On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
I'm happy to report that Tony's is just as good sober as it is when you hit it up late night after the bars.
The tacos are made with the big shells and they give you TONS of cheese. Almost all other places, I have to ask for extra cheese, but they're not skimpy at Tony's at all.
The salsa and guac are yummy (and the chips too). The red sauce is better than the green, in my opinion.
Nice pieces of steak, not fatty at all.
The people that work there are really nice and friendly.
I hate reviewing places that have tons of reviews, but seeing as how I go to Tony's seemingly every week, I feel I should share my views. Here's is why I go to Tony's:
-Salsa on tacos. Not many places put salsa on their tacos, but it's one small detail I love. It's not some phony sauce either, it's got great flavor and a bit of HEAT!
-The chilequiles. They are so money, they don't even know it. My fav is w/ steak and red sauce. It's such a great cold-weather meal too, "sticks to your ribs" as Grams would say.
-The chorizo is the real deal. Spicy, flavorful, and authentic.
-The nachos are a meal by themselves. Hot, messy, meaty nachos = WIN.
-The staff is really cool and I've never had something come out other than the way I ordered it in all the times I've been there.
-Burritos in 2 sizes! When I'm sickly hungry and want to stuff myself silly, I get the big one. But when I just want to stuff myself moderately, I get the little one. So nice to have options!
The only reason this isn't a 5-star rating is there are a couple areas of improvement:
-The rice is just fair. Could use a bit more spice and seasoning.
-The horchata isn't anything to write home about.
Nonetheless, I love Tony's and you will too.
Chilaquiles for the win. Holy cow. My friend dangled this spot in front of me when we were getting ready for a noon basketball game - "if you come early, we could get Mexican." Jerk.
I looked up and down the menu, trying to find my favorite, and didn't see it - until the end. The chilequiles are listed almost as an afterthought, not on the main menu board that's posted, but rather on a computer printed sign below. I got mine with chorizo, because I'm a fatty, and opted for green sauce, instead of red.
What I received was delightful. Lots of small pieces of tortilla chip, slightly crisp, slightly softened in the sauce, resulting in a really great crunchy-chewy texture. The salsa verde was tangy with excellent heat and great flavor, and the chorizo was lean and flavorful. All that came with a huge portion of rice and beans - and good beans too, with enough lard (or some kind of fat in them). The rice was lacking the "veg-all" mixture you get at some places - I don't want corn and peas and carrots in my rice, thank you. And all of this was dusted with a nice handful of shredded white cheese. So delicious.
To top all this off, they had pretty decent coffee - it's the standard big glass coffee pots, which I typically assume will result in pretty lackluster brown stuff, but this coffee wasn't burnt, wasn't sour, and did the job nicely.
This was a little pricey, $9 for breakfast, but I could have gotten the chilequiles without the meat and still been happy, as I wasn't able to eat it all as is. I will be back whenever I can find an excuse.
This is the best burrito joint in the city. I love their steak burrito so much, I dream about it. I also love their guacamole and chips and I love the fact that it's open till 4 am on the weekends!!
I'm not a fan of Tex-Mex food, but carbs and hot salsa win when it's 0º degrees outside. The cuisine isn't known for its vegetarian-friendliness, but it's possible in the right restaurant. Tony's had vegetarian burritos, tostadas, tacos, quesadillas, and more. All at very reasonable prices (get a combo meal for less than $6.50). Chips and salsa are a mere $1.50, with the salsa being fresh and very spicy.
The food wouldn't be worth much to Rick Bayless, but if you're looking for cheap, satisfying, and fast Tex-Mex food at 1am in the morning, Tony's is it... yes, especially when you're drunk as hell.
Oh, Tony's! How I love thee!!!
I will admit, I've probably eaten here more than 20 times, and except for one time, I always get the same thing: Vegetarian burrito. No cheese. No sour cream. PURE DELICIOUS. Grilled onions, green peppers, lettuce, tomato, refried beans and a side of rice...yessss please!!
