El Tapatio Cafe
3400 N Ashland Ave
(at Roscoe St)
Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 327-5475
- Nearest Transit:
Paulina (Brown)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
79 Reviews for El Tapatio Cafe
On top of the service being fairly slow, the food here just wasn't very good. The tortilla chips that they put on the table when you first sit down tasted like cardboard. We actually thought they were stale and asked for a fresh basket, but they were all the same. Our main dishes were just average. The chicken fajita was nothing to write home about, and the chimichanga was pretty bland. I will say the margarita was pretty good, but definitely not good enough to redeem everything as a whole.
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I find it pretty hard to find unique Mexican food, or at least mex food that stands out above the rest. This place certain does. The fried plantain (Revoltijo Ajijie) dish was amazing. gets kinda busy and not always easy to find a quik table.
Sometimes this place is incredibly busy and that makes it much more difficult to enjoy yourself but if you come later on around seven or eight when this is the case, go to the bar across the street for a bit and chill out. El Tapatio has fantastic margaritas and mojitos. Their food is incredibly gourmet and worth the cost (which is reasonable considering) I'm a vegetarian and I've absolutely loved everything in their veggie section...you have to savor every bite it is so delicious. I have never had indigestion issues or problems from eating there. Pays to go when it is just a touch on the cool side (though not unbearable obviously) and get the outdoor seating others may not want. Really well worth the wait anyhow!
I liked this place, the cool old sign, the vibrant colours on the walls, the awesome handpainted pottery used as decoration.
What i didn't like was the crazy indigestion I had after eating and drinking nothing unusual - just a chicken quesadilla and a chorizo taco. Oww-ee that hurts.
Stomach ailments are the bane of my existence - I would love to give you a second chance El Tapatio, but I cant risk it. Your service was decent though - especially for how busy you were!
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Service, service, service....I harp on it. My waiter, Manuel, pretty much told me to give up my party's table for a bigger party. What? Who does that? El Tapatio, with their burned out lights, thats who. The host apparantly was behind it but he did nothing. I did tell both of them of their shady practices before leaving.
Seriously, the food is o.k., but service like this - and my previous experiences - should not be tolerated. Try calling them - they don't even pick up the phone have the time! I run a business, and let me tell you, picking up the phone is imperative.
Lets us fight the power of bad service, people!
Cute little outdoor patio and vibrant decor. They own the bar across the street and will call you when your table is ready if you have to wait.
The menu has a lot of selections and for a veggie like me a whole veggie menu section. The margaritas were nice sized and quite tasty. They also have a nice selection of Mexican beer too.
I had the sincronizadas de papas, which were quite good. Especially, if you put the house salsa on top to give it a little kick.
The food was not too expensive although the service was a little slow. I would definitely go back again.
Another average mexican joint. I always see this place packed so I was a bit disappointed at its dullness. The seating was jammed and the waiter was lacking a personality. The La Azteca soup was a bit too salty (even for me) and the rest of the experience was full of prosaic food.
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Even though I'm originally from Dallas TX I've never really been big on Mexican food. Being a vegetarian most of my options were beans and a tortilla with a side of rice. I decided to give it another shot at El Tapatio Cafe since my boyfriend loves Mexican food. I got the Sincronizadas Papa dish. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of flavor this dish had. I don't know if it was the potatoes or the cheese they used but it was really good. My boyfriend got the Las Flautas De La Casa (2 crunchy rolled tortillas stuffed with beef). He said his was pretty good, but mine definitely had more flavor than his. I'm going back today for a second helping. Yummy.
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This place is a hole. Everything seemed fine until we noticed that there were cockroaches crawling up the wall behind us. Then another on the wall ledge. Our waiter seemed fairly embarrased, but the manager didn't seem to care at all. We were polite enough to walk out without making a scene, seeing as the dining area was full and I wanted to tell everyone to get the hell out.
