants, we were looking for a quick bite and we saw Taqueria Taco Bueno (had a different name on sing outside, I think it said Tacos Victor or something like that) and decided to come in. When we came in I had doubts about the place, but the menu was impressive large and they have hand made quesadillas and decent prices. The place is like a very local common restaurant, nothing even close to be fancy but it was decent. They have salsas on the tables and pickle jalapeños with carrots. I ordered a huitlacoche quesadilla and my wife 2 tacos one of chicharon and the other al pastor, good size tacos and they add rice and beans in it, the quesadilla came with a small portion of salad and a very delicious rice (like home made). For drinks we had agua de jamaica (not to sweet) and hand made chocolate actually using the hand molinillo. We were surprised when the waitress brought the guacamole and tostadas as appetizer, not the best but decent one; usually you pay extra for it at other restaurants. We loved the food and decent prices (cash only), tacos $ 2.50, quesadillas $ 4.50 including the huitlacoche and shrimp that usually are more expensive. The table setup was a little strange, they have a large table in the middle like for 20 people and tables of 4 on the side, I do not think that they can handle large groups without a previous notice. We only comment on the food we had, but definitely coming back to try other dishes.

This place hits the spot! I went here after hanging out in a frigid sports bar across the street. I was cold and hungry, and this restaurant really helped me out. The tortas are a good size, good quality meat, and the price is great. They are open late, but are cash only (at least after 9pm), so stop by if you’re in the neighborhood.

2012 Summer Taco Tour
Exploring Pilsen’s taco gold all summer. | First stop — a few blocks from home.
/​/​The Experience
Stopped in on a Monday evening after work. Friendly woman at counter took our
order and brought us chips as soon as we sat down.
Festive décor, Caso Cerrado entertaining us (Telemundo’s version of Judge Judy)
/​/​The Food, The Tacos
Cheap tacos. Big portions. Filling, but not quite satisfying.
* Al pastor — I enjoy well seasoned pork tacos. These were greasy and lacked flavor.
* Chile Relleno Taco — Roasted + bread poblano pepper served in a taco with beans. Again, greasy and not much flavor. Spoonfuls of the spicy salsa helped bring this flabby taco to life.
* Eggs & Cactus — what you would think, like a cactus omelet in a taco.
* Chorizo — the star of the dinner. Well spiced and, surprisingly, not a greasy mess like other place.
Summary: It is what it is. Cheap décor, cheap tacos, cheap flavor. Not surprised, not disappointed, but also not in love.

I love tongue tacos and this place has quality and quantity. I get the tongue tacos with the beans and rice. The reason they did not get five stars is because they use to give you more food, until the bad economy hit. I use to get extra tortillas and have six decent sized tacos instead of three huge tacos. I wash it down with a big orchatta and I’m a happy camper. The waitress very friendly and helpful. I come here for just the food. I was full and the bill came out around $ 10.00 for 3 big tacos, and a large rice water drink They have complementry tortilla chips with guacamole, sauce, green or red sauce.

Tacos are about a dollar more that other Taquerias in the area but well worth it. They taste crazy fresh and the meat is amazing. Stay away from anything else on the menu. Just get Tacos. I always love the Tacos and am totally disappointed by the other food which I think they serve less… and therefore is less fresh.

I like this place. It’s nothing fancy as far as décor, but the staff is really friendly and the atmosphere is pretty laid back. They had three types of salsa on the table, along with a bowl of jalapeños, hot carrots and onions. Plus, when you dine in, they give you free guacamo and fresh homemade chips! Very tasty! Their rice drink is delicous! We’ll definately be coming back…

i LOVE THIS PLACE! Been in Pilsen 11 years — and this is one of the better «joints». BYOB and outdoor seating in the back. My choice: LENGUA or esp the CHILE RELLENO TACO OR BURRITO if you want a true gut buster!
They put everything on – rice beans etc –prepare to be stuffed!
The food is still good and reasonable… esp the chile rellenos!

No bueno. I’ve been here once, and though this food is very cheap, it skimps on flavor. I got a chorizo and vegetarian tostada. They were ok but didn’t taste very «fresh.» The meat was more greasy than anything. I will say this, the portions are very large. And for what it is, it’s a much better buy than fast food (probably for less money too). Just with all the Mexican options around (especially in this area) I don’t think I would choose Taco Bueno again.

Local taco joint close to home so it’s perfect for picking up something quick. Go for the Arrachera (skirt steak) tacos not the Asada. You’ll taste the difference. If you like lengua (tongue) they have it in a red guisado sauce that’s real good also.

This place is so cheap, so good, and you get giant portions. I have been several times and everything I’ve tried has been delicious!

Oh man, its good, goat meat taco’s for gringos like me to enjoy, while my friends moms wonder why the hell I am eating peasant food they fled mexico to get away from. Portions are huge also, I love that they have tacos for $ 1.90 .Whenever some ass suggests Taco bell, i say TACO BUENO! SABROSO!