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I love, love, love Zacatacos! The carne asada taco salads are the best! The food is always great there and the red salsa is delishhh!
The only negative comment I would have is that you'll walk out of there smelling like a char grill! The place has long lines however worth the wait but poor, poor ventilation which causes you to sell like charcoal.
Its definitely worth the wait though! I'm there at least once a week. Oh and la sopa for the kids is good too!
Awesome Food Great price. This place rocks!!!
If you want to experience food nirvana, GO TO ZACATACOS. The tacos here are amazingly delicious. It's a bit out of my way to get here but trust me, the journey is worth it. Each one is stuffed to capacity, so I'm usually full after two and in a full out food coma after three. The horchata is also in a league of its own. Food here is cheap too! People say that money can't buy happiness. I say they're lying. You can buy happiness. You'll find it at Zacatacos for under $10.
The best location of Zacatacos. I used to go here all the time at night because one of my buddies lives 2 blocks away. Whenever I am close by, I can't resist the smell of the asada and stop in, hungry or not.
I don't know if it beats Tio Luis on Archer but it's damn good anyways.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Zaca tacos are my fav. but, I'm not sure what's up with this place on 59th. Although this is the original Zaca the tacos are not as good to me as the Zaca on 71st.
The meat is good. My wife thinks the meat is a little dry but I disagree. The meat has good flavor. The perfect balance of carbon (char-broil) and meat flavor. The red sauce is the some of the best I have had and I have been to many of the popular taco places in Chicago. They could make a fortune bottling and selling that sauce in the store. Every thing I have has at Zaca has been good, chicken tacos, carne asada, guacamole etc. I have never been disappointed. Drive a few extra blocks and go to 71st. Better atmosphere, more seating, and better cliental. This place seems to have too many ghetto people going in, unlike 71st.
One of the best tacos i had ever had. So my friend who lives on the southside decided to take me there. The place is small inside and they have a little outdoor patio so we decided to eat there. The brought out the chips and 2 different salsas. The chips weren't really good but i was hungry so i ate a few. I ordered a chicken taco, steak taco, rice, & beans. Tacos were yummmyyyyyy. The rice and beans were a lil on the bland side. They also didn't sell water which is a bummer for me since that's all i drink. I recommend going there for the tacos.
Chicken tacos are good, although the chicken can be dry at times.
Carne Asada have a good charcoal grill taste, but carne asada cooked in this style is not traditional Mexican. Rather, cooking carne asada on a griddle or large pan is the way they do it in Mexico.
The tortillas they use are ordinary, very much unlike the better-tasting El Milagro tortillas one of their competitors uses.
Don't let the nice smell fool you. The quality is just plain ordinary.
I eat at this place quite often since its next to work. The tacos are really good and even better are their Tortas, they are yummy. steak torta with avocado and hot sauce.
the ventilation system is not all that effective at this place so when you come out you smell like a chimichanga but its ok the food is well worth it.
Hands down my favorite taco joint in the city... of course it's gotta be on the south side. There are pretenders to the throne in Logan Square, Uk. Village, etc. but Zaca kills them.
Good quality ingredients, cooked legit, seasoned perfectly, cooked on a flame barbecue grill and not some shitty flattop fast food style grill, this taco joint will destroy any steak or vegetarian taco joint in the city.
Very good, my uncle introduced me to this place and i have to say i was very surprised! giving la pasadita a run for it's money.
Today I had tacos from Zaca Tacos and the Paco's Tacos a block away, taking a break from my usual diet of burgers and fried chicken.
I had two steak (asada) tacos to go, with cilantro and onions, and I went home to eat them.
In my opinion, the tacos from both are great, but I have to give the edge to Zaca because the meat seemed more moist and flavorful, even though the tortillas were greasier than the one at Paco's.
There's not much space in there, so take out is the recommended option. I think my living room is about the same size as the customer area at Zaca.
