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My fiance and I love this place. It's become one of our main go-to's for Mexican food in our area. I'm vegetarian and always get their tostadas, sometimes suiza. Each and every time the ingredients have been fresh and everything tastes great. The staff is always friendly and attentive and the margarita specials they have on Wednesdays are definitely a plus, too.
The only reason I'm giving this place 4 stars than 5 is because in the back left side, where we end up sitting often, the lighting is terrible and takes away from the atmosphere the rest of the restaurant offers.
The good:
--Margs...mmmmmmango. Love it. Strong and not too sweet, just the way I like my margaritas...and my men. ;)
--Good assortment of Mexican beer. Bohemia para mi amor.
--Great salsa and chips.
--Choriqueso with warm tortillas.
--Friendly service (Sure, we'd love a round on the house because we have to wait for a table!)
The not-quite-as-good:
--Fish tacos. Even with the mango salsa, it was bland, dry and a smidge fishy. Needed a little spice. I was disappointed in this.
I'll be back for margarita night (half price!) and some more choriqueso...mmmmm, carne!
I've been going to Teca (as I like to call it) since I was 5 years old.
To me, it's the best Mexican food in the city, aside from my momma's home cooking, and that's saying alot.
Hands down the best chips & salsa and the best horchata you can find.
I tend to eat the usual when I come here, so I am only basing this on the tacos de carne asada and chicken flautas. Yummy.
And it's close to home, so it's perfect for me.
It had been a very long while since my last visit but when I tasted the chips and salsa all the wonderful tastes awakened my taste buds. Fresh salsa cut just right with just the right texture and fire with the warm crispy tortilla chips add one margarita on the rocks and MMM so good.
Deals abound Monday and Wednesday Margarita madness, pitchers $16.
Tuesday deals for beer are $3 for Corona and Modelo, and other varieties.
Entrees range $8-$12 and extra for Avocado, Sour Cream.
The food is fresh and tasty, the service is fast and efficient, and the ambience seats you "under the stars" and "among the clouds"
The fish tacos are tilapia, (not a fillet, more chopped up consistency) served with a fresh mango salsa. Rice okay, beans good.
The tres Leches cake was okay, fresh but not enough milk soaking up to the cake.
Pickup area in the front, small lot on the side, lots of street parking. Good for you and your rowdy group. Enjoy!
Not a bad restaurant at all, and the margaritas are pretty good.
But there's not much that makes me like this place over say, Garcias in Lincoln Square or something. The mole is alright, but I've had plenty better in the city (El Tapatio on Ashland, for instance). The pico de gallo is again, average.
Oh heck I could cite all the different ways Tecalitlan is average, but thats boring right? *shrug* nothing bad (that ive tried here, tho everyone says avoid the chicken so I have).
Oh yea the margaritas are good - but better on discount days.
I used to eat here until I bit into a veggie burrito only to find tomatoes with stickers still on them (on two separate occasions). A few days after my last visit they were closed down by the health inspector, yuck!
Hands-down, best frozen margaritas (never had them on the rocks, so I can't comment on that) I've had in a restaurant - they are super strong but don't taste it, and the tequila is clearly far superior to "well". The fruit flavors are made with legit fruit juices/pieces. Pineapple is amazing, and coconut was my 2nd favorite - until they discontinued it! :( Please resurrect the coconut. The Steak 'n Shake style half-strawberry, half-mango is delicious.
The food is different than I'm used to at many Mexican restaurants, more healthy-seeming and fresh. Still not "healthy", but those looking for a plate of food with the consistency of slop (which can't be identified under the blanket of cheese/sauce) will be disappointed. Hey, I love slop sometimes too, but this seems less brutal for the body.
this place is really not that good, but they have a good margarita special on Monday's and Wednesday's.
There was a produce sticker on a tomato in our salsa, which pretty much made me want to stop eating and I saw that they were recently shut down by the health department. The conditions were described as "a food-borne illness outbreak just waiting to happen."
On the plus side there are around 250 other Mexican restaurants in the immediate area you can pick from and only about 170 of those are probably in violation of the health code.
Chips + Salsa = good
Margaritas = super
Enchiladas = yum
Fish Tacos = no bueno
Giant $5 burritos and tasty margaritas!
This place usually has pretty great service and always satisfies my need to be filled cheaply. Not amazzzing food, but good, never bad, and large portions.
Some evenings there is a bit of a wait, but I usually try to snag a seat at the bar and have one of their excellent lime margaritas that they must be loading up the tequila on because I always feel it.