The staff is always SUPER friendly and the place is usually pretty clean, especially for being as busy as they always are.
My ONE and only complaint: Who taught these guys how to wrap a burrito? Seriously. Mine never stay together :( It's the one thing that Famous Taco Burrito has on them. Work on it, guys!!
We live a few blocks away and eat at Tony's often. Great selection of authentic mexi-quick favorites, made to order fast and always delicious. Great for late night dining or to pick up on a chilly Sunday afternoon. Highly recommeded!
I LOVE THIS PLACE!
This may sound stupid, but I judge Mexican food by their salsa/hot sauce. They have the best hot sauce that makes me tear a little from the heat while clearing up my sinuses. SO GOOD!
Never disappointed by the food that I get here. It's good, fast, and cheap. What's not to love?
Jesus. This place doesn't make it fair for competition, y'all.
So good. So fast. So cheap. Long gone are the days where I filled up on crappy tortilla chips while I awaited an overpriced, bland meal. This is the real deal.
I can eat this for lunch, din or late night. It's also great or bfast if you get it in the fridge so that the cheese solidifies.
DEE-LISH!
I've been eating here since I moved to the Logan Square/Roscoe Village area in 2005. When I first went here, I was very skeptical since the name is Tony's. I thought we were going to get a meatball burrito or something Italian, but their food is probably the best of the "fast food" Mexican places in the city. Tony's crushes El Famous, Taco Burrito King, etc. They would get 5 stars for the food, but the place is small and could use some remodeling.
It's a hole in the wall good anytime sober or drunk. Never had a bad meal here and the price is right. Great steak tortas and al pastor tacos. And nicely spiced salsa.
In a neighborhood with not to many options for lunch those that we do have we really want to like and enjoy...if we don't we are SOL.
I have worked near here for 1.8 years and I have never been disappointed with the food or service here. I have almost everything on the menu and each time I left happy and food. I like that they give you the dinner option which comes with rice and beans or you can just order single items.
Staff has always been extremely friendly and prompt.
Oh Tony's, you satisfy my unyeilding hunger for mexican food while I am intoxicated.
I have had tacos, nachos, quesadilla, and probably other items I cannot remember here and everything is so good and soo cheap!
The staff is friendly, my bf (who is quite talkative when drunk) asks about the cashier's young daughter to see how she is and he obliges, even though it probably seems rather creepy.
Next time you are out until 3 AM and want something to satisfy your craving, stop by here, you won't be dissapointed!
The cashier guy was so awesome it was worth going just for that. He seemed to have a very high tolerance for drunk people and was friendly and got our order in about 3 seconds. The long line moved quickly because of him.
The bf had a a steak burrito and I had a pork burrito. We shared guacamole and chips. The food was good, not the best al pastor I've ever had but it was good. The bite of the steak burrito I had was really good but I still say it pales in comparison to El Burrito Mexicano (under the Addison stop), maybe that's because it's a little less greasy. Either way, it's in my new neighborhood and will probably become an occasion late night spot for me.
Consistently good Americanized Mexican food.
Nice guys working there.
I do wish they gave you chips and salsa when you sit down.
No biggie though.
I ate here a few years ago and came back based on the reviews. Let me tell you- as a non-great-after-a-late-night-of-drinking review, Tony's IS all that my more inebriated fellow reviewers say it is. Friendly people, good food, great bang for your buck. I have since made two trips and would only come here b/c the SO and I need to experience some variety in where we get our Mexican. But I have no prob having TBH my Mexican food HQ.
So, to get into the meat of things:
chimichanga - Outside, lightly fried to perfection. Innards: Delicious
Rice- good, not overdone by any means, simple tomato-based sauce
Beans- basic refrieds, I feel like it could use just a little something. What, I don't know yet. If I figure it out, I'll update the review.
Burrito- linger-fickin' gud.
Horchata- yum!