Credit cards are accepted, with a $10 minimum.
Definitely give both places you try if you can.
This place can get a little stuffy, went here in the summer with a large group of people and it was slightly miserable...but the tacos are well worth it. I pretty much always order tortas de pollo, I can't help it, they always hit the spot! But the tacos here we deliciosos and definitely gave me good reason to stray from the norm.
Mmmm...zaca tacos!!! The taco salad is delicious and enormous. I love the steak tacos too. I have heard that their menudo is the best cure for a hangover, but I'm too chicken to try it.
An utterly awesome taqueria!!
I love their steak tacos!!!! They use hearty pieces of meat in your tacos not ground beef looking. I'm sure they marinade their meat with lime and other spices. I truly like this place for their tacos, chips & salsa, and chicken flautas!
What I don't like is that the place gets pretty crowded and it takes a little longer than it should for them to have your food ready.
There other location just made the list for Chicago best tacos and I have to agree. I'm always eating here or at their other locations. The do have the best steak in town.
Click here for the Best tacos article
http://metromix.chicag...
I am rating it based on the tacos alone, I would give it five stars but I only get the steak tacos with cilantro, onions, and cheese. These tacos are soooo good and filling that only two wil have you satisfied. However the great tasting tacos are addicting and will have you wanting more. I think you can even phone in your order, this way you avoid the waiting there. Back to the tacos, the meat is actually meat. You rarely find the chewy/fatty pieces. If friends or people I know ask me about a good taco place, I always reccomend zaca tacos.
seriously, folks.
zacatacos IS just about as good as it gets.
and to all the nayayers who describe the carne asada as "chewy."
well, it is supposed to be chewy.
there is nothing more inauthentic than carne asada that is not prime quality skirt steak, which resists the teeth in that oh-so-perfect way.
these are the best carne asada tacos EVER.
honestly.
i'm a so-cal native who has tried just about every tacqueria in LA, SD, SF, and Santa Cruz. And most of the reputable ones in Chicago. Not to mention all over Mexico. Zaca Tacos has the most authentic al pastor and carne asada. perfectly seasoned, perfectly prepared.
For instance: you know when you spritz your lime in your steak taco and it just tastes like lime-drenched steak? It's good, right?
Well at Zacatacos they season their asada so perfectly, that when you add lime, all the ingredients of the taco cohere into a synergistic flavor sensation that is so much more than the sum of its parts. It's briny, steaky, citrusy, and mouth-watering. in every bite.
And need I mention that the tortillas are the best in the city? they are quite toothsome as well.
I eat my occasional lomo (ribeye) taco. It's really good, not chewy at all.
But asada should be chewy and hearty steak, with excellent beefy flavor and a noticeable char.
AND the mashed potato taco is out of this world delicious.
tacos are all about the genius of simplicity. zaca tacos has mastered that genius.
best tacos in town. period!
come here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !
This place has great food. I love that they have a lot of vegetarian options. I always ate at their location down the street that was on my way home from summer school one year during high school, until I was temporarily banned (just went back after 3 years, better seating). This location gave me my veggie taco salad fix for those 3 years though. I like the outdoor seating during the summer, and the late hours that come in handy on the weekends. I also really like the fact that they have mashed potato tacos because I thought my grandmother was the only one who made them They satisfy the crave when she's not up for making them. Only reason I don't like this place is that the waitresses are little bitches who talk a lot of shit when they think you don't understand Spanish. I gave them the finger on my way out last time in anger, but they just looked embarrassed because they knew they were in the wrong. Anyway, that won't stop me from going there. The food is that good and convenient.
the good:
great chicken tacos prepared on open grill, great chicken flautas.
the bad:
steak tacos also tasty but very chewy(sub-standard meat i'm thinking)
the ugly:
right around noon it gets REALLY crowded. call ahead & get the food to go, sometimes it gets very smoky in there. the exhaust blows (it certainly doesn't suck) you smell like food the rest of the day.