Tecalitlan makes me happy. Their vegetarian options could be more exciting, but they make me happy regardless.
Bummer.. was here a couple weeks ago and they TOOK OFF their tongue tacos. Yeah, I'm sure it wasn't a "popular" item...but after having it on the menu for MANY years, they took it off , much to the dismay of my family who eat them all the time :( Also tortillas and fillings for tacos getting a little less as we are still in the middle of a recession. Prices have gotten a few cents higher, but the portion sizes not as large as they used to be. Still within reason tho! BRING BACK THE TONGUE!! :)
I've been coming here for about 16 years. My husband, since before then, because we used to go here… Read more »
I went into this place with high hopes. The only thing worth my time was the chorizo tostada, which was excellent.
The service was pretty slow. I think our waiter had some sort of cleaning duties because he would leave us with empty drinks for 10-15 minutes at a time. Also, when one person at the table needed something, he would run away before giving anyone else a chance to ask. I was also a little irritated because we pointed at one of the appetizers on the menu to order it and ended up with the dinner portion.
The tacos, tostada, and tortas were fairly priced, but everything else was on the expensive side. I'll stick with Arturos.
Not terrible, but definitely below par. The salsa leaves a lot to be desired and the Mole was not good at all. My burrito was OK, but I've definitely had better. The inside decor (at least in the back room where we were seated) is just plain strange. The chairs are terribly uncomfortable and I am puzzled why any restaurant owners would waste money on them. I may go back only because it is steps away from my house but I really don't plan on it.
Be sure to come here for your margarita AFTER work... Each sip is like a shot of tequila - a very tasty shot of tequila. Buddy up with your regular server and you will barely be able to make it out the door after one glass.
The vegetarian burrito is vegan by nature (no cheese or sour cream); however, be sure to make it very clear that you do not want the queso or crema. There have been mistakes on my dish before, probably because most people ask for the dairy (which is a minor extra charge). They are good about correcting it though, bringing me a fresh new burrito. The guacamole normally comes with cheese sprinkled on top, so be sure to ask for no cheese on that as well.
I like to add avocado to my burrito (minor extra charge), but they don't put in very much. You can ask them to add other things, such as broccoli, as well. Lately the burritos have been quite stuffed with rice. It is always filling though, and it's larger than the other (meat) burritos. Sometimes I try to finish the whole burrito, but then I pop the button on my pants. It's usually best to save some for later. It's still good, even after sitting in the fridge overnight.
The servers will bring you extras upon request, such as pickled veggies and extra salsa. You can always get another basket of chips and pico de gallo for free.
GREAT food and Prices are reasonable.
My Friend and I used to go here once a week and still try to revive the tradition every Summer. She lives around the block and they have Margarita specials on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so we make the trek. The Lime margarita's are good and the flavors are okay... they aren't good enough to get them if you don't get the special price though.
The food is delicious... typical Mexican fare that's solid and delicious. They aren't reinventing the wheel but then again, I'm not asking them too. It's a great place for plain ole good times.
It does have some weird issues with the back dining area being really hot, it feels like a tanning bed but the larger part of the restaurant is fine. And I think they have a broken speaker system because a song will come on and end and then 5 minutes later a new song will start blaring and gradually fade out then repeat the blaring 5 minutes later. It's a little annoying at first but we've grown to love it and it gives us a little chuckle.
this place is quite large and great for groups- especially after work fun time/bitch sessions.
Give it a try. They have a small lot and if it's full there's still always plenty of street parking options.
Here's the thing about me and food. I think it is god's biggest gift, after life itself, to mankind. I most always find SOMETHING to appreciate about the food I eat, and find no problem finishing what is on my plate.
With that being said, my dinner at Tecalitlan last week will have to be my first and last time there because I could not find anything I liked about the food and could not finish what was served. IN FACT, it made me gag. Gag, even, for hours after eating there. Here's why:
1.) The salsa served with the chips originally struck well with my taste buds. Spicy and loaded with cilantro, I was all "yum yum gimme more, fool." But then when I actually LOOKED at what I was eating, I noticed the salsa was very watery- and the water was very, very frothy. I'm talking a layer a small bubbles all along the top of the salsa. Not fun.
2.) I thought when I ordered the vegetarian torta- that I would be getting something lacking meat. At Tecalitlan, apparently, this means nothing more than putting a couple of veggies on top of pinto beans loaded with pork.
It was nasty. The food was gross, but the neon sign outside is fantastic. Doesn't earn them an extra star, but worth a special mention.