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LOVE this place! So much, that my husband, kids and I go EVERY single saturday for lunch. Their steak fajitas are the bomb. I usually order the Enfrijolada but ask them to put chorizo sausage in it - its amazing. Their margaritas are the best -- especially the Rolls Royce ones - that are so big you can swim in them. The only thing I would say to them is to serve their chips hot with their salsa. We love really hot salsa and their is one of the best we've ever had... Now if the chips were hot, dude, we'd probably never leave!
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I've been widening my search for the best Mexican in Chicago starting in expanding concentric circles around North Center. First Garcia's, now El Tapatio Cafe. Above Average food, long wait, great salsa. Waiting across the street at the Bar with chips and salsa was an excellent way to kill the one hour and one half wait for a table Saturday night. I'd like to say 3.5 but will round up to 4. The wait was the real killer. Guess it goes with the territory though. Good Cheap Mexican.
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I really enjoy El Tapatio in the summertime when you can sit outside underneath the trees and decorative lights while sipping a humongous margarita. I also really like their skirt steak that comes on fried plantains as well as their chicken tortilla soup. I'll start going in the summer again when margaritas are more enjoyable... cold weather does not mix well with a frozen drink.
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Completely, totally, unabashedly average. That's not to say it's bad, but it's not outstanding either. The dining room is pleasant enough, service was OK, and the prices were a bit above your fast mexican fare. Wouldn't be against going back but it did not impress me that much either.
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Yum!!! I've never had a bad meal or a bad experience at this restaurant. Admittedly the dining room is small and cramped and you sometimes have to wait a few minutes for your server to make the initial visit to your table, but once you get a seat and a menu you're good to go.
The food selection is huge (I recommend the crepas de pollo) and the staff never rushes you (although there is almost always a wait). Even better? The hostess will take your cell phone number while you're waiting for a table so you can go across the street to grab a drink.
Also make sure to check it out in warmer weather -- the sidewalk seating makes for an awesome night!
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Let me break it down quickly. The food is top notch, the service is just so-so, and the drinks are strong. What more could you ask for in a mexican restaurant?
I just wish that the servers were a little more friendly - but I am reviewing my over-all experience. The food and drinks make this place a must go-to place. As long as you can handle the wait.
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The Enchiladas De Platano are probably one of my favorite things to eat in this city. Plantain enchiladas in amazing mole sauce. The only problem (aside from the price)? They don't always have it.
So, when I go and miss my favorite treat, my friend and I drown ourselves in a Mexican Island Ice Tea! What a wonderful way to socially drink. Others have described it, but it is another favorite of mine. And the service is always extra wonderful, so tip well, ya cheapskates!
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Probably my favorite Mexican place in Chicago. It's a step below Las Palmas and slightly cheaper, but the food is more flavorful. This is one of the few restaurants where I will order a chicken breast. I think of chicken as generally boring so I don't usually order it when I'm out, but this place changes the game up. The 1st entree on the menu - chicken with green mole or salsa (I dunno) and cheese is where it's at. It's on the level of food I've eaten in Mexico.
Also, the salsa here is spicy and excellent. I will frequent any establishment that has good salsa, including, but not limited to Blue Agave. So fucking shoot me, I used to hang out at Blue Agave ok?
Oh yeah, why not 5 stars then? Because the service is far from good, but you get your food and thats what matters right?
Also, don't believe all the hype about the killer 32 oz Long Island. I drank 4 of those and then rolled a 47. Fully sober I'm lucky to break 30.
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I know there all kinds of "Mexican", from tex-mex, to cal-mex, to authentic, to new "nuevo" Mexican, to crap. I have no idea what category El Tapatio falls under, but I think it might actually be a combination of all of them (besides the crap). All I know for sure is it is my favorite mexican joint in Chicago. (Sure Rick Bayless is better, but Frontera Grill and Topolobampo are in a different universe from most Mexican restaurants, so I'm not including them in "mexican joints").