If i'd had more dishes, I'd list 'em here. For all the restaurants I've eaten at and reviewed, I feel completely safe to say that if you're in the area, TBM is where you want to get that next south-of-the-border entree.
One word...well, actually 7.
chilaquiles verdes.......con pollo o carne asada.
The best I have had in the city. Crispy tortilla. Delicious green salsa. Perfectly melted chihuahua cheese. Good heat (spice).
Drunk or sober this place never lets me down.
I have not had the rojo or huevos chilaquiles yet. Why fix something if it isn't broken?
4 stars only because I have not eaten here sober.
HOWEVER, excellent, excellent late night place. A little out of the way but a $5 cab ride is well worth the deliciousness of a cheese and mole covered burrito. Friendly workers and quick service. The guac was fantastic as well. Been here 3 times and have been totally satisfied each time.
I've been to my fair share of taquerias, and I generally judge them based on whether or not I can eat there when I'm sober. I can and have eaten several times at Tony's Burrito Mex when I'm not intoxicated. The food is ridiculously cheap but good and fast and the people are always nice. Highly recommended.
Great, cheap mexican food right down the street from me.
It's about what you'd expect from a Mexican fast food place, but it seems cleaner, bigger and just better than most of the places I've been after a long night.
The menu is realy big and varied though I've only had their tacos and burritos, but both were very meaty and filling. They don't skimp on the meat here. I've also never had a really bad, gristly taco here which is why it beats out The Famous Taco Burrito over on Western.
I love Mexican breakfasts and they seem to have a lot of them here, so I want to come back and try them some morning, too.
One of the many, many, many, many, many reasons I miss Chicago. Not only are they open crazy late to stop all the spins from a night a drinking, but they open early to help stop the spins the next morning.
I ALMOST never ventured into Tony's because of the scary looking store front. But don't be fooled...the food is actually really tasty! And trust me, I've tried almost everything on the menu and never been disappointed. It's also really cheap (I bought food for about 8 people after a bday party for around $30!).
The guys who work there are super cool, polite, and sweet. Although I think I may have been a little too addicted to Tony's because when I came back for a visit a few months after I moved to Boston, the cashier cutie asked where I've been. A tad bit embarrassing, but it just adds to the charm of the place.
Oh, I miss you Tony's.
I ordered a veggie burrito with everything sans refried beans to go. $4.50 (!) and a short cab ride home, I was able to feast on the burrito. It was huge and mega cheap. Fresh green peppers (none of the slimy ones that I have seen at other places - Flash Taco, I'm looking at you) and onions, as well as the rest of the ingredients. It completely hit the spot and left me wanting more. Took me long enough to try it, but now I think this place is definitely going to be my go-to place for a great burrito. Did I mention cheap?
I've been to Tony's maybe five or six times, as it's not too far from my apartment, or more importantly the Hungry Brain. Each time, save for the last I've stood in line, perused the menu, ordered my food, paid for my food, received my food, and promptly left without eating & without food in hand.
No, it's not because the food looked disgusting, or bad service (the service has always been top notch!). Let's just say, that whatever I had been doing before heading to Tony's led me to feel that upon receiving my food, that eating it might not be the best idea.
But, alas, this weekend I went there and I actually ate for once! What can I say, it didn't disappoint. My chicken burrito was fantastic, while the rice & beans were pretty much just par for the course.
On the whole though, it still is your average/slightly above average late night Mexican place, and I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. But it being pretty much dead center between two places where I tend to spend a lot of my time, it's worth the pit stop.
Oh my.
Culinary ecstasy, thy name is Tony's. What can I say? Since moving to the neighborhood, I have become a regular, like countless others.
I love everything about Tony's. The happy employees, the blarin' Mexican radio station, and of course- every single thing on the menu. You simply cannot go wrong. My suggestion is the pork burrito (I ordered a small- I don't even want to know how big the "large" is). Mmmm.