This place slams.
I only showed up for some appetizers and 'ritas, but let me tell you -- those were some DAMN good nachos, guacamole and quesadillas!!
Plus, the margs here are serious (ly great!). They're big, and if you ask right, they keep on coming.
The service is friendly, and the decor is such that when you sit down you feel like you're sitting in a courtyard under the Mexican sky at dusk. I'm sure I'll give it another star once I've had a proper meal. Ole!
I've been here twice since my last review, and I just can't get enough! I went on a Wednesday night around 7:30pm and the place was pretty packed and there was a short 10 minute wait. My gal pal and I decided to order a Margarita at the bar while we waited. We were seated fairly quickly and the server greeted us and brought us chips and salsa while apologizing that it would be a little while before he could take our order b/c he had a lot of tables. T.G. we ordered that marg before we sat! I was enjoying convo with my friend as we pigged out on the fresh salsa and chips... but we were waiting for a pretty long time before our server came back - worth the wait. Once we finally ordered the food came quick. I still LOVE this place!
I'm completely stoked that this place is walking distance from my apartment b/c I definitely don't… Read more »
Here's my take on this convenient joint in my hood.
Great fountain Coke.
Quick takeout service.
Margarita specials.
Portions large enough to share or take home for lunch the next day.
Requisite homemade, irresistible chips.
Ridiculously large menu, including lots of combos and platters that all pretty much give you the same thing.
Competent service.
Fun jukebox.
It all adds up to a solid 3 stars. The food here is pretty unmemorable, but I seem to wolf it down just fine, and judging by how packed this place was on a freezing Weds. night, I'd say, others agree! Also, I love the decor!
Just got done eating here. It was a really aggravating expierence. After being seated we waited about 10 minutes...then someone brought us water..another 10 to get silverware. Finally out waiter came and gave us menus then immediately asked for our order. We pointed to an app and somehow got a $10 entree. We had to ask for every refill. The food was decent. Equivalent to chilis but more expensive. The waiter seemed out of it. When we were done I was practically waving my credit card around. We finally had to ask for our check after 15 min of waiting. I tried to just hand him my card but he walked away too fast. Another 15. Al in all NOT WORTH IT. Average food but one of the slowest service EVER.
I had a hard week at work and my good friend suggested that we grab some dinner to celebrate our Friday evening with some superfine Mexican grub. The restaurant is within walking distance of my apartment (bonus) and I was seated immediately after walking in (double bonus).
Their chips and salsa are delicious - seriously some of the best I've sampled since moving up here from Texas. I know good salsa, k? The food seemed like homemade, authentic Mexican and the prices were totally reasonable. I got the combo numero uno with all vegetarian pickings - which I totally appreciate! - and feasted quite happily.
Long story short, I ended up drinking an entire pitcher of margaritas (there was another one split between two friends - dont judge me, I already said I had a hard week at work!) and I can say that although I dont usually drink margaritas (hello tequila heartburn), theirs are quite amazing. And helped me feel so good that I fell asleep on my couch as soon as I got home.
I may not be able to pronounce your name but I'll be back to eat your food!
I don't remember anything that happened. The last thing I remember was texting Matt L and inviting him to have a drink with us. Good thing he didn't join us. Here is why:
According to my man, I tried to grab some guy's ass last night. I was adamant that I "want" that ass. Good thing one of us was sober to control the situation. At one point, I commanded my man to get me "that piece of ass over there".
I blame it on the margaritas. They were extra strong last night. We usually finish a pitcher between the two of us but we had to give away half of it to the table next to us. Yes, the pitcher was that strong.
I got to hear a loooong lecture from my man this morning. Ugh!!
Why Tecalitlan? Why?
P.S. if you are that hot piece of ass from last night, call me ;-)
OK, let the ridicule begin...
The only place where I had to send my margarita back... because it was…
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Lovingly referred to by my friends and I as "Taco Clown", this place is bomb as hell. The steak burritos are fetus-sized and good enough for 2 meals. I had the chicken mole enchiladas also, and they were EXCELLENT, except that I think they used dark meat, and while I personally prefer white meat, I could get past the little aftertaste, and enjoy an awesome meal.
Some cute girls were having a party there and they gave us the rest of their margarita pitcher, and some Red Vines, too. The fluorescent fake sky ceiling in the back makes me feel like I'm tripping balls on something wacky, but I think I was just high on taco-excitement.
Great margaritas!! The food is great, and for a good price. One of my local favorites!!