Now, El Tapatio is known to suffer from slow service. I consider that part of the cultural charm. It's not the service you are here for anyway, it's the absurdly delicious food that makes you return again and again.
My first several trips, I could not diverge from my first choice, the chicken crepes, which come covered in the most amazing chipotle cream sauce. They also have a vegetarian version as well. I have a problem strictly sticking to what I like. I'm trying to address this. On my last visit to El Tapatio, I was coinvinced I would try something new and asked the server for his recommendations. He came down fully endorsing the Revoltijo Ajijie (open face plantain topped with steak onions, poblano peppers, mushrooms and chihuahua). Let's just say that the next time I visit, I may have to order the crepes for dinner and the steak to go for the next day. This steak dish was amazing, with all the flavors of the different ingrediants coming out at different times. It was subtle, yet fantastic.
I love the chips and salsa, and their margaritas, but the real star at El Tapatio is in their creative entrees. Skip over the standard burritos or tacos, and try some truly amazing Mexican.
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Very impressive. Let's just say that after living in LA, it's hard to be impressed with the Mexican food in Chicago (sorry, I love the food in Chicago however Mexican food in LA is the best). But, this place is awesome, it's a bit small however if you get there at the right time, you might get lucky and be seated in a comfortable place where you don't feel cramped. The food is excellent (my steak was slight greasy but yummy) and the service is decent. Try this place out with a group so you can try a variety of things, they don't take reservations but it's worth the wait.
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The food was great, and the service was really speedy as well. I thought they may have tried to pack too many tables into the place the night we went, because we couldn't even get the chairs out at the table we were initially sat at. After requesting a move though, we were given a little more room, but you could still hear every conversation going on in the room. I also enjoyed going across the street to their bar for drinks post-dinner. I can't remember the name of the drink I ordered, but it comes in a "clay" bowl, quite tasty and very full of booze...
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Definitely one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Chicago, and that's saying a lot considering how many there are in this city. El Tapatio is a restaurant that provides a nicer dining experience with quality food and polite and helpful servers. The food is prepared well and with a wide variety of flavors. You can go to El Tapatio every day of the week and eat a completely different meal each time. I tend to stick to the tacos and other Mexican basics, but my friends who order more elaborate meals always enjoy what they get.
In terms of the service, it can be a little slow, but I honestly believe it is because they are taking care while preparing your meal. I recommend ordering one of their many good margaritas or mojitos and enjoying the wait with you friends. If you have to wait for a table, which on the weekend and even some weekdays is very likely, you can give them your phone number and head across the street to the bar owned by the same people and they'll call you when your table is ready.
Parking in this neighborhood is okay... usually you can get something on Ashland if you head North of the restaurant. If you head South, parking gets more difficult.
One great story about this place: After eating, the bus boy cleared one of my friend's plates before he was finished eating. By the time my friend realized it, the plate had already been put in the trash. When the bus boy realized his mistake, he had the kitchen make a whole new order to go home with my friend. It's not like my friend had tacos either, he had ordered a steak for dinner. That's what I call great service.
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Stopped by for the first time late this past Sunday. Service was still good. Ask for a lemonade and they bring you an Italian Ice. That's awesome! I had the Steak Sincronizdos or something. It was good. The menu is vast and unique and I want to check out more of it. Wife says the margaritas were good. Lots of vegetarian options too.
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The following is based on my last visit...
THE GOOD : The food; the drinks; the "charm"
THE BAD : The illness that followed; the next 2 debilitating days of V & D; the missing of work
THE UGLY : The sounds that came from my bathroom for 2 days; the fact that my ex was witness to the whole debacle; the 10 pounds I managed to lose in an unhealthy way
Please proceed with caution.