don't forget to CHECK YOUR ORDER before you leave. they'll screw it up faster than mcdonald's
A family favorite, These are among my top 3 tacos joints in the United States. It's #1 at times (in my own little organization system). Tasty, marinated Carne Asada make some of the best tacos you've ever eaten. I could be mistaken, but the meat tastes like arrachera beef, and just may well be. Nevertheless, it's good as hell. I dont reocmmend the tortas, though. For some reason the beef doesnt go well with bread. So stick with the doubled-up corn tortillas. Seating exists at a counter inside the small shack, and outside at some picnic tables. So no real dining experience. tacos are about $1.90, and charge $0.10 more if you want lettuce, tomato, and cheese instead. They charge $0.30 for a cup of water, too. Minimum credit card charge is $10.00. And you can only ask for chips once.
You CANNOT drive by this place and NOT be tempted by the smell of flame broiled steak cooking. This is one of the few in the area that cooks its steak whole, and THEN cuts it up. Make a difference? Si!
It produces a juicy and flavorful steak that is not shriveled and dry, as when you cook it cut already. Taco and burritos are the best here. Although, it only lacks perfection because of their lackluster sauces. They have the green tomatillo and red sauce. Heat, but not enough flavor. This is definitely a condiment, and not something you can eat a cup of ,without gastric repercussion later on.
I have been coming here for years, and now that the 71st Street is open and PACKED constantly, it is a great escape that some have forgotten about. IMHO, they can open up about 6 more and have them all do very well.
My only complaint about the meat is that the burrito is VERY small. I get one, and it may be half the size of an El Gallo's or El Famous. Did success go to their heads?(Like Tony's Beef) Are they cutting back or heavily portioning the servings? I hope not. maybe I am just getting fatter.
Edit: As of 2008, their Green (tomatillo) sauce is probably one of the best I've tasted. NOW, they are perfect.
Mashed potato taco?? Who woulda thunk it?? Vegetarian friendly! This place uses high quality chicken breast, steak, etc. for their tacos, burritos, tortas. The tomato and cilantro are always fresh. The place is always clean. This is my favorite taqueria EVER!!!
Love! 2 steak tacos, under five bucks and super filling. Nachos are a must have all though a bit much for me my hubby likes them, Very fast services, but be prepared, they are almost always busy
I have only been here twice but I cant get the taste out of my mind. I LOVE these tacos. They have a tiny kick to them and they are quite perfection if you ask me. They expanded their Westlawn location too.
absolutely 100% the best tacos in chicago. the carne asada cannot be beat. i can't eat mexican food anywhere anymore because of this place. it's amazing. the people are friendly, the food is so extremely cheap and the quality is top notch. the only way to have these tacos is the traditional way: corn tortilla, cilantro and onion with a squeeze of lime. heaven.
These are among the best tacos on the southwest side of Chicago. Although recently new taquerias have opened up in the same area. You might want to try out newer taquerias. I love giving new restaurants a try.
Without a doubt the best steak tacos (carne asada) in the city. Sometimes the tortillas can be a bit greasy, but that doesnt necessarily bother me. They have a choice of green and red salsa, hard to choose between them, they're both sooooo good and hot. The other menu items are great as well, the dinners with rice, beans and salad and your choice of meat, the gorditas, tortas and taco salad are really good. Dont think i've ever had a bad experience there. They do add special items for lent, havent tried them but do sound good.
"dont let the smell fool you" i cant believe people actually like the steak tacos(carne asada), to me they were very bland and the meat was chewy, also i didnt like the big chunks of meat, i prefer them chopped up a little smaller. the chicken isnt bad, but if around the area stop at paco's and avoid this overrated place. people really need to venture out more if they think these taco are great!!!
Neighborhood: Archer Heights
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: West Lawn
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: The Loop
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Brighton Park
Category: Mexican
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