I'd say it had been at least two years since I've been to Tecalitlan. So i went for my birthday a week back with some friends. Really we came for the margarita's, pitchers all around. Careful because it may taste sweet, but it'll knock you on your ass come check time. It was a hurried start to a night of binge birthday boozin'!
Damn those chips and salsa... too good, too good. Fills you up before the entree arrives. Super fresh salsa. Prices are descent for the amount of food you receive. If your like me and are partially broke and skinny, then consider saving the other half of food for leftovers. Great leftover food.
One negative note- it seems like it takes no shorter than 20 minutes to get the check around here. Perhaps this is on purpose but (drink up gringo)- we had to get up to flag down our waiter, just to get the check.
Gotta love the traditional weaved blankets resined into the tables. And the vaulted painted sky ceiling with flickering stars and moon. It's the tacky gimmicky cousin to the theatrical genuine music box. Love it.
Break out the piñata... it must be my lucky day! Matt finally decided to throw me a bone and feed me some Mexican food on Friday night. Tecalitlan had been sitting in my bookmarks for some time and what better way to kick off your weekend than with strong margaritas and refried pintos?
If tasty, authentic Mexican fare is what you're looking for, look no further!! Tecalitlan has it all including a jukebox playing Bon Jovi and Donna Summer in spanish... gotta love that!! The tequila is poured heavy and two maggies had me feeling quite alright... good enough in fact I hugged it out with a bum outside on the way to my car (don't tell my mother).
The food was yum yum in my tum!! My carne asada plate came piled crazy high with deliciously marinated skirt steak, beans, rice, guacamole and tons of flour tortillas, totally hit the spot. Almost as good as the carne at Las Fuentes in l.a. which is my benchmark for all things Latino. Matt's burrito was as big as an actual small donkey so they're named quite appropriately. Big boy couldn't even polish off half that sucker... wuss!! The chips left a little to be desired, I hate those super hard almost stale-ish tortilla chips they seem to have in all the Mexican joints save for Adobo Grill and Uncle Julios... these could be much improved on, but the salsa could not, it was perfect with just the right amount of spice and cilantro.
Things come cheap at Tecalitlan so don't worry about saving your pennies, just your appetite, that burrito is built for 2. And steer clear of the 'lil wiry dude with the shopping cart outside, he has wandering hands.
I'm sorry tec, we need to see other people. Its not you, its me. And personally, I dont feel like you are fullfilling my needs anymore. Sure, there were good ole days of tangy salsas, great music, friendly service, and I still adore the fact that you give me almost an entire avocado on my tostado...but I get the feeling that your heart just isnt in it anymore. The last time we were together- I felt empty...the cold shoulder beans, bland rice, and stale stale chips left me confused and sad. Sure, there are the ritas. And god, you are the best I have ever had. But a relationship cant be based on ritas, can it? I need something more.
Perhaps, maybe we could just see each other casually, say on tuesday- when you do that special rita all cheap and dirty like I like it. But til then, we should just be friends.
this is some of the best Mexican food you will ever have!
Better than what I got in Mexico. Always solid, always good!
And don't listen to anyone who has had "good authentic" Mexican because they are from the Southwest or California or any such bullshit. Oh, or because they are Latino and their Mom cooked better.
Please!
Who do you think cooks the food at Tecalitlan- a bunch of clueless Frenchmen?
I fux with Tecalitlan. They have half priced ptichers of margaritas on Mondays (and some other drink special Tues & Wed too) and the cheapest food ever... at least to me.
I often have 2 steak quesadillas and a pitcher of margarita (with a friend of course *wink wink*) and I'm nice and slurry when i leave.
Also the free salsa is THE BOMB. It's really fresh and really good. We usually add it to whatever main course we order. I can't say I've ever had bad service or bad food there.
Thanks to my coworker for having her birthday dinner there or else I wouldn't even know about it.
This is one of those places that I want to love. Dependable, cheap Mexican food and 1/2 priced pitchers of Margaritas? Sign me up.
The fact of the matter is the food here is just average. The carne asada is often times overcooked and they love to smother things in cheese. Lots and lots of cheese. The rice and beans are also pretty standard fare. Not bad, but nothing to write home about, either.
We enjoy the service and the atmosphere is a bit of a trip, if a bit disjointed.
In any case, if you're looking for haute cuisine, Mixteco might be more your speed. If you're looking for a place to kick back, have a margarita, or 5, and enjoy the company of friends while having a hearty meal, you could do a lot worse than Tecaltilan.