I love this place. The chimichangas are absolutely fantastic, the tacos are filling, and the prices are beyond reasonable.
I've been there intoxicated, I've been there sober, and it's delicious none-the-less.
Without a doubt one of my favorite places in the neighborhood. I first came to Tony's last summer when I was visiting friends and trying to find a job in Chicago. It is now about 8 months later and I have yet to find anything that compares. The staff is always friendly, and they are able to put up with you when you're drunk, so that's nice. Tasty, cheap, fast food that really shines when you've been pounding beers. The cost is beyond reasonable and you can leave feeling full for 5 bucks. My personal favorites are the steak burrito and the chorizo quesadillas. I would recommend Tony's to anyone looking to cap off a night of totally unhealthy behavior. Good food, close to my apartment, and the guys are all friendly. Tony's is the best.
Soooo good! I ducked in here during the Belmont Arts & Music Fest to escape a rainstorm, and ended up chowing down on a plate of fabulous beef sopes as an impromptu lunch. The sopes were only a $1.25 each, plus a $3.00 horchata brought my meal to under $7 bucks total!
Their horchatas are a little bit gritty tasting, but very, very cinnamon-y. I was pleased that they served jalapenos on the side with their sopes. The place was clean and the service was quick. I'd definitely be back here more often if I lived closer.
This is and always has been convenience food for me. I work about three store fronts away and have subsequently eaten a lot more of Tony's Burrito Mex than I would have under any other circumstances. Thusly I don't have the drunken relationship that I assume a lot of the higher raters might. It's certainly not bad food, but with the abundance of Mexican to be found in this city, you're bound to find something better. It's not anything I would go out of my way for.
I generally go with something simple, a few chicken tacos and nachos with guacamole. Not bad, but it never sits that well. Recently I tried one of their breakfast scrambles and it was probably the best thing I've ever had there.
So there ya go. Take it or leave it.
Tony's Burrito Mex, if you were a mile closer to my house I'd be here everyday.
Definitely in the mold of a Chicago taqueria. Tony's has non-stop boisterous salsa music from the juke box, an open (and clean) kitchen, delicious greasy south of the border cuisine and occasional language barrier problems. What's not to love?
The burritos, guacamole, and enchiladas all come highly recommended.
Stopped by here for a late night food fix, when I recently went to Scooter's. And of course, I had to go there first before hitting here, due to the fact I cut close to Scooter's closing time, and just narrowly beat it.
That aside, I was quite surprised by the variety of food you could get on their menu, and that just about all food items were under $7(and many in the $4-5.50 range). It seems to me like a version of what Taco and Burrito House(at Fullerton/Ashland) would be like, if they had an expanded menu. And since you can order breakfast items at any time of the day or night, and my love of places that allow you to order breakfast anytime, I ended up ordering the steak omelette. It was pretty decent, and not surprisingly(to me), came with both beans and rice. Other than the sour cream(which I couldn't tell if it had a normal or weird taste to it), I enjoyed the taste of the omelette a lot, and the cheese they put on it was quite tasty. The beans were pretty decent, and didn't have a weird taste to them, unlike at some taquerias I've been to in the past.
In addition, I love how this place is only 2 blocks from Hamlin Park, if you want a more relaxing way to eat(and also for me, to smoke). It's also kittie corner away from a smaller park, but I prefer going to Hamlin. Too bad the summer is almost over, and the cooler weather won't be long to follow. :( But I definitely will come back here soon enough, regardless of the weather. Not to mention, the guy who took my order was really cool and friendly!
FYI: $5 credit card minimum, opens at 10am every day, and closes at midnight each day(except Fridays and Saturdays, when it's open till 4am).
Ode to a Burrito
Oh, Tony's.
You deserve more than what I can give you,
As 4 stars would be appropriate for your menu.
You feed me as the night becomes mornin',
Even while the neighbors are a scornin'.
Maybe it's because your eats are delightfully greasy,
But I left tonight feeling rather queasy.