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This place is great. I found it by accident when I was wandering around one Saturday. Service was quick and friendly, and the food was great. The Cazuela De Queso appetizer is a cardiologist's wet dream. Giant bowl of melted cheese with a ton of yummy greasy chorizo on top. How can you not love this. Of course, I always try to get variations of chorizo and cheese (chorizo con queso, queso fundido, or whatever they happen to call it) at all the mexican joints I go to, but this is one of the best. For an entre, I had the El Grandioso Burrito "Suizo". Being the stuck up foodie that I am, I cannot resist any dish that has "El Grandioso" in the name. It was very good, and the chicken was shredded and tasty, not the bland stuff you get in some places. Prices were absolutely resonable as well. Overall, this place has found a permanent spot on my list of places to go within walking distance of my house.
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I like the veggie burrito suizo, but it's a little small compared with those at Campeche and Tecalitlan. I also don't think its as tasty as the ones at those places. While the size is still sufficient -- especially when paired with the beans and rice (I can't finish that much food), I don't think the price is justified. What really made me notice the price was the fact that I went there for lunch yesterday and the lunch version of the veggie burrito (same one I had) was $5-6. When I got it suizo, they added $4. I'm not kidding. I think it bumped me up to the dinner menu, but seriously, for the amount of cheese they put on that thing -- especially when compared to the above-mentioned restaurants -- it's ridiculous. I think $.50 additional would be more appropriate.
My husband's chiles rellenos were decent, which is good, though I thought it pretty lame that the tortillas they served with the chiles came in a tortilla holding thing without a cover. The effect is that they get cold really quickly, which I don't like.
While their food is decent, their service sucks and this is the main reason I had to mark them downwards. I haven't been there when it's been so busy that we really had to wait to sit, so the suckiness can't be blamed on that. I know that Jose G says their service is good, and maybe they are with him, but I've been there multiple times now and they are crabby every time (and I don't think it's because I do anything in particular to deserve this -- I'm not in the habit of being rude to waitstaff or anything). Not only are they crabby, in fact, but they are inattentive and slow.
Basically, this is a place we go to that is easy to get to and hasn't given anyone in my house food poisoning (see Los Arcos on Clark). The food is good enough, but we never really *want* to go here. I'm just not that impressed.
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The food is consistently good. It may not blow you away, but I've never had a bad meal here. And the frozen margaritas in a variety of flavors (I cannot resist the pineapple) are to die for. It's worth going for the margaritas and chips alone!
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I loooove their mole sauce and can't resist anything smothered in it. The prices are affordable however the service can be VERY slow. This is my only major complaint, we are almost always waiting for the check for at least 5-10 minutes (this is usually lunchtime on weekdays). A great neighborhood Mexican restaurant. Also, the chips and salsa are so addictive! Be forewarned however, the salsa packs a punch!
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I remember going to El Tapatio years ago and not being impressed with the food. Well I went and tried it out yesterday for breakfast. Hey, it had been at least 10 years since I had been and last time I was there for dinner...it could have gotten better. It didn't. Ordered the chilequilles and they were drowning in sauce. It was literally a pile of green mush on my plate. To top it off the sauce wasn't even all that good.
Service was almost non existent. We got waited on right away but once we got our food no one ever came back to see how everything was or if we needed anything more. Despite the fact that we were one of only like four tables in the place we still had to walk up to the register to get our check.
Skip it. Next!
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An excellent cure for anyone seeking to escape those bland Tex/Mex chimichanga blues. El Tapatio has the best ceviche in town--and I'm a very big fan of ceviche--with the fish served up deliciously soaked in lime and spices. Add in an outstanding margarita, and a menu with some fun Oaxacan twists? What more could a girl ask for? Well, they also do great salsa, do some great things with pork and with beef ribs, and their outdoor seating catty-corner from Ashland is quite nice on a summer night. For cheap, tasty Mexican that also offers variety and some real kick, you can't do much better than this, and believe me, given the portion sizes as well as the general deliciousness, you'll walk out with a doggie bag that you certainly won't let the dog have.