By the way, the house tequila, 3 Garcias, seems to be more prominently featured these days, both on the walls, and on the menu.
Large portions of delicious food, and great margaritas (a bit on the expensive side at $26/pitcher). Beware of carrots and peas in the rice.
Great food, great drinks, great service, great prices.... I don't think I need to say much more... Except that they have specials on those great drinks on Mondays and Wednesdays (Margaritas).... Yummy..
3.5 stars.
There is definitely better Mexican food out there, but there's also much much worse.
It's easy to compare this place to Cesar's because it's a good place to have a pitcher of margaritas with your friends and grab some food. The food is probably comparable at both places, but the margaritas are no contest. Cesar's is over-priced and nothing special. Tecalitlan has great prices and much better margaritas.
I like margaritas. They taste good. And just because I can't spell or pronounce the name of this restaurant doesn't mean their margaritas aren't wonderful.
Maybe they should have a tie-tying workshop for their employees, though. Such messy tie wearers in there! Crooked, too loose, and the best one ...way too short. They look like they tied 'em while drunk from their delicious margaritas.
T-Bone is right to say the salsa is good. As is the other stuff they have, like their top notch margaritas.
When we first got there, this man spilled water on the table, but at least margaritas.
More margaritas? Yes, please.
Delicious caldo de pollo - huge serving with large pieces of chicken and veggies with rice on the side. Tacos el pastor are juicy and flavorful. The margaritas are delicious and pack a punch in both on the rocks and frozen. My favorite drink is the horchata which I get jumbo size and take with me because they serve it in a to go cup. Definitely yummy and reasonable Mexican comfort food.
I had heard such good things about this place, but I was completely disappointed. I wish I could give this place zero stars. The best thing I can say about Tecalitlan is that the waitstaff is friendly, and keeps the water coming.
The famed chips and salsa were okay, but just okay. The chips were totally out of a bag, and the salsa while good, tasted like the salsa that I prepared at home 2 nights ago. Nothing really that special.
I ordered the chicken tostada meal. What it lacked in flavor it certainly made up for in cheese. The sheer amount of food on the plate was kind of overwhelming. The chicken was totally flavorless. It tasted like a piece of chicken that had been boiled and red dye was added or something. the refried beans had no flavor, and the spanish rice literally tasted like white rice with some pace salsa thrown in to turn it pink.
My companion ordered the vegetarian burrito. It was so huge! As there was no meat in the burrito, the cook seemed to think that it should be filled with a pound of shredded cheese. Also, It was filled with the grossest looking brown avocados I have ever seen.
We both ate maybe 25% of our food, and did not get a doggie bag.
I will probably never return.
Very reliable Mexican food.
They have a number of items including several choices of combination platters... All very well priced.
Five words: Chicken mole enchiladas with cheese.... That's where it's at my friends!
1/2 price Wednesday Margarita pitchers make for a good time with friends. They're not fresh juice margaritas or anything, but not completely fake syrupy either.
I've never sat in the back room, but I'm glad because it's dark, long, scary, and has an excess of fluorescent lighting. I know what you're thinking, OK, how can it be dark and have an excess of fluorescent lighting? I'm not too sure myself. It's in all the wrong places I guess.
Service is usually pretty good, and they remember us.
Not gourmet, but for what they do, they do it right. Give me some fresh cold pico and hot chips, a pitcher of 'rita on the rocks for $16, a carne asada burrito with cheese, sour, and avocado, portioned to share with some house made hot sauce for $6, and you've got a five star Mexican meal! My only problem with this place is it's hard to branch out from our winning combo. The servers are friendly and quick. The food is consistently fresh, tasty, and an incredible value. If I had my way I would be there at least twice a week. They deliver and have a take-out window. Still want to try the horchata. I just gave myself a craving... see you there in 10.
Burrito here is a MONSTER. get the suizo version and it will be swimming in delicious cheese.
all the other food I've had here was pretty good too. i do remember the chorizo being a little greasy, but i guess that's like calling water wet.
tostadas are loaded. enchiladas leave something to be desired IMHO.
its good for delivery, but the sit down area is really nice when you're in the mood for eating out. they have a sky painted on the ceiling that reminds me of some las vegas casinos.
the prices are fair and service was okay too.
i didn't love it. but i liked it. i will eat there again.
Free Taco with Combo Order!
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
BYOB optional until 12/30/2009
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Chicago, IL
Category: Mexican
Chicago, IL
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Ukrainian Village
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Ukrainian Village
Category: Mexican
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