And although I enjoy your late-night eats,
Your oasis is no longer my preferred retreat.
So, goodbye to you, my mexican friend,
May those who enter have a better end.
I am coming here at least once a week for cheap Mexican food. They have pretty late hours on the weekend for that "Last Call has come and gone, and I got hungry waiting for the bus" feeling.
As mentioned, the drinks are fifty or seventy-five cents for refills, which IMO is not highway robbery by any means. I don't go into Brand-X fast food joint and have so many soda refils, I'm swimming, so I'm not going to do it here either.
I'd never had horchata before trying this place, but I will agree: it is addictingly sweet. As for the food, I've only had combo plates and single items, I've not tried the burrito's yet, which really, is kind of a bum move on my part, considering this establishment's namesake.
Misc: $5 minmum order to use a debit/credit. A handful of booths and a bar to sit at, seating is not bad unless they happen to be slam busy with eat-in orders.
This place won't get old anytime soon.
Love the Beef tostada, rice and beans, chicken taco. Hits the spot every time.
Tony's is the best Mexican joint for those nights when It's 3AM and you've been drinking. They are open till 4AM on weekends and are always extremely quick. Oh and did I mention delicious! Best steak taco dinner in the city. They also have random stuff like cheese fries and chicken nuggets. Now there is no excuse for when half of your group of drunken merry men doesn't want tacos after leaving the bar! There is something for everyone and its very inexpensive.
As my relationship hurtles towards perfection, Tony's begins interfering in my love life. Yes, it's true. I love Tony's. My avocado torta and I can employ various tactics to linger, horchata and fries in tow, in my booth, happily swaying to loud rancheros music for hours. I don't make any excuse about my love affair with Tony's, it is what it is, and it's been going on for years. There, I said it. Salsa verde in a squeeze bottle, enough said.
I love this place. It's only about a 10 minute walk from my apt, and I enjoy every minute of that walk, because I know in about 20 minutes my belly will be extremely satisfied and full of goodness. I've only enjoyed the vegetarian burrito (I always add guacamole), and it is amazing. I'm not even going to try another burrito joint, I'm stopping here.
+open late/nice staff
++ cheap
+++wonderful food
This place rocks my socks! I would have given it the whole 5 stars but since they allow drunken tools to loiter, I lowered it to 4. This place is awesome because it seems like they are always open and its soooo cheap and delicious! Eating the food was like having a party in my mouth. The servers are very polite and seem very happy to be working there.
Tony's has all around good mexican food. All the usual stuff: burritos, tacos, tortas, horchata, etc. No real surprises here. If you have a hankering for fast food mexican, you won't be disappointed. However...
The "small" burrito is the perfect after bar food. It's big enough to fill you up but not too big to make you regret it in the morning. This is especially important if one is stopping by Tony's after a night of drinking when one's decision making abilities are somewhat impaired.
If you're looking for high-end Mexican, you're looking at the wrong place. It's a corner tacqueria, with inexpensive but delicious food.
I usually grab a burrito at least once a week, and misc drunken stops on the way home.
The drink refill policy is somewhat annoying, but hardly a dealbreaker. Especially considering the quantity of food you receive for their very low prices. Suck it up, cheapskates, or don't get ice.
Like Kim, I also love Tony's Burrito Mex. I've only gotten the vegetarian burrito, but it's so good that I sometimes dream about it. Really.
My only complaint is that they're only open until midnight on Thursdays. For a place that's open till 4 p.m. or later on Friday and Saturday, you'd think they could throw me a bone and stay open until 2 p.m. Thursdays is a good late-night burrito night too!!!
Valentine's Day
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Valentine"s Day Celebration
Neighborhood: Pilsen
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Category: Hot Dogs
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Category: Cuban
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Category: Vegetarian
I'm a burrito expert. Read on and benefit from my…
All the spots I've hit up in my former fave…
Places I go to a lot because of their proximity to…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