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Well I have been anxious to go here for many months...went last night with a girlfriend. I enjoyed a Margarita I had the Chicken El Grandioso Burrito "Suizo". Oh It was grand! The service...not so grand. But a great place for good food, very casual atmosphere. Sunday around 8, it was pretty busy...waited about 15 minutes for a table for two outside. I will go back, I might do take out....4 star food...about 2.5 star service.
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I had been meaning to go here for a while, hearing such good things about it. We went last night, and it was great. The reason I liked it was that with typical mexican restuarants you get rice/beans with everything. With our meals, we had more of a variety. I had skirt steak that came with a cactus salad, and cilantro bean soup. It was so good. The drinks were good, and came in different decorative cups, and they finished diner with a handful of chewy candies with the bill. VERY reasonably priced, other than it being quite crowded, would definately go back.
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Good Mexican food! Ever since Platiyo started totally sucking, I needed to find a replacement and this place is delish! Good guac, strong margs, enough said!
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If you're bored of margarita's (though I will never be), or just want to impress a friend with a good drink, go here and order their Mexican Long Island Tea. This 32 ounce drink comes in a big clay bowl with a straw. Great way to start the night--though you may not remember much of it later.
Oh yeah, they have food too.
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After two bites of my chicken tacos I had the overwhelming urge to vomit. They didn't necessarily taste bad, but every time I tried to take a bite waves of nausea came over me.
Any food that gives me the nearly uncontrollable urge to throw up is bad. BAD BAD BAD.
And it was on my birthday. I felt fine the rest of the night.
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I've been going to this place since I was little and the food and service has stayed consistent through the years. The food and the drinks are great and the horchata is fantastic. I highly recommend the carne asada, it my favorite and it never disappoints.
For anyone who disagrees, you probably don't know what Mexican food is supposed to taste like.
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I believe they call it the Chipotle Mole sauce or something along those lines. What ever it is, you have to have it. It comes on the burritos and Enchiladas instead of the standard Mole, Ranchero or Verde sauce and it is a delight.
They also have hard shelled corn tortilla tacos which are hard to find in Chicago outside of a Taco Bell. My friends love their Margaritas but I would avoid going there on a Weekend after a Cubs game as it becomes really loud after your 1 hour wait.
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My current favorite Mexican restaurant in Chicago. Everything I've ever tried here has been great (my favorite is the Burrito Vegetariano Suizo) and the margaritas are *YUMMY.* I've always had at least good service, usually excellent. And on a night when I want to enjoy their food on my couch while watching cheesy teenage drama on the CW, I get take-out. It's always ready in 15-20 minutes. You can expect a pretty significant wait on a Friday or Saturday night, but you can enjoy drinks right across the street at El Taberna Tapatia while you wait.
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I know this place doesn't always have the best service, but the food is great! The first time I went I was not very impressed, but I can't remember what I ordered so perhaps the menu is not all great. I love the combos, thats pretty much what I get whenever I go. I don't know when to go to get the best service. I've been there when it's really busy and really slow and had good and bad service in both situations.
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Went here this afternoon for lunch and had a really good meal for a decent price. I don't live extremely close, but am up in the neighborhood a lot and this place is ALWAYS packed... lines down the block!
So, we decided not to brave the crowds and went in for lunch. I don't much care for their salsa (just not my favortie style) but the lunch specials were really tasty. I ordered the chicken enchiladas and also tried a bite of the steak burrito. Everything tasted fresh and the services was very friendly. Not the best Mexican food I've ever had, but for the neighborhood, it's a pretty good spot.
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I usually like casual Mexican restaurants as opposed to fancy Mexican restaurants because they don't do anything really strange to their food. El Tapatio is the perfect Mexican restaurant for a fun and relatively inexpensive dining experience. Their margaritas are quite tastey and a little on the strong side. I had the quesadillas which were most excellent. I'd recommend stopping in for authentic Mexican asap!
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